Chapter 14
Once again Roy woke up early. Throughout the night, as he lay in bed, he tried to consolidate an index of the powers he had seen in comics and in movies. It was such an aberrant abstraction that he never truly dissected the powers the characters had displayed. What is the farthest he can do that? Does it work under these circumstances? So many questions shot through his mind, that even once he was asleep in his dreams he continued to think about it.
To compensate for a previous lack of interest and knowledge, of that once trivial subject, he decided to conduct research. But how? He did not have a computer or any material on the manner, so how was he to get anything accomplished? Damn. I have to go to the LIBRARY.
As of the antecedent day Roy had been arrested more times than he had been to a library. To him it was a place where people went to supplement their knowledge, thus stating they lacked knowledge, and once more, simplified, it was a symbol saying, “Hey you guys are dumbasses and you need me.”
Roy looked at the clock, it was only six o’clock. Nothing would be open until at least eight. “What to do?” He looked around his room. “I guess I’ll unpack.”
“I’ll eat.” It had been two days since he had eaten. With his first endeavour, the sandwich was smashed against a man’s skull, and the previous day he spent most of the day handcuffed to a chair, being asked nongermane questions.
Downstairs his mother was sitting at the dining table. In front of her a cup of black coffee and an open newspaper.
Roy sat across from her, eating cereal.
“Do you ever work? Didn’t we move here for your job?” Roy said looking down into his bowl.
“I’ll be starting soon.” She flipped a page of the newspaper over. “Have you finished unpacking?”
“I was going to do that today, but I’ve decided to wait. There are some things I have to do today.”
“What would that be?” His mother asked.
“I have to go to the library and get some books.”
“Oh, okay have fun. When will you be leaving?”
“Why do you care? Right after I finish eating.” With his spoon he shovelled the final piece of wheat cereal into his mouth. He stood from his chair and walked over to the sink.
“Your not leaving now, are you?”
“Yep.” Roy said as he placed the bowl in the sink.
“See you when you get back.”
“Whatever.” Roy walked out the door.
His mother folded the paper and sat it down. She rested her head on her hands, and let out a deep breath.
“I’m sorry.”
It was by chance that Roy found a library in a timely manner.
The library was a immense brick building, it was at least twice as big as his entire school.
This will be a living hell. Roy thought as he walked through a revolving glass door. The door opened to a massive hall, with what appeared to be a bulletin board in the middle. On it were a multitudinous of categories, genres of books followed by a letter and a numeral.
Roy’s finger slid across the glass, over the categories. Which one would it be? Religious? No it wouldn’t be that. Science? Ha, ha, ha... no. Wait this is nonfiction. It probably would be in fiction, those idiots.On the other side was another list, with a multifarious amount of genres of fiction. Let see it’s either supernatural/paranormal or science fiction. Those two genre are only a single number apart. They’re right next to each other.
Roy underestimated the vastness of the library and a half an hour later he was forced to ask a librarian for help. I have been defeated.
“What books might you be interested in?” An old librarian asked. She was ancient, like one giant wrinkle.
“Something about psychics, or where the characters have super powers.” He was embarrassed, cheeks as red as tomatoes. Yesterday I was arrested with a prostitute and this makes me blush!
“Okay, just follow me.” She led Roy through a maze made up of bookshelves.
After what seemed like an eternity they came to a small bookshelf, it was dwarfed by the others.
“Here it is.”
“That’s it?” Roy asked.
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I could order some for you if you’d like.” Politely she said.
“It’s okay. Thank you.”
She left Roy in front of the shelf and walked back to her counter.
Roy sat in front of the books. One after another he pulled books out, skimmed through them and read the synopsis. After a few hours he was sitting by a pile of books, at least two feet tall. How am I going to get these home?
From the dozens of books, Roy managed to whittle it down to just three books.
At the counter the librarian stamped the due dates inside the front cover.
“I’ll just need to see some ID.”
“Okay.” Roy reached into his pocket, taking out his wallet, he then handed his ID to the librarian.
“Thank you, that’s all I need, have a good day.”
“You too.”
On his way home from the library, Roy walked pass many stores and shops along the city's main street.
What’s this?He stopped in front of a video store. Painted on the window the words, “Going out of business sale, one dollar for each movie.”
I’ve got a few bucks.
In the store there were hardly any people, but the few in there were teenagers.
“Hey man, what’s up?” the cashier greeted Roy.
Roy pointed at the sign, “So your selling movies for a dollar, why?”
“I shouldn’t tell you this, but a week or two ago we got this letter from the stores parent company, saying we have to close shop. So my boss was like, “Fuck them.”, so now we’re trying to make a little extra cash at those fucker’s expense. You know what I’m saying?” He leaned over the counter.
“Dude your awesome, screw them.” Roy said, but his words confused himself, was he being sarcastic?
“You know, just because you seem like a cool guy, you know what I’ll do, I’ll give you a discount. Twenty-five cents a movie. Just a quarter.”
“I don’t know that seems a little extreme.”
“Come on man don’t be a pussy.”
“Okay.”
“Sweet.”
Well I don’t want to be rude.Roy smiled. In his wallet was well over a hundred dollars. I’m going to wreck this place.He walked around the store, filling a shopping cart.
“Seriously dude, this is it?”
“What? I don’t want to spend all my money.”
“Here take these as well.” The cashier pulled from under the counter, about a dozen DVDs.
“Okay this is illegal, I have nothing against it, but seriously this is going to far.” Roy started but the cashier interrupted him.
“What are you talking about sir? I’m just offering you a great deal!” He yelled so that everyone in the store could hear. “Dude shut up. What’s your problem?”
“So far this week, I’ve been arrested once and escorted to my house by the police twice. I would like to spend at least one day this week outside a police station.”
“That’s awesome, here take these too.” He pulled more movies out from under the counter, “Take these.”
“No.”
“What was that? Did you just tell me to empty the register?”
“Okay, God damn.” The cashier put the movies into bags and handed them to Roy, and Roy handed the cashier some money.
“Thank you, have a good day, sir.”
It took Roy twice the length of time to walk home. He did, after all, have to carry a hundred, if not more, movies home. On-lookers witnessed quite a spectacle, a boy carrying a dozen or more irregular shaped bags.
He entered the house.
“Wow, what a surprise, no cop car.” His mother said as he walked into the living room. She noticed the bags, “What is that?” she asked.
“About a hundred DVD’s.”
“Where did you get them?
“In a sense, I kind of stole them, but legally.”
“Well okay, what do you want for dinner?”
“I’m not hungry.” He started walking up stairs.
“The leftovers will be in the fridge if you want any.”
“Sure, whatever.”
Over the next two days, Roy locked himself in his room. Roy read his books and watched any pertinent movies. Throughout the process Roy took meticulous notes, and in the end had compiled a list of abilities.
What the hell? What the fuck is aura? How will I see through stuff? All I can do is move stuff! I won’t give up, I will not lose! This list will be my stepping stone. Soon Nina, no matter what it takes I will be with you! I will protect you. I bet this sounds weird, like I’m a stalker or something, but I don’t care. I will bring the heavens to earth, I will knock God off his pedestal, just to be with you. It will take time, but I will finish every thing on this list.Roy sat on his bed looking at the list, what he saw was not an preposterous task, but a hurdle, an obstacle, he would over come. He would become stronger, or sacrifice himself for her. Nina’s face, her voice, everything about her was perfect, and they were the only thing in Roy’s mind. Though he was able to do the impossible right then, he knew that he was still far from what he could do.
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