The Normies: Who Are They

​ Have you ever seen Superman? Well, let me tell you that is far from the truth. You may

see me in the hall and not know my name. In a world of superheroes, not everyone is “special”.

​ My name is Liam, but most do not know my name. People without superpowers are

Normies. Despite the lack of “specialness” we still possess the ability to be invisible. We are

trapped. We are drowning. We are swimming up but sinking.

​ Our job in society is to help people with superpowers.

It is not easy. Over 200,000 Normies are killed at each rally, but schools do not teach you

that. You may be wondering, “What kind of rally?”. There are rallies every day held for an equal

rights movement. In my opinion, there is no point in fighting for rights that fall on deaf ears. The

world is run by “superheroes”. They own the world and we are just living in it, and all Supers are

evil.

The worst is the school system. Every day people get bullied, maimed, and punished for

walking too loudly.

At lunch on Fridays, we get to eat the food the Supers do, and some Normie teachers let

you stay in their classrooms for safety.

In a world run by Supers, you may be thinking that there is no way to get a good job, but

there is a way. It has been done before. The current president of Dystopia Republic is a Normie

despite the way he acts.

Today is power testing day. I should first probably tell you why some people have powers

or do not. The reason people have superpowers is that during the great Dysterocracy, which was

the famous war between the gods, Zeus tried to win by giving powers to humans. All first-year
students get tested to see if they have a power and what it is. Or if they are not “special”. If

somebody has a power, it only manifests itself during their power testing day.

All Normies have to enter through the faculty entrance of the school. All based on the

quote: “Out of sight, out of mind”. Despite where we enter, we all go to the auditorium for the

power testing ceremony.

During the ceremony, people place their hand on a crystal ball, and depending on the

color the crystal ends on reveals what your powers are. If it turns blue, you can control the

weather. The Storms. If it turns yellow, you can fly. The Fliers. If it turns green, you have the

ability of super speed. The Zaps. And if it turns purple, you have the rarest abilities of all,

telepathy and mind control. The Controls. Controls are considered royalty. They are second only

to real royalty.

I retract my earlier remark. Not all Supers are bad. Some of them are good. For example,

my best friend Katniss, who is the reason I am not dead, is a wonderful person. She is a Control.

Despite her high status, she remains empathetic towards the lives of Normies. Since she is a

Control, she sits in the very front during power testing day.

Today my brother is having his power tested. Despite having two Normie parents, my

older sister is a Storm. My sister left our family, so she could be adopted by a Super family

because she was too ashamed to have our faces disgrace her legacy. Today my brother feels the

pressure of the entire family coming down on his shoulders like a waterfall.

The start of the ceremony went normal. Then, it was my brother’s turn. He stepped

towards the impeccably shiny crystal ball and placed his hand. My focus on the crystal was so

intense and razor-sharp you could cut diamonds with it. The crystal swirled in a series of colors

so majestic it could bring a grown man to tears, and then it shattered.

crystal was a gift from Zeus himself. The subtle buzz of the cafeteria fell silent. Before anyone

could react, my brother was ushered off stage by the headmistress. The second after he was gone,

every student was told to evacuate the premises immediately.

I tried to make my way over to Katniss to talk, but the crowd of people flowing out of the

auditorium was like a massive wave that washed me away. Since finding Katniss was out of the

picture, I had to save my brother.

Immediately, I turned around and marched my way towards the office of the

headmistress. Before I could get there, I was blocked by a cloud of Storms. The Storms encircled

me like lions on the prowl. But then right before they could pounce, Katniss saved me by

showing up. Slowly she took control of them. I did not know what she was doing, but it was

probably showing them their worst nightmares over and over. Something like that.

Simultaneously, all the Storms encircling me scattered.

“Thank you,” I say to Katniss. “For saving me, once again!”

“Don’t mention it. Now, where is your brother?”

“I don’t know, but I was going to check the headmistress’s office first.”

“That’s smart. I was able to glance into her head and see what she was going to do with

your brother. She was thinking about taking him to her office, but at this point, the plan could

have changed. He might be in a teacher’s classroom,” she remarked.

“I think we should divide and conquer. I will go see if he is in any teacher’s classroom.”

“Isn’t that a bad idea? I mean. Well at least for you. You are going to get picked off by

any lingering Supers,” her brown eyes sparkling with certainty.

“I will be fine,” I say with more confidence in my voice than in my ability to survive.
 “Ok, but don’t die. You’ll be fine,” she says but more to herself than me.

After that, we split up. I first went to the Normie teacher's classroom. I had the best

chance of finding any information over there. The Normie teacher classrooms were separated

from Super teacher classrooms by a long, daunting hallway that wrapped around the school.

Away from the center. In the center, there would be the most teachers, and the most Supers that

wanted to kill me. The headmistress’s office where Katniss was heading is in the very center.

The first classrooms I entered were empty. Too empty. A silence that seemed to scream

wrong. Despite this weird feeling, I continued. Empty classroom after empty classroom. I needed

to figure out what was wrong and fast.

My first thought was that all the teachers were with the headmistress. But that was

quickly disproven after peering through a window and seeing about fifty Super teachers walking

around the grounds.

My second thought was that I was going to be attacked. Before I could linger on that

thought any longer, I got knocked to the ground so quickly I did not even feel pain. Then, I sat

there. In the calming silence. The back of my mind was telling me no but my eyelids grew

heavier. The Control slowly making my body feel heavy and taking a toll on my mind and body.

A moment before my eyes closed shut, I saw the culprit; standing right in front of me was a

Control and a Zap.

I could not feel how long I was out. Days. Weeks. Months. When you are at the mercy of

a Control, anything could happen.

I started to dream. I was in a fog that was too cloudy to see through. As I slowly walked

around, I started to notice people stuck in the fog too. Before the dream took a turn for the worse,

I woke up.
 That meant one thing. Katniss was near. When I woke up I was in a net like an animal

being taken home to feast upon. The second after I woke up, however, the Zap carrying me over

his shoulder suddenly released me. Before the Control could react, I kicked her hard slamming

her into the wall. She fell from the wall unconscious.

Katniss gave me a hand and lifted me to my feet. “You know I could have saved myself,”

I say while thinking the opposite. “I would have been fine.”

“Whatever,” by her expression she knew I was lying, but she was too focused to push any

further. “I was heading over to the headmistress’s office when I passed a Zap who was heading

your way. Before I immediately jumped into a reckless situation like you would've, I waited and

lingered behind him. Then I found out where he was going and voila”. If I did not know it

before, I knew it now, I would not want to be her enemy.

“All classes I have checked have been empty. I am thinking all the Normie teachers must

be in the headmistress’s office with my brother,” the simple thought of my brother being in the

hands of that monster Super was enough to make me shiver.

“I was not able to get a good look since I was saving you, but keeping your brother there

would be the most logical decision.” Based on her facial expressions, I could tell she was

thinking. Thinking about our next move. Thinking about how to save him. To save my brother.

The walk there was silent. Both of us are deep in thought. What had my brother gotten

himself into? Before I could dwell on that thought any longer, we arrived at the office. The posh,

brown French doors separated me from my brother. We had to be sneaky. But before I could tell

Katniss how to do a great ambush, she slammed the doors wide open and walked right in.
 Like Katniss was the Queen and the knights were the Normie teachers they all parted in

front of her. But instead of closing and blocking me out, they left the gap open while they

beckoned me forward.

I was going to mention how strange this was until I saw my brother. He looked worse for

wear. But the fact that he was okay was enough to settle my rising heart rate. His eyes locked

onto mine with a look of defeat overshadowing his rich brown iris. One second later, the

headmistress closed the doors behind us and moved towards my brother. Sitting in front of him

clear as day was another crystal clear orb, and within the sparkling crystal lay a dazzling blue.

Clearly, the school was one for secrets, but the teachers in front of me looked less surprised by

two one-of-a-kind crystals.

As soon as the headmistress saw me, a look of relief seemed to wash over her face. Then

she asked no questions, but she took my hand and led me towards the crystal. For some reason,

the unknown voice deep inside of me told me to run, hide, or fight and do anything besides touch

that crystal, but the crystal was calling my name. It was like something deep inside of me wanted

to reach out and reconnect with something long lost. Before the trance consumed me, I snapped

out of it. I looked to the headmistress and exclaimed, “I already had my power tested, and no

power comes to anybody out of power testing day”.

The headmistress gave me a look that told me I was missing something. After a minute of

silence, a teacher spoke, “Just tell him already. All Normies in the school have to be re-tested.

And you are right, no power comes out of a day other than power testing day, but today is power

testing day. Maybe not your first, but still a power testing day nonetheless.” Before the teacher

could continue, the headmistress looked over at him, and with one glare he fell silent.
 Then, the headmistress directed me towards the ball. Everything in my brain kept telling

me no, but there was something in my body that gravitated toward the magical sphere. I slowly

took a step. Now face to face with the orb, I reached my hand out.

My hand once again gripped the cold hard sphere. The sphere turned hot as thousands of

colors swirled around like a dance of fire, but it never stopped. The crystal went hotter, the

flames dancing faster. The whole room was illuminated by the glowing orb in front of me. Then

it shattered. Again. But not like before. Not shattered but exploded.

All across the room shards of glass flew. The second after, every person in the room

picked up a shard and looked at the color. One teacher had a purple tile while the other had a

blue tile. Every single tile was different. Everyone holds a different color, power, and destiny. I

looked at Katniss with pleading eyes, but in return, I was met with a blank stare. I had no idea

what was happening. What was going on? What power do I have? And what the hell did I just

awaken within myself?

The clouds above me pulsate with electricity as thunder shook the foundations of the

buildings close to me. I was cold. It was freezing rain and hail. When Zeus was in a mood, the

world suffered. Lighting struck fifty feet away, and from the fresh bolt of lighting, emerged a

burly man with brown flowing hair that appeared to be in his thirties. Zeus.

Behind him were The Fates, the three sisters who decided, well, the fate of everyone

mortal and immortal. Their figures were intimidating to say the least. Everyone around

shuddered at the sight of their silhouettes approaching. With every step Zeus took the buildings

shook at their foundation. And with every skip the Fates made the life around them started to

wither. Every step they took, my heart pounded. What was I going to say? What exactly do you

say to a god and the three most powerful people in the universe? “Hello,” I say as they get within
hearing distance. Seriously. Hello. Who am I a kindergartener. Katniss spoke next, saving me

from my utter embarrassment.

“Thank you, Lord Zeus for gracing us with your presence,” she said with disdain barely

noticeable with her perfect poise. Zeus however was not having any of it.

“Let's just get to the point,” his voice was deep and clear like the billowing clouds above.

“Who are you?”

“I am Liam Smith. The son of Elliot Smith. I go to school here, and my brother just had

his power testing,” planning to give more detail before Zeus cut me off.

“Okay, and what was so urgent about this boy I had to come down from Olympus to see,”

annoyance flickered through his tone as the trees around felt his anger beginning to sway and

snap. Clearly he had not been informed of why he was called down, so why were the Fates

trailing him?“My lord,” Katniss replied. “He has a power no one has ever seen. No god nor

human has ever had his abilities. We tried to test his power with the crystal, but it exploded.”

Zeus's expression shifted. His unreadable expression clearly showed something I was

missing. Maybe Discomfort. I had no idea. I looked into his stormy irises, and all I found myself

seeing was my reflection.

“Fates, please tell me what power the boy has,” Zeus said dismissively, like the words

were lucky to grace his tongue. “And after that, please enlighten me as to why you followed me

here.” His irritation was clearly noticeable.

“Of course,” the Fates said in unison as they approached me. Slowly they started to

speak, no louder than the whispers of the wind. “His power is extraordinary. Extraterrestrial, for

his power is not of human nature. His powers are those of a god. Specifically, he is the God of

Reality.”
 Slowly, I fell. Not a graceful tumble but as if I was pushed with so much wind that my

body got slammed to the ground. I blacked out on top of the grass. I was not able to make out

much sound, but in the back of my mind I heard yelling. Zeus yelling at the Fates.

And then I started to dream. I was in a fog. Again. This time the people around me were

gods. Norse gods, Greek Gods, Egyptian Gods, and on an altar in the middle of the fog was a

man. He was holding a lyre and dressed in all gray, but depending on perspective, his clothes

could appear gray, black, or white, like one of the bookmarks my mom would buy me as a kid.

Something about me that I cannot explain knew I was related to him somehow.

Then I fell. Like I was skydiving without a parachute. I was surrounded by thousands of

shiny crystal mirrors. All of a sudden, the mirrors that used to engulf me shattered like the ball,

like I could control it, like I knew what was happening, and like I knew how to stop it. Clarity

broke over me, and time started to loop back. Almost as if somebody sat on the remote. I was

transported back to the fog, placed right in front of the man. Reality was starting to glitch at my

confusion. The world around me started to tear, rip, and put back together again. Smushed.

Pulled. Squeezed. I awoke.

I was no longer in the field. I was in a chair. Not a chair but a throne. I was in a temple.

Specifically, Zeus’s temple. There were high ceilings with torches on the walls, and massive

stone pillars divided the room. A soft-featured man with wings above me. Hypnos. He was trying

to put me to sleep, but then he was gone. Not a feather out of place. Before I could question what

I had just seen, I saw Zeus.

Zeus was directly in front of me pacing. Behind him was a queenly looking woman. With

a lotus staff in one hand and a crown on her head, Hera was looking more regal than ever. Not
that I would see her any other way. Katniss was behind Hera tied up with a rope and a gag in her

mouth. Katniss was trying her hardest to fight the restraints but to no avail.

“What do you want?” I questioned. The restraints on my wrists slowly began to unravel I

almost could have sworn I had the ability to move my hands.

Zeus looked at me for a second and then demanded, “I want to know why you are a god

despite not being immortal?”

“How am I supposed to know?”

“Maybe, your little friend can help jog your memory?”

I started to realize what he was saying too late. This temple was on a cliff, and Katniss

was on the edge. Hera walked over to her and placed one foot on her abdomen. Katniss realized

fighting was worthless and stopped trying to escape.

“I will tell you once again. I don't know what power I have. I don't know who I am. And I

don't even know how this is possible,” I looked at Zeus with pleading eyes like a puppy.

“Push her off,” he commanded. Hera took the gag off Katniss’s mouth. Then, in one

flowing motion, she pushed her off. She screamed.

“Are you insane?” I yelled. I fought with everything I had to loosen the restraints. Zeus

moved toward me. The restraints loosened. Then he held me in place. One second. Two seconds.

I hope this is a big cliff.

Zeus whispered, “I want to know what kind of God you are.” With that, he let go of my

hands.

I have never run so fast. I do not think a cheetah could have caught me. Then I jumped

off. I saw Katniss. Several hundred feet below me and approaching the ground fast. I fought with

everything I could to reach her. I was getting closer. Then, we were at an arm's length. I reached
out my hand. She tried to reach, but she could not. The ground was only about a hundred feet

down. I fought once again to descend just an inch further. Our hands touched the slightest bit. I

grabbed on to her as we circled plummeting toward the ground. One second till impact. The

world suddenly rolled around us.

Then we face-planted on soft green lush grass. I looked up to see my parents’ home.

“Are you okay?” I asked, not sure what to say as the reality of what just happened started

to hit hard.

“Fine. I am just a little dizzy,” she said, as she pulled herself to her feet. Her hair was

disheveled, and a small cut visible on the side of her cheek revealed a little blood pouring from

the wound. I could tell she was definitely not fine, but based on what just happened, it was not

the time to push further on the topic.

“I think we should head inside,” I sighed. Hopefully my change of topic was not too

obvious.

“Sure, let's do that,” she spoke, but as she moved to walk, she clutched her abdomen in

pain. I swiftly moved under her arm to help support her when she walked. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Are you sure you're okay?” I questioned. Clearly, her walking had stirred

something within me that made me want to be sure of the answer.

“I am fine,” she swore.

“No, you are not. You just went flying off a cliff. Landed on my parents' not-so-soft

grass, and you cannot walk without assistance,” I say; the harsh reality of my words only settling

in after. “I'm sorry. I just don't want to be lied to.”

“You know what?, her shoulders slumped in resignation. “I am not fine,” she said sadly.

“Firstly, I--I got pushed off of a freaking tall cliff by a freaking G-G-G-G—--Greek god. My
v—v-ery best friend is in crisis and I—I feel helpless to do anything. Can I do something? Aren't

I useful?” her voice slowly subsided to sobs.

I hesitated before answering. Not sure of what to say. She just looked at me with her eyes,

a subtle plea from the depths of the dark brown. She looked away, her eyes darkened

immediately at my hesitation.

​ “It is fine. Let’s just go in—inside already,” she commanded. The next second she pushed

past me bumping into my shoulder.

​ “Wait I–Wait,” I shout but it is too late the once sad expression she held turned into one

of fury and rage. She reached for the key under the “Welcome” mat and entered. I definitely feel

the “Welcome” now. It is early evening, and my parents have yet to arrive home. Both of my

parents work in the Hospital Emergency Room. They both work night shifts.