I sit on a park bench facing the wide, muddy river with my box of stale donuts beside me. Before I can check what flavors I have, I get distracted. There are so many people enjoying the weather on this beautiful spring day.
I watch a young couple float by in each other's arms. What must it be like to defy gravity? Many have been able to do this since our world was radiated so many years ago by an asteroid. But not me.
I pick up my box, and my gaze wanders to the park maintenance crew. One shoots lasers from her eyes to trim limbs damaged by the brutal winter. Another coaxes crocuses and daffodils into blooming with a gesture. Now that would be a lovely power.
I open my box and gaze at the oddball collection of day-old pastries. Before I can pick one, childish laughter claims my attention. A donut lifts out of the carton, and I hear the crunch of footfalls on the gravel path as the donut and laughter disappear. Invisibility, then? I feel bad for the kid's parents. How to keep track of your child when you can't see them?
Some days it feels like I'm the only one who didn't get a fabulous and valuable superpower in the wake of the asteroid. But as I sit alone on my bench, I'm not unhappy. Today I got three raspberry bismarcks! The stale pastry turns into a freshly fried treat as I lift it from the box. It softens and releases its lovely sweet aroma. Savoring its sticky sweetness, I'm satisfied with my superpower.
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