‹ Prequel: Move
Risk
Secret Place
I stood in front of the mirror in my bedroom deciding if I was going to wear the clothes I had on. I was wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans with a white t-shirt that had some sort of vintage design going over my shoulders. Riley wouldn't mind.
"I wouldn't mind." Riley said.
I turned to his voice. He was leaning against the doorway in his jeans and a black t-shirt that clung to his chest. I turned my head back to the mirror.
Riley came behind me. He fiddled his fingers around the necklace on my neck. I looked at him through the mirror.
"So are you going to tell me where we are going?" I asked the reflection.
He shrugged. "When we get there."
I pursed my lips.
"It would be so much easier if I was the one that could read minds."
Riley looked at my hair.
"That wouldn't be any fun. Besides, you know I can't read everything on you. Well, in you." He said.
He put his hands under my hair and lifted it over the necklace. I looked at him watching his every move in the mirror. Riley was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at him. Looking in the mirror, I noticed it was pretty hard to look at myself also. I flinched at the thought. I was definitely different.
Riley rested his hands on my shoulders. I looked at him from the corner of my eye.
"Can we go now?"
"It depends," he paused and looked at the side of my face. "Do you want breakfast?"
I sighed. "I don't see the point. Nothing appetizes me lately."
"Except me."
I turned around and looked at him with my mouth open. His hands fell to his sides.
"Is it really necessary to read every thought that comes up in my mind?"
He smiled and gave a little laugh. "I can only read the things you think about hard or often."
I closed my mouth and pursed my lips. "You are unbelievable."
"That's what makes you want me more."
"God, Riley." I sighed and walked over to the window.
I looked out of the large span of glass. Trees blocked most of my view. Considering we were on the second floor and it was a huge house, I could see half of New York City. It was one of the most beautiful cities.
Riley came over to my side and looked out the window with me.
"You know," he said. "If I couldn't read your mind, you and I probably wouldn't have had a very good last night."
I turned my head slightly towards him. I looked up at the beautiful side of his face. He continued staring at the city.
"Probably not." I said looking back out the window.
Riley shoved his hands in his pockets.
"If you don't want to go for that fly, say the word."
"What word?" I said turning my head back towards him.
He turned his head. "No would probably do the job."
I turned my head back towards the window. He kept his eyes locked on me.
"Well, then. Yes."
"Yes, what?"
I looked at him. "Yes, I do want to go."
Riley gave a crooked smile. "Meet you outside."
I creased my forehead trying to understand what he meant. Riley turned around and flew in the air and out the door. Wind rushed past me. I smiled.
My feet ran me out of the house quickly. Riley was already outside. I stopped on the porch and looked at him. He stood in the middle of the open dirt lot. I leaned against the railing.
"You really are unbelievable." I yelled over to him.
"You coming? Or not?" He yelled back.
I shook my head slightly and moved away from the railing. I walked down the steps over to him. He stood smiling at me the entire time. I stopped in front of him. Riley turned around with his back faced to me. I ran up to his back and jumped up on him. He grabbed me by the legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let them hang loosely by his chest.
"Promise me something." He said.
I rested my chin on his shoulder. "Yes?"
"Close your eyes when I tell you to."
I smiled. "Alright. It must be real special."
"It's where no man has gone before."
"Are you sure?"
"No."
Riley crouched and we began flying into the air. I wrapped my legs around him. I could tell he was happy I was doing this. This wasn't exactly for a personal gain, except more love coming from him. That's all I wanted.
Once more, I looked over New York City. It was so beautiful. I just couldn't imagine where Riley was taking me. Frankly I didn't care as long as I was with him. The past few days haven't exactly given us alone time. I was surprised how last night turned out.
"Alyssa," Riley interrupted my thoughts.
"Yes, sir?"
"What do you plan on doing about your friends?"
I frowned about the thought. No one else who had powers had human friends.
"What am I supposed to do?" I said trying to steer clear.
"Alyssa, you're either going to have to tell them or you're going to have to just erase them from your life." Riley said calmly.
"Well, Ann already knows." I said trying to keep Bria and Diane out of it.
"You know that's not what I mean. Ann is already banned from your existence." Riley said.
I pressed my cheek into his shoulder. Ann was pretty much gone. She was suffering from my father and her father's job. There wasn't much I could do. The thought of Ann not being thee made me shudder. At least Ann knew everything.
"Alyssa, I would hope you'd chose option two although it's probably the hardest." Riley continued.
I shifted my nose in his hair. My mouth was over his ear.
"How did you do it?" I whispered.
He chuckled. "If you haven't noticed, I can fly. I can fly away from anything."
"You flew away from your old life?"
"I'm not old. We knew each other for a while. In high school I found out, until now where I know everything." Riley said.
He sounded so sure. I wouldn't be surprised if he was.
"So, you flew away from everything but me?"
Riley sighed. "Yep. And I'm glad I didn't fly from you. I'd be stuck in this world without someone like you."
I smiled. "That's good to know." I said in his ear.
I barely payed any attention to the city below. The wind rushing through my hair erased everything besides the fact that Riley and I were together flying over our city. The city we practically ruled. The Alpha lion and lioness. Although in our case, the lioness was more in charge. The lioness always caught the food for the family while the lion basked in the sun. Riley acted as the lion, but I wasn't fetching food for him. I was protecting him. Him and I. I and him. Either way, I was saving our love and everything else without even making contact with someone who knew about us. That was the weird part.
There were many things Riley and I could be called. We would always be known as the lioness and lion in our own thoughts. I assumed Riley knew what I was thinking, even if it was out in the blue.
I would always be there to save my lion from the wildebeest or even zebra he got it into with. I would always be his lioness and he would always be my lion. Two animals forced into this dangerous world.
"Close your eyes now." Riley said softly.
I closed my eyes without looking where we were. My head cleared of thoughts as I smelled his neck. That intoxicating aroma.
Riley began straightening his form. He wasn't flying on his stomach any more. He stood straight. I held on tighter as I realized we were floating down. I heard the soft thud as Riley's feet hit the ground.
"May I look now?" I asked quietly.
"Do you trust me?"
"I just flew over one hundred feet in the air with you."
I lifted my head off of his shoulder and sat on his back. My eyes tried to focus on where we were.
We were standing on a ledge. It was actually more of a platform. We were still up high. I looked over the entire city seeing everything there was to see. No building was higher than where we are.
I slid off of his back and inched next to Riley. I grabbed his hand anxiously and our fingers intertwined.
"Riley, are we..."
"On the Empire State Building? Why, yes, Alyssa, we are."
I opened my mouth trying to get more air in. I was shocked. He looked down at me with a smile.
I let out a breath and looked at him. My grasp on his hand became tighter. I smiled and my mouth stayed open.
"Breathless?" Riley asked.
"Just about."
My eyes looked up at the ever so famous point. It was long and higher up than where we were.
"You know," Riley said. "This has been where superheroes and other creatures have been spotted in films. Such as King Kong and Spiderman."
I looked back at him. "Please tell me you don't want to go up there."
"I was hoping you would."
"Why?" I asked curiously.
"Because I wanted you to be the first super hero that actually did go up there." Riley said.
"You want me to hang off of a pole that is on top of the second largest building in the US." It wasn't a question.
He shrugged. "I'll do it with you."
I closed my mouth and let go of his hand. My feet turned me around to face the pole. I quickly crouched and jumped towards it. I grabbed it swiftly with one hand and stuck to it. I grabbed it with the other hand and perched on it. My feet were planted on either side of my hands. I looked down at Riley.
"Just like Spiderman." Riley yelled up to me.
"Yeah," I said to myself, "just like Spiderman."
Riley held his hand over his face blocking the sun and looked up at me.
"Are you coming?" I yelled to him.
Riley looked away from me and crouched. He jumped and began flying towards me. He flew slowly up to me. I perched awkwardly. Riley stopped when his face met mine. I looked at him. He hoovered in mid-air.
"S' good thing neither of us are afraid of heights." Riley said.
"If it weren't for the powers, I'd be scared shitless."
Riley smiled and gave a little laugh. I smiled too.
"You are such an odd woman." He said.
I looked into his deep brown eyes.
Riley slowly came closer to my face. I moved my mouth closer to his. He grabbed my head and pulled himself towards me. Our lips met and I felt like nothing could touch me. I held on tighter to the pole. His lips moved with mine.
Our love was strange. It was strange, but it was most certainly true and real.
"I wouldn't mind." Riley said.
I turned to his voice. He was leaning against the doorway in his jeans and a black t-shirt that clung to his chest. I turned my head back to the mirror.
Riley came behind me. He fiddled his fingers around the necklace on my neck. I looked at him through the mirror.
"So are you going to tell me where we are going?" I asked the reflection.
He shrugged. "When we get there."
I pursed my lips.
"It would be so much easier if I was the one that could read minds."
Riley looked at my hair.
"That wouldn't be any fun. Besides, you know I can't read everything on you. Well, in you." He said.
He put his hands under my hair and lifted it over the necklace. I looked at him watching his every move in the mirror. Riley was so beautiful it almost hurt to look at him. Looking in the mirror, I noticed it was pretty hard to look at myself also. I flinched at the thought. I was definitely different.
Riley rested his hands on my shoulders. I looked at him from the corner of my eye.
"Can we go now?"
"It depends," he paused and looked at the side of my face. "Do you want breakfast?"
I sighed. "I don't see the point. Nothing appetizes me lately."
"Except me."
I turned around and looked at him with my mouth open. His hands fell to his sides.
"Is it really necessary to read every thought that comes up in my mind?"
He smiled and gave a little laugh. "I can only read the things you think about hard or often."
I closed my mouth and pursed my lips. "You are unbelievable."
"That's what makes you want me more."
"God, Riley." I sighed and walked over to the window.
I looked out of the large span of glass. Trees blocked most of my view. Considering we were on the second floor and it was a huge house, I could see half of New York City. It was one of the most beautiful cities.
Riley came over to my side and looked out the window with me.
"You know," he said. "If I couldn't read your mind, you and I probably wouldn't have had a very good last night."
I turned my head slightly towards him. I looked up at the beautiful side of his face. He continued staring at the city.
"Probably not." I said looking back out the window.
Riley shoved his hands in his pockets.
"If you don't want to go for that fly, say the word."
"What word?" I said turning my head back towards him.
He turned his head. "No would probably do the job."
I turned my head back towards the window. He kept his eyes locked on me.
"Well, then. Yes."
"Yes, what?"
I looked at him. "Yes, I do want to go."
Riley gave a crooked smile. "Meet you outside."
I creased my forehead trying to understand what he meant. Riley turned around and flew in the air and out the door. Wind rushed past me. I smiled.
My feet ran me out of the house quickly. Riley was already outside. I stopped on the porch and looked at him. He stood in the middle of the open dirt lot. I leaned against the railing.
"You really are unbelievable." I yelled over to him.
"You coming? Or not?" He yelled back.
I shook my head slightly and moved away from the railing. I walked down the steps over to him. He stood smiling at me the entire time. I stopped in front of him. Riley turned around with his back faced to me. I ran up to his back and jumped up on him. He grabbed me by the legs. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let them hang loosely by his chest.
"Promise me something." He said.
I rested my chin on his shoulder. "Yes?"
"Close your eyes when I tell you to."
I smiled. "Alright. It must be real special."
"It's where no man has gone before."
"Are you sure?"
"No."
Riley crouched and we began flying into the air. I wrapped my legs around him. I could tell he was happy I was doing this. This wasn't exactly for a personal gain, except more love coming from him. That's all I wanted.
Once more, I looked over New York City. It was so beautiful. I just couldn't imagine where Riley was taking me. Frankly I didn't care as long as I was with him. The past few days haven't exactly given us alone time. I was surprised how last night turned out.
"Alyssa," Riley interrupted my thoughts.
"Yes, sir?"
"What do you plan on doing about your friends?"
I frowned about the thought. No one else who had powers had human friends.
"What am I supposed to do?" I said trying to steer clear.
"Alyssa, you're either going to have to tell them or you're going to have to just erase them from your life." Riley said calmly.
"Well, Ann already knows." I said trying to keep Bria and Diane out of it.
"You know that's not what I mean. Ann is already banned from your existence." Riley said.
I pressed my cheek into his shoulder. Ann was pretty much gone. She was suffering from my father and her father's job. There wasn't much I could do. The thought of Ann not being thee made me shudder. At least Ann knew everything.
"Alyssa, I would hope you'd chose option two although it's probably the hardest." Riley continued.
I shifted my nose in his hair. My mouth was over his ear.
"How did you do it?" I whispered.
He chuckled. "If you haven't noticed, I can fly. I can fly away from anything."
"You flew away from your old life?"
"I'm not old. We knew each other for a while. In high school I found out, until now where I know everything." Riley said.
He sounded so sure. I wouldn't be surprised if he was.
"So, you flew away from everything but me?"
Riley sighed. "Yep. And I'm glad I didn't fly from you. I'd be stuck in this world without someone like you."
I smiled. "That's good to know." I said in his ear.
I barely payed any attention to the city below. The wind rushing through my hair erased everything besides the fact that Riley and I were together flying over our city. The city we practically ruled. The Alpha lion and lioness. Although in our case, the lioness was more in charge. The lioness always caught the food for the family while the lion basked in the sun. Riley acted as the lion, but I wasn't fetching food for him. I was protecting him. Him and I. I and him. Either way, I was saving our love and everything else without even making contact with someone who knew about us. That was the weird part.
There were many things Riley and I could be called. We would always be known as the lioness and lion in our own thoughts. I assumed Riley knew what I was thinking, even if it was out in the blue.
I would always be there to save my lion from the wildebeest or even zebra he got it into with. I would always be his lioness and he would always be my lion. Two animals forced into this dangerous world.
"Close your eyes now." Riley said softly.
I closed my eyes without looking where we were. My head cleared of thoughts as I smelled his neck. That intoxicating aroma.
Riley began straightening his form. He wasn't flying on his stomach any more. He stood straight. I held on tighter as I realized we were floating down. I heard the soft thud as Riley's feet hit the ground.
"May I look now?" I asked quietly.
"Do you trust me?"
"I just flew over one hundred feet in the air with you."
I lifted my head off of his shoulder and sat on his back. My eyes tried to focus on where we were.
We were standing on a ledge. It was actually more of a platform. We were still up high. I looked over the entire city seeing everything there was to see. No building was higher than where we are.
I slid off of his back and inched next to Riley. I grabbed his hand anxiously and our fingers intertwined.
"Riley, are we..."
"On the Empire State Building? Why, yes, Alyssa, we are."
I opened my mouth trying to get more air in. I was shocked. He looked down at me with a smile.
I let out a breath and looked at him. My grasp on his hand became tighter. I smiled and my mouth stayed open.
"Breathless?" Riley asked.
"Just about."
My eyes looked up at the ever so famous point. It was long and higher up than where we were.
"You know," Riley said. "This has been where superheroes and other creatures have been spotted in films. Such as King Kong and Spiderman."
I looked back at him. "Please tell me you don't want to go up there."
"I was hoping you would."
"Why?" I asked curiously.
"Because I wanted you to be the first super hero that actually did go up there." Riley said.
"You want me to hang off of a pole that is on top of the second largest building in the US." It wasn't a question.
He shrugged. "I'll do it with you."
I closed my mouth and let go of his hand. My feet turned me around to face the pole. I quickly crouched and jumped towards it. I grabbed it swiftly with one hand and stuck to it. I grabbed it with the other hand and perched on it. My feet were planted on either side of my hands. I looked down at Riley.
"Just like Spiderman." Riley yelled up to me.
"Yeah," I said to myself, "just like Spiderman."
Riley held his hand over his face blocking the sun and looked up at me.
"Are you coming?" I yelled to him.
Riley looked away from me and crouched. He jumped and began flying towards me. He flew slowly up to me. I perched awkwardly. Riley stopped when his face met mine. I looked at him. He hoovered in mid-air.
"S' good thing neither of us are afraid of heights." Riley said.
"If it weren't for the powers, I'd be scared shitless."
Riley smiled and gave a little laugh. I smiled too.
"You are such an odd woman." He said.
I looked into his deep brown eyes.
Riley slowly came closer to my face. I moved my mouth closer to his. He grabbed my head and pulled himself towards me. Our lips met and I felt like nothing could touch me. I held on tighter to the pole. His lips moved with mine.
Our love was strange. It was strange, but it was most certainly true and real.