Heroic, Destructive Love (Short story)

The capital city streets were overflowing with demolished buildings and fleeing innocent bystanders. The smell of ash filled the once lively air, a diaphanous-grey blanket over every corner store and barber shop. This destruction was caused by the remnants of forbidden love and newborn life.
Their intertwined love began with a third period seating chart, putting 12th grade Varsity running back Hayden Miller as a seating buddy with 12th grade technical theater student Hailey Mitchell. Both students had stellar social lives, and despite being opposites in their social circles still managed to flirt with each other every time the 3rd period bell rang.
“Hey gorgeous” He would say.
“Hey back,” She would reply.
Naturally, the entire class gave out a sigh whenever they had eye contact, whenever they both got a perfect test score back and especially when they wrote ‘I heart You’ on each others arms. Honestly, the giggling was only stopped by the third period bell, in which they mechanically gave each other a goodbye and a short lasted embrace. All of which of course was to be followed by a much longer embrace when they realized the amount of paper overflowing from their agendas. The first time they ever met each other outside of school was the night that would change the face of capital city forever.

Hayden ran through the flames of overturned cars with every fiber of power in his body. He could feel mighty roars of thunder in every shaky sewer grate and fire hydrant on Lot Street. The hairs on the back of his neck shot up and down his spine under his costume. He stopped moving his feet and then pavement crumbled under his strain, attempting to stop the momentum of his dash. His body almost completely caught up with the turn of his neck when Hayden’s eyes were met with a bright white light. He couldn’t tell what had hit him, or why, but right before he passed out, he thought of Hailey. Her soft skin and gentle voice plagued his mind as his back landed on shrapnel and gravel. The sky was pitch-black devoid of color, clouds and any shards of mirth or cheer. He hoped Hailey was ok, then his heavy head fell to the ground, and his eyes sealed and body became dormant.


He sat slumped in his chair, unaware of the test lying on his desk, waiting to say ‘hey gorgeous’. It had been two weeks since Hailey and Hayden had been on the perfect date, and frankly every girl acts differently after such a fervent affair; but Hailey asked to switch seats all together. Her eyes were fixed only on the board, with apathy painted on her face. For those two weeks, Hayden couldn’t get her curled, blonde hair out of his mind. Hayden’s hands wouldn’t stop tapping on his desk at first. By the fourth day of his love withdrawal he couldn’t control his inherited ‘gifts’ and threw boulders into the quarry. Do you recall the abandoned warehouse on the county line that randomly fell under its own weight? Let’s just call that day thirteen.
“Why would she stop talking to me?” Hayden said.
He flung his arms and sent another shockwave into the ground.
“Two weeks today, not a word!” Hayden said
His face grew red as he yelled, breaking all of his high school trophies. (Even causing a crack in rover’s metallic dog bowl by the neighbor’s porch). Armored tanks and radioactive robotic weapon prototypes never made him flinch. Staring into his hands, his legs just caved into the pressure, this new enemy. This nemesis was in every bathroom, puddle, convenient store changing room, and rear-view mirror. His cell phone vibrated and sung out a dulcet tune on the kitchen table, a tune which had not graced his ears for two weeks. As he saw the text message, the cry for help, he went inside of the old linen closet which he had not seen for so long. Without restraint the door was broken off of its hinges, leaving paint chips scattered on the floor.
He hadn’t even peeked into the box since the move two years ago. ‘Knick-Knacks’ was scrawled in black sharpie on all of its facing sides by Hayden’s new foster parents. The light of the linen closet flickered on and off sporadically as the navy blue costume found its way in Hayden’s grasp. The dust clumps in the seams of his cape were quickly shaken off by the time Hayden caused the hole in the roof. The whirlwind from Hayden’s departure sent drywall onto the torn family photos left inside of the cardboard box.


Hayden’s head lay flat onto the capital city pavement facing the pitch black sky. Disoriented, he struggled, resting all of his weight on his knees as he rose to another bright light. The hair on his neck prickled and froze solid along with the fibers of his cape. The thunderclap made his body quake and convulse, before he realized he was hit directly in the chest. Hayden’s body was flung into a skyscraper like a rag doll, leaving a giant, gaping hole inside of the building’s concrete foundation. Hayden’s eyes opened slightly as he brushed the gravel from his shoulders. His eyes were still trying to decipher what was happening when suddenly,
“Hailey…Hailey? Hailey! ” He said.
He saw her weeping in the epicenter of a crater-like formation in the gravel and pavement chunks around her. She was wearing exactly what she wore two weeks ago, but tattered and charred. Hailey’s frail posture was barely held up by her sore and bruised legs. Hailey fell to the ground on her knees. In her sobs she attempted to speak,
“H-h-help me.” she said.
Hayden bolted to embrace his love, to protect her from the unknown enemies putting her life in danger. His footsteps grew further and further apart until his entire body was airborne. Hayden’s arms outstretched towards Hailey, his cape trembling in the wind. His mind in discord, heart racing, he had no idea what would happen next, no idea what was going on. They grasped each other, their bodies trembling together. She quivered with every intake of breath, and with every sob more tears saturated her eyes. Hayden tried bringing her to safety from whatever new brigand has terrorized the city, putting Hailey’s life in danger. When Hailey’s feet lifted from the ground, Hayden felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise and saw the black-cloudless sky flicker and flourish with lightning bots. With every sob out of Hailey’s tear-laced lips, the sky fluctuated with more bolts of lightning.
“What is wrong with me?” Hailey asked.
Between sobs she managed to embrace Hayden. They both missed the embrace the two shared. Hayden was not sure if some how, in some paranormal way, he had caused all of this.
“I am sorry for taking things so fast Hailey.” Hayden said
“Hayden, I couldn’t control myself…I- I just.” Hailey said.
“Hayden, what is wrong with me? So much has happened, I just ran away. I couldn’t take it. I am sorry, just so sorry, I-“
“Hailey, whatever this is…I am here for you; some how I gave you my curse, these ‘gifts’. I should be the one apologizing. All that matters is how much I care for you.” Hayden said.
He held her once more, feeling the distress in her wavering heart beat.
“I felt it, when we last saw each other. Our passion, how we… since then I have had this curse, and I cannot get rid of it.” Hailey said.
“I am just happy to see you; we can make it through this crazy phenomenon. I thought you were seriously hurt, like you were held captive or even-” Hayden said, right before Hailey replied…
“I am going through something serious, and just as important… Hayden, I’m late.” Hailey said.

Hayden stared into her eyes, held her face close to his and kissed her cheek. His hands ran through the gravel in her hair, as he said.
“Hey gorgeous, I love you.”