CHAPTER 2
SIN OF COWARDICE, part 3

We’re in Varese. I’ve just gotten off the bus with Renzo and our friend, Carolina. Picking up on my gloominess, she can’t help but break the silence that has settled between the three of us.

“So, what’s with that face? You look so down, you’re about to sink into the ground.”

As we walk along, Renzo leans back and tries to secretly signal to Carol to drop it. Clearly, discretion isn’t his strong suit. It never has been.

“Sir, stop. But I appreciate the effort. Go ahead and tell her the truth.”

“Okay, Brian is afraid of the dark,” he reveals, much to my surprise.

“Not that one!” I scold him, as I endure Carol’s laughter.

“How can you be afraid of the dark? You’re eighteen years old!” she says.

“Renzo was sort of… off the mark. Have you heard of the steel man?”

“Yes, but I sure as shit don’t believe it. Where did this assault by a magician supposedly happen?”

“On Prince Edward,” I reply, waiting for her to be astonished.

“But isn’t that where you went on vacation?” I see the embarrassed regret in her brown eyes.

“Exactly. And on top of that, we’re the unlucky family who ended up in the hospital because of him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I never could’ve imagined.” She is genuinely mortified.

“Only someone with a vivid imagination like mine could have imagined it, Carol, let alone actually see it. Renzo didn’t want me to talk about it because I had a nightmare, probably related to what happened.” Talking about the black hole is still out of the question. It makes more sense to say that I had a bad dream.

“If you feel like telling me about it…”

“So, I’m in this dark, desolate place, surrounded by the same objects that the steel man had been throwing around in a fit of rage. I was scared, but I didn’t know why. Now that I’m awake, though, I realize I was afraid of the same darkness as in that dream.” I didn’t want to lie, or at least tell half-truths, but it’s dangerous to admit I’m afraid of the darkness inside me… of what I represent. I still don’t understand how it works myself.

“How did you manage to escape?” she asks, pretending to understand. But I just told her about a dream, after all. If it sounds nonsensical, that’s fine.

“That’s what I wanted to ask you earlier,” Renzo interjects.

“Well… first, he attacked my family. I…”

If I said I fought him with my bare hands, they wouldn’t believe me, and telling the truth would be foolish, so…

“I distracted him and ran like mad, holding out until the authorities arrived. And then the lunatic ran off.”

“Weren’t you hurt, though? On the bus, you said you’d been put in a hospital room,” he asks.

“Of course… First, I twisted my ankle while running… and then I fell and hurt my knee, but nothing serious. In fact, as you can see, I’m already doing great,” I improvise.

“Thank goodness. Wow, a steel man. Can you imagine a world full of people like him?” she asks suddenly. “A world where people like that monster appear and lay waste to the planet with their…” She can’t find the words.

“Abilities?” Renzo offers.

“Abilities, powers, superpowers—call them whatever the fuck you want—but the real question is, how would the world react?”

“I-It’s not certain that it’ll happen,” I say hesitantly. “It’s also not certain that they’re all destined to become like that man.”

“Neither is the opposite.”

“Thanks, Sir. You really know how to make us feel better with your tact,” I tease.

As we cross the street, I catch sight of a not-so-old acquaintance. I can’t believe he followed me all the way here.

“Hey Brian!"