New Earth was an ever changing place. Nothing seemed ever-present in the world as it hurtled along the years of construction and realisation with ease and for most people the cities of New Earth were what most people truly called the peak of human civilisation.

  The buildings were large in New London, but like any other major city in New Earth, New London had a distinct similarity to New York which the penultimate great land battle was fought. The centre of the major cities like New London has skyscrapers hundreds of feet high into the air some which past the clouds and had an ethereal feel when looking down from the highest floor. Each skyscraper has a distinct shape some with spires instead roofs and some more powerful business had buildings wider then the rest. Most skyscrapers had shuttle train lines across the sides of the building with station stops near a particular level and anyone can enter the building from entrances from that side.

  Flying cars and buses were in abundance, as because of the high rise high rise skyscrapers and advancements in technology people did not need to drive on the ground anymore. Flying was the way to go and the same rules for road travel also applied for the sky. Most cars were powered by jets at the beginning, but now are powered by electricity and also alchemical fuel invented by the Andulans which is not harmful to the environment and pavements were on most levels half way up the high sky scrapers and bridges would attach and detach towards each building for citizens to crossover.

  Environmental levels were down as no natural resources were used, the air was fresher then most humans in the past world could ever dream of absorbing with their nostrils and if you stood still for some seconds you could actually smell the phosphoresce of the coast near New Southampton and Portsmouth.

  The outskirts of New London and most of England were made of up with little towns amongst big trees and forests and large farmlands that were untouched. Agriculture is a booming business and the population has stayed at a perfect level. Certain rules about intimacy were being put into place, but the governments found out that people were fearful about what happened to the ancestors in the old world which was over-populated and mired with tales and images of self destruction. People were scared that it would happen again. That those old animalistic and selfish impulses would happen again. That it would emerge out of people. It was this feeling that kept order in New Earth.

  Crime rates were relatively low in New London, but human nature could not disappear like the old Earth, people still wanted to get ahead and would use violence to get it, but the police forces were armed with weapons that only dealers and career criminals could wishfully think about having were quick, precise and for some people merciless with their decisions.

  New Earth and its cities was a place that only people could dream of in the old world. Idyllic with a strong sense of purpose and order New Earth was a place that was worth protecting…

  Lathan Thorne woke up with sweat pouring down his brow and a startled look in his eyes. It was a nightmare that woke him and the same dream that has haunted his thoughts of slumber for the last couple weeks. The dream showed a tall figure face covered in darkness walking towards Lathan in a desert near a canyon with two moons in the background shining at Lathan, but not on the individual whose red cloak billow with breeze that comes out of no where. The man whose right arm is raised keeps uttering I will find you Lathan Thorne, I will find you. Then he utters something else, something Lathan should not understand, but he has heard those words before; Thrase Mortalis and a red blast comes from his hand and heads towards Lathan weakened and unable to defend himself and then the dream ends.

  Lathan wipes his brow, as his hand passes through his skin which had clear complexion strange for someone who is only sixteen. Lathan looks around at the clock on his bedside table. 5:45am.

  He sighs and stands up letting that five feet eleven inches unfurl and stretching his muscles, Lathan Thorne is built like an athlete and looks like a model for the old mount Olympus and he walks from his bed room to the bathroom next door. He washes his face in the mirror. Lathan’s facial features come into prominence. A young man of mixed race heritage he has the creamish complexion and the deep brown eyes, his hair clipped real short and to the skin and few spots across his body. His six pack was coming along nicely and he was still growing, only last year he was about five nine and leaped up two full inches by the last spring.

  Lathan keeps looking at the mirror. It was the usual routine, he would just stare as he is doing now and try and find something, what he was looking for he truly does not know, but the fact is that when he just stood there looking at himself watching the water dripping and sliding down his face, his own thoughts would take over. What is this dream about? What is the man in the red cape want with me? Who is he? What did he say? What was that blast?

  It was the same questions all the time at this point of the morning for the last couple of weeks and Lathan could never find any answers for any of them. Including the one that always troubles him the most. What is wrong with me? The water still running from the nozzle on the washbasin and Lathan looks at the water going into the sink downwards. He keeps looking at the water and he closes his eyes for a second and two soft words enter his mind. Meira Elevate “Meira Elevate.” He said and the water suddenly points up wards from the nozzle and rises. The water running upwards is now hitting the ceiling. Lathan looks up, but not in amazement. Lathan looks at the water like it was the usual thing because it was and Lathan has done more. “Reasanda” he said and the water drops back into the sink running normally into the sink and not above. He then presses a button which closes to plug hole and water fills the basin. He stops the water as it goes past the half way mark on the basin and put his index finger in the water. “Arion Glacious.” As he said that he brushes his finger through the water and as he does that the water freezes into cold and hard ice. Lathan then concentrates and squinted his eyes for a couple of seconds. Lathan puts his index finger on the surface of the ice.

  He concentrates harder and harder and more sweat comes from his brow as his eyes become more and more red and then a white then a blue glow comes from his finger and strokes the ice which in turn melts the ice and then waters appears splashes around Lathan who falls hard on the floor. A voice echoes through the darkness of Lathan’s sub-conscious as he passes out. LATHAN!!!!!!! DON’T TELL HIM HE WILL KILL YOU AND KILL US ALL!!! A female voice screams. Then a male voice yells TELL ME WHERE IT IS!!!!!!! Then sounds fade into nothingness.

  By the time Lathan comes to someone is standing above him. An older male wearing a bathrobe and slippers. A tall black man who looks at Lathan sternly before pouring water on Lathan’s face. “Dad!!! I’m up! I’m up!” Lathan screams with that cold shower.

  “Good.” Lathan’s dad said as Lathan stands up and he throws a towel to his son who catches it and wipes his face. Lathan’s dad named Julius Thorne stands with a large frame and is at least over six feet. He looks up at the ceiling and shakes his head seeing the mark of the water which Lathan made earlier. “Jesus. Lathan what have I told you about drinking!”

  “Dad I don’t drink!” Lathan said in his own defence.

  “Then where were you last night?” Julius said with his deep voice which at one point makes him sound very threatening.

  “I went out with some friends.”

  “Zenden and Jaden?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  “I just went out to a party.”

  “Look Lathan I know you’re about to graduate from Bridgeport and you feel the shackles coming off, but that gives you no excuse to act irresponsibly. You have a responsibility to behave yourself and not be like all those other gutter kids who want to paint the town red.” Julius said firmly.

  “Dad all it was…was a party. I didn’t drink; I just chilled with my friends.”

  “Not a drop Lathan Thorne?”

  “Nothing not a drop of old ale touched my lips dad. I cross my heart.”

  “Yeah like that works anymore.” Julius said coldly and Lathan looks at his dad with some disappointment. “Lathan certain things can happen. Choices can be made. Just don’t fall in with the wrong crowd and behave in a stupid manner.”

  “Not to disappoint you right?” Lathan says with some sarcasm behind his voice.

  “Yes of course not.” Julius said as he turns round and starts to walk.

  “I always disappoint you.” Lathan said to himself quietly and Julius turns and walks back almost offended that he uttered those words.

  “What was that?” Julius said reacting like it was a personal offence.

  “Nothing.”

  “Sorry?”

  “Nothing dad.”

  “I guessed so.” Julius said and he walks out of Lathan’s bathroom. Lathan just stands shaking his head not shocked by his father’s provocation.

  Lathan gets ready for his last two days of his high school life. A part of him is excited another part of him is saddened. He will miss those days of youth not having to truly worry about anything except school that is. Plus with the big game coming up today it gave him something else to think about. Lathan dresses in a white t-shirt, grey hooded top and black jeans with easy fit trainers. Clothing in New Earth has kept on with the same styles with the last century of the old world which in turn kept on with the same clothing styles of the 21st century only now for the summer most clothes including t-shirts come with instant perspiring mechanisms in clothes in which will actually calculate how much you are perspiring, what level is perspiring and instantly cooling your body down with air bursting through like hand dryers in toilets.

  Lathan puts some of his books in his bags and hears the car of his father start. Lathan looks out the window and watches his father in the car which rises in the air and flies off. Lathan just sighs as he goes into the front and waits for his friends who usually pick him up. He goes into the kitchen and presses a button on the counter. A bowl appears from under the counter from a compartment above the bowl and cereal comes down into the bowl from a nozzle above. The bowl moves down a little conveyor belt which stops after a couple seconds and from another nozzle above milk comes out splashes on the cereal. Lathan looks across and looks sugar shaker across the counter. Lathan squints and concentrates putting his right hand out and the shaker begins to shake and then slowly starts to move across the counter and towards Lathan. At the last second it shoots up towards his hand causing the sugar fly up and goes all over Lathan’s top. “Great.” He said in frustration as he grabs some tissue and wipes his top.

  A doorbell rings and Lathan opens the door by pressing a button as he already knows who it is. A tall well muscled young man wearing, a white t-shirt and baggy jeans stands in front Lathan. He towers over Lathan who looks up and smiles. “Zenden. Of course as I’m just about to have my breakfast you have to come.”

  Zenden smiles and that big grin come through and he looks down and looks at the sugar on his top. “Looks like I did you favour pal, I mean when do you eat stuff off your chest?”

  Lathan looks down wiping the sugar off and he laughs. “So you’re a comedian now?”

  “Well you know I try.” Zenden said laughing as he enters and they go into the front room from the hallway.

  They sit in front of the TV as they watch the news which was on when Lathan’s dad left. Zenden looks at TV carefully and looks at Lathan coming with his breakfast and a glass of orange juice for his friend. “Thanks,” Zenden said taking a sip and sitting back on the couch. “News is on.”

  “Yep.”

  “You and pops had another spat again?”

  Lathan does not answer instead he keeps looking at the TV screen taking mouthfuls of cereal.

  “Sorry Lathan. Didn’t mean to pry.”

  “Duly noted.” Lathan said and smiles.

  “Such a fricking actor. No apologising from now on.” Zenden jokes.

  “Yeah right you say that all the time and it always the same conclusion.” Lathan adds.

  “Yeah well you know. I have a kind heart. What can I do?”

  “Use it better. Put yourself out there. I mean last night Zenden? Jeez what happened there?”

  Zenden looks at Lathan and raises his right eyebrow. “You sound like Jaden.”

  “Yeah well Jaden’s maybe wrong about a lot of things, but when it came to last night. You had a chance.”

  “It wasn’t the right time Lathan, it just didn’t feel right. You have to understand that.”

  “I do and you know I’m supportive, Jaden might not be right from before with the usual badgering, but you didn’t catch the looks she was giving you Zenden. Throughout that entire party there were loads enticing looks coming from her direction.” Lathan said.

  “There were all these people there and my heart rate was beating irregular,”

  “That’s a bad excuse man. It a fricking party Zenden and people would be,” Lathan stops and looks perplexed and then laughs to himself. “I do sound like Jaden.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Hey that doesn’t get away from the fact that you should have done something. She was there looking at you, the lights in the room were dimmed and it was like a scene out of a movie.”

  “How can I say this?” Zenden pauses. “Something just told me not to ask out Marcella then. I cannot explain it. Just something in my heart just told me not to do anything then and that I should wait.”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “You do plan to ask Marcella out?”

  “Yeah of course I do.”

  “We all have only two days left. Summer break is so close I mean you’re finally going to New Harvard with me,”

  “Hey I stayed in an extra term because I needed the extra credit.”

  “Hey we’re not talking about that? I’m talking about the fact by Friday it maybe the last time that you see Marcella for a while or ever. Could you really risk that after all these years of liking her and watching her from the safety of your locker?”

  Zenden thinks about that. “No of course not. You know how much I like her Lathan. I’ll ask her out today. Okay are you happy now?”

  “Yep.” Lathan says with little enthusiasm and not noticing Zenden’s attempt sarcasm.

  “I just think,” said Zenden who watches Lathan eat his cereal, “that for a person who is younger then me,”

  “A year younger.”

  “A year younger then I that you’re is giving me advice on asking out a girl. I just have to think what type of guy am I?”

  “A good guy.” Lathan said looking at Zenden seriously. “You tend to forget about all the times you’ve helped me with your advice.”

  “Yeah because I’m older.”

  “Yeah well you’re like the older brother I never had you know?” Lathan said. “That’s why I hope you ask her out because I know she will say yes and I know that you’ll be happy. You know your family to me.”

  Zenden looks Lathan seriously like that statement touched him in a very personal way and it was needed to be said. “Thank you Lathan. You know you’re like a brother to me too. I’ll always look out for you.”

  “That was an emotional moment.” Lathan said with a giggle. Giggling like a girl of course.

  “Yep it sure was.”

  “We never tell this to Jaden.”

  “I’ve already forgotten about it.” Zenden said as both laugh and continue to watch the TV as young lady wearing elegant jewellery around with long black hair with golden crown on her head comes on screen. Lathan cannot take his eyes off her. A beauty that was new to him and that unparalled to anyone that he has ever seen.

  Zenden and Lathan sit in Zenden’s car a decent five door car with enough room for about five to sit, the car was more shaped like a family car and not the small speed racer cars that most eighteen year olds have, but Zenden was proud of this car, during one storm two years ago on a trip to New Manchester the engine of Zenden car was the only one in the air to not be affected by the lightening which struck down most cars in the ground as flying was out of bounds during a storm. They both strap themselves in and slow shudder comes across the car for a second before lifting off the ground gradually heading into the skies.

  “What do you think of your chances in the big game tonight?” Zenden asked.

  “Winterbrook are a hard team. Best in the country. We lost the last time we faced them.” Lathan said.

  “Always positive.”

  “Let me finish. I was going to say that they are very good, but we’ve been on a good run lately. Plus Hawken’s on real form right now so I think we got a chance.”

  “Good.”

  Lathan touched the passenger door and brushed it with his finger he nods. “I see you got the car repainted.” Lathan said noticing the faded blue of his car has been replaced by a smooth cerulean blue coat.

  “Yeah, I mean I had to. It wasn’t looking nice you know. Everyone else is showing up with their new cars and mine looked like something that’s come out of a fricking scrap yard.” Zenden says as the sky was clear and they go along at fifty five miles per hour.

  “Have you got your rydercycle fixed yet” Zenden asks Lathan putting his hand put feeling the cool air amongst the heat bearing down from the sun of Vennesula Galaxy.

  “Well it should be fixed tomorrow; you don’t mind dropping me to Midtown to collect it?” Lathan asked hoping for the right answer.

  “Yeah sure no probs. Why Midtown?”

  “Because down at Midtown they fix cars, cycles better I mean I took my rydercycle in on Monday now it’s Wednesday. They should have fixed it and I believe they have.”

  “You should be that area’s spokesman.” Zenden joked.

  “Only if they give me a discount first.” Lathan laughs and notices that they are not going the same way to school as they usually do passing a sign that points to the direction of Bridgeport. “Hey you just missed the exit!”

  “Yeah I know.”

  “Please tell me we’re not going skive again are we because we almost got caught by Principal Jones last time.”

  “Nope it’s not that.”

  “Then what Zenden?”

  “I’ve got a pick up Jaden.”

  “Jeez, please tell me he didn’t stay the night at another girl’s house?”

  “I’m afraid so, he met her at the part last night. Didn’t you wonder after we had that spat that you didn’t see him until we were going to leave and then he didn’t come with us?”

  “I thought you were still angry at him and wanted him to learn a lesson.”

  “Lathan please I weren’t angry when we left. He just got me angry bugging me about Marcella.”

  “So who is this girl? Older or younger?”

  “Don’t know she looks older like a college girl, she had an American accent, so she might be one of those transfer students. She looked Latin, so she could be Mexican.”

  “So where do you have to pick him up?”

  “In the city near New Moorgate.”

  “For fricks sake,” Lathan said looking at his watch 8:15am. “Look my first class starts at nine and you know how the traffic is at this time at central are we going to make it?”

  “Yeah we should.” Zenden said unconvincingly.

  “That instils me with much confidence.” Lathan said with the sarcasm flowing through his lips and Zenden laughs.

  They go along an over pass joining other flying cars joining the freeway which was a long spanning for miles high bridge in skies. There are three levels to the freeway one was close to the surface of the freeway which served as getting closer to the exits another was out the on the middle level which is between the surface and outright flight which drivers can switch levels and the highest levels which were clear in the air which was for speed and longer distances.

  Zenden drops down to the lowest level and the car is right near the black tarmac. At this point the lower level seems to be faster then the mid and high levels and career along at around eighty miles per hour.

  “Shouldn’t we be at the top level? We can go over a hundred up there.” Lathan said with some degree of frustration.

  “This is rush hour Lathan. Up on top level most cars get smashed and other drivers become more and more reckless.”

  “You should take a risk and go on the top level so we can get into the city quicker.”

  “Well not everyone is a risk taker like you Lathan.”

  “I’m just thinking,”

  “Lathan we’ll go on the top level soon as possible as soon as the top become clearer.” Zenden said frustratingly looking at the three screens he has near his windscreen mirror each showing viewpoints from the ahead, above and below. It was because of the view screens that each car is fitted that you can drive on these somewhat complicated freeways.

  “You didn’t have to say it like that.” Lathan mopes.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Zenden looks at his screen and sees that the top is clear. “Okay going up.” he pulls up on the gear stick and the car rises up vertically going past the lower level then the middle level and as soon at it hits the clear sky he changes the gear back to one then to two and then to three and so on until gear six which is the fastest gear.

  “Now this is what I’m talking about!!” Lathan shouts looking out the window with clear on his left and on Zenden’s right zipping along at nearly a hundred miles per hour.

  “Jesus don’t put your head out the window you didn’t watch the news a couple of weeks ago?” Zenden said with a strict tone.

  “Nope don’t watch the news.”

  “Well you should, anyway some guy cruising, well more like speeding along the freeway at night stuck his head out going over a hundred and he was drunk and then just like that,” Zenden clicks his fingers, “his head was taken off.”

  “Off?” Lathan asked followed by a big gulp of fear in his throat.

  “Yep clean off.” Zenden said indicating the action passing his right hand across his throat. Lathan in turn sits back in the car and puts up the glass half way.

  “Must watch the news next time.”

  “I think you should.” Zenden replies with his own skill of sarcasm.

  As they drive on both realise that the cars in front which were much further in front just seconds earlier were now slowing the red break light were not specs in the distance and Zenden starts to slow down.

  “Must be traffic.” Zenden said as they stop just few feet from the car in front.

  “Up here?” Lathan asks almost exasperated with the present situation.

  “Yes Lathan up here. You can get traffic on the upper level you know though,” Zenden pauses looking peering out of the window to see what the hold up is, “You never really get it this early I mean where still not even close to the city.”

  Some cars ahead and behind beep their frustrations. Lathan looks down and sees that the middle level was starting to slow as well and the lower level cars with still moving slowly, but moving all the same.

  “Lower level’s moving fine.” Lathan said sitting back into position.

  Zenden looks at the third monitor on his dashboard the one showing the lower level. He has a look of concern. “All I hope is that some of the cars up here don’t try and get down there.”

  “Why not? If you can move down there instead of being stuck on this traffic then why not?” Lathan asks to find out if Zenden has another answer in him.

  “Well my witless chum, if you look someone can just do a level drop when stagnate in traffic, everything has to be moving for you to change to go up or drop down. You collide with someone causing damage to your car or even worse causing actual bodily harm and not just the car.”

  “You ever see anyone try it?” Lathan asks.

  “Nope. No one is that stupid.”

  Lathan nods and then they both sit silence. Lathan then suddenly feels the urge to tell Zenden what happened to him this morning about the dream and how he can change the direction of water. “Zenden.”

  “Yeah.” Zenden replies, yawning while playing around with the radio.

  “It happened,” then a sharp pain comes across Lathan’s head. A real shot to his mind causing instant discomfort. Lathan grimaces in pain.

  “Lathan! What, what is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Arrgh!!! Something like a sharp knife just going into my head!!! Arrgh!!” Lathan screams as he puts both hands on his head as a ringing noise runs through his mind until it fades into a quite dim and his vision changes. The light colour of the blue sky suddenly turns to darkness yet the cars and Zenden still remain, but only coloured in white everything any object is covered in white the glow of the whiteness almost blinding at any edge of the white looked loose billowing like they were a ghostly presence.

  Lathan looks at Zenden touching his shoulder saying something, but he cannot understand, but it sounds like gibberish then any coherent English. Lathan looks forward again and sees something that startles him a car falling several feet ahead of them it falls and crashes into several cars below. Then colour comes back, Zenden speaks clear English again and the silent dim of where he was is gone.

  “Jesus you okay Lathan?” Zenden said as Lathan snaps out. “It was like you were gone and your eyes!”

  “What? What about my eyes?” Lathan asks finally back.

  “Your pupils were gone! Your eyes were just white!”

  “They were?” Lathan asks and they both hear a scream from car in front. Lathan looks at Zenden sharply and his eyes rise. “Oh my god that car!”

  “What?”

  “There’s a car it is about to fall down the,” as Zenden is about to finish that same image he saw in white was now happening in all colour a red car around the same size as Zenden’s car falls starts to drop and slams into a car below.

  “No they’re done they’re goners, the lower level is still running.” Zenden points to that third monitor and Lathan looks in horror. Suddenly in that instant something comes over Lathan Thorne. The will, the will to do something.

  “I can save them.” Lathan says to himself as he looks at his hands.

  “What?” Zenden says looking at the car slamming into cars below. “What was that La,” he sees that Lathan was not sitting next to him, but has just climbed up onto the roof of his car. “What the,”

  Lathan stands on the roof and looks at the car careering down towards the black tarmac and looks to his down to the right and through the other cars right below to the lower level and sees a car speeding along surely going to hit the car crashing down. Lathan leaps off and lands on the roof of a car several feet below Zenden’s. Zenden looks in horror seeing his friend leap off his car. “LATHAN!!!!!”

  Lathan lands hard almost buckling his knee on the roof of the car he just landed, but this does not stop his resolve and leaps down again and lands perfectly on another car even further down as Lathan leaps down the red car keeps crashing down colliding with parked cars until it smacks into the last car parked that tries to back away just smashing its front. Lathan leaps down every car cascading down on traffic.

  The red car slams down front way onto the tarmac. The driver unconscious with blood spills from his head lies there motionless as the car flips over and the driver sits unconscious upside down. Coming along is a car speeding at the level at around ninety eight miles per hour a group of young boys with leather jackets designed to shock with spikes on their shoulders, listening to loud cyber rock music. They career around the corner with no clue as the car is unsighted several metres ahead of the turn.

  Lathan leaps down from car to car with people looking in amazement that someone is actually doing what he is doing, people open their windows and looks at this young leaping down to the lower level. Lathan leaps on one car and loses his grips and falls slams onto the bonnet of one car and falls again grabbing onto the bumper of another car another level below. He hangs and grimaces in pain for a second and then leaps down and lands on the tarmac.

  Lathan runs to the car and looks at the driver. He sees the blood dripping on top of the door. He takes a deep breath and with great strength rips open the door with one pull. He rips off the seatbelt and drags the man to the hard shoulder of the lane. The man still remains unconscious and Lathan wipes some of the blood, but another fear comes across Lathan as he sees a car, that same car with the group of boys that is purple in colour heading straight towards the wreckage.

  “No.” Lathan said to himself. He runs to the middle of the lane and jumps up and down waving his hands in the air. “STOP!!! STOP!!!!” He screams, but to no avail as the car seems to be going even faster. Lathan then looks at his hands and looks to his left with people climbing out of their cars trying to help the unconscious man and looking at Lathan who looks up and feels a strange yet monumental power flowing through his veins. He puts his hood on and raises his right hand and like both softly spoken words flirt across his conscious like a soft wind. “Dearil Mentas.” He said calmly as the car keeps coming with speed, but his right hand glows with a white hue around it and as the car gets closer No nerves. I know what I’m doing. I know…

  The car starts to slow and stops right just inches from Lathan’s hand. Lathan can barely catch a breath; he is so exhilarated he can barely contain himself. Oh my god that didn’t just happen did it? I saved them I saved all of them. He thinks before one of the young men comes out of the car with a long leather jacket and a purple tomahawk covering the middle of his head. “What did you do to my car?” he yells and Lathan face now covered by his hood.

  “I just saved your life.” Lathan replies and moves out of the way of the wrecked car.

  “Fricking.” The man said in shock and the rest of his mates come out with that surprised look. Lathan looks at the door he ripped from the car and then looks at the man whose getting help from fellow drivers.

  Hope he lives Lathan thinks and he hears the sirens of police and ambulances. Lathan looks up to the sky and looks at the driver one last time. Live.

  He utters something under his breath. Anavlian. He leaps high into the air and glides away. Everyone looks in total shock as Lathan flies away. Zenden looking down then look in front high in the air as Lathan flies past the traffic fast in the air going high into the sky.

  “Whoa.” That was Zenden’s best response that he could fathom from seeing his best friend hurtle across the sky like that. His eyes opened wide.