That night I couldn’t sleep a wink. I was afraid that if I started to dream and got too excited I might light the bed on fire. I wasn’t tired though. I felt energized, I felt pumped and I felt, well, charged up! I decided to go outside in the backyard. It was one o’clock in the morning, and all the neighboring houses were dark. The cool night air really made me feel good. I walked on the grass and tried to think of good thoughts. I wondered if I could release some of the energy from my body like I did with the light bulb. I did what Ronald told me to do, and I thought about Erika. Immediately I felt a tingle in my hands and my fingertips started to glow and then ZAP!

A bolt of electricity shot through my fingertips down to the ground and blasted a hole in the lawn. Dad’s not going to be happy about this. I was scared and excited at the same time, but I had to try it again. I thought about riding a rollercoaster and ZAP! It happened again. I tried to control the intensity of the bolt and make it stronger. I thought about grandma’s sweet potato pie and BOOM!!!!

Whoa, I could get used to this. It was getting a little easier every time, and I was getting happier by the minute. I could feel the energy pumping through my body. The glow of my fingertips reminded me of the sparklers I love to light on the Fourth of July. I was getting the hang of shooting energy bolts but I really wanted to know how I managed to float six inches off the ground. I tried to concentrate. I thought of scoring a touchdown, watching an action movie, even going to see my favorite rapper in concert, but nothing. I couldn’t get off the ground. I was getting a little tired and decided to try again tomorrow when I heard the most terrifying sound in the world.

“Oooooooh, I’m telling Mom!” It was Denise. “What are you doing outside this time of night and why did you put all those holes in the ground? Did you hide one of my dolls in those holes? What are you looking for? Are you looking for buried treasure? What was all that noise?”

“Denise, Denise, shh. Keep your voice down, you’re gonna wake up Mom and Dad!” I whispered.

“I don’t care!” she said.

“If you be quiet, I’ll do your chores for a week.”

“This is worth at least a month of chores,” Denise demanded.

“Deal!” I said, as I ran back into the house.