That Day

By: Luke Grinnell

That Day was the weirdest day of my life but yet it was the day my life started.

One Saturday morning I woke up at 9 am, Ya I thought it was weird because I normally have to get up around 5 or 6 am to get ready for school and workout and stuff but I slept in at least an hour longer on Saturday but I woke up at 9 am.

“What in the hell-” and that’s when I felt and saw it, a pair of large-scaled wings on my back. “What in the actual hell!” I bolted upright in my bed trying to turn back far enough to see them. I turned and leaned so far to my right that I fell off my bed. With a loud audible thud.

“HEY!” an angry man started his way down the hall. “HEY! Boy, what’s going on!”

I stood wide-eyed looking frantically around my bare and utterly poorly and sparsely decorated room. “One second Uncle I’m changing!”

“Ya nothing you got down there can surprise me” a large ugly man pushed the door open and stopped dead.

I stared dead at his revolting face, his teeth either all gone or covered in a thick layer of slimy stuff. His breath smelled of alcohol and something dead, his face was all cut up from a failed attempt at shaving his fat face. His tiny eyes stared at my large wings filling up the majority of the space in my already tiny room. “Now, Uncle I know it seems odd, and trust me I’m just as surprised as you are.”

“What the actual-!” he looked oddly at my wings “I mean who in the?” he stuttered “Boy explain this!”

“Uncle I can't wake up like this!” my voice was fearful and scared

“You did something and I'll find out if it’s the last thing I do.” He reached for my shoulder but slipped on something on the floor and ended up grabbing at my wings.

The moment he touched it my whole body was slapped with the knowledge of how to use them. Then I blanked out, when I came to I stood over a very different looking Uncle, I now looked down at a very beaten up crumpled man who seemed to have been beaten within an inch of his life.

My breathing was slow but heavy as if I was trying to calm myself down, My fists burned with a flaming pain that ran the length of my arms. I was dripping with a mixture of blood and sweat. “Uncl-, Uncle?”

A groan came from him. In a barely audible voice, his raspy voice came “stay, stay away from me freak” only one of his eyes was open as he dragged his fat greasy body out of the room.

“I, I didn’t mean to” my hand outstretched toward his lump of a body, I fell to my knees my wings drooping as my hand fell to my side, my head was downcast. “Not even my abusive Uncle can look me in the eyes now,” I chuckled painfully “I guess I’m more than a freak more of a Monster” a wicked smile crossed my face as I looked at the trail of blood going down the hall. I stood and dressed.

After Sundown…

I stood on top of a small. House overlooking the surrounding city I wore a dark red hoodie that I had to cut holes for my wings. I wore a dark black pair of sweat pants and black sneakers, long dark grey socks, and knee-high under my sweat pants.

“Let us see how these things work?” I pulled a dark mask upon my face and the hood over my head. Then jumped off the 3 story building. Spreading my wings and started to glide straight into another building.

Crash. Shatter, crumble, thud.

I rolled into someone’s second-floor apartment, a woman and man sat on the couch watching Tv.

The man “what in the hell!”

The woman just simply screamed

I stood slowly and painfully and looked at them. My wings slowly rose to my shoulders.

The man who was standing up stopped halfway staring at me, the woman just crumbled to the floor and the man screamed this time running for the door, tripping over a footstool, and hitting his head.

“Well, I guess these things are scarier than someone flying through your window.” I smiled then walked back over to the window. I looked around at the street below. I closed my eyes and breathed slowly and steadily. With a defiant yell, I jumped straight up into the air opening my wings and pushing down hard. Which propelled me up into the air. I pushed and pushed and pushed until I broke through the clouds. I took in a deep breath of cold air. My eyes closed.

After hovering there for what seemed like hours feeling the breeze in my face, I opened my eyes then leaned back letting myself fly straight at the ground in a steep steep dive.

my body now being hurtled at the ground and speeds that I never will know, the winds pulling my hood off pushing the mask hard against my face, my eyes watering to the point where I couldn’t judge how far the ground was, so I opened my wings fully extending them, aloud clap sounded and several hundred eyes, heads, and cameras turned skyward as I slowed my high-speed dive.

I landed in the middle of a park with a thud that made me fall to my knees, my wings folding up and coming upon my back. I pulled the hood back up and looked around as several people were rushing at me with their cameras flashing or recording.

“Great now I’m going to be famous,” my voice echoed through my head.

“Sir! Sir!” a young man with a microphone walked up to me, trailing behind him was another man with a large camera on his shoulder. “Would you answer a few questions for news 14?”

I glared at him and the cameraman but said nothing,

The newsman turned back toward the camera, straightening his clothing.

I smiled under my mask, slowly spreading my wings only partially unfolding them so I had a small dome to either side,

“JUST IN, a new mysterious man with wings, YES! I repeat a man with wings just landed in the central park here in New York. Is this the uprising of Superheroes?” he turned back toward me and said. “Would you like to say anything to the Populous of new york city and the world?”

I just stared at the camera.

The man put his hand as a person told him to ask something specific “Sir when did you decide to make your presence known to the world?” he swallowed, turning back to the camera when he got no response, “What are the aliens with us, are they here to help or hinder us?”

“What if I want to kill all of you?” I spoke without thinking but my voice was low and cold.

The newsman slowly turned back to look at me. I opened my wings, jumping and lifting off into the air to fly away.

I glided away into the night landing on top of one of the downtown buildings. “I hate the city, always so noisy it’s never just silence like, I and mom had back in the country” I looked around then stood straightening myself with a sigh “I guess there’s nothing that can be done.” and with that, I spread my wings and flew home.

The next day was Sunday and I sat in my room looking at my phone id blown up all over the internet all the top YouTubers were talking about me “the winged man good or evil '' and other such names.

My Uncle decided to walk into my room right at that moment as someone on the news was saying “We really don't know what he is here for. look at the damage he did to that park he landed at least 3 inches into it making a small crater. This demonic mix between human and demon is odd enough and now that everyone is talking about him he won’t have anywhere to hide”

“Damn it Damn it all to hell!” I gripped the phone so hard a single crack shot the length of the phone, “What is it, Uncle?”

My Uncle swallowed heavily “Well Jonathan I’ve been thinking, I’ve always wanted to move overseas and I’ve recently gotten the money to do so, So I was planning on ya know doing it”

“Fine by me” I looked at my Uncle and stood. “You may have miss treated me for years but I forgive you for that you may leave in peace” and with that, I walked past him.

Twenty-Four Hours later…

I stood in the early morning light, everything cast in an Orangish yellow glow, my eyes shaded by my hair hanging loose from my hood, I had my mask up, and wearing full black, my wings were halfway unfolded keeping me balanced on the since I was kneeling on. I watched traffic moving about beneath me, couples walking about, parents with their kids, and those who were hurrying to and fro.

“Pitiful” my eyes widened “what in the world?”

Snap, I stood in a dark landscape, everything black floor walls ceiling, a single beam of light showed in front of me.

A man with wings like mine was leaning over a bed, “It will be okay Love they can’t hurt you anymore” the voice was low and full of pain, the figure straightened and the sound of armor rattling against itself was clear,

“This man”

The figure looked at me, “what is Sargent?” a man without wings walked through me, he kneeled

“My lord the troops are ready to move”

“Very good” the eyes of the figure glanced at me and smiled “this will be fun to watch”

“Sir?”

“Nothing Sargent”

That scene faded as another one behind me showed the figure standing on top of a hill overlooking something. “Come here boy” he glanced back at me.

I moved forward “What’s going on?”

“Well you have inherited my wings so you are a Dracula” he chuckled “no we don’t drink blood were not Vampires but we are warlords”

“Still what am I doing here?” I came to stop next to him and overlooked a large battle underway, two large forces clashing a dark black and red army and a white and blue army, “who is on your side?”

The figure waved his hand vaguely at the black and red army “you see these lands?”

Before I could answer, the light faded and reappeared behind me. Now I and this Dracula stood on top of a large tower, I walked toward the edge to look down over vast waving fields, farms, and at least three or four villages in all hundreds of thousands of people.

“These lands are our inheritance. The people here fear you eminently but also love you, within our wings, you have the power to make hundreds burn not physically but mentally.”

“Where is this said land?”

“That’s for you to find out”

The darkness faded away around me leaving me where I was before it all started. “Damn,” I stood, opening my wings fully and flying toward my school.

I landed in front of the school standing there with my wings still open hands in pockets looking at the ground hearing the murmurs from everyone around me, “Ya Jonathan the comic book nerd the tutor and AP Honors student first in all of his classes now has wings to hand to his school book of achievements.” My hand moved to my head pulling down the mask.

“Hey that’s Jonathan!”

“Wait what?”

“Jonathan? Is that really you?”

I looked up at them, and walked into the school, closing my wings and people moving out of my way, I stopped and looked at the school bullies “how are you doing Peter?”

“Oh um Hey, Jona Jonathan,”

I smiled a sly smile and walked away, my path was clear. I went straight toward the principal's office. I kicked the door open with a loud crash. The sight wasn't pleasant, a male teacher and a female student were engaged in an activity, “professor Harley” I inclined my head at the girl “figures you would do something like that” I moved on toward the principal’s office opening his door seeing him laying against his desk. I sat down in his cushy office chair. “Principal Hannable”

his eyes shot open, “what whos there I’m busy-” he looked a the wings on my back “Jonathan?”

“Ya I got wings big deal let’s move on, I’m moving and not going to finish high school, I’m tired of this place anyway.” I stood and turned to walk out when Ashley Josen stepped into the Office glancing at the scene behind her,

“Hey Jonathan” she was smiling and seemed happy to see me

My face seemed to get hot “Hey Ashley”

“Jony, did you get a new haircut?” she walked up to him looping her arm in his pulling him out of the office, smiling all the while. Once again he was in the hallway and the crowd parted. Ashley talked as if the large looming wings at her side and inches from her back like it wasn’t there.

“Ashley” I hesitated

She looked at me, her eyes sparkling and a bright smile on her face “Ya?”

“Ashley, what do you think of these wings?” my voice was slightly pained

“Oh” her face showed like she just now saw them. “Well they are kinda Scaly but they're cool” she smiled, closing her eyes leaning her head against my shoulder.

Chills ran the length of my body. I pulled my wing tight around my left side and gently pressed it against her side on my right.

After a little while, we were sitting outside.

“Hey Jonathan,” she looked at me from across the picnic table “what did you mean when you said on the news-”

“Oh okay, that” I sighed and ran my hand through my hair “ya figured, someone would ask that” I stood his wings flapping quickly before folding in again. “I don't know, I just said, whether it's true or not I can’t honestly tell you.” with that I turned and walked away.

“Jonathan please don’t go I’m sorry okay!” she stood and ran after me “Jonathan come on to be a reason-” whatever she was going to say ended when she touched the middle of my wing.

My eyes flashed red as I turned around, black scaled armor appearing as my hand swung up grabbing her neck, lifting her in the air, and pinning her to the nearest wall. The armor spread up my arm covering my body. The bridges of my wings were also armored. My voice as if through thick smoke “what is it, Ashley?” I moved my face close to hers “Hmm?” I let go, dropping her to the ground.

She started Coughing. Held and rubbed her neck looking up at me. “Jonathan” her voice was hoarse “Jonie I love you very much” she stood leaning against the wall “I just wanted you to know that”

I looked at her for a long second before I spread my wings and jumped into the air. “Well Lord, Dracula what else can I do?”

“About time, Go to a tall building to transform into your castle.”

I flew straight into downtown New York City Hovered for a few seconds then landed on the lady liberty

“Good now place our hand there and feel your castle”

I placed my hand on it and imagined a large spiking mountain castle. With a throne at the heart of it and other various details, escape routes, and such.

A mist extended from my hand and ran down the length of the entire statue. As it flowed down the statue it turned to solid black ashen stone, pillars and towers, battlements, windows, doors, flights of stairs, chandeliers burning candles carpets beds dressers you name it, it was in there. I stood and looked at what my creation was, it was dark and gloomy but beautiful nonetheless. I floated on my wings down to the front doors, large stone engraved doors swung as if on magical silent hinges. I walked in to see my beautiful castle, everything just as I saw it, green and black clashing in a violent battle throughout. I walked up a small flight of stairs and turned on my heels and sat down.

“Hail, I who sit on the throne of Black marble. Hail, I who control the dark mist.” I smirked as I listened to my voice echo. While distant sirens walled toward me.

“The world will burn for the pain given to me will be given tenfold” a dark flash shinned through my eyes. As I shifted my weight.