Fireworks
Jubilation:
"Hey! Get outta da road!"
"I'm walkin' here!" I yelled to the idiot in the cab.
I continued to splash along the wet street. I stepped once on the white blocks, once in-between on the pavement. Small puddles formed in the steady downpour. I only wore my yellow rain slick over my clothes.
I put my pink sunglasses down over my eyes to deflect the rain, but all it did was make it harder to see. I placed them back on top of my soaked black hair.
I walked past a window, filled with TV screens. The weatherman was pointing to little spots on a map of my hometown of Beverly Hills, CA.
"The rain could continue until next week, and there is a large thunderstorm headed to the downtown area, so if you are out, get in!"
I had nowhere to "get in" to. I was homeless. Yesterday, my parents and I were coming home from a restaurant, when some nut in a black Sedan swerved in front of us.
My parents tried to turn to the side to keep from hitting him, but we skidded on the drenched road from the rain all week. We hit the railing on the side, and it rammed straight through the car door next to me! I had been sitting on the left side, so I was not harmed.
My mother, on the other hand, was smashed by the impact. I tried to get my door open, but it was stuck. I hit it, and a strange light hit the handle, melting it. I kicked the door open and fell out.
I opened my father's door, but he had been hurt, too. I turned to see if anyone was stopping to help, but none came.
I ran, hoping to see the hospital, or a pay phone. I got about thirty yards away when the car exploded in flames! I hit the ground, blown back by the force.
I got up and ran down the side of the road, tears clouding my vision. All that I saw were headlights of SUVs, minivans, and smaller cars. I tripped on something lying on the ground and fell.
I lay there, crying, until I fell asleep.
I woke up the next day and just walked, hoping to find someone that could help. I found nothing.
So here I was, in the rain, trying to find shelter for the thunderstorm. I found an abandoned building. It looked like it had once been a hotel, but no one stayed there but me.
I sat in a corner of the dirt and grime and took off my yellow jacket. It dripped with precipitation. The building was cold. I only had a sleeveless sweater and jeans.
What could I do now? The only place to go to now was…
Hollywood!
If I went to Hollywood, I could meet the stars, maybe become one myself!
And, as long as I was dreaming, I'd like to be a millionaire.
I'd just go there and hang out. I might have a chance to get to see the stars, but only from afar.
It sounded like the rain had stopped. I looked out a dust-covered window and saw the sun come out.
I walked out into the sunshine. It was so bright that I had to put on my sunglasses. The world was thrown into a pinkish tint.
I walked through the brighter world. Signs all over pointed towards Hollywood. I followed their directions until I saw the huge white letters on the overlooking hillside.
I snuck through the security and looked around the streets. Tour buses drove around, showing people the sights. I had no money, so I just had to sightsee for myself.
I found a mall that was open to the public (as long as you were legally in Hollywood) and went in.
The food court was very expensive, so I had an idea. I could pick pockets to pay for food and clothing! It always looked easy in movies…
So for several weeks, I snuck around, grabbing pocket change, billfolds, and entire wallets out of purses and coat pockets. I bought burgers, fish, Chinese food, and all kinds of fast food from the court and a Chili's Too in the mall.
That only lasted a couple weeks. One day, I tried picking the pocket of some rich lady. She was wearing this big fur coat, with pockets on the sides. While she was shopping, I snuck up and reached inside.
It was just my luck that some kid was also in the store. He saw me and called out, "Hey, you! Get away from her!"
I grabbed the cash and ran. I knocked over a mannequin as I sprinted towards my hiding place, a little shop that had been closed down, but no new construction had begun.
I ran through a hallway into the door marked "Keep Out". I locked it behind me. It was dark inside. As my eyes adjusted, I pulled out the wad of dough. About fifty bucks. That could feed me for about ten days, so I was pretty good for that time.
As I began to sit down and catch my breath, I heard a banging on the door. "Mall Security! Open this door! We know you're in there!"
I tried to look for a way out, but all I saw was the door that had been pulled down to keep out shoppers.
I groped for the handle and pulled it up. There was still a chain fence in front, blocking my freedom. I looked down at the lock keeping it bolted to the floor.
I pulled out a hair pen that I had used to get in the room in the first place and began to pick it. The wire broke, so I threw it away. I held the lock and shook it. "Stupid lock! Why won't you open?"
Suddenly, the same weird light from that night with the wreck exploded from my fingers and melted the metal! I grabbed the bottom of the blockade and chunked it up towards the ceiling. I ran out into the crowds and lost myself.
* * *
After that, I fed myself by dazzling people with my power. I created firework-like bursts in the air above me. Everyone would cheer and give me change and bills in a hat that I had bought with part of the fifty.
One day, one of the same guards that had pursued me was watching. "Hey, you're that little pickpocket!" he yelled. I took off running.
He came after me, calling reinforcements in. They chased me all over the mall. I ran up the escalator, getting away from them for a time. I kept going, until I found the down escalator. I ran down that one, knocking some old guy down with me.
Finally, I worked myself into a corner. They had me. "Put your hands up," said one with handcuffs. I put them up, and then shot blasts of blinding light in their faces.
Confused, they looked away and rubbed their eyes. I ran off.
Jubilation:
"Hey! Get outta da road!"
"I'm walkin' here!" I yelled to the idiot in the cab.
I continued to splash along the wet street. I stepped once on the white blocks, once in-between on the pavement. Small puddles formed in the steady downpour. I only wore my yellow rain slick over my clothes.
I put my pink sunglasses down over my eyes to deflect the rain, but all it did was make it harder to see. I placed them back on top of my soaked black hair.
I walked past a window, filled with TV screens. The weatherman was pointing to little spots on a map of my hometown of Beverly Hills, CA.
"The rain could continue until next week, and there is a large thunderstorm headed to the downtown area, so if you are out, get in!"
I had nowhere to "get in" to. I was homeless. Yesterday, my parents and I were coming home from a restaurant, when some nut in a black Sedan swerved in front of us.
My parents tried to turn to the side to keep from hitting him, but we skidded on the drenched road from the rain all week. We hit the railing on the side, and it rammed straight through the car door next to me! I had been sitting on the left side, so I was not harmed.
My mother, on the other hand, was smashed by the impact. I tried to get my door open, but it was stuck. I hit it, and a strange light hit the handle, melting it. I kicked the door open and fell out.
I opened my father's door, but he had been hurt, too. I turned to see if anyone was stopping to help, but none came.
I ran, hoping to see the hospital, or a pay phone. I got about thirty yards away when the car exploded in flames! I hit the ground, blown back by the force.
I got up and ran down the side of the road, tears clouding my vision. All that I saw were headlights of SUVs, minivans, and smaller cars. I tripped on something lying on the ground and fell.
I lay there, crying, until I fell asleep.
I woke up the next day and just walked, hoping to find someone that could help. I found nothing.
So here I was, in the rain, trying to find shelter for the thunderstorm. I found an abandoned building. It looked like it had once been a hotel, but no one stayed there but me.
I sat in a corner of the dirt and grime and took off my yellow jacket. It dripped with precipitation. The building was cold. I only had a sleeveless sweater and jeans.
What could I do now? The only place to go to now was…
Hollywood!
If I went to Hollywood, I could meet the stars, maybe become one myself!
And, as long as I was dreaming, I'd like to be a millionaire.
I'd just go there and hang out. I might have a chance to get to see the stars, but only from afar.
It sounded like the rain had stopped. I looked out a dust-covered window and saw the sun come out.
I walked out into the sunshine. It was so bright that I had to put on my sunglasses. The world was thrown into a pinkish tint.
I walked through the brighter world. Signs all over pointed towards Hollywood. I followed their directions until I saw the huge white letters on the overlooking hillside.
I snuck through the security and looked around the streets. Tour buses drove around, showing people the sights. I had no money, so I just had to sightsee for myself.
I found a mall that was open to the public (as long as you were legally in Hollywood) and went in.
The food court was very expensive, so I had an idea. I could pick pockets to pay for food and clothing! It always looked easy in movies…
So for several weeks, I snuck around, grabbing pocket change, billfolds, and entire wallets out of purses and coat pockets. I bought burgers, fish, Chinese food, and all kinds of fast food from the court and a Chili's Too in the mall.
That only lasted a couple weeks. One day, I tried picking the pocket of some rich lady. She was wearing this big fur coat, with pockets on the sides. While she was shopping, I snuck up and reached inside.
It was just my luck that some kid was also in the store. He saw me and called out, "Hey, you! Get away from her!"
I grabbed the cash and ran. I knocked over a mannequin as I sprinted towards my hiding place, a little shop that had been closed down, but no new construction had begun.
I ran through a hallway into the door marked "Keep Out". I locked it behind me. It was dark inside. As my eyes adjusted, I pulled out the wad of dough. About fifty bucks. That could feed me for about ten days, so I was pretty good for that time.
As I began to sit down and catch my breath, I heard a banging on the door. "Mall Security! Open this door! We know you're in there!"
I tried to look for a way out, but all I saw was the door that had been pulled down to keep out shoppers.
I groped for the handle and pulled it up. There was still a chain fence in front, blocking my freedom. I looked down at the lock keeping it bolted to the floor.
I pulled out a hair pen that I had used to get in the room in the first place and began to pick it. The wire broke, so I threw it away. I held the lock and shook it. "Stupid lock! Why won't you open?"
Suddenly, the same weird light from that night with the wreck exploded from my fingers and melted the metal! I grabbed the bottom of the blockade and chunked it up towards the ceiling. I ran out into the crowds and lost myself.
* * *
After that, I fed myself by dazzling people with my power. I created firework-like bursts in the air above me. Everyone would cheer and give me change and bills in a hat that I had bought with part of the fifty.
One day, one of the same guards that had pursued me was watching. "Hey, you're that little pickpocket!" he yelled. I took off running.
He came after me, calling reinforcements in. They chased me all over the mall. I ran up the escalator, getting away from them for a time. I kept going, until I found the down escalator. I ran down that one, knocking some old guy down with me.
Finally, I worked myself into a corner. They had me. "Put your hands up," said one with handcuffs. I put them up, and then shot blasts of blinding light in their faces.
Confused, they looked away and rubbed their eyes. I ran off.
