This is Luka's story. But before I read W3H. Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer - I am NOT Lynette Noni

Luka's Story

"Luka! Come help me make chocolate cookies!" I scramble off my bed and run down the steps to make sure my little brother Jordan isn't doing something dangerous. Our parents don't look after us and Jordan's only 4, the light of my life. He's funny, mischievous and a fun person to be with. But he's also a stickler to the rules and obeys mom and dad way too much.

"Come on Luka! I want to eat them as soon as possible. I'm hungry!" I might've forgotten to mention something else about him. He's very impatient. "Finally! You took forever to get here!" He makes the word forever last forever that I start to laugh. "What? What's so funny?" I can't stop the giggles and he starts to tear up. I stop laughing.

"Hey. What's the matter?"

"You were laughing at me. I don't like it when people laugh at me." His tears are flowing down his cheeks now so I scoop him up. Tipping him upside down, I tickle his sides, careful not to drop him on his head. His sad tears soon turn into tears of laughter. Putting him down, he falls to the ground with laughter.

"Ok, Mr Hungry. If you're so hungry, let's make those cookies." That gets him off the floor and getting the ingredient out of the cupboard. As he gets the ingredients out, I hum our favourite song. It's by a band called Myths and Meyarins. They named themselves that after the myth of the Meyarins, the race that no one knew really existed.

Forever forever,
It's a very long time.
Nothing can ever sever,
It's an endless rhyme.

Infinity infinity,
It's a very long time.
Nothing compare to its divinity,
It's an endless rhyme.

Eternity eternity,
It's a very long time.
Nothing is its enemy,
It's an endless rhyme.

I stop singing when I hear the back door close. Jordan looks up from sitting in front of the oven and starts to run into the hall.

"Mommy! Daddy! You're home!" I stay behind him. My parents don't like us. They shun me and then shun Jordan for fear he has what I've got.

"Hello Jordan. Where's your brother? Your father and I need to speak with him." I'm hanging behind the corner so when our mother asks to see me, I step out from where I'd been lurking.

"Ah! Luka. Your father and I need to speak with you." Jordan looks from one person to the other. "Alone, Jordan. Alone." Father says. Jordan looks disappointed so I decide to make him happier.

"Hey buddy. Let's get some dillyberry juice and cookies and I'll set up a movie for you. How's that sound?" I suggest. Jordan's mood picks up and he nodded happily. Taking the cookies out of the oven, I place them on a plate and get a mug from the cupboard, filling it with dillyberry juice. Taking the food upstairs with Jordan getting under my legs wasn't easy.

"Jordan! Stop getting under me. You'll make me spill everything. Go on up and pick a movie." Jordan smiles and obeys. When I reach the top of the stairs, I head toward the mini movie theatre. Jordan's already there, holding the movie menu.

"I want to watch The 6 Deaths. Please Luka! Let me watch The 6 Deaths." He sits on his knees and holds his hands like he's praying. "Please Luka! Please!"

"Jordan! You know you can't watch that!" He actually looks sad when I tell him.

"Awww! Why not? I'm a grown boy!"

"No Jordan! No! That movie is way too violent for you. Plus, it'll give you nightmares." Jordan starts to tear up and I try to find something more suitable for him to watch.

"How about you watch Mr Wow-zers. You love that movie after all."

"How about the Fighter's Test? Can I watch that?"

"Not alone for the first time. Maybe after I finish talking to mom and dad we can watch that together." Jordan looks happy again and I put Mr Wow-zers on for him.

As the overture comes on I slip quietly out of the room. As I shuffle into the dining room, I see that mother and father are already sitting there patiently. Father sees me first.

"Ah! Luka. You're here. Your mother and I have come to a decision. You've not even finished your schooling at Akarnae so I don't think it would matter if we pull you out." My face must've shown my shock for my parents looked at each other and nodded once.

"You… You can't be serious! I want to continue. I need to continue!"

"No. We're dead serious. You'll finish this year and then no more Akarnae for you. You can't continue and you know that." I got furious at that moment and take my anger out on my parents.
"IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU HAD INTERCOURSE WITH A MEYARIN!" My father stayed calm but I could see his eyes flash red.

"Luka!" My mother chastises me. "You shouldn't speak to your father that way! We're doing our best to raise you but it isn't our fault you have dirty Meyarin blood in your veins." Getting angry again, I start shouting to her.

"WHY DO YOU HATE THE MEYARINS? THEY'VE DONE NOTHING TO YOU! YOU HUMANS ARE HE CREATURES WITH FILTHY BLOOD!" I realise too late that I crossed the line.

"Go and watch the movie with Jordan." My father is eerily calm about everything that's transpired during our talk.

"Is that all?" I say disheartened.

"Yes. That is all. You may go now." I get up and storm out of the room.

Instead of joining Jordan in the mini theatre, I head to my room. Slamming the door shut, I throw my pillow at the closed entryway. I slip my hand under the mattress, above the bed frame and pull out three knives. My parents don't know I have them and I never plan on telling them. Aiming for the dart target on the opposite wall, I throw the first two which hit right next to each other in the centre. I hold the third in my hand, about to throw. But something stops me. Instead, I run the blade of the knife along the underside of my forearm. I run it along the pale line that's already there, starting where it starts and ending where it ends. Blood trickles down my arm and its covered the blade tip. It hurts but I like the pain. It feels nice. I throw the bloodied knife toward the target and it hits right between the other two blades. Tugging the blades from the target board, I tuck them under the bed again. I then go into the bathroom and wash my arm which is now covered in blood. When it flushes down the sink, it looks like red cordial.

"Luka, can we watch the Fighter's Test now?" I attempt to slip into the mini theatre without Jordan noticing but he does. "Please Luka! Pweety Pweese!"

"Ok, we can watch it." Jordan smiles and sets the movie up. Jordan's captured into the story but I'm not really concentrating.

"Luka, what happened to your arm?" Jordan's paused the movie but I haven't been concentrating.

"Huh?"

"What happened to your arm? Its red. It… it looks like blood! Luka! What happened?" I love how he's concerned for me.

"Oh, that's nothing. Just a scratch." I can tell he knows I'm lying. He fortunately doesn't press and I'm grateful. Jordan starts the movie again and I try and concentrate for Jordan's sake. We're up to the part where the fighters are fighting eachother in a battle to the death. 5 of the fighters are already dead and lying on the floor. I'm amazed at how Jordan isn't scared by it. I guess I don't give him enough credit.

"Luka, please tell me if something is wrong." He's paused the movie again and looking at me worriedly.

"Hey buddy. I'm fine." Lie. I hate lying to Jordan and I'm not a very good liar either. He knows I'm lying and I know he knows. "I'm sorry buddy. I might not be fine, but it's nothing for you to worry about. I'll be ok."

I had a term left of school at Akarnae before my parents would take me out. During that short term, I studied hard and tried to focus during classes, taking in all the information in. My teachers were surprised at my hard work and dedication but didn't question it. The only teacher that I could confide in was my Archery teacher, Maggie. She was a Meyarin and she understood me more than anyone. She helped me the most in the weeks that went by.

6 years later

"Luka! Luka! Mom and dad want you! Luka?" I see Jordan walk into my room and I can tell he can't find me. I hope he finds the letter I left him. Bingo! He found it. I imagine him reading it and I imagine his voice, reading it out. It reads;

Dear Jordan,

I'm so sorry. You can't tell mom and dad, but I've left. You'll never see me again but know that I'll always love you. I've placed a dummy that looks like me in the back garden, acting like I committed suicide. Please don't tell mom and dad this. I just needed to get away. If you ever need to know anything about me, when you go to Akarnae, seek out Maggie. She's the archery teacher and she knew me. She'll tell you everything.

I'm sooo sorry Jordan.

Love, Luka.

I'm ashamed of myself for not telling him the reason I left but I knew I couldn't stay a moment longer in this place. I had finally had enough after I had an argument with mom and dad again about Akarnae. I would've finished my years at Akarnae by now but because my idiotic parents took me out, I never got a good education. Leaving behind my home was easy. Leaving my parents was easy. Leaving Jordan? That was hard but I knew it had to be done. Maybe he would become a better person because of it, not such a spoiled brat. I would never know.

Hello Luka. Come through this door and you'll find what you seek. I never imagined the Library to speak but I followed its instructions.

Where the Library will lead me, I don't know. Where the rest of my journey will take me is a mystery. One thing I know though is that, no matter where I head, no matter where I go, I will always remember the kindness of those who were good to me. I will always remember Maggie's patience while I'm ranting to her. I will always remember my parent's disgust at my Meyarin abilities and I swear I will not be like them. And, of course, I will always remember Jordan. My little brother Jordan who I love dearly. My dear, young, brother Jordan.