The sky was abysmal , it had been for the past three days . Grey clouds hung like the withered wig of an old Count in his grave . They brought humidity with them but no rain not a drop of water , they only obscured the already frail light , killing it before each dawn .
The orphanage presently held a stale scent in the air , that was partly incense and partly apprehension .
Why would there be an air of apprehension you wonder ?
Because Henric was at death's door .
After Stuart screamed his lungs out and awoke the sisters in the orphanage , everyone rushed out from their rooms to check on the commotion . The sisters had to tell the children to return to their rooms at once .
Whilst in the garden , two sisters had rushed to check on what was happening , what they found was ... ghastly . Two boys , scantly dressed , were looking at the fountain where another boy was floating on the waters surface , his face under the water .
The first sister rushed up and pulled Henric out of the water , her bodice being soaked in the process but she didn't care .
" What happened here ? You best tell me the truth ." The other sister had said to Stuart and Link .
" He's not breathing ! " The first nurse had yelled back at them , " forget them , we can deal with them later . Call the nurse ! "
" I'm here ! I'm - Henric ! " Irene had screeched when she saw Henric's wet and still form in the hands of the nun .
She'd rushed over , shoving the other nurse aside and placed him gently down. She'd tested his pulse and when it remained still for nearly an minute , her heart almost broke to pieces .
Then she felt it , a faint throb but it was all she needed. She grabbed him , that's right , a middle aged woman lifted a nearly twenty year old man with her bare arms and carried him bridal style to the infirmary . There the nuns who saw her were flabbergasted but Irene at that moment had no care about the rules , only helping Henric .
Now the Pearl orphanage infirmary was no hospital or clinic. They did not have the full set of medical equipment needed to help someone who lost a limb or caught the pox . They would , as they did in the past , put such a person away and call the coroner to prepare themselves . It was a harsh thing but that was the state of the place , most of it's resources were used to keep the Reverend father healthy and strong , so if the Reverend was ever injured and this medical situation required something not at the orphanage , then all efforts would be made to get it .
But for simple orphans like Henric , they were not that important , so Irene could only use what was at hand . She cleaned his lungs of water by making him cough , by giving him CPR , an action that made one nun faint .
Then she asked Serena to boil some towels in water as often as she could . These she used to keep Henric warm and any available blanket she could get was placed on him .
" Have you lost your senses ? He's just a mere orphan . " Sister Becca told her after hearing about the blankets .
Irene gave her a good glare , " And I thought you were a Christian . He is a child , I have to save him if I don't wish to burn in hell. But you don't have that worry , do you ? "
" What is that meant to mean ? " Becca asked her .
" If you end up in heaven , then God isn't fair . " Irene said and before sister Becca could say anything else , " And if he dies then this place is hell and I'll know then I'm al'ready to die . Because I'll kill myself if he does . "
Sister Becca was too stunned to speak and Irene went back to treating Henric . But despite all her efforts , despite all the things she did , Henric was still too hot , his pulse too weak as if one second he'd just stop breathing .
That's why Irene did so much.
Why she tried so hard .
Why she kept trying .
Because ... she was so afraid .
.....
" The rose thorns are growing longer than before . Cut the branches not the stems ! Do it precisely ! " Sister Maria yelled to the boys and Chris gave a disgusted sigh .
Here they were , cutting up plants when one of their own was hanging to his life by a thread . When Chris had heard the news about Henric he had been stunned , his body shocked and his mind blown . To think such misfortune would fall on someone so pure. It made his faith waver and his belief blunt . How could God let such a thing happen ? It just wasn't right !
" Hey buddy , you bit your lip too hard . " The boy working with Chris said . His name was Alec and he was shorter than Chris with low shirt hair . His voice was bland and he sounded bored everytime he spoke .
" What ? " Chris asked him .
" Your lip ... It's bleeding . " Alec said pointing to his lip and Chris touched it and drew back to see blood . He hadn't know that he was biting his lip so hard .
" It's fine. Let's get back to work . " Chris said and Alec nodded his head but then his eyes became glazed over. He frowned and blinked before his eyes turned to Chris .
" You are very beautiful . I love your hair . Like wheat , or delicious bread . Can I sniff it ? " Alec said but his voice was not his .
Chris looked at the other boy with wide eyes . Gone was the distant boy who agreed to cut rose thorns with him , in his stead was a grinning clown . And that voice ... he's heard that voice before .
" Who are you ... what are you ? " Chris asked Alec , " Well ? "
" I'm River. You remember ? I was in your dreams . " River said through Alec , " I wanted to talk to you . And ..."
Alec raised his hand and placed it on Chris lip , he rubbed the spot where Chris was bleeding . An instant later a cold feeling fell on Chris's lip and he backed away .
" I healed you . Now you can stop running from me . Because I'll always find you ... " River said with a big smile before he left Alec's body .
Alec shook his head as if clearing it of something . Chris waited to see if he would remember .
" I just felt the strangest headache . We best get back to work . Sister Maria will notice soon . " Alec said in his dull voice again and he went back to cutting the roses .
Chris gritted his teeth , that darned pest ! That ghost had been doing this for days . Popping up into people's bodies and touching him , taunting him and just being an annoyance . Chris didn't know what to do . He'd thought about talking to someone but the likely hood of someone believing him was microscopic . They'd say he was mad or possessed by demons and Chris shuddered to think how he'd live his life after that .
So , he silently endured the phantoms antics , all whilst secretly ... he'd never admit it to anyone but ... it was growing on him . The ghost had practically become routine now .
So with a small smile and an annoyed sigh , Chris went back to cutting the roses whilst River sat on the fountain and watched him .
A cute one , River thought , how fun .
.....
Serena unpacked her trunk , spitting out the dust that got in her mouth . This thing was ancient .
She had gone into town the other day and a man on a carriage , who had been looking for her , said that her grandmother had died , no news of her brother though . Then he'd given her a trunk , saying it was her grandmother's last wish for her to keep it .
Serena had taken it out of good will but honestly she didn't want it . What would she do with old dresses and useless garbage from her olden days ? She hadn't even liked the old cow and it had been obvious . The house had been a war zone when she grew up with her grandmother , they always argued and faught . Her grandmother had hated her mother apparently and thought badly about her practice of witchcraft . That explained my father's reaction when I told him , Serena had thought .
So they had faught and faught , but when Serena said she was marrying Gerald Fox , her grandmother had hesitated a moment before sending her away . Serena had thought that would be the last time they saw each other and apparently that was true .
The old woman was dead . But Serena was discontent , which was strange . She had always thought she'd be over the moon when her grandmother died . Practically dance over her grave with a cheer and a song but she felt no cheer .
Then it came to her ... Henric. That boy had been in her head for a while now . It was hard not to think about him too , Sister Irene kept nagging her for warm towels . Serena had liked the kid well enough but she couldn't say they were friends .
But one thing was in his favor . Henric had a secret , a magical secret and if there was one thing Serena liked intensely it was magical secrets . The mirror the devil showed her had to be quite powerful to trap souls but so many other questions rose up as well .
Where did he get it ? How does he use it ? Is the soul inside talking to him ? Was that what she had seen on her first day there ? Did the mirror have something to do with the storm and Henric's condition ?
So many questions , Serena thought as she rummaged the dirty trunk her grandmother gave her , yet little answers .
" Oh , my ... " Serena glanced at the bottom of the trunk in shock .
The trunk had by now provided her nothing she didn't expect . There were dresses , baby clothes her grandmother knitted ( as if she would ever use those ) a few children toys from her and her brother and some old lady under garment . Serena had shivered at the former .
Now the trunk , a construct of oak wood with a flat lid and an iron handle on the side was empty . At least to a normal person it would appear empty but because Serena was a witch that made her different . She had a secondary vision , that allowed her to see magical auara . Of course, she was a relatively weak witch , her spells were nothing powerful and so she could not notice small magical auras , only powerful ones . And right then , a magical aura was flowing from the bottom of the trunk . But the auras color was confusing .
Magical auras came in shades , the brighter the color the more it was likely to be white magic and the darker the color, the more likely it was black magic . Her own spellbook gave off a dark green color and so she knew it was dark magic . Henric's mirror was a bright blue and Serena knew it was white magic at least .
The aura coming from the trunk however was a grisly black crimson . It ebbed and bubbled from the wood like toxic poison and made the hair on Serena's neck stand on end . She reached down and touched the bottom of the trunk and closed her eyes .
An evil face appeared in the darkness behind her eyes and Serena started . What is that ? She wondered .
She looked down into the trunk , curious to see if there was a mechanism or tool to open the base . At the right corner she found it , a piece of wood with a pink dot on it . She reached in and pulled the wood and the bottom collapsed like a castle of toothpicks .
Serena removed the pieces from the way and when she saw what was at the bottom of the trunk , she gasped in shock . Slowly she reached in and pulled out a book . But it was not just any book , it was a dark spellbook . The cover was brown and looked liked burned and boiled flesh . A wicked face was on the front with disgusting small yellow teeth and souless eyes that seemed to gaze at Serena with a smile .
" Where did grandmother get you little thing ?" Serena said out loud and she gave a mirthful smile .
" You and I , are going to have a lot of fun . " She said happily .
Little did she know , she had just received her death with open arms .
....
Stuart was on his knees in the chapel , his head bowed and his body in the appropriate state of submission . Link was next to him and in a similar state .
They had been kneeling in the chapel for hours , their backs were pricking with pain and sweat drippled down their bodies . Stuart was in a far worse state , he had dehydrated his body by crying again and again . First he had wept for Henric then after they came to the chapel and were told to kneel down , he wept for them both .
He hated that Link had to suffer this punishment and Link had not eaten that much dinner the other night. Now he was hungry , sweaty and tired . Oh , Stuart thought dejectedly , why ?
Why did Henric have to have a secret ? Why had he been possessed by that ghost ? Why had they not pulled Henric away from the fountain ? Why had they not left ? Why .... just why ?
" Why ? " Stuart said through his chapped and dry lips .
A moment later a ruler landed on the side of his head and he was knocked down .
" Up , child " Sister Terry said coldly . She had been assigned to watch them as they were punished . Any talking , unless it was prayer earned them a strike from her ruler . Link had red all over his left face and his ear had bled from countless strikes .
" Stuart , are you okay ? " Link asked and Sister Terry dealt him a brutal strike on his left side again and his ear bled anew .
" Silence ! Chút ! " Sister Terry yelled and then as if realizing her mistake , she crossed herself , " Forgive me father for losing my peace . "
" And us as well . " Stuart and Link said simultaneously and Sister Terry nodded her head .
" Now , continue to beg for forgiveness . Only when the boy wakes up or the ghost leaves him , will you get up . Only then . " She said sitting down with her ruler on her lap.
Stuart glanced at Link and saw his left eye was getting swollen but he still gave his lover a smile . They both turned to the alter and begged for forgiveness , Link didn't mean anything he said but as for Stuart ... he truly was begging for forgiveness .
Please let Henric live , he prayed , even if you take my life ... please let him live .
...***************...
Henric glanced up at the sky and was nearly blinded by the blazing sun . The blazing ball looked twice as close as it usually was and Henric had to cover his eyes with one hand .
But he blinked when he saw his hand was clothed in a blue fabric ... his whole body was . He seemed to be wearing a flowing blue garment with a golden and brown sash on his waste . It looked like a robe and a dress put together .
Henric touched it and felt it's soft texture , surprised by how soft it was and how clean as well . It gleamed in the light of the sky . After a few moments of looking at himself , Henric gave his attention to his surroundings .
He was not in the orphanage , or anywhere he knew . The sky was normal so he was not in that strange place . But he wasn't home , he knew that .
Henric was on a dusty dirt street in a town that looked to have been made of dirt and stone . Everyone around him was moving and speaking in a strange language . Shouts and calls could be heard from different places but Henric didn't even know what was being shouted for .
The people wore the same clothing like his , garments and flowing robes . The people were different ethnicities and races . He saw people wearing daggers on their hips and men walking away with women behind alleys . There was a smell of burnt meat in the air and a sour taste in it as well .
" Where am I ? " Henric asked out loud and everyone froze . Literally .
From the women calling out , to the bug on the rock and to the buzzards in the sky . Each one of these things froze and a still silence fell upon the place . It was slightly unnerving and Henric looked around himself to see what had happened .
That's when he saw him .
Someone was moving in the crowd of frozen people , he was walking towards him infact . He was at least two feet when Henric got a good look at him .
The strange person wore a flowing blue fabric on baze trouser like pants . He wore a baze fabric on his upper torso , and on his neck was a dark fabric he wore like a cape around his neck . It billowed in the wind and added a nice touch with it's various patterns . A ring of blue gems and gold was tied around his waste .
Golden ear rings hung on his ears and a string of necklaces were around his neck , of blue stones and gold . His skin was a delicious brown and his eyes a dark pull like a pit in the earth , brown and infinite . His hair was wild and untamed on his dark head . Tatooes were on his hands and forearms and his body was very lean .
His lips were thin and defined , his face sharp and his skin smooth looking . He held an aura of coolness and torrential emotions layed inside his heart , but that , Henric did not see .
" Who ... are you ? " Henric asked and the boy gave a depreciating smile .
" I guess I wasn't that important that you forgot me in less than two days ." The boy said and Henric instantly knew who he was .
" You are ... Him ... It ... Carey ." Henric said pointing at him and the boy smiled slowly .
" You remembered me ... and ," Carey came up to him and grabbed his cheeks , " you submitted to me . "
Carey then pressed their lips together and kissed Henric for the third time since they had met . But unlike those other times , Henric did not draw back at all . He let himself drift in the kiss like a fish in a merry stream .
He lacked experience though and so Carey had to teach him . First he bit Henric's lower lip and sucked on it gently and afterwards presented his own lip to Henric to do the same . Henric hesitated before doing exactly what Carey taught him . When he did it right , it was Carey who drew back .
" You ... kissed me back . " Carey said with confusion written on his face , " why ? "
Henric looked at him and gave a sigh before answering , " You keep doing that no matter what I do . I found it would be pointless to resist . I submitted . "
Carey narrowed his eyes and gazed deeply into Henric's eyes . After a few moment he let go of Henric's cheeks and gave a tsk of disgust .
" You think I'd fall for that ? " Carey asked him and then he pointed all around them , " This is my mind and I know what goes on in my mind . I know when you are plotting against me . "
His mind ? Henric thought but his face remained cool .
" Why have you brought me here ? " Henric asked Carey , he didn't deny he had been trying to trick him . Which was true , he had .
" I wanted to talk to you. To touch you . But if you only want to use me then you should leave . " Carey said glaring at Henric, " I'll stay in my prison and if you should want to talk , then call me . I should have known ."
Carey snapped his fingers and Henric disappeared in a cloud of dust . After he was gone , Carey looked around himself as the crowd began to move again . He gave a painful sigh before turning around and walking back into the crowd , to only disappear .