Have Some Cake

The late morning sunlight pours over Mario Ferraro’s animated face as he strolls down the hallway. Wearing his UMass tank top, he exclaims what is on his mind:

“Alright, guys, today, I got a special treat for you all—” He holds a hand up into view. “—like real special. I didn’t know if I should share this with you guys, but after thinking about it, I thought—” He tilts his head and his eyebrows scrunch. “—I should just give it a shot; I really wanna share it with you all. So, let’s go.”

The scenery turns into the kitchen as he exits the hallway. He scans beyond before reverting his eyes. “It would be best if I show it to you guys rather than tell it myself.”

The scene blurs for a moment before the humble, yet empty kitchen is shown. The kitchen skin grows closer before Mario’s hand reaches out and grabs a clean glass cup from its pile of washed dishes. His hand then places the cup in the empty side of the sink and turns on the faucet, filling the cup halfway. He then turns it off.

“Okay, so we got a glass of water in the sink,” Mario announces. “And watch this…”

Mario’s hand opens up, the palm facing the glass of water. The water inside the glass shudders, creating small ripples.

“Wait, I gotta do this with both hands.”

The angle slides to the right, the cup becoming out of sight due to being beneath the countertop’s surface. Mario returns to stand in front of the kitchen sink. With a huff, he gazes intently at it and snaps his open hand back at the sink.

Slowly, but surely, he raises his arm upward. A ribbon of water follows it, glinting in the sunlight.

A look of amazement forms on Mario’s face. “Look at this, like look at this!”

He turns his wrist, guiding the ribbon to twist around it.

“I’m actually moving it without touching it!”

With a flick of his wrist, the water loses momentum and splashes back into the sink. He steps closer and holds a clear, dry palm out. “And without special effects.”

The angle then pans up to become eye-level with Mario. Behind him, the kitchen drifts as he makes his way out of it.

“Not only did I find out I could move water...without touching it, I could also make it.” He takes a pause to step outside.

The sunlight washes the whole scene with white before being adjusted to the bright setting. Now, behind Mario is the door and the outside wall of his house.

“It’ll make more sense if you see it,” he finishes off.

The scenery blurs before landing on the view of the tight yard and its fence.

Mario steps into view on the grass before standing in the middle. “Watch this.”

He then faces ahead of him and throws his hands out in front of him. Instantly, water rushes out from both palms. Sounds of a small waterfall fill the air. The mist from the gushes capture the light in the form of a rainbow.

Mario laughs with delight. “This is unreal!” he shouts over the roaring of the water. “Wait, what if I do this—”

He then rotates his hands for his palms to face each other. The water emitting from his palms gathers as a water ball in between his palms. Slowly, Mario lifts his arms to guide the growing, shaky ball of water over his head. He then snaps his wrists outward, allowing the massive ball of water to drop and explode on top of him.

He tenses and lets out a loud laugh at the impact. With a big smile, he steps closer and peers in.

“See?!” He runs a hand through his dried, full curls. “All dry! Like as if water didn’t touch me.” His face then lights up with an idea; he holds a pointer finger up. “Hold up.”

Mario straightens up and backs away. The angle on him becomes wider and higher, morphing into an aerial view. Mario cranes his head up, appearing small in the midst of the narrow yard. Yet his massive smile is clear on his face.

“No hands!” He holds his open hands up as proof. “It’s just the water, I am focusing so hard to not drop it. Wait...wait…”

Mario’s voice fades out as he strolls toward the door to the house. The view diminishes as it rotates to face Mario’s wide back and curly set of hair. Mario pushes the door open, allowing the inside of the house to engulf the scene.

He peers behind his shoulder and laughs through his smile. “I got my own cameraman!”

Reentering the kitchen, Mario stands behind the island and reaches out before the traveling scene stops at his face.

“And it’s still dried! Even if the water got into the camera, I could suck it out.” He shakes his head, adjusting to the reality. “It’s so weird but totally awesome.”

The angle then slightly lowers before coming to a halt. Mario’s face is still visible at a slight low angle.

Mario holds his arm out to the left. The same glass of water in the sink streaks through the air and into his hand.

“Quick and easy.”

He places the glass in front of him on the island’s surface and gazes into it. Then, with his hand out toward it, he waves his fingers around. Droplets of water hop out from the water’s surface and dance around his fingers.

He gazes ahead with a concerned look. “I seriously don’t know what’s going on or how I got these abilities. They just randomly came about one day while I was getting water after a workout.”

Like magnets, the droplets form into a water ball in his palm. His hand shakes to the beat of his spoken mental process:

“I don’t know what I should do with them, really, since, y'know, they’re weird...like, you only see them in movies. Am I like a superhero now? Do I fight crime?”

With an incredulous laugh, he drops his hand onto the island’s surface. The ball of water splashes back into the cup.

Then with a sigh, his smile fades and anxious look forms. “Actually, my family doesn’t know about this, nobody knows about this except for me...and maybe you guys…” He peers to the side. “...if I ever post this.”

He then gazes back, unsure. He reaches out ahead before freezing.

And the scrubber bar appears with the play head on the far right.

With his eyes on his mointer’s screen, Mario reclines back on his swivel chair and folds his arms behind his head. He gazes at the screen, pondering, wondering…

...if he should post this special video.

Notes

Mario, if you're reading this: THANK YOU! You are my favorite Shark-- I actually got your jersey as a college graduation present!! I really can't wait to see you play next season and hopefully, that'll be live and in person *fingers crossed* You're funny, entertaining, such a blessing--I had a BLAST writing about you! :D I hope you enjoyed the story and this drawing: