Tales of the New World Chapter 4: Cold Morning

                He sat in silence watching his daughter resting in her bed almost motionless not for the shallow rise and fall of her chest. When she slept she looked almost normal, she wasn’t though, not anymore. He checked his watch. It was 3:34 am he had to leave soon or he would be late. He brushed some of her shoulder length blonde hair from her eyes and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. He would miss her.

                She stirred opening her eyes slowly rousing from sleep. “Daddy what are you doing in my room?” she said in an annoyed slur still half asleep.

                “You came in late again.” He informed.

                She rolled her eyes letting out a bitter grunt. “Matt was throwing an elevation party for me okay? Geez I wish you’d stop getting on my case all the time.”

                “It’s not that sweetie.” He leaned in closer placing a hand on her cheek. “I-I just wanted to see you and let you know I love you, and I know you miss your mother and I’m sorry….I’m sorry I can’t be there for you like she can.”

                She grabbed his hand it was trembling. “Daddy…I’m sorry okay.” Her face immediately shifted from anger to concern. “I was just happy it finally happened you know. I know I’ve been a little out of control but there’s just so much I can do now. I promise I’ll try not to make you worry so much.” She wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, all four of them. 

                He was surprised. He hadn’t expected this from her. She had been so angry, so bitter. He thought she hated him, resented him for not being man enough to keep her mother around. He was sure she was planning on leaving soon as well, but now she was being just as sweet as she had been as a child. It almost changed his mind.

                “Go back to sleep sweetie. Daddy’s not mad.”

                She gave him one last concerned look before closing her eyes and nodding off once more. He gave her one last kiss before leaving the room.

                As he walked down the hall he checked his watch again. 3:40. He had to get across town in less than two hours, he had to move. He hurried down the hall into his bedroom. In his dresser he pulled out a black six shot revolver with his left hand. He aimed it for a moment. His hand trembled and the sight shook back and forth. He had been practicing for almost a year but it still felt awkward in his non-dominant hand. Maybe it was just nerves. He checked the chamber it was loaded. He shoved in his left pocket. There was no going back now. Finally he grabbed his coat struggling to put it on as he left out the door. There was only one thing on his mind. Payback.

                Fresh air tasted so much better when you weren’t behind bars. Or in his case some diamond infused, unbreakable, synthetic alloy reinforced with six inches of solid steel. Just for good measure. Quite frankly he was insulted. He wasn’t that dangerous. In truth in was mostly a show, an unimpressive attempt at showing that the old form of government could still keep the piece in a world where the average person was now at least fifteen feet tall and could bench press a dump truck, or were like him and fell into some strange category that was beyond classification. That didn’t stop them though. Class 1: Was for elevated people who had mutations varying from suddenly growing wings to something as simple as hair that glows in the dark. The one thing that was unconditional was the significant increase in physical and mental strength, immunity to most diseases and some modest size increase that varied from individual to individual. The kicker was a lot of them still looked like normals. Class 2 is where it got interesting: Massive size increase was the common symptom. Interestingly enough it was also more common in women than men with a ratio of almost 30:1. He was designated as a class 3 just like his sister code name for “we aren’t even going to pretend to understand what’s going on.” He knew a class 3 in the joint who for all intensive purposes was invisible. He took advantage of the situation in the way one would expect. The real mystery was how anyone managed to catch him.

                He laughed. He learned quickly never play Shifty in a game of poker. He looked at the horizon. The sun hadn’t risen yet but light was already starting to break. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of menthols one of the only things he’d had on him when he was arrested. It figures they wouldn’t let him keep the twenty grand. He lit the tip and took a long drag. As he breathed out his face turned sour. They just weren’t as satisfying since he’d elevated. The taste of ash had dulled and he no longer felt the heat at the back of his throat. Still he continued now more for atmosphere than addiction he was a free man after all. Nicotine no longer worked on him. He crumpled the rest in his hand and tossed them aside kicking his habit for good.

                He reached into his other pocket and retrieved his phone the only other thing he had on him. He was surprised to find it still had service. He checked his contact list not sure who to call first.

                “Walter Sanders!” he heard his name shout into his ears.

                Walter Clarence Sanders!” the voice repeated with increased vigor.

                He winced turning toward whoever had addressed him. They already fucked up by using his middle name. “Can I help you?”

                “No I don’t think you can.” Suddenly a man stepped out from the tree line of a small forest that sat next to the road. He was wearing a heavy coat and looked to be in his late forties. He had a scraggly beard and looked like he’d been walking for quite some time. Walter wasn’t sure who this man was but he looked oddly familiar.

                “Well if you don’t need anything I will gladly be on my way.”

                “No!” the man shouted as he suddenly produced a gun from his left pocket. He pointed it at him and Walter could see his hand tremble with a rather weak grip. Then it came back to him.

                Walter smiled a toothy grin. “David!” he beamed. “It’s been awhile how are things? How’s your arm?”

                “Shut Up!” the man ordered brandishing his gun.

                “Come on David.” Walter laughed. “We both know you don’t have the guts. If you did I’d be dead and you wouldn’t be a human slot machine.”

                “I said Shut Up!” David welled. “I’ve changed. What you’ve done to me, to my life, I have nothing to lose anymore.”

                “Oh please.’ Walter dismissed. “Disabled people are capable of living perfectly normal lives.”

                “My wife left me you dick!” he raged. “She said there was no point being with a man who can’t protect himself.”

                “Well she is kind of a bitch, Dave.” Walter mused.

                “Shut up!” Dave repeated. “I’ve had enough.” He pulled back the hammer with and audible click.

                “Easy Dave.” Walter said raising his hands. “Let’s not ruin a nice morning. I mean look you’re the only one who bothered to even show up! Just put the gun away and we can go get a beer and talk thing out.”

                “You fucking asshole!” Dave pulled the trigger.

                To Walter it was all in slow motion the trigger pull, the flash of the muzzle, the bullet coming toward him. He smiled sidestepping the projectile as it flew past his nose at one sixtieth it’s normal speed.

                “You see Dave what did that solve?”

                Dave fired again. The bullet seemed to pass right through Walter.

                “Nothing.” Walter continued. “Violence solves nothing. That’s what I learned in prison.”

                Dave fired again and again emptying his gun. Suddenly Walter was on him only a few inches from his face. Instantly Walter’s hand was around his throat and Dave was lifted a foot off the ground.

                “It is pretty fun though.” Walter chuckled with a sinister smile.

                “You see David. This is why your wife left you. This is why she cheated on you for 3 years. Your obsolete Dave, weak, old, pathetic.” Walter looked Dave in the eyes. His face was resolute and determined even as tears started to well. He had to give the man credit, he had more balls than most normals. It would be so easy to just snap his neck and be done with it, but he wasn’t worth the jail time. He wasn’t worth anything. “I’m sorry I took your arm Dave.” He tossed the man aside with a hard thud. As he did his coat fell off revealing a stub where his right arm used to be. “Next time be smart and just stay out of our way.”

                Walter continued toward the main road with an amused grin. That wasn’t who he’d been expecting to see upon his release but at least it was entertaining. He went back to his phone browsing the contact list once more.

                “Who to call, who to call?” he thought. He was fairly certain none of his family would want to take him in. Then in a flash an idea crossed his mind. He would have to thank Dave he had all but forgotten about her. He went down the list to the letter M. She would take him in not because she wanted to but because she wouldn’t really have a choice. He pressed the button and texted the simple sentence. “I’m out.” It was about time for a reunion with his other “normal” little sister.