Today was a day like any other for Joshua, he tapped his bony fingers melodically on the aged table, peeling at the dry paint with his finger nails whilst looking out of the wide windows on the left wall of the classroom disregarding the cacophony of shouts and chastising that underwent in the background. As he gazed at the dark clouds which obscured the sun, inhibiting any sunlight or warmth he glanced towards the corner of the room. The Crimson Creature unmoving and unnerving like the haunting of a gargoyle resurrected and pierced the soul of Joshua with just his eyes reminding him of the horrific dream which haunted him the night before.
He stood on the edge of a steep cliff, the stormy winds billowing and wailing like resentful souls, urging him to join the melody of death. Like today, the sky was dominated by darkness as lightning surged, roaring as if calling for Zeus himself to descend. As he turned his eyes towards his hands he became petrified. A familiar metallic smell tinged the air. Thick viscous blood streamed down his bony fingers twisting and turning sadistically till his hands were engulfed in its vicious grasp. His hands quivered like leaves caught in a gusty wind, each finger dancing to a rhythm of its own—a silent, uncontrollable tremor. It was as if invisible threads tied to their hands were being yanked from all directions, causing the skin to ripple and twitch letting blood leak through. The nerves beneath the surface buzzed like a hive of anxious bees, sending tiny, uncontrollable jolts through the fingertips, betraying the turmoil within. The air was snatched violently from his lungs as his ribs reverberated due to his uncontrollable breathing. The arbitrary beating of his heart heightened, each beat echoing the tormenting of his soul which wept as he gazed upon the mangled and twisted corpses so bereft of life that it was unimaginable that such an hideous pile of corrupted flesh and bone was once a life. 3 corpses lay at his feet. Then he jerked awake his breathing abnormal and his pores seeping with sweat.
The ringing of the bell resounded, resonating in his mind and made him hyper aware of his surroundings - a growing chorus of excitement and chatter exploded from his classmates who all stampeded for the exit leaving Joshua behind in a dinghy classroom alienated from the world as the chorus reduced to a distant whisper. It wasn't that Joshua was intentionally alone like a stoic hero rather it was more like he felt estranged from his classmates. For him ,it was simple, they laughed light-heartedly and engaged in small talk, they went to bars and sang karaoke yet for him this felt like a separate world, as if there was some invisible, intangible membrane, some biological difference that made them feel so alien and him so alone. Another ringing sound resonated in the air interrupting his depressing thoughts, he said his hand into his pocket to see who was calling him at such an awkward time. As he looked down he saw the name on the screen, mum…. This must be an emergency for her to call mid school day. Immediately after seeing the name, he ran out the door following the last whispers of noise.
As he ran through the wide hallways he pushed and shoved through the crowd and bustle amid desperate cries of apology taking swiping looks at the ancient walls with remnants of years of education apparent in the aged wall paper and cracked plastering. Just as the exit was in sight a large voice cut through the air and a large boulder-like force shoved him sideways ricocheting towards a rickety locker before planting him on the floor gazing upwards in absolute shock.
"HOW DARE YOU SHOVE ME !!" a large voice boomed echoing through the hallways with enough authority to command the silence of the surrounding students.
Recovering from his initial shock Joshua felt a lacerating pain shoot from his ribs cradling them before he looked up only to see a hulking behemoth with dusty blonde hair and beady eyes sandwiched by what appeared to be two pudgy maggot shaped eye lids. Groaning in pain he squeezes out the words "Sorry, I'm in a rush I've got to go, something might be wrong with my family" he exclaims silencing the seething rage growing within him.
"Family" the hulking boy mocks a sly grin growing on his face "family huh, that's funny coming from an orphan" he jeers laughing haughtily as he watched Joshua continue to groan. Joshua's groaning stopped suddenly. His expression distorted, each muscle morphing visibly as if there were worms beneath his skin transfiguring into an aberrant smile - a perverted horrifying smile. The twin bloody hues threaded with intricate spirals with stygian tendrils radiating out creating a deadly void devouring all sunlight that dared approach. Joshua's body began to rise slowly as if some hidden marionette tied invisible strings into his muscles propping him up like the reassembling of a broken doll. He finally raised his head to look deep into the eyes of the boy before him, his head a whisker away as his maniacal smile and demonic eyes stared deep into his soul.
At this point, the crowd was silent, horrified by this unnerving change in Joshua. His demeanour once unnoticed now emanated authority, however not in the same way as the bullish boy who intimidated them, rather at this point Joshua was revered, immortalised in their memory as a figure not of fear rather death itself. What they all felt deep in their souls was submission as if prostrated before a divine being.
All except one.
The hulking boy however experienced something entirely different as sweat beaded on his brow mixing with the damp moisture of his breath. The air felt thick and heavy carrying the scent of damp sweat and fear. Each sound- a footstep, the screeching of a rubber sole against the tiles -was amplified, the silence amplifying every heartbeat. The scene was a harrowing tableau of waiting, every detail hinting at the gravity of what had already unfolded and what might yet come.
Joshua beheld the mortal boy trembling with his knees grasping at the floor as if begging Gaia to swallow him, his eyes quivered with rage as the bloody tendrils began to slink slowly through the air encircling him before smothering him in a kaleidoscope of eternal damnation drowning him in darkness as he gasped and flailed for air asphyxiated. Gazing at the boys begging eyes crying for mercy Joshua's expression remained unperturbed as the spiral of blood and darkness began to descend upon the boy draining the happiness and life of the boy as his begging eyes became only more desperate. A feeling of immortality spawned within him growing like a unrestrained parasite feeding on desperation, fear and blood as he felt like a deity made omniscient by the melody of suffering as a soul cried for redemption. A feeling of completion overwhelmed him as he felt the rare satisfying pleasure of being whole. He was at this moment a god of death holding in his mortality and the absolute feeling of dominion realised by death and blood. He at this moment had become or so he felt who he always was , he felt like a fish in water and at this present moment he was to this pathetic suckling death embodied.
A ring reverberated through the atmosphere slicing the tension bringing him back to reality as he became submerged with guilt seeing a second call from his family, only this time it was his dad. Recognising the present situation he released the now horrified boys throat from the vice grip of his sickly bony hand who began spluttering and gasping for air humiliation and disgust ingrained on his expression. Seeing his condition, Joshua fled easily wading through crowds of petrified students who remained still like rows of stone statues with mortified expressions on there faces. Regret began to creep into his heart as the panic started to settle into his mind. What if something had happened to Missy because he was busy being a sociopath? What if something terrible has happened to his parents but he was too late? Sweat began to ooze out of the pores of his skin as he scampered towards the exit panting as the air fled his lungs. As he pedalled towards his home on his bike anxiousness crept into his body as if his very being was rejecting any possibility of any tragedy for his own sanity. Then over the horizon a melancholy myriad of indigo and orange merged into a golden elixir-like tincture poured over the iridescent silhouette of home. As he approached the mahogany wooden door with its stained glass window, his slow steps screamed of anxiety as the sound of his breathing heightened. The familiar cocktail of dirt and sweet pollen from his mothers well-tended flower bed and the pleasant aroma of fresh bakery filled the atmosphere calming the raging ocean in his heart. He reached out into the darkness to feel the cold and sobering brass handle of the door knob and began to twist...