The Rapid Shadow

Chapter One

Thirty-two years ago, in Oakland city in California, there was a foster home in the neighborhood. Inside the house, there was a boy name Tim Harsel, who was eight years old, who was sitting in bed, staring up at the ceiling, and as usual, living miserable. He would always feel avoided, harassed, but mainly, depressed. As he came out of his bedroom, as usual, he would hear the family shouting loudly at each other, so loud that the neighbor across the street, would come at the door, banging on it and the father would open the door, walk up to the neighbor and shout “Go s**t yourself!”, then push the neighbor back and slam the door. Tim was the middle kid, and he would every day of his life, hear one older sister fighting with their mom, or the one brother fighting with their mother and father, but either way, they would still boast viciously at each other that they would nearly get to the physical point. Worst of all, Tim’s foster parents never gave a damn about him. They would wish that they never have a look at their youngest kid, nor raised him. Tim went and grabbed a sandwich and took a bite out of it. The mother came towards him, and said “Get the hell away from me, cockroach.” as she pushed Tim hard aside to walk through as Tim felt his stomach and held it against the pain. The dad would walk pass and say “Why are you still here? This house is shamed enough with you in here even longer..., Stupid ass.” Of course, Tim would risk his shame from the home by dealing with it while eating his sandwich. As he was done, he started walking out of his house with his black and gray hoodie on while the sister walked out of the door. She walked near Tim and pushed him down to the ground yelling “Move, you d**k!” Tim had to deal with that every day with his brother and sisters, except the brother just never acknowledges him but just walks pass. Tim got up from the ground and grew more shame in himself, and the self-hatred and kept walking with all the pain he is suffering through.

In school, he was in class along with other classmates. The teacher called out his name.

“Tim!” he called.

Tim got up and walked to the teacher.

“Where’s your assignment?” he asked.

“Gone....” answered Tim.

“You know you’re seriously asking for a flunk mark, right?”

“‘Oh please, anything but that mark’.” Tim mocked.

Tim honestly cared less about his assignment. Better yet, cared less about school.

“As you asked for it,” responded the teacher as he decided to give Tim a failed grade.

Tim walked back to his desk and sat there, then stood still with a blank mind as he glared at nowhere but below at his feet, as if it was all he saw while smoke is spreading in the background.

Tim was walking at through the hallways to his locker. As he was near enough, a guy name Frank slid aside, blocking Tim’s locker, against Tim.

“Who told You to come to this area?” Frank said.

“No one. That’s my locker,” said Tim.

“Yeah, not anymore, it ain’t. So take your stuffs out and keep out of here.”

“I’m not listening to your s**t talk, dude.”

Then suddenly, Frank slammed and tackled Tim down to the ground. Tim rolled Frank to the right and slammed his head to the floor, then Frank rolled Tim to the wall and slammed his back. Then he started kicking Tim at the chest and stomping him on his back while Tim was feeling the bruises and pain he is receiving and coughed while feeling his stomach kicked and gagged.

During the afternoon, Tim was walking along the sidewalk as he has the bruises all over him and his torn hoodie while walking with his hand on his stomach, especially after the beat down. He went to the ally between two buildings and climbed to the dumpster and stayed in there. Tim would usually sit at the dumpster because it was his way of keeping himself safe from others. Sometimes, even thought that it would mostly keep others safe from himself. While sitting in a rectangular dumpster bin, he started to have a personal, mental breakdown with tears running over and sobbing with his own fear outside. Mainly, he felt that every pain and physical ones he always receives, he deserves it just by existing. He hated himself by enhancing weakness in himself of cowering down and allowing everything attacking him for no purpose. He hated himself for living like this and wish he wasn’t even existing. Tim raised his head up and saw a piece of a long shard glass below. He picked it up and saw his reflection. The more he looked at his face, the more he would remind himself that this was the reason why he is always attacked every minute; living as a coward, looking crappy, keep falling, not to mention, getting everyone’s points of his foster family, the bullies at school, the teacher, that he is a shame of this planet. Tim realized that as he never wants to live like this anymore, he thought it would be better for the world and himself if he would not stay alive any longer as he was gripping the shard glass tight enough in his hand so it wouldn’t bleed. Suddenly, Tim saw something glowing underneath the scrap items. It was flashing a blue light, but Tim couldn’t see what that was. So he dropped the glass and went across to the spot where the light was glowing. Tim moved the scrap item out of the way, including the heavy items. Then as everything was cleared off, there he saw, was a blue, glowing sphere; the Genorssa-Stabilizer. Tim looked at it and leaned a bit closer. Then he eased his hand at the Genorssa-Stabilizer and grabbed it as he held it in his hand to look all over it. Tim came out of the dumpster bin and hopped down from it. He held it across from his face and glared at the Genorssa-Stabilizer. He glared long enough, that it suddenly popped open with a bright blue flash at his eyes. Tim shields them from the stabilizer by shutting his eyes. Then Tim saw the Genorssa-Stabilizer departing while it was binding from his arm to his whole body, along with the techniques that was draining through his body. After his body was bind completely with a Genorssa-Stabilizer, he opened his eye that started to turn into flashing white, and mentally heard a voice.

“To whom that spotted the sphere, will use it for a sensible purpose, and use it to cure for good, and to heal from danger.” said the voice. “May those seek ahead.”

As it was over, Tim landed on the ground, but lowered himself on one knee. He started panting after being functioned by the stabilizer. Tim looked around as his skin was now turned into as crystalline, especially his face, just by touching the Genorssa-Stabilizer. He was now half inhuman, but powerful.