He stared out the window of the train. It wouldn't really matter whatever he did; they were all too focused on looking after his 'pitch perfect' brother. However sorry his parents felt for him, it wouldn't change anything now. He hated them and he wasn't going back now. How many hours had passed in the somewhat comforting loneliness? The only person that he could actually have positive feelings towards was the girl that his brother had stolen from him. It wasn't like he even liked her. His brother had just done it to make his life miserable. He'd be getting off soon anyway.
The building he was heading to would surely hold a better life for him. Even though it was run by a ghost woman, it was better than living with his monstrous family. Anything was better. He gingerly raised a mangled hand to the bloody patch on his face. A replay of the incident replayed in his hurt mind. His brother and his parents had accused him of breaking into the secret money stash. He hadn't done it, but they didn't believe him. From then, they had covered his mouth with duct-tape, beat both his hands with planks of wood and had finished up by burning the side of his face with a candle-lighter. He'd been thrown out of the house, with everyone calling him a good-for-nothing pest.
He stepped off the train at Void's Point. He was the only one there, apart from a purple man with a green hard-hat. When he peered closer, it seemed that the man was faceless. Not that this unusual feature bothered him. He himself wasn't exactly normal. A pickaxe was in the man's hands, which were moving to and down, ploughing through a thick layer of rock.
"Hi," greeted the miner. "I'm supposing that you're looking for my friend? Krobelus? Miss Krobelus, I think you call her? The only people who ever come here are the Runaways and me. I'm Darkterror, nice to meet you. I already know who you are, you were on the Deathly Prophet." Darkterror held out a grotty copy of the old-fashioned newspaper for him to read. Across the top of the page, the headline 'Domestic Violence towards Demon' had been scrawled.
"Um, yeah, that's me," mumbled the teenager in embarrassment. He leaned in closer to see what the article had to see. It contained nothing but lies. "It's me, but the content is screwed up. Do you know the way to 87 Avernus Drive? I was told that Miss Krobelus lived there by a Shendelzare of some sort. Do you know who she is? Sure didn't seem friendly, but she knew where she was going. Do you have a map or, uh..." He trailed off in timidity.
"I'll take you there," offered Darkterror politely, before hearing a grateful thanks from the disowned boy. "Here, you look starved. Have something to eat." Darkterror held out a blue mantle that contained a small supply of Moon Shard lettuce. "Shendelzare's a trusted assistant of Miss Krobelus. A little mad, yes, but I guess that's because of her tough history with the goddess, Scree'auk. She had it rough. But there are always heroes like Aiushtha to cheer the ones like her up. Aiushtha can cheer anyone up."
He decided to trust Darkterror. The faceless miner seemed about as kind as his family was mean. They soundlessly trudged through the Nightsilver Woods for lonely hours, before hearing an eerie echo. Something thin whistled past the burnt side of the boy's face.
"By the name of the moon goddess Selemene, who goes there?!" yelled a feminine voice from the gloom. A shape like a man and a beast began to emerge from the shadows cast by the eternal moon provided by the magical woods. But this wasn't a man. It was a young woman about his age. The princess finally made a proper appearance, revealing her fair skin and high cheekbones. Brunette hair gracefully cascaded down to the middle of her back which was covered by a silken blue dress from Black Arachnie's Mart. A bow rested in her perfect hands and a quiver has been attached to her white mount tufted with more blue.
Beside the pretty princess was another rider. This one had bubblegum blue hair and rare violet eyes. Small hints of freckles were scattered across her face, which was kept safe by a helm. She was comfortably fitted into a matching tracksuit with trims of black. However, this rider didn't have a bow in hand, she instead clutched a steel glaive. Her mount was black and covered in armour that matched its owner.
"Oh look," whispered the second rider in a Scottish accent. She glared at Darkterror in annoyance. "More meat for Nova to play with. More people." The first rider jabbed a manicured finger at Darkterror. The boy felt a twinge in his heart. He'd seen the first rider before, hadn't he?
"You!" growled the first rider. "Yes, you, Mr Darkterror! According to my buddy Luna, you stole from our ripe harvest of Moon Shard lettuce! And according to our records," The first rider took out a papyrus scroll and unravelled it. "There is no evidence that you're entitled to our crops. Your form of stealing will be punished by death!"
"W-w-w-what? Me steal? I didn't take anything!" protested Darkterror. "You've gotta believe me, I'm totally innocent! The Moon Shard lettuce was offered to me by a traveller! His name was Banehallow! He was a lycanthrope!"
Luna's accent grew more steely. "Shut up! Haven't you got better things to do than trust werewolves?" she muttered in disbelief. "Honestly! I get that you're poor and all, but to steal from the moon goddess is unacceptable! Don't you agree, Mirana?"
So that was who she was! Mirana, the girl that his brother had taken away! He couldn't let her do this to his guide though. She took aim, her deadly lunar-ore tipped arrow pointed at Darkterror's chest, which had tightened in fear. Even though reading the miner's expression was as hard to read as living with his family, he could tell that Darkterror was as frightened s he was hurt. He hadn't seen Mirana for a long time, but why was she suddenly do dedicated to the moon? Had she been prowling the Nightsilver Woods when he had been rejected? Nothing made sense at all.
"Any last words, mutt?" Mirana growled fiercely. It was unusual to hear such an unladylike sound coming from the princess. Darkterror, being obedient on his part, raised his hands, preparing himself for the worst. The killing arrow was raised a little higher and Mirana tightened her grip on the bow. Darkterror braced for the impact.
"Wait! Stop!" yelled Luna. Mirana sighed with anger, still breathing hard. She lowered the arrow. Her eyes looked ready to kill. Darkterror slowly let his arms drop and his breathing slowed down a bit. "Who's the battered up dude with him? Isn't h-"
"Shut up Luna, you might as well get an aeroplane, put your words on a banner and tag it to the tail, or whatever it's called." hissed Mirana. Her pale face had reddened, but he couldn't tell if it was because of anger or embarrassment. Her piercing eyes locked with his for a brief moment and she put the arrow back in her quiver. "I'll spare the thief then..." These words seemed to be addressed to herself only, but he could still hear them. Suddenly, Mirana reverted to her agitated mode. "Alright, we won't kill you. Only because of the other dude. Where are you travelling to? I was actually on my way to Miss Krobelus's Home for Runaway Heroes. Just met Luna. Said that she knew the way to 87 Avernus Drive. And you?"
"Um, that's a coincidence, because Darkterror was just leading me there." he murmured shyly. His guide smiled upon him. He didn't know what to say though, with Mirana and some rebel girl called Luna in front of him. Mirana was his brother's girlfriend, last time he checked. That wasn't a topic that he was fond of, but he recalled the last time when his parents had sent him to the school counsellor, Mr Nerif. What had Mr Nerif said? Something about talking to people more and making more conversation. Something about being less anti-social. "What happened to my brother?"
There was no reply. Luna and Mirana had already faded back info the shadows. Darkterror looked up at the full moon and then at his outdated watch, which showed 11:47. There were still another thirteen minutes until midnight. What they needed was rest. They could finish the long journey tomorrow. He gathered a handful of leaves that had left the trees bare and placed them over the teenager like a blanket. All was peaceful on his life for once. Or at least for 16 minutes and 48 seconds. A long, drawn out howl pierced through the sky.
Darkterror bolted upright and turned around. Bloodshot yellow eyes stared back at him. Dread washed over him and he looked back at the sleeping teenager. This was Banehallow, the werewolf that had so kindly given him the Moon Shard lettuce. More yellow orbs were visible in the now and the pack of wolves started racing at them. Darkterror didn't hesitate to wake him up. Once he was conscious to the situation, they started running. The problem was that the fiery footprints left by the boy were giving the werewolves clues to their whereabouts.
"Attack!" It was a voice that he didn't recognise, but hoped belonged to someone willing to aid them. Darkterror grasped the teenager tightly as he took a peek from their hiding place. A greenish light was glowing on the mists like a pack of fireflies. Purple particles danced the ground and out was easy to make out two wispy hands. The claws were raised and an army of savage bats shot forward. The wolves fell one by one and Darkterror ducked back down to avoid the beasts.
"Hey, come out of there, you," grunted someone from behind them. Darkterror turned around to see Shendelzare, growing impatient. "Come on, we don't have all day!" She pointed to the greenish glow in the distance. "In case you didn't know, me and Miss Krobelus just saved you from those mutts. So? What are you even waiting for?" Darkterror obeyed his orders, carrying the soon-to-be Runaway and fled out of the Nightsilver Woods, with Miss Krobelus now following him.
"Dear, you really need to be more careful with the new Runaways... the Nightsilver Woods are unsafe, you know." sighed Miss Krobelus. Darkterror, who was adjusted to her Frenchy talk and ghostly voice nodded in shame and apologised as Shendelzare threw a dirty look at him. Miss Krobelus looked at her in disapproval of glaring, before gliding into the midnight fog. On the other side of the Nightsilver Woods, they came to a spider-web covered tin shed. "A good friend of mine lives in the tin." she explained. "We'll rest and have breakfast tomorrow here." With a gentle push, the door creaked and swung off its hinges. "Oops."
The party stepped inside the shed. Crumbling but delicate lace dangled from cupboards and assorted dead flowers sadly drooped from the muddy-water filled pots. Pincushions were scattered across the Persian carpet and the metal was rusty and po rain-bitten. Krobelus and Darkterror were both familiar with the dirty place and went out through a hole in the back. The sight outside was the opposite of the inside. A hooded figure was harvesting ripe Soul Booster berries from an abundant orchard with a blue dagger. Watering cans with fountain-water beginning over the edge flanked the fenced sides. Sparkling lakes flowed past the farm and lush Orchid Malevolences blossomed in their wake. It was pitch black, but the garden still had a jolly feel to it.
"Hello Monsieur Abaddon, long time no see," greeted Miss Krobelus, curtseying slightly. "Why up so late? We were hoping for a place to stay until six in the morning." Two blue lights flickered in the distance from under the hood. Dark mists wafted in the air and surrounded the group. The blue lights, which were eyes, flew like fireflies up to Krobelus and squinted at her.
"Who is it? Krobelus? Is that you?" whispered a deep, husky voice. The eyes peered closer, still detectable in the thickening mist. "Oh, so it is. According to the Third Edition of a Gardener's Guide, I have to harvest Orchid Malevolences within the first hour of the day. "That's why I'm harvesting them now. I'm taking them to the market later." Abaddon pulled out another one of the glowing red crops and stuffed it into a punnet on the ground. "Make yourself at home."
Miss Krobelus turned back to Darkterror. "Me and Shendelzare have to get back to the group. It's going to be a long journey. You are to stay with Abaddon; you and the boy. Poor darling-" Miss Krobelus caressed his face with her wispy talons. "You need rest. Tomorrow at six in the morning sharp, you are to come with him to 87 Avernus Drive. Afterwards, return to Void's Point. Just Timewalk there. Do you understand? Take care of him, okay?" Darkterror nodded firmly and confidently. Krobelus smiled and kissed him on the cheek, causing a faint blush to appear. He bid Krobelus and Shendelzare goodbye and heaved the sleeping boy inside. He cautiously placed him in one of the moth-eaten mattresses covered and relaxed. He himself needed some rest. Darkterror sprawled across the floor and let the fatigue take him.
The next morning, Darkterror and the boy woke up to the sound of the rooster on the farm. In front of them, Abaddon had prepared a nutritious salad containing Tango, Enchanted Mango, Moon Shard lettuce and Wind Lace dressing. The farmer was currently carrying sacks full of Orchid Malevolences onto his mysterious steed of mist. After the two had finished their breakfast, they thanked Abaddon and exited the tin shed, heading into the open. They crossed rivers, walked through mountain-ranges and trudged through underground tunnels with abandoned train-tracks.
"Uhhh, I'm, uh, tired now. Are we nearly, ugh, there yet?"
"Almost. Just through this last tunnel. Raigor Stonehoof, the champion of basketball once told me a shortcut through here," replied Darkterror. He planted his boots into the moist dirt and continued on. The boy slowly trailed behind him, leaving his trail of fiery footprints behind. "Watch this!" Darkterror shifted some of the dirt on the walls, revealing limestone letters that read 'EARTHSHAKER'. Darkterror picked up a filthy stick from the ground and traced the letters with it. "Hold on tight!" The ground underneath them began to shake. Even though he knew that it would look ridiculous, the boy clutched onto Darkterror for support. The ground that they were standing on rose from the rubble, roots splitting. He had to admit, it was actually quite enjoyable. He released Darkterror from his grip, realising he was now in different surroundings. He had finally reached his destination.
"Oh, it's the little boy." The voice of Miss Krobelus echoed through the damaged door. How did she know that they were there? "Come in." The door opened and Miss Krobelus made an inviting gesture to him. Darkterror smiled and gently herded him inside his new home. "Goodbye, friend. Timewalk back to Void's Point." Miss Krobelus blew a kiss to Darkterror as he faced the other direction getting ready to Timewalk. Another moments and he blurred like a faulty hologram entering an invisible rip in the world. He watched as a spider scuttled across the floorboards and was squished by a black and red boot. Miss Krobelus looked up and saw the hard glare belonging to Shendelzare. Shendelzare muttered about pesky, eight-legged pests and stormed into her room, leaving Miss Krobelus to bury her head in her hands. She had forgotten how easily aggravated Shendelzare could get. She turned to him. "Your room's upstairs on the far left."
He dragged the suitcase upstairs, collecting a lot of dust particles on it on the way. He unloaded the contents and neatly folded them into a pile. He had gotten a lot of practice from doing all the chores for his stupid family. As the last shirt was folded, someone knocked on his door. He almost shouted 'go away' due to the amount of times his brother had broken into his room whilst he was writing in his diary, but stopped himself. Instead, he walked over to the door and opened it. What he saw was the definition of over-optimistic. What he saw was like looking into a mirror, where his reflection was warped. The visitor smiled like a star and brushed a red curl out of her eye. His instincts told him that she looked friendly enough. Was this the Aiushtha that Darkterror had referred to?
"Hello, I'm Aiushtha and I'm here to make your day!" Her beam extended. He began to think that if her optimism was converted to money, he'd have enough to buy some compassion from his family. But that would never even happen. He made a lame attempt to smile back at Aiushtha, but was whisked away by the bundle of joy. She brought him downstairs and playfully forced him into a chair, where he practically had a psychology appointment with her. He figured that he was able to put his trust into her and told her about his painful past. Numerous times he almost faltered and broke down, but Aiushtha kept him from breaking. He'd never had a friend, only enemies. And he'd had a crush, but she was out of reach already. By the end of the session, he and Aiushtha had become firm friends, but her presence didn't stop him from being gloomy. Nothing did. He wasn't hungry, so he trudged back to his room, resuming that moment of peace, eventually getting some more sleep and dreaming.
It's Book Week. He's at school, aged ten or eleven. Alone, sitting on a wooden log. Watching the popular girl, Mirana and her followers, Nessaj and Clinkz. He bites his lip and looks down at his regular school uniform and back at Mirana's costume. Who is she? He isn't a bookworm, so he doesn't know. They're coming his way. He jumps into a hiding spot, offered by a bush, to avoid embarrassment in front of his dream girl. He breathes a sigh of relief, for he's safe now. There's only one thing he forgot about. His brother.
"Yo! Mirana! Looks like another mutt wants you!" yells his brother. He face-palms with despair. Mirana, Nessaj and Clinkz sashay forward and discover him in the bush. He suddenly feels like a rat trapped in a corner by a prize cat. Nessaj crudely holds up his pretend bow and inexpertly points his fake arrow at him. Clinkz, who is more skilled at archery, hoists up his pretend weapons and directs the blunt arrow at his chest. "By the way, love your Katniss Everdeen costume." adds his brother. Mirana only nods and copies Clinkz. The four of them laugh in amusement and he feels the years welling up in his eyes. He runs into the bathrooms, locking himself up in a cubicle until the end of lunchtime.
He woke up in fright, the memory coming back to him.