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FICTION SUBMITTED BY mayh3m AT 2009.05.04 07:00 PM | VIEWED 709 TIMES

CONTENT

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A small boy stood on top of a large rock, his hair looked a light shade of brown in the sunlight. He held a sword made of cardboard in his hand. The boy examined his kingdom and thought of his conquers. As he surveyed the land, the faces he imagined faded away and the fantasy stopped. The boy looked at the piece of cardboard in his hand, something that once had "slain" dragons, and dropped it to the ground.

"There's no point in ruling a world that only exists in my head," muttered Nathan.

Nathan was always meant for greatness but was fooled into thinking he had control as to what kind of greatness and its degree. He was fooled, terribly, into believing that a selfish existence wasn't an existence at all. He had confidence, but that would serve only as his liquor.

At the age of five, Nathan's parents went their separate ways. His father had become a drunk and lost any use the world had for him. Sadly, the husk of a man had once been filled with knowledge and success. The best traits of the family Stokes were instilled in Nathan, but a rocky childhood had made him a late bloomer for what would be an exuberant and dominating personality. He would go to school and make sure to leave other kids alone. Kids thought he was weird and awkward, but Nathan simply didn't care to be like them or be liked by them. He spent most of his time studying and loved to figure out situations. However, the feeling of accomplishing something logically wasn't enough. Nathan loved to live life on the edge, and that passion grew stronger as he grew older.

Entering high school, Nathan transitioned from a quiet outsider to a charismatic go-getter. He took on politics, opponents, relationships, and anything that proved to have resistance. He made topics and people crumble between his fingers like day old bread. Nathan was strong and powerful, but also careful and conscious of others. He loved his humanity, but knew he was super-human. The mundane, the scheduling, or routine of a day didn't satisfy him. He moved onto extracurricular sports and activities but only the debate team seemed to grab his attention, especially after Devin joined the team.

Every time the team would meet, their attention was focused on Nathan. He had complete control of all their opinions and thoughts. His analytical background allowed him to read people's reactions when he said things, and helped him choose his words carefully. Once he had them lulled into a sense of security, he'd throw his idea into overdrive, excite them, hook them and reel them in for the catch. It was all very "routine", and though he loved it, he began to realize it was getting too easy. That is, until Devin joined the team. She would agree with them, but then dismantle what he said quite easily and take control herself. Whenever he looked at her it was like staring at the sun. He didn't understand, but he needed to posses her, and she wanted to be possessed.

Nathan graduated high school with high honors. The day after his graduation, he looked at his diploma. "Class of 1982" it read. He was proud, but not satisfied. He knew that he could do better and accomplish more with his life, especially with the few scholarships he had received. The ?free' money would help to begin his career in law, and was looking forward to working as a civil rights attorney. He had it all planned. However, his mom struggled with their financial setting, and Nathan couldn't balance work and school, though he tried. He became frustrated soon, and fought with his mom. Nathan didn't understand why his mom didn't take more risks in life. What he didn't see was that she was doing just that, in her own way. She was taking a chance on a sure thing: her son.

A few months out of high school, Nathan struggled with the lack of forced structure. His mother didn't know too much about college or what to do, and Nathan had been too involved in everything in high school to really pay attention to anything. He got angry and took it out on anyone around him, unsure as to why nothing was making sense. It all seemed to work so well when he had a system that he could work. Now there was nothing, and this made him reckless. He stopped talking to Devin and went into drinking, smoking, and partying. To Nathan, it was easier to find a fix than it was to fill out college applications. After wasting a few years this way, Nathan hit the bottom. Down and out, the final straw was the passing of his mom when he turned 23. At his mother's funeral, he realized that he'd come too far to throw it all away. Upon seeing her eyes closed in that coffin, his eyes were opened.

He got a full-time job working for his community, and though it paid only what people donated, more people gave him more money as he talked to them. He held public forums, wearing suits purchased from good will stores. His rise back to middle ground only took six months. Finally he was well off enough to take on a real, higher paying job, and began to save money. As if life had fated them together, he met up with Devin again at this job. They caught up during lunch breaks and whenever they had free time. At work, they were tough competitors, but everywhere else, they conceded to love. Nathan had started the job working for Devin, but soon it was understood around the office that Nathan and Devin were equals.

Two years later, a week before Valentine's Day, Nathan stepped out of his car and was approached by three men in Armani black suits, wearing dark sunglasses expressionless faces. Nathan was hastily escorted into an unmarked van, partly by force, and partly by his own intrigue. Inside, a familiar figure sat asked him one question:

"How would you like to save the world?"

Nathan heard nothing else with a clear and sound mind.

A few weeks later, he spoke with Devin cryptically when asked why he had been acting different lately.

"I've had a lot on my mind recently, sorry."

"Is it about me? Is it about us?" Devin asked, concerned she had done something to upset him.

"Yes, and no?Devin, have you ever had to choose between something you love, and protecting something you love?"

"Um, no, Not that can I think of, but, I mean, isn't that the same thing?"

"Not at all, not in this case," he mumbled. Devin could tell that he was torn inside. She knew he needed guidance, and decided it was her time to show him the way.

"You know Nathan, if it was me making a choice like this, I would go with something that I love, and not worry about protecting. What's the point of protecting something if it's not something you really love, or if you love something else more? You won't be happy with yourself, and your life. You'd be sacrificing yourself for nothing, and what's the point in that? It is the self that can never be sacrificed, after all. Seems like a waste of time and energy. You should smile and be bright, not constantly tormented and tested."

"Heh, bright, like you?You always were my sunshine. I think you're right. I think I know what I have to do now. Please, tell me you love me despite anything I say or do?"

Devin felt the wind pick up and a cold chill crawl down her spine as the two of them sat outside her apartment. The sensation excited her and made her give an innocent smile. She looked at the ground, and then back towards Nathan.

"You could never hurt me, as long as you are happy, you could never put me out. I love you, Nathan."

The two embraced, and their bodies gave warmth to the world. In that moment, nothing else mattered. Nathan looked into her eyes, and saw the fire burning brightly.

Devin's soft moaning and cries in the throws of ecstasy rang in Nathan's head as he saw her drift down, closer into the darkness. It never seemed like she went out, just away. The agents walked with Nathan back to the van, and he heard two of them talking, but paid no attention to their conversation. He felt conflicted as he sat down and faced the man that had led him down this path, Isaac.

"Thanks for finding my jacket, I felt very cold out there," he snapped at Isaac.

Isaac's eyes narrowed for a second, but then turned to optimism as he cocked his head to the side and took Nathan's anger with a grain of salt.

"If one body is the price of freedom, it's a small price to pay."

As the sun rose over the horizon, the black van drove towards downtown and out of sight.

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RATING: 10

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