Somewhere in the middle
"I'm sorry you feel that way." Mark said.
"Just how should I handle this, without hurting the people I love most?" said Axel.
"It must be your fate, to decide the path you go down." replied Mark while gazing off. "You're probably right." Axel said. Mark then stood up out the window
"I know I am, for we all go through times of struggle; myself included." he said "I'll keep that in mind." replied Axel as he walked out of the classroom.
Chapter 1:
Trial and Error
My name is Axel Drough, I'm fifteen years old and attend a school out in Japan. I'm an exchange student there for "private" family reasons that are untold of. Currently I live alone in an apartment rented out by my grandfather who allows me to live there. My grandfather gave me this place and pays out the rent so I don't need too being that I'm only a sophomore in high school. My parents split up when I was young and I was sent to live elsewhere because they couldn't handle me. I'm unsure if I have any siblings or if possibly the ways things are meant to be for a reason.
I moved here a little while ago and I really enjoy being independant and the fuss of family drama has totally surpassed me. The japanese culture is quite interesting to me and I find it a great privilege to live here. Though I'm new to the school and have few friends I can get around. The people of Japan are very friendly and they show such foreigners like myself great respect. At school though it's kind of a different story, the other students at the school aren't very fond of my well being. They all see me as "special", and for me I'm not quite sure why. I look normal and seem normal, but who am I to say for myself as my own interests even creep me out a little. I'm very scientific as said by my peers and the teachers there. I love to exercise which could be a big shock to most being that I've usually always have my nose in a book. "Learn", that word has been one word that, and dream that is one hell of a thing to accomplish. It's like you learn one thing then want to learn to another, but can't keep up with yourself. So for me the word "learn" means great honor to not just myself, but honor to my school and more or less a family.
As I awake to the noise of my alarm blaring censored cuss words at me telling me to wake up, I feel off. Like something that usually is here, just isn't. I brush it off and jump out of bed heading straight for the shower. I flip the water to hot and begin to undress as I wait for the water to reach the temperature of that I wish. While waiting I examine myself in the mirror; noticing that I seem to be a lot more built than I was yesterday. "Something isn't right." I tell myself, but then look over to see the shower topping off with hot vapor. I splash water from the sink into my face, and peer back into the mirror. Once again I examine myself, but the sudden feeling of rocks dropping to my stomach caught me off guard. I looked back into the mirror seeing me, but back to normal and with a dark senile look in my eyes. "No...that's not me, that's definitely not me." I told myself, "It looks like me, but I know it isn't. That's someone else."
Interrupted by my phone ringing down the hall set me off and made me panic. Though whoever was on the other side of the mirror was gone without a trace. Coming back to realize that the phone was ringing I ran down the hall to grab the phone.
"Hello?" I answered
"HEY!" the phone screamed
"Who's this?"
"It's me Asa! Couldn't you tell?"
"No, the unpleasant greeting nearly popped my eardrum. Anyway you need something?"
"Yeah, Where are you? Class starts in 15 minutes."
"What!?" I yelled back while glancing over to the clock.
The clock read 7:45 a.m. and I remembered that today was finals,
"Gotta go! See you in class."
Before I knew it I was out the door most likely leaving the door unlocked and possibly the shower still running, but I was running short on time, and needed to get to class. The school is about a mile and a half away from my apartment so I hightailed it. I don't believe I stopped once to look both ways before crossing the street on almost every intersection I ran into.
At last I made it to school and ran up the stairs to homeroom. I barged through the door 3 minutes late and panting like a dog. Sweat ran out of my pores like an overflowing river. My clothes were drenched in the sier smell of teenage boy. At this point I had no care to who smelt the nose clenching aroma. The only thing I cared about was getting to class before roll was taken, and sure enough I'll never make that mistake to take that much time to get ready in the morning again.
"What's up with you?" Asa said.
"Just had sprint a mile and a half." I replied panting and sitting down.
"Hmm hmm! You two done, or do I need to wait?" Mrs. Kunito asked anxiously.
"Sorry ma'am!" Asa and I shot while bowing our heads.
"Well then, what's your deal then Drough?" She questioned.
"Late morning." I replied sighing.
"Interesting, you're lucky I'm in a good mood today or I would've made you clean my whole room being you were late." She said while scolding me.
"Must be then, huh?" I said coughing a laugh
"You smart mouthing me boy?"
"No ma'am! My apologies." I snapped
"Hmm hmm, well let's get started then shall we?"
Chapter 2:
Things begin to cook up
Three minutes remained before school was out, and as usual I had plans to walk Asa home because she lives so far away and it usually gets pretty dark by the time she makes it home. Also she makes me a nice treat and usually we have some tea before I head home to do homework, and have dinner before I settle down for bed. Usually she's very upfront and headstrong about walking home alone saying that she has enough "manpower" to handle anything on her own; also she was in Taekwondo for about a year or two and graduated with a blue belt which is pretty high, but ever since some muggings lately she pleaded that I walk home with her. I had no problem doing that hence I agreed.
The unsettling feeling of my arm being punched thru me off guard making me jump along with the shouting of Asa right in my ear made up for a good combination.
"Hello? Earth to Axel!?" She said
"Oh, excuse me, but what was that for?" I asked
"I've said your name like 4 times, and you didn't reply so… I did the best to get your attention, and as proof shows, it worked." She replied mockingly.
"You could've just poked me on the shoulder you know." I said striking a glare.
"Where's the fun in that then?"
"All I'm saying is that you don't necessarily have to hit me to get my attention, for there are other ways that I'm sure you're aware of."
"Yeah, but in the end I get your attention and that's all that matters. Anyway you ready to go yet? Also I've gotta stop by the store on the way for some groceries, so you can help with that."
"Oh am I like your maid now?" I replied sarcastically
"Guess you could put it like that." She said smiling.
"So how much am I getting paid for this exactly?" I questioned while grabbing my case.
"Let's just say if you help out with this I'll make you dinner tonight then. How's that sound?" She said reluctantly enough.
"Deal me in then!" I shot back while almost immediately jumping to my feet.
"Then we best get a move on."
"Well ladies first." I said as charmingly as I could.
Surely enough she just blushed with the attempt at trying to hide it, but from where I was it was pretty noticeable. Not much interesting was said between the both of us while on our way to the store but the norm which started with the simple question of "So how was your day" then lead to talk about cooking. Asa is a very talented cook and person in general but once she's on a role of the talk of "cook" it's basically best wishes to whom can understand what she's saying because that girl can ramble for hours about the amount she cooks and what's wrong with it and what better to do and blah blah blah blah blah.
Eventually we ended up making it to the food market where in which we both went inside. I only went in because I knew if I didn't come along she'd would've spent to much.
"So what about this one? Do you think it smells alright?" Asa asked while shoving a pepper in my face.
"They all smell the same! It's just a silly pepper, it shouldn't take this long to pick one out." I replied annoyed.
"Axel." She stopped
"Yes?"
"You understand you're gonna be the one eating tonight's dinner. That's why I ask; also the art of culinary is not something to tampered with."
"Here we go again." I thought.
About twenty minutes passed and we had just barely left the store, and was hauling heavy bags of almost every fruit and vegetable found in Japan. Sure it was killing my shoulders but in the end I got to get a nice meal for the night.
Suddenly I was cut off from my gracious daydream of dinner by Asa's dead stop and stare. It took me a minute to realize what she was looking at, but once I found out my heart jumped to my throat. Down an alleyway there was what seemed to be a hairless almost grayish leathery type man or creature that was feeding of a seemingly dead dog. The alley was lit just to the brim with a light hanging stories above. Now almost dark and the moon gaining fast upon us I quickly grabbed Asa's hand with the grocery bag still grasping my hand turning it purple and trucked it down to her house.
We made it in the nick of time just before eight and locked the door behind us. We dropped the bags of groceries on the counter and ran to Asa's room. She flicked that lock on her door I swear to god faster than light, but with the adrenaline pumping I couldn't imagine her not being able to.
I broke the silence with "What was that thing?"
"I don't know, and I don't wanna know." She mustered panickingly almost panting as if she were gonna faint.
"I want you to stay the night Brayden."
I could barely breathe and had to choke on my words to say, "Y-y-yeah no problem."
Chapter 3:
Off the right side
Suddenly Asa leaped from her door landing directly next to my right side, and gripping my arm with both of hers as if I were her bodyguard.
"You gonna be okay?" I asked in a reassuring tone.
"O-oh m-m-me yeah I'm gonna fine. Just spooked you know."
"You sure you want me to stay? I don't mind having to walk back."
"NO!...hmm hmm well I mean it's already dark and I promised you dinner, and it's not like I mind being that I'm the only one that lives here anyway."
"Well….if you insist." I sighed. "Want help with dinner or something?"
"It's fine, I don't want you ruining it anyway. Besides you don't have much experience with cooking."
"Thanks for the reminder." I replied with a closing of rolling eyes.
"For now you go and shower." She said.
"I have no trou-."
"No time for that, just get in there." She interrupted.
I nodded and headed off to the shower looking for a towel on the way there. Convenient enough I found one hanging up by the shower so I decided on using that one. I turned the knob to the shower and steam began to fill the room. Like this morning I began to undress myself, but was stopped dead in my tracks. The mirror once again was glaring me dead in the eye causing my stomach to drop. In the mirror was me, but not. The person in the mirror wasn't me, and before I knew it the man on the other side wasn't moving. Everytime I moved it stood still, but with immense eyes watching my every move. Being as dumb as I am I walked to the mirror, and began to reach my arm to touch it.
"I must be seeing things." I thought to myself.
But what happened next is something I wasn't prepared for. The person on the other side made the quickest move and reached its hand through the mirror and grabbed mine with a firm grip. I started to tug back for my arm, but it wouldn't budge and each time I tried the grip seemed to become tighter eventually leading to my hand being purple. This was beginning to hurt and my hand started to feel as if little needles were just scratching the outer layers of my skin. I grabbed a nearby soap dispenser and squeezed the soap onto my hand allowing me to slip my way out of the grip.
Once I regained control of my hand I looked over to the mirror, but instead of whoever was there being there they were gone. Only thing that was left was words written in the steam on the mirror due to the shower. "Loss of time" is what it read and I personally had no clue to what it meant, but sure enough I wanted to figure it out.
"Hey! You alright in there? You know how to turn on the shower, or am I gonna have to come in there and show you?" Asa asked through the door.
"That won't be necessary, and I'll be out in a few minutes." I shouted back.
"Okay then, I'm gonna start dinner then."
"Cool, thanks again Asa!"
"Sure thing, and make sure you use soap because I don't want to have to smell you all night." She replied.
"And exactly what's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing just hurry alright."
"Sure thing captain!" I chanted.
Soon after I heard Asa's laughs as she walked down the hall and to the kitchen. Still the thought of the previous encounter still had me on edge, and would probably keep me up all night but I would rather be safe than sorry.
About 10 minutes flew by and I had just gotten out of the shower and began to dry myself off. Being perfectly timed I heard the call of dinner was ready.
"Oh crap!" I thought. "What am I gonna do about the clothes situation?"
Best thing to do was to wrap myself well bedded in the towel and haul it to her old parents room to possibly see if there was any of her old dads clothing in the closet by chance. Once I finally grew a pair I did a jog, but with every step I land on my toes suppressing the sound so I wasn't able to be heard as easy. Finally I crept my way to her parents room and headed straight for the closet. I was in a rush because it was already 8:30 and I hadn't eaten yet so I was pretty hungry. I began my search in the far right of the walk-in closet, but as the search went on all that was in there was boxes of old family photos and some gimmicks that Asa probably made as a child.
"Hey Axel?! You okay?" I heard Asa yell down the hall.
"Yep! Just a second!" I yelled back.
Time was running out for it not ending with suspicion and I had to hurry. The best it got to was some old tacky Mickey Mouse pants with a shirt that smelled of English leather reading "I enjoy sitting" but it was all could work with. I walked out to the kitchen feeling a slight tingle of embarrassment in my gut, but all jumped up a level once Asa began to question.
"Are those my dads pants and shirt?" She asked while holding back a smile.
"Weelll...yes, yes they are." I replied looking grim.
"You know, I wouldn't have had you stay over if I knew you wouldn't have had any clothes, that's why I have those." She pointed her finger over to the table wear some underwear, shorts, and a new white shirt lie folded.
"When'd you get those?" I asked.
"My mom always said to keep a spare set of men's clothing around just in case."
"Guess that's convenient."
"Yeah, anyway you bout ready to eat."
"Couldn't have been a better timing because I'm starving."
She giggle and replied with, "Good well I already set you a plate."
"Why aren't you blessing.?" I said with a grin while reaching towards the plate.
While eating we just kind of kept to ourselves as we devoured all that she prepared. Afterward we began to wash up and once a more she had an extra thing or two for me to use which was thoughtful. We washed our hands and I brushed my teeth with one of her extra toothbrushes while she showered after. She instructed that I sleep on the couch which in my case I was perfectly fine with. I lay there not necessarily asleep but with eyes closed just thinking about what I saw earlier. The seeming thought caused my heart to race and my mind to stress, but after awhile I calmed down and thought it would be best to get some sleep. I covered myself in the blanket she provided for me and soon drifted off into slumber…..
I awoke to the loud noise that sounded like the crack of a whip. My eyes shot open and I looked dazed around my surroundings. About 10 seconds passed before I realized I was out in the middle of the street. It was cold and the chilling winds didn't help. I was all dressed still in my PJ's just not at Asa's house. I spun around to see all that was clear and once again something was off. I wasn't on any street that I knew of, but rather a street that had not the slightest hint of life around; just me alone in the chilling breeze under the moonlight. Behind me I heard a chuckle of what seemed to be a man. I turned around and within a blink of an eye I was no longer in the street. For now I was in an old school building.
"No." I thought to myself.
"Is this…?"
Sure enough it was, my school but no longer alive and abandoned by god.
I heard the chuckle of the man once again and looked over to my right for where the noise originated. There was light at the end of the hallway. The light wasn't bright, but it was just enough so I could read out my homeroom number. I figured I should walk towards the light because in movies the main character usually does such things. My shadow followed close behind I began to walk down the hall and into the classroom.
There a man sat in the teachers chair while reading a comic strip from a newspaper article. The man wasn't your average man by any means as he was at least 7-8 feet tall and heavily built. Next to him lay a pile of jolly rancher wrappers with red glowing rod which looked hot to the touch.
"Come in." The man said with a deep voice.
I walked in and the man raised his hand and there a chair slid across from him.
"Have a seat son." He said.
I nervously waddled my way over to the chair and sat down. The man's face seemed rough like as if he had just shaven.
"Axel...right?" He asked with his nose still in the newspaper.
"Y-yeah that's me." I gulped.
"No need to be nervous kid."
With that being said I let out a sigh of relief which wasn't made up for what he said next.
"At least not right now anyway." He chuckled.
"And exactly what's that supposed to mean?" I replied.
Now he closed his newspaper with his truck sized arms and looked me dead in the eye.
"See any signs lately? Anything out of the ordinary happen to you recently by chance."
"You know?" I asked
"Of course I know, for if I didn't you wouldn't be here right now kid."
"They mean anything?"
"Maybe a calling. I believe you seen that before." He said back while getting in closer.
"What am I supposed to do about the "calling" thing."
"Stop it, before anyone you've ever loved, anything you've ever seen is brought to ruin."
"How do I?"
"With your gift." He reassured.
"Gift?! What gift?"
"You may not remember, but you are the son of a powerful element known as Eramosa." He answered.
"Eramosa?"
"The all great embodiment of energy itself. You see the Eramosa is the man who rules all energy throughout all things. Anything you can name, he has the energy that the object obtains. He is the strongest of the 7 creators, but also the most disliked because he has all power to either take or give." He reassured.
"So what does this mean?" I asked.
"Means you are the one to answer to calling." He answered while grabbing the red rod.
Without me being able to reply to the comment he grabbed my wrist and slammed it down on the table. With his rod he slammed it into the palm of my right hand sending excruciating pain up through my arm. I didn't scream, but rather bit my tongue so tightly that I could've ripped it off.
"That creature you saw kid, that's only the beginning. And if you don't act fast they'll kill everyone you've ever loved starting with your friends. Someone's out for you. He said while pushing the rod deeper into my wrist and out through the table."
"Seems your luck is about to end." He spoke once more.
"What's that mean." I grunted out with tears filling my eyes.
"You better get to your friend before it's too late."
"Wha-a!..."
I suddenly jumped back into reality from my dream with sweat rolling down my face. I stood up panting and wiping my face with my shirt from the sweat when from out of the blue I heard a blood curdling scream from Asa's bedroom….