Spoiler
Okay so this is really, really, REALLY rough. I've written this chapter about seven times. This one was done at two AM (that's when I finally gave up). I'll surely rewrite it again, but I need your help first. *falls on knees* I plead your assistance!
Chapter Two
Loki
Lord, Forgive me...
“Is he here?”
“I can’t seem to find him.”
“Oh, glory be, that boy is a natural.”
Voices rang in my ears. Footsteps. They were coming closer. Should I run away? Should I stay put?
“I think I see him.”
“Well hurry up and get to him. They will be here soon.”
They were male. I felt myself being lifted off the ground. My eyes were shut tight. Could I open them? I had no idea. Would I try? Not a chance.
“Is he dead?”
“He has a pulse. Weak, but it’s still something.”
“He’s dying, Enoch. Inside and out.” The man that picked me up, who I guessed was Enoch, tightened his hands around me.
“Call Fairfax. He’ll know what to do.”
As soon as I opened my eyes, I was knocked out.
Most people would freak out when you wake up in an unknown place. A place in which it smelt strongly of disinfectant, antiseptic, and vitamins. I expected myself to be freaked out that I was hooked to a machine giving me some kind of fluid and another which was reading my heart. I felt like a lab rat, but still, I stayed serene. My vision was still hazy, but I could make out about four people in the room. One was dressed in a beige suit and a top hat. The other looked fairly normal, wearing blue jeans and a stained tee shirt. The woman looked high class in a Victorian dress and her hair in a high and tight bun.
The last one, the one seeming to stand out the most, was a young man. He had long black hair and flawless skin, dressed in a black tailcoat and white gloves. The man looked at me. His eyes were yellow.
Yellow.
Yellow...
Yellow and orange flames. It all came rushing back to me. The room suddenly grew hotter. The smell of burning flesh filled my every breath. Fire. Screams. Cries for mercy.
Gasoline.
I smelled gasoline.
I started to wail.
“Put him to sleep,” Someone said. “Just put the goddamn kid to sleep.”
Something pricked my skin.
Everything became fuzzy and soon, drifted away into nothing but darkness.
When I woke up I was in a different place. This time I looked at light green walls and mahogany bedroom appliances. Someone opened the blinds, sending sunlight to wash in the room, hitting my eyes at the same time. I sat up, my head pounding. I held it and groaned. Where was I?
“Be careful, you’re not fully recovered.” Where had I heard that voice before?
In front of me were the four people I had met before, plus one. A girl, about three or four years younger than me. She had long black silky hair and bright baby blue eyes. She hung onto the man in the beige suit’s pants, staring at me.
The one with the yellow eyes cleared his throat, averting my attention to him.
“You must be confused. My name is Sirius Fairfax. I have revived you, and I now live to serve you. You are now Loki Ravenwood, taken in by Enoch and Eliza Ravenwood. It is the year 2000, and you have been asleep for only a few hours, to our surprise.”
“Are you sure it’s okay to fill him in with so much information?” The lady—Eliza—asked, her voice full of panic. Sirius raised one gloved hand. The whole room grew silent once again. Sirius pointed to the little girl.
“This is Eira Ravenwood, daughter of Enoch and Eliza Ravenwood. I hope you two will get along. This,” He pointed to the man in blue jeans. “Is Frank Warren, friend of Enoch and Eliza Ravenwood.”
“Daddy, why does he smell that way?” Eira whispered. Enoch shushed her, but Frank just laughed.
“Can someone please wash that boy? Even your daughter said it, Enoch. He smells worse than a sewer.” Eira straightened, looking right at me.
“I’ll do it,” She insisted. “I’ll wash him.”
“Very well. I shall help you take him to the bathroom.” Sirius lifted me, his body smelling like tea and scones, and exited the room with Eira following close at his tail. In the bathroom Sirius let me down on my feet. He bowed before leaving me alone with the girl.
We stood there like that for a moment. She stared at me and I looked at the floor. My head pounded. Everything hurt, including my heart.
Eira began to remove my clothing. She didn’t seem to worry that we were both different genders, so I didn’t either. She ran the water and I just waited, naked and cold. Soon enough, I was in the warm water and she had a soapy sponge on my bare skin.
“My father said you came from the Middleton Manor,” Eira said. “He told me not to tell you because you might start to cry again.”
I didn’t say a word.
“I found it quite odd, or as you would say, petculiar?”
“Peculiar,” I corrected. She made a small noise.
“I always heard you speaking with big words around the Middleton kids. Then they’d make fun of you.” I nodded, remembering, although, I never remembered Eira being there.
“I studied a lot on my spare time. Watched. Read. Collected information.” I explained.
“Hmm...I have maids to read to me.” She paused. “You’re not a survivor of the fire, are you?”
“No.” She sighed.
“I thought so. You smelled like gas.” I looked down at the water.
“Are you scared?”
Eira’s blue eyes found mine. She held them for the longest moment possible. And then, for the first time, she smiled.
“No. Just interested. And fascinated.”
