Ch. 3: Trial and Error

POV: Kyle

“So how is this going to work?” Dylan asked me.

“I’m not sure. I just figured it’d be a good opportunity for us to try out our powers.” I shrugged.

Dylan and I were in his backyard sitting on the grass. I had two stakes pounded into the ground at each end of the yard with pillows tied around them. Dylan’s parents had taken his little sisters to see their grandparents for the day, so we had the house to ourselves. His yard was surrounded by a wooden fence that I hoped would keep the neighbors from seeing anything.

When we stood up, I noticed that the dew from the grass had left a damp spot on the butt of our suits, as if the spandex outfits weren't revealing enough already.

I pulled down the fabric clinging to my thighs, “I’m never going to get used to this,” I complained.

“You’re telling me,” Dylan agreed.

“Well, we’re all suited up; now what?” I looked to Dylan for ideas.

“Don’t ask me, it was your idea. Just go for it.”

“Alright.”

I ran toward the stake at the far end of the yard. As I turned to circle it, I slipped and slid face-first into the ground. Dylan snorted as I sat up with green streaks on my face.

“Hey, Shrek,” Dylan teased, mimicking Eddie Murphy's voice.

I shot him a glare and wiped my hands over my face, hoping it would rub off. His face told me it didn’t. I got up and walked back to try again. As I ran to the stake, I thought through what went wrong. I just needed to adjust my footing and- SMACK! I crashed into the fence.

My head pounded and my vision blurred. I plopped down and tried to slow my heartbeat. I felt Dylan’s hand touch my shoulder as his fuzzy face came into view, “Kyle, are you alright?” His muffled voice asked urgently.

It ached to nod my head, “I think it’s your turn. I need a break.”

Dylan wrung his hands, “I don’t know, Kyle. It’s dangerous. Look what you did to yourself!”

My vision started to clear and I saw the doubt in Dylan’s eyes.

“You can do it, Dylan. If you don’t try, you’ll never learn. Eventually, we’re going to need to use our powers for real.”

Dylan nodded and turned toward the stake with determination. He took a steady breath and shot a few beams at the pillow. The first few missed and scorched the fence; the ones that did hit, set the pillow on fire.

“Oh, crap!” Dylan yelled and quickly grabbed the hose to put it out.

I let out a laugh, “Well, you hit the target.”

“After nearly burning the house down!”

“Still, you did better than me.”

“I wouldn’t call that a success.”

I jumped back up, “Alright, I wanna try again!” I said.

“What? Are you sure? You just super-speed-slammed yourself into the fence! Not to mention the fastest faceplant I’ve ever seen.”

I bounced on my toes and shook my arms, “Just one more try. I’ve got it this time! Just needed a second.”

Dylan crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled and took off.

I ran across the yard to the far stake and turned to circle it. This time, I kept my feet under me and leaned into the turn. As I sped around it, I jabbed the pillow a couple times until the stake broke in half. The top half of the stake flew into the fence and the pillow exploded into a mess of feathers. Dylan snickered as I blew a feather out of my face and brushed a bunch of them out of my hair.

“So, lesson learned: our powers are messy,” I joked.

“Yeah, we should probably clean this up,” Dylan said through his laughter.

“Yeah, for sure. Man, that was a short power test. I’m stoked I was able to figure out what I was doing wrong, though.”

“Maybe we could do it again sometime?” Dylan offered uneasily.

“Now you’re talking,” I exclaimed and punched him in the shoulder, “Now to clean this up.”

In a whirlwind, I picked up the mess of the stakes and pillow feathers and threw it away. Then, I grabbed paint from the garage and painted over the scorch marks on the fence. Before Dylan had time to react, I was back at his side.

“Ok, I’ll admit it: having powers is pretty cool,” He caved.

“Yeah it is! Woohoo, superheroes!” I cheered.

“Shush!”

“Oh chill, the neighbors will just think we’re a couple kids playing a game!”

“Yeah, whatever. Come on, let’s go do something else.”

We went inside and back up to Dylan’s room. He sat on his bed and I turned his desk chair around to face him. I saw his mini basketball on the floor by my foot, so I picked it up and threw it at Dylan. We began tossing it back and forth as we talked.

“So, we’re supposed to fight monsters,” Dylan thought out loud.

“Yeah."

“How are we supposed to know when we’re needed? Or where they are?” He asked.

“I’m not sure, but I feel like we’ll know when we need to.”

“This is all so weird. Do you think we’ll know the other heroes?“

"Probably not. Of all the people in the world, it could be anyone,” I said.

“But we know each other; why did it choose both of us?”

“Who knows?” I shrugged.

“Whoever sent us those packages does. Hey, do you think the others got packages too?”

“Maybe. That’d make finding them easier,” I let out a quick laugh.

“I’m not ready for this,” Dylan admitted.

“Me neither,” I agreed.

“But you seem so chill about everything. You’re always ridiculously calm.”

“I don’t like overthinking things and getting freaked out; it doesn’t help. I just kinda go with what happens.”

“I don’t know how you do it.”

I caught the ball and held onto it instead of throwing it back, “There are a lot of things that we can’t control, so why bother worrying about it?”

We sat in silence for a minute, until the doorbell rang. Before getting up to answer it, we looked at each other in confusion. We ran downstairs and opened the door to find another package on the front step. Dylan looked around, seeing no one, and picked up the small box. We brought it to his room, set it on his bed and opened it.

This time, there were two black bands in the box- one for each of us. We pulled them out and examined them, “Watches?” I asked.

Dylan shook his head, “There’s no clock on them, only three buttons.”

“Huh, I wonder what they do,” I said as I slid one on my wrist.

“Hey, there’s a note in the box,” Dylan said.

“What does it say?”

Dylan read, “I know you’re confused; I would be too,

But fate has something for each of us to do.

Answers to your questions will come one day,

But for now, I have something else to say.

These bands I sent don’t look like much,

But I bet they will help out a whole bunch.

Three buttons it has, each with a command,

Conveniently tied right under your hand.

The red button will help when you need a lift.

The green may help if you come to a cliff.

The blue one is most important so remember this:

Pressing it can take you wherever you wish.

Through the dimensions and back just in time,

This tool will help you and be your guide.”

“Great, that was just as confusing as the prophecy. Why can’t he just flat out tell us what the buttons do? I hate riddles! Who is this guy, Dr. Suess?” I yelled.

“Well, I vote we don’t touch the buttons unless we need to. They sound dangerous,” Dylan said.

“But don’t you want to see what they do? That freaking poem or whatever it was didn’t make any sense! How are we supposed to use them as a last resort if we don’t even know what they do?”

“Like you said, we’ll just figure it out when we need it.”

“But that’s no fun. Can I please test it out? Aren’t you at all curious?” I begged.

“Fine, but we should go somewhere else. I don’t want to make a mess in the house.”

“Oh, we could go to that old shut down boxing studio! That’d be cool."

“Don’t people say that place is haunted or something?” Dylan’s voice squeaked as he spoke.

“They just say that because it’s old and creepy. Come on, no one goes there; it’s perfect!”

“Alright, let’s just go so we can get back before dark."

“Yes,” I exclaimed.

After Dylan declined my offer to give him a super speed piggy-back ride, the two of us walked to town. We reached the closed-down arena and went around the back. Dylan used his laser vision to break off the lock and slowly opened the door. When we were inside, I ran straight for the boxing ring.

“Cool!” I yelled and listened to my echo travel around the room.

“Alright, we aren’t staying long. You’re just going to test the buttons, and then we’re leaving,” Dylan said.

“Yeah, yeah I know.”

“Why did you change back into your suit?” Dylan asked.

“To get the full effect," I said enthusiastically.

“Alright,” Dylan sighed.

“Ready?” I asked as my finger hovered eagerly over the red button.

“Wait! I’m going to stand over here, just in case.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said sarcastically.

“I’d rather be safe than sorry!”

“Alright, red first!”

Dylan closed his eyes as I pressed the button. I laughed excitedly as mini jets came out the bottom of my boots and lifted me into the air.

“Dylan, check it out!” I yelled to get his attention.

“Woah,” Dylan marveled as he opened his eyes and looked up at me.

“I’m flying!” I exclaimed.

“How do you get down?” Dylan worried.

I guessed and pressed the red button again. Just as I thought, the jets slowed and I was gently brought back to the ground.

“Cool,” I admired my new ability.

“And terrifying! How do you control your movements in the air?”

“Want me to find out?” I offered with my finger over the button.

“No, we came here to quickly test each button, that’s it. No further experimentation. Let’s get this over with and get out of here.”

“Fine, but we’ll have to test them out more some other time anyways if we’re going to use them in battle,” I reminded him.

“That’s the last thing I want to think about right now. Just test the next button,” he ordered.

“Ok, now the green button!”

I held my arm out dramatically and slowly lowered my finger to the button. An opening in the wristband's plastic cover expanded and a small grappling hook shot from it. The hook latched into the edge of the upstairs railing and the rope tightened itself.

“Awesome,” I yelled.

“Yeah,” Dylan agreed, with less enthusiasm.

I pressed the green button again and the hook unlatched. The rope retracted back into the watch and the opening shrunk back down.

“Time for button number three! The last button. What will it do?” I asked.

“The note said that this one was the most important, so be careful!” Dylan warned me.

“Alright, I’ll be careful,” I brushed off his warning.

I smiled in anticipation as I pressed the blue button. I stopped for a second, thinking nothing had happened when a spot seemed to appear in the air. A sort of purple-rimmed black hole was expanding right in front of me- and it was pulling me in.

“Press it again! Get rid of it!” Dylan yelled.

“I’m try-aah!”

“Kyle!” Dylan yelled in terror.

I saw him running towards me, but it was too late; he was too far away. I was sucked into the hole, and it instantly closed up.

Photo Credit: Braxton Apana