IN A SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE EVERYONE KNEW EACH OTHER AND BEHAVED LIKE FAMILY, THE NIGHT WAS EXTREMELY QUIET, THE PEOPLE WERE SOUND ASLEEP, AND THE COLD NIGHT BREEZE RUSTLED THROUGH THE TREES, THE PROFOUND SILENCE OF THE NIGHT AMPLIFIED ITS GHOSTLY AURA. THE MUFFLED CRY OF A CHILD COULD NOT ESCAPE THE LOUD SILENCE, THE SOUND OF THE TEARS COULD BE TRACED TO A SMALL HOUSE AT THE CORNER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE SIZE ALONE MADE IT PECULIAR BUT THE UGLY DESIGN AND COLOUR OF THE HOUSE MADE IT STICK OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB. IN THE HOUSE, A BOY SLEPT BESIDE A MAN WHO WAS HIS FATHER, A PILLOW OVER HIS MOUTH TO MUFFLE THE SOUND. THERE SEEMED TO BE AN ENDLESS STREAM OF TEARS, ALMOST ALL THE TIME AWAKE WAS SPENT CRYING. HE FELL ASLEEP WITH RIVERS OF TEARS STILL FLOWING FROM HIS EYES. THE TEARS DRIED UP AS THE SUN CAME UP, AND THE ALARM RANG SO VIOLENTLY IT WOKE BOTH FATHER AND SON UP.

WITH A FINAL YAWN AND A NICE STRETCH, THE DAD GOT OFF THE BED

‘’ MORNING CALEB, HURRY, AND PREPARE FOR SCHOOL, I WILL BE LEAVING EARLY TODAY’’

WITH BAGS UNDER HIS EYES AND FEELING RELUCTANT TO GO TO SCHOOL, CALEB NODDED AND FELL RIGHT BACK ONTO THE BED. AN HOUR LATER HIS DAD HURRIEDLY LEFT THE HOUSE. CALEB REFUSED TO GO TO SCHOOL, THE THOUGHT OF IT MADE HIM TREMBLE, HE QUICKLY GOT UP TO TAKE HIS BATH BEFORE PAINFUL MEMORIES RESURFACED. THE BATH WAS QUICK, HE PLANNED TO SPEND THE WHOLE DAY DOING NOTHING, HE WENT BACK ONTO THE BED TO GET SOME BETTER SLEEP. UNFORTUNATELY FOR HIM, HE COULD ONLY GET A SHORT NAP BECAUSE THERE WAS A CONTINUOUS KNOCK ON HIS DOOR, FEELING RELUCTANT HE TRIED TO IGNORE IT BUT THE CONSTANT KNOCKING WAS MORE THAN ENOUGH TO GET HIM OFF THE BED.

‘’ HELLO THERE, I AM NORMALIS YOUR GODLY GOD, HERE TO GRANT A WISH AND TAKE A WISH’’

CALEB STARED BLAKELY AT THIS TALL MUSCULAR MAN WITH LONG WAVEY GOLDEN HAIR AND INTENSE BLUE EYES THAT GAZED INTO YOUR SOUL. HIS IMMEDIATE THOUGHT OF THE MAN IN FRONT OF HIM WAS ‘’WHO INTRODUCES THEMSELVES LIKE THAT’’.

‘’ MY DAD ISN’T HERE’’

‘’WHO SAID I WAS LOOKING FOR YOUR DAD, CALEB CANJIMALIJIMA, AGE 16, THE ONLY CHILD OF A HARD-WORKING FATHER WITH POOR TASTE IN DESIGN’’

CALEB WAS WEIRDED OUT BY THIS PERSON WHO SHOWED UP OUT OF NOWHERE WITH INFORMATION ON HIM, HE QUICKLY TRIED TO LEAVE HIS PRESENCE

‘’ AS I SAID, MY DAD ISN’T PRESENT, SO WOULD YOU KINDLY LEAVE’’

NORMALIS SMILED, NOTING THE UPCOMING PART TO BE HIS FAVORITE PART OF INTERACTING WITH HUMANS

 ‘’ HOW WAS IT’’

CALEB WAS NOW JUST CONFUSED, HE JUST WANTED THIS STRANGE MAN OUT OF HIS SIGHT

‘’ COULD YOU PLEASE LEAVE BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE’’

NOMALIS SMILE TURNED INTO A GRIN

‘’ WELL I COULD SAY THE SAME FOR YOU’’

CALEB HAD HAD ENOUGH, HE UNDERSTOOD NOTHING THE MAN WAS SAYING

‘’ COULD YOU PLEASE JUST LEAVE BEFORE___’’,

‘’BEFORE WHAT, DEAR CALEB, IF ONLY YOU HAD CALLED THE POLICE OR TRIED TO HELP WHEN YOU SAW THAT GIRL BEING SURROUNDED BY MEN SHE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH, SHE GLANCED AT YOU TO TRY AND HELP BUT YOU WERE TOO SCARED, YOU IGNORED HER, NOW LOOK WERE IT GOT YOU. A WHOLE LOT A MESS, UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, SHE ATTENDS YOUR SCHOOL, AND ON TOP OF THAT SHE IS POPULAR WITH EVERYBODY, I DO NOT LIKE BULLYING BUT SEEING HOW MUCH OF A COWARD YOU ARE IT WAS INEVITABLE’’.

CALEB’S LIGHT GREEN EYES BEGAN TO SHAKE, HIS LANKY BODY TREMBLED, AND THEN HIS EYES BECAME CLOUDED WITH TEARS

‘’ AM SORRY….., AM JUST VERY WEAK…OK….. JUST PLEASE TELL JESSICA I AM SORRY FOR NOT HELPING HER, I WAS VERY SCARED….. NOW WOULD YOU LEAVE ME ALONE, I HAVE HAD ENOUGH, I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE’’

THE TEARS FROM CALEB STILL FLOWED LIKE A STREAM. NORMALIS SMILE FADED AWAY, HE LOOKED AT CALEB WITH PITY JUST FOR A MOMENT BEFORE HE BEGAN TO GIGGLE   

 ‘’ YOU LOOK SO FUNNY CRYING, HAHAHAHAH!’’

THIS JUST MADE CALEB CRY MORE

‘’ALRIGHT THAT’S ENOUGH, I DIDN’T COME HERE TO SEE A MAN CRY’’, NORMALIS SAID WITH HIS USUAL SMILE BACK

CALEB WITH A WET FACE LOOKED AT NORMALIS CURIOUSLY

‘’ AS I SAID BEFORE I AM A GODLY GOD HERE TO GRANT YOUR WISH IF YOU GRANT MINE’’

AT THIS POINT CALEB WAS VERY CONFUSED, HE THOUGHT NORMALIS WAS ONE OF HIS BULLIES' FRIENDS BUT NOW HE WAS SPOUTING NONSENSE

‘’ AREN’T YOU ONE OF JESSICA’S SUPPORTERS’’

‘’  HEAVENS, NO, YOUR EARS SEEM TO BE BLOCKED’’

‘’NO, I HEARD YOU THE FIRST TWO TIME, BUT YOU DO REALIZE YOU SOUND CRAZY’’

‘’ THAT MAKES IT BETTER, SO DO YOU NEED PROOF’’, NORMALIS PUT ON A BIG GRIN

‘’ SURE WHY NOT’’, CALEB SAID SARCASTICALLY, WITH NO EXPECTATION

WITH AN INCREDIBLE GRIN NORMOLIS SHOUTED ‘’SPACE’’.

IN THE COLD DARK VOID OF SPACE WHERE GRAVITY IS DENIED AND SOUND IS ABSENT, THERE STOOD CALEB BREAKING ALL THE PROFOUND LAWS OF SPACE, HE HOVERED INSTEAD OF DRIFTING OFF TO OUTER SPACE, AND HIS SCREAM OF TERRA WAS CARRIED TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE.

‘’AAAAAA!, THIS ISN’T REAL, THIS CAN’T BE REAL’’.

NORMALIS PERFECTLY POSITIONED IN THE VOID OF SPACE WAS EMITTING LIGHT LIKE THE SUN, HE WALKED TOWARDS CALEB AS IF THERE WAS GROUND BELOW. CALEB WAS MOMENTARILY BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

‘’ YOU WANTED PROOF, I GAVE YOU ONE’’

CALEB WAS TOO STUNNED TO SPEAK

‘’NOW MY DEAR CALEB WILL YOU GRANT MY WISH’’, NORMALIS SAID EMITTING EVEN MORE LIGHT

CALEB ANSWERED WITH EVERY OUNCE OF COURAGE HE HAD LEFT IN HIS BODY

‘’YES PLEASE I WILL, I WILL DO WHATEVER YOU ASK, PLEASE SEND ME BACK

‘’ GOOD, VERY GOOD’’

IMMEDIATELY AFTER NORMALIS SAID THAT THEY WERE BACK ON EARTH LIKE NOTHING EVER HAPPENED, CALEB INSTANTLY DROPPED TO HIS KNEES, CLENCHING HIS HEART, IT POUNDED AT SUCH A RATE THAT THE DOCTORS MAY HAVE FEARED IT WOULD FALL OUT

‘’ NOW FOR MY WISH’’

CALEB STILL CLENCHING HIS HEART, WHICH HE FEARED WOULD FALL OUT OF HIS MOUTH

‘’ CAN….YOU…..GIVE….ME…TIME…TO PROCESS…WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK JUST HAPPENED’’

‘’HMM, LET ME THINK, NOPE, HAHAHAHA’’

 CALEB JUST ROLLED HIS EYES AS HE STRUGGLED TO GET UP

‘’OH DEAR GOD__’’

‘’ CALL ME NORMALIS’’

‘’ OH GREAT NORMALIS, WHAT IS YOUR WISH’’

NOW HE WAS EXCITED

‘’ I WANT YOU TO GO TO SCHOOL AND BEAT UP THE BULLIES WHO HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH JESSICA’’

WITH RAPID BLINKING AND A SCARED EXPRESSION, CALEB FELT HIS KNEES GO WEAK.

‘’ NO, I CAN’T, THOSE GUYS WILL KILL ME BEFORE I GET TO THEM’’

NORMALIS STOOD THERE WITH A SMILE THAT MADE HIS PERFECTLY WHITE TEETH VISIBLE AND A GOOFY ASS FACE THAT MADE CALEB WONDER ABOUT NORMALIS TRUE ORIGIN BUT HE HAD NO TIME TO THINK FURTHER BECAUSE HE WAS FORCIBLY TELEPORTED TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE SCHOOL GATE, THE SCHOOL WAS VERY MASSIVE, ITS BRIGHT COLOUR COULD BE SEEN A MILE AWAY. CALEB APPEARED WITH HIS UNIFORM ON AND HIS WHOLE BODY FELT NUMB FROM THE INSTANT TELEPORTATION. HE LOOKED OVER AT NORMALIS TO GIVE HIM AN EAR FULL BUT NORMALIS WASN’T PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO HIM HE HAD HIS FINGERS OUT AND KEPT DROPPING THEM UNTIL THERE WAS ONLY ONE FINGER LEFT

‘’ONE’’

IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS THE SOUND OF NOISY CHILDREN RUNNING OUT OF THE SCHOOL LIKE THEY WERE ESCAPING FROM PRISON. CALEB TRIED TO RUN OUT OF THERE AS QUICKLY AS HE COULD BUT HE COULDN’T MOVE

‘’NORMALIS, PLEASE, PLEASE LET ME GO, I CAN’T DO IT’’

NORMALIS DIDN’T CARE ABOUT THE WORDS THAT WERE COMING OUT OF CALEBS MOUTH, HE WAS JUST WAITING FOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO ARRIVE. CALEB WAS QUITE FAMOUS IN THE SCHOOL BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED BUT NOW PEOPLE WERE WONDERING WHY HE WAS SPEAKING TO THE AIR, THEY THOUGHT HE HAD FINALLY GONE CRAZY FROM ALL THE HARASSMENT BUT IT TURNS OUT NORMALIS WAS INVISIBLE TO ANYONE WHO WASN’T CALEB.

CALEB BEGAN FREELY MOVING HIS BODY AGAIN, AND HE INSTANTLY KNEW WHY IT WAS BACK, FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYES HE SAW THE THREE BIG BOYS THAT HARASSED HIM THE MOST, NOT OUT OF CONCERN FOR JESSICA BUT BECAUSE THEY FOUND A NEW TOY. THE TALLEST AND MOST BUILT AMONG THE THREE BOYS, WHO ALSO ACTED AS LEADERS FOR HIS GROUP, STOOD TALL OVER CALEB’S TREMBLING BODY.

‘’ CALEB WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, WE COULDN’T FIND ANYBODY TO DO OUR CHORES’’

HE SAID, TURNING TO LOOK AT HIS BOYS WHO BEGAN TO LAUGH MOCKINGLY, AT THIS POINT THERE WAS A HUGE CROWD OF STUDENTS AROUND THEM. CALEB TURNED HIS HEAD TO THE SIDE TO ASK NORMALIS TO GET HIM [THE FUCK OUTER THERE] BUT NOW HE COULDN’T SEE HIM.

‘’ WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT, HAS NOT SEEING US, GOT YOU GOING CRAZY’’

YET AGAIN THE BOYS BEGAN TO LAUGH THIS TIME LOUDER THAN BEFORE.

CALEB STARED DOWN AT THE GROUND, HE BEGAN ASSURING HIMSELF THAT NORMALIS WOULD COME FOR HIM, WHILE HE WAS DEEP IN THOUGHT THE LEADER OF THE ‘’BOYS’’ THOUGHT CALEB WAS TRYING HIS BEST TO EMBARRASS HIM BY NOT REPLYING, SO WITH FIRE IN HIS EYE, HE GAVE CALEB A STRONG SLAP, THIS CAUGHT HIM OFF GUARD, CAUSING HIM TO STUMBLED TO THE GROUND, ANOTHER ROAR OF LAUGHTER ERUPTED FROM THE CROWD BUT NOT ALL LAUGHED, TO SOME THE SCENE LOOKED TOO SAD.

AS THE BOYS ABOVE CAST THEIR SHADOW OVER HIM, HE BEGAN TO FALL DEEP INTO DEPRESSION, HE TAUGHT OF HIMSELF AS A WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHITE. IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, CALEB WAS LIFTED FROM THE FLOOR BY A FAMILIAR FORCE, NORMALIS HAD STOPPED TIME, AND CALEB COULD ONLY GAZE INTO THE DEEP RED EYE OF NORMALIS WHO HAD A SAD EXPRESSION.

‘’ WHAT ARE YOU SCARED OF, YOU MET A GOD. A GOD WAS IN YOUR PRESENCE, A GOD SPOKE TO YOU, A GOD LISTENED TO YOU, I, NORMALIS SENT YOU TO THE SKIES ABOVE THE EARTH AND BACK, I STOPPED TIME FOR YOU, YOU STOOD BEFORE ME AND LIVED. NOW I SAY, FIGHT THESE HUMANS WHO WOULD BE KILLED BY MY GLANCE ALONE’’.

 CALEB FELT EMOTIONS HE HAD NEVER FELT BEFORE, THE RAGE AND HATRED DEEP DOWN IN HIS SOUL CAME RUSHING OUT. TIME RESUMED, AND THE PEOPLE AROUND WERE NOW WONDERING WHY CALEB LOOKED SO FIERCE, HIS LIGHT GREEN EYES NOW EMITTING CONFIDENCE. THE LEADER WAS TAKEN ABACK AT THE SIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM, AND HE BEGAN GETTING A BAD FEELING, HE WANTED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY BUT DUE TO HIS LARGE EGO HE DIDN’T [ THAT WAS HIS BIGGEST MISTAKE].

‘’ AWWW, I YOU GOING TO CRY AGAI___’’.

FOR EVERYBODY ELSE THE SPEED WAS IMPRESSIVE, BUT FOR CALEB IT WAS INSTANTANEOUS, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE LEADER, CALEB STOOD CONFIDENTLY, YOU COULD SEE THE FIRE IN HIS EYES, THE LEADER WAS SCARED AT THE SIGHT OF CALEB JUST SUDDENLY APPEARING RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM, HE HAD NEVER BEEN SCARED LIKE THIS IN HIS LIFE BEFORE, EVERYONE'S EYES FELL ON HIM AFTER HE LET OUT A CHICKEN SCREAM.

‘’ I HAVE NEVER SLAPPED ANYBODY BEFORE, HOPE I SMILE LIKE YOU GUYS WHEN YOU SLAP ME’’.

THE INSTANT CALEB'S HAND TOUCHED THE LEADER’S FACE, HE KNEW IT WAS ALL OVER. THE SLAP GENERATED A FORCE STRONG ENOUGH TO LAUNCH HIM LIKE A ROCKET INTO HIS GROUP OF BOYS, DOING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THEM ALL, THEY FELL ON THE FLOOR UNCONSCIOUS, AND THE CROWD WAS BEWILDERED, NORMALIS WAS LAUGHING WITH ALL HIS TEETH OUT HE EVEN BEGAN TO TEAR UP.

CALEB STOOD OVER THEM AMAZED AT HIS STRENGTH, HIS HAPPINESS WAS EVIDENT ON HIS FACE. BUT HE WASN’T DONE, HE HAD SOMETHING TO SAY

‘’ I AM VERY SORRY, JESSICA, I WAS A COWARD, I SHOULD HAVE HELPED YOU EVEN THOUGH I WAS SCARED, BUT THE FACT THAT I DIDN’T, DIDN’T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO HARASS ME, WE ALL FEAR SOMETHING IN LIFE THAT WILL MAKE AS RUN LIKE HELL WHEN WE SEE IT ’’, HE SCREAMED OUT

THE CROWD ERUPTED IN PRAISE, CHEERS, AND APPLAUSE FOR CALEB. NORMALIS APPEARED BEFORE HIM WITH A WET FACE FROM LAUGHING TOO MUCH,

‘’ NOW YOU SEE, WASN’T THAT FUN’’, HE SAID GIGGLING.

CALEB LOOKED AT HIM WITH AN ANNOYED EXPRESSION,

‘’ANYWAY, WHAT DO YOU WISH FOR’’, NORMALIS SAID IN A SLIGHTLY SERIOUS TONE.

A CHILDISH SMILE APPEARED ON CALEBS FACE.

‘’ I CAN WISH FOR ANYTHING’’,

‘’ YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS’’,

‘’ THEN I WISH FOR, SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH’’, HE SAID WHILE LOOKING SMUGLY AT NORMALIS.

HIS BRIGHT SMILE WAS BACK, HE TOUCHED THE NOSE OF CALEB AND SAID

‘’ YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED’’

‘’ YES, YOU ARE THE BEST GOD NORMALIS’’

‘’I TOLD YOU TO DROP THE GOD’’

‘’YES, YES’’

AS SOON AS HE SAID THAT, NORMALIS WAS GONE. FROM THAT DAY ONWARD CALEB DIDN’T KNOW WHAT FEAR WAS.

NORMALIS APPEARED BEFORE A SMALL CHURCH, THE ONCE BRIGHT SMILE HAD TURNED INTO A DEVILISH FROWN

‘’ JOSEPH MY BOY, I WILL WHIP YOU INTO SHAPE’’