Arctic Hatred
Bobby
"Robert, can you come here for a minute?"
My mom was calling. I stepped into the kitchen. She was standing with her head in the freezer.
"Honey, the fridge isn't working again. Can you…?"
"Say no more."
I held my hands out as she pulled her head back. Blasts of ice flew out from my fingertips into the cold compartment and lined the walls, freezing the air inside.
I had known about my mutant power since I turned about 14. I could create and control ice. Nobody but me and my parents knew. I hadn't been outside the house, besides school, since I accidentally froze that dog.
You don't wanna know.
Anyway, I had actually gotten asked by some of my friends to go to the mall that afternoon, so I needed to get permission.
"So, uh, Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Can I go to the mall this afternoon with the guys?"
"What?"
"Um… can I go to the mall?"
"No, you can't go out in public like this!"
"Mom, I can handle this thing! Didn't you just see that?"
"You're still not ready to control it!"
"I just did!"
"No!"
"Fine. I'll never learn to keep them a secret if there's nobody to keep them from!"
"I guess you're right. You can go. But be back by 6 for dinner."
"Yes!"
I ran to my room and grabbed the phone.
Beep beep beep…
I dialed the number as fast as I could without freezing the buttons.
"Hey, Jason? I can come with you! Okay, I'll meet you there at 4."
* * *
I arrived at 3:58 that Saturday afternoon. I saw Jason standing near the door. "Where're the others?" I asked.
"They're inside at Tech World. The new Spider-Men game is out for PlayStation, and you can play it."
"Sweet! Let's get inside."
We walked in. "Oh," I remembered, "I have to be back home at 6 for dinner, so I'll have to leave early."
"That's cool."
We went immediately to Tech World. There were games lining the walls. Computer games, PlayStation1-2 games, Game Boy games, '64 games. This was a gamer's paradise.
I walked over to the Nintendo area. There was a Game Boy attached to the wall with several games on ropes that you could put in and play. The console was actually a Game Boy Advance, but what does that matter?
I popped in the newest Legend of Zelda cartridge and began to play. Whoever had played before me had left off in an icy dungeon, which I did not think was funny.
I began to play, but died almost immediately. Okay, so this version wasn't as easy as the original, so what? I popped in another cartridge. I couldn't read the title, because it was a preview game straight from Japan.
It was pretty fun, but I couldn't tell what anybody was saying or what I was supposed to do. It was fun anyway.
I checked my watch. Five o'clock. "Hey guys, wanna go check out the other stores?"
They didn't answer. "Hello?"
I walked around the aisle. They were gone.
I went up to the counter. "Hey, where did those guys go?"
"I think they said somethin' 'bout goin' to da movies."
"Thanks."
I ran out to the movie theater in the middle of the big mall. "Hey guys!"
They were standing in line to see some movie, I didn't check.
"Hey, I'm gonna go check out the other stores. I can't stay for a whole movie anyway."
"That's cool. See ya," said Jason.
I headed over to the Dungeon, the comic store. The place wasn't very busy, especially for the day of the new comic releases. Every Saturday around 5, they would put out the new stuff.
"Hey. What kind of new stuff do you have?"
"Well, we got the new Batman…"
"No, I mean Marvel. Forget DC."
"Right. We got the new Elektra…"
"Anything in the Hulk department?"
"Yeah. The 'Nuff Said one is out."
"Finally! How much?"
"$2.50."
"Here."
I pulled out the cash and handed it to him.
"Thanks."
I heard a voice behind me. "You into the Jade Giant too?"
I turned to see Ashley. I had liked her for ever.
"Uh, yeah."
"Cool. How far back have you read?"
"Number… 25, I think, plus all the other things. Startling Stories, Son of Canada, Wolverine/Hulk crossover, all the novels, Avengers issues, I've ridden the Hulk coaster at Universal Studios, anything Hulk, I've read it or done it."
"Wow."
"Yeah, I guess I'm kinda obsessed. What about you?"
"Well, I just got into it. I found a cheap copy of Hulk #1 at some wacky little shop in L.A., so I bought it. After that, I wanted the rest of them."
"Issue 1? For how much?"
"Fifty bucks."
"Fifty bucks?!? What's the condition?"
"Almost mint."
"Wow."
"Yeah. I guess I'm hooked now, too."
"Cool."
I looked at my watch. "Oh, crud! I'm gonna be late! I need to be home by 6! It's 5:45 now!"
"How far away do you live?"
"Just a few blocks away, on Elm."
"Really? I live like a block from you1"
"Can I walk you home?"
"Sure!"
We walked out of the mall together and started out into the parking lot. There weren't many empty parking places, I noticed.
It was a warm summer day on Long Island. We walked onto the sidewalk that led next to the street. Cars honked, birds chirped, and we talked about Hulk #1 and where we might find #2.
I lived three blocks down, Ashley one less. After one block, I heard laughing above us. I held my hand back to keep her back.
"What's that?"
"I dunno."
"Stand back."
Out of nowhere, the resident gang, the Elm Warriors, jumped from the trees and attacked us.
"What do you want?" asked the leader.
"We just want to pass," said Ashley calmly.
"Stay outta this, babe!" said the leader.
"Listen, you don't wanna mess with me, man," I said loudly.
"What're you gonna do, step on my foot?"
"I didn't want to do this… Stand back, Ash." I pointed my hands at the gang members' feet. My body was coated with ice as I shot out more.
"What are you doin'?" asked the leader. He tried to run away, but his feet were stuck to the cement with frost.
"That should hold you for a while. It should melt, since it is a little warm out here," I told him. I turned to Ashley.
"You okay?"
But she just stared. Her eyes were wide open in terror and her mouth opened and let out a scream.
"Get away from me, you freak! You're one of those mutants!"
"No, Ashley, I…"
She didn't wait for me to finish, but just ran towards her house.
Crud!
Why?
Why were mutants so feared?
Why couldn't normal people accept us for who we are?
Normal people…
Why me?
Why wasn't I normal?
Why?
Bobby
"Robert, can you come here for a minute?"
My mom was calling. I stepped into the kitchen. She was standing with her head in the freezer.
"Honey, the fridge isn't working again. Can you…?"
"Say no more."
I held my hands out as she pulled her head back. Blasts of ice flew out from my fingertips into the cold compartment and lined the walls, freezing the air inside.
I had known about my mutant power since I turned about 14. I could create and control ice. Nobody but me and my parents knew. I hadn't been outside the house, besides school, since I accidentally froze that dog.
You don't wanna know.
Anyway, I had actually gotten asked by some of my friends to go to the mall that afternoon, so I needed to get permission.
"So, uh, Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Can I go to the mall this afternoon with the guys?"
"What?"
"Um… can I go to the mall?"
"No, you can't go out in public like this!"
"Mom, I can handle this thing! Didn't you just see that?"
"You're still not ready to control it!"
"I just did!"
"No!"
"Fine. I'll never learn to keep them a secret if there's nobody to keep them from!"
"I guess you're right. You can go. But be back by 6 for dinner."
"Yes!"
I ran to my room and grabbed the phone.
Beep beep beep…
I dialed the number as fast as I could without freezing the buttons.
"Hey, Jason? I can come with you! Okay, I'll meet you there at 4."
* * *
I arrived at 3:58 that Saturday afternoon. I saw Jason standing near the door. "Where're the others?" I asked.
"They're inside at Tech World. The new Spider-Men game is out for PlayStation, and you can play it."
"Sweet! Let's get inside."
We walked in. "Oh," I remembered, "I have to be back home at 6 for dinner, so I'll have to leave early."
"That's cool."
We went immediately to Tech World. There were games lining the walls. Computer games, PlayStation1-2 games, Game Boy games, '64 games. This was a gamer's paradise.
I walked over to the Nintendo area. There was a Game Boy attached to the wall with several games on ropes that you could put in and play. The console was actually a Game Boy Advance, but what does that matter?
I popped in the newest Legend of Zelda cartridge and began to play. Whoever had played before me had left off in an icy dungeon, which I did not think was funny.
I began to play, but died almost immediately. Okay, so this version wasn't as easy as the original, so what? I popped in another cartridge. I couldn't read the title, because it was a preview game straight from Japan.
It was pretty fun, but I couldn't tell what anybody was saying or what I was supposed to do. It was fun anyway.
I checked my watch. Five o'clock. "Hey guys, wanna go check out the other stores?"
They didn't answer. "Hello?"
I walked around the aisle. They were gone.
I went up to the counter. "Hey, where did those guys go?"
"I think they said somethin' 'bout goin' to da movies."
"Thanks."
I ran out to the movie theater in the middle of the big mall. "Hey guys!"
They were standing in line to see some movie, I didn't check.
"Hey, I'm gonna go check out the other stores. I can't stay for a whole movie anyway."
"That's cool. See ya," said Jason.
I headed over to the Dungeon, the comic store. The place wasn't very busy, especially for the day of the new comic releases. Every Saturday around 5, they would put out the new stuff.
"Hey. What kind of new stuff do you have?"
"Well, we got the new Batman…"
"No, I mean Marvel. Forget DC."
"Right. We got the new Elektra…"
"Anything in the Hulk department?"
"Yeah. The 'Nuff Said one is out."
"Finally! How much?"
"$2.50."
"Here."
I pulled out the cash and handed it to him.
"Thanks."
I heard a voice behind me. "You into the Jade Giant too?"
I turned to see Ashley. I had liked her for ever.
"Uh, yeah."
"Cool. How far back have you read?"
"Number… 25, I think, plus all the other things. Startling Stories, Son of Canada, Wolverine/Hulk crossover, all the novels, Avengers issues, I've ridden the Hulk coaster at Universal Studios, anything Hulk, I've read it or done it."
"Wow."
"Yeah, I guess I'm kinda obsessed. What about you?"
"Well, I just got into it. I found a cheap copy of Hulk #1 at some wacky little shop in L.A., so I bought it. After that, I wanted the rest of them."
"Issue 1? For how much?"
"Fifty bucks."
"Fifty bucks?!? What's the condition?"
"Almost mint."
"Wow."
"Yeah. I guess I'm hooked now, too."
"Cool."
I looked at my watch. "Oh, crud! I'm gonna be late! I need to be home by 6! It's 5:45 now!"
"How far away do you live?"
"Just a few blocks away, on Elm."
"Really? I live like a block from you1"
"Can I walk you home?"
"Sure!"
We walked out of the mall together and started out into the parking lot. There weren't many empty parking places, I noticed.
It was a warm summer day on Long Island. We walked onto the sidewalk that led next to the street. Cars honked, birds chirped, and we talked about Hulk #1 and where we might find #2.
I lived three blocks down, Ashley one less. After one block, I heard laughing above us. I held my hand back to keep her back.
"What's that?"
"I dunno."
"Stand back."
Out of nowhere, the resident gang, the Elm Warriors, jumped from the trees and attacked us.
"What do you want?" asked the leader.
"We just want to pass," said Ashley calmly.
"Stay outta this, babe!" said the leader.
"Listen, you don't wanna mess with me, man," I said loudly.
"What're you gonna do, step on my foot?"
"I didn't want to do this… Stand back, Ash." I pointed my hands at the gang members' feet. My body was coated with ice as I shot out more.
"What are you doin'?" asked the leader. He tried to run away, but his feet were stuck to the cement with frost.
"That should hold you for a while. It should melt, since it is a little warm out here," I told him. I turned to Ashley.
"You okay?"
But she just stared. Her eyes were wide open in terror and her mouth opened and let out a scream.
"Get away from me, you freak! You're one of those mutants!"
"No, Ashley, I…"
She didn't wait for me to finish, but just ran towards her house.
Crud!
Why?
Why were mutants so feared?
Why couldn't normal people accept us for who we are?
Normal people…
Why me?
Why wasn't I normal?
Why?
