Once the chance is given, the only quesion is: will you take it?
Collide Chapter I Of mourning
I remember like it was yesterday. It was already dark and cold annoyingly pinched my face. I was just passing by a cathedral - despite my approach to objects of worship, I had to admit, that the building was really impressive. I remembered a place, about which I wouldn't think of if I wasn't in front of it at that moment. Those were catacombs beneath the cathedral. Few months ago my friend shown me them and since then the cathedral seemed even more interesing to me.
Whenever I passed this place I was telling myself that some day I'll take a better look on it, but there never were a chance to. I looked at my watch: I still had two hours to get home. I was alone, so I would actidentally held liable someone. I only waited for a couple of passerby to make away, and by grating I made it on church's side. In front of me were a shady tunnel, and bushes creating a canopy were giving it even more gloomy look. It wasn't dissuasive enough. I took my mobile phone to light the way. A rat run under my feet, and for a short moment I tensed up, but I didn't let it discourage me. A bit less nice seemed bats under the ceiling, but I admited that if I won't light straight on them, they shouldn't pay attention to me. Otherwise, all I can do is hope they aren't hungry.
Fortunately I got to the end of corridor without any troubles. There were doors not locked on any keys, but a bolt. I opened them. In the end the worst that can happen is me being scolded by some priest. I was on a corridor, but this time there were a light coming out from somewhere that let me almost freely walk without the mobile phone. On the walls were oil lamps, however they were extinquished, preventing me to see framed painting between them.
A weird sounds where hearable, a voices. By the way and frequency they were saying I deducet it was a fervent pray. I walked to the edge of the corridor. Now I cleary heared each world - unfortunately they were in german. I was capable of understanding only single words. "Desire", "devil", "god" and "Our Maker". Monk, that was the one to say them, stopped staying still, with his arms wide open, was gazing at - as I believe - statue in front of him. It wasn't presenting either Jesus or the Blessed Virgin, but was more like gold-plated gargoyle. Demonic being with bat's wings and long tonguage protruding from between the sharp teeth. The statue was standing on something like altar, however this one seemed to not perform its function.
"Czy czego szukasz, dziecko?[Are you looking for something, child?]" voice of the monk broke me from analysis of ambient. I looked for rational explanation for his worlds. Yet he couldn't see me! He didn't saw my reflection either, any sufance in his view wasn't reflecting image. But after all, there were no one but me here.
I prefered to wait a second. Maybe he really wasn't talking to me. If so, by answering, I would make a big mistake.
"Czy przybywasz tu aby spe ni swoje pragnienia?[Are you here to fulfill your desires?]" he asked again.
"Pragnienia?[Desires?]" I reapeted, but immediately realized my fault.
I heard short laugh from the monk, then lowering arms he turned to me. I stand ouf of the shadow. I knew that my presence here is abvious right now.
"Tak, pragnienia. Ka dy ma jakie . Jedni pragn w adzy, inni pieni dzy, ale jednak zawsze czego . I gotowi s zap aci za to najwy sz cen . A ty... [Yes, desires. Everyone have some. Ones want power, others want money, but always something. And they're ready to pay the highest price. And you...]"
I was expecting to hear what do I wish for.
"...Jeste na to gotowa? [...Are ready for this?]"
I wasn't standing in awe of him scolding me and tell me to go away anymore. If he prefer to have a talk, here's one.
" adna cena nie jest do wysoka by mnie zniech ci . [Any price is to hight to discourage me.]"
"A gdyby to nie ty mia a j zap aci ? [What if you wouldn't be the one to pay?]"
"Czy to oferta? [Is it an offer?]"
The monk laughed. This time there were a sound of sneer in his laugh. "Je li panienka raczy si pokusi , mo e traktowa to jak chce. [If young miss deign to attempt, can treat it however she wants.]"
"Pokusi ... na co...? [Attempt... at what...?]" I asked suspiciously.
"Na wszystko! [At everything!]" the monk suddenly exclaimed with happiness. "Nic nie jest niemo liwe! Za swoj cen oczywi cie. [Nothing's impossible! For its price of course]" he added yet more gloomy.
"Jak ? Albo mo e raczej: kto mia by j zap aci ? [What is the price? Or rahter: who would pay?]"
The monk smiled again. "Dobre pytanie, panienko. Ale o tym panienka sama zdecyduje. [Good quesion, miss. But it's something that miss wil decide herslef.]
"Jeszcze na nic si nie zgodzi am. [I still did not agree on anything.]" "Ale oboje wiemy, e panienka to zrobi. [But we both know, that miss will do.]" After these words his happy voice degenerated into a venomous whisper. "Pragnienie a z ciebie wycieka, p ynie w twoich y ach g ciej ni krew... [Desire leaks from you, flows in your veins more denselty than blood...]"
His worlds and the way he spoke them made a cold shiver go throigh my body. But at the same time - made me belive. I belived that he can offer me what I desire for. I belived it will cost a high price. I belived that I will choose who's to pay. The monk smiled with satisfaction - he already knew, that I belive him. He walked to the altar and made a sign on me, "Podejd tu, dziecko. Czas wzi to co ci si nale y. [Come here, child. It's time for you to take what you deserve.]"
-What I deserve- I repeated in mi thoughts. I never thought about it in this way. Never.
"Przecie nie zrobi a nic, by ci to odbiera . [You did nothing to keep it away from you.]" -Nothing.-
"By a gotowa odda wszystko, ale b g ci zignotowa . [You were ready to do anything, but god ignored you.]"
-Rejected as his child.-
"Zniewa y twoje po wi cenie, na kt re by a gotowa. [Insulted your sacrifice, that you were ready for.]"
-Ridiculed. Like everyone.-
"I kaza patrze jak inni nie doceniaj swojego szcz cia. [And made you look at people who don't appreciate how lucky they are.]"
-Hypocrites.-
"Ale teraz wszystko si zmieni. Powtarzaj za mn ... [But now everything gonna change. Repeat after me...]"
My hands were on the altar, where the monk put them.
"...Uznaj Ci , jako mego w adc , pana i zbawiciela. Ty , kt ry dna piekie odst pi by wskaza nam drog , by sch odzi oddechy...
[...I recognize you as my Lord, Master and Savior. You, who from the bottoms of hells derogated to show us the way, to cool our breaths...]"
I felt like I was joining some cult. Still, few words won't cause hurt. I repeated everything.
"...przyjmij ofiar i wska drog , kt ra zaprowadzi nas ku najskrytrzym pragnieniom. Prowad nas ku pragnieniom, nadaj ycie marzeniom, a mier przyjmij w asce. [...Accept the sacrifice and show the way for desires. Lead us forward wishes, bring dreams alive, and death accept in favor.]"
The last six worlds I said way lower, suddenly closed in a cage of my own thoughts. I tilted my head, closed my eyes and pales. For a moment I remained still.
"It's after all, dear child. You can leave now" I've heard the monk's calm voice. Like recovered from a dream I looked at him. Without saying world, fast pace I headed to the corridor, then to the doors. Until I was standing outside the cathedral's area, my breath was restless. I even didn't know what maked me feel this way, but at the moment I left the place, I began to calm down.
I got home as always: deribelatery walking through a park. I didn't even turn on music. Sounds of strong wind were enough for me. At the place I was just in time, which is at half past eight. I layed down my bag, took off jacked and combat boots, then I went to the kitchen to drink some juice. Amy, my mom, was washing dishes.
After a moment she turned off the taps and after wiping her hands asked me to hand hare my juice. In the same second that she took it into her hand, her expression changed from calm to full of suffer. She began to shiver and dropped the glass, that with a bang broke on the floor. Amy paralized by pain felt down and curled in a ball. From between her opened mouths were coming out a groan of agony. I had no idea what could have happen, she couldn't faint or suffer paralysis - still conscious she scratched the floor.
There was a sound of intercom. Probably grandmother from the second floor heard the glass breaking. I rushed to answer. After telling her fastly what happened and asking to call an ambulance, I run back to the kitchen. Amy was lying on the floor, still, pale. I covered my mouths, then felt on knees on her side and checked out the pulse - there were non.
Then my grandfather walked into kitchen. He tried his best on first aid, with a panic calling the God. He didn't even ask how it happened. I wouldn't answer anyway. I was just sitting there, on the floor, speachless, feeling tears falling down my cheeks, yet I didn't sob. I only simply was gazing into space, dunno what I've seen, dunno what I've think.
Three days later Amy couldn't be saved. This fact barely reached me. This, how much everything is about to change I realized scarcely now, on the funeral, when I was standing over the coffin. I know, she wanted to be burned. I didn't forget about it, but the whole family was against the idea and no one cared for my opinion or will of the deceased. When I looked at her, so calm as ever, something inside me snapped. I looked at people around and realized, that the closest to me person from them is gone and will not be back. I asked myself question "is there something that keeps me among them? and after looked through faces around the answer was clear. No, there's not. But will they let me go? Either no.
Ravens numerously congregated in bare treetops. Cold wind from time to time soared leafs from the ground and makes people's clothes anf hairs sway. Everything was so filled with melanholy...
When the coffin was lying on the bottom of a hole I throwed bouquet of white roses inside. White are for innocent ones. Condoles, rememberances and mourning began. In three hours I've heard more stories about Amy then in my entire life. No one dared to say a bad wolrd about her.
My role in all this were to kindly listen other people's monologues. When I was back at home I began to pack most necessary stuffs. I didn't want to stay here any longer and I had no reasons to. To the jacket's inside pocked I put a set of forged documents, that I had in store for a bit of time. When everyone were asleep I walked out of my window to not wake anyone.
It would be pointless if I'd describe what where happening after I left. All I should say is that thanks to catching rates and having forged documents I was able to freely move around Europe, but two months later I felt there's nothing more for me to look for here. I wanted to get to USA, sadly, without visas it was nearly impossible right now. However - for wanting one, nothing's difficult, as they say. For a small fee a certain man agreed to let me on a cargo ship, then as it was in deal we made our paths were to split up. But he were so kind to give me some food during the treavel. When I made my first step in port in Buffallo I felt at my place. Supposedly everything was ordinary - people were bustling around, somewhere by a box a homeless man were begging, some kid was asking his mom something about pirates... but somehow I was fidning myself here way better than back in Poland.
From Buffallo to Bayville, being my current target, were about 300-500 kilometeres. I barely remembered arrangement to each other of those two towns. I was moving by buses, according to timetables, slowly, from town to town, I was heading to opposite coast of New York state.
During the treavel I had a lot of time to rethink. Too much time. My thoughts roamed from the monk, to Amy, by if I did right by runnink away, if I did it right and what should I do next... and then they were coming back to the monk and if it was related to Amy's sudden dead. Nevertheless nothing was announcing it, and even the subsequent autopsy didn't show due to the death. Nothing, any traces. Only those words in my head from the very begginning... You're dicide about the victim. Now, when I was entering Bayville my hopes related to this growed again. Would it be possible, that somehow unaware of my actions I choosen Amy to "be the one to pay the highest price"? This thought wasn't letting go of me. No matter how much incredibly it sounded, I always linked and binded facts that seemingly had nothing to do with each other.
I messed around the town a bit, and scarcely on School Street I began to recognize where I am. I was able to desigane North, it's better than nothing. Sadly, I wasn't in any forest, where it could be helpfull. But I knew where in theory the Institut should be. I wanted to go there to ascertain what I will find there.
My mind gone blank when I was standing in front of a fence with black-gold plate with school logo, that I found there.
The 's School For Gifted Youngster.