Kevin couldn't stop replaying the events at the park in his mind. The way the man in the dark jacket had stared at him felt unnervingly deliberate. By the time he got home that evening, he was jittery, his newfound abilities suddenly feeling more like a threat than a gift.
As he sat at the dinner table, absentmindedly picking at his food, his dad noticed his distracted state.
"Rough day at school?" his dad asked, sipping his water.
Kevin shook his head. "No, it was fine. Just... tired, I guess."
"Hmm." His dad studied him for a moment before letting it go.
After dinner, Kevin went to his room and locked the door. He sat on his bed, staring at his hands. The glowing veins from the night before were dormant, but he could still feel the energy humming faintly beneath his skin. It felt alive, like it was waiting for him to tap into it again.
He clenched his fists, thinking about the man at the park. Who was he? Was it a coincidence, or had Kevin's incredible display of speed and agility caught his attention? The questions spiraled until sleep finally overtook him, though it was restless and filled with fragmented dreams of lightning and shadowy figures.
The next morning, Kevin woke with a strange sense of urgency. His legs itched to move, and his heart raced as if he'd been running in his sleep. He got dressed quickly, deciding to head to school earlier than usual.
The day passed in a blur. Kevin's new friends greeted him warmly, and gym class was once again a showcase of his uncanny abilities. He tried to dial it back, but it was almost impossible. His reflexes and speed had become second nature.
"Dude, you're unreal," Sam said as they sat in the locker room after class. "You ever think about trying out for the track team?"
Kevin forced a laugh. "I'm not really a team sports kind of guy."
Sam smirked. "You're not just a 'sports kind of guy.' You're, like, superhuman. I don't know how you're not famous yet."
The comment struck a nerve, but Kevin brushed it off with a shrug. "Just lucky, I guess."
That afternoon, Kevin debated skipping the park entirely, but he knew his absence would raise questions. When he arrived, the court was bustling again, and Sam greeted him with his usual enthusiasm.
"Back for round two, Superstar?"
Kevin laughed nervously. "Sure, why not?"
As the game started, Kevin couldn't help but feel on edge. He scanned the park, looking for any sign of the man from the previous day. At first, it seemed he wasn't there, but as the game progressed, Kevin caught a glimpse of him again—leaning against the same lamppost, watching with the same unsettling intensity.
Kevin fumbled a pass, earning groans from his teammates. "You okay?" Sam asked, jogging over.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Kevin lied, his eyes darting back to the man. This time, their eyes met. The man didn't look away.
Kevin's chest tightened. I need to get out of here.
"I'm gonna sit this one out," Kevin said, stepping off the court before anyone could protest. He grabbed his backpack and walked quickly toward the park's edge, trying not to look like he was running.
But as he turned onto the sidewalk, he heard footsteps behind him. Kevin's pulse quickened.
"Hey, kid," a voice called.
Kevin froze, his instincts screaming at him to run. He turned slowly to see the man from the park standing a few feet away, his hands in his jacket pockets.
"We need to talk," the man said, his tone calm but firm.
Kevin took a step back. "I don't know you."
"You don't have to," the man replied. "But I know you, Kevin. And I know what you can do."
The words sent a jolt of fear through Kevin. He turned and ran, his legs moving faster than ever before. The world around him blurred into streaks of color as he bolted down the street, weaving through alleys and backyards. He didn't stop until he was blocks away, leaning against a tree to catch his breath.
Kevin glanced behind him, half-expecting the man to be right there. But there was no one.
That night, Kevin couldn't sleep. The encounter with the man at the park replayed in his mind like a broken record. He needed answers.
Pulling out his laptop, he started searching online for anything that could explain what was happening to him—lightning strikes, strange powers, unexplained phenomena. Most of it was useless clickbait or conspiracy theories. Frustrated, Kevin typed a desperate query:
"What happens when lightning changes you?"
Nearly at the end of the results a forum appeared. It was titled, "When the impossible happens, who do you trust?" Hesitant, Kevin clicked the link. The post was cryptic, written by someone with the username "Unknown," but it mentioned unusual occurrences—enhanced abilities, unexplained transformations—and warned readers to be cautious about who they told.
Beneath the post was a message:
"If you need help, I can guide you. Message me—Unknown."
Kevin's fingers hovered over the keyboard. Could this be a trap? But something about the post felt genuine, like the person understood what he was going through. Taking a deep breath, Kevin created an account and sent a message.
"I think something strange is happening to me. What do I do?"
Within minutes, a reply came through.
"Stay calm. You're not alone. We need to talk, but not here. Use this secure link."
A link appeared in the message. Kevin hesitated before clicking it. The page opened to a private chat room.
"You can call me Unknown," the first message read. "Tell me what happened."
Kevin's heart pounded as he began typing. He described the lightning strike, the chemicals, and the strange powers that had manifested since.
Unknown's reply was quick: "This is bigger than you realize. They'll come for you if you're not careful. Trust no one. Especially not the man at the park."
Kevin's stomach dropped. "Who is he?"
"Someone who works for them," Unknown replied. "And if he's seen you, you need to be ready. I'll help you, but you need to listen carefully."
Kevin leaned back, his mind racing. Whoever this Unknown person was, they knew more than they were letting on. But for now, they were the closest thing he had to an ally.
**************************************************************************
Kevin couldn't shake the conversation with Unknown. The warning about the man at the park lingered in his mind, fueling his paranoia. The next morning, Kevin walked to school with his hood up, scanning his surroundings. Everything seemed normal—until it didn't.
At first, it was subtle. As he passed a coffee shop, he noticed a man sitting by the window, his gaze fixed on Kevin for just a second too long. Kevin's stomach churned. Maybe he was imagining it.
But as the day went on, the feeling only grew stronger.
On his walk home from school, Kevin noticed a silver sedan parked across the street from his house. Its windows were tinted, but he could still make out a figure sitting inside, staring straight ahead. The car didn't seem to belong to anyone in the neighborhood, and the driver never moved, not even when Kevin passed by.
Later that evening, as Kevin was sitting in his room, he noticed the same sedan parked a block away, this time with two figures inside. They didn't get out, didn't speak to anyone, just sat there, waiting.
Kevin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Something wasn't right. The feeling of being watched was growing stronger by the hour. He didn't know who these people were, but they were definitely watching him.
And the more Kevin thought about it, the more he realized: they weren't the only ones. People he hadn't seen before seemed to be turning up around the neighborhood—standing too still, glancing over their shoulders, always out of place. The man at the park, the ones in the car, and now this... something was off.
Kevin's instincts screamed at him to stay alert, but he didn't know why.
Was he being paranoid—or was something more going on?