By Maria TB Mendoza <Gedri@Hotmail.com>
Rated: G
Submitted: August 2001
Summary: Ever wonder how Clark learned he could float?
Author's Notes: All right. I've tried to figure out how to work telling about how Clark got his senses into the 'Knowledge' series and the only thing I could come up with was creating a Sub-Series. These stories will focus on retelling How/when/where Clark first discovered his abilities. They will follow the main theme of the 'Knowledge' series but, since they won't actually advance the main series plot, will be numbered on their own.
(Best understood if read following the "Knowledge Series" listed in the LNC Archive under my name.)
A High Moment Knowledge Series Sub-Story #1 By Maria TB Mendoza
***
There I was, just lying in bed and letting my thoughts wander. The Beatles were playing in the background and the air carried the scent of the apple pie my mother had cooling in the kitchen; I was relaxed. I'd just aced another test in math and my life was going pretty good.
Closing my eyes, I really relaxed. Not just calmed-down relaxed but relaxed in a true every-muscle-individually-focused-on-and- released sense. I was calm. I was at ease. I was tranquil. I was composed. I had no problems in my life. I was happy. I was.thirsty.
Still keeping myself relaxed, I carefully reached out my left arm toward the glass of lemonade I had placed on the end table beside my bed. It wasn't there. Without opening my eyes, I moved my arm a little lower and to the side. It still wasn't there.
Then, I noticed something odd. I didn't feel anything on my arm. I didn't feel the bedspread rubbing against it. I should have felt the roughness of the material against my arm. I didn't. I didn't feel anything against my arm but a slight breeze. Confused, I slowly opened my eyes. and got a close up view of the ceiling from about a foot below it.
Startled, to the say the least, I tensed. Instantly, I began to fall back toward my bed. Making a quick choice, I forced myself to calm down again. My fall stopped.
Opening my eyes, but still keeping a death grip on relaxation,
***
"Huh?"
"I.I don't really know how to explain it. I relaxed, but I had to force myself to stay that way. It's like when a doctor tells you to stay calm right after he tells you your leg's broken. You want to tense your muscles, but you have to relax or it'll get worse."
"I got it, I think."
"Come on, Clark. It's after midnight and I'd like to get SOME sleep tonight."
"I can always finish this tomor-"
"Don't even think about it."
"Yeah, CK. You started so you gotta at least finish."
"Where was I."
***
.keeping a death grip on relaxation, I gently opened my eyes. I was.floating. I was hovering a few feet above my bed.
Keeping myself relaxed, physically if not mentally, I tried moving my arm. It reacted normally. I tried my legs and they too seemed normal. Reaching my arm down, I felt below me until I made contact with my bed. I bent my knees and, oh-so-slowly lowering them, managed to rest both of them flat on the bed. Laying my hand down, I also rested it on the bed. Lowering my other hand, I braced myself before letting go of my relaxation. I promptly found myself supported solely by my arms and legs, crab- style.
Lowering myself to lie flat on the bed, I took a moment to breathe deeply before slowly sitting up. Pulling my legs under me, I finally reached for and took a drink from the glass that started the whole thing. It was tart and sweet, just what I needed to remind me that this isn't an incredibly strange dream.
Quickly, I ran through a mental list of everything I had come in contact with on the off chance that I had somehow been drugged or begun hallucinating. Nothing abnormal came to mind. Maybe it was a fluke air current; the window was open after all. I looked outside; the air was still and you could all but see the waves of heat rising from the ground without a breath of wind to disturb them. Drugs, a hallucination, or freak winds hadn't caused it.
With a slow breath, I concentrated on again relaxing my body the same way I had before. This time, though, I kept my eyes wide open. As my body relaxed, I felt myself lifted as though the air was suddenly weighted and I suddenly lightened. The more my body relaxed, the more I rose. With a slight tensing, I stopped myself about two feet above the bed. Relaxing again, I continued to rise. Tensing, I stilled. Tensing more, I slowly sank back to the bed.
***
"And that was it?"
"That was it. I ran into my parent's rooms and told them that I HAD to show them something. You should have seen Dad's face when I suddenly rose about a foot above the couch and then came back down without ever visibly moving."
"Well, most kids do get high at least once."
"Jimmy!"
"Sorry, Lois. I just had to say it."
"ANYWAY, I told them how it happened. They made me do it again and tell them EXACTLY how I was doing it. And then, after the expected lecture about how I had to be careful and not let anyone see me, they agreed that I'd have to practice if only so that I wouldn't do it by accident or anything. It was nearly a month after that before they'd let me have any friends stay over or let me stay the night at their houses because they were afraid that I'd start floating in my sleep."
"Do you?"
"Not usually."
"But you do sometimes?"
"Usually just when I'm really dead tired. Mom says it's because, when I'm that tired, I don't want to bump into anything or get tangled in the blanket or anything. So, I float and don't have to worry about it."
"Cool. Is there, like, some kind of time limit or can you float all day?"
"All day. As long as I'm relaxed it's no different than being on the ground. If I get startled or something, though, I have to catch myself or I'll fall just like anyone else."
"Except you'll hurt the floor instead of it hurting you."
"Right."
"Okay. Enough for now. We have all got to get to work tomorrow and I do not want to explain to Perry that I was up late because I wanted to hear how my partner learned to fly."
"That wasn't how I learned to fly. That was how I learned to FLOAT. I didn't master flying until later."
"Aren't they basically the same thing?"
"It's like comparing walking and running. Basically, yes, they use the same principle. But it's not the same thing."
"So, CK, how'd you learn to FLY?"
"I'll tell you later. Lois' right. If we don't get to bed soon you are both going to be tired all day."
"And you won't?"
"Nope. A few hours and I'll be as good as new."
"So, since we need to get to bed so quick, how 'bout giving us a lift?"
"Lois?"
"I can leave my keys and you can pick us both up and then give Jimmy a lift back here during our lunch break."
"Sounds good. Ready to go?"
"I will NEVER get tired of seeing that. It is just sooo cool."
"Both of you ready?"
"Let's go."
***
"Bye, Superman." "Bye, Jimmy."
***
"Night, Superman." "Night, Lois."
***
"Yeah, Mom. Sorry I didn't call earlier, but Jimmy and Lois stopped by and we started talking…Yeah, tonight's was, 'How did you start floating?'.No, I'm actually enjoying it. I haven't really thought about it in so long…I know, but I'm so used to it.Maybe…Next time you and Dad come out here they'll probably start interrogating you too…Hey!.Lois will probably want to know every detail about before I was even talking…No, you can tell her whatever you want.EXCEPT THAT!…Mom, some things are just NOT meant for anyone else to know…And don't you dare bring the blue photo album!…MOM!…All right…I know…I'll see you this weekend…Love you too…Tell Dad I said 'good night'…Bye"
THE END