I - The Beast
“Behind the wall of rain his soul was hidden, inside of him was darkness leading to the end...”
That night was no different from any other night in this forest. The same murky haze hovered over the dark spruces, time and again seeping between the twisted tree trunks. The same blood curdling sounds echoed from every direction. But something indeed was wrong...
A strange feeling aroused in Clyde’s chest, when he looked out of a pitch-black window. This forest was like a home to him by now, and in your home, the slightest change will immediately catch your eye.
Clyde turned around to look at his dogs, peacefully napping by the fireplace, debating whether or not he should go out to check if this sickening feeling was something he should be worrying about. After all, wasn’t he responsible for the safety of this area? The school’s Principal entrusted him to suppress any danger that could come to the students. Summer break will end in a month and a new wave of youthful brats will soon fill the empty walls of Supernium. That was the name of the paranormal school Clyde was working in as a forest keeper. He had everything under control by far, all three years passed without a hitch. But now he was afraid of the feeling, eating him from within.
- Wake up, Skull!
The biggest dog flinched nervously. Black muzzle lifting to look at its master.
- Come with me.
The other dogs jumped on their paws, ready to follow their pack leader.
- No! You stay! Guard the house, - ordered Clyde and pushed the door open.
The first to exit was Skull. Clyde followed right after him, grabbing a lantern on his way out. The other dogs obediently froze by the fire.
Stepping on a narrow path, Clyde pulled a portion of air into his lungs, trying to find a foreign scent of something that was leading him here. But the smell of pine needles couldn’t tell him anything. They proceeded further. The moist fog touched his skin as soon as he got lost among the trees. It was the end of the trail. They had to trust their instincts from now on.
The lantern, that was swinging in Clyde’s palm, created hundreds of flickering shadows, making his imagination go wild with fear. His heart thudded faster. He looked at Skull, quietly shading his every move, and noticed that the hound was restless as well. It was huffing and snorting as if sniffing something unpleasant. Clyde clutched the handle of his rifle hanging on his side. Not that it would be of much help against anything, that could attack him here, but this unconscious move made him feel a little bit better.
For a while they were cautiously walking along the woods, until the sound of someone’s muffled sobbing caught his attention. He turned around and saw that the hound was no longer with him.
- Skull!
No sound. Clyde froze in his spot, straining his eyes and ears to find something up ahead. Nothing. He drew the rifle.
- Skull! Come back right this second!
A crackle of branches. Clyde shifted in the direction of the sound. His footsteps were light as a breeze. The shadows softly retreated as the light of the lantern glided forward. The first to be exposed was the motionless tip of Skull’s tail, who took a defensive position, staring at something up ahead. A deep growl escaped his throat, his whole body vibrating with tension.
- What’s out there, boy?
Clyde halted cautiously.
- Who’s there? Show yourself!
No answer.
Clyde started walking. He noticed a figure of something huge and vast standing tall before him. He sighed with relief, noticing that it was just a huge oak tree with wrecked roots sticking from the ground, and behind them... A trembling tangle. Clyde stood still, peering into it. When the light of the lantern finally reached it, the tangle shrunk and then rose into a silhouette. A human silhouette. Clyde took two more steps and gasped in amazement, seeing at once what was the source of all the disturbance.
It was a little boy, skittishly snuggling against the tree trunk. Just a boy. Veil of tears covered his eyes, half hidden under a dark curtain of hair, trickling from his trembling chin. He was wearing an overgrown shirt, all covered in stains, and a pair of ragged old jeans.
- Don’t hurt me, please! - Exclaimed the boy, pressing harder against the tree.
Clyde was so amazed that he did not find what to answer. Seeing the fear brightly glowing on the child’s face, he sank on one knee and gently extended his hand, showing his good intentions.
- I am the most harmless creature you could’ve met in this forest.
The boy remained silent.
- Are you hurt?
- I don’t know, - He finally answered.
- You don’t know? How is it possible?
The boy shrugged. His body relaxing. Hearing the calm voice of the forest keeper, he allowed his fear to recede just a bit.
- Let me take you somewhere safe, before we encounter anything nasty, - Clyde tried to smile, but soon realized that his words should have been better left unsaid.
The boy turned pale as a ghost. He threw himself in the arms of the stranger, wondering just what was the most formidable creature he could have met in the forest had he not been found in time.
- So, you don’t remember a thing?
Baumor Nariman, the Principal of Supernium, were leisurely pacing back and forth across his office. His gaze glued to the black haired boy sitting in the armchair. A checkered plaid covered the child’s shoulders and a steaming mug of hot chocolate warmed his small fingers.
- Nothing, sir.
- Even your name?
- Nothing at all, sir.
- Hmmm...
Baumor suddenly stopped. The turquoise eyes slightly narrowed.
- Very well. Let’s then find out what you do remember.
Baumor’s gaze grew to be more intent. His pupils disappeared, eyes turning into ice. A chill ran across the boy’s neck, an unpleasant sensation wrapped his head. He cringed and sighed frantically. The unblinking gaze of this man seemed to penetrate his very soul. But the boy stubbornly endured it. And then, aside from this anguish, he felt something else... or rather saw.
One after another, the events of this day slipped before his eyes: the heavy darkness and the suffocating dampness of the forest, dozens of eyes peering out from every shadow, the rustle of foliage. He felt the wind attacking his bare limbs and suddenly he was freezing again. It was as if the blanket and the room itself disappeared around him, as if he was returned back into this horrible night. Tears streamed down his cheeks, fear and suspense bound his heart. He was about to cry out, when his mind decided to save him in the depths of oblivion.
The boy woke up in a spacious, brightly lit room with a glass wall right across him. On one side of it was a string of white hospital cots, each separated by a curtain. Near the entrance there was a row of sinks and a tall cupboard full of tiny shimmering bottles. He was completely alone, not a soul in this empty place. There was absolute silence, but after a moment it was immediately broken by the sound of echoing footsteps. The doors flew open. This spooked the boy and he quickly ducked under the covers, collecting all his composure to pretend he was sleeping.
The footsteps stopped right before his bed.
- This child has definitely suffered from some magical doing, Lonnric.
The boy recognized the voice of Principal Nariman. The other man, walking with him, kept silent. The boy did his best to keep his breathing steady.
- Hmmm... - he heard right over his head and involuntarily cringed. - I don’t understand. Something is obstructing the penetration. It’s like he’s under some kind of a block.
- I couldn’t break through either.
Baumor sighed and walked around the cot.
- Do you think he’s cursed, Lonnric?
- For the first time my attempt to discover dark forces failed, Principal. Claiming something is probably too early, but one shouldn’t exclude the curse out of the equation.
The man, named Lonnric, took a deep breath. - What did you manage to find after reading his mind?
- Basically what our keeper had already told me, when bringing him here. And before this... Absolutely nothing, complete emptiness. At the same time trivial memories somehow continue to function. And who could’ve done something like this to a child? Erasing memory, abandoning in the forest full of paranormal activity?
- I can certainly trace some motives here. Since, whoever that may be, left the child in the forest close to Supernium, most likely this someone hoped that the boy would be taken to school. Unless, of course, whoever it was, assumed that the child would survive.
A significant pause hung in the air. The idea of such a monstrous thing worried them, both men and a boy.
- How old is he? - Asked Lonnric, pensively.
- He will turn twelve next month.
- Rather late age for a student.
- Indeed.
- Unfortunately we still weren’t able to understand what had happened to you.
Baumor Nariman was sitting at his desk, his tired gaze was resting on the nameless boy, sitting before him.
- Are you sure you can’t remember anything?
The boy nodded.
- Well... In this case we will let you stay here until we clear that out. Do you realize where you are?
The boy shook his head.
- You are in Supernium. This is a school for young people across the world, who possess paranormal abilities. Take me, for example. I was a student here a very long time ago. You probably guessed what I can do by now?
- You can read minds, - said the boy, unsure.
- Quite correct. And, as you have some part of paranormality in you as well, you can stay here as one of the students. Does that sound okay?
The boy nodded once again.
- Good, - Baumor smiled warmly. - How about choosing a name for you, until we find out the real one?
- Rain, - the boy muttered immediately.
- Rain?
- It feels right.
- I see... Well. Let’s take you to Professor Elye.
Lonnric Elye was absentmindedly working at a boiling fluid in a small transparent pot. His dark eyes followed the blue whirlpool created by the stirring. This color reminded him of someone. It carried him far away, to the day when he saw it reflecting from the beautiful hair of the girl he once loved. Xanthe was her name. A nymph, a fairytale. He still wasn’t sure that this girl was real and not just the part of his imagination.
Someone knocked at the door. Surprised, Lonnric accidentally touched the hot pot with his hand. The burn brought him back to reality. He felt a single tear streaming down his face. He wiped it away with the sleeve of his school mantle, then took a deep breath and opened the door. There was Principal Nariman standing on the threshold. His palm rested on the shoulder of the dark-haired boy Clyde found in the forest.
- Is everything ready? - Principal asked.
Lonnric looked back, put the fire out and answered, - Yes. Everything’s ready.
- Good, - said Baumor, pushing the boy forward. - I trust Rain to you. I need to talk with the Consulate, while you do this.
- Rain?
- It’s his name for now.
Professor Elye nodded and showed the boy to a chair. Baumor shot one last glance at Rain and shut the door behind him. Lonnric went to the cabinet, and after retrieving an empty vial, filled it with the potion he was working on. He did everything silently, diligently trying to drive away the obsessive associations caused by the color of this brew. The boy was silent too. Only eyes were alive on his pale face. Without a word, Lonnric handed him the vial.
- What is it?- Asked Rain, eyeing it suspiciously.
- This is the potion of detecting dark forces. We need it to see who you really are.
Under the curious gaze of Professor Elye, Rain took a sip, then again and again, until the last drop of liquid touched his lips. The potion was almost tasteless. Only slight bitterness remained as an aftertaste. Rain slowly handed the vial back. Lonnric accepted it just as slowly, not taking his eyes off the child. Seconds passed seconds. Nothing happened. Lonnric was about to check if he cooked everything right, when the effect of it finally started kicking in.
The boy felt something tremble inside of him. With every moment, this something grew, preparing to break out to the surface. His breathing sped up. The air was getting heavier in his lungs. Rain tried to unbutton the collar of his shirt, but his hands did not obey. They suddenly became too heavy for him to lift. He tried to scream, but instead of a cry, a rattle escaped his dry throat, similar to a growl. Rain shut his eyes in fright. His body was shaking, as if in fever.
One moment - and everything was still again. His head fell limp on his chest. The breathing evened. Rain felt energy returning to his limbs. Hands, for some reason increased in size, were clenched into fists. Rain raised his head. Lonnric was looking at him from a very close distance. Paralyzing fear was burning in his black eyes. In addition to the sudden strength, Rain felt a painful desire... thirst. A small face that once belonged to a defenseless boy was now distorted by a beastful grin. The only goal left in the remnants of his mind was to tear apart the clot of life hanging in front of him. The beast jerked forward, and blood splashed on the floor.
- This chapter was proofread by Belle ❤ @belle_artz (Instagram)
- English is not my native language, so correct me if you find anything amiss.
- If you liked this story, follow me on my Instagram @mary_d_sava.
