Chapter four- The Truth is Revealed
Judging by the grave look on his face, probably not. But, as usual, her curiosity was far more powerful than her fear. She heard herself asking him "How are you different?" Which was not exactly the question he had expected from her, but it would lead to the same result, nonetheless.
"I'm not from around here." He replied. Now the seriousness in his voice had given way mostly to fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of her reaction. Would she think he was a monster, a freak show? Well, there was only one way to find out.
Lana pressed further. "Then where are you from?"
Here was the deciding moment. "I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm not from Earth." Lana's face paled. How could that be true? Clark was an alien? There was no way. How could that be? He was more human than the rest of us.
"Is that why you survived the tornado? Even then, how could you?" Lana's curiosity was peaked now; she had to know why he survived, why she survived. He paused, concentrating.
"Well, I'm pretty much invincible. The only thing that hurts me is meteors, like the one in your necklace. It makes me sick, weak and dizzy. That's why I had so much trouble approaching you to begin with. Your necklace put me in so much pain." He looked up from the ground and into her eyes, fearing her response. Instead of running away in horror, Lana continued to ask questions, though her pallid face continued to pale.
"Are you capable of anything else?"
Clark ticked them off on his fingers. "I can run faster than an airplane." One finger shot up. "I can lift our tractor without breaking a sweat." A second finger went up. "Let's see, I've already mentioned invincibility. I can see through things and I can start fires with my eyes." Three more fingers went up. "But who knows what I'll develop next year."
Lana just stared.
"You aren't afraid of me, are you?" Clark asked, looking hurt and vulnerable. He didn't feel that invincible right now.
"I, um, have to go." Lana said as she left his loft. Clark sat down on the couch, tears in his eyes.
Judging by the grave look on his face, probably not. But, as usual, her curiosity was far more powerful than her fear. She heard herself asking him "How are you different?" Which was not exactly the question he had expected from her, but it would lead to the same result, nonetheless.
"I'm not from around here." He replied. Now the seriousness in his voice had given way mostly to fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of her reaction. Would she think he was a monster, a freak show? Well, there was only one way to find out.
Lana pressed further. "Then where are you from?"
Here was the deciding moment. "I'm not sure. All I know is that I'm not from Earth." Lana's face paled. How could that be true? Clark was an alien? There was no way. How could that be? He was more human than the rest of us.
"Is that why you survived the tornado? Even then, how could you?" Lana's curiosity was peaked now; she had to know why he survived, why she survived. He paused, concentrating.
"Well, I'm pretty much invincible. The only thing that hurts me is meteors, like the one in your necklace. It makes me sick, weak and dizzy. That's why I had so much trouble approaching you to begin with. Your necklace put me in so much pain." He looked up from the ground and into her eyes, fearing her response. Instead of running away in horror, Lana continued to ask questions, though her pallid face continued to pale.
"Are you capable of anything else?"
Clark ticked them off on his fingers. "I can run faster than an airplane." One finger shot up. "I can lift our tractor without breaking a sweat." A second finger went up. "Let's see, I've already mentioned invincibility. I can see through things and I can start fires with my eyes." Three more fingers went up. "But who knows what I'll develop next year."
Lana just stared.
"You aren't afraid of me, are you?" Clark asked, looking hurt and vulnerable. He didn't feel that invincible right now.
"I, um, have to go." Lana said as she left his loft. Clark sat down on the couch, tears in his eyes.