Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

It was a rather normal town, not too big, but not too small, and situated about an hour's drive away from a major city. The greenery around the area, like most residential areas after the Toxic Scare of 2073, was quite well taken care of, with several full time gardeners employed to ensure that everything stayed healthy. The town had its share of crime, parades, and festivities, with normal students who loved playing pranks, sports, and video games. Even the weather seemed perfectly average, at 80 degrees and alternating between sunny and partly cloudy with only a light breeze. When added on to the fact that it was the last day of school, and that school had just ended, the day should have seemed perfect.

Yet, here I was, dragging my feet along as my friends laughed and joked, enjoying the seemingly perfect day. We were headed towards our usual hangout. A stray cat mewled at me from an alleyway amid the bustling noise of all of the students heading back home. It was the first afternoon of summer vacation. Why shouldn't they enjoy it? I sure should. Still, I followed along, adding my fair of jokes and even laughing along with them, all the while holding onto a perfectly flawless poker face of enjoyment. Something just didn't feel right today. At first glance, there was nothing that really set me apart from the crowd. Sure, my grades were just below average at a measley 82, and it wasn't like I was an introvert or loner. I had... friends, and was even on the school gymnastics team. Still, I knew there would always be this void. I couldn't help but be unable to connect, feel different. I was different.

"Tristan you sure you don't wanna come? You might actually beat me this time, Tristan." My friends, Alex in particular, were trying to get him to tag along to their ping-pong marathon, probably so that I would pay for it all. Normally, I wouldn't mind, but today something felt different.

"Beat you?" I joked. "I'll meet up with you guys next time." Alex was supposedly my best friend, and the one I talked to the most. He was also a jerk.

"Before you go though, do you mind lending us some cash? I forgot to bring my wallet." My friends smirked at this.

"Yea, sure. No problem." I received a weekly allowance of a hundred dollars so spotting my friends fifty or so was not a big deal, even if it was a weekly occurrence. I put on a strained smile and handed over the cash.

"Thanks bud, I'll see you later then." smiled Alex..

"WATCH OUT!" someone yelled. A van had run the red light just as my friends and I were about to cross the road. I quickly reached out to grab Alex, who was blissfully oblivious with his eyes closed, humming to the headphones he had just put back on. My fingertips brushed Alex's shirt but were unable to find any purchase. I could only stare in horror as Alex took the last step that would consign him to oblivion.

'NO!' I thought, and pulled with all of his might. My outstretched hand strained against an invisible force, and it was over in an instant. I trembled from exhaustion. Alex's head snapped back like he was leashed. He opened his eyes and did a three-sixty.

'No...' I groaned as I realized that I had done what I had sworn never again to do.

"What the fu-" His words were cut short as the van rushed by. Time froze for the onlookers as it seemed Alex would still be clipped by the truck, and resumed as it only brushed his over-sized shirt. The air displacement still knocked Alex over into the rough asphalt. "Holy shit man, the dude didn't even honk. Good thing one of you guys grabbed me."

The rest of them exchanged glances as they helped him up. "No one grabbed you in ti-"

"Yea good thing huh," I interrupted, staring at my watch. "It's running late, but I'll catch up with you guys later. Keep closing your eyes when you cross the road and you might really get it someday." I could not meet anyone's eyes and gave a weak chuckle before dashing off. When I glanced back half a block later, one of my friends was pointing at me and the rest were giving me odd looks. I saw another of them mouth something that distinctly resembled the word "freak". I was a freak.

'I knew it,' My face was downcast, and my pace quickly reverted to that of dragging my feet along. 'Maybe if I just explained it to them, showed them...' I shook my head, realizing that it would do no good. I was glad that I had saved a life, but at what cost?. I had seen what would happen to those who were different.

I had seen the videos. Everyone had seen the videos. After the Toxic Scare of 2073, with radiation leakage hitting half the world, there were several cases of abnormalities within the children of more severely affected women. Most of the children had died right away, but some grew up with additional features, like an extra limb, or another eye. These children were treated as freaks, but were still given the option of undergoing surgical procedures with little to no risk as a result of the advanced technological advancements of the age. In the end, they would still end up normal and conform to society. The other children though... the other children exhibited more unique symptoms.

A child starred in several shows, and was given national acclaim for his ability to move things without touching them. The boy gained wealth and fame, even after many critics and conspiracy theorists claimed fraud. After a dozen more children had come out claiming to do the same however, the gift turned into a curse. Scientists became fascinated with the by-products of the Toxic Scare and several cases of subjects showing signs of violence after being bombarded and pestered by media and once-friends. These resulted in full scale riots and retaliation, injuring and maiming thousands, culminating in the deaths of many. The populace turned against them. The situation worsened as those who had shown others their powers in a show of trust or in hope of fame were persecuted by parents who feared for their children, and many were lynched until the rest went into hiding. In the end, they were branded as diseased and scientists were given the right to experiment on volunteers under the premise of finding a cure. This was decades ago. Who knew if any of them were left.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Even though it was several decades later, freaks all but forgotten, I had no doubt that it would end up the same way. My power wasn't as strong as the cases I had read up on when I discovered what I could do. Unlike others who were said to have been able to lift trucks with ease, it had taken all of my strength just to pull Alex's head from a few inches away. I tried moving an eraser before, but lifting it half a foot strained my body so much that moving afterwards was impossible. Normally then, since my ability was so limited, it should not have been a problem for me to keep from using it, as it had no practical use.

The problem was though, that my ability felt like an extension of myself. I was always tempted use it when performing everyday tasks. It was like a third arm, and it felt unnatural not to. When I played ping-pong, I would feel the urge to pull the ball slightly toward my paddle; when I dropped a piece of paper, it would feel natural to try and pull it to my hand; even when he was performing gymnastics routines, I was tempted to try and correct my balance with it. Consequently, I had to make a conscious effort not to exert my ability as soon as I realized what it was after it manifested several years ago. I had succeeded too, until today.

I found an old park bench several blocks away. It was in dire need of repair; large blotches of paint were weathered off, and the left side of it wobbled uncertainly. Still, it was a seat and I unceremoniously sat down on the rough wood, staring at my left hand.

'So much for friends huh.' It was a depressing thought. It would be like what happened with my parents all over again. There was a reason I lived alone; after finding out about what I was in an accident, they moved out and strove to distance themselves from me. Essentially, they abandoned me, providing a house and cash only because it would besmirch their image if someone accused them of child neglect. Now it would be my friends. My hands shook at the thought. Its all over. Maybe they would understand.

'Maybe nothing will come out of it. Maybe it will all blow over.'

It was quite unlikely hope, but it was hope nonetheless. It was unreasonable, but I had always feared becoming ostracized by others. My own parents had come close to disowning me. I clung to this hope as if my life depended on it, and for all I knew, it did. People got violent when they did not understand. My friends would understand. I was different. We had known each other since elementary school, and Alex even longer. They would hate me. Alex would definitely understand. I was a freak.

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A pair of students I recognized from one of my classes walked into sight. They were deep into a conversation, sparing very little concern for their surroundings.

"I told you you should have waited for me before starting Royal Road! Now we didn't even start in the same city!" The conversation was very animated, with the girl making gestures and stabbing the air with her finger as if it would make the boy understand more quickly.

"But-" The girl slapped the guy's shoulder with a loud smack.

"What level are you? Three? You might as well just start over and make a new character!" Despite my mood, I couldn't help but be fascinated.

'Royal Road, virtual reality.' It was a novel thought. It had just come out the day before, coinciding with the end of the school year probably so that Unicorn Co. would be able to up their sales. It was the newest fad, with state of the art technology that made virtual reality a possibility. In fact, with 99% realism, it could virtually be deemed a second life.

I watched the couple pass beyond sight before murmuring two words.

"Royal Road". A second life.

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Dialog is denoted by double quotes " "

Thoughts by a character are denoted by single quotes ' '

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Authors Note:

**The bolded italicized words are supposed to be using strike through. However when I try and use it, it does this and does a newline before and after the words... :[

Still working on the chapters and flow. It was originally supposed to be third person but I thought first person worked better. Feel free to leave any comments and feedback.

By the way, does anyone know how to tab paragraphs and such?