S15 - Checking In
I had been home for ten minutes when someone knocked on the door. It was Ryan.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi." I hadn't seen him since Saturday. Four days ago. I wasn't avoiding him on purpose, but maybe that's how it seemed. "What's up?"
"Uh, can I come in for a minute?"
"Sorry, yeah." I opened the door all the way.
He stepped in and sat on the couch. I sat on the chair opposite him.
"First, I want you to know I'm here because Dr. Atom asked me to talk to you. This isn't my idea."
"Okay." I didn't know Ryan took orders (if that's what this was) from Dr. Atom. "What's his idea?"
"We were just wondering how you're doing. If you've had any more...episodes."
"Oh. I haven't had anything like that happen since last weekend. Nothing strange to report."
Ryan nodded. "Okay, that's good." He rubbed his hands on his jeans as he stood up. He started pacing between the couch and the lamp.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, um, Dr. Atom thought we should keep an eye on you, in case it happens again."
"Did you tell him it's happened to me before?"
Ryan shook his head. "No, I didn't tell him. But we all want to figure out what's going on here. I think you do too. So I volunteered to check in on you. I thought that would be better than one of the others doing it. Watching for it to happen again, I mean."
"Yeah, it is, thanks. Are we talking like full stake-out?"
Ryan nodded. "Pretty much."
"Well, if you're okay with sleeping on the couch, that's okay with me." I shrugged. What could I do? If the thing happened again, the one person I wanted to follow me was Ryan. I didn't like that the Super Seven were involved, but it seemed to be the most logical thing to do.
Ryan sat back down on the couch. "I appreciate that, but I don't want to be in your way. I could set up across the street too and watch the building."
"You won't be in the way. Anyway, if anything does happen, it'd be better if you're up here."
"That's true."
"So are we doing this tonight or..."
"Tomorrow night. I wanted to tell you about it beforehand."
I nodded. "Okay. I'll be here after work then. You can come over whenever."
"Great." Ryan stood up and smiled. "I'm sorry about this. I know it's awkward."
"But it makes sense." I walked with Ryan to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Yeah. See you." And he left.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi." I hadn't seen him since Saturday. Four days ago. I wasn't avoiding him on purpose, but maybe that's how it seemed. "What's up?"
"Uh, can I come in for a minute?"
"Sorry, yeah." I opened the door all the way.
He stepped in and sat on the couch. I sat on the chair opposite him.
"First, I want you to know I'm here because Dr. Atom asked me to talk to you. This isn't my idea."
"Okay." I didn't know Ryan took orders (if that's what this was) from Dr. Atom. "What's his idea?"
"We were just wondering how you're doing. If you've had any more...episodes."
"Oh. I haven't had anything like that happen since last weekend. Nothing strange to report."
Ryan nodded. "Okay, that's good." He rubbed his hands on his jeans as he stood up. He started pacing between the couch and the lamp.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, um, Dr. Atom thought we should keep an eye on you, in case it happens again."
"Did you tell him it's happened to me before?"
Ryan shook his head. "No, I didn't tell him. But we all want to figure out what's going on here. I think you do too. So I volunteered to check in on you. I thought that would be better than one of the others doing it. Watching for it to happen again, I mean."
"Yeah, it is, thanks. Are we talking like full stake-out?"
Ryan nodded. "Pretty much."
"Well, if you're okay with sleeping on the couch, that's okay with me." I shrugged. What could I do? If the thing happened again, the one person I wanted to follow me was Ryan. I didn't like that the Super Seven were involved, but it seemed to be the most logical thing to do.
Ryan sat back down on the couch. "I appreciate that, but I don't want to be in your way. I could set up across the street too and watch the building."
"You won't be in the way. Anyway, if anything does happen, it'd be better if you're up here."
"That's true."
"So are we doing this tonight or..."
"Tomorrow night. I wanted to tell you about it beforehand."
I nodded. "Okay. I'll be here after work then. You can come over whenever."
"Great." Ryan stood up and smiled. "I'm sorry about this. I know it's awkward."
"But it makes sense." I walked with Ryan to the door. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Yeah. See you." And he left.
We interrupt this program for a special announcement
Matthew Elmslie, author of the fantastic story Sliced Bread 2, has a new website and he's working on a new novel. His writing has been an inspiration to me, and I'm excited to see what he does next.
So yes, go see his site.
I'll get back to footnotes and Streak.
So yes, go see his site.
I'll get back to footnotes and Streak.
S14 - Idle
After we finished eating, I came back to my apartment, showered and put on actual clothes. Ryan didn't say what happens next. I felt like he wanted to ask me more about these night trips I go on, but he didn't want to drill me with questions. He did a little bit of that during breakfast, and it was getting on my nerves. I knew so little about what was going on.
I tried enjoying the weekend like a normal person.
I tried enjoying the weekend like a normal person.
S13 - Good Morning
I woke up on the couch in Ryan's apartment. I sat up and looked around. Sunlight streamed into the room around the curtains. My head felt fine, so I tried standing up.
"Ryan?" I assumed he wouldn't leave me alone here. "Ryan, are you here?"
He walked out from his bedroom wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. "Oh, you're up. Good." He smiled at me and walked straight into the kitchen. "What do you feel like eating?"
I walked after him. "What time is it?"
"About seven. How did you sleep?" He ducked into the refrigerator.
"Fine." I yawned. "You don't have to make me breakfast though. I'm just going to go back home."
Ryan turned around with an egg carton and orange juice in his hands. "No, I want to make you breakfast. Have a seat." He nodded to the small kitchen table.
I sat down and he pulled sliced bread out of a cupboard. He turned toward me and leaned against the counter. "So what do you want to eat? Eggs, toast?"
"That sounds good. Scrambled eggs, please."
"Coming right up." He smiled at me again and turned on the stove.
"So did you check out my apartment while I was asleep?"
He paused for a moment and then said, "Yes. Sorry, I didn't want to wait until you woke up." He put two slices of bread into the toaster.
I shrugged. "No, it's fine. That's why you have the spare key. Find anything?"
"Nothing seems to be out of place. Nothing broken. Just the window was open." He cracked two eggs into a bowl and started beating them with a fork.
"That's what I thought."
He turned toward me and narrowed his eyes. "You thought the window would be open?"
"Yeah. Listen, there's something I didn't tell you back at Super Seven's headquarters. I didn't like being there, and I didn't want to add more details I didn't understand."
"What are you saying, Molly?" He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Last night wasn't the first time I've woken up naked with no memory of what happened. The difference was every other time, I woke up back in my apartment."
Ryan turned around and poured the eggs into the frying pan. "Do you remember anything from the other times?"
"No. I always wake up not knowing what happened."
He moved the eggs around with a spatula. "Any guesses why you didn't wake up back home yesterday?"
"None."
The toaster popped up. Ryan picked up the toast and moved the scrambled eggs on to a plate. He brought the plate to me along with butter and a glass of orange juice.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Ryan cracked two more eggs into a bowl and put two more slices of bread in the toaster. "Molly, don't take this the wrong way, but are you on any medication?"
"No." I started eating the eggs and toast.
"Can you think of any reason this is happening to you?"
"Nope."
"Have you ever been involved in magic? Wicca? That kind of thing."
"No. I think you'd know if I was."
He nodded. "When was the first time it happened?"
"About six months ago." Third degree, much?
"Before I moved here."
"Yeah, but it's been happening more often in the past couple months."
Ryan put his hand on my shoulder before he sat down with his plate of food. "Molly, why didn't you tell me about it?"
I laughed. "Okay, Mr. Superhero. We were just getting to know each other. I didn't want to inject any crazy into our relationship."
He smiled. "Fair enough. About that, how did you find out who I am?"
"I heard you come in on the balcony a few times. Saw your cape once. Then the rest fell into place."
"You make it sound so simple."
"It was, after I convinced myself I wasn't imagining things."
Ryan nodded. "Were you going to tell me you knew?"
"I was waiting for the right time. Or maybe for you to trust me enough to tell me."
"No offense, I don't think I would have told you."
"None taken."
"It's just that I haven't told anyone about being the Streak."
"Fair enough. You can trust me to keep it a secret."
"Yeah, I know." Ryan picked up his fork and ate.
It was weird, how normal our breakfast was and how extraordinary the conversation.
"Ryan?" I assumed he wouldn't leave me alone here. "Ryan, are you here?"
He walked out from his bedroom wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. "Oh, you're up. Good." He smiled at me and walked straight into the kitchen. "What do you feel like eating?"
I walked after him. "What time is it?"
"About seven. How did you sleep?" He ducked into the refrigerator.
"Fine." I yawned. "You don't have to make me breakfast though. I'm just going to go back home."
Ryan turned around with an egg carton and orange juice in his hands. "No, I want to make you breakfast. Have a seat." He nodded to the small kitchen table.
I sat down and he pulled sliced bread out of a cupboard. He turned toward me and leaned against the counter. "So what do you want to eat? Eggs, toast?"
"That sounds good. Scrambled eggs, please."
"Coming right up." He smiled at me again and turned on the stove.
"So did you check out my apartment while I was asleep?"
He paused for a moment and then said, "Yes. Sorry, I didn't want to wait until you woke up." He put two slices of bread into the toaster.
I shrugged. "No, it's fine. That's why you have the spare key. Find anything?"
"Nothing seems to be out of place. Nothing broken. Just the window was open." He cracked two eggs into a bowl and started beating them with a fork.
"That's what I thought."
He turned toward me and narrowed his eyes. "You thought the window would be open?"
"Yeah. Listen, there's something I didn't tell you back at Super Seven's headquarters. I didn't like being there, and I didn't want to add more details I didn't understand."
"What are you saying, Molly?" He leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Last night wasn't the first time I've woken up naked with no memory of what happened. The difference was every other time, I woke up back in my apartment."
Ryan turned around and poured the eggs into the frying pan. "Do you remember anything from the other times?"
"No. I always wake up not knowing what happened."
He moved the eggs around with a spatula. "Any guesses why you didn't wake up back home yesterday?"
"None."
The toaster popped up. Ryan picked up the toast and moved the scrambled eggs on to a plate. He brought the plate to me along with butter and a glass of orange juice.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Ryan cracked two more eggs into a bowl and put two more slices of bread in the toaster. "Molly, don't take this the wrong way, but are you on any medication?"
"No." I started eating the eggs and toast.
"Can you think of any reason this is happening to you?"
"Nope."
"Have you ever been involved in magic? Wicca? That kind of thing."
"No. I think you'd know if I was."
He nodded. "When was the first time it happened?"
"About six months ago." Third degree, much?
"Before I moved here."
"Yeah, but it's been happening more often in the past couple months."
Ryan put his hand on my shoulder before he sat down with his plate of food. "Molly, why didn't you tell me about it?"
I laughed. "Okay, Mr. Superhero. We were just getting to know each other. I didn't want to inject any crazy into our relationship."
He smiled. "Fair enough. About that, how did you find out who I am?"
"I heard you come in on the balcony a few times. Saw your cape once. Then the rest fell into place."
"You make it sound so simple."
"It was, after I convinced myself I wasn't imagining things."
Ryan nodded. "Were you going to tell me you knew?"
"I was waiting for the right time. Or maybe for you to trust me enough to tell me."
"No offense, I don't think I would have told you."
"None taken."
"It's just that I haven't told anyone about being the Streak."
"Fair enough. You can trust me to keep it a secret."
"Yeah, I know." Ryan picked up his fork and ate.
It was weird, how normal our breakfast was and how extraordinary the conversation.
S12 - Unblinking Eyes
Streak and Fate walked into the room together. I was sitting on the side of the bed.
They walked right up to me. Fate held out her hand while Streak introduced her.
"Molly, this is Fate. Fate, Molly."
I shook her hand. It felt colder than mine, and I usually have cold hands. I looked up at her and smiled. "Nice to meet you." Then I noticed something about her eyes. Something about the way she looked at me was strange.
"I am most interested to figure out what happened to you," Fate said to me. "Streak has told me you have no recollection of the incident."
I nodded. "Right. I don't remember what happened or how I got to the nuclear plant."
Fate turned away from me and picked up the remote control from the counter. She pointed it at the wall and pushed a button. The whole wall turned on like a TV screen. "This is the footage from the security cameras at Next Gen Energy. I patched together the relevant footage. That is, the footage that should match the location where I found you."
While she explained, the footage played, rewound, replayed. It was in shades of gray. Every now and then there was a flash off-screen. I guess that was fire or sparks or something. The last few seconds of the footage showed me falling into the frame and landing on the floor.
Fate rewound, replayed the clips on the screen. "As you can see, I have found only this footage of you falling. The time code marks this as four minutes and forty-five seconds before I came across your body. I sifted through other security footage from tonight, but most of it is obscured by fire and smoke. I could not identify you in those clips."
"Did you see anyone else there?" I asked.
Fate shook her head. "I found no evidence of a second trespasser."
Trespasser. As in, I was the first one.
"This doesn't tell us anything new, then," Streak said. "We still don't know how Molly got there."
"I believe that is obvious," Fate said.
"Well, thank you for looking anyway." Streak took the remote control from her and turned off the screen.
Fate nodded. "Is there any other way I can be of assistance?"
"No, I think we did all we can do at this point."
"Then you will return Molly to her home?"
"Yeah, I told Atom I'd do that."
"You are aware that protocol applies to her." Talking about me as if I weren't in the room. How charming.
"Yes." Streak held Fate's elbow and walked with her toward the door. "I know the rules, Fate. Thank you."
He came back toward the bed.
"What protocol?" I asked him.
"Well, we don't normally bring non-superheroes here."
"Right..." I wasn't sure I liked where this was going.
"But when we do, we can't let them know where our headquarters are. It's fine while you're in here--there's no way for you to tell where this building is. But we can't take you out of her without you seeing our location. It's a security issue. You can understand that."
"Yeah, but what does that mean?"
Streak shrugged. "We use a mild sedative. That way you fall asleep and I can take you home safely without you finding out where our headquarters are."
"It sounds mobster to me."
"Molly--"
"Never mind." I waved my hand. "You might have saved my life tonight, and I'm thankful for that. Do what you have to do. I trust you."
Streak looked at me for a moment and then turned to the cabinet. He pulled out a small syringe. I pulled up my sleeve and he injected the sedative into my arm.
I felt sleepy almost immediately and then I was out.
They walked right up to me. Fate held out her hand while Streak introduced her.
"Molly, this is Fate. Fate, Molly."
I shook her hand. It felt colder than mine, and I usually have cold hands. I looked up at her and smiled. "Nice to meet you." Then I noticed something about her eyes. Something about the way she looked at me was strange.
"I am most interested to figure out what happened to you," Fate said to me. "Streak has told me you have no recollection of the incident."
I nodded. "Right. I don't remember what happened or how I got to the nuclear plant."
Fate turned away from me and picked up the remote control from the counter. She pointed it at the wall and pushed a button. The whole wall turned on like a TV screen. "This is the footage from the security cameras at Next Gen Energy. I patched together the relevant footage. That is, the footage that should match the location where I found you."
While she explained, the footage played, rewound, replayed. It was in shades of gray. Every now and then there was a flash off-screen. I guess that was fire or sparks or something. The last few seconds of the footage showed me falling into the frame and landing on the floor.
Fate rewound, replayed the clips on the screen. "As you can see, I have found only this footage of you falling. The time code marks this as four minutes and forty-five seconds before I came across your body. I sifted through other security footage from tonight, but most of it is obscured by fire and smoke. I could not identify you in those clips."
"Did you see anyone else there?" I asked.
Fate shook her head. "I found no evidence of a second trespasser."
Trespasser. As in, I was the first one.
"This doesn't tell us anything new, then," Streak said. "We still don't know how Molly got there."
"I believe that is obvious," Fate said.
"Well, thank you for looking anyway." Streak took the remote control from her and turned off the screen.
Fate nodded. "Is there any other way I can be of assistance?"
"No, I think we did all we can do at this point."
"Then you will return Molly to her home?"
"Yeah, I told Atom I'd do that."
"You are aware that protocol applies to her." Talking about me as if I weren't in the room. How charming.
"Yes." Streak held Fate's elbow and walked with her toward the door. "I know the rules, Fate. Thank you."
He came back toward the bed.
"What protocol?" I asked him.
"Well, we don't normally bring non-superheroes here."
"Right..." I wasn't sure I liked where this was going.
"But when we do, we can't let them know where our headquarters are. It's fine while you're in here--there's no way for you to tell where this building is. But we can't take you out of her without you seeing our location. It's a security issue. You can understand that."
"Yeah, but what does that mean?"
Streak shrugged. "We use a mild sedative. That way you fall asleep and I can take you home safely without you finding out where our headquarters are."
"It sounds mobster to me."
"Molly--"
"Never mind." I waved my hand. "You might have saved my life tonight, and I'm thankful for that. Do what you have to do. I trust you."
Streak looked at me for a moment and then turned to the cabinet. He pulled out a small syringe. I pulled up my sleeve and he injected the sedative into my arm.
I felt sleepy almost immediately and then I was out.
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