I

TROY

Somewhere in Helsing was the Orphanage. Filled almost to the brim with children ranging from ages three to seventeen. The Orphanage had everything a young person needed, figures of authority, education and discipline. In fact most parents dumped their kids there to live even if they weren't dead. Not many morals existed in Helsing, and that was a worry.

The kids however hated the place. The teachers consisted of cruel elderly women and the use of a Cain was commonplace.

They where neglected from any kind of love and barely survived on the smelly glop that was served up to them three times a day. This made them bullies or withdrawn and both "species" were most likely to be mugged, mug someone or commit suicide.

Troy was one of the withdrawn pupils. Fourteen years of age Troy had lived in the Orphanage his whole life and had still not grown used to its cruel life. He had short brown hair, was slightly chubby and his green eyes seemed to be ever fearful. That was because they where. Troy was a troubled young man. Troubled by visions, he saw things no one else could. Creatures both demonic and angelic. Troy could see the battles raging on in the spirit realm of this world. Scared witless Troy had never tried to socialise with other kids and as a result of this he had no friends what-so-ever and resolved to talking to himself quietly and crying where no one could see him. He was bullied constantly by children and the adults alike just making it worse.

Troy hated his life, if you could call what he had a life. But at least it was something he thought he could handle, he didn't like change, and change unfortunately has a way of showing up when you least expect it.

It started one blustery stormy day. Troy had been going to his subjects as usual and now at 2:00 sharp was social science with the wicked mss Bras, a foul old lady who delighted in nothing more that to tease and bully her students. As Troy sat down at his desk in the corner of the room Mss Braz took her place at the front of the class. She was dressed in her traditional black buttoned up mothball smelling dress. Her wispy grey hair was tied up in a bun behind her and her thin pursed lips had been painted with a ghastly purple lipstick. Wrinkles covered her face and made her more aggravated than usual,

'Good afternoon you little brats' she greeted the class,

'Good afternoon' came the chorused reply,

'Right before we get into this weeks lesson I'm afraid I must move you two apart' she pointed and a pair of girls trying to hold a whispered conversation,

'And you' she pointed at a smelly little fat boy,' Are no longer welcome in my class, why? I don't know- because I don't like you. Go on, get out, sod off!' she shoed him away,' right, anyone else want to talk in my class? No? Good!'

Troy meanwhile was shaking uncontrollable in fear from the back. Mss Braz spotted him and gave a cackle,

'Troy, what is wrong with you boy? Tell me!'

Troy continued to shake at the sight of a huge horned purple beast grinned at him and gripped his teachers shoulder. It lifted a clawed finger and put it over its mouth as if to say "quite!"

'Oi! What the heck's wrong with you?

'Stop disrupting the class! Stop it I say!'

Troy answered with a scream that tore through the class room like a tornado. That did it for Mss Braz she slammed her hand down on her desk and walked straight over to Troy and grabbed his ear. Troy shuddered violently as a deep cold sensation crawled down his back,

'Come with me young man!' she tugged him out of his seat and through the door,' No one move while I'm gone!'

She led Troy into a small dark room just down the hall. She made him stand in the centre of the room and picked up a cane from the floor,

'No one disrupts my class do you hear me?' she hit him hard and he collapsed onto the floor...

Detective Thompson of the Helsing city watch stared long and hard at a map of the city in front of him. Marked in red dots on the parchment where the murders had been occurring.

Helsing was your average big city, Thompson thought, but over the past few months it had all gone down the drain. There was a serial killer loose on the streets. A killer who seemed to be more ghost than man, committing an amazing feet this...thing had already killed let's see...hmm... Thompson counted the dots-460! How was that even possible? Your common murderer would crumble by now and would have checked himself into a lunatic asylum! But this, this was different. The Bodies...Ughh! Those poor people disfigured and mutilated beyond the point of even recognising them as human beings- some of the victims had only managed to present themselves as a bloodied pile of minced meat! And his symbol! This monsters' calling card was indefinitely found painted on the wall a few metres away in blood, a splattered circle with a dash straight through it. What did it all mean? He didn't know, but he needed to find out soon, the government were not happy about his stations ability to keep criminals off the streets and Thompson feared he would be the first to be knocked off the force.

The man sighed and flattened what hair he had on his head and he stood up. Taking the last swig of his coffee he buttoned up his coat grabbed an umbrella and left the office...

Troy cried out in terror as flames exploded all around him. The walls! They where on fire, with faces! Horrible crabby sharp toothed faces peered out at him through the flames laughing and mocking him. Plaster fell from the roof. His teacher Mss Braz lay dead, under a pile of rubble. How had this all happened? Troy asked himself amidst all the confusion. That's right, the creature had caused this. That evil grinning monster that had been following his teacher had only moments ago drawn a curved sword and stabbed the ground. There had been an almighty earthquake and a huge piece of the ceiling had fallen on her. Immediately Troy saw her soul- a smoky white version of herself rise from her corpse. The thing had grabbed her and dragged her off kicking and screaming into a smoky red portal that had appeared only moments earlier. Troy was not sure where the flames had come from, nor that incredibly strong wind but he had an idea that the portal had a lot to do with it.

Hot air blew in his face sending his hair flapping wildly against the side of his head. Troy struggled forwards to the door leading out as the breeze pulled him, beckoned to him from the portal.

Finally he reached the door, much to the annoyance of the flaming faces and tugged it free. He stumbled out into the corridor and gasped.

The Earthquake had split the floor right down the middle and devilish flames lapped up from the pits below. Troy watched in horror as students where slowly being herded towards the centre of the danger. Deciding he couldn't help anyone Troy made a break for a window. Tugging on it he tried to open it but the thing seemed stuck. Not having any time to waste he stuck his elbow through the glass and made a gab large enough to wriggle through. Glass cut at his belly but he didn't care he moved as fast as he could until he stumbled out into the rainy city around the orphanage.

He scrambled across the field of now scorched and torn ground and through the large metal gate hanging by one hinge.

He had retreated to a safe distance, the streets where the earthquake had hardly been felt. Troy discovered that his school clothes- a white shirt, grey pants and a woollen cardigan where torn to shreds. Deciding he needed a place to rest and calm down Troy hobbled down a dark alley and fell into a deep sleep behind some trashcans.