The grocery store was pretty busy that day with the weekend on everyone’s mind. The nice weather had inspired notions of grilling and maybe cocktails outside. Craig stood at the end of the fifteen person deep express lane holding a candy bar and a rose for Lisa at home. A little boy in front of him kept staring at him from the seat of the cart his mother pushed. Whenever she stepped to one side, the boy would lean to the other to get a look at Craig.
    
“Timmy, it’s not polite to stare,” his mother told him and turned to apologize, but caught one sight of Craig and whipped her head back around. Timmy noticed and began to kick his suspended legs frantically.
    
“I knew it! You’re Mr. Perfect, aren’t you?” he asked.
    
“You must be little Timmy,” Craig smiled at him. He reminded him of another kid years ago named Johnny. He was the founder of the Mr. Perfect fan club, but now he just sells used cars down the road from the store. Craig has been informed of a few drug deals going on in that car lot.
    
“Did you really save the town by asking the animals in the zoo?” Timmy interrupted Craig’s thoughts.
    
“Well, I asked the rhinos, but they spread the word and before I knew it, the whole zoo showed up!” he replied.
    
Timmy’s eyes went wide and Craig saw his chance to relive the day as he is never one to leave a person hanging in suspense.
   
 “You’ve heard of my arch nemesis, the Dauphin of Death, haven’t you? Well, he had sent his greasy minions into City Hall and held the mayor hostage until either I show up or the town gives him three million dollars. This was 1963, and the city did not have the money, so I got a call to come down there.
   
 “When I arrived, the Dauphin was on the roof of the building and he immediately threw the mayor down when he saw me. I had to catch him like this,” Craig puffed out his chest and put one hand on his hip and the other in the air as if he were a waiter holding a tray.
    
“I fly up to meet him but as soon as I see the top of the roof, I found out that it was covered in little buttons with one of minions sitting by each one. He tells me that each one leads to a building which has a bomb inside and that if I didn’t surrender to him, than he would destroy every place in town. I had no choice, I had family and friends everywhere. I couldn’t risk their lives, so I agreed on one condition, that the animals in the zoo did not have to be subjected to this. I knew the Dauphin was an animal lover when I discovered his secret lair, so I knew he couldn’t say no.
    
“As soon as I got the go ahead, I asked the rhinos if they could run to every house and shop in town and get everyone out. They agreed but the entire zoo followed me out! When I came back to City Hall, I found the Dauphin with my girl, Lisa, in his arms. That got me mad. I wasn’t even thinking when I socked him one right in the jaw. I thought one of his minions would have jumped on me for that, but the monkeys had scared them all off. The Dauphin was now defenseless, and I held the detonator in my hand. He swore we would meet again and I was able to deactivate the bombs with the help of the animals on the condition that they go back to the zoo with heroes’ honors. They agreed.”
    
All of the shoppers had gathered around to hear the story as the line slowly dwindled down. Timmy got an autograph and Craig insisted that he pay after the store manager told him he didn’t have to do that after he’s already done so much. Craig thanked everyone and walked outside and felt the cool air and the warm sun. He thought fondly on the old days and how he had saved the town, he was rejuvenated by the story.
    
A quick glance at his watch told him he needed to get back. He kicked off the ground and went about two feet in the air before he came crashing down onto the pavement. He sighed and remained on the ground as he took out his cell phone and dialed home.
    
“Lisa, can you pick me up? I can’t fly anymore.”


— Olivia Cooper is a senior in creative writing. She can be reached at ocooper@utk.edu.