Lightning without Thunder

The World

A large crowd has gathered in front of the giant stadium. Everyone is queuing to get in. My first thought is to vanish into the crowd. However, once I enter, I must show my ticket. Which I do not have.

I sigh. "Okay, Marissa," I tell myself. "There must be another way in."

I walk around the building before entering a small alleyway behind it.

A white van is parked a few metres down the alley. Two burly men in fluorescent clothing unload a slew of massive speakers. They are having trouble getting them out of the van. But what really piques my interest is the open door beside them. That is how I get in.

I run over to them. "Wait." I yell. "Let me help you with that."

One of the men looks up at me and releases the large box. The other guy curses when the full weight of the box rests in his arms.

"No!" He yells. "I am sick and tired of groupies trying to sneak backstage. Miss, just stay where you are."

I stop in my tracks. "No, I say. I can help. Really. I am way stronger than I look."

The guy scoffs. "Sweetheart, I am sure you are strong for a girl, but this is a guy's job. So just let the men do the heavy lifting."

Meanwhile, the other man attempts to lift the large box off the van on his own, but fails miserably.

I ball my fists and roll my eyes. "No, really, I can help!" I say. I walk over to the large device and put my hands on it.

There are only a few magnetic components within it. Some screws and electrical components. Not enough to lift the heavy box.

Both men stand back and cross their arms. One has a big grin on his face as he watches with amusement. "I'd like to see you try. Do you really think you can lift?

I concentrate on the few parts I should be able to telekinetically lift, but to no avail. The box is too heavy, and there aren't enough magnetic screws and wires to get it off the ground.

"Girl, stop embarrassing yourself."

"No, I can do this," I yell.

With all my might, I focus on the few screws, plates, and scraps I can find and apply as much force as I can to them. The top panel of the speaker separates, and instead of lifting the entire thing, the contents spill out. Screws, broken parts, and electronics fly up in the air. The debris rains down on us, scattering across the alley.

The men stare at the broken speaker in horror before returning their attention to me.

"Wait," he stutters. "Aren't you that superpowered girl from the news?"

"Yes," the other man says. "The one who murdered the CEO and then escaped from prison. She is still wearing her prison uniform."

The other man shakes his head. "I thought beige overalls were all the rage with the kids today."

"No, no," the first person responds. "That was the previous trend. Currently, it is that ugly green suit. You know, the one dragon has."

I ignore the conversation and rush for the open door. I enter a hallway. The walls are made of grey bricks, and metal pipes run across the ceiling. There are many doors on both sides.

I look behind me and notice one of the men pursuing me.

"Hey!" the man yells. "Stay here." You can't go in there."

I focus on the metal pipes above me and use my powers to rip them from the ceiling. One of them seems to be filled with hot water and an other with oil. The moment the pipes break, steam and smoke fill the hallway.