OK I have Newly edited this so I have changed some impossibilities and clarified some things
Prologue
Perched on top of a gargoyle, I feel a warm wind. Coming with the warmth was the smell of burning timber, gas and plastics. House fire, I think to myself. Then I hear an explosion that makes the sound of a thousand shotguns. I realize something much more real to me than the fire itself I heard the screams of a girl. Without any thought of safety, I jump into the building and run down the stairs. I bolt outside the apartment. I run toward the heat and follow the smell of a burning building.
I feel around for a door or window but to no avail. So in desperation I grab a piece of timber. I hit through the weakened wall. A blast of fire, a backdraft, sends me flying into a tree in the yard. Crack! I feel blood trickle out of my arm. No time for that; there’s a girl in there. I pick myself up and run, following the screams, through the flaming building. As I move closer to the sound, I trip over a beam. Crack! Again my arm hits something. This time it feels like a nail. I stand up and start running, feeling around the corridor. I smash a window with a lamp .In a frenzy I pick up the girl and jump out the window. After two, three stories, I do not know, I hit the ground with a thud.
In a bed I awake with no idea where I am, I know it’s not a hospital, stuttering my words I ask “Is the girl O.K.?”
“Slow down man. We can’t understand you,” replies the voice. I recognized Stone’s voice; we gave him the name on the account that he didn’t have many feelings.
“Where am I?” I demand, “Why is it so bright?”
“The hospital.” Replies Brock. Brock is like my older brother if I had one; he was always there for me.
“I haven’t been allowed in a hospital since I was born,” I reply harshly.
“How come he doesn’t know where he is?” asks a soft voice.
“Well see, he’s a bit…” Brock trails off.
“I’m blind!” I say shrilly.
Yah, I am virtually blind. All I see is light and dark. I lost it around birth supposedly; I was dropped as a baby. It happened when some thugs came into the hospital room. Those thugs shot and killed both my parents. I dropped to the ground. That is probably when I lost my sight. Shortly after, Stone and a couple guys were walking past the room. Stone got sucked into another brawl again. He tends to fight a lot, broke his wrist this time. They took me in. They aren’t sure if it was the morphine or that Stone had a weak moment but Stone insisted on taking me in. They just took me I’m not citizen of any country. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if that never happened. It explains how I can’t go to hospitals.
“O.K. man, it’s time to go!” yells Brock. That’s right it was the day I was going to be accepted into the brotherhood. It was good for me because it gave me a place to belong. They say I would be most likely to become the leader in my late teens.
“O.K., let’s go!” I say as I stood up. I felt woozy; yet fine, there was no pain in my arm. Again I am swollen by darkness.
I wake up in the seat of a vehicle. It sounds like a GTO, and beside me, I can tell from the stench, is Ethan Rush, Rory Smith, also the leader of our gang. He didn’t care for me much mainly because I wasn’t of the blood of the brother hood which was handed down from generations of thugs, mobsters and pirates. This is an old gang. We had a reputation. Ethan Rush hated the idea that I may become leader.
“A great man once told me to accept every person of every colour and shape. That old man was a fool.” Ethan Rush states, as we speed up.
“Colour, what do you mean,” I reply cautiously.
“People in the world change. You know that just as much as we do; yet, some things don’t,” whispers a guy in the back.
I hear a gunshot. I feel a piercing blow through my knee, then a jab into my kidney. A crippling Pain shoots through my body. I feel the warm familiar feeling of blood trickling out off my body onto my hand. Then I hear the doors open and hear the thuds of their bodies rolling out of the car. I frantically open the door. I jump out but it isn’t a fast hit to the ground like I expect. It is a light floating feeling, with the wind in my hair. Then I feel my body crack and gnarl on something hard .I can see for the first time that I can remember. I see the sky above me. My life Dims.
Chapter 1
As suddenly as my life starts, it feels as though it is ending. Although I'm seventeen, I can't remember anything past the last couple years.
“Mr. Waiber, are you with us?” Mr. Robert asks shortly.
“With you?” I question as I yawn.
“As I said there are many wonders in the world,” says Mr. Robert in his nasal voice.
Yah sure the wonders of the world, It’s a wonder Mr. Robert is teaching. Mr. S. Robert, world renowned dumbass. He couldn’t teach world values if he had a book called “The Big Book of World Values”.
“Again! Mr. Waiber you ignore me,” says Mr. Robert in annoyance.
*Ring*
“Will William Waiber please come to the office, William Waiber,” the secretary says over the P.A.
Bah I hate my name; my parents must have been on drugs when they came up with it. Why William It rhymes, why could I be Andy or something? I wonder why I need to go to the office? I haven’t done anything wrong this month.
***
I walk into the Principles office. As I look around I see an officer beside the principal. What has happened that the cops are involved?
“Do you have any idea why you’re here?” asks a police officer standing in uniform.
“Not the foggiest,” I reply. I don’t think I’m in trouble, I haven’t been yelled at yet.
“There has been an accident” continues the police officer.
“Accident?” I reply as I swallow slowly, “What kind of accident?”
“Your parents are dead. They were murdered.” replies the police officer.
I don’t feel sorrow. I do not know why, my parents are dead and I do not feel sorrow. I feel at fault some how; I don’t know why.
“There was a note found on your father’s chest, you may want it,” say the police officer with almost empathy.
I muster, “Thanks.”
It is hard to read, encrusted with blood; I make out the words “the boy is next.” Why me what is going on?
“What’s going on?” this time I say it out loud.
“It’s O.K., Mr. Robert has agreed to take you in till you can live on your own,” replies the police officer.
Why Mr. Robert? Why him? Him in is prim and proper house and his perfect suits, how can I live like that.
***
I can’t believe I’m in a car with Mr. Robert. I keep on thinking about that note; I can’t get rid of it out of my mind. “The boy’s next,” why are they after me? What did my parents do?
“We’re here, home sweet home” says Mr. Robert.
It wasn’t the sort of house you could imagine a well educated man to live in. It was in shambles, an old musty run down apartment from the mid sixties, Shutters falling off, the main door was non existent and there was dried blood on the steps. There was even a half drunk nitwit sprawled on the lawn.
“O.K. you listen, here you are to call me Stone do you understand?” asks Mr. Robert sternly.
“Sure as stone, Stone” I reply
“Crash!” the shatter of glass and the thud of a body lay sprawling on the ground.
“Get a Job Brock!” a voice yells.
“Jeez women,” yells Brock. “Hey kid, never get married not worth it,” says Brock as he walks away holding his back.
As I walk towards the steps with nothing more than what I could fit in couple cases, I smell the stench of urine and beer. We pass many doors mostly broken and the paint had chipped.
“This is it, room 128” says Stone.
From a distance it looks like room 123, but as you become closer you notice broken bits have long fallen off. When we walk in it has musty Smell; however, I feel as if it is home. For the first time I can remember I feel like I am home.
Chapter 2
As I look around the dead dreary apartment, a shiny glint catches my eye. I wonder what it is? If I go over there will Stone yell at me? I ascend from the chair, soft and spring ridden, I walk towards the glint of heaven.
“Watcha ya need?” questions Stone.
“There’s a beautiful shine coming from that box,” I say hesitantly as I point to a box on the rickety table.
“Oh that,” Stone replies reluctantly “It belonged to a kid I once Knew.”
“Let Me see it,” I say shortly.
“See it, you can have the retched thing,” Stone replies with utter disgust “Let it be your savior and your curse.”
I do not know what he means, yet I’m compelled to take it. I will keep it on me at all times, I don’t trust these people. Its studded handle shone in the evening light, an almost blinding exertions of light. Its blade was clean and sharp like a crescent moon. I feel as if this is not the first time I’ve held such a weapon. As I give it a good swing a rush of dexterity fills me.
“Don’t let its beauty fool you. Its primary use is still to kill,” Stone says in a solemn voice. “Come on it’s dinner time,” he says in an almost caring voice.
“Mmm soup, what kind?” I ask after eating a bowl full.
“Mutton!” Stone replies full heartedly.
Mutton, I’ve never had mutton before. I quite like the taste. This has been an eventful day. I haven’t felt comfortable anywhere before; yet, I feel safe even though I’m being hunted. How could I have forgotten that note in my pocket? As I open my pocket the stench of death bellows out. I close my pocket quickly. I guess I need to replace my pants.
“So, how’s things?” I ask.
“Life’s ok. I haven’t decided if I’ll continue teaching next semester,” Stone replies “I find it’s more important,” Stone’s cut short.
“Bang Bang”
“Crash!” the mirror shatters into a million dagger liker shards.
“Holy sh” I reply in alarm. I dive on the ground in reflex without thinking as if it were natural.
“It’s O.K it’s over,” replies Stone.
“A bit shaken up,” I say in a nervous shaken voice “that’s all.”
“That was most likely an opposing gang faction,” replies Stone. “I apologize for bringing you into this; although, they are most likely the ones who killed your parents,” says Stone sincerely.
So now I’m pulled into a war I don’t know anything about. I have a dagger; not a gun a dagger, to defend myself.
“How often do deaths get looked into around here?” I ask inquisitively.
“Never, cops never cross into this side of town,” replies Stone Cautiously.
Why have I asked such a question? Damn it why! I don’t want to kill, it’s just anger talking. As I stroke the dagger, it slices across my thumb. The cut is almost painless just a trickle of blood runs down its metallic blade.
“Be Careful with that blade, it’s sharp and who knows how clean it is,” states Stone.
I examine the blade there is a combination of odd symbols I don’t know. There is a serpent coiled around the hilt. It’s my blade, my protector.
“Well, it’s getting dark I’m heading to bed,” says Stone as he walks away stretching. “Your cot is in the storage room beside the bathroom.
I walk down the rickety hall way. The hall is slanted and dark. When I enter the room, I notice that the windows are boarded with rotting wood from the floor boards. I can see the ground where the floor once was. As I lay in bed many thoughts swirl in my mind.
***
“Drip, Drip,” the continuous arithmetic sounds of water dripping onto the floor.
“Man” I say in resentment. Why is there water dripping? I’m on the main floor. As I get up the dripping increases. I walk down the dark rickety hall and run out the apartment door. In the main hall I run upstairs with great vigor to the room above my room, room 208. As I’m about knock, the door creaks open. I walk in a step “splash,” my foot is in wet murky water. I slunk to the room that the water is rolling out of. I open the door and water bellows out. As I wade in the black pool of water. I walk forwards and I find a floating entity in the tub. Face down the lifeless mass sways too and fro. I pull the man out of its pool of death. “Thud” Like a sack of potatoes. I drag the man out into the living room face up. I open his air passage. One Two Three, I pump his stomach. One breath Two breathes nothing. I check his pulse it dims and is nothing. Why has this man taken his life? What madness brings a person to kill himself? What hardships had this man had to endure? Is this a preview of what is to come of Stone? Thoughts everywhere, a sudden fatigue comes over me. “Thud”
***
Icy cool sweeps over me, I have been in this watered down lake of a room for hours sleeping in the water. I could have drowned. My clothes are soaking in musty dirty water. I can’t lift myself up I’m too cold my body feels like its shut down.
“Heelllp! Sommmeone Heellp me!” I yell in pained voice. My speech is slurring I’m so cold, “Help!”
“Crash,” the door swings open. A silhouette of girl outlined by the morning sun stands in front of me. Her wavy hair glistened in the sun, I am speechless.
“What’s wrong?” she asks in a sharp yet sincere voice, “Get up silly.”
“I ccan’t, I’m too cold my body dadoesn’t want to move,” I stutter like a fool.
“Well let’s get ya outta here shall we?” She says as she picks me up with a strength I didn’t expect.
She carries me to the room across the hall. Sits me near a decrepit electric heater and passes me a towel.
“Dry off and ill be in the other room. Take off your wet clothes and wrap yourself in the blanket ill make some tea,” She says.
I do so relentlessly I don’t question her do I have a choice? In any sorts I’m warm. This room is cleaner than Stones a bit more pampered. Why does she seem so familiar yet I don’t recognize her.
“So how did you come to live in place like this?” I ask inquisitively.
“Long story short I lost everything in a fire, although, I was saved,” she says in a day dreaming way.
“I apologize I didn’t mean to pry,” I say.
“No probelmo life goes on,” she says in an upbeat voice, “Some of the greatest people in the world have nothing.”
“So what’s your name?” I ask casually.
“Jewleigh,” she says gingerly.
What a pretty name what do I say I’ve never been good with girls. You can’t just say I love your name it’s beautiful like your hair. I wonder how someone could live in such a place and become so sweet? I wonder if Stone is worried. When I dry off I’ll
“Would ya like some tea,” Jewleigh asks politely.
“Yes please,” I answer.
“It’s nice that your polite not like most of the grease balls around her,” Jewleigh states with disgust. “I haven’t had anyone to talk to in a long while. The other guys around here can be jerks but there my family.”
“Should I contact Stone?” I ask.
“Yes, I’ll phone him and tell him you’re here,” says Jewleigh.
I watch her walk over to the phone and she dials the number as if it’s not the first time. I wonder how she knows Stone besides being a neighbor. I doubt she’s related to him. Stone is bald so I guess I can’t tell by hair.
“How can someone seems so strong yet be so beautiful?” I say to myself.
“Hm? What did you say?” Jewleigh asks.
“I didn’t mean to say that out loud ummm,” I say nervously. Great she herd me or did she understand what I said.
“Tell me, what you said?” she asks.
“I said, how can someone be so beautiful and yet be so strong,” I said quietly.
“Ya I herd you the first time I just wanted to hear ya say it again,” Jewliegh replies cutely. “Stones coming for you in an hour or so; make yourself comfortable,” she says in a giddy voice.
***
Chapter 3
What is rational? Is taking some ones life rational? I don’t know who killed my parents but I want them gone. Every time I look at this dagger I become angry and vengeful. I’m sitting on my cot thinking of how my life has started to spiral out of control. I have held a dead man. When I go to school tomorrow what will happen; where will Stone and I stand?
The Glint of the blade compels me to act yet my reasoning does not. This blade in all its beauty will help me find the truth.
“Shink,” I put the blade back into its sheath.
I best unpack. Everything I own is too nice for this place I call home now. Dress pants will not be suitable for a person to wear if being chased. These clean shirts I will stick out like a sore thumb. I might as well be wearing a sign that says mug me.
“Rrriip,” I tear off a sleeve on my t shirt. “Rrrip,” and the other sleeve.
There a muscle shirt this will be my at home clothing. As I try it on I look in a mirror half cracked and on the floor but still shows my lack of muscle. I need to build up muscle to keep myself in shape. I wonder if Jewliegh likes muscular type.
“So you met Jewliegh eh?” says Stone.
“Good God, you startled me,” I say.
“Why are all your clothes pulled out?” asks Stone, “Cleaning up the old wardrobe I see.”
“Yeah change is nice sometimes,” I say with satisfaction.
“Don’t change too much eh? I don’t want you to turn out like some of these guys, drunk, married and poor,” Stone replies.
“I won’t but I don’t want to be target either,” I declare. “But I would like to become stronger just in case,” I state.
“If your willing to listen I can help you,” Stone answers, “It won’t be easy, we will start tomorrow.”
“Thank you." I reply.
The sun is setting now and it not only shows the end of a day but the end of my normal life. I’m hoping some time I can get off this stupid cot, but a bed’s a bed. As look up at the ceiling I watch the left over water plunge into the bucket form the ceiling above.
***
“Where am I?” I say in confusion. “What’s going on?” My voice echoes.
I walk around the dark room. I recognize this room it’s my parent’s room. How did I get here? Why is there blood all over? I walk around the bed. I run into a lump on the ground my father. I turn him over and blood oozes out of a wound in his chest. Two dagger slots like cuts in his chest dispel a bloody vapour. I fall down in panic. As I start to crawl backwards, I run into something hard and lifeless. I dare not look. I turn around my mother is on the ground with a pillow over her head. She appears to have been smothered.
***
I wake up breathing heavily; I look around the crippled storage room. Just a dream, thank god just a dream. As I sit up, heart throbbing, I vomit. I fall back into my bed. That dream seemed so real, I know it cannot be. I was never brought back to the crime scene; I was not allowed to enter my parent’s room. Why would my mind depict such a thing? The stench of vomit stings my nose. I vomit once more. I get up out of bed.
I walk around the room. As I pace, the floor boards falter and my foot breaks through. My foot gets suck. I won’t yell for help this time not like a little cry baby. I will pull my foot out of this vice of a floor board. I pull my leg with great force. My knee makes a loud popping sound. I wiggle my foot free from the jaws of the crushed wood. I sit down for second and massage my leg. There’s a box under the floor board. It’s too far to reach. I’ll get it after school. Crap! School I forgot I need to hurry.
I limp into the hallway and go into the bathroom. My hairs a mess and I reek of vomit what a good start of a day. I yawn and rub my leg. I’m quite hungry, but looking at the time I don’t have time to waste. I take of my vomit ridden boxers and jump in the shower. I turn on the heat and a blast of cold. I scrub shivering in the high pressure water.
“Hey Stone where’s the conditioner?” I yell.
“Real men don’t use conditioner you baby!” he replies.
“Baby I’ll show him baby,” I mumble to myself.
Jump out put a towel on and run to my room. I slip on the wood floor my butt hits the ground with a loud smacking sound. Erg that stings the old butt. I cloth myself and leave to the front room.
“About time,” Stone says irritated, “Let’s go.”
We walk out the apartment door to his car. I enter the rusty bucket of bolts.
“When we get to the school you call me Mr. Robert, understand?” Stone says.
“O.K.,” I answer, “I had the weirdest dream last night my parents were in it.”
“Oh yeah?” he replies.
“Yeah, they were both dead my mother was suffocated and my father was stabbed,” I say in horror, “But that’s not true is it?”
“That’s very true,” Stone says, “We were reluctant to tell you. How did you know that?”
“No idea,” I say shakily.
Here we are at school. People look at me in the car and laughing at me. A lot has happened to me in the last couple days. If I have to live with harassment when I get into the school I’m seriously going to punch something. I get out of the car.
As I walk into the school I see a dark figure in the entrance hidden in a cloak. I look around it’s as if no one notices or cares. I never noticed how unobservant I was until this past week. If I act like I didn’t see it, hopefully it won’t notice me. It’s probably the person who killed my parents who else would sneak around like that. Am I paranoid or just couscous?
I walk into the classroom. I look around and see faces that a used to fear. Now I do not fear bullies there are bigger problems.
“Mr. Waiber, take a seat please,” says the geography teacher.
***
The cafeteria is busy today. Man there’s a line up the length of the Boston Marathon here. I wonder what will be left when I get there.
“I’ll have a hamburger please,” I state to the lunch lady.
“Here you go,” replies the lunch lady.
The cafeteria the jungle of modern schools, it doesn’t matter what group you belong to there’s always someone better than you. I prefer to eat on my own.
“Hey Billy,” says Jim, a brute of a teenager, “I need the answers for Mr. R’s Pop Quiz tomorrow”
“How about no,” I say. “Why don’t you trade in some off your mass for a brain,” I whisper under my breath.
“You little prick, I’ll pound you,” says Jim in an overbearing voice.
Man what did I do? He swings a slow punch at me. I dodge it easy. If he connects I’m screwed. A hard smack of his fist to my face, instead of falling like I normally do I just stand there. Another smashing sound, but not on me Jim flies to the ground. There stands the person in the cloak, in front of me. The cloaked person runs out in much haste.
Every one crowds around Jim and I. Whispering and wondering what just happened. Jim’s face looks like coleslaw. I better leave, and talk to Stone before the principal comes for me. As I start to run from out of the cafeteria, I hear mocking; yet, I don’t care. I run down the hallway and run into Stones class.
“Sto… I mean Mr. R. I just got into a fight but I didn’t throw any punches and some person in cloak smacked Jim hard in the face,” I say hastily.
“Don’t worry it was probably just one of our guys if it protected you,” Stone replies, “I’ll ask around later.”
***
“Stone, are you going to start helping today?” I ask politely.
“Yes it won’t be easy nor will it be painless,” answers Stone.
I wonder how hard it will be. If I were to spend all day working out I should get strong pretty fast. I wonder what is in store for me. I must get strong. I don’t want a girl saving my butt again. I’d feel like such a loser. Even though It wasn’t as if no one else wouldn’t need help in that situation. I pull the dagger from under the seat, where I stash it during school, I look at in admiration.
: “You won’t need that blade today,” Replies Stone, “So put some where in the bedroom in a box or something.”
Oh yeah, the box I forgot about that. That mysterious little box under my bed, I must get it.
Chapter 4
I am not huge on editing just yet but if theres some major errors or confusion just tell me. chapters 2and 3 haven't really been edited.
Anyways, I'm going to print this out so I can give this a proper crit, and post laters. That okay?
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