July 8, 2019
“Are you a student here as well?” Thom heard say from above and behind him.
He turned around. Moments ago, he was practicing making a paper fly on the pavement in front of him. Mask as it wear caught by a small air current. ‘Simple make it more natural. Follow the rhythm of your heart,’ his mother had said to him when training him as a kid. Follow the rhythm of your heart. It was that simple really.
Thom remembered the first time he learnt about his ability. Or rather, abilities. Moving objects. Covering distance just a tiny bit faster than the human eye could catch. Which made it seem like he was teleporting, but he hated that word, as it made it sound more ridiculous than what it really was. ‘Teleporting is what people call it. Like it’s a trick or something. It’s just a dash really, Thom,’ his father, Marcus, had said over the breakfast table in the countryside in Italy. Sipping coffee while reading the newspaper.
Thom’s family had moved from Korea to Italy right after his birth. ‘We wanted to protect you, really. From all the things that could have happened growing up in Seoul. You know… A countryside is safer. At least for growing up someone like you. Like us. And plus, dad wanted to be closer to his family. He hadn’t been back to Tuscany since so long. He missed it really.’
Half Italian, Half Korean, Thom looked like a melting pot of cultures and nationality. He had long dark and straight hair from his mother’s side. His shoulders, wide and broad from endless days spent outside dashing, and moving objects, framed a toned and tanned body. His eyes, wide and just slightly slanted, reminded of Florence just as much as it did of Asia. He was a good looking kid, which had turned in a handsome man.
‘What else can I do?’ he asked his parents.
‘Besides dashing and telekinesis, you mean?’
‘Yeah.’
‘That’s pretty much it really. But they should be enough really. God knows what would happen if you had even more powers. You were impossible to take care of as a child already as it is,’ Thom’s mother said. And kissed him on the forehead as she collected the plates from breakfast.
Just dashing and telekinesis, he said to himself as he got up to go and work on the farm outside.
He heard a tap on his shoulder. The piece of paper outside suddenly fell. ‘I’m sorry, do you mind if I sit down here as well? I’m waiting for enrolment to start and there’s nowhere else to wait,’ the girl said again.
Thom looked at her. Brown-eyed, and brown-haired, her tanned face reminded him of almonds. Her smile was friendly, and pleasant.
‘Sure. Of course,’ he said and pointed at the chair next to his.
The girl sit down and let the bag she was holding drop heavily on the floor.
‘I’m Autumn, by the way,’ her hand reached out.
‘Autumn? I’m Thomas. Thom, really,’ he said.
‘So what do you do here Thom?’
‘I am waiting for enrolment as well,’ and he smiled.
And from there the conversation began to flow, and took a life of its own.