INVINCIBLE

Chapter 3

Thor pulled up on his motorcycle in front of McDonalds an hour or so later. He took 1 look at my holey sweater then shook his head. ‘You really should stop killing people Grace,’ he told me and I agreed. I turned around and waited for him to uncuff me. I heard him get off his bike then poke my skin where the bullet went through my sweater near my heart. He muffled a laugh. ‘Shut up,’ I told him. He pulled something out of his pocket and I heard something click. Suddenly my hands were free. I turned around to face him and rubbed my wrists, even though there was no mark and they didn’t hurt. ‘Thanks,’ I said and he nodded, his light brown eyes drilling into mine. He held up the handcuffs and furrowed his eyebrows. ‘These are new,’ he remarked.        

‘I know that’s why I needed you to come get me.’ I said and instantly regretted it. He smirked. I told him to shut up again.

I let out a breath and walked around him to the motorbike. ‘I’ll drive,’ I said then hopped on before he could protest. He didn’t trust me after my past stubbornness. I had recovered fine of course, but he broke his collarbone. I couldn’t say sorry enough.

For some reason he didn’t protest. I let him wear the helmet, thinking he needed it more than I did, which was true. He took it gratefully and told me to go 10k’s slower than the speed limit. This time I would listen to him.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Border patrol recognized me and let us straight through into Orsaxs. I drove to my apartment, switched off the engine and got off. Thor breathed with relief. ‘So how long did it take you to recover this time?’ He asked and looked down. He found it awkward to talk about my ‘gift.’                         ‘About 6 minutes,’ I told him, ‘it’s getting quicker.’                                  ‘Yeah,’ he agreed and took off his helmet. ‘Do you want me to walk you inside?’He asked and got up and stood in front of me. He had gotten taller. ‘No, its okay, I think I’ll just go to bed,’ I answered and leaned into his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around me and for a moment I thought he was my brother. A silent tear made its way down my cheek. I wiped it with my sleeve before Thor had a chance to notice. ‘You okay?’ He murmured and I nodded a yes into his shoulder. I slipped out of his grasp and faced my apartment. ‘I’ll fill you in on what happened tomorrow,’ I told Thor and he said okay. I sat on the steps and waved as he drove away.

I went up to my room, opened the buzzer panel, got out my key and let myself in. Normally, you would get an electric shock when you reached inside it bit I was immune to it. I changed into my pj’s, turned on the TV and melted into my bed. I watched the news and rubbed my stomach. It was weird knowing that just a couple of hours prior I had been shot. I should be used to it by now, but it’s something you can never quite grasp.

I hadn’t always been invincible. It happened soon after my brother was killed. I had cut my finger while sharpening my knife and it was pretty deep. I had practically screamed when there was no blood. And a few days later it had completely healed, like it never happened. No scar or anything. I had no idea what was happening. Then I got shot and it hurt like hell, but a few days later again, it was like it never happened. And after a few months I felt no pain at all when I got shot. Thor had noticed a change in me and that’s why I had told him. He was constantly worried about me. He was surprised- of course - then denied it- saying that it couldn’t be true, that it was impossible. Which it was but it was happening. He still didn’t believe me so I told him to shoot me. He refused so I got my gun and shot my thigh. He immediately freaked out and went all red. He ran to the phone to call an ambulance or maybe a mental hospital but stopped short when I screamed at him to stop and showed him there was no blood. He breathed, calming down a little and then told me I was crazy. And I believed him. I was definitely crazy, or in a crazy, never-ending dream and when I woke up I would be normal and my brother wouldn’t be dead. But that was four years ago. And I had stopped dreaming.