A/n: Sorry for the short chapter but it seems that whatever good the last six chapters had made on my writing skills are undone through the short interval I left, so I would have to start all over again. I promise I would update as frequently as I can and reach the level of posting 10k chapters as soon as possible. Though I would very much like to know if this chapter is good enough too but somehow I don't care as it is basically a filler side story that I felt was prudent for character development. I would still appreciate the reviews about it though.
Chapter 7: Hunted and Haunted
In the middle of a ravenous storm, a boy was struggling through the snow. The restless winds gave him no reprieve. Neither sight nor warmth was granted to him as he moved with tremendous will through the white canopy, without a goal in a faint hope that his agony may end soon. Either in death or in a shelter.
Seven year old Harry at last found the glimpse of a cottage, with smoke rising from the chimney, with a promise for comforting warmth. With a goal in view, he quickened his pace by a fraction. The ruthless nature was still too strong a force for him to fight.
X-X-X
Joseph Fernandez had told Harry one too many times to call him Jo. It was cooler.
Harry had always wondered why he wanted to be cooler in these chilly winter times.
Jo had found him on the doorsteps in tattered clothing and wounds all over. How he managed to survive the ruthless storm was a mystery, a miracle no doubt.
Harry's first memory of Jo was of a grinning old man holding a warm cup of hot chocolate.
The grin had many teeth to spare, his eyes had many years of wear, his head had barely there hair, yet Harry felt an immense closeness to him, such was his enigmatic leer.
He was snowboarding legend once. Why he stopped Harry was never told.
"Don't be a slave kid! You are my boy now, live with your head high. Boarding would make you the man." He had said.
And Harry had learned in three months. He was talented no doubt but Jo was pretty serious about his sport..he never praised Harry yet there was pride in his eyes, love in his act and warmth in his company that Harry had longed until then.
He never asked about his family again, Harry had told him that they might not even notice he was gone and definitely wouldn't miss him.
Jo had believed him.
But then as fate would have it, misery came.
There were hundreds around with all kinds of weapons surrounding the cottage.
"Come out you scoundrel! Have you no shame! Kidnapping children for your selfish purposes." Someone had shouted.
Jo had told Harry to remain inside.
Harry hadn't listened.
He ran out to them explaining desperately that he was there by his own choice.
None heard the boy. They all thought that Jo had bewitched him, like Jo's wife and daughter had bewitched Jo. They had executed them for their witchery. They would now rectify the mistake and kill the one they previously thought to be innocent.
Harry desperately tried to wrench himself free from his captors, but what was a boy to do against adults?
Then it happened.
A tremendous force lit inside Harry that unleashed a shockwave which threw those around him backwards.
There was silence around them. Every one of them, Harry included were stunned by this strange anomaly.
When Harry had looked at Jo, he had seen a very painful expression in his face.
A man with a ragged face had come forward.
"Boy, are you…."
Loud laughter filled the area.
Jo was laughing hard.
"See, it was a success! I bewitched him!"
The statement seemed to have broken the stupor out of the crowd gathered there.
"That's right he is the real culprit! He was the one who made his wife and daughter like that too!" Someone shouted.
X-X-X
Harry had cried, shouted, pleaded but no one seemed to listen. They all thought he was possessed.
They held him down. He didn't want to see yet something inside stopped him from tearing his eyes off that heart wrenching scene.
No one thought enough to close the eyes of the child who was witnessing such a horrible side of humanity. No one thought enough to keep his pain away.
He felt numbness in him as he helplessly watched the man burn away upon a stake.
Jo had kept on laughing until the end. The wind was blowing fast, he was denied the death from suffocation. He was made to die slowly as he felt every part of his body ashen away but still he laughed as if he was in a party.
The echoes of his laughter reverberated through the very soul of Harry, ever since.
X-X-X
Harry woke up from his bed panting heavily. The sun outside told him he was terribly late for his classes.
He scrambled off his bed, leaving behind dark blotches of blood on the white sheets from his wound on the knee.
He wasn't even able to dress up properly. His heart was on a rampage. Every part of his body was shaking wildly from the tremors that came from his chest.
After several failed attempts, he surrendered his efforts in frustration. He threw away his uniform and slid to the ground. He felt tears flowing freely from his eyes.
Why? After so long?
He had tried so hard to suppress those memories. He thought he had, he hoped he had forgotten it. He realized it now that he could never run away from them.
The memories shall continue to hunt him, the spirit of Jo would continue to haunt him.
