Tai-san's once kind and understanding eyes were cold and mocking as she
glared down at Lex.
"If it's possible, you are even more stupid than you look Lex. I can't believe you actually thought I cared about you like that! You were just convenient, nothing more. How could I be attracted to you anyway? You're disgusting. You deserve the abuse your father gave you. Did you enjoy it when he touched you Lexie? I bet you did because you're a disgusting freak. Nobody would ever love you," Tai-san said maliciously, her eyes glittering with glee as she watched tears of disbelief and shock run down Lex's pale cheeks.
"T..Tai-san?...what...how could you say that?" Lex stuttered, utterly confused and grief-stricken at Tai-san's little 'revelations'.
"Oh quit sniveling Lex. Surely you didn't actually believe I gave a damn about you?" Tai-san laughed, looking at him like his father used to. "Do us all a favor Lex. Leave and don't ever come back. Nobody cares about you, nobody ever did," She said, her face twisted in a vicious smile. Lex struggled to his feet and stumbled out of the room, feeling dizzy. He was numb until he climbed out of the sewers onto the gras outside and he threw up in some nearby bushes before running as fast as he could. He didn't care where he was going, as long as it was as far away from the mall as possible.
He hoped he would wake up next to Tai-san and find out this was all some sort of horrible nightmare. That she hadn't said all those things to him when he finally opened up to her. He had finally gained the courage to tell her the truth about the scars and the nightmares...and she'd thrown it back in his face. She was right. He was disgusting. He felt...dirty. Like no matter how hard he scrubbed at his skin the hand prints of his father would never wash off..he was alone.
Had Lex stayed at the mall, he would have seen something that would have made his blood run cold. He would have seen ridges form on Tai-san's forehead, would have seen her teeth lengthen and her eyes turned yellow. He would have heard her cruel laughter and the screams of his fellow Tribe- members echo around the mall as she drained them one by one.
But he kept running, never looking back.
TWO MONTHS LATER
"Crow? Lynx just finished making dinner, do you want me to bring you some?" Emerald asked the dark still figure. The man shook his head and she sighed, climbing into the tent and seating herself next to him. "Crow...it's been a whole month since you saved Jade and you haven't said a word. I just...whatever it was that made you so sad like this, I want you to know that you can talk to me about it. I won't shun you or turn you away..we're friends...at least I like to think we are. Please, at least tell us your real name...please? Say something, even if it's to tell me to piss off and that it's none of my business," Emerald pleaded the young man. His dark brown eyes turned to hers and she thought she saw tears glittering within them. He cleared his throat, making her jump and she practically bounced in anticipation of hearing the voice she had imagined to many times.
"I'd never tell you to piss off Emerald," He said quietly, his voice raspy from being unused for so long. Emerald squealed with joy and she took him in to a quick hug, wanting to hold onto him longer and reassure him but knowing he didn't like physical contact...at all. Crow looked at her, tilting his head to one side, a small smile creeping up on his face.
"So...what's your name?" Emerald asked excitedly. Crow sighed and she immediately back-peddled, "It's OK. You don't have to tell me. You're Crow to me anyway, I don't think I could call you anything else," She said, smiling gently. He gave her a grateful look and her grin broadened when he didn't flinch as she touched his silky black hair that reached his mid- back. It was so black it almost looked blue...like a Crow's feather. "Do you...do you want to talk anymore or will we save it for another night?" Emerald asked, hoping she hadn't sounded too eager. She didn't want to push him.
"My throats kind of sore," He said, making her jump slightly. She was so unused to getting an answer from him she had forgotten she could get one.
"That's OK. Rest now, you must be tired for going hunting with the guys," She said quietly. Crow gave her a very rare, real smile and settled down onto of the pile of blankets. Emerald got to her feet and crawled out of the tent, saying good-night to him before rolling down the flap and running off to find Jade and tell her the amazing news.
Lex lay still, wondering whether it had been a good idea to talk to Emerald. She was kind to him, but he didn't want to answer all of the questions that were bound to come. He was Crow now, and Crow didn't have to deal with anything. Lex knew he owed the Untouchables a proper explanation, they'd been giving him shelter and food for a month now without question, just because he'd protected one of Jade (Emerald's younger sister) from a couple of Locos. Without them, he probably would still be wandering the land aimlessly and alone, probably dead by now.
As sleep gradually overcame him, Tai-san's taunting voice filled his head. He was used to it by now, the same dream came to him every night...but that didn't stop the pain he felt when he awoke.
///////"You were just convenient, nothing more. How could I be attracted to you anyway? You're disgusting. You deserve the abuse your father gave you," Tai-san sneers.
"No...no please, I love you...how could you say that?" Lex pleads uselessly with her cruel, emotionless face.
"Did you enjoy it when he touched you Lexie? I bet you did because you're a disgusting freak. Nobody would ever love you. HEAR ME? Nobody would ever love you. Nobody ever cared about you. You are nothing. Goodbye," Lex screams as Tai-san disappears and he is locked up in the basement back home.
"Answer back at me will you? I'll show you you little faggot," His dad's voice booms from nowhere, he's coming closer, Lex knows this but he can't escape. He's trapped.
"I'm not...please Dad, I'm not!! DON'T!! PLEASE!!" Lex shouts...///////
Lex shot up, shaking like a leaf. The nightmares were getting more and more vivid every night and it had got to the point where he didn't want to sleep anymore. He swallowed down the bile that had gathered in his throat and changed into his black t-shirt and worn out jeans. He didn't bother with his hair anymore, he only refrained from cutting it all off was because it had been the only thing Emerald had asked of him.
"Mornin' Crow," Grunted Devon from his seat by the fire. Eggs were in the pan over the fire and all the Tribe were awaiting them eagerly. Lex nodded in acknowledgment and sat down on his usual tree-stump a little apart from the group. He like watching them while they talked and joked around. Back at the mall, he'd always been too concerned with himself and his breakfast to care about what anyone else was doing...but now, he found watching people was far more interesting and amusing than taking part in the conversations.
He listened to the people talk avidly, smiling a little occasionally when one of the members of the Untouchables would say something funny. The morning topics could vary from mice to shoe size, so he had to pay close attention in order to get what was going on. This mornings topic was what everyone did the night before.
"So, what were you up to last night Crow?" Adam, one of the older boys asked, focusing all the groups attention on Lex. Lex simply ignored him, used to Adam's annoying, jealous behavior. He fancied his chances with Emerald and thought that she and Lex were more than friends. Lex had dismissed him under the 'Idiot' list. "What's that?" Adam said, cupping a hand to his ear, "Brooding huh? What a shocker!" He mocked, earning chuckles from some of the more obnoxious members of the group.
"Shut it Adam. What is with you?" Lynx snapped, her amber eyes flashing.
"Nothing is 'with me'. I'm just sick of Mr.High-and-mighty over there. He thinks he's so much better than everyone else, like he's too smart to talk or sit with us," Adam replied, narrowing his eyes at Lex.
"Has it ever crossed your puny mind to you that maybe Crow *can't* talk because there's something wrong with him? God you are such a prick Adam," Kat hissed. Lex lowered his eyes, feeling guilty at causing an argument.
"Well if he can't talk then why doesn't he write or something?" Adam demanded, refusing to back down. Lex's shoulders slumped and he wished Emerald were here...but she and Jade didn't wake up 'till much later so he would just have to put up and shut up. "Huh Crow? Can you write? Here's a stick, write something in the sand," Adam said, thrusting a stick in his hands.
"Adam!" Lynx said disgustedly.
"What? Let's see if you're right. C'mon Crow, write something," He said, teasing, taunting. He reminded Lex of himself when he was back at the mall. He looked up at Adam and shook his head, offering the stick back. He was done with fighting. Nothing was worth the effort anymore. "See? He's just a retard. He can't even write," Adam said, triumphantly. Lex shrunk into himself, mortified.
"That's it! Adam. Leave. Now. Unless you want me to kick your scrawny ass back to whatever rock you were born under!" Shouted Devon, jumping to his feet. Adam snorted and rolled his eyes before sauntering away. Devon's clenched fists didn't relax but he sat back down.
"You OK Crow?" Kat asked him quietly. Lex nodded silently and the rest of the morning went by as normal. He, Devon, Brin, Raad and Adam headed out hunting before Emerald and he was slightly grateful, he didn't feel like answering any questions yet.
As they walked silently through the forest, a bad feeling grew in Lex's stomach. He knew something was off. The forest was too quiet. He ran up ahead a little and tapped on Devon's shoulder. Devon looked back, surprised.
"What is it Crow?" He whispered. Lex motioned that they should go back, "Why?" Asked Devon, confused. Lex sighed, irritated. He pointed to his ear and Devon frowned. Stopping to listen, "Crow, I can't hear anything," He whispered exasperated. Lex nodded vigorously and Devon finally got it. "Guys..." He said.
But he never finished his sentence because it was then that the cause of the forests stillness jumped out from within the foliage.
TO BE CONTINUED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Well, this was just a late-night idea. I might do a cross-over with Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I'm still undecided. What do you think? Please review and tell me what you think,
Thanks,
Raven
"If it's possible, you are even more stupid than you look Lex. I can't believe you actually thought I cared about you like that! You were just convenient, nothing more. How could I be attracted to you anyway? You're disgusting. You deserve the abuse your father gave you. Did you enjoy it when he touched you Lexie? I bet you did because you're a disgusting freak. Nobody would ever love you," Tai-san said maliciously, her eyes glittering with glee as she watched tears of disbelief and shock run down Lex's pale cheeks.
"T..Tai-san?...what...how could you say that?" Lex stuttered, utterly confused and grief-stricken at Tai-san's little 'revelations'.
"Oh quit sniveling Lex. Surely you didn't actually believe I gave a damn about you?" Tai-san laughed, looking at him like his father used to. "Do us all a favor Lex. Leave and don't ever come back. Nobody cares about you, nobody ever did," She said, her face twisted in a vicious smile. Lex struggled to his feet and stumbled out of the room, feeling dizzy. He was numb until he climbed out of the sewers onto the gras outside and he threw up in some nearby bushes before running as fast as he could. He didn't care where he was going, as long as it was as far away from the mall as possible.
He hoped he would wake up next to Tai-san and find out this was all some sort of horrible nightmare. That she hadn't said all those things to him when he finally opened up to her. He had finally gained the courage to tell her the truth about the scars and the nightmares...and she'd thrown it back in his face. She was right. He was disgusting. He felt...dirty. Like no matter how hard he scrubbed at his skin the hand prints of his father would never wash off..he was alone.
Had Lex stayed at the mall, he would have seen something that would have made his blood run cold. He would have seen ridges form on Tai-san's forehead, would have seen her teeth lengthen and her eyes turned yellow. He would have heard her cruel laughter and the screams of his fellow Tribe- members echo around the mall as she drained them one by one.
But he kept running, never looking back.
TWO MONTHS LATER
"Crow? Lynx just finished making dinner, do you want me to bring you some?" Emerald asked the dark still figure. The man shook his head and she sighed, climbing into the tent and seating herself next to him. "Crow...it's been a whole month since you saved Jade and you haven't said a word. I just...whatever it was that made you so sad like this, I want you to know that you can talk to me about it. I won't shun you or turn you away..we're friends...at least I like to think we are. Please, at least tell us your real name...please? Say something, even if it's to tell me to piss off and that it's none of my business," Emerald pleaded the young man. His dark brown eyes turned to hers and she thought she saw tears glittering within them. He cleared his throat, making her jump and she practically bounced in anticipation of hearing the voice she had imagined to many times.
"I'd never tell you to piss off Emerald," He said quietly, his voice raspy from being unused for so long. Emerald squealed with joy and she took him in to a quick hug, wanting to hold onto him longer and reassure him but knowing he didn't like physical contact...at all. Crow looked at her, tilting his head to one side, a small smile creeping up on his face.
"So...what's your name?" Emerald asked excitedly. Crow sighed and she immediately back-peddled, "It's OK. You don't have to tell me. You're Crow to me anyway, I don't think I could call you anything else," She said, smiling gently. He gave her a grateful look and her grin broadened when he didn't flinch as she touched his silky black hair that reached his mid- back. It was so black it almost looked blue...like a Crow's feather. "Do you...do you want to talk anymore or will we save it for another night?" Emerald asked, hoping she hadn't sounded too eager. She didn't want to push him.
"My throats kind of sore," He said, making her jump slightly. She was so unused to getting an answer from him she had forgotten she could get one.
"That's OK. Rest now, you must be tired for going hunting with the guys," She said quietly. Crow gave her a very rare, real smile and settled down onto of the pile of blankets. Emerald got to her feet and crawled out of the tent, saying good-night to him before rolling down the flap and running off to find Jade and tell her the amazing news.
Lex lay still, wondering whether it had been a good idea to talk to Emerald. She was kind to him, but he didn't want to answer all of the questions that were bound to come. He was Crow now, and Crow didn't have to deal with anything. Lex knew he owed the Untouchables a proper explanation, they'd been giving him shelter and food for a month now without question, just because he'd protected one of Jade (Emerald's younger sister) from a couple of Locos. Without them, he probably would still be wandering the land aimlessly and alone, probably dead by now.
As sleep gradually overcame him, Tai-san's taunting voice filled his head. He was used to it by now, the same dream came to him every night...but that didn't stop the pain he felt when he awoke.
///////"You were just convenient, nothing more. How could I be attracted to you anyway? You're disgusting. You deserve the abuse your father gave you," Tai-san sneers.
"No...no please, I love you...how could you say that?" Lex pleads uselessly with her cruel, emotionless face.
"Did you enjoy it when he touched you Lexie? I bet you did because you're a disgusting freak. Nobody would ever love you. HEAR ME? Nobody would ever love you. Nobody ever cared about you. You are nothing. Goodbye," Lex screams as Tai-san disappears and he is locked up in the basement back home.
"Answer back at me will you? I'll show you you little faggot," His dad's voice booms from nowhere, he's coming closer, Lex knows this but he can't escape. He's trapped.
"I'm not...please Dad, I'm not!! DON'T!! PLEASE!!" Lex shouts...///////
Lex shot up, shaking like a leaf. The nightmares were getting more and more vivid every night and it had got to the point where he didn't want to sleep anymore. He swallowed down the bile that had gathered in his throat and changed into his black t-shirt and worn out jeans. He didn't bother with his hair anymore, he only refrained from cutting it all off was because it had been the only thing Emerald had asked of him.
"Mornin' Crow," Grunted Devon from his seat by the fire. Eggs were in the pan over the fire and all the Tribe were awaiting them eagerly. Lex nodded in acknowledgment and sat down on his usual tree-stump a little apart from the group. He like watching them while they talked and joked around. Back at the mall, he'd always been too concerned with himself and his breakfast to care about what anyone else was doing...but now, he found watching people was far more interesting and amusing than taking part in the conversations.
He listened to the people talk avidly, smiling a little occasionally when one of the members of the Untouchables would say something funny. The morning topics could vary from mice to shoe size, so he had to pay close attention in order to get what was going on. This mornings topic was what everyone did the night before.
"So, what were you up to last night Crow?" Adam, one of the older boys asked, focusing all the groups attention on Lex. Lex simply ignored him, used to Adam's annoying, jealous behavior. He fancied his chances with Emerald and thought that she and Lex were more than friends. Lex had dismissed him under the 'Idiot' list. "What's that?" Adam said, cupping a hand to his ear, "Brooding huh? What a shocker!" He mocked, earning chuckles from some of the more obnoxious members of the group.
"Shut it Adam. What is with you?" Lynx snapped, her amber eyes flashing.
"Nothing is 'with me'. I'm just sick of Mr.High-and-mighty over there. He thinks he's so much better than everyone else, like he's too smart to talk or sit with us," Adam replied, narrowing his eyes at Lex.
"Has it ever crossed your puny mind to you that maybe Crow *can't* talk because there's something wrong with him? God you are such a prick Adam," Kat hissed. Lex lowered his eyes, feeling guilty at causing an argument.
"Well if he can't talk then why doesn't he write or something?" Adam demanded, refusing to back down. Lex's shoulders slumped and he wished Emerald were here...but she and Jade didn't wake up 'till much later so he would just have to put up and shut up. "Huh Crow? Can you write? Here's a stick, write something in the sand," Adam said, thrusting a stick in his hands.
"Adam!" Lynx said disgustedly.
"What? Let's see if you're right. C'mon Crow, write something," He said, teasing, taunting. He reminded Lex of himself when he was back at the mall. He looked up at Adam and shook his head, offering the stick back. He was done with fighting. Nothing was worth the effort anymore. "See? He's just a retard. He can't even write," Adam said, triumphantly. Lex shrunk into himself, mortified.
"That's it! Adam. Leave. Now. Unless you want me to kick your scrawny ass back to whatever rock you were born under!" Shouted Devon, jumping to his feet. Adam snorted and rolled his eyes before sauntering away. Devon's clenched fists didn't relax but he sat back down.
"You OK Crow?" Kat asked him quietly. Lex nodded silently and the rest of the morning went by as normal. He, Devon, Brin, Raad and Adam headed out hunting before Emerald and he was slightly grateful, he didn't feel like answering any questions yet.
As they walked silently through the forest, a bad feeling grew in Lex's stomach. He knew something was off. The forest was too quiet. He ran up ahead a little and tapped on Devon's shoulder. Devon looked back, surprised.
"What is it Crow?" He whispered. Lex motioned that they should go back, "Why?" Asked Devon, confused. Lex sighed, irritated. He pointed to his ear and Devon frowned. Stopping to listen, "Crow, I can't hear anything," He whispered exasperated. Lex nodded vigorously and Devon finally got it. "Guys..." He said.
But he never finished his sentence because it was then that the cause of the forests stillness jumped out from within the foliage.
TO BE CONTINUED
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Well, this was just a late-night idea. I might do a cross-over with Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I'm still undecided. What do you think? Please review and tell me what you think,
Thanks,
Raven