1935-
Bobby Benson rubbed his hands together as he looked at the gray sky overhead. The
smell of snow was in the air. He needed a place to shelter, or he would freeze to
death.
Winters in New York were the worst.
Bobby drifted through the crowd on the street. Most of them seemed to be heading
toward the Bowery. Work was scarce, but the adults were making do with what they
could. It was tougher for the orphan kids trying to take care of themselves.
The boy fell in beside a guy in a battered coat that looked like he had taken it from
some other bum after a knockdown fight. A suit appeared to be under the coat, but it
looked like it belonged on someone else.
“What’s the problem?” The guy glanced down at Bobby. He pulled out a bag of
tobacco and papers and rolled a cigarette. “Haven’t you seen a tramp before?”
“I guess so.” Bobby shrugged. “You’re better dressed than most.”
“Thanks, kid.” The guy lit his cigarette and put his fixings away. “There’s a place
around the corner that leads into the subway. The word is people are settling in for
the winter down there.”
“Really?” Bobby rubbed his hands together. “How does that work?”
“They are building living spaces to keep off the streets.” The guy smoked as he
walked. “You might be able to get something for yourself if you’re smart.”
“That sounds good.” Bobby smiled. “Maybe I can get something for myself.”
“That’s the spirit.” The walker smiled around his cigarette. “Just be careful. The
underground has a lot of strange types down there.”
“Thanks,” said Bobby. “I appreciate it.”
“There’s the stairs.” The stranger pointed at a set of steps inside an alley. “Be careful
and keep an eye out for problems. You’ll do fine.”
Bobby waved at his helper as he walked over to the stairs. He descended to a door
marked with some kind of drawing. He checked the handle. It turned freely under his
touch. He pushed the door in and stepped inside.
Torches lined the walls. Blocks made up the corridor leading into darkness. A slight
wind pushed against his battered coat as he tried to make up his mind.
He concluded this wasn’t a subway tunnel. Maybe people moving in was more likely
if the city didn’t care about some old access tunnel. And it looked old to his eyes.
Bobby wandered down the passage, finding stairs that led to other tunnels, that led
to even more stairs. He paused at a crossroads with the realization that he was lost.
He could be stuck in the tunnels for days without finding the exit.
If people did move in, they would find his skeleton somewhere when they moved far
enough into the tunnels.
He walked to another staircase. He looked up and saw a light beaming down on the
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steps. He walked up the staircase cautiously. He thought he heard voices, but he
wasn’t sure. He didn’t like what they were saying.
He paused at the door framing the beam of light. He wondered what was beyond that.
He walked across the threshold and blinked his eyes against the light. This room was
decorated with statues and writing carved in the walls. A rack of rolled papers
covered one wall. There was no other furniture.
The light came from a window in the wall. Bobby shielded his eyes as he walked over
to look out the window. He saw a sea of clouds stretching on forever. The sun peeked
over the edge of the misty shroud, shining through the square opening.
“What are you doing here?” The voice was papery thin, and enunciated the words as
if they didn’t belong to the speaker.
“I was looking for a place to stay.” Bobby turned from the window. “I thought this
place was underground.”
“Some of it is.” The owner of the room stood on the other side of the chamber. He
wore something that looked like a night shirt with a belt around the middle. He had
a long stick in one hand for him to lean on. “This chamber looks out on other places.”
“Would it be okay if I stayed here?” Bobby gestured at the door leading to the
corridors and steps that had led him to this room. “You won’t even know I’m here.”
“Certainly.” The old man nodded. “I won’t be here long. You are more than welcome
to take my place.”
“Thanks.” Bobby smiled. “It feels good to have the sun in my face. I didn’t realize
that I had wandered into a building. I thought I was still in the subway.”
“It’s fine.” The old man walked to the window. He stretched out his hand through the
opening. He pulled it back after it had started glowing from an inner fire. “Take this.”
Bobby held out his hand. He winced as the glow dropped into his palm. Warmth
spread through his body. He examined his hand, realizing it was bigger than it should
be. He looked around. He was taller for some reason.
He looked down at his clothes. They had changed to look like the old man’s night
shirt and belt. His shoes were sandals. He didn’t like that at all. He liked his old
wingtips more than anything.
A new version of his shoes formed as he watched. They were light blue and white in
coloring. He smiled at the fanciness of it.
“What did you do to me?” Bobby paused at the sound of his own voice. It didn’t
sound normal at all.
“I have given you free rein of my home until you don’t need it anymore.” The old
man nodded. “I have decided that your appearance means I can retire in peace and let
you take my place.”
“I don’t know if I want to do that.” Bobby examined his hands. “It sounds like a big
responsibility.”
“Everything you need to know is in the scrolls.” The old man pointed at the rack.
“Try not to let me down like my last heir did.”
“What if I need to ask you something?” Bobby glanced at the old man. This had
turned out weirder than he had thought possible.
“Simply call my name at the window.” The old man smiled. “I will hear and talk with
you. Don’t worry. You seem smart enough to handle the inheritance I have given you.
Do your best.”
“What is your name?” Bobby kicked himself for not asking that first.
“It’s Cain.” The old man floated off the ground. He flew through the window and
vanished among the clouds.
Bobby wondered if he could fly among the clouds too. Did he want to do that? He sat
down on the floor, not noticing the stone was cold. This was the weirdest day of his
life so far.
What did he do next?
Maybe he should read the scrolls and see what was in them. Surely one of them could
tell him how to get back to normal. That would be the best thing to do right now.
Then he could figure out the rest of this without a lot of pressure.
He hoped he wasn’t just losing his mind. That would put a damper on finding a new
home, and turning into an adult at the same time.
Bobby heard someone calling for help. He went to the window and looked out. A hole
in the clouds let him see the ground below. A woman was screaming about her baby.
He looked in the direction she was looking. A perambulator rolled away from the
woman toward traffic.
What could he do about it?
He started floating in the air and smiled. Maybe he could do something after all. He
flew out the window in a bolt of lightning.
