| Prologue: The mysterious blood covered child The afternoon sun beat down upon the little girl as she lay down in the wet grass, carefully listening to the sounds around her. She listened to the serenading of the birds as they chatted amongst themselves, the buzz of bee's busily making there sweet honey, the chirping of the cicada's as they communicated with each other, and the soft clanking of the pots her mother was using to cook in the house beside her. Since the girl's house was next to a forest her backyard was the perfect spot to just relax and listen to the sounds of nature. Ever since she was young during the spring and summertime, she would always come out here, lay down in the grass, and just relax as the sounds of the world went by. It was an odd habit of hers and one she always did. And if rain prevented her from lying on the grass, she would instead just sit on the porch shielded from the downpour and absorb the sound of the soft pat, pat, pat, made by the rain as it fell to the world. As she was about to get up and go inside to see if lunch was ready, she heard a soft rustling sound coming from the forest. "Who's there?" The five year old girl timidly called. "Help... me..." came a weak voice in reply as a boy no older than her came staggering out of the tree's covered in blood and wounds. "Mommy! Come quickly! It's an emergency!" she screamed knowing that the boy needed help immediately if he wanted to survive. When her mom arrived outside seconds later she was greeted by the sight of the collapsing boy. "Oh my god...!" she exclaimed running towards the blood covered child. "Please... help... me..." The last thing the boy remembered was lying on the ground, stretching out his arm towards the woman as the world faded out of sight. Chapter 1: A new home The boys eyes slowly opened and were met by the sight of a little girl about the same age as himself. "Mommy! He's awake!" The boy looked at his surroundings as the girl turned away to call for her mother. He was in a small bedroom with light gray walls and a brownish-green rug floor. In it was the single bed he was currently in, a small bedside dresser with a lamp on it, a window with the same gray colored drapes as the wall, a small closet he would be facing if he sat up in the bed that was open showing a couple coat hangers but nothing else in it, and a bigger dresser beside the closet. The bed was in a corner under the window and the door was located on the other side of the room. He quickly realized he must be in a guest room from the lack of any personal touches in it. What happened to me?" he thought. And then he remembered... they had attacked him. He was grateful that he was still alive. "Hello." said a woman as she entered the room. She appeared to be about 30 with shoulder length dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her height was about 5'6" and she had a slim figure. On her face was a kind expression and in her eyes a warmth that he felt he could have warmed has hands with. His first impression of her could be some up in three words: kind and beautiful. "Who are you? Where am I?" the boy said as the woman walked over and sat on the bed. "My name is Kaylin Sanders and this is my daughter Marina." she answered as she gestured towards the little girl who had now climbed into her mothers lap. "You stumbled into our backyard from the forest badly wounded and my daughter saw you and called for help. After I came out we bandaged your wounds and were about to call an ambulance when you partially came too and begged us not to take you to a hospital. So we carried you into the house and put you here in the guest room." "Thank you." He was stunned that complete strangers would go so far too help him and respect his wish to not be taken to a hospital. For the second time that day he was grateful, this time that he had ended up wondering into their backyard. "What's your name? Where are your parents? Where do you live? And why were you so badly injured?" Kaylin inquired. "My name's Nathan and my parents are dead. I don't have a home and to why I was so badly injured I was attacked by a bear. I barely managed to get away and I ended up stumbling into your yard when I was looking for help. Will she believe that I was attacked by a bear or does she know I'm lying?" "You were attacked by a bear? No wonder you were so injured. It's a miracle you managed to get away!" Suddenly Marina piped up. "You don't have any parent's? Then your like me. I don't have a father. Since your so similar you should live with us." She said with an innocent and childlike expression on her face. "Can he mommy? Pretty pretty please?" He almost laughed at her innocence. Of course she wouldn't let a complete stranger stay with them. She knew nothing about him and not to mention the cost of raising him. There was no chance in the world that she would le... "Okay but only because you asked me so nicely if he could stay." She said while smiling down at her daughter. "Why!? Your letting a complete stranger live with you!? What about the cost of food, and clothing, and other expenses!? How cou..." Her voice cut him off. "I can't just leave an injured little boy that doesn't have a home to wander the streets now can I? Alright, it's decided. From now on your going to live with us." Kaylin said in matter of fact tone that left no room for argument. "Thank you, Mrs. Sanders. Thank you so much." "Now now you don't have to thank me. Right now you need to focus on getting better and for that you need rest." "I'm fine I don't need rest." Nathan objected as Kaylin pushed him down against the bed. "I don't need..." Chapter 2: The first day of school "Die! Leave! A monster like you shouldn't exist! Go away! Just die you freak of nature! Stop dirtying the world with your presence! Monsters like you should just kill themselves!" The faceless people screamed at him as he ran through the darkness. "I'm not a monster! I'm a person too! I'm not a monster!" He screamed as he ran. I'm not a monst..." He was cut off as he tripped and fell. "Monster! Freak! Scum! Slime! Die! Leave! Kill yourself already! Monster! Monster! monster!" "I'm not a monster!" He screamed as he lay on the ground crying while covering his ears, yet it did nothing to stop their screams. "Monster! Die! Monster!" Suddenly the screaming stopped and the faceless people disappeared. When he finally looked up from the ground he saw a woman with her back turned towards him. "Hello? Who are you?" he asked as he got up and started walking towards her. "Did you drive off those faceless people for me?" As the woman turned around he gasped and stopped dead in his tracks... because she had a face... a face he had never wanted to see again. He felt a searing pain in his stomach as the woman stabbed him with a kitchen knife, her face was contorted with an insane hatred. "Die! A demon like you shouldn't exist! You should never have been born! No one wants a monster like you! Die! Die! Die! A demon like you should just die! Die! Die! Die!" Each of her screams was accompanied by another stab of the knife. "Just die you demon scum!" And as her last scream of hate reached his ears she pushed him off a cliff using the knife lodged in his chest. Her hate filled face faded out of view as he fell towards the river bellow... "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed as he sat up in his bed. "What's wrong Nathan? Did you have another bad dream?" said the little gril as she rushed into the room. Her name was Marina. She was 5 years old like him, with long blackish-brown hair that reached to her mid back and beautiful brown eyes full of an innocent kindness than he envied. Both of these were features she had inherited from her mother. It had been 2 weeks since she had found him in her backyard and a week since he had been able to move around. Ever since he had been capable of getting out of bed she had played with him every day after coming home from kindergarten. She was his first real friend and he was always grateful that he had met her. "Is something wrong?" said her mother as she walked into the room. "Nathan had another bad dream." replied her daughter. When they stood side by side there was no mistaking that they were mother and daughter. Marina looked like a kid version of her mother. "Another nightmare?" sighing she continued "Well I guess it's understandable anyone would have nightmares after being attacked by a bear, especially a little boy. Anyway you better get dressed and come downstairs for breakfast. You need to be ready to go by 8:10." "Ready to go? Where are we going?" "Have you forgotten already?" chirped Marina "Today is your first day of school. Your going to go to kindergarten with me today! I can't wait to show you to all my friends." she said as she smiled happily. "I'm sorry I did forget." "We'll leave so you can get changed. Come on Marina." "Okay." Nathan hurriedly changed and ran down stares to eat breakfast. He didn't want to admit it but he was probably more excited than Marina about him going to school today. "Here is the picture of the pedophile who has been preying on children in our area. If you have any info on his whereabouts please call..." said the t.v as it displayed the news for today. "So there's a pedophile on the loose." thought Nathan as he finished his breakfast and got ready for school. XXX "Did you see the episode of... I got a new barbie doll... pikachu is my favorite... I brought a transformer to school..." the classroom was filled with the chatting of the kindergartners as they waited for the teacher to start the lessons. "Settle down kids. Now class we have a new friend joining us today." she said as she gestured towards the door where a boy was entering. He was 5 years old like the rest of them and he has medium length dark-brown hair and clear brown eyes. A scar to the left of his left eye adorned his face running in length from the middle of his eyebrow to the middle of his eye. "His name is Nathan and he's an orphan who is currently staying with Marina's family. Say hello class." "Hello!" "Well then why don't you take a seat in the circle. Johny scoot over a bit so Nathan can sit between you and Marina." "Okay." Nathan replied as he walked over to join the circle. XXX "I wonder where Marina is." thought Nathan as he wandered around the school looking for her. Earlier that day during class she had promised to take him on a tour of the school during recess. "There she is!" he thought as he finally found her. He started running towards Marina and when he was just about to call out to her he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. For behind her he saw a man who's picture he had seen earlier that day, sneaking up behind her through the bushes... it was the pedophile. "What do I do? I have to save her but how? Do I use it in front of her? No. That would only cause more complications. I have to get her to leave somehow so I can use it." "Marina behind you!" he shouted as he ran past her and jumped into the pedophile's grasp. "Now that he's holding on to me he can't grab Marina." "Marina go get help! Hurry!" he commanded as he struggled to free himself from the man's hold. Seeing that Nathan was in trouble she obeyed and ran to find a teacher. "You little punk! You like to play the hero huh? Well then I'll just take you instead." the last part he whispered into Nathans ear with a lusty twinkle in his eyes. "Shut up." said a voice that wasn't human. "What was that? Were did it come from?" thought the pedophile. "You perverted scum. You make me sick." "I think the voice is... coming from the kid." "So you like to pray on children huh?" The evil voice of the child said as he turned his head to look into the pedophiles eyes. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he screamed as he let go of the child and fell backwards. Cowering away from the boy he said in a voice filled with terror. "Wh-wh-what are you?" Nathan slowly approached the cowering man as he stared at him with his brown eyes... or with his eyes that had been brown moments ago. Now, his eyes shone a dark blood red and his pupils were black slits. "What am I? Why the boy that's going to kill you of course." he said with a smile as he stopped in front of the man. And as the smile slid of his face replaced with a look of hatred he uttered but 1 word. "Die." and as he uttered that 1 word the pedophile clutched his chest and... fell lifelessly to the ground. "What happened here?" said the teacher as he arrived with Marina a few minutes later. "I don't know." answered Nathan as he turned to look at the teacher with frightened brown eyes. "One minute he was whispering in my ear saying he was going to take me back to his house, and the next he had let go of me and was clutching his chest. Then, then he fell over dead." "I see. He must of had a heart attack then. Probably an overdose on drugs. Well anyways your safe now. He won't try and hurt any of you ever again." The teacher said as he smiled down at the two children. "Now, why don't we go back to class and play a game?" he suggested as he herded them toward the school. Chapter 3: As Important as his life 6 years later The early morning light cascaded into the room, gently embracing the sleeping boy in its warm glow. A tired groan escaped his lips as he slowly opened his clear brown eyes. ”oh ya,” he thought as he raised his hands to rub the sleep from his eyes ”we’re going on a surprise field trip today.” Earlier that week their teacher Mrs. Gairod, an older woman in her late 60s, had announced to the class that after the school’s annual bake sale, the principal of there school Mrs. Hoover had decided they had enough money to fund one field trip for each class. Apparently Mrs. Gairod had decided that it would be more fun for the class if they weren’t told where they were going, and instead had to wait until they got there to find out the location. While remember the excitement of his classmates over the news he slowly crawled out of bed, his crystal necklace gently swinging as he moved. The light grey carpet was soft against his bare feet as the boy strode over to the bathroom connected to the room. After having a quick shower he hurriedly put on a black t-shirt and rugby pants, then bolted out the door and down the steps. “It’s nothing short of amazing how quickly he picks it up, he’s only been studying it for a few months but he already knows more than most of my doctors.” praised Kaylin as she talked on the phone in the living room. She had inherited a chain of hospitals from her father when he had passed away so she was very wealthy. One word from her and all the hospitals within hundreds of miles would shut down and stop treating patients, making her very powerful in the area as well. But unlike most rich people she didn’t flaunt her money or think she was better than everyone else, in fact she was the most modest person he had ever met. Not only did her hospital chain treat patients, they also performed all the autopsies and things like that for the police. In fact, they were the ones who performed the autopsy on the paedophile that had tried to kidnap him and Marina 6 years ago. They had found what they thought were some rather intriguing results. The paedophile had died due to his heart like the teacher had thought, but it wasn't because of a heart attack... it was because his heart had been crushed. When they cut open his torso they had found that his heart had literally been crushed, like a hand had grabbed it and squeezed. But no matter how hard they looked they could find no entryway for something to grab his heart, no big cut or hole. Besides his heart and a few scrapes from when he fell to the ground he was in perfect condition. In the end the police had to mark the cause of his death unknown, as they couldn't figure out how his heart had been crushed. Even though Kaylin managed the hospitals she was also an excellent doctor, and at his request she had been teaching him her medical knowledge of the human body. She was quite surprised by how fast he picked it up and that’s all she had been talking about to her friends for weeks. Flashing her a quick smile he walked into the kitchen. “Good morning Nathan,” greeted Marina as she smiled at him from her seat at the table. She was wearing a cute light blue t-shirt and a white skirt reaching to her knees. Her long blackish brown hair was brushed carefully and hung loosely down her back. Unlike all the other girls in his class she never wore any jewellery or make up. One time when he had her asked about it she replied with a smile "I don't wear any makeup because if I do people will only be seeing something fake, I don't want that, I want them to see the real me." But it didn't matter if she never wore any makeup or jewellery. She was still beautiful. Over half the guys in their class had already asked her out, though she rejected all of them. While all this flashed through his mind he sat down and returned her cheerful grin. "Good morning Marina." “Did you have another nightmare?” enquired the girl worriedly while Nathan reached for the box of cereal and started to pour himself some. “No I didn’t,” he lied, hoping she wouldn’t notice it. Unfortunately for Nathan his hope turned out to be futile. She knew he was lying. She had gotten up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water, and while passing by his bedroom she had hear him tossing and turning in the midst of another nightmare. He tried to hide it but she knew he had a nightmare whenever he slept. “That’s good,” she replied, content to let him deal with it himself if that’s what he wanted. “By the way…” “Yes?” “Why do you always wear that necklace?” She asked pointing toward the large crystal hanging around his neck. She had been wondering about the crystal necklace he wore ever since he had come to live with them. As far as she knew he never took it off, not even when he slept. The necklace itself was a metal chain that had a large crystal attached to it. The crystal was surprisingly smooth even though it didn’t look as though it had been carved into a shape. It had flat surfaces running along it in random places with a few chips and dips here and there. It looked almost as though it had just been chipped out of a rock and attached to the chain as soon as it had been freed of its stone prison. But that wasn’t the strangest thing about the necklace, the strangest thing about it… was the colour. It was a black as dark as night with a red the colour of blood. Not only was the combination strange, but it almost seemed like the colours were constantly moving and shifting inside it, giving the illusion that it was filled with human blood. He froze in place after hearing her question, then he slowly lifted his head to gaze at her with an expression of dead seriousness. “I wear it because I don’t want to lose it. This necklace is as important to me as my life. To me, one can never be more important than the other. I would give my life to protect this necklace, just like it once protected me.” And with that said he went back to eating his cereal... the kitchen now silent except for the crunching of the two kid's breakfast. XXX The yellow school bus was filled with the chattering of the students as they waited to find out where they were going. Like everyone else, Marina was eager to see the location of their surprise field trip and had been chatting about it with Nathan the whole time on the bus. "I hope we go to the amusement park," exclaimed Marina excitedly. "Well if it is an amusement park lets ride the ferris wheel together," replied Nathan with a warm smile. "Okay! Sounds like fu--" she was cut off as the bus turned into a huge parking lot, signalling that they had reacher their location. Moments later Mrs. Gairod's voice confirmed the end of their drive. "We're here! Now everyone off the bus and remember to thank the bus driver!" After everyone had finished following the teacher's instructions, the kid's gathered into their groups of friends and followed the teacher around the corner. A huge gasp escaped the children's lips, then they all started shouting excitedly "It's the zoo!" Indeed the zoo was the location of their field trip, and Mrs. Gairod's class had reacted even better than she had hoped. Marina, of course, was just as excited by this turn of events as the rest of her class and quickly turned toward Nathan to share her excitement with him. The grin on her face suddenly melted into a look of shock as she gazed at Nathan's face. His expression wasn't anything like what she had been expecting. She had been expecting a look of happiness and excitement like the rest of the class, but instead his expression could only be called one of disinterest and revulsion. As if he hated the hole idea of keeping animal's locked up and wanted to destroy the zoo right where it stood. "Come on class, lets go see the animals," instructed Mrs. Gairod as she started to move toward the zoo entrance. Without a word Nathan started to follow her like the rest of the class, leaving a worried eleven year old girl to follow closely behind him. XXX Marina was baffled. She had no idea why Nathan was acting the way he was. No matter what she did or what animals they saw he would remain silent, with that look of disinterest and revulsion etched onto his face. The only time his face changed was when he looked at the animals, when he did a small amount of pity was evident behind his clear brown eyes, as though he knew what the animals were going through and wished he could help him. But while his eyes changed when he looked at the animals, the expression of disinterest and revulsion remained a permanent fixture on his face. "Hey look Nathan, elephants!" she exclaimed excitedly, hoping to draw the boy beside her out of his silence. But like every time before he remained silent. "Don't just stand there! Say something!" she shouted at him, finally fed up with his silence. "Fine then! I'm not going to try and cheer you up if all your going to do is remain silent!" And with that she stormed off, following the teacher to the next set of animals. Throughout all this Nathan remained silent and his expression didn't change, he just silently turned to follow the teacher with the rest of the class. "That idiot! Why is he acting like this? I just wanted to enjoy the field trip together. Well if that's how he wants to be then fine! I don't care anymo--!" She suddenly froze in place as she saw where they were headed... a huge, circular, 10 foot deep pit with concrete walls and railing to prevent people from falling in... and inside was the zoo's main attraction... their grisly bears. "Oh no!" She screamed in her mind as she quickly scanned the crowed of students for any sign of Nathan. She had forgotten about the zoo's main attraction in her excitement over having come to the zoo and her worry and rage over the way Nathan had been acting. She had to get to him before he saw inside the pit. And then she saw him. She almost cried out in joy... he was away from the pit! But then she saw the three people walking over to him... XXX He was standing away from the pit that held the supposed reason for his nighttime horrors, lost in thought. Although he hadn't shown it, what Marina had said to him had hurt. He had wanted to go after her and apologize, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. This place was a constant reminder that he would eventually be caught, that he would eventually have to leave here. He couldn't keep his secret forever, and once it was out Marina would grow to hate him, just like all the others that had found out his secret. Then he would be chased out of town... or killed. There was no place for him in the world, nowhere to be left in peace, no friends or family to stay by his side. After all he was a-- "Hey look guys, it's the walking encyclopedia!" The jeering voice interrupted his darkened thoughts as he turned toward the source of the sound. "What do you want Lee?" He somehow managed to control the hate in his voice, though it was a struggle. Lee was the resident school bully. He was dumb, ugly, muscular, and the biggest ass hole you've ever seen. He had once stabbed a group of kids with a rock he had been sharpening against the school wall for refusing to give up their wallets to him. Not only that but he was always accompanied by his two cronies, Kyran and Henry. Like Lee they were dumb, muscular, and ugly. They were also loyal in the extreme to him, they practically worshipped Lee. In truth it was a miracle this group of jerks weren't expelled yet or in jail. "How dare you talk to Lee like that!" screamed Kyran as he raised his fist in preparation for an attack. "Wait, he's no good to us hurt," ordered Lee. "No good to you? What do you mean by that?" responded Nathan curiously. "We want you to do all our homework from now on, that's what we mean," said Lee with a look of satisfaction on his face, like he had just come up with the most brilliant idea ever. "Why don't you do it yourself? Oh ya I forgot, your too much of a dumb ass to complete it," came Nathan's reply, filled with loathing. Nathan was expecting an attack, which is why what Lee did next shocked him. He didn't try to punch or kick him, instead... he grabbed onto Nathan's necklace, ripping it off of his neck and holding it up triumphantly. "You want it?" jeered Lee. "Well go and get it!" and with that he tossed the necklace over the railing and into the pit that was home to the Zoo's grisly bears. XXX Marina saw Lee throw the necklace over the railing and wished with all her heart she could stop it. That necklace was obviously very important to Nathan from there conversation that morning during breakfast. And as he watched it fly through the air like she knew he would ,she saw his eyes look into the pit and what was waiting there. She expected him to scream, or back away, or his face to contort into an expression of pure terror like when he had a nightmare, but what happened next shocked her and everyone else that saw, he walked over to the railing and... he jumped. Screams could be heard from all around as Nathan plummeted through the air and into the pit. Everyone who saw what had happened was thinking only one thing... he's dead. Marina ran over to the place he had jumped and watched with eyes filled with terror as Nathan landed softly on the ground and calmly strode toward the place where his crystal necklace lay. A sudden growl cut through the noise of the frightened onlookers as three mother bears charged out of there caves with only one thing in mind... to feed this trespasser to their cubs. The bears were huge and obviously angry over the fact that someone had dared to so blatantly enter there sanctuary. For the second time that day Marina was shocked. Anyone would be frightened with three fully grown angry mother bears running toward them, yet as Nathan's gaze turned toward the sound his eyes didn't show any trace of fear. There wasn't any fear or even any worry in those clear brown eyes of his, he just kept walking toward his necklace as the first of the three bears reached him. The bear raised its claws ,ready to kill the arrogant intruder in front of her... and was suddenly flying through the air as Nathan delivered a kick to its side. Then the second bear reached him, and like it's predecessor it too went flying through the air, and the third followed soon after. All of it had happened in only a few seconds yet to Marina it seemed like days. The fear she had been feeling was replaced with a feeling of amazement toward the boy she was so close to. As the three bears crashed into the ground Nathan bent and retrieved his prize. He then refastened the crystal around his neck and strode back toward the wall and the place where he had jumped. It looked like he would make it out alive after all... but then the first bear got up and ran toward it's attacker. Everyone thought it was over for the boy who had jumped into the pit. There was no way he could turn around in time to send the large creature bearing toward him flying again. And even if he did the other two bears were also getting up by this time as well. Soon he would be pinned against the wall by the killing machines before him and then it would all be over. And as the onlookers screamed in terror... Nathan jumped. Back flipping through the air he landed on the muzzle of the beast racing toward him, and using it like a springboard he soared through the air up and over the railing, the three bears that were so thoroughly beaten by him growling in hate over their prey getting away. At that moment as Marina looked into his eyes, she saw Nathan in a new light. Before she had always just thought of him as her smart and athletic friend, but now she realized the truth, he was dangerous. He was like a tightly coiled spring, ready for whatever came his way. Everyone else thought that the bears were alright because he wasn't strong enough to hurt him. But they were wrong. He had purposely not hurt them. Everyone thought he was lucky. But she knew that no bear could harm him, no living creature could ever hope to be able to wound the boy standing before her. And that's when she realized the truth... even at five years old there was no way a bear could have hurt him. In other words... he had lied... Chapter 4: The truth about the boy and the reason for his nightmares. Shadows from the trees danced along the dimly lit sidewalk as the boy and girl strode across its surface. Dark clouds concealed the sky beyond them, blocking all of the suns attempts to shine it's warm rays down on the small town bellow. The miserable weather only served to further dampened the pair's already sour mood. It had been a week since the surprise field trip to the zoo and Nathan still refused to speak. After he had retrieved his crystal necklace he went back to his gloom filled thoughts, ignoring all of Marina's desperate attempts to get him to return to the kind boy she knew. His silence only made Marina's suspicions about him grow that much faster. Since her revelation she had contemplated for a long time on how the boy she had spent so much time with had come to live with her. She realized that he had never quite answered how he had gotten away from the bear or why he had been attacked in the first place. In fact, he had never said anything more about it after saying he had been attacked by a bear. Before she had thought he was just avoiding the subject because of the trauma it had induced but now she knew he had been avoiding it because he had no answer. Could she still trust him? Had he lied about anything else? If he hadn't been attacked by a bear, then what had injured him so badly all those years ago? And did he really care about her and her mother, or was that just a lie as well? All these thoughts swirled through her mind as she walked alongside the boy she feared she could no longer trust. The boy that was the source of Marina's worry was also in a state of mental chaos. The class field trip to the zoo has been an unwelcome reminder that he would one day have to leave the family he cared so much about. That his secret would eventually be exposed, and that once it was uncovered, that they would grow to hate him like everyone else. He didn't want to have to leave them. For the first time in a long time he was truly happy... but he knew it could not last. Someone like him could never find true happiness. Could never have a place that he truly belonged. No matter how much he wished for it, how much he hoped, he knew those facts could never changed, he would always be hated, always be unloved, always... be alone. The dark thoughts of the pair threatened to drown them in the sadness they invoked, as they continued their gloomed filled trek down the sidewalk and toward the waiting door of their school. XXX The sound of the bell cut through the chattering of the students, signalling the freedom of the children from the confines of the dreary school. Nathan gathered his possession from his locker in silence, as he thought sadly about the suspicion he saw growing behind Marina's eyes with each passing day. When he had landed back on the pathway after retrieving his crystal necklace, he had seen realization dawn in those beautiful brown eyes of hers. He had known right away that she had realized the truth about his supposed run in with a bear, and he had cursed himself for being so careless. He knew that he wouldn't be able to bear it if he lost her friendship. The only reason he had been able to withstand the haunting memories of his past was because he had her and Kaylin to support him. If he lost her friendship, if he was never able to see those beautiful, innocent eyes of hers again, the spectres of his past and the anguish that followed would crush him. Without someone he could call a friend, without her, he would die. XXX Nathan wasn't at their meeting place when she finished gathering her possessions from her locker. After school they would always meet by the bushes near the school entrance so they could walk home together. Even with his recent silence Nathan had still continued to walk home with her every day. Today was the first day since they'd met that he had failed to meet up with her, and the shock of his absence saddened her to the point that she almost broke out in tears. He was her closest friend and she would have given anything to return things to the way they had been. After 10 minutes of waiting for him she had finally given up and had completed the journey home in solitude. She trudged up her driveway and opened the door to her home. Without bothering to take off her shoes she strode toward the screen door that opened up to their backyard. And as she walked by the living room on her way toward the soaring trees behind her house, she saw Nathan sitting on the couch staring off into space. With her last bit of strength she looked at him and "Hi Nathan." But his silence would not be broken. And as the last remnants of hope in her heart finally disappeared, she broke down. Tears streamed from her eyes as her heart wailed over the loss of her friend. She bolted out the screen door and into the forest beyond, sobbing uncontrollably. Nathan saw Marina break down in tears and run into the forest, but he was too lost in thought to do anything about it. He wanted to go after her, he wanted to apologize for the way he had been acting, but more than anything else he wanted to tell her the truth. He knew that if he went after her now he wouldn't be able to hold back his secret any longer, and this kept him bound to the couch tighter than anything else ever could. And just as he himself was about to break down in tears he felt it... they were here. Pure terror gripped his insides as panic shone in his clear brown eyes. A single thought raced through his mind over and over again. He had to save her. XXX Tears blurred her vision as Marina sprinted through the giant trees of the dark forest, desperately trying to get as far away from her house as possible. She was so desperate to get away that she never stopped running until she came to a cliff near the other end of the the woods, nearly falling off the edge as she tried to stop in time. Exhausted from her long run she collapsed onto the ground in the middle of the clearing that ended in the cliff. She cried for what seemed like hours to her but was in reality only a few minutes and just as her tears started to run out she heard a rustling from the tree's. Thinking that Nathan had followed her after all she prepared to yell at him until he came back to his senses, but then she heard it, a low unearthly growl was coming from the woods. She knew instantly that no creature on earth could make such a terrifying noise... and she was right. 5 giant shadows suddenly emerged from the forest and approached the terrified girl. Their bodies had the same shape as a snakes but the had 4 legs attached to them with vicious claws growing from the ends of their feet. They were somehow floating in the air yet they had no wings or any other appendages that would be able to accomplish this. There whole body was black and there claws shone white in the sunlight as they bared their fangs at her. They reminded her of a Chinese dragon but she knew that these creatures were more vicious then that. There was only one thing that these creatures could be... demons. She was shocked to find out that demons existed but she didn't have time to be surprised as the biggest of the demons suddenly broke apart from the group and flew toward her, it's mouth opened wide, ready to rip bite her in two. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain of the fangs ripping into her... but it didn't come. She slowly opened her eyes and reared back in shock at what she saw. In front of her holding the demon at bay with one hand grabbing the top half of the demons mouth... was Nathan. But when he spoke the voice that came out of his mouth wasn't his. For some reason it reminded her of the demon's unearthly growl. "Get away from her." Suddenly a torrent of flames erupted from Nathan's palm and blasted the demon back into the midst of it's companions. It's smoking corpse had dozens of large cuts as though it had been slashed by invisible blades when blasted back by the fire. An unearthly noise broke her out of her thoughts as Nathan opened his mouth toward the demon's and roared like a wolf howling toward it's enemies. It was the single most terrifying sound she had ever heard and she knew it should have chilled her to the bone... but it didn't. For some reason the terrifying sound calmed her, even made her feel safe. But she didn't have time to pursue this line of thought either as the single most shocking moment of her life unfolded before her, It was more shocking than when the pedophile had attacked her, more shocking than when Nathan had jumped into the bear pit and come out alive, even more shocking than discovering that demons existed. What she saw would be forever etched into her mind. As Nathan howled at the demons he could see his teeth suddenly grow longer and pointed, as snow white claws grew from his fingertips. He grew a blood red tail, in a shape that looked eerily like the stereotypical devils tail. Suddenly a large pair of blood red wings burst forth from his back in a spray of blood. The wings stretched out as far as they could go resembled those of a bat's. And as his horrible roar came to an end and he stood straight up once more, she saw his eyes. They were no longer the clear brown eyes that she knew so well, now they were black slits surrounded completely by blood red with no white shining though. That's when she realized why he had been so silent ever since the trip to the zoo. The animals had reminded him of what he was, that if he was ever caught he would surely be caged too, and that he couldn't keep his secret forever. The 4 remaining demons all howled in unison and flew toward the boy that had just killed their leader. As the first one reached him it slashed it's claws at Nathan... or where he had been. Suddenly he was behind the demon and as he swung his claws flames came out of them and extended his claws. His fire claws cut through the shocked demon as easily as a hot knife threw butter. The now cut in half demon collapsed to the ground dead. But during his encounter with the first demon the second had already reached him. Opening it's mouth wide and ready to bite the boy's head off from behind it shot it's mouth forward. Marina didn't even have time to scream a warning. With the Demon positioned behind him as it was there was no possible way for Nathan to see it. And as she watched what she thought were going to be Nathan's final moments in horror... the demon's head was skewered. Like Nathan's claws his tail elongated with fire and using the extra length it shot toward the demon's head and ran it through. Turning toward the remaining 2 demons Nathan used his tail to throw the demon's corpse into the trees and out of his way. The third demon unlike the first two used its tail to try and skewer Nathan like he had to the second demon. Seeing the incoming tail Nathan caught the blow in one hand as the demon twisted and slashed at him with it's claws. Like the tail Nathan caught the demons arm with his other hand and then like his claws and tail before his fangs elongated with fire and he used them to tear open the demons throat. But the exchange had lasted for too long. The fourth demon reached him as he threw away the third demon's corpse. He tried to block the fangs of the new attacker but was too late. It's fangs ripped into Nathan's arm and using it's momentum carried him off the edge of the cliff. "He's dead." Marina thought in horror as she watched Nathan and the fourth demon plummet off the edge of the cliff. And just as she was about to break down in tears a red blur shot up from the edge and landed on the cliff. It was Nathan and in his hands was the bloodied lifeless corpse of the fourth demon. He threw the corpse to the ground and suddenly the blood and all the bodies of the demons vanished into thin air. The only proof that they had ever existed was the wound on Nathan's arm and the damage to the forest around them. "I'm sorry for lying to you." Nathan's voice had returned to normal and broke her out of her happiness to see that he was alive. When she looked up at him she saw that his eyes had returned to the clear brown colour she remembered. "I won't trouble you or your Mother with my presence any longer. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused... goodbye." He said as he started to turn away from her. But when he did she saw a deep sadness in his eyes. "Wait!" she screamed. Nathan obviously hadn't been expecting this and he looked back at her with a perplexed face. "What do you mean bye you won't trouble us with your presence any longer? You think I want you to leave just because your a a-" "A half-demon." Supplied Nathan. "Just because your a half-demon? Well your wrong! How could I ever want you to leave!? You've saved my life twice now! Besides... your my closest friend." she finished up her rant and looked at him expectantly. Happiness flooded over him as tears trailed down across his face. "You're really okay with having a monster like me as a friend? With me still living with you?" "Your not a monster. Who you are makes you a monster, not what you are. And I can guarantee you that your no monster." Marina said truthfully and smiled up at him. Nathan smiled back, but then his smile suddenly vanished and that sad look swept over him again. "But those demons were probably attracted here because of me. If I stay with you more will probably come. I couldn't let myself endanger you like that." "But you've been living with us for over six years and that's the first group of demons that have come after us. We're probably not in that much danger. And besides, if any demons ever show up again you can protect us like you just protected me." "Th-thank you," sobbed Nathan as he collapsed onto his knees in tears. "I'm so... so happy. Thank you." Seeing Nathan collapse into tears Marina walked over to him and hugged him as he cried. After a few minutes he finally stopped sobbing and Marina got the chance to ask him questions about his secret. "So was it demons that attacked you that day you wandered into our backyard?" "Yes. It was only 2 demons but at that time my powers weren't that strong. I barely managed to defeat them and after that I ended up wandering into your backyard." "If your half-demon then is your other half human?" "Your correct. Apparently humans are the only creatures in the world that can control the powers of a demon without becoming blood thirsty monsters like them. Because of this a half demon's other half is only able to be human." "Are there any other half-demons like you?" "No. I'm the only one of my kind. I'm the first half-demon and the last. I guess you could say I'm one of a kind." He joked though she could sense the loneliness in his voice. She knew he must have been very lonely being the only one of his species. Finally she came to the question she had wanted to ask the most... and had also been the most scared to. "If you weren't attacked by a bear... then what are your nightmares about." At her question Nathan's face became expressionless. His voice as well carried no emotion, making the story he was about to tell seem all the more horrible. "I guess it is time I tell you about it... about the day my mother tried to kill me." Marina's eyes widened in shock and all she could do was listen as Nathan recited the reason for his nighttime horrors. "It all started when I was three years old. My powers had just begone to awaken and I was testing them out in the backyard. My mother came out and saw me using them. She was holding a meat cleaver in her hand that she had been using to make dinner with. I was only three so I didn't realize that people might be scared of me so I turned toward my mother and smiled with my fangs still out. I was totally oblivious at the time to the look of terror that flashed in her eyes when she saw me. Then her face contorted into a look of insane hatred. She ran at me and used the meat leaver to slash at my face. Lucky for me I fell backwards at the time. That's where I got this." He explained while pointing to the scar by his left eye. "I stood up bleeding and ran to my mom crying. But She wasn't my mother anymore. She had lost all traces of motherly love, of sanity. She stabbed me in the stomach several times with the meat cleaver screaming at me that I was a monster, that I was a freak of nature, that I should never have been born, that I should never exist, that no one wanted me, and that I should die. Then she stabbed me one final time aiming for my heart. If I hadn't been wearing this necklace I would have died. The knife bounced off the crystal and narrowly missed my heart. Then she screamed at me just die you demon scum and using the knife lodged into my stomach she pushed me off the edge of the cliff in my backyard and I plummeted down the far drop to the river bellow. Even if I'm a half-demon it was nothing short of a miracle that I survived. After I healed I used my powers to hunt for food and steal clothes and any other items I needed. Eventually I got attacked by that group of demons and ended up meeting you." Marina's heart went out to the boy beside her with such a tragic past. Even though he had experienced so many horrible things he was still as nice of a person as he was. And as Marina stared at him a warm feeling started to blossom inside her... |
BlazingDevilDec 17, 2009 11:54 AM
 ~Signature made by Dea37s~ Night Academy I.D. |
| bump for new chapter... |
| ~Signature made by Dea37s~ Night Academy I.D. |
| Chapter 5: Prayers cannot protect 1 year later The warm summer air blew against the girl, her long blackish-brown hair streaming behind her as she clung to the boy carrying her. The warm feeling that she had first felt that day when she had been attacked by demons welled up inside her, like it always did when she was close to the boy who she owed her life too. At first she had thought the desire she felt to be closer to Nathan was just because she had feared so strongly that he had been lost to her, and that she just wanted to make sure that he was really there. But as time passed and the desire inside her grew stronger instead of weaker, she knew that something else must be the cause. But the joy she felt as Nathan flew them over the town, his blood-red wings spread wide and his arms carefully wrapped around her to prevent her from falling, washed all other thoughts out of her mind, preventing the beautiful and innocent girl from realizing the truth behind the feelings blossoming inside her. The young half-demon carrying Marina was oblivious to the joy the girl felt, as he was too distracted with his own thoughts to notice. That day, one year ago, when Marina had been attacked by demons, she had learned the truth about him, about what he was. A half-demon. Neither human nor demon, neither of this world or the demon world, neither of the realm of light nor the realm of darkness, but trapped somewhere in between. The only half-demon in existence, the only one to ever exist, and the only one that will ever exist, always hated, always uncared for. Always Alone. Never to have a home, never to have a place to return to, destined to roam the earth, hated and despised, until the day he died. That was his destiny, the destiny of the one despised by all humanity, the destiny of the one hated by all humanity, the destiny of the one feared by all humanity. The destiny of a half-demon. He had been betrayed by everyone he knew. They all tried to kill him once his secret was revealed. Every last one of them. His friends, his classmates, his teachers, his principals, his neighbours, the people he had saved. His mother. Even his own mother had tried to kill him once she found out the truth. The scene was still etched into his brain, playing over and over again in his nightmares, and preventing him from ever having a peaceful rest. He still remembered the feeling of the cold steel ripping and tearing into his flesh. The warmth of his blood as it trickled down his body. The feeling of the wind rushing around him as he tumbled through the air. And the chill of the frigid water as he slammed into the winding river bellow. He had thought that he would always be hated, always be feared, always be alone, never to be accepted by anyone. But he was wrong. Marina had accepted him. Even though she knew what he was, she still wished to remain friends with him, still wished to live together with him. She was the first person to ever see him for who he was, not what he was. Maybe it was the innocence he saw in her eyes that allowed her to see him for what he really was, or maybe she was just smart enough to realize the truth. He didn't know what the reason was, but to him it didn't matter. As long as she continued to accept him, continued to be his friend, continued to stay by his side, then he would be happy. The warm feeling continued to well up inside him as he held her close. He had first felt the warm feeling that day 1 year ago when Marina had discovered the truth, and hugged him as he cried tears of joy when she said she still wished to be his friend. At first he had thought the warmth he had felt in his heart when she embraced him, was because of the happiness he felt, knowing that there was one person in the world that accepted him, knowing that he wouldn't have to be alone anymore. But as time passed the desire to be near her just kept on getting stronger, along with the joy he felt when she was by his side. He had come to realize that the feeling inside him that welled up whenever he was near her, was something more than friendship, or happiness over her accepting him. He knew that he felt more for her than he should, even including the fact that she was the only person to ever truly accept him. But for know he was content to just be by her side, he didn't need to sort out his feelings for her yet. He could just relax and enjoy the happiness he felt going about everyday life, knowing that whatever life threw at him, that he would always have a friend to turn to. The boy and the girl clung tightly to each other, each feeling a sense of profound joy, yet both keeping their feeling of happiness hidden from the other, as the young pair flew back toward their home. It was summertime now, and since the school year had ended, Marina had asked Nathan if he wanted to go to the mall with her. Seeing no reason to refuse, and secretly relishing the chance to spend some more time together, he had quickly agreed to go with her. After hearing that her daughter and Nathan were going to the mall, Kaylin had offered them a lift. But Marina, rather hastily now that he thought of it, had refused her offer and told her mother that she would rather walk. And while it was true that the mall was in walking distance of the Sander's household, albeit just barely as it took about an hour on foot to get to it, what wasn't true was the fact that they were going to walk. As soon as the two of them had gotten out of Kaylin's sight, Marina had quickly pulled Nathan into a large group of tree's by the sidewalk and asked him to fly them their. Unbeknownst to Nathan, Marina had secretly been planning to ask him to fly so she could be held in his arms as he flew them over town, which was the reason for her hasty rejection of her mother's offer to give them a ride in her car. Once they had gotten to the mall, Nathan had reluctantly let go of Marina and walked in with her. After taking a quick scan through of the book store near the mall entrance, as they were both avid readers, they headed over to the food court to grab some lunch. Ordering some fries and milkshakes they chatted away for an hour or two while enjoying each other's company. When they had finally finished chatting, Marina dragged Nathan through all the clothing stores in the mall, buying whatever she really liked. She didn't go crazy with shopping, but she wasn't hesitant to buy something she liked either. And of course in the end he had ended up carrying all the bags filled with her purchases. While all the store clerks and people passing by saw Nathan and instantly felt sorry for the boy, when they noticed how Marina was getting him to carry all the bags and dragging him through the entire mall, Nathan was in truth very happy as he accompanied the cheerful girl while she shopped. He enjoyed getting to see her try on different clothes and the happiness in her eyes when she found something she liked. In his opinion, getting to see those two things was more than enough payment for carrying all the bags. "Hey Nathan we're here," chimed Marina as they approached their house. Her voice broke him out of his happy recollections of the days events, and he quickly landed far enough into the forest behind their house so as to remain out of sight. As always, he was reluctant to release his embrace on the girl with him, but he knew that if he hesitated to release her then Marina might begin to suspect something, and eventually come to find out about the happiness he felt when he held her close. Releasing his hold on her, the two then began to silently walk back toward the building they called home, each filled with the simple joy of being in each other's company. But even though his mind was filled with joy as it always was in the presence of this girl, something tickled at the back of his mind, something telling him that all was not as it should be. The dark forest loomed around the pair as they strode through it, with no noise disrupting the thoughts of the two as they walked. Nathan froze in mid stride, suddenly realizing what had seemed so wrong to him as he made his way through the tree's, as the bags filled with Marina's clothes slipped silently out of his hands. Seeing her friend's sudden stop, Marina naturally turned toward him with a worried expression etched on her beautiful face. "What's wrong?" came her lovely voice as she voiced the question running through her head. "Do you hear that?" After hearing Nathan's question, Marina closed her eyes and carefully listened for any sound that would be out of the ordinary. She couldn't hear a single sound, and puzzled over Nathan's question, she told him such. "I don't hear anything." The look in Nathan's eyes chilled her to the bone. It was a look of icy terror. As if he feared that something bad was going to happen, and was wishing with all his heart that he was wrong. "Exactly." The tone of voice he used in his reply instantly clued Marina in on his meaning. There was no sounds around them, none at all. No birds chirping, no bee's buzzing, no squirrels chattering away, or even any rustling of leaves as animals made their way through the forest. In fact, Marina didn't remember hearing or seeing any animals on the whole way through the forest. It would be impossible for them not to have come across any signs of animals if they we're still there. In other words, something had scared the animals off. The same cold fear that was in Nathan's eyes gripped the insides of the girl. She could think of only one thing that could scare away every animal in the forest, only one thing that could put that fear into Nathan's eyes. A demon. The young pair suddenly broke out into a sprint, hoping that they could make it home in time. All Nathan wanted was for his normal everyday life with Marina and Kaylin to continue, and he prayed for it to continue constantly. After what seemed to be the longest run in his entire life, but couldn't have been more than 15 seconds, Nathan finally saw light filtering through at the end of the tree's. Bursting out of the clearing he charged across the backyard of the place he had come to call home, and not wanting to waste anytime to stop and open the door, he instead slammed into the wire screen blocking his path into the house, breaking it down. A stray piece of wire caught at the leg of his pants causing him to trip and fall. The fall didn't delay him for very long, but it was long enough to allow Marina to catch up with him as she leaped through the hole in the screen door and sprinted into the living room, with Nathan who had gotten back on his feet by this time following close behind her. In his mind he was screaming a panicked prayer for his normal, everyday life with Marina and Kaylin to continue. But prayers alone cannot protect those precious to you. Marina froze as her gaze fell upon the scene in her living room. A Hideous black shape loomed over her bloodied mother as she cowered on the floor, desperately trying to slide away from the nightmarish creature preparing to feast on her warm flesh. The demon was easily twice as big as the ones that had attacked her one year ago. Like the demons she had previously encountered, this one was pure black except for it's razor sharp fangs that glinted in the light. It's body was like that of a mutated worm, except wider compared to the length, and unlike a worm it had a giant circular opening on one end of it, filled with razor sharp teeth. Yet while it's body was similar to that of a tube like worm's, it's legs were not. Placed on both sides of the hellish creature were dozens of centipede like legs, all aligned in a neat row on either side of the worm demon. Each of the demons legs came down to a point that would have put any spear to shame, looking capable of easily piercing human flesh. But while Marina froze upon seeing the gruesome scene, Nathan did not. Leaping into the air as he ran past the girl frozen in shock, he instantly changed into his half-demon form. Roaring at the demon as it reared back to strike at the trembling woman, Nathan brought his claws back to strike. His right arm was poised and ready to slash at the monster invading his home. For a second it seemed like Nathan was going to make it in time, but only for a second. Unleashing a horrid shriek, the worm-like demon shot forward and engulfed the terror filled form of Kaylin Sanders. The image of Kaylin's eyes widening in shock as she stared at the boy she had taken in, flying toward the demon and howling at it in rage, while the demon's mouth enclosed around her, embedded itself into Nathan's mind. White-hot rage filled him. This creature, this monster, this abomination, had killed her. Killed Kaylin. Every fibre of his being howled at the demon as he swung his claws. This demon had taken away from him the woman that had taken him in, and now a need for revenge filled him. Time seemed to slow down as his claws arced toward the beast in front of him. He saw the glint of the sun reflecting off his claws, the spray of blood on the wall slowly dripping down the painted surface, he could have counted the tiny scales covering the body of the creature. His lungs burned with the effort of his rage filled cry. And then time returned to normal. The demon's cold blood splattered onto him as his claws ripped through the monster's putrid flesh. Twin thumps could be heard, as the two halves of the demon fell lifelessly to the ground. After releasing one more final hate filled roar, the boy gently lowered himself to the ground. As the decaying corpse of the demon vanished, along with it's black reeking blood, the young half-demon turned toward the stunned form of the girl behind him. Marina couldn't register what she had just watched. She knew she had just seen her mother devoured by a demon, yet her brain refused to process it. Nathan silently walked over to her, his brown eyes clouded with sorrow. Her half-demon friend wordlessly embraced her, as her brain finally registered what she had just seen, and she broke down in tears. Nathan clutched her tightly to himself, wrapping her not only in his arm's embrace, but the embrace of his wings as well. He knew he should be just as sad as Marina was right now, should be crying his eyes out in fact. But the sadness he felt over Kaylin's death was nothing compared to the sorrow that pierced his heart as he saw Marina's tortured state. He was still quite sad over Kaylin's death, probably even sadder than a normal person would be if one of his adoptive family members suddenly died. But he knew that he had to be strong right now, that if he broke down too, then Marina would plummet even farther into the depths of despair. And as the young half-demon clung to the sobbing girl, he saw something that saddened him more than anything else he had ever known. It saddened him more than when he thought Marina would hate him that day when she found out his secret, it saddened him more than the betrayal of all the people he had ever met, it saddened him more than when his mother had tried to kill him, it even saddened him more than Kaylin's death. For as Nathan held onto the sobbing girl, he saw something he had hoped he would never have to see, he saw the innocence that he envied, the innocence that he loved, slowly disappear from Marina's beautiful brown eyes. |
| ~Signature made by Dea37s~ Night Academy I.D. |
| Chapter 6: So you'll never be alone again 1 year later The sounds of the chirping birds echoed through the warm summer air, traversing through the open window, and into the room of the sleeping half demon. It had been 1 year since that fateful day. The day that Kaylin was killed. The nightmarish scene that had been etched into Nathan's brain one year ago still haunted him, finding a place in his nightmares, and stubbornly refusing to allow him a peaceful rest. Faceless people screaming at him, demons devouring his loved ones, and his mother stabbing at him with a knife, they all played a part in his nighttime horrors now. Betrayal, guilt, loneliness, and pain were Nathan's only companions in his nightmares, and it was not uncommon for him to wake up screaming. But Nathan's nightmares were not the biggest source of his concern. Marina had been devastated by her mother's death, and had retreated into herself for months. Her eyes blank and devoid of emotions, Marina had just gone through the motions of living, too saddened to do more. Seeing how much Marina had suffered, Nathan had almost broken down himself. It felt like his heart was being torn apart, whenever he saw her gloomy condition. But just as Nathan was sure he couldn't bear to see Marina like that anymore, and that his heart was going to break, Marina had finally come out of her protective shell. It wasn't an instantaneous process, but she slowly got over her grief and returned to normal. After 5 months of grieving and 1 month of recovery, Marina had almost returned completely back to normal. But Marina would never fully return to the way she was. The innocence that had shone in her eyes, the innocence that he envied, the innocence that he loved, was gone now. Gone forever. Marina had witnessed the death of a loved one, and with it the innocence in her eyes had died as well. Watching someone die changed a person, and sadly there was no room for innocence in a person who had seen death. Luckily for Nathan, no other problems had arisen while Marina was grieving. Thanks to Kaylin's will, control of the company was left with the vice president until Marina came of age to inherit it. The vice president, Mr. Morisson, was a portly man, with a slightly chubby face and a cheerful personality. He was a long time friend of Kaylin's, and could be trusted to do what was best for Marina and the company. Nathan was loathe to admit it, but he trusted the man as well. Kaylin's will had also named Mr. Morisson as Marina's legal guardian, though it gave no mention as to what to do with Nathan. He was once more thankful for Kaylin's ability to read what people wanted. When she took him in, she didn't officially adopt him, as Nathan was worried she would. And again when Kaylin wrote her will, she didn't force Nathan to be adopted by someone else either. If someone tried to adopt him, it would cause unwanted problems for Nathan, and the person trying to adopt him. Nathan's legal record showed that he was dead, that he accidentally fell off a cliff when he was three. If someone did try to adopt Nathan, they would discover he was still alive, and undoubtedly contact his mother. That was one thing Nathan could never allow to happen. He had sworn to himself that he would never see his mother again. But even though Mr. Morisson didn't adopt Nathan, he still let him continue living with Marina like before. Mr. Morisson allowed them to live alone in Kaylin's house, and he continued to live with his own family. In the end, the chubby man's position as guardian was nothing more than a signature on a piece of paper. Mr. Morisson didn't check up on them because he knew that was what they wanted, and not because he didn't care about them. This was the biggest reason as to why Nathan trusted Mr. Morisson, and not because Kaylin had trusted him. Trusting someone because someone you loved trusted them, was idiocy. Sheer idiocy. And when you were a half demon, that kind of idiocy could often prove fatal. But Mr. Morrison had earned Nathan's trust on his own. He didn't ask any questions as to why Nathan wasn't mentioned in Kaylin's will, or why he hadn't been adopted by her, after living together for so long. He just let things continue as they were before, or as close to it as could be, with Kaylin gone. "Breakfast is ready!" The cheerful voice echoed through the house, and broke through the slumber of the sleeping boy. Suppressing a tired groan, the young half demon slowly crawled out of his bed. He quickly got dressed then raced down the stairs. Nathan reached the bottom of the stairs and paused like he always did. He was in the living room, the place Kaylin had been killed. Memories of her flashed through his mind, Kaylin agreeing to take him in, making breakfast, teaching him about the human body, offering to give him and Marina a lift when they wanted to go to the mall, her kind eyes watching him with a joyful smile on her face, and the memory of those same eyes filled with terror, as Kaylin watched the demon strike. The young half demon silently cursed himself for being so weak, for not being able to protect Kaylin. Nathan blamed himself for what happened. If he had only been stronger, only been faster, then he could have saved her. It was his fault she was dead. The demon had probably sensed Nathan's presence, tracked it to the house, and discovered Kaylin there. If Nathan hadn't let them take him in, it would have never gone to the house, and Kaylin would still be alive. For months after Kaylin died, Nathan felt that he had to leave the house, before Marina was devoured as well. But in the end, he stayed. At first Nathan told himself it was because of Marina's condition, and that he feared what would happen to her mind if he left then. But as the months passed, and Marina recovered, Nathan was unable to use her condition as an excuse to stay any longer. He knew that it was time to leave, but he couldn't. Nathan had known all along that he was just using Marina's condition as an excuse to stay, no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise. The real reason Nathan didn't leave, was because he didn't want to be alone again. He has searched for so long to find someone who would accept him, how could he just leave after finding her? Nathan's mind told him to go, but his heart told him to stay. In the end, his heart won. The half demon promised to himself that this time, he would protect those he cared for, from anything that tried to harm them. He would protect Marina, no matter what. A sad smile crossed Nathan's face as he remembered that promise; he wondered if he really could keep it. The sounds of pans clanking brought the boy out of his sad thoughts, and reminded him that he needed to get to the kitchen. Nathan gave one last sad glance toward the spot where Kaylin had been killed, then quickly proceeded into the kitchen. Upon entering the kitchen, he was greeted by the sight of Marina dishing out a batch of french toast onto a plate. She was wearing a blue t-shirt and skirt with white trim. Marina's long, blackish-brown hair hung freely down her back, and a cheerful smile was spread across her face. In short, she was beautiful. Pans and bowls used to make breakfast were lined up on the counter, to be dealt with after they had finished eating. As was always the case when Nathan saw her, that warm feeling he had first felt so long ago, welled up inside him. It was a feeling of pure joy. In Marina's presence he felt relaxed, safe, and happy. Nathan felt comforted when he was around her, knowing that as long as she stayed by his side, he would never have to feel that horrible loneliness gain. Nathan was bound to Marina, as surely as if they were tied together by chains. Over the past few months Nathan had come to realize he would never be able to leave her, and that if Marina ever left him, he would die. Nathan knew that without her around, the loneliness would come back. After feeling what it was like to be accepted, would he be able to go back to being alone? Nathan knew he could not, and that if he ever became alone again, the loneliness would succeed where last time it had failed. It would drive him insane. If Nathan was fortunate enough, or unfortunate enough, to not have killed himself by then. As Nathan walked into the room, Marina turned around to face him, probably having heard Nathan's footsteps when he entered. Was it just him, or did Marina's smile widen just a bit when she saw him? "Good morning, Nathan." Her melodic voice echoed through the room as she greeted him. The sound of her voice soothed his worries, and brought peace to his troubled mind. He was close to realizing his feelings for her. He knew he was close, but the answer still alluded him. For some reason, he felt that he needed to figure out the source of his feelings soon, or else she would be taken away by someone. That if he didn't figure out the answer in time, that she would leave. The mere thought of her leaving terrified him. It terrified him more than when he saw Kaylin about to be eaten. It terrified him more than the group of demons that had attacked him when he was five. It even terrified him more than when his mother had tried to kill him. He could deal with all of those things. But her leaving, he could never endure that. He knew that he would do anything in his power to stop her from leaving, even kill, if necessary. He would never allow someone to take her away from him. Even if it cost him his life, he would stop them. But for now, none of that mattered. All that mattered was that she was with him. That's all that mattered in the world. His gaze rested on her as all these thoughts flashed through his mind. But in her presence, all those worries and fears seemed unimportant, ridiculous even. Her innocent smile just further reassured him of that fact. That she could smile at him so, knowing what he was, convinced him that he would never be alone again. That she would stay with him. Always. His reply was relaxed and joyful, an effect of her presence. "Good morning." When he replied she held out the plate of french toast to him, and he gladly took it. He walked over to the table and sat down, eager to eat. Marina's food was always delicious. She was an excellent cook. The aroma of the food reach his nose, and he happily breathed in the scent. It smelled great, making him want to devour it all the more. He poured some syrup over the toast and cut himself a piece. Using his fork, he plopped the french toast he cut into his mouth. A smile spread across his face as he chewed on the food. It was even better than he expected. Marina smiled happily at Nathan, glad to see him enjoying his breakfast so much. For some reason she made no move to get a plate for herself. Noticing this, Nathan voiced a question. "Aren't you going to eat anything?" Her answer came a little to quickly, and a hint of nervousness flashed in those beautiful eyes of hers. "Actually I have something to do today, so I ate before you woke up. Speaking of which, I better leave now. Can you handle the dishes for me?" Why is she so nervous? What could she be up to? Even though he was worried as to why she seemed so eager to get out of the house, his voice gave no indication to it. He was good at hiding his emotions. "Sure, no problem." After his reply, Marina seemed to relax, like she had succeeded in something important., though she tried to hide her relief unsuccessfully. She then smiled one last time at Nathan, and proceeded to the front hallway. She quickly put on her shoes and was ready to leave. "I'm leaving now!" Her voice echoed through the house, as the sound of a door opening could be heard from the entranceway. "Be careful!" came his worried reply. He always worried about her whenever she was out of his sight. Was he worried because he was afraid that he might lose his only friend? Or was the worry he felt, due to that strange feeling that welled up inside him, whenever he was with her? He didn't know. But he expected that it was due to both of them. The sound of the front door closing then reached his ears. The young half demon turned his attention back to his breakfast. He finished his food in silence, while he waited for the return of the girl. XXX Where did she go? Is she safe? Why is she taking so long? What was she up to? Why was she so nervous? Is she in some kind of trouble? Thoughts like these continually echoed in the boy's mind. He was wearing a simple black shirt of cotton. It was a short sleeve shirt to deal with the warm summer climate. His choice of pants was a pair of black rugby pants, which allowed for easy movement, and wouldn't hinder him if he needed to fight. As always he wore his crystal necklace. It lightly rested against his chest as he lay on the couch, colours swirling inside. His necklace had somehow changed after Marina accepted him. He first noticed it the next day. When he looked down at his necklace, after waking up, he saw that the way the colours swirled inside, was different. Seeing the pattern of his necklace change had shocked him. The pattern had never changed as far back as he could remember. Seeing it change like that, with no warning at all, disturbed him. Eventually he got over the change in his necklace, but it took some time. Before the change in the pattern, the colours had been mostly separated, black on the top and red on the bottom. The separation of those colours, and the way they seemed to try to mix, but never did, had given it the illusion that it was filled with human blood. To him the necklace was as important as his life. But even he had to admit it had been a disgusting looking thing. Giving off the illusion that it carried human blood, it had always seemed to be a vile and wretched crystal. Misunderstood because of it's appearance, just like himself. But now the colours mixed and swirled together in an intricate and beautiful design. People were now able to see the crystals true beauty and worth, just like Marina had been able to see his. Whenever he saw Marina look at his necklace now, he could see a bit of envy in her eyes. He could tell that she thought the crystal was beautiful now, and wished that she had it. But she never mentioned it, knowing how important it was to him. Instead she tried to hide what she thought of the crystal, but he saw through her easily. After living together for 8 years, he could tell what she was feeling, almost as easily as he could breathe. He turned his attention back to the book in his hands, and continued to read. It was a white hardcover book, a medical text to be exact. The book itself appeared to be new, though he knew that Kaylin had bought it a couple of years ago. There were a few scratches on the cover, which was only natural for a book it's age, but none of the pages were ripped or bent. Kaylin was very adamant about keeping books in good condition. The pages inside contained detailed information about the human body, and was one of many that Kaylin had left for him in her will. He was a fast reader, which was very advantageous when studying the human body, as he only needed to read something once to remember it. He never could understand how people forgot things so easily, as his memory had always been good. Why did people need to read over things so many times to remember them? To him, it just didn't make sense, but he had eventually come to accept that some people just weren't as smart as him. He was glad his memory was so good, even if some of his teachers had thought he was cheating to get perfect scores on all their tests. He could deal with a few measly accusations if it meant he was able to learn about the human body faster. He already knew more about the human body than any doctor he knew, but it wasn't enough. There was always more information for him to learn, and he needed all the information he could get. He read anything that had the slightest bit to do with the human body. Acupuncture, acupressure, anatomy of the brain, the digestive system, the respiratory system, the circulatory system, the eye, the heart, anything at all that had to do with the human body he tried to learn about. He had a few reasons for wanting to learn more about the human body, the one he gave to Marina being that if someone was ever injured in an attack by a demon, then he would be able to help them. And it was true that he wanted to be able to help someone if they were injured, but he knew the real reason he wanted to learn more about the human body was darker. It was to make him a more efficient killer. With more knowledge of the human body he would easily be able to target a human's weak points. He would know where to attack to cause instantaneous death, or to cause excruciating pain, or to cripple a person. It would also help him know his limit's more, so that he would know how far he could push his body, and where best to receive a blow if he was ever caught off guard. It may even give him new ideas on ways to use his powers. His knowledge would easily allow him to take down a group of people without having to transform. This would allow him to protect Marina and still keep his secret. That was his main goal. That was what he was trying to accomplish. The book he was currently reading was a complex text on the layout of the brain, specifically which areas of the brain became more active than others while doing different things. Diagrams and photos helped to illustrate the information and make it easier to understand. Knowing more about how the brain worked could be an invaluable asset in battle, but he just couldn't focus on the text. Sighing, he closed the book. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, making him squint as he placed the medical text on the coffee table beside him. He just couldn't stop thinking about Marina. Why can't I stop worrying about her? Why do I feel so happy when she's with me? I know that what I'm feeling is more than just friendship? But what is it? A fly buzzed in front of his face. He promptly squished it in his hand, annoyed that it had interrupted his thoughts. With the distraction of the fly gone, his mind quickly returned to worrying over Marina. Is she safe? Lost? Was she so nervous because she was going to meet some friends and didn't want me to know? But that wouldn't make any sense, unless she was going on a date with some guy. Could that be it? For some reason that thought pained him considerably. Whenever he imagined Marina going on a date with someone, it felt like a sharp knife was being stabbed into his heart. Why don't I want her to be dating anyone? And why can't I stop worrying about her? The way I'm mooning over her, you'd think I was in love or something... Realization hit him. He sat up quickly, eyes widening in shock. So that's why I always felt so happy around her. I'm in love with her. I'm in love with Marina. Why didn't I realize it sooner? I can't believe how dense I was. A determined look appeared in his eyes. He dashed to the door and quickly grabbed his shoes. He slipped them on and tied them in a matter of seconds. The desire to confess to her overwhelmed him. It was even stronger then that time he wanted to tell her the truth about what he was, that day she was attacked by demons. He couldn't fight it. All he could do was try and find her, find her and tell her how he felt. That and hope she felt the same. His legs carried him to the back door. It was a sliding screen door, so as to provide a gorgeous view of the forest behind them. And it was a gorgeous view. Beautiful green tree's stretched as far as the eye could see. Buttercups littered the forest floor, providing a vibrant contrast to the green and blue above. Squirrels could be seen jumping from branch to branch, while all manor of wild life could be heard from the woods. In all his life he had yet to see a more stunning forest, but today his mind didn't even register the wonder of the woods before him. He didn't have time to gawk now. Nathan reached out with his right hand and slid open the door. Barely pausing to close it behind him, he ran across the ground. After three step he leaped into the air, his wings spreading out from behind him, and carrying him up into the sky. His pupils stretched into slits as the rest of his eye was overtaken by a blood red colour. His were the eyes of something not human. His were the eyes of a demon. Using his demonic eyes, he was able to search the ground from up high in the sky. He was too high to be seen by human eyes, but not high enough that his eyes could not see the people on the ground. Using his enhanced eyesight to his advantage, he began the search for the one he loved. XXX "Thank you for your patronage," said the cashier in that slightly bored tone that someone uses when they've been working at the same job for too long. The female cashier held out a box and a card, which Marina eagerly took. She was in a jewellery store, buying Nathan his birthday present. It brought a smile to her face each time she thought of how happy he'd be when he saw what she got him. She still couldn't believe that he had never celebrated his birthday before, or even received a present! He had explained to her that he was too young to have remembered his birthday by the time his mother had tried to kill him. She knew he still had nightmares about that. But she also knew that there was nothing she could do to stop them. It pained her to see him suffering so much, and being helpless to stop it. The pain was all the worse due to her feelings for him. When her mother died, Marina had felt like she was alone in the world, with no one to rely on. She had thought that with her gone, she didn't have any family left, and it just got worse and worse over time. But then she noticed how much pain Nathan was in, seeing her suffer like that. She realized how hard he worked to try to help her, and she realized that she still did have family left. He was her family. Even if her mother was gone, even if she didn't have anyone else related to her by blood, she wasn't lonely. Being with him was enough to drive off the loneliness and despair she had felt. Having him with her was enough. Having the one she loved with her was enough. After she had gotten over her mothers death, she had come to realize what the feelings she had for him were. What she felt for him, was love. It wasn't sibling love, or love for a friend. It wasn't a crush or a passing thing. It was love. Real love. She loved him with all her heart. It didn't matter if he was a half demon, nothing could change the way she felt about him. She knew that no matter what happened, she would never stop wanting to be with him, never stop loving him. She would always love him. Always She was still surprised that he hadn't realized that today was his birthday. If he had known it was today, she knew he would have realized what she was up to. She held the present and card tightly in her hand as she stepped outside of the store. The wind was blowing hard outside, too hard to hear anything besides its roar. The card wiggled and bent, threatening to blow out of her grasp in the fearsome gale. But she had tightened her grip when she saw how strong the wind blew outside, and the card remained in it's place. She would not let it blow away. Nathan only saw her as his friend, his family. She was only important to him because she had been the only one to accept him, knowing what he was. He loved her as a friend or maybe a sister. She knew that, and it hurt. Even though she loved him, she could never tell him how she felt. If she did, he would reject her, and things would only become awkward between them. If it meant losing his friendship, she could hide her feelings from him. She could handle the pain. He would never fall in love with someone like her. She was a weak hearted girl. She wasn't strong at all. She wasn't brave, or athletic, or anything like that. She was smart, but comparing her to him was like comparing a five year old to Einstein. How could someone as strong and smart as him, ever fall in love with a weak girl like her? She knew it couldn't happen. Even if she wasn't so weak, he could still never love her. How could a half demon like him, who had been betrayed by humans so many times, ever fall in love with one? It was impossible. He would sooner give her his crystal necklace than fall in love with her. It was hopeless, she knew. But it didn't matter. Even if it was hopeless, she would never stop loving him. She couldn't. It was painful having to hold in her feelings for him, more painful that she thought possible. But being able to be by his side, even if it was only as his friend, made her happy. It was enough. Even though it was painful to hold in her feelings, she knew that it would be much worse if she were to confess and be rejected. She was content to remain as his friend, knowing that was all she could ever be. The direction of the wind suddenly changed. It whipped her hair into her face, blinding her. All she could see was a screen of hair as the wind howled and roared. She couldn't see or hear anything. Marina raised her free hand and used it to brush the hair out of her eyes. Her heart filled with joy at the first thing she saw when her vision returned. Raising her other hand to wave at him, she cheerfully shouted. "Nath-" XXX The young half demon glided through the air, searching the city for the girl he had come to love. Where is she? His demonic eyes allowed him to see the faces of the people on the ground in perfect detail, even from up high in the sky. It gave him an immensely huge advantage in searching for Marina. But it was still like trying to find a needle in a haystack. There were so many people wandering around downtown, that it was almost impossible to pick out someone from amongst the crowd. I hope I find her soon, before my courage to confess leaves me. He knew he had to hurry. Already uncertainty had started to cloud his mind. Worry about what would happen if she didn't love him, if she rejected him, filled his mind. If she did, then things would most likely become awkward between them. He didn't want that. The thought of things between them changing for the worse, was frightening. But he knew that if he didn't confess now, that it would haunt him for the rest of his life. He would always look back, always wonder, about what might have been. But even though he knew he had to confess, a small voice kept whispering in the back of his mind. She'll reject you. You know she will. How could she ever love a monster like you? She may have accepted you, but wasn't that just out of pity? Pity for the poor lonely monster. The freak of nature. How could someone as wonderful as her ever come to love a monster like you? Even if you weren't a monster, she would still never love you. It's impossible. Someone as smart and beautiful as her, liking someone as strange as you? Your not good enough for her, and you know it. She'll never love you. She'll reject you. Marina will reject you. He knew that Marina wasn't like that. She would never think of him as a monster, even if he was one. She didn't pity him, he could see it in her eyes. She truly thought of him as a friend, there was no doubt of that. But even though he knew that, he still couldn't get the small whisper out of his head. He couldn't shake off his doubt. But there was one thing the voice had said that he couldn't deny. That she would never fall in love with someone like him. How could she? She was smart, kind, and beautiful, with a smile that lit up a room, and a heart as pure as could be. She was the most amazing girl he had ever met, and probably would ever meet. Kind hearted and joyful, she was fun to be around. Marina was modest as well. She was one of the richest kids in their town, yet you'd never know it by how she acted. Showing off her money or bragging was something she simply couldn't bring herself to do. And not only was she kind, but she was strong too. She may not have realized it, but she had a strong heart. There weren't very many people in the world who could get over the death of their only family in six months. She had managed to get over her grief, in a surprisingly short amount of time. That showed just how strong she was. He on the other hand was nothing like that. He wasn't exactly ugly, but he wasn't handsome either. His looks were just average. Sure he was smart and athletic, but he was so different from everyone else. He was selfish and corrupt. His smile wouldn't brighten a room, his mere presence would darken one. He was a somber and lonely individual, but Marina was bright and cheerful. They were so different. He may have been physically strong, but his heart was weak. The nightmares that constantly plagued him were proof of that. He had said that he wasn't a monster, and that he was just as much of a person as anyone else. But he didn't believe that. He said he agreed with Marina's statement that who you are decides if you're a monster, not what you are. But that had been a lie. No matter how much he tried to deny it, even to himself, he knew that he had come to believe his mother's words. That he was a freak, a virus that polluted the world with his mere presence, a monster. If he didn't believe her words, then he wouldn't be haunted by them so. He was a monster, and Marina could never love him. How could such a wonderful girl ever fall for him? There was nothing about him that a girl would like. No girl would ever love him, ever love someone with such a dark heart. He who had killed so many. He who was a monster. He who was so different. He who was destined to be alone. But was he? Was he just a monster? Was he destined to be alone? Never to be loved? He didn't know... but he intended to find out. Why should he be feared because of his birth? Because of something he couldn't control? Why should he be hated, despised, unwanted, and unloved? His destiny was to always be alone. But this time... this time he intended to fight destiny. He would find Marina and tell her how he felt. And this time, maybe, just maybe, he would have his feelings returned. He would be loved. His gaze swept over the entrance to a jewellery store, and it was then that he found the person he had been searching for. Clutching a small box and what looked to be a card tightly in her hand, she exited the store. The card twisted and turned wildly in the wind, but he could tell that she had no intention of letting it blow away. Her skirt flapped in the gale as she began to stride down along the sidewalk, heading in the direction of their home. He was assaulted by two choices. He could either go home and wait for her to return, or he could find an alleyway to land in, then catch up with her and confess. Neither option was very appealing. If he returned home and waited for her, the uncertainty in his mind would only have that much more time to fester and grow. But confessing to her here would also be a problem. The middle of downtown didn't provide the best place for a heart to heart conversation. Neither option was good. Both had significant setbacks in them, but they were all he had. He carefully weighed each option in his mind as he watched Marina stroll down the sidewalk. He chose the second option. He quickly scanned the area for an alleyway, so that he could land and catch up with Marina. It only took a few seconds for him to find one. It was in the direction that Marina was walking, placed between 2 four story office buildings, which he could use as cover from the populace as he landed. He quickly flew toward it, wanting to exit the alleyway before Marina passed it. He had chosen the second option as he knew that if he waited any longer, the doubts in his mind would overtake him, and would prevent him from confessing. He had to act quickly, or else his courage would disappear, and she would be lost to him. The cement floor of the alleyway made a soft thud as he landed, and he quickly changed back into human form. Closing his eyes, the boy took deep breaths to calm himself. I'm ready. A determined look appeared in his eyes as they snapped open. Today would be the day that he found out the truth about his destiny, the day that he found out if he really was destined to be alone. His legs carried him out of the alleyway, as his eyes scanned the crowd. He was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, head constantly swivelling, eyes constantly moving, searching for the girl. And then he saw her. The wind tore at her clothes, and her skirt was pressed tightly against her legs from the force of the gale. Her long blackish-brown hair streamed to the side, whipping and swaying in the wind. And her eyes. They may have lost the innocence that once dwelled there, but her eyes were still beautiful. It wasn't the colour, or the shape, or the size that made them so stunning, though it did play a part. The thing that made them so beautiful was what flared behind them. Intelligence. When you looked into her eyes, you could see an intelligence burning brightly behind them, and that more than anything else, is what made them so beautiful. She was easily the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and not just because of her looks, but her personality as well. He judged people by their personality, and not their looks. Even if he saw someone who was physically attractive, if she had a bad personality, he would think of her as ugly. The reverse was also true. If he saw someone who wasn't very good looking, but had a good personality, she would be beautiful in his eyes. But Marina was one of a kind. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever met, physically and mentally, and the combination was stunning. Thinking about how beautiful she was would normally only serve to create further doubts in his mind, but in her presence, the worry, the doubt, the uncertainty he had, they all just disappeared. Her presence calmed his mind, it brought peace to his troubled heart. He longed to hold her, to kiss her, to tell her how he felt. She was his only friend, his only family, his only love. She was the first girl he loved, and was the only one he ever would love. He knew this in his heart. He loved her, more than anything else in the world. There were things in this world that were important to him, but she was the only one he loved. This world was important to him for the sole reason that she was on it. He would never stop wanting to be with her, never stop loving her. She was everything to him. Everything. He stared at her as she moved, his heart overflowing with love. She hadn't noticed him yet, and she appeared to be lost in thought. Was that pain in her eyes? The direction of the wind suddenly changed, causing her hair to whip into her eyes. It howled and roared, pulling at her hair, and keeping it in her line of sight. Her free hand came up to brush the hair out of her eyes, and that's when she saw him. The pain in her eyes was overtaken by a flash of pure joy. Surprise and happiness mingled inside her eyes, and was that, love? He wasn't sure, but he knew he shouldn't get his hopes up. She raised her other hand up to wave at him, as a beautiful smile spread across her face. That warm feeling that he had first felt so long ago, the feeling that he had come to realize as love, filled him once again. Happiness and joy rushed through his mind. He was ready. As soon as she caught up to him, he would confess. And that was the last thought he had before it all went wrong. She didn't even have time to finish shouting his name, as a flash of speeding metal struck her head on and sent her flying. Sunlight glinted off the drops of blood flying through the air as Marina crashed into the wall of a nearby building. Pain and surprise filled her eyes as she fell to the cold, hard cement, of the sidewalk waiting bellow. Blood was splattered against the window shield of the car that hit her. The blood was that of the man driving it, his head smashed in against the windshield, cold, dead eyes staring out, with a drunken look permanently fixed on his face, and the pang of regret, for not choosing to fasten his seat belt. He saw it happen, but his mind wouldn't register it. He just couldn't believe it. Bright, happy, and cheerful Marina, beautiful and smart Marina, the Marina that had accepted him, the Marina that was his friend, the Marina that he loved, was hit. He wouldn't accept it, he couldn't. It must be a lie, a dream, an illusion, a trick. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be. A twinkle on the ground caught his eyes. What was that? He looked closer, intent on finding out what it was. It was the small box and card Marina had been holding. The box was lying open now, it's lid having come of in the crash. Inside it was a small golden locket, in the shape of an oval. It was also lying open like the box, and inside it were two pictures. On one side was a picture of him, Marina and Kaylin, taken just days before she was killed. On the other side was a picture of Marina and him. This one was more recent than the last, and had been taken about a month ago. Both picture had been taken in the woods outside their house. The green of the trees, the yellow of the buttercups, and the blue of the sky mingled in the background, creating a beautiful scenery behind them. The first one had been taken on a picnic Kaylin had brought them on. He remembered that Kaylin had forgotten to cut up the ham when he snuck a peak inside the basket, and with no knife, he had been forced to use his claws to discretely cut up the meat before she noticed her error. The second picture had been taken at the same spot they had gone to in the previous picture. They hadn't gone on a picnic, but they had both decided to take a picture at the same spot, to commemorate them becoming high school students. It had saddened him to take the picture at that spot, as it stirred up painful memories of when Kaylin was still alive. He wasn't the only one to be affected by it though, Marina had been saddened as well to go to that spot, and he could tell it hurt her to be there. He had almost decided that it wasn't worth it to take the picture there, if Marina was going to be in so much pain over it, but just when he was about to say as much, he noticed the determination in her eyes, and decided that it was best to keep quiet. But why did Marina buy a locket and insert those pictures into it? And why was she so secretive about it? It just didn't make sense. Why would she need to keep the fact that she was buying herself the locket a secret? Unless... it wasn't for her. He remembered the card, and felt like his heart was going to tear apart. It couldn't be. But he had to make sure. He quickly looked at the card, and the words inside stabbed at his heart. Happy Birthday Nathan. I bought you this locket so you'll never be alone again. So you'll always be able to keep your family with you. Whenever you get sad or lonely, just open up the locket and look inside. From: Marina His mind filled with horror as he read the words on the card. It was his fault she had gone out. His fault that she had been hit. If he hadn't mentioned his birthday, if he had just kept quiet, she would have never gone out to buy him a present. Guilt tore at his insides, as his mind finally processed what had happened. And then he screamed. |
| ~Signature made by Dea37s~ Night Academy I.D. |
More topics from this board
» Wawancara Kacau (A Messy Interview) - The Begin of Charcoal Loverschi_chan - Nov 13, 2009 |
1 |
by Hisami_Misha
»»
Nov 18, 2009 5:42 AM |
|
» Fan Art Contest! ~Entry Round~chi_chan - Nov 14, 2009 |
0 |
by chi_chan
»»
Nov 14, 2009 5:02 PM |
|
» Our Designs!!Sweetlollipop - Oct 1, 2009 |
0 |
by Sweetlollipop
»»
Oct 1, 2009 7:32 PM |