Grayscale

By A.E. Clarke

Holly always assumed that getting superpowers would be the hard part of becoming a superhero.

But when a transformer explodes overhead on her way home from work one day, she’s forced to reconsider—getting them was easy. After she’s released from the hospital, she discovers she can control electricity.

While Holly is practicing her newfound ability in the backyard, her younger brother Jesse sees her and decides to use his training in martial arts to teach his sister how to rein in her power.

It’s only a matter of time before they’re a superheroic crime-fighting duo—or so they want to believe. But it’s a lot harder to be a superhero than it seems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
• Release date: Dec 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781786454478

A.E. Clarke

A.E. Clarke is still trying to figure out what to do when he grows up. In the meantime, he plays make-believe through his writing and in community theatre, and overthinks that make-believe in his psychology studies. He lives in Windsor, Canada, with his three cats.

Book preview

Chapter One: Holly

I don’t know why I’ve never bothered cutting through here before. This isn’t so bad, I thought as I walked down the long, circling driveway towards the ravine, my breath coming out in little puffs of fog against the blue sky. I was technically trespassing on the grounds of a community centre, but no one was around to say anything, and my brother seemed to get away with it all the time.

I wasn’t sure how much time this shortcut would save me. I’d been living at the same house and walking the same route all my life, but Jesse—my little brother—wouldn’t shut up about it, even though hydro fields have always felt uncomfortable to me. Something about the electricity in the air, I guess. But it really was the quickest way home from the bus, and as much as I wanted to murder Jesse sometimes, he was pretty good at finding tricks to make life that tiny bit easier.

I flipped open my cell as I got off the bus. I reread Alex’s last text, sent about an hour ago—

Love you! Phone when you’re off the bus

—and hit the button to call my boyfriend. I wanted to talk to him about the party he’d gone to the week before. I’d heard he was being a bit too friendly with the host—an old flame of his—but we’d been going out for three years, and it was only a rumour. Still, I wanted to make sure. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d planted the rumour to test if I still cared. It kind of felt like something he’d do, as much as I hated to admit it.

Hey, babe. I could hear the smile on his face as he answered.

Hey, hon,

What’s up?

Well, mostly, I’m just calling to chat. I’m trying a bit of a different route home. I looked up at the ravine I would be walking through, which came out at the edge of an electrical plant of some sort, just a couple streets down from where I lived. I couldn’t even see the path through the trees but kept going anyway, pretty sure it would appear as I walked, since Jesse used it all the time.

Oh. Okay. How was your day?

It was good. I can’t believe we haven’t gone down this ravine. It’s beautiful!

"Wait, you’re going through the ravine? That’s the bit of a different way home?"

Yeah, why? I scowled at the steep, muddy hill in front of me. I hadn’t expected I’d have to scale something like that, even though it was pretty obvious there would be a bit of an incline. I could see a small clearing on the other side of the hill, and then the slope was much gentler, closer to what I’d expected.

Holly, it rained yesterday! You’d better not slip and fall. How could I possibly call the police?

With your cellphone? I brushed aside the branches of a bush blocking what seemed to be the entrance to a natural pathway to the right. The one you’re using right now? I smiled as I saw the gentle curve upwards.

Holly: 1; Nature: 0.

And isn’t that ravine where the electrical plant is? Isn’t that the hydro field?

Yeah, I know. I’ll suffer for this view. I turned around, wishing I could describe what it looked like for Alex, although he wouldn’t appreciate the natural beauty. I’d only gotten about twenty feet up the slope, but the dip in the land gave me an amazing view, a panorama of trees shedding their last leaves and a major street on either side.

No view is worth that much heavy breathing.

I rolled my eyes. This was why we never went hiking in the natural parts of the city. So anyway— I grunted a bit as I hit the steeper part of the hill.

What’s up?

I dunno. You know Lily’s party last week?

Yeah, you were…you were sick, right?

I could hear the suspicion in his voice. Great. Yeah, you know I had the stomach flu, hon. It’s not that.

Then what is it?

I dunno, I—ooh, this hill is steep.

I told you, babe…this is definitely not one of your better ideas.

I heard you were a bit friendly with Lily. I breathed between every couple words and nearly tripped at the noise that came out of his mouth.

What?! When the hell did you start talking to that jerk Scott about me?

I— How’d you know it was Scott who told me? And I thought he was your best friend.

That son of a… Alex cut off with a gruff sigh. Oh, boy, a misunderstanding. I loved misunderstandings. "He was my best friend, until someone told him I was fooling around with his girlfriend. I honestly didn’t touch her. Never wanted to and never will. Ugh, she looks like a toad who’s been hit by a frying pan. Anyway, he refused to look at the situation rationally and instead started a fight."

Which is why he was at Lily’s party…which you were very openly co-hosting. I raised my eyebrow, even though he couldn’t see it.

Yeah, he’s kinda stupid.

Sure. It’s a wonder we didn’t see this earlier.

You’d think, wouldn’t you? he asked, completely missing my sarcasm. He paused for a second. Are you almost home, babe? You sound like you’re breathing easier.

"Yeah. Yeah, I’m at hooo…the top." Or nearly at the top. I stopped for a second and bent over, watching my breath puff little bursts of steam into the November air.

You are so lame.

What?

I can hear how hard you’re breathing, Holly.

I could hear his laughter, too, so I laughed along with him, then looked up to see how much farther I had to go before I was back on flat ground and set off, vowing never to take this route home again.

Ah, shit. A droplet of water hit me between the eyes. Another hit my forehead.

What? Alex asked.

And another, and another, and suddenly I was caught out in a storm with no real jacket, already freezing my ass off. Damned cloudburst.

Oh, fuck. You should hang up and run home.

Well, I could… I slung my backpack up on top of my head and kept walking at a normal pace. Or I could just continue talking to my wonderful boyfriend, and the only thing that will get wet is my backpack.

No metal rods poking out of your backpack, are there? No lightning transmitters for my gorgeous lady?

I smiled at his mocking tone. You really are morbid, you know that? Listen, about the whole thing with Lily. I just—

I leaped a foot in the air as a loud explosion sounded above my head, and I looked up, the cold, hard raindrops hammering my eyes as I tried to make sense of what I saw.

One: a giant ball of fire about five feet above my head, swinging away from me.

Two: a wire with electricity crackling around the loose end, swinging towards me.

I swore and dropped my phone, and then there was only blinding pain until the world went black.

Chapter Two: Jesse

I had just gotten out of the office, halfway through lunch period. They let me out early, since this time, it genuinely wasn’t my fault I got sent to the office. Arguably. I mean, sure, I was technically part of the fight, but I was trying to break it up and even got punched in the face for my efforts! That deserved a reward, not a couple days of detention, but I knew better than to argue with the vice principal.

Alex called just after lunch, and when I was done yelling at him for getting me in deep shit for the second time that day—when I actually started to listen to him—I realized how worried he sounded.

What’s wrong?

You mean you’re actually gonna let me speak now?

Sorry. Go ahead.

You need to get over to Humber Hospital.

Why? What’s going on? Has something happened to Holly?

Y-yeah… He gulped and sniffled, and I swear my heart stopped. She’s hurt. She’ll be okay, but… He coughed and then sniffled again. I’d never heard him cry before. Alex was a stereotypical dude. No emotion, just straight and to the point.

What happened?

Something…something exploded.

"What d’you mean, something exploded?!"

I don’t even know, but I was on the phone with her. You know that ravine near your place?

With the hydro lines?

Yeah. Anyway, she’d finally gotten to the top of the hill, and then we were talking while she was catching her breath—she’s always so freaking stubborn. This isn’t the first time she hasn’t listened to me when I told her—

Alex.

Right. Sorry. Sniffle. Uhm… Sniffle. She was catching her breath, and I was laughing at her and making jokes about having to call the police to find her body because she’d tripped and fallen down that horrible slope—

Oh, please! I said, completely forgetting the seriousness of the conversation. I’ve fallen down that ravine. She’ll be all right if that’s all she’s done. It’s really not that steep.

Well, they found her about halfway down, so I guess you’re right! Congratulations, Jesse. You win the ‘jerk little brother’ award.

Sorry.

It’s…

Sniffle. Again.

I was not used to this, and his crying was starting to wear at me. No, it’s not your fault. Didn’t mean to jump down your throat for that.

We have different ways of dealing with stress, I guess. I’d always joked around about things, and it had always creeped others out a bit. I was the first one making jokes about my parents’ deaths, even if I had been crying at the same time. It was just how I made sense of the situation, y’know? If I ever came across a situation I couldn’t joke about, I didn’t know what I’d do.

Yeah, he said.

Do you know anything else? What happened when you were making fun of her?

All I heard was something exploding nearby, and then a thump like she’d dropped her phone, and the line disconnected.

Whoa!

Yeah. I called nine-one-one and went over there myself. I got there as they were putting her in the ambulance. Her face is all covered in scratches, and—

Listen, I’m about to be told off for talking on my cell in school, so could you pick me up before you head to the hospital? I nodded to the teacher who was giving me a stern look from her doorway and held up a finger for her to just give me a moment.

Yeah. I’m there already, but it’s not too far. I’ll come get you. Front door?

That works for me. Be there in a few minutes, need to sign out first.

Click.

I walked back into class and packed up my stuff, shaking my head when asked by a couple of my classmates what was wrong. I muttered, Family emergency, which seemed to be enough to stem the tide of questions, though Brent still gave me a worried look. I held up my cell phone, indicating I’d text him as soon as I knew anything.

I walked down the hallway, then sat down against my locker and chewed on my lip until I tasted blood. I was used to taking care of Holly, but having her in the hospital was a whole new level. It took me a while to shake off the feeling and remember Alex was on his way—he was probably already waiting outside. Breathing deeply, I got up and spun the lock but then realized I had everything I needed to grab for the evening.

I turned on my heel, walking towards the front office. The principal dodged out of the way of the door as I pushed it open.

Oops.

Apologizing—and cursing to myself—I stepped back to let her through. She shook her head at me and continued through the door.

The receptionist, a short woman who had to stretch to peer over the counter, raised an eyebrow and gave me a half-smile as I whirled to a stop in front of her. I think that was the most expressive I’d ever seen her.

Can I help you?

Yeah—um, I need to sign out.

Does your teacher know you’re here? I mean, I assume you were in class for the first— she looked at the clock behind her —twenty-three minutes?

Yeah. It’s Mr. Davies. He knows I’m here.

Mmmmkay, then. She drew out the mmm and gave me a weird look. So I can ask him?

What the— Seriously? Just let me sign out!

Fine, but I need to sign out a couple minutes ago at this point. My sister’s boyfriend is waiting for me.

We need a legal guardian’s permission to sign you out, young man.

My sister is my legal guardian, and she’s lying in a hospital bed, which is where I’m going. Right now. I was trying not to yell at the woman, but I couldn’t help it.

It’s school procedure.

Screw procedure! I grabbed a blank sheet of paper sitting on the counter, scrawled my name and student number across it and left before she found another reason to hold me up.

Alex was idling right outside. I opened his car door and got in without a word. He left the silence unbroken as he drove.

#

In the overpoweringly white room, I looked at the mostly still form of my older sister. Other than her groaning once, the silence was stifling. She was still unconscious, barely moving at all except for the steady rise and fall of her chest beneath the sheet.

Well, I guess that wasn’t her waking up, Alex said and came over to put a friendly hand on my shoulder.

I bit my lip, and he squeezed my shoulder.

Stop that. You’re gonna hurt yourself.

I looked up at him, consciously trying not to chew my lip to shreds. Again.

I… Well, crap.

She— he began and then clamped his mouth shut.

She what?

They didn’t tell me everything.

I focused on my martial arts training for a moment, using it to calm myself so I didn’t stress Alex out any more than having an unconscious girlfriend would already have done.

So then tell me what you do know.

They wanted to wait until you got here, but I think…I think something might have happened in the ambulance.

Excuse me, sir?

I turned around as a tall man dressed in a lab coat came through the door.

I’m Doctor Yeung, your sister’s attending physician. He reached out a hand, and I gripped it firmly, pumping it once before letting go.

Great to meet you, I guess. What happened with my sister?

First, I want to reassure you that there’s every possibility Holly is perfectly fine. She’s just unconscious right now.

So theoretically, if I were to, say— I reached over and lightly smacked her leg. She groaned and wriggled a bit. She’s basically asleep, then?

Yes. In fact, I’d be willing to say that she’d exhibit exactly that reaction, he said dryly, as if there was nothing wrong.

I’m amazed, Doctor! Really? Humour? This is coming from me, the king of laughing at bad situations, but…really?

Your sister is…a bit of a medical miracle, shall we say?

I blinked. Miracle was not exactly the first word that came to mind when I thought of her. How do you mean?

She survived a very, very intense electrocution.

Is that what happened? I looked over at Alex, who had sat on the edge of Holly’s bed. He was holding his jaw tight to keep from crying. I guess she’s lucky she didn’t die, then.

Well, technically, she did die. We think she suffered a cardiac arrest as a result of the electrical overload—

I held up a finger for him to pause, and when I spoke, it came out as all but a scream. Wait, you’re saying Holly had a heart attack and then died?

Sir, I promise you—

No, you’re not going to sugar-coat this for me. My sister just died, and—

Jesse! Alex stood and grabbed my shoulder again, clamping down. I took the hint and breathed deeply, calming myself.

I’m sorry, Doctor. She’s alive now. That’s what matters. Inside, I was raging at the doctor for brushing it off so easily, but yelling at him wasn’t going to change what had happened to Holly.

Your sister had been unconscious for less than a minute when the paramedics arrived. Ironically, the cardiac arrest saved her life because she was still able to be revived. That’s why I mentioned that she was as good as a medical miracle.

Jesus Christ, Alex muttered, staring at Holly.

Breaking news: heart attacks save lives!

She should, hopefully, be waking up within the next couple of hours—ah! He motioned with his arm. I might be overestimating…

I looked over at my sister, lying on the bed and tossing and turning as if she was waking up. Holly? Holly?!

Chapter Three: Holly

Holly?

I blinked once.

Holy hell, does that hurt.

I rolled over, trying to mumble something along the lines of gimme five more minutes and ending up with something closer to gim fi mo mints.

Holly, wake the hell up! Sorry, I… Jesse’s voice faded into the black as I let myself drift back to sleep for a second—before a sharp hit to the back of my head jolted me awake.

I reached up to smack my brother’s hand away and opened my eyes, trying to blink away the blurriness. I felt like I should remember something important about the night, but really, it was just grey.

I thought I told you to give me five more minutes, you little— I stopped abruptly when I saw the sleeve of my hospital gown.

Ow.

Actually, yeah. That sounds like about the right reaction.

Ow.

Yeah. Jesse was leaning over me, smiling grimly.

Hi, excuse me, ma’am? Do you know your name?

I looked over. The light flared across my vision. What the hell happened to me?

I tried to look at the doctor, but it was nearly impossible. My vision was still blurry, and things were swimming in and out of focus. I closed my eyes and covered them with my arm.