Caleb.
My name echoed in the back of my mind like a melody humming me to sleep. At first, I thought the sound was my own subconscious, telling me to get up from the spot where I lay. The surface below me was hard, probably made out of some kind of wood material.
Caleb.
The voice spoke louder now, which led me to believe it belonged to a physical person, who was calling my name quietly. I didn't know where I was, or even how I'd gotten there. I felt a source of warmth close to me, like a fire was burning nearby. A cool hand caressed my cheek, causing me to shiver slightly. After my name was called a third time, I opened my eyes to find a blurry figure standing over me. My eyes adjusted to the soft light of the room, and the figure started to gain a face and hair.
"Caleb," The voice repeated. The person's mouth moved in sync with the sound, which meant this was the person I'd heard before. I scanned the person's face with half closed eyes. The light beard that ran across the face indicated that it was male. Besides the facial hair, he looked fairly young. His black hair fell down close to his eyes, which were dark brown in color. He had pale skin, which almost glowed in the low light.
"Yes," I whispered, responding to him. The man's mouth pulled up at the edges, making a small smile. His cold hand stroked my face again.
"I was beginning to worry you wouldn't wake up." He said.
"Where am I?" I asked, looking around the room to the best of my ability. "And who are you?"
"It doesn't matter right now, Caleb." The man's voice was calm and gentle, almost like he was trying to consol me. "All that matters is that you're safe. " I shifted my body on the hard surface, and brought a hand up to my face to rub the sleep from my eyes.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, almost aggravated with his answer. "Where's my mom?" I tried to sit up, but suddenly became dizzy and had to lean on my elbow for support.
"Caleb, don't move." The man instructed, grasping my arms with his hands. "You could be hurt." My head throbbed painfully as the man pulled me up into a sitting position. As I was lifted up, my feet fell over the edge of the wooden structure I was on, which led me to believe the surface was a tabletop.
"I want my mom." I moaned, putting my head in one hand.
"Caleb…your mom…" The man trailed off. "Your mom is dead." My head snapped up to meet the man's apologetic gaze, increasing the pain at the back of my temple.
"Dead?" I choked, eyes wide with disbelief. "S-She can't be dead."
"You and your mother were attacked by some soldiers." The man started to explain. "I happened to be close by and was able to save you, but it was too late for your mother."
The words were like acid to my ears. Memories flashed in my mind of what had occurred before I'd woken up here. I remembered being in the grassy field with Alec when the sky began to darken, and then something hit me from behind. The last thing I'd seen was Alec's terrified face before I blacked out. I started to shake as I recalled the afternoon. It was all too much for me to take in so suddenly, and my small body collapsed into the arms of the stranger before me.
"Mommy…" I whimpered into his chest, tears starting to fall from my eyes.
"I'm sorry, Caleb." The man said, holding me close to him. After a moment, I realized who this was and pushed away from the man.
"She can't be dead!" I cried, jumping off of the table. My legs stumbled beneath me for second before I regained my footing. "She's alive!" My small voice echoed throughout the small room. "Take me home!" The man looked at me for a moment, as if calculating whether or not he should obey my demand.
"She's dead, Caleb." He finally said in an almost icy tone. He stood from the crouched position he had been in and gazed at me intensely. "You have to accept that she's dead and your home is no longer safe."
"No!" I cried, shaking my head in defiance as the tears streamed down my face. "No! She's not dead!" The man hovered over me, causing me to stumble backward in fear. He was a good two feet taller than I, which obviously meant he was stronger than I was, too.
"Caleb," He said sternly. Unlike before, my name was now a warning, like he was threatening to punish me if I didn't cooperate.
"I want to go home!" I wailed, not caring what he did to me. I dropped to the floor slowly and hugged my knees, the tears coming faster now. My gaze remained on the wood of the floor; I was too scared to look the man in the face. "Mommy…"
A hand ran down my back, but I didn't look up.
"Caleb. I can take you back to the house." The man said, his voice low. "But you won't like what you see."
"I don't care…" I pleaded. "I just want to go back."
Before long, I was on the back of a horse, seated snugly in front of the bearded man. Rain fell down around us, and I was wrapped in an oversized cape that surround both the man and I. My head and shoulders were still exposed to the weather, and I soon felt my hair and shirt being soaked through with water. The place where I'd woken up had been a small house in the middle of nowhere. There were no other homes in sight, but that could have been because of the rain.
We rode for a while before my house came into view. The grass surrounding the place looked stomped on and drenched with water. Everything held a grey tint and appeared gloomy and abandoned. No doubt it was my home, but aspects of it were definitely different. The man dismounted from the black horse and then helped me down to the ground. I immediately bolted for the porch steps after being released, anxious to see exactly what was happening. Not surprisingly, the steps were wet from the rain, and I fell to my knees just before reaching the top.
I picked myself up, ignoring the pain that surged through my right leg. Inside, the house was dark from the lack of light the sky gave off. I knew the man was following because of the heavy footsteps echoing behind me, but I didn't care. The first room I reached was the kitchen, which looked the same as I had left it that morning. My mother was nowhere in sight, which made me all that much more anxious. I ran upstairs, but the bedrooms were empty as well. Running back down the stairs, I realized there was one place in the house that I had neglected to check. When I reached the living room, my feet halted beneath me. The sight before me brought involuntary tears back to my eyes.
The couch that usually sat in the middle of the room was overturned and resting against the back wall. The rug was still in its place, but a red skid mark stained it and the wood around. I knew that the crimson liquid was blood, but that fact didn't seem to register at first. The picture above the fireplace had crashed to the wooden floor, and the tapestries that had hung around the windows had fallen as well. There was no body in sight, but golden hairs could be plainly seen around the blood splatter. I knew they were hers, but I still felt the need to advance towards the scene and pick one up.
I held the golden strand between my thumb and forefinger, wondering if it had hurt when it has pulled from my mother's head. The tears fell from my eyes, but I did not sob. I looked back to the man I knew was standing behind me, watching me mourn the loss of my only mother. His arms were folded behind his back, and he wore the same look of apology that he had earlier. All evidence of the irritation in him that had scared me before had vanished.
"You didn't lie." I croaked, my throat dry from the tears. "I'm sorry."
"You didn't know, Caleb." He said, stepping towards me.
"Wh…where is she?" I asked carefully.
"They must have taken her body. Perhaps as a trophy for the king." I couldn't help but picture my mother hanging from a pole outside of a castle, face bloodied and arms tied above her head. It was a grim image that brought chills to my spine.
"Trophy?" I repeated, standing in front of the man.
"The king of this place is a crooked man, Caleb. Your mother must have done something as minor as forgetting to pay the tax this month, which allowed the king to send his soldiers after you and her."
"Someone so cruel does not deserve to live." The words fell from my mouth without thinking.
"You and I believe the same thing, but unfortunately the king has much power over us and we have none over him." I looked up at the man, seeing his brown eyes flash with momentary rage. "You shouldn't live here, Caleb." He continued, his face softening. "I can take you to a safe place far away, if you wish."
My gaze drifted from him to the room surrounding me. Again, I saw the fallen picture lying face down on the floor, and this time decided to go and retrieve it.
"This is my home." I said aloud, picking up the broken frame. Pieces of glass fell in front of me as I removed the picture from its case. It depicted my mother and I not long ago. We were in the field outside and she held me in her arms, even though I had been too old to be carried. "And what about my father? He lives in the city and comes to see us every year."
"I'm sure he's been taken by the king as well, Caleb." The man said, but I kept my attention on the picture I held. "He finds killing a source of entertainment."
"And how do you know my name?"
"I heard your poor mother calling to you before the soldiers found her. I could only assume it was your name or the other boy's." And that's when I consciously remembered Alec, my friend who had been with me in the field before I'd been hit. Where was he? Was he all right?
"Don't worry, Caleb." The man soothed, as if reading my sudden distress. "Your friend got back to his home safely." I felt a hand on my shoulder. "I helped him escape." My shoulders started to shake in quiet sobs. I wasn't sure why I was crying, but this sudden wave of loneliness had come over me, which caused the tears to come more rapidly. I kept my gaze on the picture that remained in my hands. "Please don't cry, child." The man cooed, turning me around and gently grasping my small shoulders. "You are still young. You're not alone." I could fell my face become twisted in pain as the realization of my parents' deaths loomed over me.
I could still feel the touch my mother had left on my cheek when she'd woken me up that morning, which was much gentler and loving than the touch of this man. It had been so sunny and bright before, but now the skies were clouded and grey. It made me wonder if I left, would I ever be able to come back to this place someday and see the clear skies that were absent now? Or would I only be able to remember the way the sun once felt on my face?
"I guess…I can't stay here." I whispered, the sobs making my voice crack. "I guess…I guess I have to go with you." The statement made the man smile, as if he had been worried that I would want to say.
"It'll be okay, Caleb." He reassured, wiping the water from under my eyes with one rough hand. "We'll stay at that house tonight and then leave in the morning." The man stood from his crouched position in front of me, but kept his palm on my cheek. "You'll be happy, Caleb." He started for the door, but stopped when he didn't hear me follow. He merely turned his head and smiled again before extending his hand towards me in encouragement.
I stood frozen; still too shocked about the situation to move the muscles I needed to walk.
"I can't move." I said aloud. The man sighed slightly, but didn't seem aggravated. After a moment, I was lifted from the ground and into the man's arms. He was strong and easily carried my seven-year-old body outside to the horse that was tied to the porch railing. Again I rode in front of the man, but this time sleep started to call to me and I felt myself lean back against the man's warm chest.
We reached the small house again and he lifted me from the saddle and cradled me against his chest. It was so warm I almost didn't notice the rain still falling around us. Once inside, I was carried to a room with a bed and placed on the comfortable mattress, the picture from the house still held tight in my grasp. The man must have noticed my sudden exhaustion and decided to let me sleep. Before the man had reached the bedroom door to leave, a thought struck me.
"I still don't know your name." I whispered sleepily. The man turned his head and that same relieved smile was spread across his face.
"You can call me Avi." He said. "Now sleep. You are tired, Caleb."
As soon as these words fell from Avi's lips, I was hit by an overwhelming feeling of fatigue. My eyes grew heavy and I felt felt my eyes close, ignoring the sting of the dried tears surrounding them. I was completely comfortable in the bed and within moments, I succumbed to the sleep that was calling me.
A/N: I know the first-personness is random, but I really couldn't think of a better way to write this part. I probably will keep the story in third from now on, but I may change my mind. At last the introduction is finished! Now the actual story can begin! I'll hopefully be updating soon.
*sarcasm* thank you all for your wonderful reviews *sigh* well I'm gonna continue to write even if no one is reading. Thanks!