Hourglass
Another long one. After the next chapter the real plot will get rolling, I swear. I just think it's important to know the characters in depth a bit…yeah… Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I'll try my hardest to make this good! On with the show!
Toby was miserable. More miserable than he could remember feeling in a long time. Well, there was that one time that girl Veronica had told him she liked him and wanted to go out with him. He had been thrilled. He had later found out it was all a joke and practically the whole class was laughing behind him. All except one: Rheas. Thus the two had begun their strange friendship. But that had been a different kind of pain. He had learned early on that things didn't hurt if you laughed with those that laughed, and confusion and hurt feelings had dissipated, forgotten.
Rheas hadn't forgotten. He did not share the same philosophy and he soon got Toby's revenge for him, in his own creative way. Even to this day, poor Veronica could just not get the smell out.
A different kind of pain. When he laughed now, it only hurt more. He was wet, but he hardly minded that, it was the fact that he couldn't move that made him squirm. His arms were pinned to his sides under the cords; tied so tight his breaths came short, his back scraped against the old wooden pole uncomfortably, and a horrible itch worked its way down his face, probably from the blood that matted his hair. He could hardly see out of one eye and his split lip stung intensely, his left arm twitched under the bondage and pain shot through his wrist. Mixed with all the other assorted cuts and bruises, he was fairly uncomfortable.
"They could have at least left me at ground level…" he muttered, kicking his feet that didn't reach the ground. He turned to see his companion behind him, but his hair, yanked free of its topknot, blocked his vision. "Rheas? You okay? You haven't said much…Are you even conscious?"
If he was, he didn't answer. Toby grimaced as he listened to his friend's horrible breathing, erratic and slow, as though it took all his energy for each breath. Rheas' head hung forward, his hair hiding his face, a line of blood running from his nose and mouth.
The two were both tied to an old lamppost, unlit and beginning to grow slime. Far from the tracks and streets, the chance of anyone seeing them, especially at night, was practically nothing. Toby sniffled, watching the steam billow into the cold air from his nose. They would be here for ages! The cords were tied rather well, and too thick to cut easily with just a pocketknife, which Toby knew Rheas had to have on his person somewhere. Unless of course, he had set it on the counter in his home, obviously not wanting it, and…
Rheas suddenly let out what seemed to be a quiet gurgle and then began to heave, fighting to get air in his lungs, his breaths getting quieter.
"Oh no!" Toby cried, kicking his feet helplessly, "No, no, no! You are not going to have one of your attacks now! No! Oh crap…you are!" With one last squirm, the small teen did what he should have done in the first place.
"HEEEEELLLPPPP! We're tied to a pole and my feet can't touch the ground!!! Somebody! HELP!" Toby screamed into the darkness, his heart sinking as only his own breaking voice answered. Rheas was silent.
"Oh my god! They killed Rheas!!!! HEEELLLP!!!"
"Toby?" a voice came from the dark, "What are you doing here, what happened?"
"Thomas? Is that you!?" Toby cried, almost sobbing with joy, "Oh good. These two guys beat the crap outta us, then tied us here. I hurt all over, my feet don't touch the ground and…and I think Rheas is dead!"
"Rheas?" A flashlight clicked on, Thomas hadn't seen the other boy. He swore and pulled out his dagger, cutting at the cords as quick as he could. Well, whoever did this had wanted to make sure these two stayed put! He gave up and began working on cutting the knot alone. "Are you all right?"
Toby smiled impishly, "I'll live. Nothing too bad, I guess. How's Rheas?"
The rope severed, and Thomas began yanking the ropes off until it all loosened. Toby slipped down and landed on the ground. He immediately reached up and scratched his face, his fingers coming away bloody. He winced, his hands going to his side. "I think my ribs are bruised…"
As the cords fell away, Thomas reached out and caught the falling Rheas. "C'mon, wake up..." he pleaded, shaking the younger boy slightly, "…fuck!" he immediately lifted Rheas completely. "Damnit kid, breathe! Toby! Help me get him into the jeep!"
He was walking in darkness to the unknown. Every way he turned there was nothing but endless black. "I'm dreaming…" Rheas muttered to himself, "or maybe I am--"
The solid plane beneath his feet shook and shattered like glass, the shards glittering as he fell with them into endless darkness. "Someone…make it stop…the pain…"
The glass ground dropped from his vision as he fell deeper into darkness. He suddenly felt heavy, his mind not focussing on his surroundings, only the strange grogginess that seemed to grip him. "Doesn't matter…I'm gone now…" He shut his eyes, letting the heaviness settle over him.
A slender hand reached out, taking his own and slowing his descent. Rheas opened his eyes, above him there was a shadow, darker than the endless black itself, a pair of golden eyes staring back at him intently.
Rheas smiled faintly, his mind struggling to focus. "I haven't seen you in years…go back to your sleep…"
He didn't hear the shadow's response; it was just there. He knew the answer as well as he knew his own name.
It is you who must wake up!
The words seemed to pierce right through him. "Wake up…" he said slowly as he stopped falling, "…to what?"
…wake up!
The bus came and went. Cameron stood alone in the rain, pacing, trying to figure out where his sibling had vanished to. He only came to one conclusion: the runt must die! First, he'd beat him to a pulp, then patch him up and do it again, just for good measure. Then, he'd take his brother and tie him to a tree branch high off the ground, in that special way that so every time he struggled the ropes would loosen, threatening to dump him into open air, letting him sweat. The image was very satisfying and calmed the big man immensely.
He whirled and paced again. He had to figure out where his runt of a brother was before he could kill him. Maybe they had decided to walk home? No, he would have passed them on the road. But there were trails one could take…
He was brought out of his train of thought by his pager, almost making him jump. Probably from Thomas, wondering where he was. Though the message was indeed from Thomas, it was not the message Cameron had expected.
Found the kids. At urgent care. --Thom
"Fuck…" Cameron hissed as he hurried back to his truck. Well, no beating upon his brother tonight it seemed; he was probably already dead!
The doors were light under his enormous arms, and he passed through them as though they were feathers. Cameron was no stranger to this place, having spent much of his time here with Rheas, and navigated the twisting halls without trouble. He strode into the waiting room and easily spotted Thomas, reading from a magazine and wrinkling his nose at every other picture.
"That was fast." Thomas said, tossing the magazine aside as Cameron's shadow fell over him.
"I was only at the bus stop. What happened?"
"I'll tell you what happened!" Toby cried, almost jumping out from nowhere. He moved stiffly, taped where a rib had been cracked. Bandages had been bound around his head and left wrist, which hung in a sling. There were stitches on his lower lip and his long hair hung free of its topknot. "We were slaughtered! Ambushed! Two big guys, I think they're on your wrestling team, I swear, they tried to kill us!"
"I doubt that…" Cameron murmured. Even so, what sickos would beat up on Toby Bender? Aside from his annoying nature and current reject status, he was strangely adored.
"They friggin' held Rheas' head on the tracks, while the train was coming! If Rheas hadn't bashed that guy in the head with a rock, his brains would be splattered all over by now!" The fifteen-year-old cried, waving his good arm about dramatically.
"Calm down before you hurt yourself." Thomas sighed, pulling Toby back into his seat gently. Cameron gazed at his long-time friend steadily, straining against the concern in his voice.
"Rheas…"
"He's fine," Thomas stated quickly, "He's just talking to the doctor. Probably lying his ass off…"
"He's good at that." Cameron sighed, dropping heavily into the open seat beside Thomas. He only half listened to Toby babble on about their horrible attack, realizing that the younger boy did not know his assailant's names. He felt relieved, and suddenly very tired. He felt like fading away into the wall, giving in to his body's demands, so he finally began to doze.
"Asleep already? It's not even ten o'clock yet and this is how I discover the almighty brother of mine?"
"Knock it off Rheas!" Thomas snapped.
"It's fine, let 'im vent." Cameron groaned, sitting up in the uncomfortable chair and glancing un-fondly at his younger brother. Rheas' heavy black sweatshirt was off, tied around his waist, still obviously torn, openly displaying his thin figure under a red t-shirt. His auburn hair was disheveled, pulled aside for a bandage around his head, and he could barely see out of one eye. Aside from the obvious limp and other cuts and bruises, Cameron suddenly felt sorry for his brother as he gazed upon the mangled hand in a cast. If there was anything he knew about his brother, it was that his hands were his livelihood. Rheas must have caught the look.
"Don't…" he hissed, his eyes flashing.
Cameron sighed and stood, towering over his little brother. Something isn't right, Cameron pondered to himself as he stared at the blank spot around Rheas' neck.
"Where's your necklace?" he finally asked.
Rheas smirked, though a sudden anger filled his eyes that sent shivers down his brother's spine. A gift to him, the necklace was a thin chain that held a small pewter claw clutching a glass ball at the end. "They took it, apparently. As well as whatever money I carried, and tossed my inhaler in the creek." he sighed, sliding his hands into his pockets, "They're a boorish lot, those two."
"Oh for…What did you say to them!?" Cameron demanded, his patience wearing thin.
"What did I say?" Rheas whispered dangerously, "What did I say!? Nothing! I said nothing! I was just standing there, waiting for you! Or have you forgotten?" His face twisted into an ugly snarl as he turned to leave.
"Rheas! You're still not going on about that, are you? I said I was sorry--!" Cameron snapped, following his brother out the door, Thomas and Toby close behind.
"Enough! All I'm saying is that I don't need to say anything! I'm easy sport." Rheas slowly pulled his sweatshirt back over his head as they stepped out into the cold night air.
"These are the same fuckers that messed with you back then, huh? Tell me who they are, I'll deal with them…!"
"Fuck you! I am not your charge! You do not fight my battles for me, remember? I can take care of myself. I will deal with them myself...in my own time. I don't need you."
"These are the same guys, aren't they?" Cameron said softly.
Rheas glowered up at his brother for a moment, wheezing. The weariness of the attack was catching up to him. He finally whispered softly, too tired to argue anymore, "The hazers? Yes, the same bastards from three years ago. So what? They're not the only ones."
"Names, Rheas. What are their names." Cameron sighed, exasperated with the whole ordeal.
"In my own time…" Rheas hissed, limping back to the truck and almost falling several times.
Cameron threw his hands up in defeat, glancing at the heavens with a 'why me?' look. Running his hand through his curly hair, he turned back to Thomas. "Look, I'm sorry 'bout this. I…"
"It doesn't matter. Toby," Thomas called over his shoulder, "I'll take you home. Get in the jeep."
Toby knew that tone, and he knew better than to question it. With an overdone sigh he trudged to the old jeep and slid in, immediately curious as to what could be hiding in the glove compartment.
"Listen Cameron," Thomas began in a hushed voice, "whoever these assholes were, they meant business. I found them tied up, rather well mind you, out in the old housing district. They don't start construction there until Saturday, and nobody goes out there. If I hadn't decided to pull over and have a quiet smoke at that second, I wouldn't have heard Toby yelling. If there had been traffic I wouldn't a' heard him. The way they were…and Rheas' attack…he could've died."
"I know, but I can't pry anything outta him. He keeps his secrets. See what you can find out from Toby, he'll talk."
"Nonstop." Thomas smiled, turning back to the jeep, as Toby had decided he liked the sound of the horn on this particular car better than any other.
"You don't look to good." Cameron stated, breaking the silence as they drove home.
Rheas just glared at him, an eyebrow raised.
"You know what I mean!" the elder brother snapped.
"I'm exhausted Cameron. I just want to go home and sleep."
"Just relax and doze. It's fifteen minutes before we get home even without traffic." Cameron offered, knowing it was pointless. Rheas never relaxed in this truck. When Cameron had first received his license he had immediately taken Rheas with him for a drive. Rheas, being thirteen at the time, had dozed off, slumping against the door. The truck was nothing more than a trashcan on wheels, even then, and the door had flung open, nearly dumping the thin lad in the middle of the freeway. That hadn't been the only time the truck had startled him and nearly dumped him off in the middle of the road. Now Rheas never relaxed, knowing any moment the evil truck would make its move.
"Look, I'm sorry. What happened then was…"
"It was three fucking years ago Cameron. I don't care. What's done is done. Besides…I've had worse." Rheas replied, almost casually.
"The point is, the one time you needed me the most and I wasn't there!"
"It doesn't matter. It would've happened another day, they were just waiting for an open opportunity. I'm hazing material, so what? Despite all the shit you've done to me, I know you wouldn't let that happen, not on purpose, anyway. So don't you dare feel fucking sorry for me!" His lips suddenly twisted into some odd smile that sent shivers up his sibling's back. "Besides, I'll make them all pay…" He said it so strangely, with a unique glint of joy in his eyes, that it frightened Cameron.
The elder brother could remember, when he was younger, relatives always looking over at him and his siblings and regarding them with smiles. His doe eyes, curly hair and friendly face, and his already strong figure; his elder sister, Katie, with her charming smile and wild nature; and even Rheas, with his fine features and large golden eyes, earned praise for their promising good looks. But cruelty and spite, a bitterness that burned like fire within him, had turned Rheas bent and ugly.
"What about today? Are you gonna be all right?"
"By whatever gods there may be Cameron! I'm not made of glass! None of this is permanent." He gazed out the window a moment, the orange light of passing street lamps turning his white skin a strange golden color as it grazed his face. "Still…I'm glad he was there…" he whispered so quietly Cameron wasn't sure he heard right.
"Who? Toby?" Cameron inquired.
"No…the--" he hesitated, shaking his head as though he thought he was about to say something foolish, "…the golden eyed one."
Cameron slammed on the brakes as the light before them turned red unexpectedly. Rheas caught himself on the dashboard with his bad hand and let out a quick yelp in surprise.
"Don't…" Cameron growled, his voice rising, "Don't you dare start that again. Do you want to get locked away in some loony bin!? That's exactly what our mother will do if you start that shit again!" A moment of silence before the light turned green, and the truck lurched forward. "You were having an attack. Lack of oxygen. You were hallucinating."
That's what they said last time, Rheas thought to himself as he let his brother concentrate on the road.
Rheas had been seven years old when one of the worst years Cameron could remember began. The two of them had been left home alone with their elder sister in charge; hence Rheas decided to stay in his room for the night. Cameron and Katie had managed some form of dinner and went to fetch the youngest, only to find Rheas passed out on the floor, barely breathing. Cameron had seen Rheas have an attack before, but at that time, this had been the worst, and he panicked. Luckily Katie had kept a cool-head.
It had been a close one. The doctor had later informed their parents that Rheas had barely pulled through. Rheas claimed he had been saved by a strange man in his dreams.
"His eyes were like mine, only…different." he said quietly.
"Maybe he's your guardian angel." their mother had suggested, smiling down at her youngest child. If only she had known.
A week later, Rheas sat at the table, poking his cereal when he looked up and announced, "He came back."
"Who?" Katie asked, glancing up from pouring sugar on her food.
"The golden eyed one. He came back."
"Oh?" their mother had said, sitting down across from him, "What did he say?"
"He can't talk. He has no voice, so he just points at me and makes me think stuff."
Katie rolled her eyes and their mother nodded, believing he was just playing around. The visits from the strange man became frequent, and often frightening. Months later their mother began demanding Rheas to stop his game, but Rheas could only shake his head.
"I can't make him do anything. It hurts me…..."
"You just went through a red light." Rheas sighed, snapping Cameron out of his thoughts.
"So, he's…he's back then?"
"No, I sent him back. I control him, remember?" The edge of delight in his voice seemed to shake Cameron completely. He wanted to throw Rheas out of the car and keep driving. He wanted to snap his neck and end whatever he might…he might…but what could he do? He was intelligent, frighteningly so at times, but he was still as harmful as a small child.
The rest of that year had been strenuous to everyone. Their mother seemed to almost resent Rheas for a time, snapping at him every time he opened his mouth. She got over it quickly however. He was, afterall, her precious youngest. Rheas was not so forgiving, and grew angry and hurt towards her and his siblings.
That was, until the day he came trudging down the stares, a strange look in his eyes. "Mama," he said, pulling her sleeve until she took notice of him, "you don't have to worry about the golden eyed one anymore."
"Why's that?" Mother had asked, trying to hide the annoyance that name brought to her.
"I sent him back to his rest. He won't bother us anymore." With that, Rheas turned and made his way back upstairs. Passing him, Cameron was sure he could hear Rheas muttering to himself.
"No shade will control me."
Cameron brought himself back to the present as they entered the driveway. The truck rumbled to a halt, practically wheezing a sigh of relief. Cameron went to help his brother, only to get snarled at.
"I am perfectly capable of walking to the front door! Besides, you reek of cigarettes, I can't breathe around you."
Cameron shrugged and hurried to the front door. It was cold out, and had begun to pour on the way home. He waited until Rheas caught up before stepping in, slamming the door shut as soon as his brother stumbled inside. Rheas immediately cast off his soaked sweatshirt and threw in a heap in the corner. Shivering, he coughed once and then began to pull himself up the stairs slowly.
"You okay?" Cameron called after him. Rheas snarled something incomprehensible before continuing his climb.
"Don't know why we have so many friggin' steps…why do we need stairs anyway, I'm the only one who's ever home…" he muttered to himself.
Cameron stood at the bottom of the stairs as his brother rounded the corner to his room, waiting for the familiar slam of his door. Instead he heard a soft thud, but nothing more. With a heavy sigh he ascended the stairs and turned to find, as expected, his brother on the floor, coughing, his strength spent.
Kneeling, Cameron easily lifted Rheas up in his arms. "Finally gave out on you, huh?" he said gently. Rheas shot him a glare, but nothing more. Pushing open the door, Cameron carried his brother into his room, the light from the hallway splitting into the darkness like a dagger. Rheas gave no argument as Cameron gently lay him down on his bed, nor did he argue as his brother removed his boots. He was too tired to care.
"You know Rheas, maybe if you didn't wear boots that were too heavy for you, you wouldn't kill yourself going up the stairs." Cameron said softly, tossing the steel-toed boots onto the floor. Rheas had started wearing such boots continuously after he had run away from home. At thirteen, the younger boy had up and vanished for a few days. When he returned, there was something older about him. Like someone who goes out and discovers a horrible truth about something, and they know they can never change it, so they accept it, breaking their spirit and youth in the process. For all Cameron knew, such a thing probably happened.
He pulled the covers up over his brother who lay unmoving, his breaths quick and shallow, his eyes closed. Their beds were similar in size, but what was acceptable to Cameron's large frame seemed to swallow Rheas up. His brother seemed comfortable enough, so Cameron turned to leave, to step back into the lit hallway, out of the room of leering shadows.
"Cam…"
Rheas' voice was a soft whisper, a hand slowly turning the elder brother back into the darkness. "Yeah?"
"The candle…please…"
Cameron sighed, his face softened. "Sure Rheas…"
Stooping down to a nightstand beside the bed, he opened a drawer containing only a supply of small candles and a box of matches. The candles were small, kept in little tin containers so they could melt down with little worry. They only lasted about an hour, if even that. Cameron dropped one in the empty ashtray on the stand and lit it, the yellow flame growing swiftly, illuminating the room with a soft light. A large wooden desk, an overflowing bookshelf, a telescope by the window, and a stack of boxes with a plant on top in the corner. Not threatening at all. Yet Cameron always felt a cold chill run up his spine whenever he was in this room at night. The candle lit, Cameron left the room, pausing in the doorway.
"G'night Rheas." he said quietly and shut the door.
Rheas' eyes were golden slits, absorbing the light of the candle and glowing with their own. He watched as the wavering light sunk downward, ruled by time, into its own puddle. Normally, he was able to sleep before the candle extinguished, but tonight he watched it to the last moment of a dying ember, the darkness' cold fingers crawling over him slowly, until it engulfed him completely.
"Come on up Rheas! It's not high at all!" Cameron called to his little brother, who stood gazing up at all of them from the ground. After over a year of hard work, the small group of companions had built a sturdy and wonderfully spacious tree house. Though it rested mainly in a strong oak, the surrounding evergreens gave promise of support and protection all year.
Now everyone was up at least ten feet in the air, gazing down at Rheas who stared dubiously at the rope ladder that hung before him. "I have no need to go up." he called, not looking up from the ladder.
"C'mon baby brother," Kate shouted down at him, "this is yours too! You helped, so come on!"
The six-year-old finally reached out and pulled himself up the ladder, but he was barely a few feet up when he looked around and clambered back down. He looked up and shrugged, then turned and walked back to the porch, curling up on a step with one of his books. No amount of catcalling, shouting, and taunting (mainly from Toby) could get him to even look up from his book. He ignored them and finally, they did so in return, focussing on their games.
Cameron was unhappy. The chances of Rheas actually playing with them were slim, but if he was going to read and ignore them, Cameron wanted him to at least do it in the tree house he helped build.
Later, the older brother sat in his room, pondering the problem until he came up with a solution. He immediately leapt to his feet and ran to find his father.
The next morning, Rheas ventured outside to the sounds of a hammer to find their father and Cameron hard at work at constructing wooden steps that spiraled around the trunk of the tree. He stared wide-eyed as Cameron beamed up at him from his work.
"Look! Now you can go up whenever you like, without the ladder!" Cameron proclaimed proudly, gesturing to the partially built steps.
Cameron remembered it was the last hug he received from his brother.
After the steps were finished, Rheas was often found in the tree house, reveling in the solitude it brought, especially when the companions began to find other things more fascinating. Everyone began growing, drifting in and out of friendships, some more distant than others…
Hands in his pockets, Cameron stared up at the long-abandoned tree house. The steps were worn, as they had been used far more than the rope ladder, everyone agreeing it was easier and quicker. He placed his foot upon the first step testily and then climbed slowly. The steps creaked under his weight, but held firm.
The tree house had been carefully built. All windows and doors could close securely; ensuring young sleepers that they would not freeze or find strange bugs climbing over their feet by morning. Cameron pushed the door open easily and stepped inside.
He had expected spider webs, dust and mold, despite. Instead, the tree house looked well taken care of. He found that strange, as he recalled nobody using it recently. He strode to the center of the room. Though one large space, several walls poked out randomly, giving an odd broken atmosphere. The windows were large, and a skylight of clear, and amazingly clean, plastic lit the room rather well. The room broke off at one point, a wooden stair snaking up a branch of the tree to a small place where one person could sit at a window and have a spectacular view of the woods. Rheas had sat up there often. Peering up, Cameron thought he could make out the shape of a telescope placed there, waiting for a rare clear night. Turning, he began to make his way towards a large window that faced west.
"Hellooo!" a shrill voice cried, making Cameron nearly jump out of his skin.
"Toby! You do that one more time and I will sling you out the window by your hair! What are you doing here?" Cameron demanded, restraining from shaking. He normally didn't spook easily but geez…
"Rheas and I always come up here. To screw around with stuff, you know. The better question is what are you doing here?" Toby replied, shrugging. Well, that explained why the place looked so well taken care of.
"I dunno, thinking, I guess…" Cameron said absent-mindedly. He gazed at Toby, who had a weird smile on his face, and snapped, "Say one word about me and thinking and you'll be eating those ugly shoes of yours."
Toby giggled. "Of course not."
"I'm just renewing some memories…" the big man sighed heavily. "You can't blame me. I wish we could build this again."
"Yeah," Toby smiled, gathering his trinkets, "so do I."
The water was icy, but it would have to do, as he didn't feel like waiting several minutes for it to warm up. The rest of the week had flown by, happily landing him on a Friday. His hand was better, which he was thankful for as he scrubbed the dirt off the stone vigorously with an old toothbrush.
Glancing up at the bathroom mirror, Rheas stuck his tongue out at himself and re-soaped the brush. "The things I do in my spare time," he sighed, scrubbing again. He was rewarded when a glint of the amethyst peeked through its coating of dirt and grime.
"Hello there," he muttered, "we're gonna be good friends, you and I. …And I'm talking to a rock…I must have hit bottom by now."
Something in the mirror caught his eye as he rinsed off the soap. Looking up, he saw himself, but the wall behind him had faded into darkness. He whirled around to find he was surrounded in the endless black. If he had had another attack, it had sure snuck up on him. No, this was no dream…
A horrible shrieking filled the air. Turning, he saw something so terrifying, so beautiful, he knew he was not dreaming.
Red, black, blue, green, white, five heads of a creature as he could only recognize to be an enormous dragon. It towered over him, its five pairs of eyes settling on him, driving utter fear into his soul, and he shrank from it.
A shriek of triumph and she lunged upon him. Fire seared his flesh as claws tore away his insides, acid melting his bones...
Wake up!
Cameron yawned as he shut the front door behind him. He felt like being lazy and relaxing the rest of the day. Cook up some microwave dinner and lounge on the couch watching bad infomercials. Yeah, that sounded good.
He smiled and began to make his way towards the kitchen when a high pitched scream ripped through the air.
Cameron froze, terror wrapping around his heart and stabbing deep. That was Rheas. He spun on his heels and ran up the stairs, fearing the worst.
Memories bubbled up from his mind. Forcing the door open, a knife, red at the edge, lying at his feet. Rheas, on the floor, lying in his own blood that ran freely from his severed wrists. Blood, red and thick, everywhere he looked…
He shoved the memories aside as he reached the top of the stairs. The bathroom door was open. Practically sliding in, Cameron saw a toothbrush on the floor, a grimy rock on the sink. Rheas sat, his back was to the wall, his knees drawn up to his chest, his arms raised as though trying to ward off an attacker. His breathing was heavy and raspy, a line of blood trickling from his lips. His golden eyes were wild, off in another realm.
"Rheas!" Cameron cried, kneeling in front of his brother and gripping his thin shoulders. Rheas blinked and lowered his arms slowly, shaking.
"Cameron…" he croaked. The darkness was gone, the dragon was gone, but the pain still lingered, coursing through his body like fire. He almost wouldn't look down, afraid he would see his innards strewn about the floor. But no, he was in one piece, untouched.
"What happened?" Cameron demanded softly, pulling the younger boy closer.
"I…I don't know…I don't feel too good…" Rheas replied slowly, gulping air. He stiffened and pushed his brother away as he felt sickening bile rise in his throat. Whirling on his knees, he bent over the toilet and vomited until he was empty and dry heaving. Exhausted, he gratefully fell back into Cameron's arms, a cool hand pressing against his hot forehead.
"You're burning up! Why didn't you say you were sick!?"
"I wasn't told either, apparently."
"Let's get you to bed…" Cameron sighed, hefting his brother up into his arms.
"Hullo there!" Toby beamed when the front door opened, "My Cameron, you don't look too pleased."
"Toby, it's Saturday morning. I want to sleep!" Cameron snapped, the idea of slamming the door in the shorter boy's face tempting him immensely.
"Oh, well, where are your parents?"
"Out for the weekend. Listen, Rheas is sick, so he can't come out and blow things up today, okay?" Cameron said with a sigh.
"I know, I was just stopping by for a moment. I need to show him this," at that, Toby held up what looked like an old, rotting chunk of wood, "and I brought this!" he then pulled out a small vial of water, "Holy Water!"
"He's not possessed! He's just got a fever!" Cameron nearly shouted, growing quite annoyed with the freshman.
"You never know…" Toby grinned impishly, pushing passed Cameron and making his way up the stairs. Cameron threw his hands up into the air and went to the kitchen, now that he was up he might as well eat breakfast.
Toby bounded up the stairs and over to Rheas' door. Holding the chunk of wood in one hand, he knocked gaily on the wooden door.
"I'm dying, go 'way." a hoarse voice responded quietly. Toby went in anyway.
"Good morning Rheas! I know you don't like visitors when you're sick and all, but I finally found that piece of wood I told you about, I also brought you some Holy Water to help with your possession problem."
"I'll inform the devil that you have foiled his plans."
"No need to thank me," Toby smiled, oblivious to his friend's sarcasm. "Here, this is that wooden plank thing I told you about. I finally found it! It was in my closet, how and why it was in there I'll never know, but here it is!" Toby held out the dark chunk of wood, ignoring the fact that Rheas lay with his back to the shorter boy. "It has these weird squiggly writings on it, or at least it looks like some form of ancient writing. My dad said it was just worm tracks but I don't know…" Rheas finally rolled over and sat up, extending his hand for the wood.
"If these are worm tracks, then it was done by some rather complex worms. This is undoubtedly writing, but of what kind, I know not." Rheas whispered. The piece of wood was little larger than his hand, dark, almost black in color, solid but light. It was rotten, showing obvious signs of wear by insect and weather, but the writing was as clear as it must have been when it was first carved. But the piece had been broken off of the whole, as the wood crumbled halfway through one of the carved symbols. "Where did you find this?" he hissed, handing it back to Toby.
"Last weekend, my pops took me 'n my sisters camping in the rainforest. I was wandering around on my own, out in the middle of the forest, when I literally stumbled into some small wooden structure. I coulda' swore that it hadn't been in the path two seconds ago! It was amazing! The whole thing had writing like that all over. I wanted you to see it but I couldn't break the thing like that, and it was too big to fit in my pack, but then I saw that piece on the ground so I took it back and said, 'Hey Pops! Look at this thing!' and then he said…"
"The rainforest?" Rheas pondered as Toby prattled on, "That's only a few hours away by vehicle…Well, it makes sense. Where else would you find weird items lying around?"
"Yeah, well I thought this just might be what we're looking for."
"Just might be indeed. I'll plan what we'll need later. You go to the library and see what you can dig up. You know what to look for, right?"
"Definitely! I'll go now! This is exciting!" Toby cried, stuffing the wood back into the pouch that hung beside his dice. "I'll just leave that water here, for Cameron, since you won't remember anything and will forget it's there. But I guess since the demon will be in charge I don't think he'd use it on himself and…"
"Go!" Rheas snapped, and Toby bounded out of the room.
The afternoon sun brought light and warmth, beckoning little green buds out of trees and flowers, but the day quickly turned to dusk, spreading a cold blanket of blue across the world. Crysta hurried down the street, a fresh breeze of cold air blowing her hair gently. A warm thermos tucked under her arm and a look of determination on her face, she approached the house she knew too well. There were no cars in the driveway; he was home alone, and he certainly wouldn't answer the front door.
Then she'd use her own way in. She went to the side of the house and ducked into some bushes, the branches catching on her sweatshirt. Emerging from the trees, she climbed over the porch railing with practiced ease. Stooping down beside a small window to the kitchen, one she knew was never locked, she dug her fingers into the slender crack around the window and pulled it up until she could lift it properly. She slid into the kitchen and stood, dusting herself off.
"'Evening, Reverend's Daughter."
Crysta jumped at the quiet voice. "Rheas!" she snapped angrily, "Don't do that! Let people know you're around! Jeez…"
"I find it odd you say that, since you were the one who came crawling through the window. Some would call that breaking and entering." Rheas whispered, a wry smile on his face. He sat at the kitchen table tiredly, his shoulders slumped and hands folded before him.
"You've never minded before. In fact, I believe it was you who showed me how to get in anyway." Crysta replied slyly.
"Whatever you say, Reverend's Daughter."
"And stop calling me that!"
"Why? Is that not what you are?"
"As much as you are a freak I guess!" she snapped, slamming the thermos on the table. Rheas' eyes narrowed to slits and he began to stand slowly. Crysta was about to apologize when he sighed and relaxed back in his chair.
"Very well, Creampuff."
Crysta twitched. Next time she'd just keep her mouth closed. "Why are you down here anyway, you're sick! You should stay in bed." she admonished, hands on hips.
"I was feeling particularly nasty and decided I wanted some tea. No one is here so I must prepare it myself for now." He gestured to the kettle on the stove, "I'm just waiting for the water to boil. Care to join me?"
"Sure," she sighed, dropping in the seat across from him. "Are you warm enough?"
Rheas shrugged. Crysta nodded, looking over his makeshift attire of an oversized gray sweatshirt and khakis, a hat she assumed was his brother's, and even a black scarf around his neck. "Are those bunny slippers?"
"They're my mother's. I don't have anything warmer than socks and my feet were cold." he snapped, his defenses raising.
"I was just asking! Goodness, are you jumpy. Anyway, I brought some of Goldie's all natural tea for you." Crysta said, sliding the thermos across the table, "It should still be warm."
"Her infamous cure-all…" Rheas muttered, unscrewing the cap and taking a sip, "Oh, how nice," he smirked, "she even labeled it for me. And spelled my name wrong in the process."
"It's not her fault your name's spelled weird."
"Nor mine. The fault goes to my mother, I guess, she always did love Greek Mythology."
"I don't know of any 'Rheas' in the myths."
"No, no, my mother assumed I was to be a girl, and thus planned to name me Rhea, after the Queen of the Universe." He smiled and shook his head.
"Well, there's the origin of your ego right there. So she wanted another girl, huh? Kate not enough?"
"Too much of a tomboy. But my mother was so positive of my being female, that neither she nor my father planned any other alternatives. That and she had already written 'Rhea' on most of her cards and papers to family. Fate had other plans, apparently."
"So slap on an 's' and change pronunciation and there you go!" Crysta laughed. "Well, I like Rheas, it suits you. What's it mean?"
"'Argent', though I have seen it interpreted as 'hero'."
"Hence your nickname! I never knew why people called you that…"
"It's the only flattering one out there."
"Well, I don't see any silver on you, and you're definitely no hero but…ah, who cares." she smiled, rising as the kettle began to scream. Reaching up to the cupboards for two mugs, her eyes fell on the bottles of anti-depressants. She turned back to Rheas, who sat staring out the sliding glass door, coughing, and sighed. She poured herself some hot water and grabbed a pack of tea, then brought Rheas his mug, which he poured Goldie's cure-all into.
"So, Argent," she smiled, sitting back into her own seat, "what would Cameron's name have been if he had been a girl? And don't say 'Carry'…"
"Maude."
Crysta stared at him a moment to see if he was joking, then burst into laughter, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. "Oh, poor Cam!" she laughed, "Boy, he sure lucked out!"
"Indeed, Creampuff."
For some reason she didn't understand, that made her laugh even more. She finally calmed herself, but had a case of the giggles as they finished their tea. However, she turned rather serious when Rheas leaned back in his chair exhaustedly, looking more pale than usual.
"Come on," she instructed, pulling him to his feet, "you're going to bed!" She helped him up the many steps to his room. He moved to his room and she began to follow. "Can I help?" she asked plainly.
"Ah, the Reverend's Daughter is a perverted Creampuff I see." he smiled darkly, a humorous glint in his eyes. She stared at him angrily.
"I'll clean up in the kitchen, you just get some rest."
"I'll do that. Thank you."
"You're welcome," she whispered as the door shut gently.
Cameron sighed, gazing at the thermometer. "Are you sure you didn't hold this up to the lamp to get out of garbage duty? It's awfully high…"
Rheas glared at him with angry, feverish eyes.
"Guess not." He stood, gazing down at his brother seriously. "I told you not to go outside…"
"And leave my garden to the deer? I think not." Rheas rasped, rolling over. He shivered under the mound of blankets Cameron had brought for him. The fever had shot upwards in the last few hours, leaving him sluggish and stupid. His head ached, why couldn't his brother turn out that damned hallway light? He swallowed the pills Cameron gave him with difficulty, his throat feeling thick and his tongue heavy.
"I'm calling the doctor in the morning. I'm no nurse, but even I can see this is too high. Any higher and I'm worried you might get brain damage or something."
Rheas muttered something into the pillow, but gave no argument. Cameron gripped his brother's shoulder a moment, then rose and left, leaving a small candle in his place.
The frail boy turned until he was gazing into the small flame dancing upon the wick and watched it intently.
The darkness came.
In his dream, Rheas was still lying in his bed, the fever holding him even in his mind. Yet he pushed himself upward onto his elbows, looking into the darkness of his room. Within the darkness stood a figure, heavily clothed in rich black robes that rustled about him as he moved. A thin, white hand held onto a staff of twisted wood, but the figure's face was hidden within the shadows of his hood. The figure moved forward beside the bed until he stood directly above the boy. Rheas could see steel gray eyes glittering beneath the cowl.
The figure smiled, he could feel it. "Oddly enough," it said in a soft voice, reaching a thin hand out and touching Rheas' face gently, "you were difficult to find. Shielding yourself?"
Rheas' head dropped back onto the pillows as the deep black of his mind crept over him. The night passed slowly, hours droning through the space of black non-existence. His fever rose, burning away the dream, and then broke, fleeing into the night.
"Are you sure we should be doing this tonight?" Toby whispered, following his taller companion into the woods, "I mean, you just got better afterall, and it is awfully cold out."
"The skies are clear, and it is a full moon. There is no better time for magic!" Rheas hissed. True, the fever had gone the night before, but he was still weak from its effect. But that wasn't his biggest concern. If someone were to notice their leave, there would be hell to pay. It was a school night afterall.
Items under their arms, the two climbed the steps into the tree house. There, they down their stuff and opened all the windows, allowing the silver light of the moon to splatter onto the floor.
"You got it?" Rheas asked quietly.
"Yep," Toby smiled, pulling out the piece of wood he had found, "And look what else! You know that funky symbol you discovered in that book?"
"The one we are going to use?"
"Yeah, that one. Look! I found in this book some incantation that goes with it. I studied it all day, so I've got it down. Here, I'll set up, you try to get familiar with it."
Rheas took the book hesitantly. It was a regular library book, like the other. He had discovered some complex symbol that, if drawn on a certain item, would call upon the spirits of that item. The wood gave him a strange feeling that this was the time to test that symbol. The luck that Toby found the incantation with it furthered his determination.
"How do we know the pronunciation, or the accents? We could be doing it all wrong." Rheas hissed, reading the text.
"The worst that'll happen is it won't work. And the fact that we are just losers who are trying this on a whim, that's most likely going to happen." Toby replied, setting a few candles in a circle around them.
"True." Rheas shrugged. The short boy had a point. His eyes skimmed over the lines of text, his lips unconsciously mouthing the words as he read them in his mind. Closing his eyes, he could see the words easily in his mind. "I have it," he smiled, passing the book back to Toby.
"That was fast." Toby replied flatly as he took the book, he then watched in fascination as Rheas copied the symbol from the book onto the back of the wood piece exactly with thick ink. Turning, Toby began to light the candles. "Do you know what the words say?" he asked at random, the silence of the woods bugging him.
"Not a clue. We'll be speaking from instinct. We could be attempting to summon a demon from Hell for all we know."
"Either way, this is gonna be good!" Toby grinned impishly, rubbing his hands together, "All set!"
The two knelt on opposite sides of the wood, surrounded by candle and moon light. Both held out their right hands, and tossed sand into the air. Excitement reflected brightly in the golden and brown eyes.
Toby held up the book and began to read, Rheas speaking with him from memory. The old chant felt good and easy, spreading warmth through the old tree house. Their tongues rolled over the words, perfectly in sync with eachother until…
Toby's head shot up. Rheas wasn't following the book!
"Rheas!" he hissed, "Those aren't the words! You'll…!"
Rheas obviously didn't hear him. He spread his hands over the wood, his long fingers spread apart like a fan, moving slowly with his words. He blinked and seemed to refocus on the world, continuing from the book.
"What was that for?" Toby whispered, clutching the book tightly.
"What?" Rheas inquired, annoyed that Toby would interrupt like that.
"You were doing something else! Just a second ago."
"No I wasn't, continue!"
The two joined voices, the soft whisper to the quiet shrill voice. Toby looked down suddenly, and his mouth dropped open.
"It's doing it! Rheas! Look look!" Toby nearly cried, pointing at the wood needlessly.
Rheas looked down, his golden eyes opening wide in amazement and joy. The wood was glowing some bluish color!
"That's so…" Toby began, when the blue light seemed to gather together to create a sphere of blue light. It hung there a minute, dazzlingly beautiful, and then shot out the west window toward the ocean in the far distance that lay beyond the boys' vision. No, not the ocean…
"The rainforest! Where I found it! It wants to go back…" Toby exclaimed, rushing to the window to watch the sphere fly into the night with Rheas. The two companions stared out into the starry night for a moment, then at eachother.
"We…did it…" Rheas whispered.
"We did it!" cried Toby, nearly knocking Rheas over in a sudden tackle, trying to wrestle him to the floor. Rheas couldn't help but laugh with him. They had done it!
"I knew it! It had to exist! The magic! Oh…what the hell just happened!?"
"Who cares! We made it happen!" yelled Toby, not caring if anyone found them at this point.
"Yes!" Rheas responded to the attack, and wrestled Toby to the floor, who sprung back with surprising strength. They might have continued this rare display, had they not remembered they had candles burning and Rheas was suddenly exhausted. They lay there then, ignoring the cold, panting in their thrill.
"Toby?" Rheas gasped through chattering teeth.
"Yeah?"
"I think we just found our adventure."
There! Another update may be a while, because I'll be gone for the week, back one day, then gone another week. -_-;; Well, hopefully this will do. The next chapter is when things get interesting! Clue: Fizban!