Not Today

[Sleepster]

Ty strolled along the street at a leisurely pace, keeping his head low enough to prevent the sun from getting in his eyes. Today was his off day at the convenience store where he works, so he decided to make a stop at his neighborhood bank. He had only recently awoken yet the sun was high in the sky. Ty yawned and came to a stop at an intersection. I wish banks had later night hours. It’s always a hassle to get up this early. The light indicated it was his time to move, so Ty continued trudging along, eventually crossing a park. A young girl caught up to him and questioned him in a polite tone.


“Excuse me mister, can you help get my cat out of that tree there?” The girl asked while pointing a small hand toward a short tree. The cat was visibly resting in the branches and Ty felt envious. Wish I could just get away somewhere and sleep like that. Ty turned his head to the girl and attempted to get out of doing her request in the most polite and kindhearted way possible.


“Where are your parents kiddo?” Ty assumed the child would recognize that this was a problem for someone other than himself. “They’re at home. I was just taking Mr. Clawston out for a walk, but the meanie went and decided to climb that tree and take a nap. I’m bored now so I want to bring him back.” Ty stopped listening after he heard that the parents weren’t going to be any help here. He began to turn to walk away. “Sorry kiddo, not today.” Unfortunately, this girl was a persistent one, she began to follow him. “Please Mister. You’re the only adult around.” Ty stopped walking and tried to determine which course of action would be easier on him. I could get the cat down and be done with it, or I could keep walking until this kid gets tired. Ty knew that kids were tireless centers of energy and came to a conclusion.


“Alright alright. I’ll get your cat down.” Ty turned and walked back to the tree containing Mr. Clawston. The branch that the cat was resting on wasn’t too high. Sorry bud I know you’re just trying to chill up here. Ty reached up and grabbed the cat with a hand, much to the cat’s discomfort. The cat flashed it’s claws and swiped at Ty’s arms, lightly cutting them. Ty responded by sending some point blank sleep-waves into the animal. The cat immediately fell asleep and a now extra drowsy Ty handed the cat to it’s owner.


“Thank you thank you thank you mister.” Was all the girl had to say before she skipped away with the cat in her arms. Ty placed his back against the tree. Ugh I should’ve just kept walking. His back slid down the tree, until he was seated at the base. Before he knew it, Ty was snoring, asleep under the same tree the Mr. Clawston once rested in.

[Sleepster]

Ty woke up a few hours later, still under the tree. He glanced around to see it was dusk and the park had a few children still playing around. Ty stretched and contemplated his next move. Well I could probably still make it to the bank if I wanted. Or I could just head back home. The bank will always be there another day. Ty nodded and decided to return home and try again the next day.


The Sleepster returned to his apartment and greeted his pet sloth. “What’s going on Prince?” Prince slowly managed to lift an arm and hold it in Tytus’ direction. Ty grabbed the sloth and lifted it from the false tree in his room. He smiled while his companion yawned. “Ya know I met a cat you’d really get along with. All it wanted to do was sleep. Just like you.” Ty laughed lightly before putting the sloth back on a branch. “And me.” Ty dropped his backpack in the doorway and kicked off his shoes. He still felt the need to sleep a few more hours so he climbed into bed and promptly went to sleep.


The next day Ty woke up feeling more energetic than he had in quite some time. Even so, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep for a few more minutes. When the time came, he emerged from his slumber with one thing on his mind. Gotta make that deposit today. He checked his schedule and saw that he didn’t have work until the afternoon. This was fortunate but upsetting for the young superhuman. Man, if I had just made the deposit yesterday I could’ve slept in…. more. Ty ran his hand across prince’s back before starting his morning routine. Ty decided he would need to place a couple adhesive bandages on his forearms from where the cat had scratched him on the previous day. He spoke under his breath. “No cats today.”


Ty exited his apartment carrying his backpack. Following the same route he did the previous day he eventually made it to the bank. Ty waited in line for a free teller. The time came and the young man approached the counter. “Hello, I would like to make a dep-”


“Everyone on the floor! Now!” said a man in a mask waving a firearm around in the air. Two other masked men with firearms were standing in the doorway. “Ugh Not today.” The Sleepster spoke with a slight whine in his voice. Ty turned and scanned the intruders. They seemed to be common criminals without superpowers, nothing Ty couldn’t handle if he was so inclined. One thug noticed Ty hadn’t yet dropped to the ground and began to approach. “Are you deaf? I said on the ground!” As annoyed as Tytus was he placed his hands in the air and slowly laid down on the tile floor. The floor was cool and surprisingly comfortable. If it were a different time Ty easily could have fallen asleep here.

[Sleepster]

“I’ll show those big meanies!”  A familiar voice spoke from across the hall. Ty raised his head and met eyes with a young girl from the day before. She appeared determined to stop the robbery single handedly. Ty really didn’t want to get involved in the crisis but this girl was forcing his hand. She rose to her feet, ignoring the orders she was being given by her parents. Dumb kid, just calm down. Ty thought as he slid his arm up to send some sleep waves in her direction. He allowed enough energy to reach the girl so she wouldn’t completely pass out. Ty didn’t want to risk falling asleep himself. She should just lose her overzealous nature and become calm enough to allow the event to pass unharmed.


It worked, the girl returned to her position lying on the ground, but the robbers had already taken notice. One gunman snatched the child off the ground and began to march around using her as a hostage. What is he doing? The cops haven’t even showed up yet. They should just get their money and get away in a hurry. Just as the Sleepster had concluded his thought, sirens burst through the air. Ty let out a sigh, a hostage situation could take all day. The situation was made even worse as the other gunmen picked their own personal hostages. The always fortunate Tytus was chosen by the very man who accused him of being deaf earlier. “Stand up. You’re coming with me.”


The three gunmen led their hostages into a back room and locked them inside. One remained as a guard, while the other two returned to the main room. The little girl was crying while the third hostage, a teller, attempted to comfort her. “Everything will be okay sweetie.” This wasn’t supposed to happen today. All the young man wanted to do was make a deposit and get to work in a timely manner. Now he was a key component in a hostage situation. Eventually, the little girl dried her eyes enough to look around the room. She made eye contact with Tytus.


“I remember you. You’re the hero that rescued Mr. Clawston.” Ty’s eyes widened. The phrasing was incredibly unfortunate for the superhuman. The girl didn’t even know that Ty had powers and the gunman didn’t know that Mr. Clawston was a cat in a tree. Ty looked at the armed guard and attempted to explain. “She uhhh. She must have me mistaken for someone else.” The guard wasn’t buying it, he cracked open the door and inhaled to alert the other gunmen of his presence. Tytus couldn’t have that.


The Sleepster stepped close to the gunman and put the man to sleep, quickly and quietly. Ty stumbled backward almost falling unconscious himself, but he remained standing. I’m in the thick of it now. Now I have to take out those other two, and I don’t think I can put them to sleep without passing out.


Ty yawned before grabbing the sleeping gunman’s weapon. He turned to the two hostages in the room with him. His eyes were sleepy and half closed. “Go find some where to hide. I’ll ” Ty yawned again. “…take care of the others.”

[Sleepster]

Ty examined the weapon in his hands. It was foreign to the young man. I don’t even know how to use this thing. Ty concluded that the weapon would have to be used as more of a diversion than anything else. He shambled out of the room, forcing his body to remain upright. He was struggling to keep his feet from dragging along the floor. The noise could have forfeited his element of surprise. The Sleepster approached a corner and slumped against the wall before peering around it to analyze the situation.

One man conversing with police through a window. That’s good. While he’s occupied I can focus on the other. The other man was patrolling the remaining hostages, making sure no one was doing anything fishy. Tytus crept up behind the man and placed the weapon against his back. He whispered to the robber in a sleepy voice. “Drop your weapon.” The robber complied but found it necessary to comment on Tytus’ tone.

“What’s with the pillow talk?” Ty didn’t dignify the comment with a response, but now that he was close range to the guard, he figured he would try a new technique he had been working on. Ty placed his hand on the man’s skull. Erase. The robber slumped for a moment but quickly regained his footing. He took off his mask and looked around the room.

 “What’s going on here?” Tytus had erased the past hour of the man’s memory and now the man was trying to put the pieces together, as if he had just awaken from sleepwalking. This ability took a toll on The Sleepster’s energy as well, but not as much as forcing people to sleep. The forgetful robber began to panic, something Ty didn’t see coming.

“I said what’s going on here?! Who are you?! Why am I here?!” The shouting brought the attention of the third intruder. He broke off from the window and ran over to address the situation. To the man’s credit he quickly put together that whatever was happening, it was because of Ty. The man pointed his firearm at The Sleepster. “Drop your gun and get on the floor now.” The man had a deadly seriousness in his tone and Ty had to obey. It wasn’t worth getting shot over.


Ty laid upon the ground. I should still be able to put this guy to sleep before I fall asleep myself. The robber approached Ty and placed the gun in line with The Sleepster’s head. “I oughta teach you a lesson for trying to play the hero.” The comment struck an odd chord in Tytus. He had never wanted to be a hero, nor had he tried to be. However, rescuing the girl’s cat and attempting to stop this robbery had gotten him into a sticky situation. Ty sluggishly raised his arm to put the robber to sleep, but his action was far too slow.


A deafening gunshot rang through the air sending Tytus’ world into blackness.

[Sleepster]

Tytus woke up in the back of an ambulance. He was exhausted, but alive. A paramedic saw the young man had regained consciousness and shouted out of the ambulance. The loud noise forced Ty to cringe away. “Chief, he’s up.” A policeman approached the back of the vehicle and Ty sat up to speak with him. “You’re welcome, Our sniper took out that gunman before he could blow your brains out.” Ty nodded, understanding that the gunshot he heard came from a sniper, not the robber. Ty was unable to offer his gratitude before the police chief took to reprimanding the young man. “Just what were you thinking? You could have gotten killed, next time leave the heroics to us.” Ty was too cranky to be polite while this man was yelling.

The Sleepster yawned in the chief’s face. “You should be thanking me for doing your job for you.” Ty stood up and exited the ambulance. “Forget it, if you don’t want my help, next time I’ll stand aside and let them rob the place.” Ty began to stroll away from the chief, in the direction of his apartment. He sighed as he realized he missed his shift at the convenience store. They’re gonna fire me for sure. Just because I had to try and be a hero. How am I gonna pay for prince’s food? Luckily, the pet sloth slept most of the time, not leaving much room for eating.

Ty was taking the situation hard. His head was hanging and he stared at his feet while he walked. The Sleepster took a glance at his reflection in a police car’s window. Behind his reflection Ty made eye contact with the robber he had put to sleep in the back room. A thought crossed Tytus’ mind for the first time. I bet I could’ve pulled off this heist without breaking a sweat. Aside from shoplifting and jaywalking, Ty had never considered breaking the law before. After a moment of staring at the man behind his reflection, he dismissed the thought for the time being.

Ty continued down the road until he felt a pulling on his pant leg. He knew who it was before he even looked. Tytus was inclined to ignore the young girl, but once again, she was rather insistent. “Mister Hero man?” Ty’s face twitched at the title he was addressed as. I’m no hero. I couldn’t stop a sloppy bank heist without almost getting killed. I’m not even close to being a hero. Placing self-pity aside, he turned his head and squatted to speak with the child on her level.

“Call me Ty. What do you want?” The young girl had a wide smile and leapt toward Tytus with her arms outstretched. Ty wasn’t expecting the jumping hug. Catching the girl knocked from his squatting position, to the concrete. The young girl was laughing in his arms. “Thanks for protecting me. My parents said you should come over to our house for dinner.” Ty’s face reluctantly broke into a smile.

“Hmm I’ve been told to never refuse a free meal. I guess I have to take you up on that offer.”

[End Thread]