Kite's End

April 2nd, 2019

I still remember the first time I saved the world. I felt truly invincible, but nothing ever lasts. Every little kid grows up wanting to be a superhero, except for me. I already was one and all I ever wanted was to be normal - to fit in. Sure, it was all fun and games at first. Discovering your potential, unlocking the powers deep inside you, but it gets old. Kids want hugs and kisses, not being forced to train from dusk till dawn. They want to be told they’re doing a good job, not how useless they are. Friendly competition is healthy, being pitched against your siblings in a fight over who gets to have dinner and who goes to bed hungry isn’t. It was always too crowded in that blasted house. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my siblings, but I’ve always been the quiet one. I tend to withdraw from people and places from time to time. I need space from a world where everybody talks but no one ever has anything to say. The spotlights that come with the job of a superhero turned me off to the point where I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore. So, when I saw my way out, I left.

Life in Kite’s End was much simpler. It was only a small town with just the basics. I was renting a small room above the local library which was just a stone’s throw away from the forest surrounding the town. Kite’s End itself wasn’t short of greenery either. Every morning I would wake up and take a stroll through the streets on my way to Minnie’s Diner. There would only be a handful of people there, but none of them ever really noticed me. No one in Kite’s End knew who I was. No one cared, except for Minnie. 

“Good morning, Kieran,” she smiled like every other morning. “Did you sleep well?”

“Always do,” I lied as I sat down at the counter. Minnie had already prepared my breakfast. Two slices of toasted bread with jelly and a cup of chocolate milk. 

“I offer healthier breakfasts, you know,” she said in a caring but firm tone.

“So how are you today?”

“Fine,” I lied again after I’d finished my chocolate milk in one tug. 

“It’s okay if you’re not. The people of Kite’s End might not be that involved with the outside world, but I am. I know the anniversary is coming up soon.”

“I’m fine, Minnie. Really, I am.” I couldn’t quite convince her. Or myself for that matter. 

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Kieran. What happened that day wasn’t your fault.”

“I know,” I lied again. I couldn’t have seen it coming, of that she was right, but I could have contained it. Stopped it from getting as bad as it did. I could have tried at the very least. 

“Have you read the newspaper yet?” Minnie asked. I shook my head, my mouth filled with toasted bread and jelly. “There’s an article in there about the Alumni. Four years after: what happened to Six?” 

I wasn’t in the mood for talking and Minnie picked up on it. She left me alone to finish my breakfast. I thanked her once I had and went on my way to work. I organized the materials at the local library, checked books and DVD's in and out, cleaned the place, and did some handy work here and there. It wasn’t much, but I took pride in it. I liked the routine. I preferred order over chaos. The librarian was even older than Minnie and couldn’t really carry out the day to day chores on her own. She paid me well and mostly let me be. She knew I’d get the job done. I always did. At the end of the day, I would cook her a meal and we’d eat it together. She always told me the wildest stories of her childhood. She was so sweet and innocent, had no idea who she was talking to. I loved it. 

After having cleaned the dishes and having taken one of the newspapers from the shelves I went back to my room. Four years later: what happened to Six? I was surprised they used my number instead of the nickname they had given me a long time ago. Articles like this always started showing up around this time of year. It would be exactly four years ago in a couple of days. The article was basically the same as all others. It talked about the attacks in The Hague but didn’t say anything new. It referred to an interview with the Alumni taken just before the attacks. We were foolish to think Pierce Myers, the most wanted terrorist in the world, would give up so easily. I wish someone had told us pride comes before the fall. The article actually quoted something I had said during the interview. With us here, the term terrorist will fade from history. I was so naive to think nine teenagers would scare off the most dangerous people in the world. I was naive to think arresting Myers would mean I could retire. In a way it did. Just not quite how I imagined it. 

The following day I continued my usual routine. It was nice to be able to set foot outside without a dozen paparazzi lurking in the bushes. Though every day I lived in fear of being recognized by a visitor from out of town. I couldn’t oversee the consequences that would have. 

“Good morning, Kieran,” Minnie smiled as I swung open the door to her diner and sat down behind the counter again. 

“What can I get you today?” she asked pointing at the plate filled with greens that was sitting in front of the man next to me in a futile attempt to get me to eat healthier. 

“The usual,” I said. Yesterday’s newspaper was still on the counter and it got me thinking. I looked around only to see a handful of others in the diner. This place wasn’t making Minnie a fortune, to say the least. She knew who I was even though I had never told her. I had never denied it either, but still. If word got out that I had been spending every morning here for the past four years, this place would be crowded with tourists and Minnie would be sitting on a gold mine. People like her were the true heroes of this world. I called them tourists, though a tourist is someone who visits a place for pleasure. These people were trouble-makers and thrill-seekers. They wanted nothing more than to see me and my siblings wallow in regret. 

“How’d you know, Minnie?” I asked as she served me my usual breakfast only this time with judging eyes. 

“Know what?”

“I never told you my name.”

“Well,” she smiled, “I’ve got brown thumbs.”

“What do you mean?” this time I didn’t understand. 

“I’ve never managed to keep my plants alive for longer than a week. Now look at them.” The window sills were decorated with a dozen or so pots with lush green plants. “They’ve been going strong for quite a while now.”

“Maybe you’ve finally mastered the art of gardening,” I joked.

“I highly doubt that.”

“Why’s that?”

“I haven’t watered them in years.”

“I see.” There was a reason why Kite’s End was filled with green. It hadn’t always been, but I liked it better this way and couldn’t really help myself. I made my changes gradually though as not to arouse any suspicions, it turned out I hadn’t been able to fool Minnie. 

“That rose is all you,” I said in all honesty. “I noticed your interest in it.”

“It reminds me to stay true to myself. I pick a fresh one every day.”

“Why didn’t you tell anyone about me?” I asked.

“For the same reason you came here in the first place. I like the peace and quietness. I knew the moment I’d tell anyone all of that would disappear.”

“Not even, Isaac?” I asked as I watched the kid at the corner of the counter working hard on his drawing. It was Wednesday so Minnie had to babysit him, though she did so with all the love in the world.

“Especially not Isaac. He loves superheroes more than any other kid which is why I would love to tell him all about you, but for that same reason, I can’t. He wouldn’t be able to keep the secret. After all, he’s only nine.”

I had met plenty of fans, most of them kids just like Isaac. I never knew these kids were so invested in the whole superhero thing. I almost didn’t notice it, but upon taking a closer look at Isaac I saw he had a small kitchen towel wrapped around his neck like a cape. I got curious and got up to see what he was drawing. He didn’t have much in the way of talent, but he tried his best. He had scribbled three figures and numbered them one, five and nine. Only then I realized who these figures were meant to represent. He hadn’t drawn Eight though. Which probably meant she still hadn’t returned from where ever she was. It was good to know we still had a few fans around as well. I was just about to turn around when Isaac stopped me.

“You should go back,”  he said before he stood up and disappeared into the kitchen. I didn’t think much of it at the time. He probably wanted me to stop looking over his shoulder and I knew all too well how that felt, but something in the way he said it was just... odd.