Hero
"Will come on or you will be late for school." A boy about the age of 15 walked down the stairs in his freshly ironed school uniform and his black school shoes which were gleaming because of how much shoe polish were on them.
"Sorry for taking so long." Will said then he kissed his mum "Pauline" and his dad "Halt" before he started his walk for school
When he walks home from school he would usually stop at the local post office. So he could buy a snack with what was left of his lunch money. But he mainly goes there because he has a crush on a girl that goes to school with him works there called Alyss. Alyss actually fancied Will herself. She thought he was quite charming and hoped that one day he would ask her out. Alyss herself was 15 but she only worked there because her mum and dad owned the place.
"Hello Will, how are you today? And that will be 65p please." Will handed over the money and said whilst blushing slightly.
"I'm fine thanks. Just a bit tired from school is all. And what about you?" Alyss replied
"Good thanks, now you better go home or your parents will start to worry." After waving goodbye Will strode out of the post office with a smile plastered on his face which reached his ears mainly because he got to talk to Alyss. Alyss just sat there and dreamt of how life would be if Will and her were together. Will was always so cheerful and happy that he could put a smile on the most grumpy and sourest person in the world. She loved that about him.
Will strode through the front door and enveloped his dad a huge bear hug driving the air from Halt's lungs. Then proceeded to let a tsunami of questions flood from his mouth. His father on the other hand just sat wide eyed staring at him trying desperately but to no avail to answer all the questions his son bombarded him with. Seemingly without taking a breath.
"I'm off to get a cup of coffee and speak to mum. Would you like a cup of coffee too dad?"
"Yes please son thank you." He nodded his head and went into the kitchen.
"Hi mum. How are you?"
"Wha…Oh sorry sweetie. What did you say?" Pauline said averting her gaze from the swing set in their back yard. Will repeated his question and Pauline said
"I'm good dear. Sorry I was just daydreaming a bit." Turning her attention back to the swing set whilst Will filled the kettle. Will thought about what happened and couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"There must be something wrong because I've never seen mum daydreaming before in my life." Will said under his breath so his mum couldn't hear what he said.
Later in the evening Will was in his bedroom reading his favourite book "The Ranger's Apprentice: Ruins of Gorlan" he was reading his favourite part of the book where the characters are fighting a monster.
"And then strangely, he let the weapon fall from his grasp and stood before the monster, totally at its mercy as the power of the Kalkara's gaze, now channelled through its one good eye, robbed him of his will and ability to think." At that moment Halt walked into the room with a face of concern that only parents could have. He walked over and sat on the edge of his bed and just as Will opened his mouth to voice a question he motioned for him to be quiet, then he spoke.
"Listen lad me and your mum will be taking you to school and back again because a very dangerous criminal called Morgarath has escaped the prison here on the Isle of White, and we want to make sure that you're safe. OK"
"Okay dad, but as long as I still get to go to the post office after school" he said He notice his dad chuckled a bit because he knew that Will had a crush on the employee called Alyss. He then said
"Yes that's fine. I bet Alyss would be upset if you stopped going."
"What do you mean by that?" Will said whilst blushing.
"Oh nothing, night son."
"Night dad."
Will and Pauline were on their way home from school when they stopped at the post office to buy a snack. But Will thought something was off.
"It is too quiet in here" he thought to herself. He walked round one of the shelves then he seen the employees. Hands tied and sitting on the floor. He could sense the fear gushing from every part of their body's. As if the devil himself appeared and condemned them all to hell. He saw Alyss sitting there and his heart broke seeing this.
That's when he seen him. Morgarath. He stepped out of the back room with his gun raised to Will. Now it was Will's turn to feel fear. As Morgarath walked closer that's when Pauline entered the post office. Morgarath yelled at her to get on the ground. But she didn't listen and his parental instincts kicked in and he ran to try to protect Will. SMACK! The next thing Will saw was his mum unconscious on the floor. Will tried to speak but couldn't he was paralyzed by fear. He felt like he was staring into the eyes of the Kalkara. Morgarath told Will to stay where he was or he would kill him. But when he turned away something happened to Will. Inside him. He felt he could do some to stop this if not to save himself but to save his mum, Alyss and all the other workers.
Next thing he knew he had lunged at the criminal and tried to grab the gun from him. He was wrestling Morgarath for the gun. It happened so fast that he didn't realize that he had his finger on the trigger. And after one final tug. BANG! He had shot him accidentally. He back away quickly until he bumped into the wall and he just stared at the motionless corpse with shock, fear and grief flooding his body overwhelming him making him feel sick. Then the metallic smell of copper filled the room as the crimson red liquid was gushing from the body. Will collapsed to the floor with his back against the wall. He put his head in his knees as he felt tears begin to form in his eyes. As he sat there crying he could hear the employee called Horace say that he was his hero. But Will thought to himself "I certainly don't feel like one."
A few weeks after the event Will was praised by everyone for his "heroic" deed. But none of that made him feel better he still killed a man. He had put off going to the post office and had avoided Alyss at school because he feared she would hate him for killing someone.
The next day on the way home form school he thought to himself "I have to go to the post office and face my fears I have to see them and apologise to Alyss." Because he was in the car with Halt and Pauline he said.
"Mum, Dad can you take me…uhh to the post office."
"What! Are you sure son?" Halt asked. Will nodded his head and said as bravely as he could.
"I have to get over it one of these days. May as well do it sooner rather than later." With that Pauline looked at Halt who looked back at her and she mouthed the words "He's brave isn't he" Halt nodded and headed towards the post office.
They arrived at the post office and Will said
"Can you two wait here I have to do this on my own." They nodded and he walked towards the entrance. He entered the post office and went towards the counter where Alyss usually was. But instead he met her father who looked at the boy and a smile appeared on his face. "Will I cant begin to thank you enough for what you have done for us. You saved our lives and we owe you ours" the man said. Will just stared at him and then stared at his shoes with a crestfallen look on his face.
"What's wrong lad" the man said.
"I bet I've screwed up my chances with Alyss haven't I" Will said.
Alyss' father gave Will a confused look and said "What do you mean by that?"
"Sir I have always loved Alyss and now that I have killed another man I bet she thinks of me as dangerous or disgusting for doing what I did when I just acted out of instinct. So I don't think I could ever ask her out knowing what I did and how she thinks of me." At this a grin spread across Alyss' fathers face and he said
"Well my boy its just quite the opposite. Alyss loves you as well you know. And she loved you way before what happened a few weeks ago. If anything what you did greatly increased her love for you because you saved her." At this Alyss who had been listening in on the conversion form the back room ran out and threw herself into Will's arms sobbing quietly not because she was sad but because her saviour was here, the man she loved and the man she now knew loved her as well. Her father stepped out to give them privacy.
Will just stood there. Holding her in his arms gently but as if he would never let her go. She then raised her tear streaked face and said whilst staring into his bright brown eyes.
"Will I love you with all my heart." Wills heart skipped a beat and said
"Alyss I love you to, more than you could ever know and I will never let you go or let harm come to you." As soon as he had finish she pressed her lips to his. They never parted until they needed to breath. And when their lips finally for the last time Will said quietly almost as a whisper into her ear.
"I love you Alyss."