I move at high speed in the darkness; the fight was enlightening. Although I've never fought giant lizards—or well… on all fours—the beast instincts for combat are no joke.
My shoulder starts blinking red, accompanied by the characteristic sound signaling that the transformation is about to end. I hide among the trees; I don't want to feel the beast's speed with my human body—something tells me it wouldn't end well.
A red flash briefly illuminates the darkness.
—Shit… I forgot I wasn't wearing any clothes.
Here I am, naked, at night, in a park… anyone who crosses my path would think I'm some kind of exhibitionist.
I move through the darkness, my feet touching the cold grass on the ground. Thank God I only made a straight path; otherwise, I'd be searching for my refuge all night.
Unfortunately, I need to move more carefully; there are still people here, so I have to be cau—
—Mmm…suck…hit…mmm
W-what… what's that? I peek through the bushes following the noise, focusing my eyes now accustomed to the low light.
I hear giggles, panting, and flesh colliding in irregular fractions of time.
Seriously? They're still here? I thought with all the noise I made fighting the Lizard, all the couples who wanted fun in the woods would have left.
But underestimate their heat.
I push aside the leaves in front of me, and there they are, in their world, enjoying their bodies.
Surely you're asking… "What the hell are you doing there, you sicko?"
No, don't jump to conclusions.
See, they are in their own world, naked, entertained with each other. And right now, I need clothes, so… well, they won't need them for a while… and I desperately need some new clothes in the closet.
I approach slowly. Their clothes are scattered in pairs: one sock there, underwear there, a sneaker here.
CRACK
Ouch… didn't see that little branch.
Both stop, turning their heads, searching for the source of the noise.
—Did you hear that? the woman tries to cover herself with her arms
—Must be a squirrel, darling, don't worry the guy, eager to continue the act, dismisses it quickly
—B-but what if it's not? If we get caught and photos are posted, my life is ruined, Flash the girl doesn't seem convinced
—Babe, it's a park; it's normal to have animals everywhere. Don't worry. If someone comes—which won't happen—I'll handle it, okay? he continues, trying to warm up with his partner, fondling her body
—B-but a-and I… she is interrupted by the guy's provocations, tries to speak, but can't form a coherent sentence, lost in pleasure quickly
Well, thanks for being horny teenagers, guys. Anyone else would have stopped their act… I mean, a normal person wouldn't be in a park doing this.
One pair of pants, sneakers, a shirt, a jacket, a cap, and a ball… rugby?
I'll leave this here; taking their ball would be too much.
Fully dressed, I can move with more ease. The clothes are too big for me, very big, so I had to fold them, tuck the shirt into the pants, and stuff like that. The sneakers were impossible to fit properly, but I still wear them—it's better than nothing. And the socks… God, it feels good to have socks.
Setting aside the aggressive fight, tonight has been very productive just because of this.
A few minutes later, I reach my refuge. I pile up branches and leaves at the entrance to camouflage it and look at my bed.
Cardboard as a mattress and a torn tarp as a sheet. Well, it could be worse.
As I lie down, I gather the clothes I had in a bundle before and use them as a pillow. I still have the problem of food; I also need to try to enter a library tomorrow, gather information about this world, collect money for clothes… maybe even an apartment.
I have a dozen amazing aliens with incredible abilities at my disposal.
It shouldn't be too hard, but I also need to avoid drawing too much attention. I know nothing about this world; there are many variables: SHIELD, HYDRA, THE HAND, ROXXON, KINGPIN, THE TEN RINGS.
Too many organizations would give anything to get their hands on the watch. SHIELD may not be evil, but it's not entirely good either.
So I need to inform myself… also, the issue of my identity: do I have papers? If I remember correctly, there's no ID here, so I don't have to worry about that, but… birth certificate or something?
Also, the matter of my name… this kid didn't have one… "trash" is not a name.
So I'll use mine. From now on, we'll be Nicolas. Sorry that I'm in your body now, but now there are two of us in this, and I won't just lie on the side to die in the trash.
I'll teach you what no one offered to show you: food, clothes, friends, a house, dignity, and many adventures… I'm still not sure what I'll do with this looking at the watch on my wrist but Nono always said a good Christian helps if he can… we can always offer our hand to someone on the ground, give them the chance to rise and be better.
So I must take responsibility and act… Ben showed me how many lives this watch can save… and also the horrors it could cause in the wrong hands.
So I'll follow his example and try to do good.
I look at the starry sky as my eyes close. Tomorrow will be a long day…
I wonder how Dad is…
Nona…
my brother…
Luna…
==============================================================
In the yard of a shabby house, an old man and a boy sit side by side.
An old dog lies at the old man's feet, stretched out on the ground, basking in the sun.
—This world is huge, full of the Lord's wonders the old man turns to look at the boy next to him and at the same time, there's so much malice on Earth that it would make any man lose faith in this world.
As he uses his old hands to hand a large book to the boy, he gently pats the dog's stomach.
The boy, only four years old, takes the heavy book in his tiny hands, resting it on his lap. The book looks worn by years, a blue cover faded, pages wrinkled at the edges. The title: The Bible, in worn gold.
—I won't tell you what to believe… it's not for me to decide the old man opens the book to its first pages
—But I will show you a path, one of many that will appear in your life.
You can believe, forget it, take my words or leave them aside throughout your life like the delusions of an old man he caresses the boy's head while the child alternates his gaze between the pages and his Nono.
—Goodness is a complicated path full of stones, where you will constantly be tested.
Many will call you crazy, many will mock you, and only a few will understand the value of your resilience… of your will he picks up a mate cup from the ground, sips, and offers it to his grandson.
—There are enough monsters in this world, Nicolás… like everyone, sometimes you'll fall, sometimes you'll think it's the end, and you'll take the wrong path the old man watches his grandson sip, making a face at the bitterness of the drink, a smile forming on his wrinkled face.
—But you'll always have the chance to rise again… and remember the good you did, the smiles on faces… the sincerity of hugs… the warmth in your heart…
Doing the right thing will never be the easiest, boy… it might even hurt. But it will always be worth it. And even if I'm not by your side to see it, I want you to remember that every step you take toward goodness, I'll be with you, here inside points to chest supporting you always. And when you can't go on, I'll be there, offering you my hand…
Always.
==============================================================
I open my eyes lazily… looking at the sky for a while, seeking strength to get up.
After a while, I wash my face and try to look as presentable as possible. I'm very unkempt, everything is too big, but at least I look better now.
With the cap, I try to hide as much of my hair as I can and leave the refuge.
The city is as lively as always. Early in the morning, and the park is full of people.
Mostly people exercising or running—healthy, admirable.
The stares toward me are obvious, but in Manhattan there's everything; at least the clothes hide my skinny body. My face… well… I have a cap; not much I can do, but it seems enough for a quick glance and nothing more.
I see a couple of men gathering leaves and trash.
I approach calmly, raising one hand in greeting.
—Hello, good morning. Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me if there's a library nearby?
They stop, analyze me for a moment, and one steps forward a few steps.
—Yes, of course. If you go down this road he points, and turn left at the second block, you'll find the New York Public Library.
I thank them with a smile and a nod.
As I walk the streets, the smell of street food makes my stomach growl. I'm hungry, but I have to wait a bit longer. If I reach the library and use one of the computers, I can manage.
The clothes are too big for me. The shirt hangs from my shoulders, the pants brush against my shoes with each step, making me feel even more out of place in that quiet place. Inside, I look around: endless shelves, reading tables, a few people scattered in the aisles… but no computers in sight.
I approach the counter. The woman behind it is completely absorbed in her screen, typing as if every second matters. I swallow and clear my throat.
—Uh… excuse me…
Nothing. Just the constant tapping of her fingers. I try again, louder.
—Excuse me… hello?
She blinks, as if she just remembered someone else is in the room, barely lifts her eyes from the monitor.
—Yes, one second…
She keeps typing a few seconds more, until she finally looks at me. Her eyes linger longer than I expected. She scans me: dirty hair hidden under a cap, oversized clothes, tired appearance. I notice a spark of curiosity in her gaze.
—How can I help you? she asks finally.
—I wanted to know if… if there's a computer I could use. Just for a little while I say, my voice more insecure than I want.
—Do you have a library card?
I shake my head.
—I see… she murmurs, typing something In that case, I can only give you visitor access. Half an hour maximum.
I nod quickly. Half an hour is enough.
She prints a paper, tears it off, and slides it toward me.
—Here you go. That's your temporary code. You can log in at any public computer. They're at the back, on the right, near the newspapers section.
I take the paper carefully.
—Thank you.
She watches me a moment longer, a mix of curiosity and caution, before returning to her screen.
—Remember: thirty minutes. After that, the system locks automatically.
I nod silently, clench the paper, and walk toward the back of the library.
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That's all for now. I got home late and didn't have much time to write the chapter.
Thank you so much for following the story, and remember to give it a like or whatever.
I'll be keeping an eye on your comments.
Take care! :)