something just like this.......

Let me start from the beginning, because otherwise nothing I say will make sense. Ages ago, about 70 years ago, scientists discovered a new element of the periodic table. Named Mutanium, this element was capable of mutating human genes. And what's more, mixed with other things, such as fire, those mutated humans gained superpowers. The first were rather plain, modelled after famous comic book characters such as the Flash or Aquaman. Seemingly normal humans suddenly gained the powers of super speed, super strength, breathing underwater, etc etc. Notice I said seemingly. It turns out, only certain people are capable of being mutated by mutanium. By some strange twist of fate, the first people experimented on all carried the genetic code required to gain superpowers. And so, the earth didn't become solely populated by superpowered humans, only normal humans along with a few superhumans. Of course, with such a potential weapon, things quickly went wrong. Drug barons and communist leaders tried hard to gain control of this new phenomenon, to keep it solely for themselves, but struggled. Eventually however it was realised that they would gain control of Mutanium were something not done. The element could be destroyed, but that would take away the hope of a world kept safe by superheroes. Mathematicians and philosophers and scientists argued for weeks over this problem. No one is entirely sure who came up with the idea, my favourite theory that has been suggested is that one of the philosophers had a child, a son. And his son, at the age of fifteen, had a brilliant mind. His brain pierced through the problem and came up with the solution. Share and hope. Whoever came up with it, the end result was the same. The scientists turned the element into an airborne 'disease' of a kind, sharing the power with the world, and hoping that the slim number of people able to be affected would be more on the side of good than bad. The very same scientists and mathematicians and philosophers who had argued over this all gathered together to release the element. Even the president of the USA joined them. Unfortunately there were those who detested the idea of the power not being controllable, and these tried to stop the launch. The sharpest minds on the globe were slaughtered in instants, wiped away as though they never existed. Their work however, did still exist and the rebels could not stop it spreading. Interestingly, the philosopher's son was never accounted for. Some say he killed himself when he found out what happened. Some say he was taken by the rebels. I say he survived, thrived even, and is waiting still to bring justice upon those who would keep the worlds greatest gift to themselves.

***

Stars twinkle in the black sky above me as I lay on my back on the slightly dew-wet grass. The moon, a gleaming crescent of white, hangs on invisible threads in the midst of the myriads of stars. I breathe in a deep breath of truly fresh air. It's a strange sight, to see the stars. You can't see them within two miles of any cities nowadays. Here, in the highlands of Scotland however, they gleam like they must've done centuries ago, when knights crusaded around in shining armour, wielding strong swords as they rode along on horses. That's a novelty too now, riding horses. They're an endangered species now, quickly disappearing from across the globe. I've only ever seen one in a zoo, sat behind a thick pane of glass. Most creatures can only be seen in zoos nowadays. Sure we still have dogs and cats, some birds and fish, even wild foxes and deer, but most other animals are either only behind glass, or completely extinct. Animals such as tigers, pandas, rhinos, badgers, squirrels, swans, geese and even mice are completely extinct. Wiped off the face of the earth, never to be seen again except in history books. I shiver slightly in the cool night air. Maybe I should've dressed better for this. But it's too late now, I'm already all the way out here so I'll just have to endure the cold. It's not that bad anyway. I watch my breath rise into the chilly air and float away on the breeze, swirling through the bright red leaves on the tree I'm laid beneath. I reach out and tap the replay button on my iPhone and smile as Something Just Like This by Coldplay starts rolling out over the hilltop I'm laid upon. Call me old fashioned but I like the old technology and music. I hum along to the tune quietly, not wanting to ruin the moment with my terrible singing.

'I'm not looking for somebody with some superhero gifts' my phone sings. That's one of the reasons I like this song. You don't need to be a superhero, you can be a hero without being like them. Okay, maybe that's not quite what the song is about, but I see it that way. I lie there, perfectly still, just listening to the song play by my ear. "Oh I want something just like this." I sing along with the last few lines. "Oh I want something just like this." I breathe, staring up at the bright shining stars that seem to smile down at me.

"Oh I want something just like this."

***

I lie there until it's much later, listening to old songs on shuffle and tracing ancient constellations in the sky with my eyes. I finish following the lines of Draco and pull myself up off the ground.

'It's late.' I muse to myself. 'In fact,' I realise, picking up my now quiet phone,

'it's much later than I thought! Maybe I should start heading back.' I sigh and pick up the small rucksack I'd been leaning my head against, slinging it over my shoulder.

'Although...'

I walk over to the other side of the hilltop where it's a lot more cliffy. Standing on the edge I hold my arms out to the sides, letting the light breeze catch my loose overshirt and ruffle it slightly.

'Maybe...'

I take another step forwards, my toes sticking over the edge of the steep cliff. A smile sweeps across my face as a particularly strong gust of wind flies across the hilltop, tousling my already messy dyed silver hair and plucking a stray leaf out of one of the long bits.

'Yes!'

I pick up one foot and hover it over the edge, a wild grin splitting my face as I lean forwards, tilting on that strange point where you're neither falling or stable, until my other foot slips and I go plummeting off the cliff. A whoop of joy tears from my lips as I free-fall through the now freezing air. When I'm about halfway down I feel a warmth spread over my body as a tight tension pulls at my fingers. My fingers spasm as I try to pull them into a fist, but they refuse to close as though I'm holding a ball. The rushing wind around me slows to a near stop and the ground below stops getting bigger. Focusing on staying above ground, I flick my wrists and soar upwards, my messy hair being blown back out of my eyes as I fly. Yes, I am flying, swooping through the air like one of the few birds who are still alive, but just because I have superpowers doesn't make me a superhero. Never. I let out another joyful yell as I fly round and round the hilltop where I'd earlier been laid, laughing as I fly through soft fluffy clouds. Seeing the moon is past it's midway point, I steer myself to face away from the hill, and soar off into the night.