Black Bloodstains
Chapter 1: I've Got a Feeling.

I closed the locker door, sighing. As always school was a boring mess. Leaving the notebooks inside the locker is the most refreshing thing I do on schooldays. I rest my head on the metal frame, trying to put my thoughts back together and trying to find a reason for me to continue. Seeing as it was a bit late, I picked up my backpack and headed out to the main door. Before leaving I decided to go to the bathroom real quick, just to refresh myself a little.

Splashing water on my face always helps to wake me up in days like these. Winter vacations just passed, and the first days of January are always the coldest. I look at my reflection in the mirror; the same cold face greeted me. I moved away the strands of black hair that covered my face, just to take a better look at it. I’ve never been desperate to get a girlfriend or anything, but I sometimes wonder if this pale facial structure has something appealing to the other gender. I even have the most generic brown eyes I’ve seen.

As I left the bathroom, I almost crash with the geek gang of Sam Johnson. The fat guy started rambling about the latest gaming news, while the other one began his conversation on who is the hottest girl at school. I sighed and let them pass. I can’t understand their motives in life, they get the worst grades at school and they rarely do anything else aside from videogames or comic books. Our eyes met, they simply stopped talking for a moment and continued their way. When they got to the corner I could hear Sam say. “Dude, Geoff just gives me the creeps.”

I sighed accustomed to those kinds of comments. The majority of the school began to leave for the day, only the ones with extra curricular classes, or just members of a club. Hating social attention, I walked through the emptiest halls, evading as much contact as I could. The halls clustered up as the results from a previous test were posted on a bulletin board. I waited resting on the nearest locker to see my score on that test.

As students moved away from the board, I finally was able to take a look at my score. As always, I ended up in the first places of the generation, so scamming through the list was unnecessary. As I read my score, a figure the same size as me stood up next to me. “Geoffrey Scott.” He said trying to get my attention. I simply ignored him and continued staring at the board. “Guess I owe you this…” Shawn Matthews, the former school super star told me giving me a twenty bill. I took it without looking at him and left the place.

I saw the group of girls who drooled over Shawn ran past me, practically tackling me. I left with a smile as I had beaten my rival at school grades. “Guess you can’t be the best at everything.” I say to myself placing my skateboard on the ground and leaving the school’s front garden. Living in a suburban style residence made the streets quite empty on Thursday afternoons. Most people live here and work on New York City, which is at a fifteen-minute train ride.

I had no problem heading to my job, the coast was clear and I never bumped into anyone I knew. Even if I knew them they would straight up ignored, so the results would be the same. The windy airs of January hit my face; I put my hoodie on trying to protect myself from getting a cold. I bought this skateboard with my first check, on an average garage sale with a not so normal looking grandpa person.

He needed to get rid of this old thing since he was moving away. No wonder he sold it at such a cheap price, the wood is filled with mold and the wheels keep chirping whenever they move. And the artwork is a bunch of crazy circles with symbols from any generic heavy metal band. Still, this is my main method of transportation, and it is quite practical and very easy to use.

As I approach the nearest mall, the local library distracts me. It isn’t the biggest library nor the prettiest, but is one of the places I visit the most in this small town. I let the skateboard slide to my hand, as I stop in front of its gates. I don’t remember when all of this started, but I’ve always been the lonesome guy at school. I know I have a little bit of fault on that, I’ve always kept my distance from everyone else and I forced myself to be alone.

I’ve never liked hanging out with people; they’d always betray me or simply use me to get better grades. I sighed pushing those thoughts away and continued to the mall. Thursday’s are usually very empty at the malls, so reading a book while working wouldn’t be a big kind of distraction. I drifted between the few persons that were at the door, skated directly to the food court. The door thankfully was opened, so I jumped inside still on the skateboard.

“Evening” I say as I enter, closing the door behind me I toss my backpack to the nearest chair as I quickly put on the yellow apron. I work in a fast food restaurant inside a mall, is not the proudest job ever, but it helps as the only source of income I have. I move to the computer type in my password, and checked the counter for the types of change I have. The guy sitting at the other cash register stands up as his shift ends.

“See you tomorrow, Bob, Geoff, don’t burn the store down while I’m not present.” Nathanael, the owner’s son, says as he leaves the small store. I work here with another guy named Bob Kevins, he’s in charge of the grill and cooking the orders. I just sit at the check register and take care of everything related to money. Either simple transactions or any movement related to the storage. As I take my book out, I feel Bob sitting next to me and putting the restaurant’s cap on my head.

“Study session with Geoff! I love them!” He said pulling out his SAT’s study guide. I just sighed accustomed to this. Bob is trying his best to enter one of the big universities at New York, and since he’s not the brightest bulb of the pack, I constantly help him whenever he needs to study for an exam. As he prepares himself for the small oral exam I’m about to give him, I rest on the chair eyeing the crowd on the food hall.

It isn’t as full as on a Friday, yet there is enough people to make a somewhat loud noise. A small group of people approaches the store, the sounds they are making easily tell me who they are. “If it isn’t my stupid brother, this store truly innovates by making chimps do human labor.” My annoying sister says as she approaches the front of the restaurant. I just cross my arms and rest on the chair, practically ignoring what she says.

After I couldn’t take anymore of her rambling I sighed and interrupted her in a serious tone. “That’s all?” I watch as my sister furiously throws her purse in the ground, angered that her teasing didn’t work at all. Her doggie boyfriend walks behind her, picking up her purse and following her to the next joint. I sighed putting my mind back to the book I was reading.

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After a boring afternoon I pick up my share of the tips, remove the apron and head home. The sun began to set, and I could watch it as it hid between the skyscrapers in the distance. I take a different turn and headed towards the docks rather than my house. My mother doesn’t care if I’m there or not, just that I bring food from the mart and leave it in the fridge.

The evening breeze hits me in the face as I approach an abandoned cargo ship. The town I live doesn’t have any industries or big companies. It is just a small suburban place, which used to be a dock to leave old useless ships. Some ships haven’t been removed from the area, making it some kind of ship graveyard. Some are on land and parts of it were used to build other ships, others are simply left floating in the low coast. I leave my stuff near the biggest ship, and I prepare myself for my routine.

Each day I come to this area just to run. It’s something called parkour actually, but I rather just call it running. I like keeping my body healthy, instead of what my family does at home. My mother is a morbidly obese woman, who rarely gets up from the sofa, while the only reason my sister is somewhat slim is because she pukes out most of the food she eats. I pull my hoodie up and braced myself for today’s routine.

I wall jump across the insides of the ship, climb any possible ledge I find, roll down the smallest opening, practically I roam the insides of this abandoned ship. I manage to climb all the way to the bridge. I sat down at the top, resting for a little as I see the last bits of sunshine get lost in New York’s skyscrapers. “What am I doing with my life?” I say out loud to myself.

I’m somewhat tired of the horrible life I have to live everyday. I know there are people in worse situations than mine, yet that doesn’t remove the fact that my life truly sucks. I want to get out of my broken home, from my abusive mother who only has me because of child support, of my annoying sister and the jocks at school. I just want to get out of here. I stand up and throw a nearby piece of metal to the ship itself.

Running removes my stress. I never knew how or why, but it always does. I climb down the ship taking the longest route possible, entering every small room and even passing through cargo boxes. Rather than walking to the exit I jump out one of the holes from the ship, rolling as I hit the floor. I stand up and removed my hoodie, as it was covered with dust and was wet since I landed near the shore. Since I’m wearing all day one of the school’s sport hoodies, they don’t check that I’m actually wearing the uniform underneath it. So I stand up in the shore wearing a simple white shirt.

As I approach my stuff, I see a silhouette bending over picking up my skateboard. I walk a little bit faster trying not to scare away whoever is planning to steal my things. When I get close enough I immediately recognized the school’s female uniform, the person notices me too, yet she jumps and yells in a cute manner. “Geoff! I thought someone stole your things and left them here!” Lizzie Rigs, the school’s social butterfly, she quite literally gets along with everyone.

“Oh… yeah…” I answered her putting my hoodie inside my backpack. “Just doing my daily run around the docks. What exactly brought you here?” I asked her flipping my backpack over my shoulder. She’s one of the few people whom I actually get along with. She’s nice to everyone and doesn’t care who she is talking with. She even hugged of the punk guys just because he needed a hug. I motioned her to follow me as I picked up my skateboard and walked to my home.

She happily jumped beside me and walked right next to me. Her long chestnut hair being pushed by the wind as we walked. I’m thankful I was at least taller than the average women; I’m not the tallest among men and if I was somewhat shorter I’d be bullied even more. Being the bookworm of the generation is prone to a lot of bullying coming from the general jock. I’ve never gotten along with the jocks their leader being my sister’s boyfriend doesn’t help either.

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I arrived somewhat late back home. I spend a lot of time listening to Lizzie’s daily problems and it really consumes a lot of time hearing her stories. I’ve never been so much of a talker but more of a listener. I also have to pass through a local fried chicken joint, in order to bring dinner to my family. As soon as I passed the door a shoe hitting my head greeted me. I was used to it so I simply shrug it off and walked towards the living room.

“Ya brought what I asked you?” My mother said as I placed the bucket of chicken on the table. She bends over as much as she could in order to pick it up and began eating it up in a rather disgusting manner. Pieces of chicken cover the already dirty couch, and I could see her greasy fat finger trying to manage the TV remote. I ignore her as I walked downstairs into my room. The tidiest place in the house was actually the basement. The place my mother decided would be a very good place for her only son to sleep.

The placed had carton boxes lying all around, filled with my entire library of books. Since I don’t exactly have a closet, I was forced to put all of my belongings on these boxes. Removing my shirt shows the many reasons why I always wear a hoodie to school. My body was covered with the many scars my mother and sister produced me as punishments for not doing what they say.

Being the surprise child from a broken condom just gives more reasons for my family to hate me. My father left the house because of me, leaving my mother in charge. She didn’t take the news so well, and since I can remember she had always dislike anything related to me. I would be in the streets if it weren’t because of the money given by the government in order to maintain us.

I place all of my money inside a pickle jar, which I use to store all of the tips and my salary. Working on the fast food joint for three years gave me a well amount of money. My current plan is to get a good tuition so I can enter a good university, leaving this hideous town behind, and then work as some sort of librarian or university teacher. I practically fall into the mattress I call bed, and fall asleep almost immediately.

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Running, from what? I’m not sure. I can feel it slowly shortening the distance between us. My body feels odd, as usual in my dreams. For some reason I keep picturing myself as some sort of teenage girl. And the dreams are always the same, running, moving, walking, always in motion trying to get away from something or someone. I take a brief look at the thing that’s chasing me, I can’t see anything yet I feel it is there.

Some sort of reptilian purple eye appears from the cloud of shadows that chases me. The rest of the clouds dissipate letting me see where exactly I am. Some sort of forest covered entirely by snow. As I keep running, I notice slowly that the trees began to pile up in front of me. I arrive into a dead end, hitting my face into a stack of wood.

I turn myself around, the creature is mysteriously gone, I can only see the path in which I was running. Snowflakes fall down from the sky, peace and tranquility float in the air. Suddenly I see a shadow moving between the trees, running and moving in all directions. I slowly stand up, trying to guess where the creature would appear.

I feel a huge pain coming from my chest area. Looking down I see three sets of claws impaling my chest. I feel my consciousness slowly fading away, all of my energy slowly disappearing from my body. “Tenebris…” I hear in a horrendous voice. “I’ve finally found you…”

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I wake up sweating and breathing heavily. That dream felt disturbingly real, and I’m slowly catching my breath and checking my chest as if I wasn’t actually impaled by a set of claws. This dream haunts me constantly, not that I believe in superstitions, but having the same dream all the time must mean something. The only thing that changes are the locations I’m running.

This one was different however. I never get killed at the end; I usually wake up just when the monster disappears. I shrug it off as a nightmare and walked upstairs towards the bathroom. As usual, my mother fell asleep on the couch with the TV still on. I turn off the TV before going to the toilet. I almost puked at the sight of the bloody thing. My sister once more didn’t flush the toilet after she did her “dieting plans”. She eats the exact same amount my mother eats; however she flushes it down the toilet seconds after eating it.

I take a quick shower, since the smell of uneaten cheap fry chicken is killing my nostrils. I wash my teeth and get the hell out of my house before anyone else wakes up. I grab my stuff and head out the door wearing the school’s hoodie and pants. The sun wasn’t out, yet dawn just arrived and I was casually skating towards school. I lived several streets away from my school; it usually takes a ten or twenty minute walk to get there. It would be less if the car we have wasn’t torn down and practically useless.

On my journey I spot the blue BMW that belongs of my sister’s other boyfriend. He dates Jackson because of the fame and popularity, yet the guy is so stupid he hasn’t realized he’s been cheated on this whole time. I pass through the plaza students my age use as a hangout point. This town isn’t the biggest thing ever; you either take the bus or have a car in order to get to the nearest mall. I got somewhat distracted which caused me to crash against somebody.

The mass in front of me turns around angrily. “If it isn’t Geoffrey, I didn’t expect you so early in the morning.” Jackson, the school bully says as I’m recovering from the fall. “Look, yesterday you ruined me the evening with my girlfriend. She got so mad of the things you say that she wouldn’t make out with me before leaving her home.” He cracked his knuckles an prepare himself for the beating he wants to give me. “You know the drill.”

When he walked towards me I simply kicked his legs making him fall to the ground. “You have to catch me first Jacky.” I told the nickname he truly hates people calling him. I grabbed my skateboard and began my escape through the park. Messing with Jackson is something that happens almost daily. Even if he towers me by a feet or so, I always manage to ruin his plans. I can easily outrun him, making him get even angrier and just giving up afterwards.

I run directly to the park, since he lost some time standing up, I had some advantage and managed to climb a tree before he saw me. I could hear him grunting and mumbling curses between his teeth as he passed right under me. I laugh it off and waited a while to come down. He was already gone when I jumped down the tree. Everything was quiet and peaceful and I was ready to go back to school. However, something strange filled the air, an odd sensation passed through my body.

I heard some odd mumbling in the distance, and I saw how the leafs of the tree suddenly stop mid air. Five shadows appeared out of nowhere, I couldn’t exactly see their faces, but I could guess they were carrying some kind of weaponry. I felt a huge pain coming from my shoulder, an arrow now stood impaled in my shoulder. The pain began to worsen, as one of the shadows pulled with a string the arrow, tying me into the tree. The smallest shadow walked in front of me, I could see its purple eyes shining through the silhouette. Claws appeared on its hands and they easily ripped my clothes apart.

“I’ll get you out of there.” The weird shadow said as it impaled its claws right in my chest. Blood came out of my mouth, and my vision began to get very blurry. I noticed the rest of the shadows walking towards me before I finally pass out.

To be continued...

Black Bloodstains:
Chapter 2: Here, There and Everywhere

Before me, the walls of reality and everything I seemed to remember were swept aside. Colors seemed to shatter, my world seemed to slowly drift and disappear. The barren memories which plagued my mind seemed to drift away, resembling now a distant dream. Above and all around me I could feel swift currents of white. Not a mist, or a haze, or some form of cloud, just white. Calling it nothing wouldn’t come close to describing it; it lacked accuracy. As this was no absence, but a presence. It just happened to be that emptiness was the presence manifest.

The feeling covered my entire body being suppressed by it, but at the same time being able to flow in it. I opened my eyes, and pure whiteness greeted my vision. An endless ocean of nothingness that seemed to have neither an end nor a beginning. As in a single shocking stimulation, my whole body returned to its senses. I could feel my legs and torso, my arms and hands, it felt as if I woke up from an endless dream. My whole body slowly moving and turning, bones and muscles coming back to life. A coma or a dream, but it appeared as if years of rest had finally ended.

Slowly I gained the spirit to start moving; my body, unresponsive, answered with a decreased speed. Deciding to take a step forward, a warm sensation rushing from the sole of my feet to the rest of my body. Nerves waking up as I ordered myself to move. Moving my fingers one by one gave me the same response. As if on cue, a throbbing pain came from my chest. Breathe began to flow back into my lungs, waking up everything else in the process. I looked down at my body, noticing only a simple silhouette of what should be there. No color, and only the same emptiness filling a vacuum.

However, there was a single object, a dark black crystal centered in the location that would be my heart. It didn't hurt nor did it give any sensation. As I continued to observe, time seemed to be nonexistent with the feelings passing over my head with no toll. My head was clear as well, no turmoil nor thoughts. Emotions seemed to have disappeared, leaving behind an empty husk of a brain; assuming I still have such thing. Slowly, colors sprawled to life. An endless array of livid sensations formed right in front of me. The universe came to life in front of my eyes. Stars, gasses, planets, the cosmos awoke and I was gazing at life itself.

My feet moved on their own, a trail forming underneath me guiding me to whatever lay ahead of me. Similarly to the space around me, the trail itself had an empty presence that seemed to overwrite the world around it. The universe itself wasn't there, just a shaping of color formations and the nothingness creating an illusion. The trail continued, passing next to eight great creatures that had a godlike aura. Individually feelings of energy painted my body giving it color and shape, while at the same time flowing towards the planets lying nearby.

A warm vivid feeling was born from inside the planets. Fire igniting the flame of life filled the universe with emotion and spirit. Alongside the flame, the turmoil created an electrifying interaction. Explosions and power, coexisting at the same time to create chaos. But from chaos came peace, as water calmed the burning oceans and wind cleared the skies. And from the peace and balance, life was able to flourish, with nature and the cold frozen ice settling in between the balance. And at last, allowing the flow of life to start, darkness and light covered the world. Thus creating the final ingredient of life.

Something about the planet tingled in my head, a reaction; perhaps I’d seen it before. But how? All I knew then was that I was most likely dead, and all of this was just a lucid dream in the last seconds of my life. Or perhaps this was more? Reality seemed to shatter bit by bit, no longer a drawn line that could tell me what was and what wasn’t real. Two elements puzzled in my head, life and death. And in front of me life flourished, the rise and fall of civilizations appearing in front of my eyes. Creatures that could be considered gods, capable of bending the world at their own will. Spitting fire, controlling the ice, growing plants, these individuals were one with the world around them. The nothingness flowing alongside the world, being a part of them, fueling them as they controlled the powers.

And from that planet the nothingness, the energy that fueled life went on to inhabit three worlds around it, two of which assimilated the nothingness, and used it as their own with burning passion. Life sprawled on them as well, using the nothingness to live and prosper. However the life forms on these planets were different, they weren’t beings made of nothingness. They were flesh and bone, capable to connect to the nothingness, manipulate it. “Magic.” A short word escaped my mouth, in a tone which I had never heard before. But the last planet caught my eyes; the nothingness was rich and abundant on the inside, yet the land dwellers ignored it. They had no connection to this force, even if the planet flourished with it. Each planet had its own terrain, with land, seas, mountains, flourishing with the nothingness. And as I stare at the fourth planet, I couldn’t help but to notice how it resembled Earth.

My attention returned to the main planet, where nothingness came from and where it irradiated the strongest. The nothingness expanded, settling inside the planet, as I observed how life there took place. The creatures made out of nothingness itself, growing and fighting, developing into a full fledged society. At first, united as a single nation, helping each other with their individual traits and strengths. But war came, and the peace was shattered. A single individual brought forward the separation of the people, united only by the element they controlled. The planet prospered as the problem was eliminated. However, the world remained scarred and deeply hurt. The damage caused by the monster was too much to be repaired, that even time could not heal such wound.

I turned my head, as the strange crystal in my chest resembled that of the wound left in the planet. Not only that, but through all the planets the same scar was imprinted. My chest glowed, as the nothingness suddenly darkened. No form of light would take place in this realm. There was no difference between having my eyes open or closed. Complete darkness surrounded me, as if light and all life was sucked away in the distance. A single pulse emanated through my body; as I turned around, a single fracture of this reality shatters. Something dwelt behind it, but before I was capable of doing anything my whole body trembled as a sudden wave of energy passed through me.

My eyes opened wide, and the feeling of nothingness dissipated from all around me. I started coughing, as air actually started to flow inside my lungs. With a blurred vision and a lack of balance I slowly understood my surroundings. “What, what happened?” I grabbed my throat, as the sound coming from my mouth didn’t resemble my previous voice. However, before I could do anything else, the environment filled my mind. A cosy and calm library, with a warm fireplace that gave just enough light to read a book. The library was filled from bottom to the top with books of every size and with information I couldn’t even imagine. “What is this place…” The same fragile voice came out of my mouth, making me cough and shake my head in the process.

Locks of hair covered my face; I had to pull them away with a shock, as my previous cut barely even reached my eyes. While doing so, I noticed how dainty and soft my hands were, smaller and more feminine. “What is happening?” I said, slightly worried, still unsure of whatever was going on around me. I took a step back, as faintly in the distance a sound of music being played reached my ears. Turning towards the origin of the sound I noticed a girl sitting behind a desk filled with laboratory equipment. With one hand she appeared to be mixing chemicals, as she followed a recipe with the other hand. What surprised me the most was her green shiny hair, tied together by a simple red ribbon. She wore a lab coat and an underwear set, nothing more.

She was so focused on her work that she didn’t even notice me walking towards her. My feet seemed to produce no sound, as if I weighed nothing at all. “Hello?” I said softly, unsure if she was some kind of captor. She didn’t even flinch as she kept staring at her experiment without even noticing me. “Um… Hello?” I said one more time, this time with a louder tone than before. This time I got her attention, making her jump from her desk and look back up at me. She removes the dust from her coat, before forcing a cough as if to prepare for a speech.

“Oh, my manners! Hi, my name is Laurie Bluebell, pleasure to meet you!” She extended her hand for a handshake; I awkwardly grabbed it and followed her strong grip and shake. “It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure to have you here tonight!” She bowed, taking my hand and giving it a kiss. “So now please just relax, as I prepare dinner for you.” She pulled a chair out for me, practically forcing me to sit down at the main table. “Give me a bit as I get everything ready.” Incapable of doing or saying anything, I stared at her as she walked towards what seemed to be the kitchen.

I was about to speak up when a nearby door opened . “See you guys tomorrow! Take care!” The soft tone, that of a young girl, came from the door. Turning my head to that direction I noticed a young girl wearing a casual grey dress that reached just above her knees. Her hair was pure white but with glittering strands of light blue color. She closed the door and turned around towards me. “Oh, hi…” she said with a nervous tone, as she took a step towards me. “I wasn’t expecting you to be up so… Quickly…” She giggled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head.

Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the other side of the table, making sure her dress didn’t fold as she sat down. “Well… I hope you take all of this well. Welcome ho…” Her mouth closed shut, stopping whatever she was about to say. “Sorry, my mind is in other places.” Regaining her composure, she sat up straight and looked me directly in the eyes. “You are dead.” Taken aback by what she’d just said, my lips trembled preparing an answer. “And this is you now.” She snapped her fingers and a thin sheet of ice formed in front of me. The sudden creation of ice wasn’t enough to break me, as the reflection in the crystalline surface left me staring at it in shock.

A girl stared at me, her hair deep black trapping the light around it, and reaching just past her shoulders. Her big red eyes filled with life as she looked back at me. Her skin was white and pale as snow, with no flaws whatsoever. “And... You are a girl now…” she said, embarrassed, as she covered her face with a book. I began to breathe faster, touching my face and trying to wake myself up from this dream. But before I knew it I let out the girliest squeal in my life.

I jumped back, falling and hitting the back of my head on the nearby couch. “What the hell is this!” I yelled while inspecting my body, and for the first time since I woke up I decided to look down. A simple black hoodie covered my torso, a popular sports brand icon stamped on the front. The most puzzling aspect were the two mounds that sprouted from the front, creating a tent at the front of my chest. “Wha…” I couldn’t even finish my first word, as I slowly dragged my hands to these balls of mass. “What…” I said while softly pressing them. The sensations not only tingled through my fingers, but as I moved them they sent all types of sensations through my entire body.

“What the fuck is she doing?” Laurie murmured as she slowly approached the smaller girl in the room. She carried a plate which was filled with several biscuits and desserts, alongside a teapot that was letting out steam. She placed them on the table before sitting down next to the girl. “Is she so excited or what?” she whispered; however, I was fully capable of listening to her conversation. I stood up, with my hands still holding my chest, forcing me to slam them to the sides of my body in a single swing. Laurie raised her eyebrows, while filling up a teapot with freshly brewed tea.

“Take a seat and we will explain everything,” the girl said while gesturing to the fallen chair next to me. Trembling, I picked up the piece of wood and slowly pushed it towards the table. Sitting down, it felt as if my body suddenly became more sensitive than usual. As if the slightest breeze triggered all the nerves in my skin. The way my skin was softly pushed by the wooden surface as I sat down, and even the way it mushes my butt making it spread around it. I wanted to continue screaming, but I forced myself to listen to what these two individuals had to say. “First of all, hi! My name is Alice Ruplant, but you can call me just Alice. A couple of days ago I freed you from your human prison. In other words I removed the trapped soul in your previous body.”

I tilted my head to the side, with no idea of what she was even referring to. “Are you following me?” she asked, noticing my confusion. Shaking my head from one side to another, she sighed. “Do you remember something that isn’t the life of this Geoffrey Burns?” I bet my face described my full response at her answer, as she rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. “She forgot about it,” Laurie then gasped while she stared me directly in the eyes.

“Okay then… Geoffrey, let me introduce you to the world of the energy that surrounds every one of us. Laurie, if you please.” Laurie bowed as she stood up; letting her hair loose, she shook her head making sure it spread everywhere.

She looked at me and smiled, and as she dropped the labcoat to the ground, vines and leaves begin to grow all around her body. Her skin changed to a pale green tone, as her hands and legs became rigid pieces of wood. Her hands slowly turned into claws, losing a finger and growing in size, resembling tree branches. Branches began to grow all around her body, popping from her arms and shoulders, and creating a crown on top of her head. Finally fire sprouted from her body, the crown enveloped by it as her hands and legs glowed with the same substance. “Welcome miss…” she said with an angelic voice as she bowed in front of me.

I held the chair even tighter as I stared at the druid standing in front of me. This can’t be, I can’t be dead, this must be a dream. Alice threw me a piece of newspaper, making it slide over the table before landing in front of me. I stared at the cover, a dead body in the middle of a forest. “Young kid found seriously injured at the local park, there were no signs of any aggressor left behind,” I say out loud before noticing the name, “Geoffrey Burns…” The image showed a clear picture of me with three slashes going through my chest. I look back up at Alice, whose hand now transformed into a three finger sharp claw figure.

“Your body is fine, we freed you from your prison. And even if you don’t remember anything, didn’t you think about escaping your boring life?” She smiled, standing up and chugging her cup of tea in a single go. “Well, Geoff or whatever you’d like to be called. I come forward with an offer you won’t be able to refuse. A new life! A new beginning, leaving behind your miserable life as a checkout boy. Riches, fame, power!” She clenched her fist, clearly excited by her own speech. “Knowledge of an entire world in your grasp! Come, let me show you.” Grabbing my hand, she pulled me towards a nearby door; with a strength that surprised me she practically drags me towards a room with a weird imprint on the ground.

“We will be back soon, Laurie!” she yelled, as a weird light blue glow emerged from her hands. The circles underneath me glow in unison, the patterns and glyphs all lighting up. The light seemed to go away, being sucked by the painting on the ground. Not only the light but gravity and the room as well; I felt my whole body being pulled inside by the force, I tried to remain standing but the force was so strong that I fell to the ground. My insides felt as if they were burning and turning, just to then be pushed and pulled.

My whole body got yanked into the floor, my muscles ached and the whole world around me once again seemed to have no ups or downs. I became so disoriented that I felt my stomach turn, and suddenly: “Bwaa!” I gushed out everything inside of me. A black substance came out of my mouth, spreading itself all around the floor. “Relax, first transportation is always worst transportation, at least it’s never the last! I think…” she said, pressing her finger near her mouth. The nausea brought me back to puke out even more black liquid, before I settled and slowly stood up. “Here, let me help you.” She put my arm over her shoulder, giving me a good way to stand up without falling back into the ground.

Slowly my eyes managed to adapt to the intense sunlight, blinking rapidly and moving my hair away; a city that only dreams could make appeared in front of me. “Welcome to the city of Legatos,” she said as I continued to swallow the view. Buildings bigger than the sky itself, highways travelling over smaller buildings, but that could carry an entire car population with no traffic. In the center a mighty structure that seemed to defy gravity itself. And even if it looked futuristic, it was on par with nature. Trees, green areas sprouting from all places, rivers, waterways, a magnificent piece to behold. “This is country of Claudin, where neighbouring kingdoms created a truce and live in harmony together. You see each kingdom rules over an elemental power.”

“Fire, lightning, water, wind, nature, ice, light and darkness,” I said out loud without even thinking, covering my mouth as I finished speaking.

“Yeah… How did you know about that…? Weird…” she said awkwardly, letting out a chuckle to lighten the mood. “Anyways come on, I’ll give you a look around.”

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“Johnson family, could you please enter Doctor Erickson’s office, he will be with you in just a second.” I sighed, coughing loudly as I stared flatly at the ground. With little energy left in my body, I pushed myself to a standing position, rubbing my chest as the pain intensified whenever I stress myself too much. My shaggy brown hair covered my eyes; I picked at the long strand and stared at it as I walk to the counter. “Samson Johnson? Did you come here by yourself or are your parents around here?” the secretary lady asked me as she opened the door to the doctor’s office.

“I came alone, dad had a business conference and my mom was at my sister’s cheerleading event,” I told her shyly, rubbing the back of my neck as I walked inside the office. I could hear her sigh as she closed the door behind me. A cozy office filled with books and portraits, and even pictures of the doctor and her husband made a surprisingly calm atmosphere for something as scary as a doctor’s office. Since no one was around, I decided to flop down into one of three set of chairs placed in front of the doctor’s table. I picked up the cool-looking pen that was lying around before the door opened once more.

“Johnson fa…” the Japanese doctor said as she stepped inside with a bunch of papers in her arms. “Johnson kid I suppose…” she said, sighing, closing the door behind her as she walked behind her desk. “Once again they leave you alone for such important medical issues.” I shrugged, my parents not being with me is practically the norm for these days. I cough once more, making sure to cover my mouth with my arm. “Well, I would love to explain this situation to both your parents, however this is a serious case Sam so listen carefully.” From her papers she pulled out three sets of x-ray scans that I had several days ago. “These are your lungs, while even if the scans and tests showed that the strange formation on your chest supposedly was an accumulation of mucus. As we continued to work with your test results, some colleges helped me out to define your case.

“Sadly, Sam, this is a tough thing to explain. Your lungs’ skin, the inner part of it began to develop layers. And, as a result, you have tumors in your lungs.” My hands started shaking; this condition, while not being the first choice in my mind, was always lurking in the back as the worst case scenario. “You have stage four lung cancer. To be precise, squamous cell canc…” I stopped listening the world around me, I only stared at the single name plate on the doctor’s table. I grabbed the back of my head with my hands, curling up slightly as tears began to roll down my face.

I’m dead.

To be continued…

Black Bloodstains
Chapter 3: Get Back.

I could hardly take the magnificent views of the city. I had to rub my eyes several times to make sure it wasn’t an illusion. I had to sit down on a nearby couch; I could feel my brain and heart trying to leave my body. The fact that I was no longer amongst the living, and there was this whole new planet which I couldn’t even think about. Yet there was this feeling at the back of my head, some tingling sensation that made me stand up and look around each time I fell down in a nervous attack. And for some reason, just being in this magnificent country made my lips slowly form a small smile. When that happened I shook my head, the new deep black hair covering my face.

I fell to the floor, my hands touching the cold window, as if my body wanted to get out there. Something besides my heart was beating; I had the urge to just leave the building and walk around. “But why…” I muttered, my head hurting slightly as if a second personality wanted to take over and tell me to escape. The city skyscrapers seemed to welcome me; the sky was still dark, however, due to the height of the building, the sun was peeking at the horizon. The city was vivid, even if it was barely morning. The sound of cars whooping through the highways and streets, the blinking lights of office cubicles, the city itself was waking up. My body couldn’t take it, kneeling down and sitting on my own legs as the world around me seemed to spin.

I looked down at my hands, dainty and petite, as if they had never been used in anything but gentle and caring tasks. No scars, no wrinkles, nothing but softness and perfection. “Is this me…” I said softly, my voice still twisting my ears, as it seemed to betray what I knew. My body trembled, my own reality seemed to betray me, and what I knew no longer made sense. A strand of hair covered my left eye, the brightest yet darkest black I’ve ever seen covered my face. Time seemed to slow down; even the vehicles and clouds outside stopped. My attention went to my hand; something surreal about it sent my reality into turmoil. The curves and the glimmer of it, a single tear dropping to the center, splashing around the palm.

A shiver down my spine made time return to normal. The sound of shoes hitting against the wooden floor made my head turn toward Alice. She had somehow changed clothes; the fact of the matter was, I didn’t know how much time I’d spent staring out the window, it could have been hours for all I knew. Her hair was the complete opposite of mine, a glimmering white like a fresh snowstorm in the morning; it almost seemed to blind anyone who stared at it for too long. Her skin seemed to be snow as well, but with a pinkish glimmer at the shadows. Even her blue eyes seemed to sparkle, as she wore a frilly blue dress. She appeared to be just an eleven year old, yet the way she moved and spoke resembled that of a grown up. “You okay?” she asked softly as she helped me to stand up. My legs were still trembling; however, I managed to stay standing, grabbing her back for some support.

“Come on, the driver is here. We’ll look around the place and head for some business we have to attend to.” She grabbed my hand and tried to pull me with her, however I remained stiff, not being able to move or react. What if she was out to kill me, to hurt me even more? She’d killed me before; why wouldn’t she do that again? “Look, Geoff. I know this is a whole new world and something huge to bear. But… Let me help you, I promise I won’t hurt you.” She struggled with my name, however her dainty hand squeezed mine, trying to impart some comfort, so I followed her. Something inside of me was happy that Alice was close to me like this. As if a distant memory told me we had been together before. Even if I didn’t want to, something deep inside of me made my hand grasp hers, grabbing it tightly and pulling myself up next to her. “Cute,” she said softly before heading out through the main door and towards the elevator.

As we descended, there was a clear view of the city once more through the glass window. Light seemed to get lost between the gaps, a dark blue tone combining itself with a rainbow of lights. My hands had to grab the handle, as I was both fascinated by and scared about my fate. The sights soon disappeared as we descended to the lowest floor of the building, darkness enveloping us until the doors opened with a cheerful melody. Outside the doors of the elevator, there was a vast, dark parking garage, which was hard to see until the lights came on one by one. A vast array of both modern and antique cars greeted my eyes, making me rub them in order to remove the blindness. As Alice walked forward, the sudden ripping noise of wheels against asphalt made me flinch.

I looked back as a car suddenly appeared in front of us. “Ma’am,” a soft female voice said from behind the small cloud of smoke. It was surprisingly sultry, and somewhat familiar. But when I was able to see the driver, I was quite shocked. I could only see part of her face, as most of it was hidden behind a scarf. Her emerald eyes sparkled, her eyelashes were beautifully combed, makeup perfectly enhanced her beautiful face. Her hair seemed to light up the car, a fiery red tone which made her eyes glimmer even more. Lastly, the angle at which I stood only allowed me to partially see her body. I could only look at her simple white blouse and see how a pair of large breasts almost ripped it open. From the looks of it, she was quite top heavy. I was more astonished by how the garage seemed to open up by itself, revealing the night sky with its many different sparkling lights coming from the building, and a calming dark blue horizon.

The car itself was a whole new deal. It resembled an old Mustang or Camaro; since I’d never been interested in the whole car deal, I couldn’t tell the difference between the two. Yet while it looked as if it had an old chassis, inside it had a whole new interior, flashy lights and modern seats. Alice opened the door for me; I gave her an awkward smile and bowed my head, slowly getting in the other side of the car. Alice soon followed, making sure her dress didn’t get stuck as she sat down. “Just go around the block, show her around and then get to the place,” she casually told the driver before closing the door and cheerfully smiling at me. “Let me show you the magnificent city of Veö.” As soon as she finished her sentence, we took off and head towards the city.

I naturally looked out the window, my eyes growing wide as I saw the immense reach of the city. I blinked several times as we entered the highway and traveled on the high roads and immense streets. Cars nearby all driving the same route, but with enough space between each other so there isn’t much braking. I tilted my head at a blocky vehicle that appeared to have no driver. “That’s a transportation truck; an intelligent computer drives it, and makes sure to not crash against other vehicles or terrain,” the driver said as she lowered the volume of an old hard rock song. I could only catch the phrase ‘Lotta Rosie’ before she turned it down. I turned to looking at the landscape again.

I could see a calm sea underneath me, the reflection of the lamppost looking like a second night sky as we continued on our journey. I looked behind us for a second; even more skyscrapers filled the view, how massive could this place be? “Veö is the capital city of the country of Claudin. It is here where all the kingdoms live at peace, and where everyone is accepted,” she said while staring out her own window. “It’s a pure symbol of the unity and strength of the people. Nine districts in total, one for each of the eight kingdoms, and a single one at the center, ruled by a leader chosen by all the districts, controlling it all.” She shrugged, looking back at me. “Your uncle, in other words.” I tilted my head, unsure about what is going on. “You really don’t remember anything? You don’t know who you are?”

“I’m Geoff.” It was all I could say, looking down at my thighs as the lights blinked at my face.

I could hear her soft sigh, rubbing her neck as her face had a look of uncertainty. “All in due time.” She smiled, now pulling my chin so she could look into my eyes. “Relax, I’m not going to push you into anything.” She smiled, making me give a small one in return. I sat up straight, my hair covering my face and forcing me to pull it away. “This world is made of pure energy. It runs inside everything, through everything, and is everything. And we are made of that energy.” A small layer of ice formed at the tip of her fingers, creating a couple of snowflakes and making them float. “I can control Ice, and soon you’ll know what you are made of. And all these elements are the ones you listed before, each forming a single kingdom. Claudin is the unification of such powers, a single beast that is driven by the spirits and strengths of everyone.”

The highway soon ended, merging into a surface street in a more commercial area. At this point streets began to show signs of life, people walking at this hour no matter how early it is. “Low crime rates, free healthcare for everyone, free education, and a technologically focused society. Process, peace, and life above all.” Parks and common shops began appearing on the streets. I stared at them, unsure of what to feel. “This is where we live, where beings like you and me are considered equals and we all are fighting to survive.” Soon we parked in front of what seemed to be the main building of the city: a tower that reached the sky, with a pulsating stone at the top, sending what seemed to be signals to the whole world. “This is the Unification of Legatos. A building which connects to all the kingdoms, transmitting information as well as allowing the conduction of energy. Here is where we will find out what you’re truly made of. Now I ask you, would you like to continue?”

I stared at the empty seat beside me, my heart seemingly beating faster as my vision seemed to fade. I shook the feeling off, rubbing my face as I opened the door. My feet stepped on the ground, thick solid stone yet smooth and expensive looking. The wind blew my hair around, making me hug my chest as it caught me off guard. I could hear Alice stepping out of her own side of the car, her light steps walking towards me as the door closed. I felt a knot in my throat, unable to speak as I took in the whole situation. The wind pushed the clouds that covered the sky, causing a faint ray of sun to hit my face. The light had been the worst part of this journey by far; it flickered and danced, as a sunbeam would when fighting a moving cloud. My eyes burned in pain trying to see the ambient hue of jaundiced orange. Which was somehow hot and sticky on my skin, bringing a sheen of perspiration to everything it touched, illuminating as though it was a disease.

My knees grew weak, forcing me to fall to my knees. My hands felt as if they were starting to dig into the concrete. The ground began to shatter, cracks spreading out from my hands all around. My hands appeared to be smoking, letting out a black mist as if I was burning. The sun was causing all of this; I could feel my body losing weight and the air leaving my lungs. A sudden shade allowed me to withstand it; my eyes blinked rapidly, trying to regain my eyesight. Alice was standing next to me, holding an umbrella as she blocked the light from my skin. “I presumed you were going to be related to darkness. So I guess it’s a good start.” She smiled, taking my hand and helping me to stand up.

The building ahead of me was bigger than any other I’d ever seen in my life. My sight lost the peak as it seemed to never end. However could see eight bright beams emanating from the top, lighting up the sky and pulsating as if they had a life of their own. “Each of the eight kingdoms posses a single energy form. Since energy flows with nature, it can be damaged and affected by how it is transmitted. Your main element is darkness, which makes the energy made by light difficult for you to register. Since your body can’t transmit it, your skin burns and your organs twist, as they can’t consume such energy.” I bit my lower lip, limping slightly as we entered the building through the main door. On the left and right a crowd of people passed us, each seemingly going about their own affairs, but moving with such harmony that they wouldn’t hit each other.

She pulled me into the crowd, and I accidentally bumped some shoulders, sparking some remarks from the people I hit. But soon the pain ended as out of nowhere Alice disappeared, leaving me alone against a plain white wall. I stared at it, unsure of where the child had gone until a grown man pushed me aside and walked right through the wall. I tilted my head as I extended my hand to touch the surface. When my finger touched it, the surface tension pulled my hand inside, sucking me to the other side of the wall. I wanted to scream, but then I realized I was standing on the other side, with no harm whatsoever. “Energy doors. Currently we’re at the top floor of the building; what that just did was save us a lot of time.” She gestured at the window nearby, and I almost got lost in the sight. It looked like a sea, with clouds being the islands and waves. We were so high in the air that the ground and the nearby buildings were hidden far below.

Alice took my hand and gestured me with a smile to follow her. My hand left the glass as I took slow steps, barely keeping pace with her. The tip of the tower must be narrow, as the room was barely bigger than two classrooms together. At the end of the hallway I spotted a woman in a fancy sixties dress; in fact, the room’s decor was filled with propaganda and articles from the Cold War era. She smiled, gesturing for us to come towards her. “Come quickly, or else you’ll have to wait for the next group!” she yelled, making Alice yank my hand and pick up some speed. Soon we arrived at a counter; the lady had an electronic device which seemed to attach to my wrist. “This won’t hurt, sweetie,” she said, pressing the device to my wrist and closing it tightly. “Name of the… oh… Seems you already have a name picked!” I tilted my head, the device releasing my hand and a door besides her opened. “Welcome to the world of the dead, Elizabeth Tenebris.”

I could see a light which hit my face as soon as I focused on it, glowing with different colors and intriguingly calling me towards it. There were faint voices in my head, all of them speaking at the same time. “Go on…” I whispered, picking out the only clear sentence from the barrage of voices. I slowly made my way through the hallway, pictures of all the elements as if they were paintings, and beside them a portrait of someone. “Hograth, Fýsi, Vrontí, Nakawé, Oignear, Feng, Lucerna… Tenebris…” More words began to spew out of my mouth, causing me to shake my head and stare at the single frame at the end of the hallway. “The Great Ones…” I read out loud, continuing my trek until I reached the other end of the hallway.

“We’ve got an electric one!” a friendly voice screamed as I stepped out of the hallway into some kind of dome. There were a couple of teens my age gathered around a machine in the middle. The machine was apparently the source of the alluring light, which changed colors from time to time. A boy hopped down from the machine, and the guy with the labcoat and glasses gestured for the next one to hop in. “Welcome to the tip of the tower! Here you’ll discover the elements that run through your body, and which allow you to flourish as a fighter or a mage. Name’s Ralph, and it’s me who made this,” he added, pulling a lever and making the beam shoot at the girl inside a tube. The beam soon changed to blue, flickering until it ended up as a pure white. “Water and light!” Ralph yelled, writing it down in his tablet.

I walked towards the beam, the energy calling me and making me step directly towards it. The teens were in line, but I didn’t care; as soon as the girl got out I hopped inside. “Okay then… Someone is eager….” he said in an awkward tone, pulling the lever and returning to his tablet. “Miss… Elizabeth?” he said, more surprised than annoyed, as he turned towards me and slammed his hand onto the table. A faint white smoke started to flow from the ducts below, the glass tube encasing me inside as the beam poured onto me. At first it felt as if it was nothing, but then my vision turned red as the gas and beam change color. “Fire… But wait, there is…” The machine blew up, the emergency doors locking themselves as my body seemed to suck up the energy of the explosion.

Pure darkness, pure black, the beam engulfed my body with the warmth of silence and shadows. My body seemed to flow, as if the mantle of shadows picked me up and allowed me to suck directly from the source. Those shadows began to expand, soon breaking the crystal and spreading around the room. They flowed from the floor, growing in size as they swallowed everything in their path. The teens tried to run, but they were soon enveloped by my shadows. I could feel their fear, their needs, so cold and yet how they burned in my shadows. The darkness blinded them as it began to break through the walls. The shadows tried to pull the machine on top of me, destroying it and allowing a massive intake of energy flow to my body. The walls began to shatter; the ground felt in my possession as well. I’d never felt so alive before. I was a part of everything; they were being swallowed by me. Their memories began to flow to my head, at first enjoyable, but they became too much to handle.

Screams and suffering broke the trance. My body felt limp, and I dropped to the floor.

To be continued….

Black Bloodstains
Chapter 4: The Long and Winding Road

I took a deep breath and opened the front door. I could feel my hair being tangled by the wind while my backpack hung low on my shoulder. Placing the key in the holder beside the door, I stepped inside my house, shoulders hanging low as I walked upstairs to my room. The sound of my mother’s steps make me stop near the top. “Hey honey, how was the appointment with the doctor?” She asks me, wearing a dirty apron and her hands covered by yellow cleaning gloves. My grip tightened around the strap while I crumpled the letter the doctor had given me with the other.

“Just a bad bronchitis. Nothing to be worried about…” I stammered as I covered my mouth with my elbow sleeve. As I move away my arm, I noticed some bloodstains painting my jacket. I smiled back at my mom before continuing toward my room. I could hear my sister typing away at her phone; as I walked by her open door, she was hanging upside down, probably texting to some friend. Her legs wiggled in the air while she giggled loudly. Since my room was directly in front of her, I opened the door and tossed my backpack to the floor. Closing the door shut and removing my jeans, I waddled toward my closet and quickly put on a pair of sweatpants.

My room felt empty and somewhat cold, the curtains drawn so light could barely pass through. I walked over to my desktop, bending over to boot up my computer before collapsing into my racing chair. As the screen slowly illuminated my face, I glanced down at the ball of paper containing the costs of treatment. However, I was in such an advanced state that it would just be a waste of money. I put on my headset, and my left hand placed itself at the corner of the keyboard. Taking a deep breath, I opened up my League launcher and slowly lost myself to the night.

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The fire within me burned with so much passion, my heart seemed to be beating out of my chest as my lungs relentlessly breathed in. My eyes opened in a bolt, and I sat up straight with my whole body shaking. I didn’t move at all; I stared at the light purple curtains in front of me as my eyes slowly regained their focus. “What?” I said, crawling away and ending up banging my head against the headboard. I lifted my arms to rub the back of my head; as I did so, the bed sheet covers fell down to my waist. My body was dressed in a black nightgown, with most of the chest being revealed.

I jumped out of the bed, landing heavily on the cold wooden floor. “Ow!” I squealed as I slowly stood up. With my whole body seemingly rendered uncertain, I waggled and almost fell again, catching myself on the same purple curtains. I looked around, trying to identify the room I was in. I bit my lower lip, the grip tightening as I’d never been in such a room before. Massive would be an understatement. This was easily the size of a whole classroom, and with more space to spare. The bed I was in, likewise, could fit an entire family with comfort. Shades of purple painted the walls as a single lamp lit up the room. The decoration seemed typical of the nobility, including high end mirrors, shiny wooden desks and wardrobes, and even a hanging chandelier. I made my way towards the window, grabbing the thicker curtain as I stared into the distance.

Out of nowhere, the sound of breaking glass made me take a step back. For a second, what used to be a normal window was now broken, its shards scattered all over the floor. However, as soon as I’d blink, it would all be back to normal. I shook my head, feeling my hair moving with me. I once again tried to look out of the window, this time being successful at doing so. My left hand touched the cold glass as my eyes seemingly were glued to the image. A forest in the distance caught my view, alongside what seemed to be the walls of a castle. I was so high off the ground that I could even see the nearby town, or city, or whatever it was. Houses of all shapes and sizes, even some residential buildings and most likely business towers. A whole aura of darkness enveloped the place, yet it felt as if it was embracing me, welcoming me.

I took a step back, holding the curtain with all my might, as I turned around to look back at the room. “Where… Where am I?” I felt oddly at home. As if I’d been here before and this was where I came from. Yet it all felt out of place, even if I’d never set foot in this room before. A single object caught my eyes, a cradle. Standing alone with nothing else but a box beside the frame. I walked towards it, my steps echoing against the floor as I leaned against the wall. Using my spare hand, I grabbed at the edge and gave it a soft push. It slowly started to rock, a little melody coming from a speaker underneath the little mattress. While muffled, it was loud enough the help a baby go to bed.

The creaking sound of the door opening made me turn my head toward it. A woman stepped in. “I should get this door oiled up,” she said softly before staring directly at me. “Oh… You woke up.” Beautiful was an understatement. This woman could make the whole world stop if she so desired. She had long and shiny black hair that fell below her waist. It seemed to flow with her movements, adapting to the light in order to produce a glow in it. Pale white skin, with sharp frames at her face, yet her complexion was soft and caring. Although she was surprised, you could see a clear look of happiness in her eyes. Smiling, her bright red eyes stared at me, lighting up my mind. “Hi there, Elizabeth…”

“E... Elizabeth?” I said softly, coughing as the sound of my voice still didn’t sound right in my ears. “Ma’am, I think you’ve mistaken me for somebody else.” I took a step back as I noticed her walking towards me. Something inside of me wanted me to go the other way, to approach the woman and be as close as I can to her. But I fought against these urges, afraid of whatever was going on in here. Sheer fear crossed my face as I glanced at the mirror, revealing a terrified girl. The same girl which I now took hold of her body. “My name is not Elizabeth…” I swallowed some of my accumulated saliva. “I am…” I began to play with my fingers, looking at the floor as the sheer image of the woman made me uncertain of my words. “I am…”

“Geoffrey.” She appeared in front of me, pulling up my chin, making me look back at her. Standing just a bit above my height, she smiled, a warm and welcoming smile that forced me to do the same as well. I looked away, the nervousness returning to my face. “You are mistaken… Your real name is Elizabeth Tenebris, and this right here… is your own room at our castle.” I stepped away from her, covering my eyes and falling down on my knees. “You are my daughter… The princess of the Dark Kingdom.” I stared down at my hands, and indeed shadows started to come out of them, as if they had a mind of their own.

“This… This can’t be…” I said, stammering as I got back on my feet. “I am Geoffrey!” I screamed, my body shaking as this aura of darkness enveloped my body. Afraid of my own body, I ran towards the door, my own feet betraying me as I tripped over myself. Shadows came out of my body, seemingly resembling those of scarves or pieces of clothing. I stumbled to stand up once again; this time a large hallway appeared on the other side of the door. A pair of maids stared directly at me, surprised and shocked at my appearance. Immediately they bowed as if they were in the presence of royalty. “No…” I mumbled between my teeth, running as fast as I could down the hallway.

A seemingly never-ending hallway, or was it just my mind playing tricks on me? Nevertheless, no matter how much distance I covered, I barely seemed to get anywhere. But at last, there was an opening, and I rushed inside trying to hide from the woman who thought she was my mother. I stepped inside, almost falling once again, and shut the door behind me. Taking a break, I rested my back against the door, breathing heavily, trying to calm down. It didn’t help that I’d apparently stepped into a meeting. Two men, both similar to one another, standing near a projection of a map. “Well, hi there…” the one on the right said. With grey hair and the stubble of a beard, he wore a brown trench coat while holding an umbrella in his hand. “I wasn’t expecting you here,” he said while rubbing the back of his head.

“Elizabeth… Are... are you alright?” the other man says, appearing much younger yet with a wise look in his eyes. Red, bright red as well, he smiled at me, lending his hand for support. His face was strong, firm yet gentle. Deep black hair reached his shoulders. A thin yet muscular body, underneath a white shirt and a pair of formal black pants. The suit hanging near a chair beside him. “Hi… Not sure if your mom presented me already, but I’m Vincent… King of the Dark Kingdom and your father. And this is…” My ears completely blocked any sound as I stood up from the floor by myself. Stepping away from the door, I found myself cornered by two other men. My vision went hazy; a shadow covering my eyes made me fall to the floor, passing out.

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The blue victory screen brightened up my whole room. I sighed, quickly going through the after match stuff and ending up back at the party menu. I could hear my friend yawning over the mic. A loud yawn that would wake up anyone sleeping in the room, or in his house. I could see the name tag of my other friend appearing in the lobby; cracking my fingers, I quickly skim over at the results of the previous match. “Come on dude, don’t leave us waiting so long,” our other friend says, letting out a final yawn at the end of his sentence. “We always learn better when we get no sleep during the night.”

I can’t help but chuckle, my other friend doing the same thing. “No, guys… I’ll drop off for the night…” I could see him logging off from the game, and hear him typing at the computer. “You should do too, or else teach will get angry at us.” My other friend followed suit, he however logged off completely from his computer. “Well I guess he’s off. Either way, Sam, you should seriously take a rest, dude. That coughing of yours needs more than a single day in bed. Take care, buddy.” He ended the call, making me stare blankly at the screen.

I removed my headset and tossed it to the side. I let out a soft chuckle, rubbing my eyes and staring blankly at the screen. “Guess I should take a rest,” I said to myself before putting my hands back on the keyboard and mouse and waiting for a new game.

To be continued...