I did some reading on how neon signs were manufactured. Then, everything became painfully obvious to me. Neon signs are bent glass filled with argon and, of course, neon. The glass tube is attached to an electrode, which directs electricity in, powering the sign’s luminescence. The electrode has many metallic parts to it, and it’s possible that the electrode could have been damaged from Riley’s outburst.
But the thing is, that would’ve left an obvious visible defect. So what were Riley’s powers, exactly? I think I have an answer now. I believe she can control magnetic fields at will. When I started this research, I assumed that Riley had an ability similar to mine in scope and cause. But these abilities seem completely unrelated. I have increased brain capacity and intelligence, and she seems to have control over magnetic fields.
Oh, yes, speaking of, I should explain my logic. I already found the pattern of the things that she can affect. They’re all magnetic. The thing with the neon signs is that they contain electrodes that are composed of wires. Riley’s magnetic burst left the wires vibrating so fast that they caused microscopic fractures in the glass. These fractures were still large enough for the Argon and Neon to escape, but slowly. Thus, the lights did not go out immediately, but gradually, as the Argon and Neon left the glass tube. Argon and Neon are not toxic enough to cause any harm unless the density is very high, so their release endangered no lives.
I was still amidst my research when Dad came home. I was glad that I could tell him, with a smile, that I had learned a lot today. I plan on sending out a web crawler to alert me if anyone searches for keywords relating to Riley’s incident. Maybe there are more people like Riley and me, and if there are, then they might be searching for answers. I could find them.
Carol
Wow, okay then. I’m feeling pretty good about myself right now.
Today, I basically just single-handedly saved someone’s life. I know, right?
For my birthday, Dad had brought me out to New York with him. Just him. No disapproving stepmother, and no half-siblings to watch over. No responsibilities, no itinerary, just a few days in New York.
Yesterday we went to listen to an opera sing, walk through the Metropolitan, and even visit Madison Square Garden. This morning, we went off to the Bronx zoo. It was exciting. I don’t get why some people don’t like spending time with their family. No matter what I do, as long as I’m doing it with friends or family, I enjoy it. Some things are too special not to enjoy.
After picking up lunch at the zoo, we went over to the Empire State Building, and went up to the 86th floor for the open-air main observation deck. The view was astounding! Although I hadn’t exactly been living in a rural area back at home, I had never really seen such a great view! There was a difference between standing up there, on top of the world, and being on an airplane, only seeing the world as a series of patchwork pieces of land.
My dad sighed beside me. “What a great view”, he said. I smiled and leaned into his shoulder, reveling in the time we had alone together. It was a comfortable moment, but life always finds a way to ruin those.
The way that I had snuggled into him combined with where we were standing meant that I could see the stairwell out of the corner of my eye. A man had walked up. I had spent years of caring for my step-siblings, and so I could tell immediately, without even talking to him, that this man was distressed. But it wasn’t because he was acting similarly to when my step-siblings were disturbed. It was because I recognized the way he was carrying himself, like he was lugging his life around him in a sack behind him, but there were holes in the sack, and every so often a piece fell out. But he’d long since gotten tired of bending over and picking up the pieces that there had been a breaking point. The last piece had fallen out.
I had had an experience like this before. Dad and my step-mom had gone out to eat, again. Dad had left me with the duty of looking after his other children, again. I had projects and homework and tests to study for, and he had given me a different task. I’m sure that if he knew how much work I already had, he wouldn’t have done it, but the reason he didn’t know was that he would never make time to talk to me and check in. I felt unwanted, unneeded, by the person I needed to love me most.
So when I saw that man, in this terrible shape, up on this high of a floor, I knew what he was going to do. I broke away from my dad and started running towards him. At the same time, he began running towards the railing. By the time I had gotten to the railing, he had started to climb it. The railing had been built high and curved to prevent situations like this, but he seemed a natural climber. In addition, there were narrow squares built into the railing at the top, seemingly too small for anyone to get through. However, this poor man had a lithe figure, and he was easily able to poke his head through. He started squeezing his shoulders through too.
But I called out to him, “Hey!”
It was enough for him to stop and pull his head out to look at me. He stared for a few seconds, said nothing, and resumed trying to fit his body through the grate. At the same time, I could hear several people around me murmuring into their phones, telling the police to come and help. All I had to do was stall.
So I did. “What’s your name?” I asked.
He paused again, and this time, without looking down, replied, “Edward”.
I nodded slightly. “Okay, Edward, so tell me. What’s the point of this? This isn’t just about running away from your problems, it’s about showing something to the world, right?” He said nothing, so I continued, “So how about you tell me why you’re doing this? Otherwise the world will never know, right? And then what will be gained?”
He sighed visibly and jammed his shoulders through. His stomach was yet to clear the square, however. Settling there, he shouted, “Everything that could happen today happened. Everything and everyone I depended on failed me today. I never did anything wrong. Why does it have to be me? Today, at work, I did my job. I did it perfectly and to the letter, but did my boss appreciate it? No, because that jerk took the credit! The world is too unfair, it’s too unjust! Why do the jerks win, why do the nice guys finish last?”
“Hey”, I said in a softer tone, “It’s okay. I know how it feels to feel like the world owes you something for the amount of pain it gives you. But you know what the best way to show the world up is? You show it that you don’t need its help. You can take anything it throws at you and you will be okay, because you are unbreakable.”
He sniffled, and then buried his face into his shirt. “I’m too tired”, he sobbed. “I’m just too tired. Look at me, taking advice from a teenager! I should be the one teaching you! I’m just a burden and a waste of space.”
He sucked in his gut and easily pushed the rest of his body through the top. There he sprawled, taking in the glory of New York, readying himself to take his own life. He almost did, too. As he crawled outwards towards the edge, I panicked. I ran forward and grasped the bars with my hands, and shouted one last “PLEASE! DON’T DO THIS!”
At that moment, the time turned 7:43. Although For those who have been stung by a jellyfish, you would know that jellyfish do not actually produce electricity, but the feeling when you are stung is similar to being electrocuted. My finger felt vaguely like it was burning. My entire arm felt extremely uncomfortable. My first instinct was to cry out in pain; but I wasn’t in pain. I touched the metal, and the metal responded to me. At my fingertips I could feel a slight vibration, like the metal was speaking to me.
At the same time, it seemed that Edward’s resolve to live strengthened. Without saying anything, he suddenly started crawling
