2029.
New York, USA
James rushed around in the small apartment.
There was a small kitchen with a stove, a small fridge and a few cabinets near the ceiling as well as the floor, made of cheap wood that housed a few water glasses, mugs, cutlery among other things.
It was tiled, facing the small lounge where only two brown sofas could be found, a TV, a few picture frames and a window.
James rushed from his bedroom and into the lounge with a toothbrush stuck in his mouth. He walked briskly into the kitchen where he saw the frying pan giving the smoky signal of proudly burnt meat.
He removed the pan, made some toast and placed it in a plate with a frustrated shaking of the head as he packed all in his lunch.
He ran to the toilet. A spit, rinse and splash later, he was rushing to the lounge with a satchel on his back.
In the lounge was an elderly woman with shoulder length grey hair, a wrinkled face and grey eyes, smothered in a fuzzy red blanket while watching the TV.
"Gran, I left a day's worth of food in the kitchen. You should eat instead of watching cartoons all day," he said as he changed the channel from the station showing a white blob and a pink panther chasing each other to the nature channel.
"Oh please, James. You watch them all the time too. Why can't I?" she asked with a frown.
"Because I'm barely 24 and you're pushing 70?"
"Hmph!"
"Don't grunt at me, gran. Jeez it really feels like I'm talking to a 10 year old."
"Maybe you are. You see my boy," the old woman shifted from her comfortable position to face James. "Infancy and old age are two sides of the same coin. Just as we are all innocent and dull when we are toddlers, we regress to that point when you reach old age. I'll be asking you what the TV is a few years from now."
"Oh boy. Enough gran," James said as he covered the old woman with a blanket. "It's cold outside. Stay warm. I'll be back with your medication tonight. Don't go senile by then."
"Instead of fussing over me, you should be hooking up with that cute redhead," the old woman had a sly smile, her wrinkled cheeks showing off a glimmering of their former lustre.
"I bring one girl over and you already see grandkids."
"Well yes of course. Let me be your winggran just once. I'll get you the dame."
"Enough," James laughed and kissed the old woman on the forehead. He then took the remote and changed the station back to the cartoon channel.
"You win. I'm out. See you later tonight," he said as he rushed out the door.
"It's 'movie night' tonight! Bring popcorn," James heard from behind as she rushed down the stairs.
He was already late for work, which was normal for him. He worked at a pizza delivery place downtown and juggling his studies with a part time job had always been a bit of a hustle for him. He managed it pretty well, but just couldn't get the punctuality right. His continued employment at the same place was one of life's greatest mysteries, but he didn't question it.
Some mysteries were left unravelled, like the appearance of super powers that occurred six years ago. Many awakened to unique powers that set them apart from those who didn't, governments doing their best to control these individuals.
The concept that had been limited to comic books for years, came to be true in reality. Bringing the good, the bad and the worse. It was shocking how the world had adjusted to this new system in six years, with more superpowered humans, termed Supers, being born.
James' parents had died a few years ago during one of the scuffles between a famous villain named Shockwave and a hero named LaserEye. Their battle caused severe damage to the city, his parents who had been at work, dying from having the company building collapse with them in it.
James had been hurt, mourning for a very long time. He had been one of the many who learned the hard way that life didn't turn out as promised in the comics. There were no plot holes that protected normal people like him. Life wasn't limited to a page after all.
James rushed through the streets, his curly leather black hair being blown softly by the cold wind. His thin puffer jacket did a sufficient job in blocking out the cold, but he cursed at himself for leaving the cozy bomber jacket.
As he briskly walked down the sparsely crowded street, he bumped into a man in a black and white down jacket.
The man turned and looked at him.
James slowed down and also turned to the man.
"I'm so sorry, sir. I am just in a hurry," he said apologetically even giving a shallow bow.
The man nodded and went his way in the opposite direction, James breathing out a sigh of relief as he continued walking.
'Hmmm. That man. Why is his face so... ' James thought as he walked, noting how the man's face was peculiar.
As he walked, his body suddenly jolted and stopped. James' head turned to look at the man with one quick motion.
He saw the man's back as he walked down the street.
'That's weird. Why did I stop?'
He turned his head to keep walking to work.
Again, involuntarily, his body jolted and his head turned to look at the back of the man as he walked down the street.
James was getting nervous. His body was turning on its own, his eyes landing on the man's back each time!
He started to pant, his eyes showing the fear that was starting to brew inside of him.
James turned and began to run, the edge of the street in his sight. He reached the corner of the street and as he was about to turn...
His body suddenly jerked, his head turning involuntarily to face the man as he walked down the street, his figure getting smaller in his sight.
'What in the world is going on?!' James quivered. He was terrified. His breathe which created a white mist in the air, showed his rapid breathing.
James made a sharp turn around the corner and broke into a sprint, focusing only on the road before him. He was scared. His heart was beating.
He ran without a care for the confused and weird looks he got from the people in the street.
He ran as fast as he could, believing that if he was far enough, he wouldn't experience that bizarre involuntary action.
However, with his next step... his vision turned dark....