The Strength Ultimate
[Author's Note: This is another early story written by me. It was published originally in October of 2000 in Between The Lines Literary Magazine. It tells the story of a fish out of water, of the teenage angst of not fitting in: with your peers, your family, or even with yourself.]
Hubert skipped a rock off the surface of the water. He looked disheveled and sad. He knew that he had great power, but he did not have the power to turn back time. Life hadn't always been like this. In fact, life had never been like this.
It all started last week.
People made fun of him. He was different. He had out of style clothes, an out of style hair cut, and an even more out of style dialect.
They called him names, they beat him up, they treated him poorly. He went home miserable. He went home sad. He went home crying.
He got home. No one was around. His mother would probably be home from her job soon, and she would know that he had been crying. She would wonder why, and then tell him some sugarcoated words about inferiority complexes and whatnot. Hubert had heard it before, he didn't want to hear it again.
He quickly went up to his bathroom to wash his face. He didn't need another lecture on why everyone treated him poorly. He washed his face in the sink.
He thought about life in general. People in particular. He hated people. They could all just curl up and die.
Something flashed in his mind. Not all people. There was Jill. She was the reason he kept going.
He quickly recalled Jill's athletic boyfriend. He hated that dumb jock. He slowly gained more rage.
That jerk treated her poorly. He was always flirting with the cheerleaders. He didn't even respect Jill. Hubert got angrier.
That insensitive ignoramus could just die!
The mirror in front of him broke. He flew back, stunned.
Looking up after a while, he grinned evilly.
It had all come back to him, like an old black and white movie. He saw a space ship land. He saw a couple get out and give another couple a small child. He saw them talk, and then he saw them leave.
Why did they leave? They were abandoning him! He tried to chase after them, but he couldn't move. He was in a dream state where nothing really works in your favor. He vowed then to have his revenge on everyone that had done anything bad to him.
The next day was filled with havoc. Houses burnt, people screamed, vengeance was fulfilled.
Hubert enjoyed his newfound abilities of mass destruction, until they got out of hand.
He was high on bloodlust as a car drove by. He didn't like the car's speed, so he gave it an evil look.
The car burst into flames.
Suddenly, the anger cleared from his mind. He knew that car. It was Jill's.
Jill, the one person who never treated him like the others. Jill, the girl of his dreams. Jill . . .
He ran to the car and yanked the door off with an adrenaline-induced strength. She looked so peaceful. An angel among demons. For the first and last time, Hubert held Jill, curled up in his arms. She was gone.
He didn't know what to do now. Everything was going too fast. He heard sirens. There was only one thing that he could do.
Hubert fled.
He journeyed a long distance. Occasionally, as he was walking, he would see a police car. Quickly he would hide, and just as quickly he would emerge. He journeyed all the way to the nearest pier. His clothes were in tatters, he was extremely hungry.
There he sat down, skipping rocks on the water surface.
After he reflected for a while, he flung a smooth stone at the surface of the water. He did this with a mixture of regret and utter anger. Yet it was a peaceful anger.
The stone flew a great distance, and into the horizon, skipping on the water several times.
A saucer shaped vessel touched down on the ground behind him. Two figures descended from the ship.
Hubert turned around. He wasn't afraid anymore. He knew these people. They were like him. They were him. They were his.
They extended their hands to him. He knew that they were disappointed, but he also knew that they were glad to see him again.
He saw again, another old black and white memory. This time, he was back on his home-world. He saw a man with a sort of crown on. This man looked angry. He had just issued a decree. Something involving children.
Soldiers went about the streets. They had weapons. They used the weapons for unspeakable deeds.
Hubert understood. He was being spared, not abandoned. He was loved.
These were his real parents. They were going to take him home where he couldn't harm anyone anymore. They were going to take him home. It was safe to now, since the evil ruler had passed away, providing a just ruler of the people, one who cared about his people. One who didn't make wicked decrees.
As they flew away, Hubert looked out the porthole. A lone tear streaked down his eye.
Jill . . .
Hubert skipped a rock off the surface of the water. He looked disheveled and sad. He knew that he had great power, but he did not have the power to turn back time. Life hadn't always been like this. In fact, life had never been like this.
It all started last week.
People made fun of him. He was different. He had out of style clothes, an out of style hair cut, and an even more out of style dialect.
They called him names, they beat him up, they treated him poorly. He went home miserable. He went home sad. He went home crying.
He got home. No one was around. His mother would probably be home from her job soon, and she would know that he had been crying. She would wonder why, and then tell him some sugarcoated words about inferiority complexes and whatnot. Hubert had heard it before, he didn't want to hear it again.
He quickly went up to his bathroom to wash his face. He didn't need another lecture on why everyone treated him poorly. He washed his face in the sink.
He thought about life in general. People in particular. He hated people. They could all just curl up and die.
Something flashed in his mind. Not all people. There was Jill. She was the reason he kept going.
He quickly recalled Jill's athletic boyfriend. He hated that dumb jock. He slowly gained more rage.
That jerk treated her poorly. He was always flirting with the cheerleaders. He didn't even respect Jill. Hubert got angrier.
That insensitive ignoramus could just die!
The mirror in front of him broke. He flew back, stunned.
Looking up after a while, he grinned evilly.
It had all come back to him, like an old black and white movie. He saw a space ship land. He saw a couple get out and give another couple a small child. He saw them talk, and then he saw them leave.
Why did they leave? They were abandoning him! He tried to chase after them, but he couldn't move. He was in a dream state where nothing really works in your favor. He vowed then to have his revenge on everyone that had done anything bad to him.
The next day was filled with havoc. Houses burnt, people screamed, vengeance was fulfilled.
Hubert enjoyed his newfound abilities of mass destruction, until they got out of hand.
He was high on bloodlust as a car drove by. He didn't like the car's speed, so he gave it an evil look.
The car burst into flames.
Suddenly, the anger cleared from his mind. He knew that car. It was Jill's.
Jill, the one person who never treated him like the others. Jill, the girl of his dreams. Jill . . .
He ran to the car and yanked the door off with an adrenaline-induced strength. She looked so peaceful. An angel among demons. For the first and last time, Hubert held Jill, curled up in his arms. She was gone.
He didn't know what to do now. Everything was going too fast. He heard sirens. There was only one thing that he could do.
Hubert fled.
He journeyed a long distance. Occasionally, as he was walking, he would see a police car. Quickly he would hide, and just as quickly he would emerge. He journeyed all the way to the nearest pier. His clothes were in tatters, he was extremely hungry.
There he sat down, skipping rocks on the water surface.
After he reflected for a while, he flung a smooth stone at the surface of the water. He did this with a mixture of regret and utter anger. Yet it was a peaceful anger.
The stone flew a great distance, and into the horizon, skipping on the water several times.
A saucer shaped vessel touched down on the ground behind him. Two figures descended from the ship.
Hubert turned around. He wasn't afraid anymore. He knew these people. They were like him. They were him. They were his.
They extended their hands to him. He knew that they were disappointed, but he also knew that they were glad to see him again.
He saw again, another old black and white memory. This time, he was back on his home-world. He saw a man with a sort of crown on. This man looked angry. He had just issued a decree. Something involving children.
Soldiers went about the streets. They had weapons. They used the weapons for unspeakable deeds.
Hubert understood. He was being spared, not abandoned. He was loved.
These were his real parents. They were going to take him home where he couldn't harm anyone anymore. They were going to take him home. It was safe to now, since the evil ruler had passed away, providing a just ruler of the people, one who cared about his people. One who didn't make wicked decrees.
As they flew away, Hubert looked out the porthole. A lone tear streaked down his eye.
Jill . . .
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