I had started this with a 2x2 rib but the pattern did not show-up as nicely.
Drink a beer. Write about the taste. The beer is very odd tasting, in a very good way. It does have the usual flavors you expect in a dark colored ale. There is a very unexpected (unless you read the name) aftertaste. There is a very distinct taste of bananas. There are also hints of spices that would be found in banana bread straight from the oven. You might think that a sweet beer sounds gross, but I think this is amazing.
There is a funny story to go with this. I was using the self check out, so someone had to come and verify that I am allowed to be buying such things. He was really confused why he had to do an age verification on banana bread. He totally understood once he saw the bottle, but it was still funny.
A man jumps from the fortieth story of a building. As he's passing the twenty eighth floor, he hears a phone ring and regrets that he jumped. Why?
Dave leaned back in his usual recliner with his usual beer and turned the TV onto his usual channel. Sighing to himself he took a sip of beer. What had he really been doing with his life? He went into work in a building with more floors than he had friends. So many other worker drones filed into the doors with him everyday. Just the same old same old.
Dave had big dreams early in life. His first dream had been to become a firefighter, but the asthma stopped that dream in its track. His next dream had been to become a police officer but that had not worked out for him either. In the end he ended up working as a faceless drone reading paperwork and checking e-mails. He was not making the difference in the world he had been hoping for.
"Honey, dinner is almost ready!" Susan called from the kitchen.
"Sounds great, what are we having?" Dave called back.
"Our usual lasagna. It is Tuesday after all." Susan joked.
Dave knew that Susan was the only right thing he had done with his life so far. She had curly hair who's energy was matched by the energy she put into everything she did. They had been married for twenty years and they both had loved almost every second of it. He loved that she was also a secret geek. She introduced him to super hero comics. He could listen to her talk about the different characters, their back stories, and even about the heroes in alternate realities all night long.
The next day at work, Dave decided to do a bit of internet browsing. He typed various things into the search engine but nothing seemed right. Mindlessly kicking on links he somehow ended up on a webpage called How to Become a Real Life Superhero. It sounded interesting, so he decided to give it a read. It could be something interesting for him to mention to Susan when he got home.
To his surprise a lot of the things the website suggested were things people could actually do. He had been expecting something along the lines of getting bitten by a radioactive spider, or to skip around in a few puddles at the local power plant. Instead he got advice to eat better, go to the gym, and figure out how you want to help the world as a super hero. It also mentioned that you don't have to arrest evil doers that you could just bring cold water to homeless people in the summer or help rescue homeless cats.
It might not be as grand as being a firefighter or a police officer, but this seemed like something he could do. The website suggested that the firsts steps would be to work on the super hero you are going to be. Costume, back story, name, and weakness were some of the things he could work on during his lunch breaks at work.
It took over a week, but he had finished up everything needed for step one. It had been a lot harder than he had anticipated. He was going to call himself The Chivalrous Steel Hawk; and while his weakness was Susan's ginger cookies, his super power was going to be his strength. Since so many superheros had very sad and interesting stories he decided that Steel Hawk had been abandoned in the forest at a very young age and had been raised by a family of hawks. This would help explain both the name and the fact the he is going to be 'swooping down' to the rescue.
More creativity would be needed in stage two. This is where he is supposed to figure out his super hero costume, a theme song, and what gadgets he was going to use. He would also have to figure out where to find all the things he would need.
"Where do you think I can find a grappling hook?" Dave asked.
"A what? What on earth would you need a grappling hook for?" Susan burst out laughing.
"It came-up at work. You know, things guys talk about around the water cooler." Dave wished he could tell Susan about becoming a super hero, but he had to keep his secret identity secret.
"I would image you could find one online. You can buy almost anything online." Susan crinkled her nose at him the way he loved.
"Of course. I should have checked there first." Dave knew it would be a good idea to just order everything he needed online. He could get it all sent to his office so he would not have to worry about Susan finding out. If she knew, it could put her in danger.
The next stage was going to take longer than the first two combined. This is where he would need to join a gym and eat better. In his current state he couldn't save a kitten from a falling twig let along stop a purse snatcher. There weren't many purse snatchers near his house or work, but it would be a good idea to be prepared for anything. Batman and Superman didn't limit themselves to only helping people they had penciled in for the day, they were ready to face anything. Cardio and strength would be the first things to focus on. A personal trainer would also help him to get where he wanted to be without wasting any time. He had wasted enough of his life not changing the world for the better.
A few weeks quickly turned into a few months. Though he had never been interesting in eating well or working out he had to admit that it did make him feel better. During his workout sessions he picked out Heroic Struggle by Keith Merrill as his theme song. His wife also noticed and approved the changes he was making. One thing he had not been able to figure out yet was what he was going to do once he got into superhero shape. Helping homeless people and rescuing cute animals off the street were all wonderful things to do, but he wanted to make a bigger impact.Though they still had lasagna on Tuesday nights Susan was able to try a version with eggplant slices instead of the noodles. Dave did not think he was going like it at all, but it was his new favorite night of the week. He even discovered that he really liked steamed broccoli with a balsamic drizzle over it. If someone had told him a few months ago that he was going to be ordering utility belts off the internet and enjoying health food he would have laughed and called that person crazy; but here he was with a piece of baked chicken, a big pile of broccoli, and steamed green beans on his plate and he was loving every bite.
Dave was trying out his Chivalrous Steel Hawk outfit to make sure it all worked together. He didn't want to look like a fool and have his utility fall off while chasing someone down the street. As he was rounding a corner and thinking about how he should get a pair of boots for everyday, when he heard a scream. He hurried and saw a woman pointing at a running figure and yelling about her purse. Without thinking he burst into action. This was perfect. The Chivalrous Steel Hawk could just sense where evil was about to happen.
Without even having to think about it he knocked the guy down and tied his hands behind his back with the large zip ties he kept on his belt. The woman hugged him and thanked him at least five times when he brought back her purse. It was the best feeling when he was able to take the kid in to the police station.
Though it meant spending a lot more of his time in the city, The Chivalrous Steel Hawk was starting to become a household name. What wasn't he doing to improve life around the city? He stopped runaway strollers and stop bank robberies. It was getting harder and harder to keep his identity secret.
"Hey, Dave..." Susan turned to him one night. "I don't want to be a nag or anything, but I was wondering where you have been most evenings. You've never had to work like this before."
"I..." It would be so easy for Dave to lie to her. He knew that The Chivalrous Steel Hawk would not approve of that though.
"Is it me?" Susan asked.
"Is...what you?" Dave was not expecting that.
"I didn't want to think that anything was happening, but if you are seeing someone else you need to tell me." Susan blurted out.
"It is nothing like that. Though I'm not sure you would believe me if I told you." Dave replied.
"Why don't you try me then?" Susan looked both relieved and annoyed.
"What is your opinion on The Chivalrous Steel Hawk?" Dave wanted to feel her out.
"Weird change in topic, but I think he is a fool." Susan said.
"He is helping so many people though, how does that make him a fool?" Dave had not been expecting that.
"I will admit that he is doing a good thing, but he is putting himself in so much trouble. He is a grown man for crying out loud. This guy should know better, he's not some dumb kid. This whole thing with running around like a superhero is just unnecessary danger." Susan replied.
"I think he knew what he was doing when he got into being a superhero. You love them so much when they are in comics." Dave did not like where this was going.
"Those are just pictures on pages. If they get hurt a few fans get mad and everyone moves on with their life. Why are you defending this guy so much?" Susan asked.
"I am defending him because," Dave took a deep breath. "I'm him, I'm The Chivalrous Steel Hawk."
"You're... what? I can't even imagine that. You are way too smart for that. You could get killed, especially when you jump off of buildings." Susan threw her hands up in the air.
"I was hoping you were going to be more supportive." Dave replied.
"I am okay with the fact that you have been making healthy food choices and going to the gym more, but I can not agree with you 'fighting crime' like this. You are going to get hurt." Susan fumed.
"This gives my life more meaning. It makes me feel good about what I'm doing. I also would not have gotten in better shape if it wasn't for this." Dave explained.
"I'm sorry, I just cannot let you do this. You will have to choose if you want to stay married to me or keep being The Chivalrous Steel Hawk." Susan said.
"I wish you wouldn't be like this. I don't want to have to choose between being happy at home or being happy with what I'm doing with my life. I want to just be happy all of the time." Dave replied.
"No, you have to choose." Susan laid down the law.
Instead of replying Dave simply got out of bed and slept on the couch that night. He needed some time to think about what he was going to do, so he asked to stay with one of his few friends from work. He really could not imagine giving up either aspect of his life. He knows that he loves his wife with all of his heart, but being The Chivalrous Steel Hawk was a dream come true.
While trying to make-up his mind he decided to give up crime fighting as well. He didn't want to give the wrong impression and he didn't want to lose Susan without giving the whole situation a lot of thought. He felt lonely and hallow. Everything he found real joy in was being put on hold until he could make up his mind. One thing he found interesting was that he never got a call from Susan the whole time. He was secretly hoping that she would get over her initial shock and see that it wasn't so bad. It's not like he was going again mobsters or anything.
Tying his boot Dave knew what had to be done. A month had gone by with still no word from Susan and there was talk around town that The Chivalrous Steel Hawk had died. Though he knew it was very selfish, he could not give up The Chivalrous Steel Hawk. He looked over the city for a minute before securing the end of his grappling hook and feeling the weight of the rope in his hand. It was a tough decision, but it was one he felt was right.
He took one step off the ledge and was falling down towards his destiny. As he was passing by the floor he worked his day job on he heard his cell phone ring. He must have left it on his desk before changing. Though he knew it was Susan's ring there was no way to stop his fall. People on the street were already pointing at him, word would get out that he was back. There would be no way to keep this from Susan. Though what was done could not be undone, he had his first worry that he just made the biggest mistake of his life.
(Best part about this was that I used a real website for the tips and tricks. It can be found here if you want an expanded version.)
Today's count: 2,661
Monthly count: 20,757
Prompts used: 15
Pictures posted: 2 (counting only finished objects)
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