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“Are you a man?”
“No.”
“Then what are you?”
“I’m…something else.”
“What?”
“I promise I’ll tell you when the time is right, but first, let’s get to know each other better.”
I hesitated, trying to process all this information. It was a hell of a lot for a ten-year-old to take in.
“Where are you from?” I resumed after a minute’s silence.
“I’m from a land far away,” the voice replied. “A dark, dark place where there is no sadness and everyone has fun all day long.”
“What’s this place called?”
“I can’t tell you that either.”
“Oh Erasmus, won’t you tell me anything?”
“I’d much prefer to talk about you. Would you like to make a wish?”
“Wow! Do you grant wishes?”
“I do indeed.”
“You mean like the genie fromAladdin?”
“Yes, in a way. Tell me what you want most in the world and I’ll make sure your wish comes true.”
Closing my eyes, I thought hard. “I wish…I wish I had a friend, someone who will never go away and always be with me. I used to have a friend called Trinity, but she was taken away and I…I never want that to happen again.”
“Granted. I promise I’ll be your friend forever and ever and never leave your side…”
With a gasp, I felt an enormous bolt of energy surge into me, and my fingertips felt as if they were on fire. In my mind’s eye, I saw a million distorted images flash up at the speed of light. Then I felt strong in a way I never had before, and I knew, I just knew, Erasmus was now irrevocably a part of me. It was like a seed had been planted that was growing and growing, spreading its grip throughout every one of my nerve endings.
A joyful smile spread across my lips. Erasmus had indeed kept his promise and was now burrowed deep within my subconscious, waiting to be unleashed whenever I needed him. I found the feeling both comforting and thrilling. By rights, I should have been terrified by the alien sensations pulsating through me, intruding on the very core of my being, yet somehow, I wasn’t. I loved the novelty of the phenomenon, the exciting sense of the unknown and the exhilarating strength it gave me. With Erasmus inside my body, it meant I would never be alone again. I would always have a friend, one that would stay with me forever and ever.
Until death do us part.
“You can never tell anyone about me, Alex,” the voice whispered. “Listen closely, this is very important. If you do ever tell anyone, they might send people to try and take me away, and you wouldn’t want that, would you? You wouldn’t want people to take me away like they took away Trinity.”
“No, of course not!”
“Good. Then promise me you will always keep this a secret, just between the two of us.”
“I promise.”
“Thank you. Now who’s your favourite superhero?”
“Superman.”
“Well, my friend, I’m going to turn you into Superman and give you lots of special powers. Would you like that?”
“Oh yes! Erasmus, please, please make me into Superman!”
