Tuesday 19th April 2016
Mike sat up sharply and banged his head on the bed above. He’d been dreaming again of the sea. Blearily, he rubbed his eyes and swung his legs off the bed. The siren was whining again – this time it was telling him to get dressed and prepare for morning inspection.
The door swung open and a guard entered. He cast a cursory glance around the room. Mike prided himself on his own tidiness, despite his interest in chaotic street art.
“Good – stand up,” the guard commanded, “You’re being moved in with another inmate.”
Mike’s heart leaped into his throat. After a week of stewing in solitary he was being moved in with everyone else. The prospect didn’t thrill him.
They led him through the complex of corridors. Throughout the building the walls were reinforced with steel frames and enamel panels. Mike assumed that the glossy white walls had some nullifying power while the skin-suit provided much of the ‘talent regulation’ – as the counselors neatly put it. Apart from that first encounter with the vile spherical room, he’d had no problems with his Otherness – no wet beds, no damp under-arms, in fact he had no control over it whatsoever. He was told this was for his own protection, to which he scoffed internally.
He was led down a long passage with cells on either side. They stopped at a door roughly half way along and opened it – within were two beds on either side of the standardised, bleach white room. Sitting on the right hand bed reading a book was his new cell-mate. The guards closed the door behind him.
The boy with his nose in the book did not look up, he just inhaled deeply. He was enormous. Tall, muscular with rich chocolate black skin. He couldn’t have been much older than Mike, but he definitely seemed it. Mike sat down on the vacant bed.
“Any good?”
The boy looked up, “Yes.” His voice was deep and every bit as rich as his skin.
“What’s it about?” Mike looked away, feeling as though he was staring.
“A world which is afflicted by a strange sickness – magic is weakened, songs and stories are forgotten. A mage and a prince set off across the sea to find out the cause and stop it.” The boy replied, his voice was confident and his words precisely chosen.
“What happens?”
“I don’t know yet.” The boy replied, closing the book and putting it down. “My name is Bark.”
Mike nodded. He was aware that the inmates took new names based on their Otherness. The counselors had warned him prior to him being admitted. He’d been trying to think of one for himself.
“Mike. Nice to meet you.”
Bark chuckled and they shook hands. “What’s your Other name?”
“I don’t know – I haven’t thought of one.” Mike replied, “Why are you called Bark?”
Bark closed his eyes and stiffened his body, Mike watched with fascination as his skin began to wrinkle and bunch up, forming hard creases of ‘bark’ across his face. Bark relaxed and exhaled heavily.
“Takes a bit of effort in here – wearing this, you know.” He gestured to the suit and the walls, “So what’s your party trick?”
“I can,” Mike thought about it – he’d never quite been able to quantify it, but the counselors had spelled it out for him, “I can control the water in my body, making myself more flexible. Apparently. It just means I can squeeze into tiny spaces.”
“There you go, you’ve just named yourself,” Bark replied – Mike looked blank – “Squeeze. Like the X-Files. Although not as terrifying.”
Mike laughed, “Sorry. I’ve never seen the X-Files.” Bark scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. “I quite like that though – Squeeze.”
“Nice and punchy. The one syllable names are always better. The more cocky ones go for really long names or call themselves The Something.” Bark shook his head, relaxing.
“How long have you been here?”
“A year. They got me on a robbery charge but tried to add ‘armed’ because of my party trick. That was never going to hold water – even with our justice system.” Bark replied bitterly.
“But you actually stole stuff?”
“Of course. I’m a thief. Always have been.”
“What did you steal?”
“Food,” he shrugged looking down at the book, “But that’s all over now. I’m a reformed man. Besides, the food in here isn’t worth stealing.”
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2 comments:
I was expecting a werewolf! Hooray for monosyllabic superhero names, though. I like this patchwork introduction thing - works well.
Bark is a fantastic character- and I love his unusual ability. And Squeeze is a brilliant Other name.
I think the line "His voice was deep and every bit as rich as his skin." could be tweaked though- it isn't an entirely necessary link back to the previous description of him. I think some good onomatopaeic words would work very well- something like sonorous or mellifluous. I love a good onomatopaeia.
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