When the train arrived at its destination in central London, a boy peeked out of his seat, grabbed his luggage, and made quick haste of what little time he had left. The train, which had just quickly come to a halt, stopped utterly, opening its doors with the sound of a ding, and shortly announced the arrival of its destination, PineCone City—the land of the smart and gifted.
'Attention all visitors, we have arrived at Pinecone City! We will be Departing to Redhound City in 25 minutes!'
They announced their departure loudly on the train intercoms. The boy who held onto a backpack and a suitcase, which was too much for him, was in a predicament he had never thought he would find himself in. How unlucky he was. He was stuck in a land he had not known, and he now had to call home.
"Ughh–"
The boy, Kenny, let out a not-so-happy sound. He had been miserable to be shipped out like some overseas product, to this city; he never even dreamed of departing too. Of all the places he had wanted to travel to,
PineCone City had not been one of those places.
Kenny picked up his backpack and suitcase, made sure everything was where it needed to be, and then took his first steps toward the train exit. The train had been populated by many different people; PineCone City was one of the main tourist areas, so the train did have many people onboard that day.
Unfortunately, Kenny wasn't so thoughtful. He pushed and plowed through the heavy crowd who blocked the way. He paid the people no mind when they gave him dirty looks and maneuvered through the giant crowds of people. Some sat while others held onto the railings, waiting and hoping open seats would become available as the train emptied as quickly as it was filled.
Once he arrived outside the train, there was no way back. It was as if the people he ran through blocked the way, so in case he decided to change his mind and hop back on, he wouldn't be able to get that ride back. Kenny didn't care, another problem entered his mind more than the problems of society. Quickly followed, Kenny let out a sigh, He had not wanted to find himself at PineCone City, the world was already giving him a hard time getting around, and now once outside of the train with both his backpack and suitcase, he noticed a hint of gold that showed in his eyes.
He wanted to raise his hand, but his luggage restriction prevented him from doing that. His eyes took the full beam of light, and he tried squinting and looking away, but that didn't work. He turned his head away and then noticed something. If it weren't for the sudden flash of brightness restricting his vision and causing him to turn his head, he might've missed that place.
Swallowed up by the overflowing crowd of people was something quite possible at this hour. Not far from where he had gotten off, there had been a food place he had not recognized. The crowds of people or what looked like tourists all gravitated towards the more expensive yet exciting places. Tour guides and rentals also tried offering their services. People like him who weren't as excited to be here as everyone else either left up the stairs or gathered at other local spots. That tiny little food place had been his point of focus.
Kenny could tell business was slow, and he tilted his head. The place looked cozy and nice, so it was weird that not that many people were visiting it. He didn't want to waste the opportunity before it got full, so he made sure everything was where it was supposed to be and went towards the food spot. Once close enough, he felt a sharp pain in his eyes, which caused him to try and cover the light with his arm. The hint of gold still blinded his vision.
'That's very annoying,' Kenny thought to himself. He managed to walk into the food spot. He was amazed at how clean everything was and how empty it was, too. Booths were open, and few people were there. The employees who had no business just chilled on their phones or talked with one another. Kenny looked around, took a deep breath, and relaxed. He was glad to be away from the crowds outside.
'That light is still really annoying."
That gold hint of light still reached his eyes. When he looked around, he found some relief, and that gold light also found itself in other people's faces. Now, it dawned on him why business was so dry today. He continued to look around when he then made a frown. He had found the source of the golden light.
A person whose jewelry reflected the light beaming from the ceiling had hit him, and so did everyone else who sat trying to relax from the outside crowd. People who gave the man weird looks quickly found themselves leaving the food spot. Kenny brought his luggage closer to his side and took steps towards the guy.
The person sitting at one of the booths inside appeared to be at least in their twenties. It was a guy dressed head to toe in a uniform, he had short black hair and a gleeful look on his face. On his plate the guy had ordered food some time ago, the table was messy, and the guy had plates of burgers without any type of vegetable inside. Kenny thought the man was weird but worked up the courage to approach the man. He looked like someone you would see at a very expensive private school, something Kenny hated due to his role in society, which wasn't that great as he was a poor student trying to make a living.
He squinted his eyes and focused down the man's chest. The man had not noticed Kenny yet, but the emblem knitted on his breast told Kenny all he needed to know.
'So he's waiting for me, huh?' Kenny thought to himself. The emblem he had seen was a knight clad in iron armor with its sword pointed towards the sky. Around it stayed monsters who seemed to be trying to escape the knight's blinding light.
It had belonged to his school, but the more Kenny stared at it, the more his lips churned into an unnatural frown. That guy with the gluttonous amounts of trays was the one picking him up—the same guy who was to escort him to the university he had been accepted to. One of the pamphlets he had read on the train read, "Welcome to the University of Rosemary."
If it wasn't for him being forced to go, he wouldn't have come, but plans change, and so do his options, so here he was. Quickly after Kenny approached, the guy noticed Kenny and quickly connected the dots, with the suitcase and backpack.
"Wassup yo erm you must be uhh."
The man who had been sitting in the booth with a large amount of vegetable-less food at his table reached for a piece of paper laid out just next to him. The man miraculously failed at practicing his opening speech. The man flipped the script to the side and tilted his head.
"Ah yeah, your name is Kenny Kaine! I've heard about you a little… You're… Ah nevermind"
This remark made Kanny uncomfortable, yet he still took a seat right across from the man. Formally, the guy stuck out his hand and reached out towards Kenny. Kenny reluctantly took it, not because he was tired but because the guy had ketchup all over his face and hands. The guy flipped through his notes again while quickly cleaning his appearance with a napkin nearby.
"So Kenny, how are you? I hope the ride here was to your liking, as you came from umm."
The guy looked at a file he had on him.
"Kingston? Well, I don't know where that is, but welcome to PineCone City!" The guy flipped through his notes again.
"As it's your first time here, I'll be in charge of transportation and getting you to the school safely.
The guy flipped through his notes, and when nothing was left, he closed them and looked directly at Kenny. With a snap of his fingers, he smiled and spoke.
"So, any questions?"
"Yeah, what's your name?"
"Oh yeah, It's Daemon."
With a smile, Daemon clapped his hands together, showing all his teeth, and directed Kenny to follow. Getting up from his spot, he looked like a tree breaking free from its resting place in the sun. He stretched his body, cracking some of the bones in his torso. Daemon turned to face Kenny.
"Let me take some of your stuff."
He held out his hand.
"No, I got it."
Kenny refused the offer.
"Well, okay, let's hurry and get out of here before those people over there get me."
The people he was referring to stared with hate-filled expressions; it looked as if a mob was about to form. Kenny ignored this, hoping it'd go away.
Outside the train station, Kenny found himself once again caught by the blinding light burning his eyes once more. His arms, still restricted found themselves trying to hide himself from the lights.
In the meantime, Daemon gleefully threw out both arms in a V formation and took a deep breath of the PineCone city air. The sun's influence seemed to brighten his complexion while Kenny's face morphed into an awkward smile.
"You see, this is where everything cool happens, me and my sister are from around here, so we've been everywhere around here."
Nothing special, Kenny felt like he could tell just by the way this guy presented himself. Every time he looked his way, Daemon started to look more and more like someone you would forget about. Daemon pointed over towards the buildings around, looking at the several large clock-filled towers, and other local establishments, home to the abnormal, stayed several feet away from him.
People found themselves with smiles on their faces, something Kenny was not used to, it sort of reminded him of his hometown in a way. Back in Kingston, there was something similar. Kids ran around and played in the parks, the trees were as green as ever. Stores were packed with customers, and even the local fast food places down the street had long lines as if a celebrity were inside and people were desperately trying to snap a photo.
He felt someone's gaze and turned to check out Daemon who had been eyeing him, studying his reactions.
"See what I mean? This place brings a smile to everyone."
He clicked his tongue in retaliation.
"Yeah, everyone looks so peaceful, something I'm not used to."
"Well, don't worry about it dude, you'll come around everyone does." What was stopping Kenny from experiencing that sense of happiness came from his heart, the internal world deep inside his core. Daemon gave Kenny a sarcastic grin, shaping his face in a very smug way, it was abominable, but Kenny dismissed it.
With his backpack and suitcase, Kenny eventually found his way. It seemed Daemon found it first because over where the bus stop was, Daemon waved, urging Kenny to follow. PineCone City had its complications, too. Eventually, traveling would come second nature to Kenny's new life here.
Daemon, still standing at the entrance of the approaching bus, turned once more, and with a finger in the air, he asked if everything was alright.
"So what's on your mind? What do you think so far about everything?"
"It's a cool city, don't get me wrong, I can't wait to live here, but something about it just irks me, ya know?"
'This is stupid,' he thought; everything that was happening, everything that was going to happen, his new life here, his new start, all of it felt so surreal to him; he couldn't accept anything but the old. Yet again, he told himself if it weren't for being forced out here, he wouldn't have come to this town at all. As a matter of fact, he wouldn't have gone anywhere near PineCone City.
When the bus arrived, Daemon took the suitcase from Kenny's hand, against all protest, and took himself onto the bus. The interior of the bus had been clean. Kenny, who followed after Daemon, looked surprised. Back home, there was nothing this fancy.
Daemon quickly found himself sitting comfortably in the back, with his hands behind his head and his feet on the head of the seat in front. He smiled gleefully and waved over Kenny to come over. His seat was near the window, so it was obvious Daemon loved the sun, bathing in it and letting the sun charge his body. Yet there was a dark shadow overcast when the sun became blocked by something.
"Ya know I kind of have a suspicion."
"What are you talking about?"
That gleeful smile of his started to become unnerving.
After he got his fill of the sun, he mentioned something.
"You're a butterfly, right?"
The atmosphere changed. Kenny tightened his face, becoming more stern as he stood at the front of the bus. Daemon's eyes, which had changed from a relaxed joyfulness, turned into a deep seriousness. His eyes somewhat resembled a dark shade of red as his tone became more serious. They were the only ones on the bus, so nothing kept Daemon from saying it.
'Who is this guy?'
That was the first thing Kenny had thought. He took a step back, feeling the change in emotion Daemon was emitting, which he felt was strange because what Daemon had felt was nothing.
"You're a butterfly, right? I can tell from looking at you." His hand pointed straight towards Kenny, its pointer finger aligned with his forehead from the distance of his seat. It made him feel a great deal of uneasiness when he locked eyes on Daemon. He noticed the strange aroma coming from the guy, only inches away from being within reach, or at least it appeared that way.
He should've known. After all, the school seemed too good to be true, so he should've known the people were something wasn't right either. On his head, a plant sprouted from Daemon. He was a plant and a very poisonous one at that. Kenny was shocked.
"What are you talking about" He felt his head dizzy; some type of euphoria was in effect. He now knew why he couldn't read his emotions that well.
"If you're a butterfly, why won't you just say it? I'm a plant, can't you tell?"
Daemon asked once more. This time, the aroma got heavier, and Kenny's lungs started closing up. He could hardly breathe. Clutching at his neck, his luggage quickly fell to the ground along with his weakening knees.
"What… Thats not me… You got something wrong in your head if you think that." Kenny rebutted with all the power he could muster in his lungs. Daemon's face twisted up.
One knee dove deep into the seat, and Kenny tried catching himself and lifting his body. Daemon watched from his seat, sitting up straight and finally adding a little more pressure. He knew Kenny wouldn't break so easily, so he upped his game.
The air on the bus became much heavier.
"You know."
Daemon placed a finger to his chin; his eyes closed to suck in the aroma like he was smelling some type of rose.
"I don't like you, not one bit."
"It's mutual"
"Ha."
Daemon took his finger off his chin and sat at the edge of the seat before him, cupping his head instead; even though Kenny was near total exhaustion, he laughed. Daemon looked just as confused from this, and his once serious look turned to confusion; his once calm demeanor became unnerved. Daemon bit his lip.
"The… Reason… I'm here to not…" Daemon squinted his eyes. Kenny, whose eyes were on the verge of collapse, managed his airflow. The words finally reached his mouth. Daemon listened closely. They may not have been the best things to say, but at the moment, Kenny felt like it was appropriate. Daemon, who was the one standing over this soon-to-be corpse, looked at Kenny with a face that said he did not care what he was talking about.
"Become.. Something like you."
"You're not even human, so what are you talking about?" Daemon voiced his mind, but Kenny didn't have any of it.
"Shut up! You don't know anything about me. You play people's lives."
"..."
With his hoarse breath, Kenny uttered the only words he could manage. Dameo still had no clue what he was talking about. But suddenly, Kenny felt clean air rush back into his lungs. This would normally be a good thing, but the damage was already done. The air had caused his body to shut down even quicker from the aroma.
Daemon turned his head to the side and placed his finger on his lip. He got out of his seat and walked over to the kneeling Kenny, leaning over before whispering something in his ear.
"You won't make it in this town with that mentality."
"I don't give a fuck."
Daemon pulled away from Kenny. He placed his hands in his pocket and turned, facing away from him.
The flower on Daemon's head disappeared back into Daemon's head, indicating the fight was now over. As that happened, so did the poisonous aroma leave, giving Kenny a chance to catch his breath; he quickly spat out the build-up of the poison soaked into his skin. Daemon's expression switched back to his calm, gleeful persona, clasping his hands together with a smile.
"Well, I guess I'll pass you, have a seat it's going to be a while before we get to the school, so let's relax and chill! You're a butterfly, so you have an affinity for poison; I'm sure you'll be fine." Daemon, smiling, picked up the fallen luggage off the ground and took his spot next to the window; Kenny's luggage was placed under the seat next to Daemon. Kenny rubbed his sleeve against his mouth and looked up towards Daemon, his body still suffering from the effects of poison.
"You're crazy," Kenny said, standing up with weak legs. Daemon looked at Kenny with a smile.
"Take a seat; the bus is finna take off. You haven't met crazy until you meet my sister."
"Right, I hope nobody is as crazy as you. I would hate to see more people like you around."
"Sure, whatever you say, bug. Oh, that's some quick healing."
Kenny's body was healing up nicely, not from normal cell growth but from the regeneration of a monster. The bus started to move. Nobody knew what had happened, and there was nothing for people to know anyway. When the bus started moving, Daemon lay back in his seat, bathing in the sunlight. Kenny looked at him, then towards the ceiling, sitting back in his seat and staring off into space with his backpack in his hand.
'What have I gotten into?'
He thought to himself. Daemon, who had ignored his gaze, reverted to his usual persona, placing his legs back on the seat's headrest in front of him.