Title: Nobodies and somebodies: The Witches Spell
Genre: Horror/Romance
Rating: K+
"Well, we're all somebody, of course, in one sense.
Of course we are not nobody.
I am not so sure what you think about it, said Mrs. Candy.
I think that in your language, who isn't somebody is nobody."
Susan Warner.
Inspired by Shiki.
It was raining again in the small town of Praeclara where typhoons were more likely in the winter than snow, and hail combined. Even though his adopted brother, Sora made the day feel warming with his bright blue eyes, optimistic attitude, and constant smiles. Today was not the day for the group. Roxas was feeling more irritated by the second, and if Kari said one more thing about how cute the new boys were he might just stick his head into the mud and attempt to drown himself if he wasn't capable of tuning her out so easily.
"Roxas are you listening?" Kari shook him roughly. Roxas hummed looking around. He notice he was at his locker. Roxas quickly adjusted the white dress shirt of his school uniform.
"What?" He queried. Kari scoffed. "Wake up sleepy-head, you seem more tired than Sora today." She poked at his ribs.
"Oh...yeah." He glanced at his brother who was racing his friend Riku to their next class.
"Earth to Roxas." Kari waved a hand in front of his face forcing Roxas to focus. "I was telling you I'm going to go with Sora, and Riku. Bye Roxas."
"Bye" He waved to his friend, and Aqua laughed approaching him with Terra. "Hey Aqua. Terra. Where's Ventus?"
"In the courtyard catching up with an old friend, named Zack." Terra explained.
"Zack is here?" Roxas eyes lit up. Aqua giggled with a nod.
"You should go see him later, but you should get to class. Or do you want to be late again?" Aqua put her hands on her hips.
"Okay, you got me I'll go to class." Roxas backed away holding his hands up in mock surrender. "I'll see you guys at lunch." Roxas ran to music class with his sketchbook in hand. He let out a sigh, relieved, when the bell rang as he sat down in his desk.
"Good job getting to class early this week, Roxas" His art teacher Isa Saïx commented when he did attendance.
"Thank you Mr. Saïx." Roxas beamed at the complement because there were two ways his teacher rewarded students for their actions. They had to scrub the oil, chalk, paint, and charcoal on the floor, scrape the gum from under the table, or sort paperwork according to the offense, or he could do nothing but give out a small compliment and a free day now and then for those who abided by the rules. After getting a dozen paper cuts and peculiar stiffness in his lower back from scraping, and sorting Roxas learned how to limit how many times he's late to class without Aqua's help.
"Today we have a few new students attending our school, so other than that continue as normal." Saïx sat down in his desk pointing who I easily recognized as Zack.
"Hey Zack." I called out beckoning him to the empty seat next to me. He grinned quickly sliding into the chair.
"Hey man." He held out his fist, and we bumped knuckles. Zack was Olette's cousin, Ventus's best friend, and Roxas's only childhood friend growing up.
"Long time no see." Roxas opened his sketchbook pulling out his portfolio that was haphazardly shoved between the pages.
"You bet. How's Cloud?" Zack asked.
"Annoying. Over protective. Pain in the butt." Roxas and Zack chuckled. "How is Leon doing?"
"Same as usual." Zack shrugged. "But he's a little upset mom got remarried."
"Really?" Roxas hummed thoughtfully. "Oh yeah, you're Hayner's new step brother right?"
"Yes. Olette was really happy that her and Hayner were family now." Zack snickered. "Speaking of Olette she was going head over heals for some of the new older students."
"It's annoying. Kari wouldn't shut up about it ether." Roxas grumbled.
"Chill out Roxas. Don't get your panties in a wad just yet. I hear a few of them likes guys." Zack whispered. Roxas laughed.
"That's going to be interesting." Roxas smirked. "I bet some girls are going to be really disappointed." The two boys looked up when the classroom door opened and a red-haired student -and his hair stuck up in all directions fiery and untamed. His jade eyes scanned the faces in the room before landing on Saïx behind his desk.
"Axel, do you have a valid reason for disturbing my class." Saïx asked not looking up from his paperwork.
"Come on Isa, don't be that cold." Axel put a hand over his heart. "It hurts me that you would think I would draw attention to myself."
"Axel your sole purpose in life to draw attention to yourself, and you are not to call me Isa until school hours are over." Saïx retorted not missing a beat.
"Of course my good friend. SO! Isa did you hear?" Axel leaned over his desk.
"No, unless you specify I do not know what you are talking about."
"Hint! It's about the Lose The Heart."
"Their new album."
"Ring, ring, ring. Winner! The release date was pushed up!" Axel exclaimed.
"Lose The Heart's new album came out early." Roxas repeated in an excited whisper to Zack who was showing equal excitement. Roxas and Zack jumped when hands slammed down on their desk.
"What have we here?" Axel lowered him self to eye level. "Fans?" The two stared at him in silence. "Well?"
"Uh yeah." Zack was the first to speak. Roxas was shocked he could hear them from so far away.
"Cool. Then I'll probably see you at the concert!" He ruffled both boys hair. "See you there." He opened the classroom door, but before he opened it he turned around. "By the way the name's Axel. Got it memorized?" He tapped his forehead, and winked. The two nodded dumb folded. Axel left and the class could have sworn they hear Saïx call him an idiot under his breath.
At lunch Roxas sat with Kari, Aqua, Terra, Zack and Ventus with Sora, and Riku absent. Zack was telling everyone about the new sophomore Axel. "Guys I'm going to go to the library." Roxas stood with his lunch tray in hand.
"Roxas you've barely touched your food." Terra narrowed his eyes in concern.
"Not really hungry today." He dismissed his friend's concern.
Aqua frowned. "Roxas this isn't good for you. Remember the last time you passed out in the middle of class because you weren't eating?"
Oh he remembered it all right. He had fainted in the middle of gym, and woke up in his room with a dozen blankets on him and Cloud leaning over him with a worried expression.
"Of course I remember. Cloud threatened to have lunch with me everyday." Roxas chuckled. "I promise to pig out later." He reassured. Roxas left without giving his friends time to respond.
Roxas!" Ventus called out to catch up with his brother. "I'll go with you."
"Okay." They walked side by side book bags swung over their shoulders. Once in the library the two relaxed with books in their hands. "So Ventus." His brother looked up at him. "Why'd you want to come with me?"
"Everyone was gossiping like a bunch of girls, so I left." Ventus shrugged. "Why did you want to leave anyway?"
"Maybe it was to get away from you." Roxas joked. Ventus shook his head. "But does today seem different to you?"
"You feel it too?" Ventus muttered.
"What do you think it is?" Roxas looked at the window, but he couldn't see past the drops of water. "Because it's not just the rain making me feel bad today."
"No, you're always a zombie. But you're not wrong." Ventus followed his brother's gaze to the window. "It feels as if we're being watched." He whispered.
"Do you have any Idea who?"
"No."
"Should we?"
"No, too many people could walk in."
"Behind the bookcase." Roxas whispered. He stood up walking to the bookcase. Moving a few books he looked through the makeshift hole.
"BOO!"
Roxas jumped back, and Axel laughed. "That wasn't funny Axel!"
"You're right. It was hilarious." Axel wiped an invisible tear from his eye. " So what's with all that gloomy talk?" He talked as he walked around the book-case joining the twins at the table.
"It's nothing. Just a feeling." Ventus set his book down. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"Isa said not to joke about monsters in front of the teachers and younger students, so I was looking up stuff about the town legends."
Roxas laughed. "Oh yeah the big spooky monsters that Cloud told us about to behave." Roxas wiggled his fingers.
"Oh yeah Roxas could tell you all about that stuff." Ventus stood. "Free period is almost over, don't be late to class again Roxas." And he left.
Axel raised an eyebrow. "Are you an expert or something."
"Curious is the right word."
"So tell me 'myth expert' about what's so spooky about some old monsters."
"Well the legend says that there was once a little boy who loved to play in the forest. And when this little boy was around extraordinary things would happen. A little girl went into the woods looking for this boy. She found the little boy in the forest next to a stream bed. She ran up to him, and he turned his back to her looking at the water. She stood behind the boy and said. "Little boy, why is it you look at the water, and not my face when I call for your attention?"
And the boy responded; "I turn my face to the water, for if you look into my eyes you would not still be here."
The little girl found this strange, and said; "I do not know if this is a threat, or not, but I hear you do extraordinary things."
"For a price." The boy answered.
"I have heard as much." The girl replied. "But I am willing to do what ever you wish if you would heal my older sister, for she is sick, and will not survive the next winter, and the local doctor will not treat her because she is a Witch."
The boy laughed. "Do anything? Even a child should not use those words lightly. Do you take back your words?"
The girl was getting impatient. "No."
"Then close your eyes, I will take my pay and heal your sister." The boy stood, and the girl closed her eyes. The girl felt the boy embrace her bite her neck, but she did not question him. When the boy finally finished collecting his pay he told her to lead him to her home. The next day the little girl's older sister was healed, and the little girl disappeared into the forest every afternoon to search for tag poles, as she claimed. On a rainy day just like this the men of the village had heard of what the boy did, gathered with all their weapons and marched towards the forest with pitchforks and muskets. They found the girl and the boy sitting side by side as they villagers approached. Their eyes wide, empty, and their heads tilted to the side watching. Watching everything, yet seeing nothing at all.
The Governor's son loaded his musket, and aimed it at the boy. The sound echoed through the entire forest, and reached to remaining villagers ears so that the heavy hand of dread rested on every woman's shoulder's.
It was the girl who was shot. Her carcass in the mud, and the boy behind her. There was an empty look in her eyes. Yet she died with a smile on her face. The little girl's older sister had seen this, and ran towards her dead sister. The woman cursed the men, cursed the village screaming to the sky " Let this be the day that haunts your kin! May your bones turn to dust, and your blood turn to oil! Let the blood flood the rivers, and disease thrive in your livestock!" She turned to the villagers who were panicking at the sight of the Witch. "Hear me with a heavy head! May this be the day when the rain floods the land that the water flows with my sister's blood that the undead rise from their graves and rule the land and feed on your very souls!" The witch tuned to the boy. "Go, but do not travel far, for one day your kind may flourish for it was you who loved my late sister. One day the dead shall live in the land, and you will find love with my the youngest kin when the time comes." She turned to the men. "If you dare dry to put my neck in a noose all will burn all who try to approach my home with the intent of harm." And nether were ever seen again." Roxas finished just as the bell rang.
"Wow." Axel breathed out, impressed. "You really are an expert."
"Nah it's just the Witch in that story is actually my ancestor so I wanted to know why everyone avoided me in elementary school, being the youngest in my family." Roxas shook his head laughing. "Ridiculous right?"
Axel frowned. "Seems a little cruel to me." He rubbed the back of his head.
"You haven't been around here long enough to tell that's just the way it is." Roxas shrugged. "Besides I have a lot of friends now, so it doesn't matter, right?"
Axel held out his hand. "And you have one more to add to the list." He replied with a sheepish grin. Roxas shook his hand despite not being used to the gesture. "You should heed your brother's advise, and try to get to class on time." Axel added ruffling Roxas's hair.
"Hey! What about you?" Roxas walked into the halls with him.
"I have Isa's art class next, so it's no problem." He boasted. Roxas rolled his eyes.
"He'd probably make you scrub the floors just for being late." He punched Axel's arm lightly.
"You wish." Axel poked his side with a laugh. "That reminds me. Ta Da!" Axel put tickets in Roxas's hands.
"Are these concert tickets?" Roxas held the six tickets staring at them in disbelief. It didn't take long for him to notice the decorative heart on them. "For Lose The Heart?"
"You catch on fast for a zombie." Axel teased. "M'hm, and they're backstage passes."
"I could never accept this." Roxas tried to hand them back but Axel shook his head.
"I could get more if I wanted to, me and Demyx are pretty close."
"Wow, you know the lead guitarist too?"
"Of course, we met up in the city before I moved here." Axel explained. "Well this is my stop." He opened the door to the art classroom.
"Bye Axel." Roxas waved, but the red-head stopped grinning widely.
"I see you got it memorized." He said tapping his temple with a wink.
Cloud looked at the tickets, to Ventus, to Roxas, to Zack, to Hayner, to Olette, to Pence, and back at the tickets again. He sighed. "Alright you can go." The six cheered, but Cloud quickly hushed them. "Do you want to wake up Sora?"
"Okay momma bear we won't wake the cub." Zack whispered with a chuckle. Leon rolled his eyes.
"Could you be quiet for one minuet Zack?" He muttered.
"I'm hurt big brother, do you not like the pleasant sound of my voice?" Zack held his hand over his heart.
"After sixteen years- no a day of knowing you, your voice is no longer pleasant."
Cloud smirked. "Who would have had guessed Squall would be able to joke around like that."
Leonheart let out an annoyed huff. "Must have had been an annoying habit I picked up from you."
"Too bad my good looks didn't rub off."
"For people who were supposed to be close friends during high school they sure are cold." Pence whispered to Roxas who snickered.
"This is their way of flirting." He joked. Of course his brother, and Leon would be cold. Both were always serious, and Cloud was never seen without his long black one sleeved coat, and Leon usually wore his leather half jacket, pants, and belt.
"What?" Both men turned to Roxas with stoic expressions. When Roxas saw their faces were vacant of any emotion he laughed nervously taking Ventus's wrist.
"See you guys later." He waved rushing outside. With the two glaring as he left.
Pence, and Olette panted trying to keep up with Roxas's speedy pace.
"So where is this concert anyways?" Hayner asked Zack who was smiling widely.
"In the spooky dark forest." He answered hoping to get some scares. Sure enough Pence audibly gulped.
"In the forest? Won't we get lost?" He almost whimpered.
"Cool." Hayner stretched out his arms.
"Don't tell me you still believe those stories Pence." Ventus teased.
Pence shook his head. "No I'm just worried." He casted a discreet glance at Roxas, but Roxas noticed anyways.
"No promises." Roxas said with a cheeky grin casing Pence, and Olette to cast worried glances at each other. Despite Pence's worries there was a spot next to the graveyard that was brightly lit and a booth near the common entrance to the forest.
"Tickets please." A woman who looked like she could be a band member herself with black hair, black fishing net dress, and bright red eyes. Roxas gave her the tickets, and she put wristbands on all of them. "Follow the lights and enjoy the concert." Ventus thanked her, and the group moved on. With only white tree lights, and occasional fireflies The group got Goosebumps hearing the night noises. On the walk they heard a wolf howl and Roxas found the scare exhilarating. They finally came to a crowd, and a stage with bright lights all around it. It's wasn't hard to find Axle once Roxas found a speck of orange in the crowd.
"Axel!" Roxas called.
The red-head turned his green eyes lighting up once he saw Roxas quickly making his way towards him. "Roxas, nice to see you came, and you brought your friends too!" He bellowed trying to make himself heard since one of the band members had come on stage, he had a long dark blue coat on with ripped sleaves. Roxas recognized him as Zexion. "We're getting started soon, why don't you and your friends join us in the back!"
"Cool! I've never been backstage before!" Zack exclaimed.
Backstage was actually a large white tent with furniture and food inside it. A dirty blonde was standing in front of it watching the water in a nearby streambed. "Demyx! You didn't have to wait for me." Axel joked approaching the guitar player.
"I didn't even know you had left." Demyx replied. He glanced at the group of juniors' behind Axel. "So these were the kids you were talking about. I'm Demyx, but I'm sure you already know." He studied Roxas and Ventus closely. "Whoa, you're twins!" He exclaimed. Roxas and Ventus glanced at each other.
"Demyx." Isa opened the tent flap staring the guitarist down. "You're making it impossible to read."
"Lighten up Isa!" Axel patted his friend on the back. "If we wanted to be quiet Xemnas would have had started a Jazz band."
"Thank you for the suggestion Axle, for if I had done that you wouldn't be bothering my clients and I so often." A man with long white hair, and topaz eyes in a black tailored suit smiled at Axel from behind Isa.
Axel laughed putting his hands up. "Whoa the boss man made a comeback! You got me there." The four chuckled. Axel stepped behind Roxas with a wide grin. "How rude of me, This is Roxas, Ventus, Zack, Hayner, Olette, and Pence. I only know Roxas, but they're his friends."
"Oh yes Roxas Saga, I have heard much about you from the other locals." Xemnas nodded. "Come inside , and we'll talk further." Inside the tent is was even grander. There were two couches on two sides facing each other with a glass table in between, lamps, and a food table in the back.
"Hey Roxas, Axel told me you know about all the legends of this town, can you tell me one?" Demyx asked ask he lazily threw himself on the couch. Everyone sat too eager to hear what Roxas would tell.
"Um okay." He thought for a moment. "In the Village the Witch lived alone in her house on the hill-top. By this time her other siblings were already old, and had children of their own."
"I got this part" Hayner grinned continuing the story. "And the Witch kept her word, for when anyone who wanted to kill her turned to ash on her doorstep."
"But one day a man with roses proclaimed his love for her was true." Olette called out.
"And she cautiously let him in, and there their love bloomed." Pence added.
"And he told the villagers that what he found was not a cauldron, and bottled eye of newt." Ventus chimed in.
"But a beautiful widow, who was lonely in her little house on the hill." Roxas sighed. " There she explained what really happened to her sister. So the man told the villagers that the Witch did not deserve the harsh treatment, not at all. They reacted bitterly and spat in his face "she cursed our women, our children, and our wives. She cursed our livestock, our land, and out lives, and you claim that she should just be accepted?!"
"Yes!" The man cried. "You've killed a child! Her sister no less. You all would've done the same if it had been your sons, I bet!" But the poor love-sick man did not understand the fear in their hearts, he was locked away, and sent to be hanged, and on the very next day there was a wolf in his place. Not knowing what to do with they animal, they let it go free. The wolf scratched on the Witch's door, she opened it fell to her knees and begged for its forgiveness. The wolf nuzzled her in the crook of her neck, as if to say it was all okay, and they both watched the full moon that night."
"On stage in five." Someone called out.
Demyx stood up and stretched with a yawn. "Cool story, well I'll be seeing you guys after the show." He waved goodbye to them leaving the tent. A blond-haired girl with blue eyes stood, wearing a black tank top and purple ripped jeans stood by the tent flap. "Cool story twit, did your grandma tell you it?"
"No I found it in the town hall." Roxas answered as seriously as he could, hoping it would make her mad.
She rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
"Interesting story." Xemnas stood. "Much different from the stories I've heard about the traditional werewolf."
A blonde with a black beanie snorted crossing his arms over his chest, he was wearing a sleeveless white coat, and blue shirt lines with white that didn't fully cover his stomach. "Lame. That wasn't even scary, later chicken-wuss"
"Shut it Seifer." Axel snapped. The two glared at each other before Seifer turned to leave the tent.
"Please excuse Seifer, he really means no harm, and isn't young man once you get to know him, but sadly I can not say the same for Loraxane. The woman is a rattle snake who bites before the warning." Xemnas shook his head. "But do not worry about her, I will talk to her afterwards."
They stood close to the stage despite the two band member's rudeness they all cheered for the band. Roxas found it strange that the lead singer Zexion was not with them in the tent, but Roxas dismissed the thought since he was probably still talking to the crowd while they were backstage. He did notice something else that made his skin crawl. Axel was sitting off to the side almost concealed from sight staring at him with empty eyes deep in thought.
"It's really wonderful to be able to be a nobody,
and then have a moment when I can be a somebody,
and then go right back to being a nobody again."
Natalie Merchant