Nicholas: Wonderland

## **Wonderland**

The court is full of green grass freshly cut down. Nicholas can almost feel the pollen scratching his nose. The two football teams line up. Nicholas is on defense. Sweat runs through his short hair and down his dark skin. He looks back at his friend, Grayson, the quarterback. Grayson has a glazed look over his eyes. He looks at Nicholas and nods. Nicholas smiles nearly laughing. He shakes his head and looks forward. The other team looks like an unstoppable wall. Their faces blur out like blank slates. All there is in front of him are giants. Nicholas looks straight through the wall. He has a different goal. The whistle blows. Nicholas turns around and runs at Grayson. Grayson gets ready to pass him the ball. Nicholas tackles Grayson to the ground. Grayson looks winded and confused. Nicholas’ fists come down on him in a flurry of blows. Nicholas rips Grayson’s helmet off.

Teammate: What are you doing?!

The teammates grab Nicholas and pull him off of Grayson.

Nicholas: You know what you did! Betraying me? That’s a fucking mistake. You’re scared of Fury? Imagine if he was stuck in here with you! Well, here I am!

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

24 hours earlier, Nicholas wakes up in his bed. He’s covered in sweat. He stands up, his breathing is irregular. He looks out the window at the dark sky. The sky is almost pitch black. Stumbling, Nicholas makes it over to his phone. He checks the time.

Nicholas: 6. It’s only 6.

Nicholas hears the muffled words of a woman yelling. He opens his door. Knocking echos up the stairs.

Mother: Nicholas, it’s dinner time!

Nicholas: I need to take a shower first!

Mother: Wash your hands and get down here! We’re not waiting for you!

Nicholas walks downstairs a few minutes later. He sits at the table. His mother finishes setting up their plates full of food. Nicholas’ father sets his newspaper down.

Father: You do stick. Why didn’t you let the boy take a shower? He’s in puberty, he needs three showers a day.

Mother: He just wants to avoid family time.

Father: I want him to avoid family time.

Mother: Then put a clothespin on your nose. Nicholas, did you do anything fun today at school?

Nicholas: I-

Nicholas tries to remember. He feels like he’s being surrounded by a cloud of smoke.

Nicholas: I don’t remember.

Father: Figures. He was probably smoking weed.

Mother: No he wasn’t. Don’t forget we have that cookout coming up soon.

Nicholas’ memory strikes him. He feels like he was in the moment.

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nicholas walks up to the cookout carrying groceries for the food. He walks up to his mother. She is telling people where to put everything. He looks at her with a bitter hatred. His face doesn’t look angry. His mouth is flat and his eyes look emotionless.

Mother: Oh Nicholas. Where’s your father?

Nicholas: He’s bringing other bags.

Mother: Let me take those then. We need to get a picture when your father gets over here.

Nicholas watches his dad walk over. He sets the bags on a table. His mother, father, and him all huddle together for a picture. They all smile.

Nicholas: I know who you are. I’m going to kill both of you. I won’t waste time. I’ll kill you both with one bullet. Don’t think that's because I ever cared about you, or because you're my parents. I want to kill you purely out of revenge. Lying to me, for years? Retribution is coming.

Nicholas’ mother laughs.

Mother: You’ve said that so many times. It doesn’t scare us now, and it never will.

Nicholas smiles.

Nicholas: But how many lives do you have?

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nicholas comes back to the present. He looks at his parents and smiles.

Nicholas: Yeah, I’ll be ready.

Nicholas finishes his food.

Nicholas: After I take a shower, can I go meet a friend?

Mother: It’s getting kind of late…

Nicholas: I’ll be back before 10.

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nicholas stands outside of a grocery store. He sits down on one of the parking blocks waiting. Eventually, a man leans against the grocery store wall. He lights a cigarette. Nicholas stands up. The man looks surprised.

Nicholas: Yo, Josh.

Josh: Nicholas? Why are you here?

Nicholas: Why else would I be sitting in front of a fucking convenience store? Obviously, I’m looking for you.

Josh: Then what’s up?

Nicholas: Remember how I got you out of that gang. I stopped them from coming after you when they wouldn’t let you out.

Josh: I remember. I also remember you being a douche about it.

Nicholas: Yeah, well, now I need to know that you’ll have my back.

Josh: For what?

Nicholas: I don’t know yet. Depends on where this goes next.

Josh: If I’m supposed to, “have your back,” then I need to know what the fuck is going on.

Nicholas: You will… When I need you.

Josh throws his cigarette on the ground. He stomped on it.

Josh: Yo man, fuck you.

Josh walks away. Nicholas’ voice becomes monotone and cold.

Nicholas: I tried being nice and charismatic. Turn around. You heard what I said. Turn the fuck around.

Josh turns to Nicholas. Nicholas takes a device out of his pocket, it looks like it attaches to something.

Nicholas: Oh, you forgot? I still have this.

Josh: What do you want?

Nicholas: Exactly what I said. Don’t make me repeat myself.

Josh: Fine.

Nicholas: Thank you.

Nicholas begins walking away.

Josh: I wonder. You say that you got me out of that gang, but you’re so much worse. If you didn’t, I would still be selling, but at least I wouldn’t be listening to you.

Nicholas: Matter of how you look at it. You could be dead on the street right now when one addict realizes they don’t have the money, or you could be standing here. Alive.

Nicholas walks away.

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next morning, Nicholas wakes up in his bed. He walks downstairs. His mother made breakfast. He walks past the table.

Mother: Aren’t you going to eat?

Nicholas: I’ll eat at school. I have people to talk to before class starts.

Mother: Aren’t you Mr. Popular. Don’t become too popular you forget to eat.

Father: Stop pestering the boy.

Mother: Fine. Go on.

Nicholas walks out of the front door. He walks down the sidewalk. Other kids walk down the sidewalk. Everyone is scattered out, filling the sidewalk like robots filling their purpose. Everyone walks in unison. Nicholas smiles, admiring it. Soon he meets the school’s gate. Above the front door, giant letters spell out “GS Hero Academy.” Nicholas walks inside and down the halls. Beside him is the giant opening for the cafeteria. For some reason, he can’t stop looking straight ahead. He sees a locked door that entices him.

Nicholas: That… I remember that one.

Nicholas walks inside the cafeteria. The football team are all sitting at a table talking.

Jock: Eh! Nicholas, finally! Get over here!

Nicholas sees Grayson. Nicholas sits on the top of a table. He rests his feet on the seats and looks down at Grayson.

Grayson: Oh, someone becomes running back and all of a sudden they're a big man!

Nicholas looks Grayson in his eyes. Not even blinking stops him. His pupils enlarge, full of anger and spite.

Nicholas: No. I’m the bigger man because I’m a better man than you.

Grayson smiles and shakes his head brushing it off.

Grayson: What the fuck are you talking about? You keep talking like that and you’ll lose a few fucking teeth!

Grayson stands up. He looks down at Nicholas. Nicholas smiles, lightly laughing.

Jock: Guys! We have a game tonight! Squash this shit before the game. After that you can go at each other’s throats.

Grayson: I’ll deal with your ass later.

Grayson walks away mumbling under his breath.

Grayson: Disrespectful piece of shit.

Nicholas laughs. The jocks get up and walk away.

Jock: We all like you man, but you can’t just try to become a top dog like that. People hate that shit.

The jocks walk away. Nicholas turns to them.

Nicholas: I don’t care about your friendship! I needed to be in your graces, but I don’t need that anymore! I don’t give a fuck what you think about me! What are you going to do? Kick me off the team? I got what I wanted! I’m playing chess, and you think it’s life! Let me ask you a question. If you think this is real, who's the joke?

Jock: What does that even mean! You’re fucking crazy!

Nicholas laughs, putting a hand on his face, covering his eyes.

Nicholas: They’ll never get it. I love this.

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

Later that day, classes go by fast, but the day moves slowly. Soon, he gets a break from all the chaos and isolation his classmates make him feel. He goes to the gym. Everybody lines up. The gym teacher paces back and forth in front of them.

Gym Teacher: I know what you know. You all wear collars that keep your powers under control. The gym is where you practice and learn how to use your powers. Some of you, have been breaking what this school funds. Our equipment is now off-limits. If you want to practice, you’ll have to do it without any equipment from now on.

The gym teacher walks up to everyone. He puts a device against the collars around everyone’s necks. The collars detach and the students take their collars off. Soon everyone is running around the gym, shooting fire, flying, lifting up weights, and having fun. Nicholas sits down against one of the bleachers. A girl walks up to him. Her hair is long and dirty blonde.

Nicholas: Alaia?

She smiles.

Alaia: Did you forget I was in this class?

She sits down next to him.

Nicholas: Kind of.

Alaia: You’re hopeless. We talk every day, right here. You sat in the same spot.

Nicholas: Okay, maybe I didn’t forget you.

Alaia: Did you forget anything else we did?

Nicholas looks at her face. He is whipped by a flash of memories.

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nicholas is sitting high in the sky on top of a small layer of ice. Alaia is sitting next to him. They both look over the town at the forest of trees.

Nicholas: The one way in or out of the city, and no one is allowed to go there.

Alaia: We’ll go eventually.

Alaia holds Nicholas’ hand.

Alaia: You never use your powers, then when you do, this is what you show me?

Nicholas: Homecoming’s coming up. I have to make it special.

Alaia leans her head on Nicholas’ shoulder.

Alaia: This is special enough.

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

Nicholas looks at Alaia confused.

Alaia: Are you okay?

Nicholas: Do I love you?

Alaia’s face turns bright red.

Alaia: You don’t need to say everything!

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

School ends, and Nicholas is roaming around the hallways. He passes by a man strolling around a cart his name tag says, Mr. Truman. Mr. Truman nods at Nicholas. Nicholas nods back, he can’t remember who the man is. Nicholas sneaks around the corner and walks up to the locked door.

Nicholas: The cameras don’t matter. No one’s going to spot me.

He tries to break the lock. The lock feels like it’s been jammed shut. Nicholas takes out his device and unlocks his collar. He creates ice in the lock, and breaks the lock open. The door swings and Nicholas shuts it quickly. He looks down the long staircase to the basement. He follows the staircase down until there is nothing but a room with lab equipment scattered around. On the wall, a massive screen sits with a keyboard and mouse below it. Nicholas presses a button, and the screen turns on. He sees hundreds of files. He opens the most recent one. A video of him shows up.

Video Nicholas: This should be the last time I do this. Truman did it. He was Fury’s henchmen. Fury wanted him to open our minds, and make us remember everything we had always forgotten. Josh, Alaina, Grayson, and you are going to break through the forest to find Fury.

The words overlay with something else Nicholas is hearing. He hears someone repeat the same words from behind him. Nick Fury sits in a chair.

Nicholas: You’re here?

Nicholas stops the video.

Nich Fury: What do you remember?

Nicholas Not enough.

Nick Fury: Then I’ll repeat it one more time. My son, I’m so proud of you.

Nicholas:...

Nick Fury: Now you understand. You remember what this place is now. You had an idea. I saw that when you talked to those football kids earlier today. You know what place this is.

Nicholas: It’s yours.

Nick Fury: Ours. It’s my compound, but it’s under your control. You have been growing up to be perfect. You are smart, powerful, and cold. You don't care about anything or anyone. I don’t need to watch you anymore. You’ll grow up here just fine.

Nicholas: It’s all coming back to me. Why I hate Grayson so much. I’ve been trying to break out of this place for years. Every time I do, he betrays me and helps you. What’s going to happen, now?

Nick Fury: Until you turn 18. Anything you want. You’ll be able to erase everybody’s memory at any time. Now go to the football game.

 - - - - - - - - - - - -

The court is full of green grass freshly cut down. Nicholas can almost feel the pollen scratching his nose. The two football teams line up. Nicholas is on defense. Sweat runs through his short hair and down his dark skin. He looks back at his friend, Grayson, the quarterback. Grayson has a glazed look over his eyes. He looks at Nicholas and nods. Nicholas smiles nearly laughing. He shakes his head and looks forward. The other team looks like an unstoppable wall. Their faces blur out like blank slates. All there is in front of him are giants. Nicholas looks straight through the wall. He has a different goal. The whistle blows. Nicholas turns around and runs at Grayson. Grayson gets ready to pass him the ball. Nicholas tackles Grayson to the ground. Grayson looks winded and confused. Nicholas’ fists come down on him in a flurry of blows. Nicholas rips Grayson’s helmet off.

Teammate: What are you doing?!

The teammates grab Nicholas and pull him off of Grayson.

Nicholas: You know what you did! Betraying me? That’s a fucking mistake. You’re scared of Fury? Imagine if he was stuck in here with you! Well, here I am!

Nicholas laughs as everyone looks at him scared.

Nicholas: This is my world, Grayson! You might have helped Fury, but he’s gone now! I can do whatever I want! This is my world! My wonderland!