The Real Superhero

I told Bryan that I was a Seer, living in a world filled with half-humans and half-supers. That was the world we lived in. Perhaps we always had, and until a few years ago, it became common and acceptable to allow us “Supers” to peacefully exist within our society, without fear of segregation. 

But the biases and judgments were still there, despite the High Court’s rulings. New York wasn’t as bad though, compared to smaller towns. I was thankful to be born and raised here with my “special abilities,” since so many others around the world were still being persecuted, mainly in the shadows.

I looked around and I could see them, all of the people with their “abilities,” whether they were Supers or not. As a Seer, that was my gift. I don’t know where it came from or why I had it but I did. Like all Supers, I was born with it. I had often seen too many Seers using their special abilities for a life of crime.

That wasn't me. I didn’t use my abilities to manipulate or use mind control like others did. I was no hero though. I was just a regular 22-year-old trying to start a career and live a normal life, hopefully with a family one day.

Bryan was the love of my life. We'd only been dating for a year but when you know, you know. Bryan was ordinary, I could see straight through him. I always wore my special glasses around him. I didn’t want to use my abilities to ruin the fun of getting to know him. I wanted to be surprised; I wanted to learn about him from experience. When we met, I didn’t have my glasses on. I had tried to run away but it didn’t work.

Now, here we were, one year later, young and in love. I'd always been terrified to tell Bryan who I was. Some Supers get worse reps than others, and Seers were one of those. Fortunately, I had a wonderful “Special Abilities” doctor who had me prescribed a pair of “Power-Inhibitor” glasses, so that I could be like everyone else.

When I took my rose-colored glasses off, I could see the world completely different, the way it could be. It was beautiful and it was perfect, but it wasn’t real. It could be, but it wasn’t the reality of the world we lived in. Not every Seer had that ability. In fact, I was the only one that I knew of that could do that.

It was nice but I felt like I was living a lie that way. The people that I saw with my “seeing” eyes were all better versions of themselves and everyone was happy. No one was evil because everyone had learned how to overcome the darkness. I could see people like they were meant to be, all of them living up to their potential.

Admittedly, it was pleasant to live in this fantasy world where there was no pain or suffering. Everyone got along and made the world better. It made me sad to put the glasses on and see that wasn’t in fact, the reality we lived in. Who was I to tell people that they could be better, that they weren’t being the people they were meant to? They'd know I was some type of Seer and I could be bullied or worse.

But Bryan had to know. If we were going to get married, he deserved to know the truth. I was terrified of how he'd react. He seemed more progressive, especially as a New Yorker, but who could ever really know? Yesterday was a long-time coming. This is what happened.

I texted Bryan in the morning.

“Good morning, sweet boy. Coffee at our spot in one hour?”

Bryan and I had made a tradition of getting coffee at our favorite, local joint as many Saturday mornings as we could. This would be no normal Saturday morning though.

“See you in an hour, babe!” He responded.

I got there a little earlier to try and go over what I'd say to him. I sat and stared out the window, overcome with fear. What would he think of me? Would he accept me? Would he walk away? Would he be scared? Scared of a future with someone like me?

“Hello, sweet darling!” Bryan gave me his usual, warm smile.

I stood up and hugged him, but not before taking a deep breath and trying to exhale my nerves. Could he tell I was shaking?

We sat down, and just like Bryan, not even having power, he still managed to sense something was off.

“Babe, you okay? You seem nervous.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I was already lying.

“Actually, no I’m not. Could we take a walk?”

We left the coffee shop and headed out onto the busy streets towards Central Park.

“Babe, you’re scaring me,” he said, “what’s going on?”

“You know how obsessed I am about always wearing my favorite glasses?” I asked, trying to cut straight to the point.

“Yeah?”

“Well, it’s not just that they’re my favorite glasses.”

“Okay…”

“You know how more and more people are coming out as Supers?”

“I do.”

“What do you think about all that?”

“I don’t see what this has to do with anything…”

“Please, just answer the question,” I begged.

“Okay, sure...well, I think it’s great actually. Is this really what you want to talk about? I didn’t think you were into these kinds of things?”

“Let’s sit down.” I pointed to a patch of grass on a hill in the middle of the park.

Bryan put his arm around me and leaned in and whispered in my ear. “I love you, sweetie, and if you are suddenly into Social Justice issues, we can talk about it.”

I let out a deep breath of air, as I was reminded of how sweet and understanding Bryan was. Surely, this wouldn’t be so bad right?

Bryan laughed, “Wait, I got it. You want to run for District leader in our Zone?” He laughed, knowing he was off.

“Bryan,” I said, seriously.

“Yes, love? I’m sorry. Go ahead...you were saying?”

I turned and looked at Bryan and saw his father. That made me more nervous. I'd seen Bryan without my glasses on and knew he was nothing like his father but that still didn’t change the fact that I knew what kind of man his dad was.

His dad was a political figure who was formerly a Prosecutor. He had put away many Supers. Now, he was all over TV advertising for his Campaigns, being well-known to promise harsh “punishments” for rule-breaking Supers. It was obvious he didn’t trust people like me and he would target our kind as a potential leader.

I hadn’t taken my glasses off to read Bryan’s dad. I didn’t want to know. I usually only saw the best in people that way, and what their future could be like, but it didn’t guarantee that it would. I didn’t want to believe the best in Bryan’s dad only to be let down and put myself in danger. I wanted to live in “reality.”

I had seen Bryan as he could be when I first met him. I tried to forget about it so I could be pleasantly surprised getting to know him. I still found elements of surprise in the details but I always knew in the back of my mind that Bryan was the type I was attracted to. He was meant to lead people gently, patiently, and kindly.

He could potentially be well-respected and loved by many, yet he wouldn’t let that go to his head. He was a man wise beyond his years with a heart just as big to match it. I had experienced that getting to know him over the past year and believed that he could actually fully become the man I saw when I met him. He was not far from totally being that guy already. It was hard to not love him.

It was also hard to imagine that his own father was so different than he was. They were both leaders, but his father, by force and intimidation. His father was trying so hard to undo all the good work that was done on behalf of people like me, by the local representatives in my city, a city generally known as a safe-place for Supers. If his father succeeded, it could be a sad day.

“Rosie? Hello? Anyone home?” Bryan snapped me back to reality.

“Oh sorry, I was just, lost in my head a little.”

“What’s going on Sweet Rose? What did you want to talk about?”

I let out a sigh, it was now or never.

“You said you believed all the work being done on behalf of the Supers was good? Why do you say that? What about your father?”

Bryan sighed. “You know how I feel about my father, Rose. I love him, man I have to, but damn if I don’t disagree with everything he stands for. He puts people in a box, Rosie. He does. He doesn’t seem to understand the times we live in and that Supers shouldn’t have to hide in the shadows anymore. It’s a new day.”

I smiled. I knew Bryan would get it. But what about when I told him that I was one of them?

“Bryan, I have to tell you something…”

“Okay, I’m here.” He squeezed my hand.

“It’s just that. It’s just that…”

I took my glasses off to make a point and right when I did, a huge gust of the North-wind suddenly swept by and took my glasses with it. “No!!” I exclaimed and jumped up to run after them.

I took off with Bryan behind me. “Rosie! Rosie, wait! How can you run so fast?! Come back! Wait for me!!”

One advantage of being a Super was that we sometimes could do other things a little better than most too, like running, at least for me. Bryan was still on my tail though, a runner in College.

My glasses teased me as they blew off down the streets of New York and up under a car where I lost them. I fell down on the sidewalk feeling defeated and discouraged. Great, what was I going to do now? I would have to wait at least a few days before I could order and receive a new pair.

A few days of seeing the world as a peachy, wonderful place where people were much better than they really were, seemed like too much of a farce for me. I didn’t know if I could handle it and how could I even look at Bryan? I would read him instantly and know the man he was fully destined to be.

Bryan caught up to me and fell down on the sidewalk next to me, panting and out of breath. 

“Wow, Rose! Where did you learn to run like that?!!!! I thought I was the runner!!!!”

I couldn’t look at him. I buried my face in my hands and began to weep. I didn’t want to be like this. I wanted this power gone. Now! Somebody help me! Anybody. I wept uncontrollably.

“Sweet Rosie!” Bryan rubbed my back. “It’s okay, they were just glasses. You can always get another pair.”

“No, no Bryan! You don’t understand!” I lifted my head up to face him but kept my eyes clenched tightly shut.

He slightly laughed, “Why are you closing your eyes? Am I now suddenly too awful to look at?”

Quite the opposite, I thought.

“No, Bryan, it’s not that. I’m a Super!” I blurted out. “Okay?! And not just that, but a Seer. If I look at you, I can read you.”

I buried my face back in my hands and started crying hysterically. Bryan pulled me closer to him.

“Aww...Rosie! What?! You’re serious?! Don’t be ashamed. That’s SO cool Rose. And I don’t care if you read me. But the glasses, they must’ve prevented you from seeing things, yes?!”

I nodded, still keeping my head buried but listening intently to the words he was speaking.

“Rose. I love you.” He said, leaning down talking directly in my ear. “I don’t care if you are a Super, let alone a Seer. Who cares? But I do think it’s really cool. You have powers Rose. How many people can say that?!”

He was trying so hard. 

“It’s okay if you look at me Rosie, I’m not afraid of what you might see. I have nothing to hide.”

I squinted my eyes at him, before quickly shutting them all the way again. 

“I can’t Bryan. I’ll know the man you could be. I will see you perfectly, not as who you are now but who you could be. It won’t be real. I don’t want to believe you’re something you’re not. I like you, love you, just as you are.”

“Wow, that’s cool Rose. But listen, I know. I know you love me for me. But I want to know. I want to know the man I could be. What if this gift that you have, what if it’s not to hide, but to help people? I want to know more, Rosie. Please.” 

I slowly began to open my eyes. I didn’t look at him though. 

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“It’s just that I can see the world and the people in it as a better place, all rainbows and unicorns, you know? It’s not real. It’s just an illusion, just how it could be, how people, each person, could be. It’s a perfect world I see, but not this one.”

Bryan grabbed my arm. 

“That’s just it Rosie! Listen, unlike my dad, I believe the world needs Supers, like you, who have tremendous gifts to offer. They aren’t powers to be restricted. They aren’t accidents. We might not be able to explain or understand it, but it’s amazing. What if this can help the world become the place you see? What if you see so that you can tell people who they really are?”

I loved Bryan. I loved Bryan for this very reason. I didn’t have to read him to know the kind of guy he was and was becoming. He was the best. He might not be able to look at people and immediately see the best in them, but he always saw and believed the best in me, without special abilities. And that to me, was special. He was the real Super here.