The Quantum Prophecy

The thought jumped into his mind, as it seemed to do every couple of minutes.

He turned off the light, pulled back the blankets and awkwardly climbed into bed; the muscles in his arms and legs were sore, as though he’d been working out all day. This had been happening on and off for weeks now; growing pains, his mother called them.

Danny’s going to be off saving the world and having fantastic adventures, while the rest of us have ordinary, boring lives. It’s not fair; I want to have super-powers! I want to be able to move as fast as Quantum!

Colin knew that he’d never be able to sleep with these thoughts running around in his head.

He rolled over on to his side and tried to think of something – anything – to keep his mind off the fact that his best friend was going to be a superhero.

It wasn’t working.

Colin shifted around to his favourite position – on his back, with his hands tucked behind his head – and tried to focus on the gentle hum of the traffic on the motorway; this usually helped him to drift off to sleep.

But this time, as he focussed on the noise of the traffic, it seemed to him that the sounds were becoming sharper.

Outside, on the next street, a car beeped its horn twice.

Someone saying goodbye. His own aunt had done the same thing earlier. Why do people do that? Surely getting into the car and driving away is a pretty good indication that you’re leaving. You don’t have to beep your horn and wake the whole neighbourhood up!

He wondered who it was and listened carefully. He faintly heard a woman calling, “Bye!” as the car pulled away. Colin recognised her voice: Mrs Healy from number twenty-three. He heard her close her front door, then go into her kitchen and fill the kettle.

I’m dreaming, Colin thought. There’s no way I can hear Mrs Healy filling her kettle!

He imagined that he could hear his parents downstairs in the sitting room. The television was on, but they weren’t paying attention to it. His father was about to fall asleep; Colin could hear his breathing slowing, becoming more regular. His mother was humming quietly to herself and… yes, she was reading; Colin could hear the pages turning.