Lightweight 5: "Answers"

By Nicholas Ahlhelm

Kevin Mathis finds his life in flux as he's torn between his new love Constanze and best friend Millie in the fifth short story in the monthly Lightweight series.

His romantic problems get even more complicated as he learns more about the two secret societies that seek to manipulate his place in the world, even as he continues to use his metahuman abilities, this time to battle super-powered terrorists Hammer and Anvil.

Check out the latest adventure of America's top prose super-serial: Lightweight!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Metahuman
• Release date: Apr 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310980091

Nicholas Ahlhelm

Nicholas Ahlhelm produces new super powered fiction, often in a serialized format like you see here with Lightweight. He lives in Eastern Iowa where he wishes the winters were just a bit less wintery. Learn more about his work at superpoweredfiction.com. To directly back his writing and get new serialized stories months before everyone else, support him at Patreon.com/ahlhelm.

Book preview

Lightweight 5

Answers

By Nicholas Ahlhelm

Lightweight 5: Answers Smashwords Eidtion, Lightweight and all related characters are copyright © 2014 Nicholas Ahlhelm.

Edited by Lisa M. Collins.

Cover illustration by Brent Sprecher.

Lightweight logo designed by Cynthia Celeste Miller. Lightweight costume and insignia design by Brent Sprecher.

Some fonts used in production of this book were created by Blambot and are used under their Free Font License Agreement. © Nate Piekos. Blambot.com.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Answers

Afterword

Letters

Character Profile: Howl

Backers

About the Author

Answers

It wasn’t dark anymore. Light surrounded me. I couldn’t remember the last time the dreams brought daylight. I was still in the air, but I only floated only a few inches off the ground. It felt strange. After months of being lost in the sky every night the dream left me confused.

I looked around the street. I floated right above the line that separated the two sides of the street. I saw no one. It seemed like the entire city was empty. I was alone in Federation. I wasn’t sure why or how.

You walk into danger, Mister Mathis. And if you do not tread carefully, you risk the destruction of every man, woman and child in Federation. You are responsible and your actions threaten everyone around you.

The voice seemed to come from all around me, but I saw no source. Who are you? What is this about?

I am just a man, Kevin. I cannot change the future, but you can. You are the Chosen, the one that holds the key to protecting mankind’s future or causing its destruction. And you tread far too close to destruction.

I don’t understand. I’m trying to be a hero. I don’t want to hurt anyone or destroy anything.

I cannot tell you everything, child. If only I could—even this communication is dangerous. But I feared too much has already happened beyond your control. You needed guidance before the dark could wrap its claws in you.

The dark—I don’t understand. I’m so tired of cryptic bullshit. I’m tired of being forced awake every night by weird dreams. I just want to know why I have these powers. I want to know where these dreams come from.

That I cannot tell you.

Then I am done with this. It’s my life. I’m tired of people knowing who I am and messing with me. I pounded my chest. This is my time. I’m not going to listen to a bunch of nonsense that has no meaning to me. If you don’t have answers, I’m done with you. I’m done with the nightmares. I’m done with all of it.

Then it is already too late.

The light around me faded into the night. The presence, the voice, whatever it was, was gone. I was alone again in the dark.

***

Kevin walked to the breakfast table with a spring in his step. For the first time in far too long, he actually felt good. It was a wonder what a good night’s sleep did for him.

Mom gave him a smile as he sat down with a bowl of Apple Jacks. What’s got into you this morning? You do know it’s not a snow day.

"I know. I just