Chapter 4 – Final flight
Yahoo! It's me, Kikumaru Eiji, and I'm in big trouble now. It's a matter of life and death for me but still, I had time to contemplate why I had changed like so. I didn't think it was the notion that I wanted to be better or anything. It was something more personal. It was a secret.
I felt myself fall. It seemed to be dragging on, agonized me who was awaiting something more. A scream caught in my throat, I couldn't get it out. Just then, my instincts kicked in. I was already facing the traffic head on when I spotted a bus right underneath me. I leaped onto it nimbly and jumped, back flipped and cart wheeled from vehicle to vehicle until I reached the pavement in one fluid movement.
My heart was beating fast. What happened? I looked back at the bustling scene of traffic. That's impossible. I looked towards the bridge where I was moments ago. It had just happened, in split seconds. I crumbled to my knees in pure shock. Not just shock but the overwhelming fact that I was alive. This isn't happening!
I saw Inui weave through the crowd and pull my limp body away. "Eiji" he started off slowly, still gripping my shoulders. "I think…you developed something special. From the data I collected, your body has been so used to jumping and acrobatics that the level of your skill has risen that much such that…you can fly." I stood gaping at him. "I-Inui…that's impossible! You know humans can't fly, you of all people should know that nya!"
Inui nodded his face was set in a confused-believing kind of expression. "Yes, it is quite impossible but according to my data, there was a 95.7% that it could happen. I still stood gaping, no way. Shaking my head I swallowed and asked again. "When did you start noticing this Inui?" "Since a few weeks ago, when you started behaving strangely. Everyone noticed just that they didn't say anything."
My thoughts wandered. Firstly, there was no such thing as flying people. Secondly, no matter how cool it was its just plain weird. "But-but…" my voice trailed off; there were too many questions in my mind. Inui nodded in understanding and said a short "let's go" before heading to another direction.
-----
"So you are telling me that this is normal?" my voice rang out concerned. We were sitting at a burger shop. Inui was trying to explain to me what his theory was about and I was calming my nerves with a can of coke. "Not entirely but for someone like you, it might be highly possible" Inui replied and I understood no less. "That's what you just said" I replied puzzled.
Inui shook his head and there was silence before he spoke again. "You won't understand much but just this, don't misuse this chance." I blinked still clearly confused but Inui said no more. He stood up and with a nod of his head, exited the shop. I sat there looking into my can and sighed.
The day wore on and I arrived home even more troubled and I felt slightly from the experience earlier that day. I was relieved that the following day was finally the weekends. No one seemed to notice my changed behavior and I was glad. The very possibility of flying people made me shudder, let alone I was the one who could fly.
The scene kept replying in my mind. Looking down at the traffic, losing grip and then falling. It felt as if I was floating really. According to Inui, it was flying, but I had my own explanations for myself. No one knew me better than myself, but then did I really know myself all that well? The human mind was hard to understand and since when did I start thinking like Inui?
As I lay on my bed staring up at the ceiling, I still hadn't realized what I had traded my ability for. That was the worst mistake in my life.
-----
Chapter 4 end
