Ain’t a Coward
Dan brings David and Charlie to help him practice lightning-summoning. But it goes horribly wrong.
Word count: 1,308
"Dan is trying to summon lightning with the clap of his asscheeks," Charlie briefly explained to David. David nodded understandingly.
The three were on the flattened top of Mt. Miiverse. A grassy area specified for picnics, (future) marriages, and other miscellaneous things. This time, it was for Dan's weekly lightning practice. The clouds in the sky were dark on the brink of rain.
Dan looked at Charlie with genuine disgust. "Charles spits lies! I'm simply trying a new technique to make the contact less surprising and lagged. A technique that involves me doing a big clap like I'm singing the big daddy shark part of baby shark."
"Then why do you need me?" David asked.
"Well duh! Because the clap, combined with the thunder, has a chance of blowing out my ears even WITH these special sound-proof headphones," Dan said, pointing to the soundproof headphones around his neck. Will made and gifted it for Dan's birthday last year. Dan turned around and looked into the foggy horizon. "I need you to quiet the sound, later."
"You've only ever successfully summoned lightning 12 times in 3 years of training!" David said, crossing his arms and staring at the back of Dan. "And if this is your first time trying this technique, there is a low chance of it working."
Dan groaned. "Actually, 8 out of 12 of those times were during a thunderstorm, which made it easy. That's cheating. I ain't a coward, Meadows."
David rolled his eyes. "The reason I'm grumpy is because I had to hike up this entire mountain by myself!"
"What?" Dan asked. "I thought Charlie flew you up here?"
"My powers are weak. I'm still affected by George's venom saliva after I kissed him a month ago. I had to climb that entire mountain by myself, too," Charlie spat, his wings mimicking rolling eyes. "You can't tell, Daniel, but I am annoyed as fuck so can you please get on with your training so I can go down and not look at your dumb-dumb face," Charlie said. Charlie and David made their way to the other side of the grassy top for safety.
Dan took a deep breath and walked near the side of the cliff. About 3 meters away from the countless mile fall. He stood facing the horizon. The wind blew in his face. "Charlie, chill the wind," Dan commanded, without looking at Charlie.
He slid his left foot back and leaned his body forward. He positioned his arms like the jaws of a hungry alligator. Clear mind, clear mind. Usually he'd have Jack to help him with that, but he isn't a coward. I can't ask for help forever. If I never learn to summon lightning by myself, when will I ever learn to manipulate it?
"David, quiet sound," Dan commanded. Clear mind, clear mind. Every emotion and doubt evicted from his body. And he was hollow. His skin grew warmer to welcome the great sparks with open arms. Literally.
Opening the mouth of the shark just a little more, Dan threw his hands together.
But his hands never touched. They sprung backwards, almost breaking his shoulders. KA-BOOM. CRASH.
Smoke surrounded him. Tingles of excitement coursed through Dan's palms. He looked down and gasped at the sight. Icy blue cobwebs sparkled between his fingers. The lightning made a faint hizzing noise. Dan's eyes were glued to the changing maze of light. A smile grew on his face.
"Did it work?!" David called. David lifted the noise to its usual volume. He ran to Dan.
Dan's mind was brought back onto the ground. He turned around with a big grin on his face. "Yeah! Look at th-"
A bolt flung from Dan's fingertips. Faster than light, it shot David's stomach. Nobody had time to react before David was propelled a few meters backward.
Dan and Charlie's breaths were taken away. Dan dashed to David, but the crunching sound of grass under his feet was a second off. Oh no, oh no oh no oh no.
"David!" Dan tried to scream. But the sound came out 3 seconds too late. Lagged sound.
Charlie fumbled his way to his friend. He pressed two fingers to David's wrist. Yet, he found no pulse. "Is David... dead?" Charlie yelled to Dan, who was standing beside him.
Dan froze. The lightning still tingled between his fingers. "Oh no... Oh no oh no oh no. I fucked up, Charlie. I fucked up." He forced himself to not cry. He wasn't a coward. He couldn't show it.
Charlie began CPR, something Jack taught him months ago for situations like this. Dan felt stupid. He didn't even know how to do CPR, let alone not kill his friend.
Somewhere on the island, the crashing waves around Matt grew quiet. Too quiet.
Somewhere on the island, the KER-CHUNK of Will's toaster shattered his warm glass of beans. His breakfast was ruined, and so were his ears.
Somewhere on the island, Rhianna's cats mimicked the croak of frogs.
"He isn't breathing. He can't respond. Heart not beating," Charlie said, his voice a few seconds off. Charlie’s wing wacked Dan's leg. "Do something! Get something!"
"We live on an island! Where in the world are w...we going to get a defibrillator or something?" Dan said. He could hear his fast heart clear in his ears. The realization sunk in him. He stared at his hands and their lightning cobwebs. He knew what he had to do.
Dan took a deep breath. Clear mind, clear mind. He knelt beside David's body. David's skin was pink and his face was stuck in a pained expression. Dan rubbed his hands together. Sparks flew from his hands. David was going to die either way. He had to try.
"Charlie, cut his shirt," Dan said. Charlie tore David's shirt into shreds. Dan took another deep breath before he slapped his meaty hands on David's right collar bone and under his left nipple.
Dan spewed the shock through David's body. He had absolutely 0 idea of what he was doing. The tingling was gone. He had used his lightning. He stood back and Charlie went back into doing CPR.
The sound of everyone's breathing was amplified, with every other sound quieted. Dan could hear the breathing of Jack nearby. Jack was panting, running. Climbing, possibly. Dan fought back tears. A wave of coolness flew through his body, but he couldn't chill his body temperature for long. Does David have a will? Where the hell are we going to bury him?
Another feathery wack flew at the back of Dan's leg. He turned around. Charlie's mouth was moving, but no voice came from it. Charlie pointed to David. Dan tilted his head.
"He's breathing," Charlie's voice said.
"Oh. Oh OH. THANK FUCKING GOD," Dan said with perfect clarity. The sound around them came back. The chirps of birds. The crashing waves. The crunching grass under their feet. The whisper of restless wind.
Dan sighed. He collapsed to the grassy ground. "I really fucked up, Charlie." Dan wanted to curl into a ball and yell into the sky, but he ain’t a coward.
"But you also saved him," Charlie said. "Well, you did almost kill him. I guess you paid for your mistakes."
A weak groan came from nearby. A hand gripped onto the side of the flat area. Jack slopily hoisted himself on the grass, panting. "GUYS, DAVID JUST DIED. DAVID'S FUCKING GONE. HE HAS NO MIND AND SHIT."
"We been knew," Charlie said. He turned to Dan. "Thanks, Daniel."
"You're welcome," Dan replied. Despite the fact that he didn't know if Charlie was being sarcastic or not. The man stared at David in his dead, brown eyes. He muttered under his breath, "God, he's going to kill me when he wakes up. And I deserve it, to be honest."
