Who am I? That's the question many wonder.
I'm your second shadow. I'm false hope. I'm the fragrance that is death. All that fills me is a burning desire, a thirst for fire, for blood. But you have no idea, that's the deranged beauty it holds. Each person, victim, never sees it coming.
No survivors.
Chapter 1: All we know will change
It happened again last night. It's always the same dream. The girl with unforgettable eyes, a striking emerald green, they held secrets and wisdom yet were guarded by a mystery.
It starts out with her, I don't even know her name, running though the tall summer grass; a crown of wild flowers placed upon her platinum hair, at shoulder length it hung, a layered effect which the wind enjoyed to mess with. The afternoon sun seemed to wrap her up in a bubble of golden glory. With laughter of an angel she fell to the ground and stared up at the blue sky, her white sundress spread out beneath her. Somehow I had followed her this far and from the way she looked at me with those emerald eyes I knew that I would follow her to the ends of the earth.
"I have a secret to tell you." She giggled and her checks flushed red.
She leans in real close, so close that I can smell the perfume of her wildflower crown, and just as she's about to tell me her precious secret... SQUAWK!
A giant black crow swoops down at us and turns the once pleasant dream into a dreadful nightmare.
With its beady eyes and sharp talons it made a bee line for the beautiful girl. She sees it coming straight for her but instead of running away she stands her ground, her tense, ready for the impact.
Almost.
There is sadness in her eyes that wasn't there before.
The crow tackled her to the ground in the blink of an eye. It had the power to tear her apart limb by limb but you could tell that the bird wanted her to suffer for a long, long time. Peaking at her hair and scratching her arms as she raised them in defense Its talons had ripped holes in her sundress and marking her bare skin beneath, drawing blood.
I wanted nothing more then to protect the unknown girl, to tear the crow apart feather by feather so it could feel the cruelty and pain that it seemed to enjoy causing. To hold her fragile body against me and run with her, away from the madness and into a simple and care free life we could hold together. But no matter how desperately I wanted to save her I couldn't. Couldn't walk, run, speak, move or even close my eyes. Her terror had become permanently etched into my skull and her cries for help echo all around me, cutting into my very soul.
At last the bird pauses giving the girl a chance to speak. Turning to face me I can see that she's even more battered and bruised then I had first guessed, blood covering a fair bit or her pale sin. But her eyes are as striking as the first time I saw them, an emerald green that's not to be forgotten.
"Save me..." she whispered "you said you'd save me..." A few tears fell yet she continued to speak softly "why didn't you save me Christian...? Broken promises will be the end of you..."
With total disappointment she stares at me. For a long time I'm lost in her words and in her eyes. The ugly crow squawked loudly and before her head lolled to one side I knew she was dead.
Tangled up in bed sheets I wake, sweating buckets and gasping for breath. Every night it's the same. The dream that twisted into a nightmare. Always the same girl, same crow, same final words and she always dies.
"Dude you look wasted! What happened on the weekend?" Mason sparked up the conversation as he and Eddie joined me at the back gate.
We always meet up here before school starts. Kings Gate Collegiate is an all male boarding school which Mason, Eddie and I live our lives day in and day out. It's more like a prison in some ways just better health care and sports equipment, the food still sucks though. Nothing is what it seems at Kings Gate.
"Get any late night action?" He jokes, punching me in the ribs and laughing. I cringe from the blow and smile weakly.
"Come on Mace, I thought you'd know me better then that."
"Yeah. Since when does Christian get all the girls? It's normally me!" Eddie boasted, puffing up his chest a flexing his biceps. We shove Eddie into a nearby tree as we walk to the hall for the usual Monday assembly.
The chatter was electric, something was different. I could feel it in my stomach.
"Settle down, settle down!" Our principle, Mrs Kirova ordered.
"Welcome back to a fresh new year at Kings Gate students. Those that have recently joined us we welcome you to our family." She opened her arms in a welcoming manner.
"She looks like she's going to steal our souls." Masson smirked. Eddie and I couldn't contain our laughter for very long.
"Mr Ashford, Mr Ozera and Mr Castile, is there something you'd like to share with us all?" Her eyes were fiery and she had turned every head in the school in our direction.
Eddie and I shook our heads and sunk deep into our chairs but Masson thought of a better idea.
Standing up he spoke "I was just talking to my main man Christian here about how Kings Gate is like my home, my second family if you will. Isn't that what it feels like to you as well Christian?"
Students were snickering in the background. As far as they could tell Masson was living up to the legend his name held. Teachers everywhere were trying to stop the laughing.
Kirova raises one pencil-thin eyebrow in my direction. I felt all eyes on me, watching my every move, waiting for me to something. Anything.
"Yes, it's such a wonderful family that I've gained since I've been here." I say, grabbing Masson's blazer sleeve I yank him back into his chair. The whole hall is in fits of laughter and Kirova gives us each a death glare. I didn't think there was any further to sink into my chair. Masson proved me dead wrong.
"Well… Thank you for that moving speech Mr Ashford and for your input on that topic Mr Ozera. But please hold your conversations, no matter how important or inspiring you may think they might be for your own time."
"As you wish Mrs." Masson saluted to her which gained another roar of laughter from the crowd.
"Quiet!" Kirova yelled. He echo bounced off of the old cathedral walls. I don't know whose idea it was to turn a cathedral into a school hall, the seats are painful and the stain glass artist must have been sadistic because all the pictures are brutal.
"Since this is a new year there are some new changes to be made to everyday life. From now on we will be sharing our school with our sister school St Vladimir's Academy."
The uproar was amazing. Shouts of protest came from everyone. Nobody understood what was happening, if this was really true. I glanced at Eddie and Masson for reassurance that this was just some prank they had pulled. Like last year when they changed Kirova's weekly notices. But I was met with shocked expressions that mirrored my own. Nobody thought that this was real. Share our school?
"Starting today the girls from St Vladimir's Academy will be living here, taking classes here and being apart of this wonderful family as Mr Ashford and Mr Ozera so kindly put it. I trust that you will treat these girls with respect, to show them around and get them settled in. You all remember your first few days here so be the gentlemen I know you all can be. No funny business. And I mean that! From now on Kings Gate Collegiate is a Co-ed school."
"Do you think she means it?" Eddie asked, there was concern in his voice.
"Nah, Kirova's just pulling some joke" laughed Masson; he was still in a good mood despite making a fool of himself before.
"Since when does Kirova joke? I think she's dead serious."
"I'll believe it when I see it Mr Doom and Gloom." Masson said, punching me in the shoulder.
"Looks like you're going to have to eat your words Mass." Eddie said, his body was ridged his face was set as stone. Fear was in his eyes. Then we saw what had spooked him so much.
Bus after bus drove up the long drive and parked in front of the main building. Some of the new comers had cars of their own which they drove behind the buses. St Vladimir's Academy had arrived and was about to get the shock of their lives. Welcome to the new and improved Kings Gate Collegiate, we hope you make it to the end of the year. We really do.