IN TALE
The next day, Zeo entered the room early in the morning, holding a book in his hands. Pulling his chair close to the bed, he settled down and cleared his throat loudly.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning on doing?"
"I'm going to read to you."
"Highly doubtful."
"Why do you say that?" Zeo asked, defensively. "I can read the words and most likely translate them so you can understand. It'd be good for you. You'll be able to relax and not think of anything but what you're picturing in your head."
Kai suddenly remembered that the books in the library were written in a different tongue, one that looked like scribbles. "What language is that anyway?"
"The story doesn't have a title. I'm sure it's good." Zeo said, quickly evading the question.
In no position to protest, Kai sighed and said, "Fine. Read it if you must."
The boy wiggled happily in his seat and he began to read.
"They call me the coldest and the cruelest man to ever scour the earth. Snapping at all who come near like a dog, growling as well, I make my way through crowds. They moved quickly aside from me. I see the fear in their eyes as I pass. I intimidate them and I'm glad I do. I don't even touch them as I pass. If I did, they'd feel a burning like no other upon their flesh. My touch is deadly; my looks could kill. I glare sharp daggers at all who dare take a quick glance at me. They feel each and every blade imbedded in them. I defeat all whom oppose me. Oh, the seldom few! How foolish they are to even think they could stand a chance against my power, against my might, against me. I am invincible..."
Kai perked his head up and glared hotly at Zeo.
Zeo, feeling the heat of his stare, tried hard to hide a smile. "I'm just reading what it says. Sounds a bit close to home, doesn't it?"
"Pick another one."
"No. I'm reading this one. Listen."
"I pass through life unscathed. Nothing and no one can harm be. If anyone tries to harm me, with one strike of my hand, they quiver and tremble in fear, pleading for mercy, to be spared. Pitiful fools. They mean nothing to me. Insignificant compared to my vast superiority. Nothing they say or do can affect me in any way. I am unbreakable.
"As I walk the vacant streets, I am greeted by nothing but empty shadows. A single lamplight flickers, my only ray of sunshine, snuffed out by a bitter wind. Home is not a home to me. It's prison; the windows are the bars of my soul, in bondage for eternity. As the day comes to an end, I realize the coldest truth of all: despite my actions, I long for the company of others to free my soul a little, to help me cope with my internal torment. Yet, I can never say what I truly want to. I'll forever be held captive by my own fears. I'll always be alone."
Zeo sighed. "Sad, isn't it? Kind of reminds me of you. And I think you pretend you don't like me, even though you do a little because you can't express yourself well."
"I can express myself fine. If I say I don't like someone, then I don't."
"Okay, okay. The next story is scary, I think, but I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle."
"It's coming. Coming to get me. I must get away. I must flee before it can snatch me. I can't let it catch me. If I do, then I shall cease to exist! I do not wish to die. Life is precious and without peer. I want to live! Don't let it find me!
"Hark! Do you hear it? Its whispered words float across the bitter winds of the moor. Do you hear its harsh laughter? It knows I'm not far away. I must escape, but I find myself trapped. There is nowhere for me to run. Haunted shores of an eerie lake sweep at my right. The dark moors of utter gloom stand before me, smiling wickedly with its gnarly trees. To my right, tar pits and sand traps dangerous to tread upon during the night. Behind me is the wall of a stark white castle, encased in creeping ivy, locked and barred from every side. How I pray for salvage!
"Its cold breath tickles the back of my neck. Its claws prick my skin and its gooseflesh. Its smile causes me to tremble uncontrollably. It's here. So soon! How quickly the shadows of darkness fly through the night, searching out its victims. It embraces me in its coldness and though I struggle, I find I cannot break away.
"In a voice of whispers, its says to me, 'There is no means of escape for you...my dear."
"STOP IT!" Kai shouted, covering his ears. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"
Zeo put the book away and place a comforting hand on him, saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd be scared by it. I promise I'll never read it again. Please, don't be upset."
Kai grabbed the boy's shirt collar and yanked him forward until their foreheads were nearly touching. Fear lined Zeo's dark lashes and Kai sent him hurdling over his chair and into the far wall. Naively, Kai asked, "Where did you get those books?"
"I got them from the library, of course. I promise I'll never read it again. Don't be upset!"
Kai got out of bed, ignoring the pain. "Show me where."
"I don't think that would be wise. You're not in any condition to..." Zeo sighed, finding no point in arguing with the older, taller, and stronger boy, even if he was injured. "Fine. Follow me." Zeo led Kai downstairs and to the library. He climbed up the ladder to the tenth shelf and ran a hand along it. "Here is where I got them from."
Kai hovered over his shoulder and asked, "What do the titles say?"
"Um, well, there's 'The Loner' which I read you; 'Midnight Shadows,' which I got half-way through, and others, including 'The Legendary Firebird,' and...why do you look like that?"
Kai grabbed the book detailing the firebird and looked at the cover. On it was an exact depiction of his Dranzer! He threw the book down as if it had burned him. "You might be more than right, Zeo. These are a little too close to home. And what's more, I think you know why." Kai cornered him by the shelf. "Tell me. Why are aspects of my life depicted in these stories?"
"Coincidence?" Zeo shrugged his shoulders.
"Not likely. Don't lie to me. Tell me why."
"I don't know."
Kai slammed him into the rungs of the ladder. "You're lying!"
"No, I'm not! Don't you ever accuse me of that again! I never would ever lie to you, Kai."
"Sure you wouldn't." Kai scoffed, brushing himself off.
"I wouldn't! Never! I don't know why the books talk a bit about you. I've even found myself in these tales. I don't know, okay?"
Kai reached past the book and gathered up all the books on the tenth shelf, chucking them over his shoulders. They fell in scattered piles on the floor. As Kai was descending, he asked, "Is the fire in the kitchen still going?"
"Yes, but what do you plan to do?"
Kai gathered up the fallen books. "I'm going to burn them."
Zeo jumped down. "No, you can't do that!"
A questioning look was sent his way. "And why not?"
"Because..." he seemed to search for a reason, "because..."
"See, you have no good reason for me not to do so."
"No, I do, but I just can't say. Only that you can't burn them."
"Why don't you just state your reason?"
"I told you 'because I can't.'"
"I'm not stopping you."
Zeo thought for a moment and said, "He wouldn't be happy. He wrote those books."
"Again with this 'he.' Who is 'he'?"
The boy drew circles in the rug with his big toe. "I can't say."
Sighing in frustration, Kai made his way to the dining room, with Zeo trying his best to talk Kai out of it. Nothing, though, would deter the phoenix's mind. These documents showed his weakness, his innermost fears, probably even his desires. Letting it be would allow his being to be openly exposed for scrutiny, clearly uncovered for Zeo's viewing pleasure. Zeo already knew too much as it was. He couldn't let him know anymore about him, no matter how subtle it was in relations to him.
The fire roared as he entered the dining room. With one heave, the flames consumed all the books, turning them to ashes within mere seconds. The smell of burnt paper filled the room. Above the sound of the towering flames, Kai heard Zeo cry out. He ran back to the library and found the boy lying in a ball, quivering. His face was stained with tears and he was clutching his side. Kai propped him up and lifted his shirt. A large purple bruise was forming, as if someone had kicked him.
"What happened?"
Zeo managed a little smile and rested his head against Kai's chest. He closed his bright eyes and yawned. As he slowly drifted to sleep, he replied in a small voice, "I can't say."
The next day, Zeo entered the room early in the morning, holding a book in his hands. Pulling his chair close to the bed, he settled down and cleared his throat loudly.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning on doing?"
"I'm going to read to you."
"Highly doubtful."
"Why do you say that?" Zeo asked, defensively. "I can read the words and most likely translate them so you can understand. It'd be good for you. You'll be able to relax and not think of anything but what you're picturing in your head."
Kai suddenly remembered that the books in the library were written in a different tongue, one that looked like scribbles. "What language is that anyway?"
"The story doesn't have a title. I'm sure it's good." Zeo said, quickly evading the question.
In no position to protest, Kai sighed and said, "Fine. Read it if you must."
The boy wiggled happily in his seat and he began to read.
"They call me the coldest and the cruelest man to ever scour the earth. Snapping at all who come near like a dog, growling as well, I make my way through crowds. They moved quickly aside from me. I see the fear in their eyes as I pass. I intimidate them and I'm glad I do. I don't even touch them as I pass. If I did, they'd feel a burning like no other upon their flesh. My touch is deadly; my looks could kill. I glare sharp daggers at all who dare take a quick glance at me. They feel each and every blade imbedded in them. I defeat all whom oppose me. Oh, the seldom few! How foolish they are to even think they could stand a chance against my power, against my might, against me. I am invincible..."
Kai perked his head up and glared hotly at Zeo.
Zeo, feeling the heat of his stare, tried hard to hide a smile. "I'm just reading what it says. Sounds a bit close to home, doesn't it?"
"Pick another one."
"No. I'm reading this one. Listen."
"I pass through life unscathed. Nothing and no one can harm be. If anyone tries to harm me, with one strike of my hand, they quiver and tremble in fear, pleading for mercy, to be spared. Pitiful fools. They mean nothing to me. Insignificant compared to my vast superiority. Nothing they say or do can affect me in any way. I am unbreakable.
"As I walk the vacant streets, I am greeted by nothing but empty shadows. A single lamplight flickers, my only ray of sunshine, snuffed out by a bitter wind. Home is not a home to me. It's prison; the windows are the bars of my soul, in bondage for eternity. As the day comes to an end, I realize the coldest truth of all: despite my actions, I long for the company of others to free my soul a little, to help me cope with my internal torment. Yet, I can never say what I truly want to. I'll forever be held captive by my own fears. I'll always be alone."
Zeo sighed. "Sad, isn't it? Kind of reminds me of you. And I think you pretend you don't like me, even though you do a little because you can't express yourself well."
"I can express myself fine. If I say I don't like someone, then I don't."
"Okay, okay. The next story is scary, I think, but I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle."
"It's coming. Coming to get me. I must get away. I must flee before it can snatch me. I can't let it catch me. If I do, then I shall cease to exist! I do not wish to die. Life is precious and without peer. I want to live! Don't let it find me!
"Hark! Do you hear it? Its whispered words float across the bitter winds of the moor. Do you hear its harsh laughter? It knows I'm not far away. I must escape, but I find myself trapped. There is nowhere for me to run. Haunted shores of an eerie lake sweep at my right. The dark moors of utter gloom stand before me, smiling wickedly with its gnarly trees. To my right, tar pits and sand traps dangerous to tread upon during the night. Behind me is the wall of a stark white castle, encased in creeping ivy, locked and barred from every side. How I pray for salvage!
"Its cold breath tickles the back of my neck. Its claws prick my skin and its gooseflesh. Its smile causes me to tremble uncontrollably. It's here. So soon! How quickly the shadows of darkness fly through the night, searching out its victims. It embraces me in its coldness and though I struggle, I find I cannot break away.
"In a voice of whispers, its says to me, 'There is no means of escape for you...my dear."
"STOP IT!" Kai shouted, covering his ears. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"
Zeo put the book away and place a comforting hand on him, saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd be scared by it. I promise I'll never read it again. Please, don't be upset."
Kai grabbed the boy's shirt collar and yanked him forward until their foreheads were nearly touching. Fear lined Zeo's dark lashes and Kai sent him hurdling over his chair and into the far wall. Naively, Kai asked, "Where did you get those books?"
"I got them from the library, of course. I promise I'll never read it again. Don't be upset!"
Kai got out of bed, ignoring the pain. "Show me where."
"I don't think that would be wise. You're not in any condition to..." Zeo sighed, finding no point in arguing with the older, taller, and stronger boy, even if he was injured. "Fine. Follow me." Zeo led Kai downstairs and to the library. He climbed up the ladder to the tenth shelf and ran a hand along it. "Here is where I got them from."
Kai hovered over his shoulder and asked, "What do the titles say?"
"Um, well, there's 'The Loner' which I read you; 'Midnight Shadows,' which I got half-way through, and others, including 'The Legendary Firebird,' and...why do you look like that?"
Kai grabbed the book detailing the firebird and looked at the cover. On it was an exact depiction of his Dranzer! He threw the book down as if it had burned him. "You might be more than right, Zeo. These are a little too close to home. And what's more, I think you know why." Kai cornered him by the shelf. "Tell me. Why are aspects of my life depicted in these stories?"
"Coincidence?" Zeo shrugged his shoulders.
"Not likely. Don't lie to me. Tell me why."
"I don't know."
Kai slammed him into the rungs of the ladder. "You're lying!"
"No, I'm not! Don't you ever accuse me of that again! I never would ever lie to you, Kai."
"Sure you wouldn't." Kai scoffed, brushing himself off.
"I wouldn't! Never! I don't know why the books talk a bit about you. I've even found myself in these tales. I don't know, okay?"
Kai reached past the book and gathered up all the books on the tenth shelf, chucking them over his shoulders. They fell in scattered piles on the floor. As Kai was descending, he asked, "Is the fire in the kitchen still going?"
"Yes, but what do you plan to do?"
Kai gathered up the fallen books. "I'm going to burn them."
Zeo jumped down. "No, you can't do that!"
A questioning look was sent his way. "And why not?"
"Because..." he seemed to search for a reason, "because..."
"See, you have no good reason for me not to do so."
"No, I do, but I just can't say. Only that you can't burn them."
"Why don't you just state your reason?"
"I told you 'because I can't.'"
"I'm not stopping you."
Zeo thought for a moment and said, "He wouldn't be happy. He wrote those books."
"Again with this 'he.' Who is 'he'?"
The boy drew circles in the rug with his big toe. "I can't say."
Sighing in frustration, Kai made his way to the dining room, with Zeo trying his best to talk Kai out of it. Nothing, though, would deter the phoenix's mind. These documents showed his weakness, his innermost fears, probably even his desires. Letting it be would allow his being to be openly exposed for scrutiny, clearly uncovered for Zeo's viewing pleasure. Zeo already knew too much as it was. He couldn't let him know anymore about him, no matter how subtle it was in relations to him.
The fire roared as he entered the dining room. With one heave, the flames consumed all the books, turning them to ashes within mere seconds. The smell of burnt paper filled the room. Above the sound of the towering flames, Kai heard Zeo cry out. He ran back to the library and found the boy lying in a ball, quivering. His face was stained with tears and he was clutching his side. Kai propped him up and lifted his shirt. A large purple bruise was forming, as if someone had kicked him.
"What happened?"
Zeo managed a little smile and rested his head against Kai's chest. He closed his bright eyes and yawned. As he slowly drifted to sleep, he replied in a small voice, "I can't say."