They say your imagination is most vivid when you’re a little kid, when you’re curious about the world around you, longing for excitement, and when you’re a six year old little blonde boy whose only wish is to grow taller. You imagine yourself in the situations that you’ve placed your actionfigures in. You imagine yourself as the heroes in the movies and books you’ve read or seen. As a six year old little blonde boy, your life is full of excitement, even if all of that excitement is in your head.
The actionfigures crashed against one another as Spider-Man battled Thor. Easton could see it in his head. He stood in the city streets as Spider-Man swung past him and lightning and thunder crashed in the sky above him. He watched in fear as two of his favorite heroes battled it out. They both were his friends, so why did they have to fight? Easton ran on the paved roads, his bare feet stinging with each stride as he chased after where Spider-Man had followed Thor, but before he could get close enough, the city and the heroes around him dropped out of the picture. Easton’s actionfigures hit his carpeted bedroom floor as his mother called him downstairs for lunch. Just like that he had witnessed the most exciting battle to ever take place, and he couldn’t wait to tell his mother about it.
She had been putting shoes on his little sisters feet as he came down the stairs. Another birthday party, he thought. Why did Hannah always get invited to so many birthday parties? He didn’t hear his mother tell him to sit down and eat his lunch, but her gentle touch on his shoulder as she lead him towards the table did. He sat and ate while his mother told him about the party Hannah would be attending today, and how he was going to be alone again. His father was home, working downstairs, but when he was working it was as if he wasn’t even there. Easton knew better than to bother his father, so he said goodbye to his mother when she kissed him on the cheek and watched as she pulled his sister out the door behind her.
The day passed like any other. Easton played with his actionfigures, rewatched his four favorite tv shows, and stared longingly at the young children who played together across the street. He wasn’t friends with them, but Easton was okay with that because he had Thor and Spider-Man. He even had his books and movies. He thought if anything, the other kids should be jealous of him.
When the day was over, Easton took one of his blankets with him out into the warm summer night air, and created a spot for himself on the grass. He had read a book on constellations before and had immediately chosen Hercules to be his favorite because Hercules was a hero. Easton wished he could be a hero. He found Hercules in the sky and smiled at the constellation. Easton saw himself defeating the monsters, having people celebrating and thanking him, and Easton blew it off like it was no big deal because he was a hero, and it was what heroes did. He came out of his reverie to see the sky staring down at him. Easton beamed as he grabbed his blankets, hauling them over his shoulder as he walked back into the house.
Easton wasn’t expecting a reply when he yelled goodnight down the staircase to his father, and he didn’t get one. He draped his blankets over the railing and headed for his bedroom. That night he dreamt of battles, races, and adventures. He awoke with a smile on his face and during breakfast his mother ruffled his hair and told him about the birthday party. After, he went to sit outside. His dog, Buddy, pawed at him as they sat together on the sidewalk. Easton didn’t notice the boy come up besides them until he told him that he liked his dog, and Easton smiled and thanked him. The boy sat down on the other side of Buddy and played with him while Buddy leaned in and licked the boy’s nose. Easton watched with a smile on his face.
When Easton grew bored, he was ready to go inside but the boy followed behind them. Easton wasn’t sure what the boy wanted, but when he saw him pull an action figure out of his pocket he got excited. Easton brought his action figures out from his bedroom and to the driveway where he had told the boy to wait, and together they witnessed the best battles to ever take place between heroes. When the sun began to set, the boys were still playing, and continued to until it got dark. They laid on the driveway watching the stars together, imagining themselves as heroes. And when the boy’s mother called him home, he promised to return the next day. Easton found his mother before bed to tell her of his new friend and the battles they had witnessed together, and she had smiled and followed his story. He had even told his father as he tucked him into bed. Easton fell asleep with a smile on his face that night, and his new friend fought in the battles and went on the adventures with him in his dreams.