A/N:Hello, readers. Chapter 11's up! Sorry I wasn't able to update. I had my medical examination yesterday. It was totally embarrassing! The doctor who conducted the test was a girl and I had to get naked in front of her. I'd never blushed that much. Dang. :D

Mystic Wishes: Yeah, that's what I meant. Sorry. I didn't have the time to edit it, which is why it had some grammatical and typographical errors.

In love with Niall Horan: Thank you! :D

Potterjay all the Way: Where's the money? Kidding! :D Anyway, I do such things because it is my way of keeping your interest and because it's fun! Kidding again. Don't kill me. And hello, nice to meet you, Maria. Should I start calling you that, or should I still refer to you as Potterjay all the Way? :D

CimFan: Not gonna answer that. :D How was the hiking?

Warning: This chapter contains some foul languages. Be warned.

DON'T JUST READ, PLEASE REVIEW!

"Mortals have always exaggerated the difference between hate and love. Both come from the heart. You can never hate strongly unless you have loved strongly. The reverse is also true."

-(Yaksha, The Last Vampire: Black Blood)

WISE GIRL'S SEAWEED BRAIN 2.0:

DARKNESS ARISING
Chapter 11: UNPLEASANTVILLE

LESTER

"Son," the woman said, taking a step forward, making me take a step back. "The last time I saw you, you were still an infant. How fast time fly by." She smiled. Even when I couldn't claim that I knew her, I swear I saw a familiar glint in her eyes. "I always knew you'd grow into a handsome young man."

"Flattery won't work," I said through gritted teeth, fighting to keep the words that were threatening to slip out of my mouth.

The woman – I refused to think of her as my mother because, really, what kind of mother would leave her son right after he was born? – touched my arm but I whisked her hand away. "Don't touch me," I hissed.

Dad stepped forward. "You will not talk to her that way, boy," he said.

I felt a hand being placed in my shoulder. I turned around and saw Skylar. I had completely forgotten that she was still with me. "I think it's better if I go," she said uncertainly, eyeing the three of us.

Dad seemed to notice her for the first time. "Is this your girlfriend, boy?" he asked, his eyes wide in disbelief. He gave her a head to toe look-over and he nodded approvingly. "Have you slept with her yet?"

My jaw dropped in shock. What kind of father would ask something like that? I felt my blood boiling. I could take him talking to me that way, but to Skylar? Wrong move. "You will not talk to her that way, Dad."

Dad looked at me, raising his eyebrows. I thought he was going to hit me but he burst out laughing. I seriously considered questioning his sanity but then I realized why. I said the exact words that he did. I was just like him.

I shook my head. I can't be like him.

The woman made her presence known again when he reached out and held my father's hand. I stared at them and felt anger in my chest. Before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "So what, you two are back together now? Is that what this is all about, Dad? You want to introduce your new girlfriend to me?" Dad's eyes flashed dangerously, but that didn't betray the shock that was showing in them. I thought I knew why. Dad knew that his son wasn't one big in words. His son just stays quiet regardless if he's mad or hurt.

But not this time.

Even when I knew that it was stupid, I still felt a little delighted when Dad gave me money to buy clothes. I thought, even with constant reminders for myself that it was completely idiotic, that maybe we would have a dinner together and bond. Funny how quickly that small piece of happiness was quelled down by my own father.

"I can't believe you," I said with all the anger I could project.

Dad's hand flew and slapped me. My father, even when he was a complete drunkard, was still exceptionally strong. I immediately tasted blood in my mouth as I momentarily saw stars.

"Sir!" I heard Skylar cry out, pushing me aside. "Don't hurt your son."

I paid her no attention because right that moment, I was focused on the woman who claimed to be my mother. She made no move to defend me, or to stop my Dad and she said that she was my mother?

"Do you see what kind of parent he is?" I asked in a quiet voice, my eyes trained on her. "Do you see what kind of life I'd been living for the past fourteen years?" That moment, I didn't care that there was a restaurant full of people who could hear me. I had kept all these emotions inside my chest ever since I can remember and now I was letting them out. "You don't and you don't care what's happening. You just saw yourself and went away, not bothering to take a pause and think that your son needs you."

She stepped forward and held out her hands. "Which is why I'm asking your for one more chance to set things right – "

I scoffed. "And what makes you think you can walk back into my life as easily as you walk out of it?" I challenged her. She opened her mouth to speak but I was on a roll now. "You made it perfectly clear fourteen years ago that you don't give a crap about me, and rest assured that I feel exactly the same way about you."

"I understand why you're mad at me," she said in a quiet voice. "I left, but it is for the best. I had your best interest at heart when I left you – "

"You had?" I asked incredulously. Skylar gripped my arm tightly. "Didn't you hear what I just said? My life had been like a living hell with him! Now how is that for my best interest?"

"You had to be prepared for what is about to come and – "

I stared at her in shock and anger. "Are you saying that what he did to me was necessary? Are you actually saying that everything he did had to be done?"

The woman nodded. "Yes."

I shook my head. "What is wrong with you? You like knowing that your son suffered and is suffering because of him?!"

Dad stepped forward. "What's that supposed to mean, you bastard?"

I turned back to her. "Do you see now?" I asked her. "Do you see what kind of parent he is?" I would be fooling myself if I say that there wasn't a note of helplessness in my voice. "You left me with him my entire life. If it wasn't for my Mom, I don't know how or where I would've ended!" Emotions rose to my throat. "It's kind of ironic, you know, that someone who isn't really related to me is the one who actually cares for me and loves me." I knew that if there was even the slightest hint of love the woman had for me in her chest, then I was hurting her, but right then I didn't care. All I wanted was to let her know how I felt, and maybe we could start again . . . Maybe. "She's been there for me through it all. She was there for me when I was battling my condition – actually, did you know that I have ADHD and dyslexia? Did you know that? Did you know that every single time I try to learn things, all my efforts just blow back to my face? If it's not for my Mom, I would've given up a long time ago. It's her all along with me, while you were – what? Sipping margaritas in your summer address, soaking sun and dating guys, not even pausing for one second about the child you left and – "

I wasn't able to finish my speech because Dad punched me again and I fell sprawling on the floor, clutching my throbbing jaw. Skylar sat beside me, speechless, her eyes wide. "I told you not to talk to her like that, you little shit."

I stood up and faced him. For all of my life I'd let him do whatever he wanted to me. Maybe it wouldn't be wrong for me to stand up for myself and do something about it. It wouldn't, would it? Would I be a bad son if I answered back to my Dad and told him he's hurting me? Would it be so wrong?

I looked at her. "Aren't you going to do something?" I asked her in a small voice. In my own ears, I sounded like a small child asking for help. Then I realized that I was. I was merely a child thirsting for his mother's attention. I was a child looking for a whole family. "Aren't you going to pat your son's back and comfort him?" She tried to approach me but I held up my hand. "Do you even care that I'm hurt? Do you even care what I feel?"

"Of course I do," she said sternly. "I am your mother; I do care what happens to you."

"Really?" I asked. "'Cause it doesn't seem like it."

For a second a different kind of light danced in her eyes, something that I could only describe as dangerous. "I need you to believe me, Lester," she said. "Events happen for a reason and we will not know all of them most of the time, but things will become clear, given time."

"I can't honestly wait for that," I said sarcastically.

"Boy," Dad said threateningly. "This will be your last warning. Disrespect her again and you will find what you're looking for."

"You will not hurt him again," said the woman. I looked at her, wondering whether she just really did that or what. "My son had had enough of your unnecessary disciplinary actions for his entire life. I'll take it from here."

"Wow," I said sarcastically. "What am I, some sort of troubled kid you left and when you think I've had enough of his beatings, you'll just going to take me back? What makes you think you can do that? You don't have any right."

She looked at me. "I do have right," she said. "Like it or not, I'm still your mother; you can't change that fact."

I nodded, humoring her. "You're right," I agreed. "Maybe I can't, but listen to me – you may be my mother but I'm never going to be your son, you got that?" I gave her one more look, not even bothering to conceal the feelings that I was sure was burning in my eyes. "Do me a favor and stay away from me."

With that, I walked away, blocking all the sound of Skylar's voice and my Dad's calling for me to go back. As I'd expected, Dad caught up with me. He tried to grab me but I ran away, not because I was scared of what he might do to me, but because, even for a little while, I wanted to get away from everything that was going on with my life.

My feet kept on moving, one before the other, running away, away from all of these. My mind was racing, together with the world beneath me. I may have fooled them that I completely hated my mother, but deep inside, when I reached beneath the drowning hatred and through the thick wall of anger, there was longing. Longing for her, for my mother. Beyond the face of the furious teenager, lied a sniveling and crying face of a little child waiting for that one hug from his mother. The one hug he had been waiting for all his life.

I didn't fool myself when I told her to stay away from me, because the truth was, all I wanted was for her to hold me, pat my back and tell me that it's okay to be weak sometimes, that strength comes from weakness and smiles are born from tears. I wanted her to tell me she loved me. I wanted to hear her voice tell me that she was proud of who I was.

When my lungs screamed to be filled with oxygen, I stopped, my hands falling to my knees to support myself. I wheezed as tears started falling from my eyes to my cheeks. Why was the world so cruel? Hadn't I proven myself enough? Why was everyone always taking my pain as their own form of entertainment? Why was my Dad, whose blood was flowing through my veins, seemed to make it his life's mission to hurt me?

Mom's voice telling me not to be negative tried to push itself inside my skull, but instead of welcoming it, I pushed against it, shoving it out. Just one day I would let this happen. For just one time, I would let all the negative emotions get inside me and not fight against it. I would use the anger and turn it into something.

But then again I remembered that if I hadn't followed Mom's advice to always look at the brighter side of life, I would've committed suicide a long time ago. Everything that she had said, things that I had followed, had made me a better and stronger person.

I shouldn't be like this, a voice said inside my head. I can't let this eat me inside.

I deserve to be mad sometimes, said another one. The world had turned its back on me, I deserve to be a little pessimistic.

Those two voices kept on arguing, fighting on who should win, until I couldn't take hearing them anymore. I yelled in frustration and punched the wall where I was standing. My fist cracked the hard stone. I felt pain shooting from my right hand but I ignored it. I saw my blood dripping down to the road.

"Well isn't this the coziest meeting place," said a melodious voice behind me. I looked up and saw a gorgeous-looking girl with dark hair and eyes that seemed to shift color. She looked to be around seventeen or eighteen and was incredibly attractive. She was wearing make-up in a way that told me that maybe she had a professional make-up artist who did it for her. When she saw me, she raised her eyebrows and smiled sweetly. "They didn't tell me you're cute."

"Who are you?" I asked. "What do you want from me?"

"I personally don't want anything from you, honey," she said. "But he does." She pointed behind her and a wheelchair came into view. Sitting there was Chiron, the guy who was with Clarisse and Nico the night of the dance, just last night.

"My boy," he said. "All we want is to talk. Perhaps you can give me five minutes of your time. After that, you may do as you please."

While he was speaking, a couple of teenagers walked to where he, and the girl were. One was a mousy haired, short girl. Her brown eyes looked familiar, but I couldn't place where I'd seen her before. The other was also a girl with dark hair, light green eyes and fair skin. She was the tallest of the three girls, the short one barely reaching her shoulder. The last one was a guy with blonde hair and tan skin. He looked like he spent the majority of his time on the beach, soaking in sun.

"No," I said firmly, turning around to exit the other way but found myself trapped. Before were Clarisse, the guy Nico, and a girl with spiky black hair, blue eyes that were almost the same color as mine. She was wearing clothes that can only be described as Goth. The silver tiara on her head, however, seemed out of place.

I turned to Chiron. "So what, you're going to force me now? Is that what this is about?"

Chiron looked sad. "I can assure you, my boy, that isn't my intention, but after the last, ah, incident, I guess you can understand why certain precautions are in order." He held out his hands. "I am asking for you to lay down all your suspicions and have a talk with us."

I scoffed. "Lay my suspicions down?" I asked. "Do you know what you're asking for? And what do you want from me, anyway? I've told you already, my family has no money. You'll just be wasting your time if you try to take me."

"That's not what we are here for," he said. "We just – "

"Oh, come on, Chiron," said the attractive girl. "Just let me do what you brought me here for."

"Drew," said Chiron. "We agreed you'll only do that as the last resort."

Drew smirked. "Well, the way I see it, this is our last resort." She then stepped forward and looked me in the eyes. The next words that came out of her mouth sounded like she spoke them through a mouthful of plastic. "You will come with us peacefully and not fight."

The teenagers who were with her all nodded, like they agreed I should do what she said. I shook my head and said, "No." The effect of that one-syllable word to them was instant. Their eyes widened, even Chiron's.

"What?" Drew squealed. "Why didn't that affect him?"

"He resisted it," said the blonde guy. "I'd never seen anyone resist Drew's charmspeak."

"Me either, Will," said the tall girl with dark hair.

Behind me, I heard Clarisse said, "Can't we just tie him up and take him?"

"Clarisse," said the girl beside her. "That's not the way we do things."

Clarisse rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Princess Thalia." She stepped forward and drew a spear from her back. I would've laughed at her and told her that she looked weird holding such weapon but she charged me.

"Clarisse, don't!" the guy, Nico, screamed.

Clarisse, even though buff, was faster than I would've thought possible. She truck and aimed the butt of her spear to my head. I ducked. "What the hell?!" I yelled at her. She spun her spear and stabbed. I jumped to the side, but not fast enough to avoid the sharp tip of her spear. It cut the inside of my right forearm. I hissed in pain. "What is wrong with you?!"

She tried to attack again but before she could, her spear flew behind her. She cursed under her breath. "Dang it, Lou Ellen."

The mousy-haired girl shook her head. "Chiron told you not to."

"I don't really care," she said.

"Well you should!" Lou Ellen insisted.

While they were arguing, I tackled Clarisse to the ground. She yelled in anger as she hit the road. I ran to where Nico and the girl Thalia were standing. I braced my shoulder to push them when Thalia closed her eyes and the air grew cold. The hair on my arms stood on end. "Don't do it, Thalia," said Nico.

When she opened her eyes, a dark cloud had settled directly above me. Then there was lightning. It was directed at me. I thought it would fry me into a crispy. I raised my arms over my head and thought, Don't hit me. Don't hit me.

And it didn't. When I opened my eyes, a circular invisible barrier was shielding me from the lightning. I could tell it was circular because I could see the outlines of the lightning trying to penetrate it.

What's going on?

Tendrils of electricity shot out and hit random things. And people. One hit the nearby lamppost. It exploded in a shower of sparks. One shattered the nearest window. One almost hit Nico but before it could, he muttered something and the ground opened up beneath his feet. A skeletal guy appeared from it and blocked the lightning. The thing crumbled into a pile of ash.

"I told you not to!" Nico yelled at Thalia.

"Who are you people?" I asked them.

Thalia turned to me. "The better question is: Who are you?"

I backed away, my shield moving with me. Clarisse tried to lunge at me but ended up hitting the barrier. She bounced back and landed on her arm. Her face didn't hide the pain she felt. At the sight of her hurt, my mind faltered and the shield disappeared around me. I didn't like seeing a girl hurt, even someone like Clarisse who wasn't much of a girl and someone who tried to skewer me with her spear.

I turned around and saw that another zombie-looking guy was standing in front of Nico. He looked at me apologetically. I didn't think he was capable of looking that way. He seemed so dark. "Sorry about this," he muttered. He turned to the skeletal guy. "Serve me."

The thing ran forward to where I was. I backed away but hit someone. I risked a glance and saw that it was the small girl, Lou Ellen. "Just come with us and none of this would happen," she said. I swept her aside with my arm and she fell on the ground, shocked. I jumped over her and ran to where Chiron was. I figured it would be my best escape route. The two girls didn't look like much. And Chiron was in a wheelchair. The only problem would be the blonde guy, Will.

I went straight to the gap between the two girls, aiming for the weak spot. Before I could run past them, vines shot from the stoned walls and wrapped themselves around my ankles. I fell face first and broke my nose.

"Sorry!" I heard a voice, which I distinguished as the tall girl's, Katie.

I rolled on my back and panicked when I saw that the thing Nico summoned was already upon me. I looked down, seeing that the vines were thick and sturdy looking. I didn't know what made me do what I did. I simply touched the vines and they erupted in black fire. The vines burned into ashes.

I stood up quickly, picked up a stone lying nearby by and threw it to the oncoming zombie guy. I didn't expect it to do much, but it seemed I'd thrown it with more force than I thought. It hit the thing on the forehead and its head came clean off of its neck.

Seeing this, I turned back to see stunned faces of Drew, Katie, Lou Ellen and Will. Chiron, however, looked forlorn, like something he'd been expecting was confirmed. Drew and Katie stepped aside, giving me way. I ran straight into it, sensing my escape, but not before a car was parked in front of me. I yelled in frustration and the ground before me exploded, the destruction snaking to the parked car. It was too late to stop what I did. Luckily, the driver was on a hurry and got out before his vehicle exploded.

I was thrown back. I was slammed against the hard wall as burning pieces of metal rained on the street.

What did I just do?

I sat up, becoming aware of the throbbing pain behind me. The guy, Will, rushed up to me. "You're hurt," he said, which was stupid since I thought it was obvious. Try getting thrown by the force of an exploding car and let's see if you'll like it. He knelt in front of me and I backed away. "Let me help you." He touched my forearm, which had a cut, thanks to Clarisse. He muttered in a foreign language, closing his. When he opened them, however, he frowned. "Why didn't it work?" he wondered.

I saw something glistening. What happened next was the weirdest part of the evening. I felt a gust of cold wind behind me, like a cyclone was forming. All of their eyes widened as Will tired to grab hold of me but I was swallowed by the cold wind.

The next thing I knew, I was standing in my room, seeing a very freaked out Skylar. "Lester?" she asked. "Where have you been? I'd been looking everywhere for you and – " she stopped herself when she saw me. "What the hell happened to you?"

I fell on my bed, catching my breath. Skylar crossed the distance between us and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Would you mind telling me what's going on?" she demanded. I didn't answer her, still trying to process everything that just happened in the past hour. "Lester!" I looked at her. "What happened?" I lied on my back, still not answering her. The movement caused my shirt to be pulled up, exposing the mysterious brand. "What's that?" she asked.

I sat up, ignoring the pain in my chest. "Nothing," I said, standing up.

"That's not nothing!" Skylar insisted. She stood up and pulled the edge of my shirt up. Her eyes travelled down as she inspected the brand. I saw her face whitening, like she recognized what the brand meant. "Oh, no."

"What?" I asked her. "You know what this means?"

She looked at me, fear in her eyes. "Lester, this is – "

Skylar wasn't able to finish because right then, the door of my room was blasted off of its hinges. The hard wood caught Skylar's back and she went down, unconscious. There was blood immediately as I stared in fear at whoever caused the destruction.

When the smoke cleared, I saw the shadow of someone walking at a leisure pace to my room. He was already inside when the fog cleared and I saw him for the first time. He was a mass of rippling muscles and was wearing a dark suit and pants, matched with dark sunglasses. Around his face – which looked like it was bitten by a very angry swarm of bees, or dragged on rocks, or maybe both – was a mane of dark hair, making his pale skin stand out.

"Who are you?" I asked.

The guy scowled in annoyance. "I still can't believe that I'm not as well know as Boreas," he said. "I'm considered the gentlest wind, the gentles anemoi, and people barely know me? Shame!" I inched forward to where Skylar was lying unmoving. "Don't think about it, kid," he warned me before I could get closer to her. He smiled at me. "And to answer your question, I am Zephyr, the god of the west wind."

"Okay," I said. "You can play your games but I need to help my friend." I took another step forward but the guy got mad at my remark.

"You think I'm playing a game, fool?" he nearly yelled. "We'll see if you can survive this game." He raised his hand and a strong gust of wind threw me back against the wall. I fell on the floor, groaning. "Is it still a game, now, lad?"

"I-I thought you said you're the gentlest," I said, catching my breath.

"I was," he said. "Not anymore. Since my mistress granted me greater role in the world of the gods and goddesses, I abandoned my useless image and been helping her, and you, kid, are my first task."

He raised his hand again. I knew what was coming this time and jumped forward, grabbed the edge of my bed and flipped it to the side, forming a barricade. The force of the guy's power pushed my bed backwards, together with me. I placed both my feet against the mattress and stopped it from moving. And it did.

I heard Zephyr chuckling. I see now what she means. You really are powerful."

"What are you talking about? Who is she? Are you with Chiron?"

"Ha!" he yelled. "With Chiron! You stupid brat. We are against him!"

That caught my attention. "So he's your enemy?" I asked. "Does that mean you can help me?"

"Of course, kid," Zephyr said. I didn't believe him. "But not now."

"What do you mean?"

"Come out and you'll find out."

"No way!"

"Oh, you will."

"No!"

"Oh, have I told you we have your parents?" he asked casually.

I stood up, all thought of shielding myself evaporated from my mind when he mentioned my parents. "What?!" I demanded.

And I realized my mistake. Zephyr laughed and threw something at me. I didn't know what it was, only that it was blinding. The heat surrounded my body, burning my skin. A second later, I found myself in a restless sleep.

[Next - Chapter 12: BLOOD BROTHERS

I'm just going to say it: I'm really excited for Chapter 12. It's one of the most action-packed chapter I'm writing. It will be Die Hard-ish. Can't wait to finish it and post it here. :D ]