"you..."
I couldn't move.
"You..."
I couldn't speak.
"You..."
I couldn't breath.
"Your a fake."
All I could do was stand there in the void.
And watch as a black figure approached me,
He looked like a shadow. His eyes were white. No pupules. All he had for a mouth was a slit. Nothing else.
His voice sounded like...
Me.
He grabbed me by the throat.
"Your not even really human are you? No...
Your less than a human, you are garbage."
He bagan to grin, his teeth were sharp.
Jagged, like an animal.
"So what should we do with garbage?
Dispose of it!"
He picked me up by my one arm and slammed me into the ground, the ground beneath me cracked open and I fell into a pit.
Deeper, deeper, deeper.
Then-
!!!!
I hit the ground.
The second I did, flashes of visions came to me.
A green monstrosity, something you'd see in a fantasy movie.
Starring down at me, ready to destroy me.
A little girl with blonde hair crying in a cage, the man in black, standing over top Lisa. She was bruised and battered, blood dripping from her mouth.
Suddenly there were dozens of men dressed exactly like him, then after that they all dispersed into nothing, then there was a figure laughing and cackiling like mad man, and then a black cloud with purple energy and over a million screams coming from it.
But then. I saw my hand.
It glowed with such wormth and light that I could barely comprehend it.
And suddenly in my hand, something appeared...
Something long, something glorious.
A weapon?
I couldn't tell.
Then I saw him.
A figure in a white hood.
Light shined from him, glory, glory, glory.
That's the best way to describe him.
"Fear not-"
He sed.
"For I am with you."
"Gasp!"
I woke up in a bath of sweat, I sat up and breathed heavily.
"Another dream-"
It was Monday, just a few days earlier I had agreed to meet Billy back at the church after school. Today was a big day.
And yet, I had another one of these dreams.
In fact I had been having dreams like this for the past two days sense that day, why? I had no idea.
I looked down at my left hand, the seal had faded on the way home, yet I could still feel it.
It was there. Just invisible.
How do I put it? It was as if there was an invisible rash there, sometimes it was an incredible itching sensation, sometimes it burned to. So I could tell it was still there.
When I got home that night, mikoto barraded me for taking so long, she didn't even notice that my cast was gone because she was so hungry. I had to go and buy take out.
I got a personal pizza just for her and I got a large order of chicken wings, she complained the whole time about me being lazy and not making her food.
Of course I gave her some lip back, which led to her hitting me over the head with a wooden katana I kept in case of a break inn.
She asked what took me so long, I told her that I ran into Lisa and she needed help.
That lead her into her gushing over the fact that I was "chasing" after a girl.
Which I denyed a million and one times, but she kept it up all night until she went home.
I spent that weekend sleeping in and trying rap my head around what happened, but I was tortured by these dreams.
They weren't stopping.
"..."
I brushed my hair back and looked at the clock, I woke up at five o'clock.
"Well... Let's go ahead and get up."
I sed to myself as I rose.
There was no time to linger on what these dreams were, like I sed, that day was a big day. So I got to my feet and got ready for the rest of the day.
* * *
Once again, dispight me waking up so early I still ended up getting to school late.
My God I have horrible luck, on my way there I had to go through a detour that took me half way across old town and in the middle of it there was a car accident that lead me to having to go on yet ANOTHER detour.
My detours have detours, I swear it's like the worlds out to get me.
Either way I ended up coming to homeroom
Right as it was ending.
When I got there my teacher just shook his head and told me I really needed to take school more seriously, I didn't even bother defending myself.
Thankfully this time he didn't give me detention.
As soon as it ended I walked straight to my locker to grab some text books for math class. Logan followed me out, he threw his arm over my shoulder grinning at me.
"Heh, once again you never cease to get tarty's. And I'm supposed to be the bad influence hehe... By the way, your cast. How come it's off? Weren't you supposed to have it on for a couple months or whatever?"
"Uh..."
I tried to think of something.
"Well, one day I felt my bones didn't hurt as much, out of curiosity I took it off and it was all good, so I decided not to where it. I guess the doctor was wrong about how bad it was."
I felt a bead of sweat roll down my cheek.
Damn I hate lying.
"Oh. Eh, well most doctors are quacks anyway... At least that's what my dad says."
He shrugged.
We got to my locker and I opened up the door and grabbed a few text books and traded in my other ones, meanwhile Logan began to talk about some boxing match between two influencers who have an apparent beef, I don't really care for influencers, there all a bunch of hacks who are responsible for giving half the people in my generation brain rot. I don't really like YouTubers or tick-tockers.
Especially those who make a joke out of gentlemen sports like boxing, as a martial artist I think that you should at least have been doing for a long time before you go "pro."
And these guys literally just woke up one day and sed "hey! I'm gonna be a professional boxer!"
Just for the heck of it. Maybe I'm too judgemental but Martial arts is that, an ART.
And it should be treated as such, and one of the guys randomly challenged the current heavyweight champion of the world before this, and he only had ONE fight before that, the argannce!.
"Who do you think is gonna win?"
Logan asked.
"Logan, I simply do not care for either of them, there both hacks. Especially blonde bro-"
"You mean lenerd Peirce?"
"Yeah."
"Ok I agree with you on that, but still I think he's a good fighter."
"He's literally only had three fights."
"Yeah but you gotta admit he's got a really good right hook-"
"Don't care. Unless the guy has a guy fights real boxers and there actually good and he gets a good amount of wins, then I won't consider him a real boxer."
"Your way to judgmentel."
"Maybe..."
"Whatcha talking about?"
A female voice called behind us.
We turned to see Lisa, clad in her sweater and still wearing that headband.
"Howdy." Sed Logan.
"Hello." She greeted back.
"Sup." I put my hands in my pockets.
"We were just talking about how Jack is extremely judgemental of influencer boxing matches." Logan sed nonchalantly.
"I'm judgmental of influencers in general, there a stain on society and must be avoided at all cost. Why do you think I don't have social media."
Lisa tilted her head.
"You don't have social media?"
"Nope."
"So no Instagram?"
"Nope."
"Snapchat?"
"Nope."
"What about tiktok?"
"Brainrot the app? Nodda."
"Wow. That's a good way to describe it."
"Jack is an old man in a young man's body."
Logan sed crossing his arms.
"Why do you even have a smart then? Why not just stick to a flip phone?"
"Because I like to listen to music and podcasts on the go. Other then that the only other use for my phone is you know, actually calling people and not doom scrolling until my brain is fried from dopamine."
I used to actually be the opposite, back before my grandpa set me straight. Back when I was a fat lumux. But once again I digress.
"Well... That and also streaming my favorite anime. But that's it."
Lisa looked at me for a moment, then let out a sigh. "Well I guess you do have a point, social media is pretty toxic. Most people are age don't really realize it. But still, I think you should at least give it a chance."
"To each his own."
"So anyway... Why did you come in late once again hmm?" And here it comes, Lisa's daily scolding session.
"Well-"
"Jack turner." Yep. When she says my full name you know I'm gonna get it.
"How do you expect to graduate with how many tarties you get in the course of a week.
If you don't start taking school seriously your gonna end up a failure!"
I let out a sigh.
"Look I try my best, there's just always something that happens on the way to school to stop me from getting there early."
She crossed her arms and raised her one eyebrow. "You really expect me to believe all the nonsense lies you tell mr Thomson?"
"Ugh."
She walked up closer to me. Her eyebrows knitted together. "Don't 'ugh' me! Listen to me, as your upperclassmen it's my job to make sure you don't fail at anything! This includes school! And another thing about your grades!-"
"Upperclassmen?" Logan perked up.
We both turned to him. Lisa let a something slip. Damn what do we say?
"Uh..." I had nothing.
"Uh..." Lisa had nothing.
"Uhhhhhhhh...."
"Uhhhhhhhh...."
This felt like a meme.
"?"
Come on! think of something!
"Uh... Well, uh. Um, er.... " I stammered.
"What's going on between you guys?"
Once again I hated lying, I suck at it.
But... Maybe I could tell a "modified" version of the truth.
"Well... Lisa is going to a church and it has a... Bible study group! Yeah! And um...
She invited me! But she's further ahead in it?.... Yeah." Ive never actually been to a bible study. I never joined a youth group or anything "extra" at a church. So I'm not to sure how that stuff works. But logan has never been to a church period so he doesn't know how it works either.
"Wait, that's not how it-" she picked up on what I was laying down, she began to play along. "Y-yeah I mean. I'm a lot further along in my study's, so I'm technically his upperclassmen... Yeah." She sed nervously.
"Oh. I thought you didn't go to church anymore Jack."
"Oh. Well, yeah... But Lisa wanted me to come along, so..."
Suddenly he began to grin.
He walked over to me and got close to my ear. "Oh I see what your doing, your only going to get close to her huh?"
"What!? No!"
"?" Lisa tilted her head.
"Hmm? What did he say?"
"N-nothing! Nothing at all!" My face flushed red.
Logan backed up and swiped his hair back.
"Well, it looks like you guys have been spending some time together without me knowing huh?" He grinned at us.
We both screamed simultaneously.
"It's not like that!"
"It's not like that!"
"Suuuure...."
'this is baaaaaad.....'
"Hehe. It's funny how red the both of you guys are."
I looked at Lisa's face, her cheeks indeed were blood red.
'soooo cute!' looking at her blushing face made my blushing face even more red.
"Shut up!" Lisa exclaimed.
"Yeah Lisa your face is pretty red." I grinned.
"H-huh?! You too!?"
"Hehe, it's as red as a tomato!"
"Y-yeah well your blushing too you know!" She yelled back. "Y-yeah. Yeah I am."
We both looked at each other for about ten seconds not saying anything.
"..."
"..."
"W-Whatever! I'm gonna get away from you idiots!" She stormed off.
"Wow. I had no idea she was so sensitive."
Sed Logan.
"Yeah."
Then suddenly she came back.
"Lisa-?" She got directly in my face.
"Meet me after school by the bench near the east entrance, if your late I swear to God I will find you and END you, got it?"
"Y-yes ma'am."
"Good... "
She stormed off once again.
There was a pause.
"Uh... So like, is Lisa a real life tsundere or something?" Logan sed in a confused tone.
"Probably... Wait what?"
"Dude. She likes you."
"Huh!?"
"It's either that or she's hangry."
The conversation ended with an awkward silence that lasted until we parted ways to are next class.
* * *
The day moved forward.
I went to my classes, turned in some assignments. Got new one's, had lunch with Logan. Went to more classes. P.e.
And eventually school ended.
As I walked down the hall to head to the exit, I saw a girl bump into someone, she had a box in her hand. She dropped it and it's continents fell and spilled all over the ground.
"Oh darn it all!" Instinctively I moved to her and got in my one knee to help her.
"Here." I grabbed what seamed to be party supplies. Streamers, candles, and other party favors.
"Thanks." She sed shyly.
I looked at her, she had long blonde hair and green eyes. She was extremely beautiful, though she wasn't my type. See there are two kinds of guys in this world.
Guys who like hot girls, and guys who like cute girls. I prefure cute girls. Lisa was the definition of cuteness in my eyes. Not that she wasn't hot. I mean her thighs are freaking amazing!...
I digress.
But this girl was a lot more on the hot side.
She was wearing a white blouse with a pair of jeans, her long blonde hair seamed to cascade down her back like a golden waterfall.
Her face was simply gorgeous, she could definitely be a supermodel when she graduated. I knew her, well more accurately I knew of her. This was maranda lain.
She was the head of the cheer squad, and also she was the head of the homecoming committee last year. And she was homecoming queen too. No doubt this year she would be on the prom committee, and prom queen this year as well.
Though once again. She was not my type.
She gatherd her things and put them into the box, and I followed suit.
She looked at me and smiled.
"I really appreciate this, I'm such a cluts."
"No problem. Happy to help."
"Your Jack turner right?"
"Hmm? Yeah. How'd you know my name?"
"The whole homecoming committee knows about what you did the night of the dance."
"Oh yeah?" I was well aware of what she was referring to.
You see that night I didn't attend the dance, mostly because I hate dances and such, but Im friends with the janitor. That night the homecoming committee was supposed to clean up after the dance was over.
Are school has a policy where student planned events get cleaned up by the students who planned it, which I do agree with. It teaches kids are age responsibility.
However the homecoming committee left without cleaning up after themselves.
Leaving the janitor mike to clean it up.
The old man was a month away from retirement and I didn't like having the old guy do it all by himself. So when I found out I went to the school, I convinced the old man to let me handle it. And I pulled an all nighter to clean it up.
"About that night, I'm sorry we didn't clean it up ourselves, we were all so tired and-"
"No sweat. It's all good... I was bored anyway."
She let out a chuckle. "You mean you cleaned the entire gymnasium and the bathroom, out of boredom?"
I shrugged.
"What can I say. I clean when Im bored."
"I can see that."
I picked up the box and got to my feet, she got to her's. "So uh. What's the party stuff for?"
"It's for a friend, she's moving and we're throwing her a going away party. But it's a surprise. We're having it in a classroom on the west side of the school. It's top secret so keep it hush- hush-" she winked.
"Right." I zipped my lip with my one hand, before clumsily grabbing the box with sad hand before the before it fell.
"Hehehe careful!" She giggled.
I gave a weary grin.
"If you want I'll carry it the rest of the way."
"You don't have to."
"I want to, I'm feeling kind of bored right now anyway."
"So you help people when your bored too?"
"I do a lot of things when I'm bored."
She laughed again then gesterd me to follow her. "Alright, alright. Come on then."
I followed her from the hall all the way to the west side, we entered a small class room. There were already a few decorations up. And there was even a pinata, though it is wasn't hung up. I sat the box on the table and
Let out a huff.
"There we go."
"Thanks again for helping me"
"No problem at all."
She looked at me for a second, then she stepped a little closer. "Hey. If you want you can come to the party, the entire cheer squad is gonna be there, and we got cake from Luigi's. it's gonna be red velllveet-"
She sed in a exaggerated tone.
"Nah I'm good-" I sed nonchalantly.
"It looks like this just between you guys and your friend, I don't wanna impose."
Her expression dropped.
"Oh."
"Well... If you change your mind, it's gonna be tomorrow after school."
"I'll keep that in mind... "
Then it hit me.
Lisa!
"Crap!" I dashed for the door.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
"Sorry! I have to meet someone! See ya!"
And with that I dashed down the hall as quickly as possible.
It took me 20 minutes but I made it to the East side entrance, I ran out of the door and went to the bench, and there sitting on the bench with her arms crossed tapping her finger on the side of her arm was Lisa.
I ran up to her.
"Lisa!"
She stood up and walked up to me.
"Your late."
"Sorry... huff... huff... I was helping someone."
"Who?"
"Maranda lain... "
"Maranda lain?... As in the captain of the cheer squad blonde bombshell home coming queen maranda lain?"
"Uh... Yeah."
"..." She glared at me for a moment.
"I'm not lying."
"I didn't say you were."
Suddenly I heard her mutter under her breath. "That blonde sonva-"
"Hmm?"
"Nothing... Anyway. So are you interested in her or something?"
"Huh?"
"Answer the question."
"Uh. No... " I looked away from her for a moment, and then I let something slip.
"I'm into girls who are the opposite of her actually."
"The opposite?"
"Y-yeah. Girls with black hair... And blue eyes." She blushed.
"Oh. I see..." She looked down, she batted her big blue eyes and let out a giggle.
"W-well. You have good taste."
I couldn't help but smile at her reaction.
"Well. Let's got going, we don't wanna keep Bill waiting for to long."
"Right."
And so we walked to the church together.