for real

I saw

the Mirror

for the first time

I touched It

the only thing

next to me

solid but slipping

and it smiled

as if

almost evil

cold already

to the touch

smooth hard feel

soundproof

dumb mute and

unoriginal as

steel

an absence

of life cut

from the 

Mirror

#MirrorMirror #Challenge

I fear the quiet sky,

untouched by earthly shadow,

unborn to dark,

knowing only its impersonal strength which cannot harm nor take but still,

is heavy in its hollowness,

with no patience,

and no need for wait,

and I the singular warrior,

against its sovereignty,

longing for the certainty of brick and tight-cut planks,

more ruly than these blue ghosts,

than light.

This,

my greatest adversary,

the highest vault,

the silence,

which does not care for war,

nor weep,

for casualties.

He looks at me,

The neighbor’s pet.

Black fur,

Piercing eyes.

I know it’s just a symbol

Of everything wrong

Within me,

But it’s not .

I wish I was at the right point,

I wish I could, love a cat.

But I can’t.

It’s not only me against self.

Not a “get over it" thing.

This cat despises me,

He looks at me with hatred,

With hunger.

He sees that I'm not

Going to be a lover.

He couldn’t win me over,

With a dead bird on my mat.

So bettet get the claws out.

Make a plan and execute.

Take me out, like some mobster.

Because I know too much....

Freedom is cruel.

She only comes when our throats have been scraped from screaming so loud

and when our feet have been bruised from ruuning so fast.

Freedom may seem so beautiful and bright,

but she'll only stay if we hold on tight.

Freedom brings comfort to situations damp and cold,

but she'll slyly slip away for things your scared to announce.

And so,

we will never truley be free,

never from ourselves.

#Freedom

Out In The Open

“Welcome back, Anna. How was the vacation.”

“It was—like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, Craig. I had a very interesting time to say the least and managed to get a lot of things done.”

“Good to hear. I don’t mean to change gears on you, but I need you to run down some information on these four cases.” He handed her four file folders containing basic input from the courts on arrests, dates of arraignments and charges.

“Standard stuff. Look for prior convictions, find any witnesses that seen the crimes detailed, contact them requesting to have an interview with me, Zach or Devin.”

“How did the Grissom trial go?”

“We got a conviction. Sentencing is in two weeks. I’m expecting twenty-to-forty.”

Law offices love talking law, but the District Attorney, Craig Allister, lived and breathed the law. The two Deputy Assistant D.A.’s, Zachary Mills and Devin Houser were two guys that were every bit the same as Craig.

Thinking about the three of them for a moment, Anna wondered what it would be like to be able to read their mind when they spoke to her. She was curious if they weren’t using their speak to maybe hide feelings for her, especially Craig. She had a bit of feeling for him but never pushed because you just don’t date people you work with or for.

Anna decided to quickly shelf that thought because that would be too much of a power to use, especially on the good guys. Now, a bad guy, not so much.

Anna pretty much spent the rest of the morning doing what was asked of her when Zach walked into the office after two hours in court. As he started toward his office, he stopped at her desk and laid the newspaper down where she could see it as clear as day.

“I guess the rumors are true. She’s on ever major newspaper in the country right about now. A hip superhero chick saving the day.”

There, on the front page, was the identical picture that twelve-year-old Timmy took with his smart phone. At least, Anna thought, she had enough sense to change her physical looks before she went off to save those people.

Without her realizing it, she caught a faint thought from Zach’s mind.

She’s kind of hot looking.

“She’s what?” she asked.

“She’s what, what?” asked Zach.

“Oh nothing. Just thinking out loud as to what kind of a power person she is.”

“Beats me, but I hope her idea of saving those people means she is on the side of the law. Powers such as what she displayed, the way it reads in the paper, if not used in a positive way, could prove disastrous for us.”

Zach walked away, leaving Anna thinking two things. Zach thinks Multiple Woman is hot, and he had left that word in her mind. Disastrous.

*******************************************************************

It was now lunchtime, and everyone was gone from the office as Anna continued looking for the information Zach wanted. Craig would be in court the rest of the afternoon and Devin was at the courthouse filing depositions and wouldn’t be back in the office until after two. Zach, had another court case to prosecute. An armed robbery where the defendant had killed two people.

Anna took some time to walk around the office to a large paned window and look out across the city.

She thought about the vast amount of people that have problems, the dangers and threats posed to lives that travel the sidewalks every day. She wondered, even for all the powers she has, how could she be everywhere and save everyone. A daunting task to say the least.

A police scanner was in each of the offices there and one sat on her desk when she was interrupted in thought by a voice.

“Adam 17, a robbery is in progress at the Fifth National Bank. Suspects are armed and dangerous. Adam’s 12, 15 and 22 are enroute, proceed with caution.”

“10-4. On our way.”

Anna used her sight vision through the window and zeroed in on the bank. Four men, heavily armed. Half a dozen bank customers, three teller’s and three administrative people were inside. Outside, a car was running with one man behind the wheel.

She started to transform herself but stopped for a few seconds. The police can handle this without her help, can’t they? After all this isn’t the first time a bank’s been robbed and they know what they are doing. No, she thought, I’ll let them do what they get paid to do, but Anna still watched what was going on.

A minute passed where her sensitive hearing picked up a distress call in the Colorado mountain region. Two climbers had fall and were trapped a crevice between two large boulders. One of the two managed to call on a portable radio he had. The only problem, once Anna used her sight vision to look at the situation, she noticed that several large rocks above them were beginning to weaken and before long, she knew they would fall and crush the two young men.

Two minutes passed when the bank was surround by blue and white police cars. An armored vehicle arrived with big letters on it: SWAT. Officers took position behind open car doors, their weapons drawn. She could plainly see and hear one man on a bull-horn announce that the place was surrounded and for them to come out with their hands in the air. Just like in the movies but this wasn’t a movie.

A series of shots came from the bank and the one Lieutenant on the bull-horn went down to the paved street with a bullet in his shoulder. The police didn’t return fire as civilians were inside. The SWAT team were moving in various directions to line up site-positions and try to get clear targets to any of the bank robbers down.

Looking inside the bank again, she heard one of the men bark out orders.

“Each one of you grab one of these people and put your gun to their head. We’re walking out of here and if the cops don’t let us leave, put a bullet to their head.” All four men each took hold of a woman, all of which panic, and fear was drawn onto their faces as if born that way.

Anna had seen and heard enough.

Using her ability to change appearance, she transformed and prepared herself to be openly seen by thousands of eyes. But not before she concentrated and materialized a second her.

Looking at herself she said, “You take the men in Colorado, I got the bank thingy.”

“I can do that. I was wondering when I would get the chance to do something again. Hey, I love the outfit, and oh my, the red hair is hot looking, too!”

“Can it, girl. This isn’t the time for a make-up and fashion exhibition. We have lives to save.”

Both took off at blinding speed. As Anna reached the bank she thought, “There may be some damage done by me or not, but the damage is minor when it comes to saving a human life. How will I explain myself? I’ll deal with that when it happens.”

“Get in your cars and leave or they all die!”

Not one police officer moved but they were looking at each other wondering how to handle this situation. Finally, a Captain stepped up and ordered his men to stand down. Police cars started backing away from the bank.

In 12 seconds Multiple Woman was at the bank and as the bank robbers stepped outside with their hostages, she had heard their demands and watched as the police were leaving, that is all of them but SWAT.

Without wasting more precious seconds, Multiple Woman ran around in circles at light speed and not only disarmed each man, but also taking each woman held hostage and took them to safety behind other police cars that hadn’t yet left, and just that as quickly, she had the four now unarmed men tied up and laid down in front of the bank.

People who watched this from office windows or even the city sidewalks were caught in awe by what they witnessed. The Captain hesitated for a few brief seconds before requesting all officers return and SWAT came out of their positions and were now training their weapons on the men Multiple Woman captured.

Multiple Woman was about to leave when the Captain yelled out to her.

“Who the hell are you?”

Smiling, she said, “Call me Multiple Woman. We are on the same side, Captain. You know, truth, justice and yada-yada-yada.”

A Channel 12 news crew had pulled up and within a short span of time had a portable camera set up and filming her, capturing every word she said.

“I will do what I can for you, for the people and, if need be, for the world.”

“What is your real name though,” said the Captain.

“Cap, come on now, you know a girl has to have some secrets. But when something goes down your boys in blue can’t handle, I’ll be there to help out. It’s what I do.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t ….” The Captain’s words lost strength when in the blink of an eye, where Multiple Woman once stood, was now vacant as if she had never been there.

In mere seconds Anna Gemstone was back in the office, back in her work clothing and back to viewing the after-results of what had happened.

She knew the police would be interviewing people inside the bank. She knew that by the evening news, the world was about to discover she wasn’t a myth or a twelve-year-old boy’s imagination.

Anna also knew her life just became a little more interesting and a little more confusing.

But you know what? She couldn’t wait to do more.

Her other self was partially right. This is going to be fun. Serious fun.

Her tummy rumbled and realized she hadn’t had lunch. She called Sal’s Pizzeria and ordered a large pizza with the works. All this super-biz stuff can make a girl hungry.

Her other self returned and said, “They are safe and sound and confused, but I overheard one of them say as I was leaving, that I’m hot!

“… and order two while you’re at it. Make sure mine has extra cheese, extra pepperoni and extra sausage.”

The real Anna sighed. “You do know, after you eat, I have to make you disappear. Two of us in the office just isn’t a good thing.”

“Yeah, I got it. But you know, one of these times, you will need more than one of me, I mean you, I mean us, anyway, one day down the road you’ll need a bunch of you to take on a lot of different things at the same time.”

Don’t I know it.

“I know you know, after all I’m you and your me.”

Being a superhero has its perks and its drawbacks. A twin who’s hungry all the time, will do for starters.

As we fade away into the thoughts held in our minds, let it be known, Multiple Woman will have many more exploits, many new adventures.

But today, empty bellies need filled.

**************************************************************************

Herein is the last Anna Gemstone tale for the time being. Future stories will avail themselves from time to time. But suffice it to say, other work I am doing is taking precedence.

I want to thank @anarosewood for the idea behind this, and I want to thank all those who have read the tales and enjoyed them.

This is for all the Super-women out there ... https://youtu.be/-AphKUK8twg

https://theprose.com/post/219055/birth-of-a-super-hero-the-beginning

https://theprose.com/post/219863/adventures-of-a-superhero-part-2

https://theprose.com/post/220766/adventures-of-a-superhero-part-3

https://theprose.com/post/221726/adventures-of-a-superhero-part-four

Actions speak-

louder than words.

He tasted of forbbiden fruit.

Better to have loved

and lost.

Or be blinded by love.

It was only a kiss.

Ignorance really is bliss...

16

I am sixteen years old

I feel, I laugh, I smile.

But today I cry.

There is too much sorrow

In this world and

I can't contain it.

Tears are falling down my cheeks

And I can't hide it.

Sometimes I think I've lived too long.

Not in years or memories

But through my tears.

The whole thing took 42 minutes.

In my head, it was supposed to be over with in an instant. Bam, dead. But it took 42 goddamn minutes for him to die.

I regretted the whole thing from the start, but you can't just start something like that and then crap out on it partway through. Maybe I should have done my research first, or at least put together a coherent plan rather than trusting on my adrenaline and winging it.

Anyway, the end result was the same. In fact, one could argue that it was even better. He'd had 42 minutes to wrestle with the fact that he was dying.

If I were luckier with the bath mat, it would have been a cinch. It started out right. Yank, and over he went, arms pinwheeling as he stumbled backward, groping for the shower curtain. I almost laughed, knowing the cheap rod was likely to come down, and so it did. The man, the plastic curtain, and the rickety rod all went down like something from an old slapstick comedy show, except comedy shows don't have a whole lot of debilitating spinal cord injuries.

I remember checking my phone for the time as soon as he'd gone over.

11:21pm.

I breathed deeply in the silence that was broken only by a the occasional whisper of plastic on plastic as the shower curtain gradually settled, and a few cracked choking noises from the man who would be dead in 42 minutes.

Damn. He was still alive. I'd wanted it to be over already.

With care, I took the curtain rod and swept the whole works aside to evaluate his condition. He was lying half in, half out of the tub, his legs protruding absurdly. Was his back broken? His face had gone red, his eyes bugged, and his lower lip was twitching like some sort of panicked slug.

"Can you move?" I asked.

More spasms from that gruesome slug.

I took hold of his ankles and pushed so he was lying fully in the tub. His eyes and mouth opened wider, and the scarlet in his cheeks and neck darkened. He looked in torment, and completely helpless, which altogether was quite satisfying.

He pissed himself.

"Gross," I mumbled.

I wanted this to be over. I paced back and forth, hoping he was suffocating or something.

11:25pm.

Sighing, I stared down at him. He'd die eventually, if I just left. He clearly wasn't going to be getting up again. But I couldn't leave until I was sure. I needed to help him along.

"Don't move," I told him, with a goofy smirk, giving him the ol' finger guns.

I strolled over to the kitchen and found a nice, sharp knife. I considered the blade, unsure if I could really do this. It wasn't like I went around killing people all the time, and I'd never been around much blood before.

I returned to the bathroom much less jolly than when I'd left. I leaned over him, making sure he wasn't dead. His eyes and mouth remained wide open, occasionally twitching, gaze fixed tightly on on me. A goldfish in an empty bowl.

Surely it wouldn't take much to finish him off.

I clutched the knife handle, my hand sweating a little against the plastic grip. I could see his panicked eyes begging me not to. I shook my head at him.

"This is happening," I confirmed.

Nonetheless, it took several more minutes, and some manic pacing, before I could do it. I started singing "Eye of the Tiger", and swung the blade down at the crescendo on the word "eye", at the end of the chorus. I never got to "of the tiger".

The knife had gone in so easily, and silently. I don't know why it surprised me that it was so silent.

I stood up straight and stared down at what I'd done. I hadn't really aimed, and I wasn't even sure what part of his innards I'd impaled. There was no immediate result, and the blood didn't spurt. I was thinking of movies, where blood gets everywhere and pours out of the person's mouth. That didn't happen. I saw the handle of the knife twitching minutely, along with his slow pulse. The blood started to seep out around the wound, gradually.

"Goddamn," I muttered. "I suck at this."

He just kept on staring at me with those dying fish eyes. They were leaking tears, and I wasn't sure if it was an emotional thing, a pain thing, or just one of those automatic body things, like the pissing.

11:40pm.

How was he still breathing?

I sat down on the edge of the tub with a Lysol-soaked washcloth and started carefully cleaning the handle of the knife. I thought about pulling it out and sticking him a few more times, but the thought made my stomach roil, and I didn't want to leave DNA around here if I didn't have to. The adrenaline rush was long gone, and I couldn't believe I was sitting here like this, watching him, waiting for him to succumb.

11:47pm.

He seemed to be weakening, his breathing growing shallower. Blood was flowing.

His eyes were bothering me.

"Close your eyes, you bastard!" I exclaimed. "Why don't you just die?"

I was sweating. I started humming "Eye of the Tiger" at a morose, funereal tempo.

I leaned down, shaking slightly, holding my breath as I placed two fingers against his neck, finding his pulse. Weak, but present.

11:51pm.

"Shit, shit, shit. Come on, man."

I sat down on the bathroom floor, leaning back against the tub. I took out my phone and almost Googled "how long does it take someone to die from a stab wound", but that probably would have been a bad idea. Instead I looked at some movie trailers.

I turned around, peeking into the tub every couple of minutes. I should have been out of here a long time ago.

His eyes were still open, but they were starting to look dull, and were no longer glaring up at me in that horrific Why? expression.

I reached down to feel the pulse at his throat again. I thought I could feel something, but I wasn't sure.

I sorted through the medicine cabinet until I found a small hand mirror, and held it up in front of his mouth and nose. There was a little fog.

I took my Lysol rag and pressed it over his mouth and nose, turning my face away and squeezing my eyes shut as I leaned into him with most of my weight. I waited as long as I could hold myself in that position, and then held the mirror up again.

It was clear.

12:03am.

"Bam," I murmured. "Dead."

I cleaned up a little more, and made my exit. I walked a few blocks before vomiting in a back alley.

I couldn't sleep that night until I'd stuck the digital clock in a drawer, unable to abide those illuminated numbers ticking away the minutes. When I slept, I dreamed of his eyes.

The worst monsters find shelter

Where they will never be found

The scariest monsters I have ever dealt with

Reside in my own head

No one can see or hear them

No one ever has any idea they’re there

But I know

I have never seen them

But I’ve heard them

Loud and clear

I know they’re there

They won’t allow me to forget

They have access

To the deepest, darkest corners of my mind

They know exactly what to say

To keep me up at night

Doubting myself

Hating myself

Being too afraid to sleep

They let me know

They are never leaving

So, I’ve gotten used to their cruel words

I’ve gotten used to being unconfident

I don’t remember what it was like

To not constantly have someone

Pointing out every little thing you do wrong

I have to live like this now

Because I don’t know

How to fight monsters