Flying Man

Jason Koch stood looking out over the balcony of his 37^th floor penthouse apartment in Manhattan. His earpiece had just picked up a woman’s screams coming from Central Park. Putting on his invisibility cloak, he stepped onto the ledge and dove as if entering a swimming pool. Rather than plummeting to earth, he streaked off in the direction of the screams.

As he neared the park, he pinpointed the location of the woman and with his binocular night vision saw her struggling with an assailant who was trying to drag her into the bushes. He’d already ripped her blouse. Blood oozed from a cut on her lip where he’d hit her.

Jason came flying in feet-first right into the would-be rapists face. Knocked off his feet, the rapist fell backwards as Jason landed and gave him another kick to the gut. Shocked and bewildered, the man back crawled away. But Jason was on him in a flash hitting him squarely in the jaw with a clenched fist. The man’s lights went out and his head fell back against the hard ground.

Seeing that the rapist was out cold, Jason turned his attention to the young woman who was now sobbing uncontrollably. Jason took off his cape so the woman could see him.

Jason hugged the woman until she could control herself. Finally, she managed to stutter, “Th-th-thank you. But how did you know? Where did you come from?”

“Never mind that,” Jason replied. “Do you have a phone? We need to tell the police where to find this guy. Then, if you don’t mind, I’ll take you to my place so you can get cleaned up.”

She picked her purse up from the ground and fished her phone out of it. She handed the phone to Jason. He dialed 9-1-1, reported the incident and gave the operator his name and address.

They walked to the edge of the park, hailed a cab and Jason told the cabbie his address. “And please hurry,” he said.

The cabbie got them to Jason’s building in record time. Jason gave him a twenty and told him to keep the change.

Jason helped the woman out of the cab and up the steps. He greeted the doorman and walked to the elevator. He inserted his key and pressed 37. The doors closed and the elevator zipped them up to Jason’s penthouse suite.

Jason led the woman to the bathroom. “You’re welcome to take a shower. Here’s my robe. You can put it on.”

“Thanks,” the woman said. Jason left and she locked the door behind him. He was nice, but after what had just happened, she wasn’t taking any chances. She showered, dried herself off and put on Jason’s robe.

She looked in the mirror and saw that her lip was swollen. She touched her lip and winced.

Just then the phone rang. Jason picked it up.

It was Tony the door man saying the police were there.

“Send them up,” he said.

“The police are here,” he said.

The doorbell rang.

A plainclothes detective and a uniformed policemen stood at the door. “You Jason Koch?” The detective asked.

“Yes, I am. Please come in.” He held the door open while the two men entered, then closed.

“I’m Detective Crawford and this is Officer Stone. We got a call that a lady had been attacked in the park. Was that you, Miss?”

“Yes,” the woman said.

“And your name is?”

“Christine Duncan,” the woman said.

The uniformed officer took out a small note pad and began taking notes.

“And where do you live, Miss Duncan?”

She gave him her address.

“What were you doing in the park alone at night?” The detective asked.

“I was taking a shortcut. I thought it would be safe if I kept to the lighted streets. Then this guy in dark clothes came out of nowhere. I screamed. Then he tried to steal my purse. I wouldn’t let go of it. That’s when he hit me. He knocked me down and was dragging me into the bushes when all of a sudden he just went sailing backwards like he’d been hit in the face by something big. Then this man appeared out of nowhere. I didn’t see exactly what happened. I was too upset. I guess I lost control. Thankfully, this man showed up just in the nick of time or I’d be another NY rape statistic.” The words just tumbled out.

The detective turned to Jason. “Where were you when the guy attacked her?”

Jason thought for a moment. “I was walking down the street from the opposite direction,” he lied.

“And you just dove in and took the guy out?”

“Pretty much, yeah. I played a little football in college. I was a tackle and I practice Karate. I just gave him a flying kick, then another kick for good measure. He didn’t know what hit him. A right cross to the jaw put him out cold,” Jason said.

The detective nodded and turned back to Christine. “Any other injuries other than your lip and eye? Do you want to go to the hospital and get checked out?”

“No, none. I’ll be OK. No need to go to the hospital,” she answered.

“I assume you’ll want to press charges. We’ll need you to come down to the station and identify the guy. Can you do that tomorrow?”

“Yes,” she said.

“Here’s my card. The station address is on it. Just ask for me,” the detective said handing her his card.

The two policemen left and Jason closed and bolted the door.

“I can take you home or you can spend the night here,” Jason said as he walked back into the living room where Christine sat in an over-stuffed chair, her legs folded beneath her.

“It’s late and I’ve troubled you enough for one day,” she replied. “If you have a blanket, I can just camp-out here on the couch.”

“No, you take the bedroom. I’ll sleep on the couch.” Jason responded.

With that he went into the bedroom, grabbed a night shirt out of his bureau drawer and a blanket from the shelf in the closet. He tossed the night shirt on the bed.

“I put a night shirt on the bed for you,” he said. “And there’s a new toothbrush still in the package in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. I always keep a spare on hand.”

“You do think of everything, Jason. How can I ever thank you enough?” Christine said as she got up.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad I was there.”

Christine headed for the bedroom. She brushed her teeth and crawled into the bed. Hmmm, she said to herself, Satin sheets. I didn’t expect that. This Jason is full of surprises. She smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

She awoke with a start in the middle of the night. She looked at the clock: 3:30 a.m. She quietly opened the bedroom door and walked barefooted to the kitchen for a drink of water. She took a wine glass from the rack above the sink and opened the refrigerator. The light lit up the room. As expected, she found a pitcher of water. She poured herself a glass.

Roused saw the light, Jason called out, “Everything OK?”

“I’m fine. Just needed some water.”

Jason got up and walked into the kitchen in his boxers and t-shirt. “I could use a glass of water, myself,” he said. Seeing Christine there in his night shirt, Jason couldn’t resist taking her in his arms and kissing her softly taking care to avoid the bruise and cut on her lip.

Christine didn’t resist. In fact, she’d been hoping he’d get around to holding and kissing her. He hadn’t touched her since he held her in the park, and she had begun to lose hope. Standing on her tiptoes, she took his face in her hands and kissed him back. She liked the feel of his hard body against her, his strong arms around her.

“I’ve been thinking,” she said. “That is such a big bed for one person.”

Jason took the hint and lifted her and carried her back into the bedroom and lay her gently on the bed. She sat up and pulled the night shirt off over her head giving him a full view of her naked body. She had ample breasts, a nice figure, long brown hair and hazel eyes. Jason slipped off his boxers and t-shirt and climbed into bed. He laid her on her back and straddled her; then bent and kissed her passionately. She responded.

Christine was in heaven. She let herself go completely, enjoying the feel of his weight upon her, rising and falling, sending her to a place she had never been to before. Sure, she’d had sex, but it was nothing like this. Did she dare think she’d found the man of her dreams?

They made passionate love then fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Christine woke up first. After using the bathroom and brushing her teeth, she went into the kitchen quietly closing the bedroom door behind her.

She found a bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee and some filters in the cabinet above the coffee maker – Jason was well organized. She liked that in a man. A logical place for everything. She filled the coffee maker and turned it on. She found bacon, eggs and orange juice in the refrigerator.

She turned on the Bose radio under the counter and found it tuned to her favorite station. She adjusted the volume; then went into the bedroom leaving the door open. She kissed Jason on the forehead. She was falling for him but not enough to kiss him on the lips before he brushed his teeth.

“Breakfast will be ready in five,” she said. “Time to rise and shine, sleepy head.”

Jason smiled and reached out for her with his eyes still closed. He felt her bare skin and opened his eyes to see her sitting on the bed beside him with nothing on. He liked this woman more and more.

He sat up and kissed her on the forehead. “Give me a minute.” With that he headed off to the bathroom. He too was still naked.

After brushing his teeth, he slipped into clean boxers and joined Christine in the kitchen. She had chopped up some vegetables and had oil heating in a small frying pan. “Hope you like omelets,” she said.

“Love them.”

“Coffee’s ready.”

Jason poured two cups and two small glasses of orange juice. He took them to the table, which was already set.

Christine set a plate loaded with bacon, an omelet and toast before each of them, then went into the bedroom and put on the robe she’d worn the night before

Returning to the table, she sat down and was happy to see that Jason had waited for her. He was as perfect a gentleman as she’d ever met.

They ate in silence listening to Frank Sinatra singing “Night and Day” on the radio. It seemed the perfect song for them… “making love day and night.” Christine was in heaven.

Jason looked at her from across the table. “I was just thinking that I’ve never met anyone like you,” he said.

The song ended. “I was thinking the same thing,” she responded.

“I know this is rather sudden. I hope you won’t think I’m rushing things, but I was wondering if you’d consider moving in here. As you said that bed is too big for just one person. You don’t need to answer right away, just promise me you’ll think about it.”

“I don’t need to think about it. I was hoping you’d invite me to do just that. I’d love to help fill up that bed,” she said.

“Great! You’ve just made me the happiest man in the world. I’ll make sure you never have any reason to regret that decision.” He got up and went around the table, took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. “If you like, after breakfast we can go to your place and start moving your things here.”

“You do work fast,” Christine replied. “But that sounds good to me. I don’t have much and you seem to have all the furniture we’ll need. Do you have space in your closet?”

“It’s half empty. I’m sure you’ll have enough room. If not, we’ll figure it out.”

In the back of his mind Jason wondered how he could tell her about his superpower; what would be her reaction? He also wondered if he’d be able to carry her with him as Superman could. He’d never tried flying with another person. He’d have to tell her about the invisibility cape, too. That would be easier, but how would she react to knowing he could disappear at will. No use putting it off, he decided. The longer he waited, the harder it would be. Besides, he wanted her to know before she moved in.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” he started.

Uh Oh, she thought. I knew this was too good to be true.

“There’s a reason you didn’t see me come up and hit that guy last night. You see, I have this ability to become invisible. I know it sounds crazy, but I have this cape and when I put it on, I disappear.” He went into the bedroom and came back with the cloak. Of course, she couldn’t see it. No one could.

He stood by his chair across the table from her and put it on. Immediately, he disappeared. Then he took it off and re-appeared.

Christine just stared.

“And there is something else: when I put it on I can fly. That’s how I was able to get to you so fast. Furthermore, I can hear people call for help from a long ways off. That’s how I knew you were in trouble. I was out on the roof-top patio and heard your screams. I put on my invisibility cloak and literally flew to your rescue.”

Christine just sat there for a while trying to digest the impossible things she’d just heard and seen. This man she’d met and agreed to move in with was definitely odd. He seemed nice enough. Perhaps too nice. Was he an alien? Humans didn’t have such powers.

Finally, she got up the nerve and asked, “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it. Other than being able to fly and become invisible, there’s nothing else special about me… I hope this won’t affect our relationship. I do care for you very deeply, but I know a healthy relationship must be an open and honest one. Besides, I thought you’d like to know the truth about how I came to your rescue last night.”

“That’s not what you told the police. Why did you lie to them?”

“First, I figured they wouldn’t believe me, and Second, I didn’t feel like telling them. It has been my secret for some time. You are the only one who knows besides me. I’d like to keep it that way. Thanks to the invisibility cloak, I can fly around without being seen. I think that’s the reason it was given to me.”

“Given to you? By whom?” Christine became suspicious. Who else was involved? Why did they want to keep it secret?

“Let’s just say the Universe gave it to me. I found it in an old chest in the attic. I was rummaging around and when I reached in, my hand disappeared. Scared the bejeezus out of me. I jerked it out and was glad to see my hand re-appear. I reached in with the other hand and it disappeared just like the first one. I could feel something, but I couldn’t see anything. I grabbed it and pulled it out and took it over to the window thinking that maybe I’d be able to see what it was in the better light there. Nothing.

“Eventually I figured out it was a cloak. I went to a mirror and draped it over my shoulders. To my amazement I disappeared. What’s more, I felt exceedingly light. In fact, with little effort I could rise and float around the room. It took me a while to learn that I could fly. I did it by leaping off higher and higher places. I learned how to control my speed and direction.”

“So, you just put on the invisibility cloak and you can fly and no one can see you?” Christine asked.

“Yep, that’s the way it works. I’d like to show you sometime, but I’m not sure I can carry a passenger, so we’ll have to do some experimenting, if you’re game, that is.”

“You want to take me up with you?” Christine wasn’t sure she wanted to do that. Heights didn’t bother her, but she liked to have both feet planted firmly on something solid.

“We’ll find someplace quiet and secluded and give it a try. Start like I did with small leaps. I’m sure it will be different with two people than with one.”

“Look, I trust you Jason. But...”

“Sure, no rush. I just thought you might like to try it. Once you get the hang of it, you can borrow the invisibility cloak and fly by yourself if you like.”

Here was a man willing to share everything, even his deepest secret and most prized possession. If he would trust her with that, how could she resist him? It might seem crazy, but she was really falling for this guy.

“OK, Jason, you’ve got a deal.” She extended her hand. He smiled and shook it.

Relief swept over him.

“Thanks. You don’t know how worried I was about telling you this. I wasn’t sure how you’d react. The last thing I wanted to do was drive you away.” He said.

“Now, let’s go get your stuff.”

They went out the door hand in hand.