Superman was sitting on the edge of the world waiting for something. I didn’t know what he was waiting for but I could tell he wanted it badly. I sat down next to him. “Hey, Superman.”
He glanced over and nodded ever so slightly. “Hey,” he replied, a distinct sigh in his voice, “what can I do for you?”
“Nothing,” I said, “I was just wondering if you’re okay. You seem a little…sad…”
He looked over at me again, his crystal blue eyes glistening with the weight of the world and with the weight of smaller, more human things we might not expect our heroes to be stricken with. “I’m Superman,” he said flatly, “why in the world would I be sad?”
I met his gaze and held it. “Well, I guess that’s the question, sir,” I said, hoping he didn’t get angry and crush me with his awful strength or fry me with his burning eyes.
He started to say something but then he thought better of it and looked away. He looked back over the edge of the world and sighed out loud. “I’m fine, son,” he said, “you don’t have to worry about me.”
Superman and I sat there on the edge of the world in cool silence…looking out into the dark abyss of the boundless universe.
“How’d you find me anyway?” Superman asked after a while. “People can’t see me until they need me…I’m invisible before and after that…they don’t have to think about me before and after they need me…”
“I didn’t know you could turn invisible,” I replied, genuinely surprised. “I hadn’t heard that was one of your powers.”
Superman smiled ruefully and shook his head. “One of my powers…yeah that’s what it is…”
I felt like the intruder I was but I couldn’t just walk away. “Are you thinking about leaving us? Thinking about leaping over the edge of the world and disappearing once and for all?”
That sapphire gaze regarded me once more and I felt naked before his X-Ray eyes. “I think about that everyday, kid.”
A chill went through me. “And then…?” I held my breath not sure I really wanted the answer.
He grunted a mirthless laugh. “And then I don’t.”
“Because you’re Superman,” I said looking away.
“Yeah,” he said looking back over the edge of the world, “because I’m Superman.”
We sat in more silence and then I held out my hand. “Well, I won’t bother you anymore, sir,” I said. “I saw you up here and I just wanted to thank you.”
He took my hand into his and we shook solemnly. His hand which would crush mountains was gentle as a lamb’s. “Thank me for what?”
I thought about the question for a moment and then I said, “For everything, Superman. You’re my hero and I…I just wanted to thank you.”
I stood up and walked away from the edge of the world.
“Hey, kid,” Superman called after me.
I turned, his bright blue eyes were still glistening and his smile was wan but he nodded one more time. “Thanks for… seeing me….”
I started to reply but he stood up and, with a shy wave, he soared away, his scarlet cloak streaking through the star-flecked darkness.
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