“Unchallenged”

Twelve year old Krystal Leanne Kent sat barefooted in jean shorts and a light blue pullover top on an asteroid orbiting a star that was about to become a supernova.  She dipped a toe into the void and stirred space clockwise then counter-clockwise as she waited.  She was bored, bored, BORED!  No one had EVER been so bored in the long history of boredom.

Krystal had done everything there was to do … at least everything she WANTED to do.  She hoped that this experiment might be fun or, at the very least, interesting.  She had confided to a group of her school friends what she was planning and they told her that it could be dangerous … that it might even kill her.  Death.  She wondered if that was story that adults had made up to scare small children into behaving themselves.  Nobody she knew had died.  Nobody that she knew knew anybody that had died.  Dying might be an interesting experience … something to explore.  But for now, she would try catching the tidal wave caused by an exploding star.

Krystal told herself, “This had better be better than GOLF!  Whoever even THOUGHT that that game would be fun?  Hit the ball, run to the flag, take out the flag, watch the ball go in the hole, take ball, replace flag and repeat 17 more times.  Even if you bounce the stupid ball off 15 trees or knock it through a tree the game is still stupid and boring beyond belief!  There is no challenge.  Never, ever a challenge!”

Krystal thought she would be a naughty girl to see if that would be fun.  She mentally calculated how much random lead ore must exist between her and her Mom back on Earth.  She decided that there was no chance that her Mother could actually be watching her.  So she did the unthinkable.  She slouched.  Then she spread her knees apart as far as she could and giggled at how bad she was being.  She heard a conversation in her head, “Don’t slouch!  It is important for a woman to have good posture!”  “Why?!”  “Keep your knees together, Dear.”   “:WHY?!  Sitting like this is more comfortable!”  “You’ll give boys the wrong idea, KK!”  “Well it’s not like any boy on Earth could do anything about any ideas he might have!”  “Honey, if someone offers you a beverage and the container is already open, don’t drink it.  Some boy could have put Red K in it and you’ll lose all you inhibitions.”  “So WHAT?!  If I lose my inhibitions and some boy touches me, all that means is that I won’t hold back when I knock his stupid head off!  Speaking of being comfortable, I hate this stupid harness!”

Krystal reached up under her top and pulled off her bra with a single sharp jerk.  She snapped off a piece of asteroid and tied it securely into one of the cups.  Then she stood up and whirled the bra around over her head and sent it hurtling into the star.  Krystal shouted into the void, “Training bra!  Training them to do what?  Sit up and beg?  Roll over and play dead?  Why should I have to wear a bra?  Uncle Joel Prism has bigger breasts than me OR Mom and HE doesn’t have to wear one!  It’s not fair!  I hate being a girl!  I hate it, I hate it, I HATE IT!  Only thing worse would be to be a BOY!  Y*U*C*K!!!  And I never want to grow up and become a woman if I’m going to have to like boys or have baby boys.  That wouldn’t be fun AT ALL!”

Before Krystal could continue her rant at the universe, she noticed that something was happening to the star.  She sat back down to watch and was so intent that she forgot to slouch.  The star’s surface began expanding outward in every direction.  The asteroid vaporized below Krystal and she was thrown backwards by a blow that would have shattered any planet.  Her limp body rolled head over heals in the outbound wave of energy.  She was awake and alert – more alert than she ever remembered being before.  She had the power to hold herself in place despite the oncoming force, but she chose not to resist it.  She enjoyed the sensation of being tumbled through space.  Then she felt weak as red solar radiation began to steal away her powers.  Her aura faded and her clothes bust into flame.  She gasped for air and felt the burning on her skin and in her lungs.  The pain was intense but she was delighted to experience something new that she had never felt before.  Before she lost consciousness, a wave of concentrated white solar energy flowed through her.  Her body healed instantly and she felt more powerful that she could have ever imagined.  For a moment she thought she had become a goddess then realized that she was just a part of God … like everyone else.  Her powers pulsed through her – growing then fading.  Her life had always been a constant for her – never sick, never appreciating her health or power, aware of everything but unable to feel intensely.  She was thrown like a rag doll and thoroughly enjoyed herself … for a while.  Then she found peace and contentment … for a while.  After a couple hours, she was starting to get a little bored again.  Suddenly she remembered that it was a Tuesday evening back home and her Mother would be making macaroni and cheese … with little bits of crumpled up potato chips cooked on the top.  She took control of the direction she was heading and headed for the small planet where she had left her back pack.  She was glad she had packed extra clothes.  Normally her clothes didn’t get destroyed if they were tight enough.  She was delighted to see that she had the first tan she had ever gotten and then disgusted as she pulled out a bra and realized that it was time for her to be a good little girl again.  Soon she was heading towards home and making the speed shift required to open a warp back to the Sol system.  As she flew, she began to think, “Well, if I HAVE to like boys, … there is that ONE ….”

The End