The universe started with a Bang. My life ended with one too. I always heard your life flashes before your eyes when you die. Not him. All he heard was the screeching of tires and then black.
Harlan felt weightless. Like floating in a pool. It felt like the darkness was embracing him. It feels nice, he thought abstractly. His brain felt like that one time he had tried weed.
Life had never really been good to him. Ever since he turned 12, his life had been one mishap after another. Getting put in juvie for "fighting". Then he was sent to a juvenile correctional facility for a 10 to 12-month program that quickly turned into 2 and a half years. Granted that one was his fault. He was just so angry at the world for everything, and like every teenager, he thought the world owed me.
His so-called parents weren't worth a shit either. I mean, sure, he got into fights, what boy didn't? They were the ones who told him if he didn't start a fight, he'd better finish it. Now they were crying about how they felt unsafe with someone so violent in the house.
Then, when he finally finished with the program, did he get to go free? No. He was sent to another facility, and another after that. When he finally got to the point where he was able to go a grouphome, he was just tired of everything. He worked. He slept. He ate. Nothing really gave him joy anymore. Then, when he turned 17 and finally moved out from the group home, it was more of the same stuff. Work, eat, sleep, repeat. It was so very tiring.
That's why he didnt care about getting ran over. At least it's all over now, he muttered. This isn't so bad. Eternal darkness. Laying sleep for the rest of eternity. Sure beats a 9-5.
Suddenly, his mind focused, and he could feel his body again. What the-. Suddenly, a warp appeared in front of him, and he could feel his body being pulled and then sucked into it.
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Beep Beep Beep.." Ugh, my head. What the hell is going on?" Harlan said groggily, sitting up in bed, shakily. "Where am I?"
He looked around the....hospital room? Oh god, don't tell me they managed to save me. Fuuuckk. I can't live. I can't die. Whoevers up there must really hate me. Harlan looked down at his body and started patting his chest and stomach. He was covered in bandages and wrapped from what felt like head to toe. There was a surprising lack of pain. There was still pain dont get it twisted, but for someone who just got skullfucked by an 18-wheeler, he felt alright. Seeing as how I'm not dead, they must have a hell of a doctor, he thought, forlornly.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed with a grunt and looked around. There were a bunch of machines and other things he had no idea about, next to the bed. Including the source of that infernal beeping. With shaky hands, he reached down and pulled out the needles stuck in his arm. There was also a breathing mask on his face, and he promptly removed that also. He braced his hands on the bed and stood up.
Harlan fell back down onto the bed with a pained expression as a lance of agony drilled through his head. His body started shuddering as memories flashed through his mind.
A farm. Haybales. Blueberry pancakes. A gruff-looking middle-aged man. Sunkissed with a floppy, wide-brimmed hat on his head. Grinning as he hooked bait onto a fishing rod and explained about the different fish in the lake. A kind-looking woman with freckles spackled on the bridge of her nose, her eyes twinkling with humor, as a young boy had a circle of dough on his head drooping to the floor. A rogueish-looking 15-year-old boy smirking at him as he threw a haybale over the barn and ran to catch it so fast that all you could see was the dirt being kicked up.
He remembered how he ended up in the hospital. He was helping out somewhere. There were so many animals, bugs, and all manner of creatures. Then something impacted the building. All hell broke loose as everything broke. A green glow lit up the room. The animals attacked. He could feel them biting, scratching, stinging. It hurt. It was so painful, and more kept coming. He blacked out.
More and more memories assualted his brain as he lay in bed. He could hear someone screaming. Maybe it was him. He could hear a woman's voice call out his name. Martha. That's her name, Martha, his mother. Why was she screaming. His brain welt so jumbled At last, the deluge subsided, and he opened his eyes.
"Mr. Kent, can you hear me?" He looked up at a dark-skinned older man wearing a white doctor's coat and holding a pretty big needle. The man was looking concerned. He managed to glimpse his nametag. Dr. McIntyre.
" Yeah, yeah, I can hear you." Harlan coughed out," hope your not planning on sticking that needle in me." Dr. McIntyre chuckled and set the needle on the bedside table as he took a penlight out of his coat pocket. He stepped closer and checked my pupils. He then made me follow his finger with my eyes. After a few more tests and his writing on his clipboard, he stepped back with an exhale.
" You gave us all quite the fright there, Mr. Kent," the doctor remarked." Scared your mom and dad half to death when ya started screaming. Your brother clark was about to rush in here to check on you. Managed to keep 'em all outside while I checked on you. Speaking of parents, better tell em your alright or Martha will have my head."
As he left the room, Harlan lay his head back onto his pillow and exhaled quietly. Smallville. I'm actually in Smallville. It was one of the only things that gave him the smallest amount of joy. Seeing a young Clark Kent grow into the Man of Steel. He still faced some of the same things regular people do. Loss, grief, pain, betrayal. Watching the show for the first time felt like magic. It made him laugh and cry. It made him jump with joy whenever we would get glimpses of what he would become. Now he's here, he had a chance to live it. He had a chance to have an actual family and friends. He felt happy. It was like someone had finally given him glasses after spending his whole life blind. He had a new lease on life, and he was determined to make the most of it.
( Ok then know it's short. It's just the first chapter. It's setting everything up. Most chapters are going to be 3000+.)
( Hope you guys like the premise so far. There was a disturbing lack of smallville fanfics. So I decided to get it done. Hope you enjoy so far. Let me know. It's my first time writing.)