The first night of freedom.

It was incredible, I managed to escape! As I was soaring through the air at high speeds, I couldn't help but marvel at my achievement.

I was flying!

And the sensation was amazing. As I passed through the clouds, I found myself in a vast blackness, where all I could see were clouds and stars. With a smile on my face, I gently fell onto my back and adjusted my position to fly straight ahead.

**BROOOMM!!**

And with a bang, I broke the sound barrier and flew in a straight line at the highest speed I could manage. With a smile on my face, I could see the cities below. It's funny how small they look from up here. And it's also strange how I seemed to have relatively good control of my flight.

But honestly, it felt like I always knew how to do this—speed up and slow down, move forward and backward, side to side. It was all so easy. Now, with the adrenaline wearing off, I realized something.

Where in the United States am I ?

I slowed down, and as I descended, one thing crossed my mind: how do I land? It can't be that hard, right ?

Descending, I approached a house in a suburb with some clothes hanging in the yard. If I was lucky, maybe some of them would fit me.

I slowed down and carefully approached the ground, and when I was slow enough, I stopped flying and fell slightly wobbly to the ground.

It wasn't that hard. How strange. In superhero movies, they make it seem so complicated. Or maybe Mark is just dumb ?

Inside the house, I could hear people talking while having dinner—a very nice family, by the way. With a bit of remorse, I started looking for clothes that would fit me and, by chance, found a white t-shirt and some slightly tight jeans. It would do. Before they could notice me, I launched myself back into the cold night air.

I had to find a place to hide quickly. The night hides me a bit, but it's still not normal to see a ten-year-old boy flying around the neighborhood.

After two minutes, I landed calmly in a deserted area due to the time, and walked towards a nearby gas station, constantly checking my surroundings and keeping my senses alert for any potential followers.

**Ding Ding!**

Entering the convenience store, I saw a middle-aged man reading a magazine at the counter while country music played on a radio in the background.

The man didn't even bother to look at me as I entered the store, and I, not bothered by this, made my way to where there were some energy bars at the back of the store. I hated stealing, but all this running made me hungry.

So, hiding three bars at my waist, I walked towards the counter.

" Hello, " I said, drawing the man's attention from the magazine to me.

" What do you want at this time of night, kid ? " he said, annoyed, and turned his eyes back to the magazine.

" Ah, sorry to bother, but can I ask you a question ? " I said, somewhat hesitantly.

" It's a free country, kid. Go ahead, " he said in a monotone.

" Can you tell me what city this is ? " I asked, trying not to sound too nervous.

He stopped reading the magazine and looked at me, confused, probably trying to understand how I was in the city if I didn't even know its name.

" What world are you in ? This is Des Moines, Iowa, " he said, looking at me puzzled.

' So I can't be too far from New York, ' I thought quickly.

" Alright then, thanks a lot, " I said, leaving the store.

But not before the cashier looked down and noticed I was barefoot, which quickly alerted him that something was wrong.

" Hey, kid, wait a minute ! " he said, coming out from behind the counter and quickly walking towards the exit where I had gone.

But by the time he got outside, I had already disappeared.

" But what ? " the middle-aged man said, scratching his head, worried.

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**Scene Break**

I had been walking around the neighborhood for twenty minutes, keeping my guard up.

I needed a place to spend the night and had found the perfect spot. I was in front of a large, abandoned house. It was falling apart, and I could smell the mold, but it would do for tonight.

Inside the old house, every step I took made a noise, and finding a room where I had a view of the street, I leaned against a wall and was able to rest. The only sound that could be heard in the house was my childish breathing, and closing my eyes, I allowed myself to rest.

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