Read Reality Hero for Free Online

hatefully. She seldom dreamed, and when she did, it was usually a nightmare about the hellish dungeon where she’d been tortured for four years of her young life. This dream was a memory of the best day she’d ever enjoyed. Her last week with Zane before she realized staying would kill him. Tears filled her eyes and she curled up on her side, sobbing her heart out.
     

Chapter 3
     
    Ervin loved her again. He even made the janitor give her back the premium, executive parking spot. All the ad people buzzed around, crazy to promote this historic television extravaganza. Each time someone raved about the idea or praised her, Dina cringed inside. She’d sold out the love of her life for a job she was starting to hate, yet she couldn’t lose the only thing she’d ever felt she was good at—the only thing that made her special.
    Dina didn’t have the exciting and important business of being a hero after her day’s work, not like the rest of the survivors. She’d remained just what she was—ordinary. Her day of “special” came when she’d landed a job in the mail room at the studio. With hard work, she clawed her way up, and when she’d seen her break, she’d taken it. Catching the wily, old Ervin’s attention hadn’t been easy. He could smell ratings a mile away. She must have stunk of them because he’d taken her under his wing.
    Here she was, six years later. She wasn’t a doe-eyed twenty-year-old anymore. She was about to score a career homerun, but she didn’t feel happy. She gazed at the promotional material in front of her. A picture of Zane, all decked out in his Mind Man spandex, smiled up at her. He’d agreed to do the photo shoot on one condition. Dina glanced at the clock. In three hours, she was going to live up to her end of the bargain. Gritting her teeth, she slapped the cover of the portfolio on her desk back down. Dinner with an old friend, it wouldn’t be so bad, or so she told herself. Just a casual bite to eat, at least that was all she was willing to give him. Memories of why she left assaulted her and she closed her eyes, overwhelmed.
Dina was home alone, as usual. She sat curled on the couch, worrying while the others risked their lives patrolling the streets. They’d started helping out in the neighborhood by chance, but now it was becoming a nightly thing. Ella had even made them all costumes, everyone but Dina, the-one-who-wasn’t-good-for-anything-but-worrying. The place they lived in was a dive, but it was better than the squatting in abandoned buildings as they’d done when they’d been younger.
She had to work in the morning, but she couldn’t sleep, not when her sister, boyfriend, and the others were out there in danger. She stood at the window, looking at the city that never gave her loved ones a moment of rest. She needed to find a better job than the gas station, something where she didn’t have to hide behind bulletproof glass and pray she wasn’t going to get robbed.
She barely heard the door opening. They were back early. Relief filled her. The clock told her it was just after midnight. Dina turned to welcome them when hands came around her, pushing her roughly against the wall. A scream burst from her lips, but a strong hand clamped over her mouth. In this neighborhood, it was unlikely anyone would come to help if they’d heard her anyway. Painfully, she struggled as her attacker pushed her brutally against the rough wood paneling.
“Don’t fight me.” His voice was familiar. Ian?
Confusion filled her. He turned her around to face him. Dina looked into the face of the youngest of them, a boy she considered her brother. He took his hand off her mouth.
“Let go of me. What are you doing?” she screamed while glaring at him.
“We’re alone, Di.”
“Don’t call me that.” Only Zane called her by the nickname.
Ian scowled. Dark rage filled his eyes. “Don’t be blind, Dina. I’ve loved you since I was able to understand the emotion. I know you don’t see