Silhouette
05-27-2007, 03:25 AM
Alright, another impulse write that I've been working on all day. I need help on describing someone... without giving their name yet, without being too repetitive. Also, I need help with chat scenes, so I don't have to use the same things over and over again, such as; "he said", "she replied", "shouted soandso in anger", etc...
Also, anyone know of a good way to skip in and out of flashbacks? Or switch between several important scenes meaningfully?
I'm going to just post the first 3 chapters that I made, and maybe I can get some help? *cough*
{edit}Also, help with character development is also needed. O_=;
Chapter One: Voice of the Night
The night was cold and dark... desolate. The living were sleeping peacefully within their homes, not aware of the gruesome fate which awaited them. Several unholy creatures gloomily walked the darkened streets, causing the night lights to shut off by simply walking past them. Their loud screams and moans echoed throughout the normally quiet town... soon after, a thick, dark green and black haze set upon the houses. Glass began to shatter under the force of the midnight moans. The spirits of the damned had once again awakened... here to claim the souls of the living... and make them their kin of eternal damnation...
There were seven of these tormented souls in all, each twitching to their own beat as they mindlessly wandered about. The haze grew thicker still, until nothing beyond an inch could be seen through the jaded darkness. One man stood before them, seemingly manifesting from the shadows of a nearby alleyway. He neared them, and his right arm began to glow, rending the darkness about him. It seemed to react to the creatures of the night. He was surprisingly unaffected by their cries of pain and agony...
"You desire peace... do you not?" asked the young man in a cold, toneless voice. He received nothing more than moans for his question, "Then allow me to grant you your wish..."
The man raised his right fist, and the glowing purple aura around it began to harden, seemingly merging with it, forming a sort of crust around it. In mere moments, a gauntlet replaced the aura upon his arm... the shine subsided soon after.
The vindictive creatures increased their twitching and moaning... their unholy faces wearing more pain and sorrow than ever. One brave soul strayed from the pack, lunging itself at the man and his gauntlet. He simply vanished... leaving the mindless creature feeling confused, for the few seconds which it had to feel anything... for the man reappeared before it, his hand upon its ghastly, mangled face. The gauntlet shook violently, and the creature was gone. His arm shone green for a few seconds... then all was still.
"Who else seeks peace?" he asked as he stepped forward. The creatures began to advance, their moans thickening the haze...
***
Monica was a teenaged girl full of loneliness and sadness. She wanted nothing more than freedom... the freedom to live without fear or pain. Her mother was always drunk. At school, Monica was teased and sometimes beaten by her peers... at home, it was pretty much the same. Her heart was full of pain and desire. The desire to end it all... once and for all…
She laid down in her bed, pulling the covers over her head. She had come to get used to the darkness, and sleeping completely under the covers. Though, she got a lot less sleep nowadays, for most of the time that she had her solitude... she would spend them reminiscing.
Her memories of her father were bittersweet. She remembered the life she lived before his untimely death. Her, her father, and even her mother lived a life of happiness... until that fateful night some ten years ago...
*
The night air was thick and full of haze that night. Monica was seven years of age, a young girl full of hope, joy, and naturally... naivety. That night, she and her parents were walking home from the store. Her father‘s red car was in the shop due to an accident that had happened not too long ago.
On their way home, she noted that the haze was getting thicker, and pleaded with her parents to speed up their paces. Her mother told her not to worry, and her father swore to protect her… always.
They made their way down the unusually empty streets. Earlier that day, there had been construction done on their normal route home, so they had to take a detour. Their new way was pitch black - lit up only by her parent's flashlights. Monica clung onto her father as they made their way through the darkness until they finally saw a purple light in the distance. The light was faint and flickered in the ice cold breeze. It appeared to move ever so slightly as they neared it... as if running from them… or leading them somewhere…
Her father narrowed his eyes as he shoved her to her mother. He nodded, and her mother picked her up, holding her face tightly against her chest. Monica's father advanced upon the light. The last thing she remembered from that night were bright flashes of purple and blue... an unholy scream... and the haze getting thicker. The air became heavy, and she could hardly breathe. Monica eventually passed out... waking up in her bed the next morning. When she had asked her mother what had happened the night before, she only received, "Your father will be away for awhile...", as her answer.
Being the naive little girl that she was, she had asked her mother when her father would return, but she never did get an answer to that question, the last question she had ever asked her mother...
*
Ten years ago her life was ruined. Only, it took some time to kick in. The pain and sadness was not always there though. Monica made a habit of looking out her bedroom window each night, watching the driveway... waiting for her father's return. As the years went on, and the reality of it all began to set in, her life was thrown upside down.
Her mother began to drink. At first, it was occasionally... then it happened more and more often, until it was a daily occurrence. Eventually, her loving mother had 'died' in a not so different fashion as her father - instantly... without warning... and without a goodbye...
She sighed, rolling the covers down. It was faint, but there was a slight noise affecting her illusion of peace. When she tried to sleep, inhuman noises disturbed her... when she tried to think, unbearable thoughts polluted her mind. She was a loser... every turn she took...
***
The moans had faded away... as did the haze, his gauntlet following suit. The young man sighed, and unzipped his beige vest, unbuttoning the white shirt beneath it, revealing a white t-shirt. His somewhat baggy, beige pants blew in the now pleasant night's breeze as he turned to walk back into the darkness of the alley.
"That makes another seven for the demon king...", he muttered as he too faded away into the night...
***
The teacher stood before the class, pen and pad at hand. She was tall and thin with long, stringy black hair. Her dark hair was a contrast to her somewhat pale complexion.
"Justin Whitman?", she spoke softly as she pushed her glasses up with her index finger.
"Here...", replied a young man reluctantly as he slouched in his chair, brushing his hand through his short, blonde hair.
"Sit like a gentleman, Mr. Whitman", the teacher continued, "You may sit like that at home, but here--within the school--we sit like proper folk."
Justin sighed and slowly sat up, placing his arms on his desk and folding his hands.
"Like this?" replied Justin with sarcasm.
The teacher continued to read from the list.
"Michelle Shilae?"
"Present!" shouted an energetic girl as she thrusted her hand into the air. Her pink nail polish glistened under the bright lights, leaving an almost majestic trail of glitter in its wake.
"Perky as always..." muttered a girl sitting beside her, who was twirling her red hair around her finger.
"Is there a problem, Ms. Basca?" asked the teacher, who knew there was nothing wrong at all.
"Nothing," replied the girl, "Its just that... Michelle's 'perkiness' gets to me sometimes, ya know?"
"And why is that, Jessica?" asked Justin, who was still sitting with his hands folded, "Its not a sin to be happy, right?"
"But it is a sin to get high before class, isn't it, Justin?" asked a boy who sat behind Michelle.
"Its also a sin to be a jerk, Bryant!" Michelle replied, feeling good about her comeback - apparent by her smug look. She glanced at Justin, whom she had just defended. He glanced back at her, and she blushed and looked away.
"That is enough, kids!" shouted the teacher as she smacked her pen onto her attendance pad, "Shall we continue then?"
The teacher had finished the attendance list, and decided to run through the names of the absentees again, just to make sure... though there was only one name.
"Ms. Rosette?" asked the teacher with a hint of annoyance, "I swear... that girl is never here on time..."
"Maybe she's out buying more goth clothing for her wardrobe?" muttered Bryant. Jessica and Justin chuckled... Michelle turned her head to look out the window which was beside her.
Just then, a girl casually walked into the classroom. She entered with her hands to her sides, and her head looking at the tiles on the floor. Her hair was black, with purple tips. She wore a black t-shirt with a long sleeved purple and black striped shirt underneath it. Her pants were black, as were her shoes - of which, had purple strings.
"Speaking of the bride of Satan," mumbled Bryant, receiving a few more chuckles from his classmates.
The teacher rose her head to look down on the girl.
"Ms. Monica Rosette... you are late, as always." she scolded, "Detention."
"What? B-But, I can't stay today. Please, Mrs. Tortua, can't you let it slide... just this once?"
The teacher shook her head, and pointed to the seat in front of Michelle.
"Sit." said the teacher as she wrote something down on the pad.
Monica walked over to her seat, stepping over the leg of a student who's intent was to trip her. She sighed and sat down, looking to her left... out the window. It was a nice day. The clouds were few, and the sunlight was plentiful. There was a very pleasant breeze blowing from the window - which was expected for this time of year - and there was no humidity. A truly perfect day.
Michelle was daydreaming as she looked outside. She just couldn't wait 'till the bell rang so she could get out of homeroom, and start the school day. The sooner it began, the sooner it ended she thought.
Monica was looking outside for another reason. The sound had kept her up all night, which was apparent by the bags under her eyes. The others hardly noticed, for she tended to where black eye shadow. During the previous night, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her... at least until the sounds began. Then, those ghastly moans were all she could think of.
On her way to school, she stopped to look at what was the town square. Several lampposts where broken, the glass from the bulbs littering the floor around them. The ground was charred, as if some sort of fire had been set not too long ago - which was odd, considering the fact that the burn marks were upon the concrete ground. What could possibly burn concrete in such a manner?
The bell rang, and the students practically ran each other over to flee from their homeroom class. All except for Monica, Michelle, Jessica, and Justin. They seemed to exit the classroom in a much calmer fashion. Justin left with his hands in his pockets, with Michelle following closely after him... blushing still.
Upon exiting the classroom, Monica was struck with an all too familiar feeling. She felt the same presence that she did the previous night - only now, it was much, much closer - getting more so... and more... compact?
Chapter Two: Fear At First Sight?
A sudden chill ran down her spine, freezing her in her tracks. Michelle, who had noticed this, stopped as well, and approached Monica.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as he put her hand on her shoulder, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost…”
“A… g-ghost?” she repeated as she jerked away from Michelle, “N-no, its just… really cold in here.”
“’Here’ as in the school?” replied Michelle.
“That makes sense,” said Justin, who had just noticed that Michelle wasn’t following him anymore, and stopped to investigate. Whether he admitted it or not… he rather liked her ‘company‘, “Its May, so the AC’s are all on in the school... though, on such a nice day like this, it isn‘t really needed.”
“N-no… that’s not what I meant.” Monica said as she continued to shiver, “Its something else…”
Michelle turned her attention to a young man approaching them from behind Justin. The man was wearing beige pants, with a white, short sleeved t-shirt. He held a beige vest over his shoulder by his left hand. She fixed her hair, which was a habit of hers whenever she was about to encounter a boy whom she found attractive…
Monica’s eyes widened. The presence was now even closer to her, and the pressure from it was almost unreal. Her heart began to race as a cold sweat trickled from her forehead. Justin looked over at her, and raising an eyebrow, looked back at the oncoming man.
“What’s up?” he asked Monica, who was backing up, “You know that guy?”
Monica shook her head, a stepped aside, bumping into a locker. Michelle smiled at the man… as he passed by, ignoring her and Justin…
He stared coldly at Monica as he passed her by, and her heart seemingly jumped out of her chest. He continued on, leaving her somewhat relieved… yet frightened nonetheless. The pressure gradually lifted from her shoulders. She sighed, pressing her right palm against her chest to tame her heart.
“I-I got to go,” she shouted, “See ya guys, later!”
The bell rang, causing any and all lingering students to break for their next class before the detention slips started to fly about.
“Shit! We’re late!” shouted Justin who motioned to run to his next class before he was even later.
“I’ll see you after school,” shouted Mrs. Tortua, who apparently was standing by the homeroom door, “And do me a favor and remind your friend to come as well…”
Justin sighed and ran off. Michelle soon followed.
“No running in the halls!” the teacher shouted. Justin increased his pace whereas Michelle slowed down a bit. She was the ‘perfect student’. Teachers never really yelled at her, and for this, she knew that she could be just a tad bit late without getting in any serious trouble.
***
School was now over, well, at least for those who didn’t have detention. Michelle sat on the steps in front of the school, waiting for Justin to be ‘free’ as well. During the school day, she had finally mustered up the courage to ask him to hang out with her after school.
Michelle leaned back on the steps, resting her elbows on the higher ones, and stretched out her legs. Knowing Mrs. Tortua, Justin would be in detention for awhile. She watched the other students burst from the school like bats out of Hell. To her, they were just a mass of kids racing home to not do their homework… but, one man stood out from the others. And not just because of his beige clothing…
***
The second hand slowly crept on by. It was moving so slow that it might as well have been called a ‘year’ hand.
Justin was laying down on his desk, with his head resting on his crossed arms. The teacher didn’t seem to mind him slouching now for whatever reason. Most likely because she was wrapped up in her crossword puzzle. Sleeping was one of the only ways to survive a detention in this school.
Monica was sitting in her homeroom seat, once again gazing out the window. The clock had ticked… one minute had passed. The breeze filled the room, carrying upon it the smell of hot, cheesy pizza. There was indeed a nearby pizza restaurant. This place served as the ‘meeting’ place of most of the students after school. The clock ticked once more, and Monica’s stomach began to growl, throwing her out of her daydream.
Justin lifted his head, turning to the noise.
“Yo, Monica, Michelle and I are goin’ to grab a bite to eat in a bit… wanna tag along?”
“No talking!” shouted Mrs. Tortua, who was only mad because he concentration had been shattered.
“Sorry, Mrs. Torture.”, replied Justin as he rolled his eyes.
“Excuse me?! What did you just call me?!”, the teacher shouted.
“Er… Mrs. Tortua, the beautiful?”, Justin replied nervously to clean up his previous statement.
The teacher shook her head and returned to her puzzle.
“Psst… pssst. Monica, well?”, he continued.
Monica turned to Justin, glancing at the teacher, then back to him. She hadn’t been invited to anything in the past few years. She was in shock, and didn’t know if she should accept the offer or not.
“Come on, eh? It’ll be fun!”, he whispered.
“S-sure…”, she replied in a low whisper as well. She didn’t want to let a chance like this slip up. In fact, she’d do anything to stay away from home a bit longer.
The clock ticked on in the background, and the pleasant scent of greasy, cheesy food continued to rush in through the window, pouring into their noses.
***
To her, he was ‘gorgeous‘, and she had no idea why his presence had frightened Monica so much before. Michelle was tempted to change her ‘crush’, but she wasn’t that type of gal. She thought to approach him nonetheless.
He walked down the stairs calmly, not doing anything to avoid the stampeding kids… instead, they seemed to maneuver around him, as if there was some unseen barrier around his body.
He walked past her, and she jumped up to her feet, dusting her backside off. Michelle then darted towards him.
Hopping in front of him, she waved her hands wildly to get his attention.
“Hey there!”, she shouted, putting a hand out to offer a shake, “I’m Michelle!”
He continued to walk, not even stopping for an instance.
“The cold shoulder treatment, huh?”, she mumbled as she pouted. She wasn’t one to give up though, she at least wanted a name. She leaped in front of him again, once again trying to get his attention.
He stopped this time.
“What the hell do you want?”, he asked coldly, “I don’t have time for this.”
“Don’t be such a grouch! What’s your name?”, she insisted, “Can I get that at least?”
He closed his eyes, lowered his head, and shook it slowly from left to right, then back again.
“Get lost.”, he said as he looked up - his eyes still closed.
There was something about this guy that drew Michelle to him… something surreal about his presence that made her want to know more about him. It felt like… fate meant for them to meet there and then.
“Michelle!”, shouted a voice from the school entrance, “You ready?!”
She looked around the man and saw Justin walking down the stairs with Monica not too far behind him, looking down and to the side.
“I invited a friend, if that’s alright,” Justin said as he walked up to her, “This is-”
“-Monica, hey!”, Michelle shouted as she bowed to her, “She’s in our homeroom, silly, I know who she is.”
Michelle turned back to Justin.
“This stubborn guy here is…”, she looked around… surprisingly her ‘friend’ had slipped away unnoticed, “Wuh?! Where’d he go?!”
“Where did who go?”, Justin asked.
“The guy that was just standing behind me!”, she shouted, waving her arms around crazily.
“Um… what guy? You were standing by yourself when I came out of the school…”, Justin replied.
“What--no! That guy from earlier was just… here…”, Michelle said, trying to convince herself that she wasn’t going crazy, “Monica! You saw him, right?!”
She shook her head.
“Sorry… I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Great… I’m hanging out with a crazy chick.”, Justin muttered.
“I am NOT crazy!”, Michelle shouted in defense, “It was that guy we saw in the hallway this morning! He was just here--I swear!”
Monica’s eyes widened. She remembered him all too well, and found that she was glad she wasn’t looking up when they exited the school building.
“Whatever then. Let’s go, girls, pizza’s-a-waitin’!”
The three of them headed off; Michelle, looking over her shoulder… seeing that Monica was doing the same. Justin, however, didn’t seem bothered at all as he led them across the street, towards the pizza place.
Chapter Three: Oh, So Hungry…
Bryant and Jessica sat at a table in the corner, waiting for their food to arrive. Jessica was impatiently tapping her fingers on the table, looking out the window to her right. She was sitting facing the front door, and had a clear view of the side of the restaurant as well… as if she had planned it all, and was expecting something to go down.
Bryant looking around for the waitress that took their order. He was also waiting impatiently, and looked as if he was going to burst at any moment. His stomach growled, sounding like a chainsaw.
“Ah! What the hell?!”, he shouted, “Where the heck’s our food?!”
“I dunno, but if it doesn’t get here soon…”
Just then, as if on cue, the waitress walked up to their table, gently placing the pizza platter down. Bryant dug in with one hand, waving the waitress away with the other.
“Don’t think you’re gettin’ a tip either!”, he muffled, shoving two slices of pizza in his mouth…
Jessica slipped the waitress the money, and she walked off… possibly annoyed that she wasn’t given a tip…
“How about you save some for me, eh?”, Jessica complained, “Other people have to eat too!”
“Well--mmhm, this is some good shit--dig in then?”
Bryant reached for a third slice, but his hand was caught by Jessica’s. She took two slices, and placed them on her own plate. Bryant smirked and reached for another slice with his other hand. He looked up, wondering why it was so easy to claim another slice, and found that Jessica was staring out the window again.
“What is it now?”
“Look…”, she whispered, “Its those losers…”
“Heh, well if it ain’t Goth, Prep, and Burnout?”, said Bryant, who had just swallowed half a slice in one gulp, “Eh, just ignore ‘em.”
Jessica looked back to her plate, and realizing that one of her slices was gone, threw the salt shaker at Bryant… nailing him on the forehead, and sending salt flying everywhere.
Bryant sighed, looking at the now salty pizza. He shrugged, and grabbed another slice. Jessica smacked herself on the forehead.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you”, Bryant said before shoving a slice into his mouth, “You lose brain cells that way.”
“If you were me”, she replied, finishing her slice, “You’d actually have brain cells to lose.”
“Nice…”, he mumbled, drowning his defeat with more salty pizza…
“Harsh as always, eh, Jess?”, Justin said from the entrance, “I saw the whole thing. How can you ruin pizza like that?! Its… its… unholy!”
“Shut the hell up, you stoner!”, Bryant shouted back.
“Man, I haven’t lit up in over a year,” Justin shouted as he sat down at the table near the exit, “So would ya give that ‘stoner’ shit a rest already?”
Michelle hopped over Justin to sit on his left, demanding to sit by the window. Monica sat across from them.
“Do we really have to eat here”, Monica protested, “I’m sure there are other places to eat…”
“True, but there’s only one Pizzeria in town!”, Michelle replied, “Just ignore them… like we do.”
A waiter arrived at their table. Justin made the order, and the waiter went to the back of the restaurant to receive it. Their stomachs continued to growl…
***
The Sun continued to beam down upon the town of _____________, yet a surreal chill began to fill the air. Not one given off from a gentle breeze, but the sort of chill one gets when they’re frightened or in a state of shock. The type of chill that create a cold sweat.
What could possibly drive the forgotten to seek remembrance within the light of day? What would cause the souls of the lost to once again walk amongst the living? Could it be… desire? Hunger? … Or Revenge?
These questions remained unanswered, and it was better that way. Or so he felt. His job was the tame the undead… using their unholy souls to keep the dark lord in his eternal captivity within the Heavenly Abyss.
He stood tall over the fallen corpses. He had just reaped their lingering souls from their reanimated bodies. Souls do not just return to the realm of the living without warning, let alone during the day… no, there is usually some sort of warning. A thick haze, a darkened sky, or even electrical failures. Yet none of these occurrences have been noted as of late.
He was lucky that he sensed them the moment that they had manifested, otherwise there would have been mass casualties, for the dead love company.
He was surrounded by at least thirty of these creatures, all advancing with the purpose of his slaughter. Within the spiritual hierarchy, the “Wicked” are said to be among the most powerful. Their infamous blood red aura is sure proof of one’s near demise. He readied his gauntlet, for he knew that he was in for a real fight this time…
***
The clouds began to embrace the shining Sun, masking it like a darkened whiteout. The gentle breeze got colder, and felt as if the arctic winds were knocking on the near Summer doors.
They had just finished their meal, and luckily for them, Bryant and Jessica had already left. Monica led the others out of the Pizzeria, and was the first to notice the sudden shift in temperature. She was, however, the only one to notice the dark feeling of hatred and rage weighing down the once pleasant air. It was almost hard for her to breathe in. It was an indescribable experience.
“Wanna walk me home, Justin?”, asked Michelle innocently, “Its gettin’ kinda dark outside.”
“Um… sure?”, he replied, “I got nothin’ better to do anyways…”
Monica, paying no mind to her new friends, began to walk towards the source of the aura. She couldn’t help but be drawn to it… like a moth to the flame.
“Yo, Monica, you comin‘?”, Michelle asked, “You guys can hang out at my place for a bit…”, she continued, “… my brother probably isn’t home yet.”
Monica didn’t respond, and instead began to walk faster towards the dangerous aura.
“Yo! Earth to Monica, do ya read?”, Justin shouted.
Michelle ran up to her, shaking gently to snap her out of her trance-like state. Monica shook her head and turned to face them.
“Huh?”
“I asked if you wanted to join us? My brother has an X-box… I may not look like it, but I’m quite the Halo mastah!”
Justin laughed.
“In all seriousness, we should get going. It looks like its gonna rain or something’, and my house is on the other side of town.”, he walked over to Monica, “So we’re gonna chill at her Michelle’s place for a bit.”
“Oh…”, Monica spoke softly, “Um, actually, my house isn’t too far from here… I think I’m going to head home now.”, she turned around, and began to walk towards the aura, which was in the opposite direction than her house.
“Alright then, whatever floats your boat,” Justin said, waving, “Later then. See ya tomorrow, eh?”
“Yeah. Thanks, you guys. Today was great.”, Monica shouted as she broke off into a run. Justin and Michelle both realized that she was surprisingly fast, making it to the next block in a matter of moments…
Also, anyone know of a good way to skip in and out of flashbacks? Or switch between several important scenes meaningfully?
I'm going to just post the first 3 chapters that I made, and maybe I can get some help? *cough*
{edit}Also, help with character development is also needed. O_=;
Chapter One: Voice of the Night
The night was cold and dark... desolate. The living were sleeping peacefully within their homes, not aware of the gruesome fate which awaited them. Several unholy creatures gloomily walked the darkened streets, causing the night lights to shut off by simply walking past them. Their loud screams and moans echoed throughout the normally quiet town... soon after, a thick, dark green and black haze set upon the houses. Glass began to shatter under the force of the midnight moans. The spirits of the damned had once again awakened... here to claim the souls of the living... and make them their kin of eternal damnation...
There were seven of these tormented souls in all, each twitching to their own beat as they mindlessly wandered about. The haze grew thicker still, until nothing beyond an inch could be seen through the jaded darkness. One man stood before them, seemingly manifesting from the shadows of a nearby alleyway. He neared them, and his right arm began to glow, rending the darkness about him. It seemed to react to the creatures of the night. He was surprisingly unaffected by their cries of pain and agony...
"You desire peace... do you not?" asked the young man in a cold, toneless voice. He received nothing more than moans for his question, "Then allow me to grant you your wish..."
The man raised his right fist, and the glowing purple aura around it began to harden, seemingly merging with it, forming a sort of crust around it. In mere moments, a gauntlet replaced the aura upon his arm... the shine subsided soon after.
The vindictive creatures increased their twitching and moaning... their unholy faces wearing more pain and sorrow than ever. One brave soul strayed from the pack, lunging itself at the man and his gauntlet. He simply vanished... leaving the mindless creature feeling confused, for the few seconds which it had to feel anything... for the man reappeared before it, his hand upon its ghastly, mangled face. The gauntlet shook violently, and the creature was gone. His arm shone green for a few seconds... then all was still.
"Who else seeks peace?" he asked as he stepped forward. The creatures began to advance, their moans thickening the haze...
***
Monica was a teenaged girl full of loneliness and sadness. She wanted nothing more than freedom... the freedom to live without fear or pain. Her mother was always drunk. At school, Monica was teased and sometimes beaten by her peers... at home, it was pretty much the same. Her heart was full of pain and desire. The desire to end it all... once and for all…
She laid down in her bed, pulling the covers over her head. She had come to get used to the darkness, and sleeping completely under the covers. Though, she got a lot less sleep nowadays, for most of the time that she had her solitude... she would spend them reminiscing.
Her memories of her father were bittersweet. She remembered the life she lived before his untimely death. Her, her father, and even her mother lived a life of happiness... until that fateful night some ten years ago...
*
The night air was thick and full of haze that night. Monica was seven years of age, a young girl full of hope, joy, and naturally... naivety. That night, she and her parents were walking home from the store. Her father‘s red car was in the shop due to an accident that had happened not too long ago.
On their way home, she noted that the haze was getting thicker, and pleaded with her parents to speed up their paces. Her mother told her not to worry, and her father swore to protect her… always.
They made their way down the unusually empty streets. Earlier that day, there had been construction done on their normal route home, so they had to take a detour. Their new way was pitch black - lit up only by her parent's flashlights. Monica clung onto her father as they made their way through the darkness until they finally saw a purple light in the distance. The light was faint and flickered in the ice cold breeze. It appeared to move ever so slightly as they neared it... as if running from them… or leading them somewhere…
Her father narrowed his eyes as he shoved her to her mother. He nodded, and her mother picked her up, holding her face tightly against her chest. Monica's father advanced upon the light. The last thing she remembered from that night were bright flashes of purple and blue... an unholy scream... and the haze getting thicker. The air became heavy, and she could hardly breathe. Monica eventually passed out... waking up in her bed the next morning. When she had asked her mother what had happened the night before, she only received, "Your father will be away for awhile...", as her answer.
Being the naive little girl that she was, she had asked her mother when her father would return, but she never did get an answer to that question, the last question she had ever asked her mother...
*
Ten years ago her life was ruined. Only, it took some time to kick in. The pain and sadness was not always there though. Monica made a habit of looking out her bedroom window each night, watching the driveway... waiting for her father's return. As the years went on, and the reality of it all began to set in, her life was thrown upside down.
Her mother began to drink. At first, it was occasionally... then it happened more and more often, until it was a daily occurrence. Eventually, her loving mother had 'died' in a not so different fashion as her father - instantly... without warning... and without a goodbye...
She sighed, rolling the covers down. It was faint, but there was a slight noise affecting her illusion of peace. When she tried to sleep, inhuman noises disturbed her... when she tried to think, unbearable thoughts polluted her mind. She was a loser... every turn she took...
***
The moans had faded away... as did the haze, his gauntlet following suit. The young man sighed, and unzipped his beige vest, unbuttoning the white shirt beneath it, revealing a white t-shirt. His somewhat baggy, beige pants blew in the now pleasant night's breeze as he turned to walk back into the darkness of the alley.
"That makes another seven for the demon king...", he muttered as he too faded away into the night...
***
The teacher stood before the class, pen and pad at hand. She was tall and thin with long, stringy black hair. Her dark hair was a contrast to her somewhat pale complexion.
"Justin Whitman?", she spoke softly as she pushed her glasses up with her index finger.
"Here...", replied a young man reluctantly as he slouched in his chair, brushing his hand through his short, blonde hair.
"Sit like a gentleman, Mr. Whitman", the teacher continued, "You may sit like that at home, but here--within the school--we sit like proper folk."
Justin sighed and slowly sat up, placing his arms on his desk and folding his hands.
"Like this?" replied Justin with sarcasm.
The teacher continued to read from the list.
"Michelle Shilae?"
"Present!" shouted an energetic girl as she thrusted her hand into the air. Her pink nail polish glistened under the bright lights, leaving an almost majestic trail of glitter in its wake.
"Perky as always..." muttered a girl sitting beside her, who was twirling her red hair around her finger.
"Is there a problem, Ms. Basca?" asked the teacher, who knew there was nothing wrong at all.
"Nothing," replied the girl, "Its just that... Michelle's 'perkiness' gets to me sometimes, ya know?"
"And why is that, Jessica?" asked Justin, who was still sitting with his hands folded, "Its not a sin to be happy, right?"
"But it is a sin to get high before class, isn't it, Justin?" asked a boy who sat behind Michelle.
"Its also a sin to be a jerk, Bryant!" Michelle replied, feeling good about her comeback - apparent by her smug look. She glanced at Justin, whom she had just defended. He glanced back at her, and she blushed and looked away.
"That is enough, kids!" shouted the teacher as she smacked her pen onto her attendance pad, "Shall we continue then?"
The teacher had finished the attendance list, and decided to run through the names of the absentees again, just to make sure... though there was only one name.
"Ms. Rosette?" asked the teacher with a hint of annoyance, "I swear... that girl is never here on time..."
"Maybe she's out buying more goth clothing for her wardrobe?" muttered Bryant. Jessica and Justin chuckled... Michelle turned her head to look out the window which was beside her.
Just then, a girl casually walked into the classroom. She entered with her hands to her sides, and her head looking at the tiles on the floor. Her hair was black, with purple tips. She wore a black t-shirt with a long sleeved purple and black striped shirt underneath it. Her pants were black, as were her shoes - of which, had purple strings.
"Speaking of the bride of Satan," mumbled Bryant, receiving a few more chuckles from his classmates.
The teacher rose her head to look down on the girl.
"Ms. Monica Rosette... you are late, as always." she scolded, "Detention."
"What? B-But, I can't stay today. Please, Mrs. Tortua, can't you let it slide... just this once?"
The teacher shook her head, and pointed to the seat in front of Michelle.
"Sit." said the teacher as she wrote something down on the pad.
Monica walked over to her seat, stepping over the leg of a student who's intent was to trip her. She sighed and sat down, looking to her left... out the window. It was a nice day. The clouds were few, and the sunlight was plentiful. There was a very pleasant breeze blowing from the window - which was expected for this time of year - and there was no humidity. A truly perfect day.
Michelle was daydreaming as she looked outside. She just couldn't wait 'till the bell rang so she could get out of homeroom, and start the school day. The sooner it began, the sooner it ended she thought.
Monica was looking outside for another reason. The sound had kept her up all night, which was apparent by the bags under her eyes. The others hardly noticed, for she tended to where black eye shadow. During the previous night, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching her... at least until the sounds began. Then, those ghastly moans were all she could think of.
On her way to school, she stopped to look at what was the town square. Several lampposts where broken, the glass from the bulbs littering the floor around them. The ground was charred, as if some sort of fire had been set not too long ago - which was odd, considering the fact that the burn marks were upon the concrete ground. What could possibly burn concrete in such a manner?
The bell rang, and the students practically ran each other over to flee from their homeroom class. All except for Monica, Michelle, Jessica, and Justin. They seemed to exit the classroom in a much calmer fashion. Justin left with his hands in his pockets, with Michelle following closely after him... blushing still.
Upon exiting the classroom, Monica was struck with an all too familiar feeling. She felt the same presence that she did the previous night - only now, it was much, much closer - getting more so... and more... compact?
Chapter Two: Fear At First Sight?
A sudden chill ran down her spine, freezing her in her tracks. Michelle, who had noticed this, stopped as well, and approached Monica.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as he put her hand on her shoulder, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost…”
“A… g-ghost?” she repeated as she jerked away from Michelle, “N-no, its just… really cold in here.”
“’Here’ as in the school?” replied Michelle.
“That makes sense,” said Justin, who had just noticed that Michelle wasn’t following him anymore, and stopped to investigate. Whether he admitted it or not… he rather liked her ‘company‘, “Its May, so the AC’s are all on in the school... though, on such a nice day like this, it isn‘t really needed.”
“N-no… that’s not what I meant.” Monica said as she continued to shiver, “Its something else…”
Michelle turned her attention to a young man approaching them from behind Justin. The man was wearing beige pants, with a white, short sleeved t-shirt. He held a beige vest over his shoulder by his left hand. She fixed her hair, which was a habit of hers whenever she was about to encounter a boy whom she found attractive…
Monica’s eyes widened. The presence was now even closer to her, and the pressure from it was almost unreal. Her heart began to race as a cold sweat trickled from her forehead. Justin looked over at her, and raising an eyebrow, looked back at the oncoming man.
“What’s up?” he asked Monica, who was backing up, “You know that guy?”
Monica shook her head, a stepped aside, bumping into a locker. Michelle smiled at the man… as he passed by, ignoring her and Justin…
He stared coldly at Monica as he passed her by, and her heart seemingly jumped out of her chest. He continued on, leaving her somewhat relieved… yet frightened nonetheless. The pressure gradually lifted from her shoulders. She sighed, pressing her right palm against her chest to tame her heart.
“I-I got to go,” she shouted, “See ya guys, later!”
The bell rang, causing any and all lingering students to break for their next class before the detention slips started to fly about.
“Shit! We’re late!” shouted Justin who motioned to run to his next class before he was even later.
“I’ll see you after school,” shouted Mrs. Tortua, who apparently was standing by the homeroom door, “And do me a favor and remind your friend to come as well…”
Justin sighed and ran off. Michelle soon followed.
“No running in the halls!” the teacher shouted. Justin increased his pace whereas Michelle slowed down a bit. She was the ‘perfect student’. Teachers never really yelled at her, and for this, she knew that she could be just a tad bit late without getting in any serious trouble.
***
School was now over, well, at least for those who didn’t have detention. Michelle sat on the steps in front of the school, waiting for Justin to be ‘free’ as well. During the school day, she had finally mustered up the courage to ask him to hang out with her after school.
Michelle leaned back on the steps, resting her elbows on the higher ones, and stretched out her legs. Knowing Mrs. Tortua, Justin would be in detention for awhile. She watched the other students burst from the school like bats out of Hell. To her, they were just a mass of kids racing home to not do their homework… but, one man stood out from the others. And not just because of his beige clothing…
***
The second hand slowly crept on by. It was moving so slow that it might as well have been called a ‘year’ hand.
Justin was laying down on his desk, with his head resting on his crossed arms. The teacher didn’t seem to mind him slouching now for whatever reason. Most likely because she was wrapped up in her crossword puzzle. Sleeping was one of the only ways to survive a detention in this school.
Monica was sitting in her homeroom seat, once again gazing out the window. The clock had ticked… one minute had passed. The breeze filled the room, carrying upon it the smell of hot, cheesy pizza. There was indeed a nearby pizza restaurant. This place served as the ‘meeting’ place of most of the students after school. The clock ticked once more, and Monica’s stomach began to growl, throwing her out of her daydream.
Justin lifted his head, turning to the noise.
“Yo, Monica, Michelle and I are goin’ to grab a bite to eat in a bit… wanna tag along?”
“No talking!” shouted Mrs. Tortua, who was only mad because he concentration had been shattered.
“Sorry, Mrs. Torture.”, replied Justin as he rolled his eyes.
“Excuse me?! What did you just call me?!”, the teacher shouted.
“Er… Mrs. Tortua, the beautiful?”, Justin replied nervously to clean up his previous statement.
The teacher shook her head and returned to her puzzle.
“Psst… pssst. Monica, well?”, he continued.
Monica turned to Justin, glancing at the teacher, then back to him. She hadn’t been invited to anything in the past few years. She was in shock, and didn’t know if she should accept the offer or not.
“Come on, eh? It’ll be fun!”, he whispered.
“S-sure…”, she replied in a low whisper as well. She didn’t want to let a chance like this slip up. In fact, she’d do anything to stay away from home a bit longer.
The clock ticked on in the background, and the pleasant scent of greasy, cheesy food continued to rush in through the window, pouring into their noses.
***
To her, he was ‘gorgeous‘, and she had no idea why his presence had frightened Monica so much before. Michelle was tempted to change her ‘crush’, but she wasn’t that type of gal. She thought to approach him nonetheless.
He walked down the stairs calmly, not doing anything to avoid the stampeding kids… instead, they seemed to maneuver around him, as if there was some unseen barrier around his body.
He walked past her, and she jumped up to her feet, dusting her backside off. Michelle then darted towards him.
Hopping in front of him, she waved her hands wildly to get his attention.
“Hey there!”, she shouted, putting a hand out to offer a shake, “I’m Michelle!”
He continued to walk, not even stopping for an instance.
“The cold shoulder treatment, huh?”, she mumbled as she pouted. She wasn’t one to give up though, she at least wanted a name. She leaped in front of him again, once again trying to get his attention.
He stopped this time.
“What the hell do you want?”, he asked coldly, “I don’t have time for this.”
“Don’t be such a grouch! What’s your name?”, she insisted, “Can I get that at least?”
He closed his eyes, lowered his head, and shook it slowly from left to right, then back again.
“Get lost.”, he said as he looked up - his eyes still closed.
There was something about this guy that drew Michelle to him… something surreal about his presence that made her want to know more about him. It felt like… fate meant for them to meet there and then.
“Michelle!”, shouted a voice from the school entrance, “You ready?!”
She looked around the man and saw Justin walking down the stairs with Monica not too far behind him, looking down and to the side.
“I invited a friend, if that’s alright,” Justin said as he walked up to her, “This is-”
“-Monica, hey!”, Michelle shouted as she bowed to her, “She’s in our homeroom, silly, I know who she is.”
Michelle turned back to Justin.
“This stubborn guy here is…”, she looked around… surprisingly her ‘friend’ had slipped away unnoticed, “Wuh?! Where’d he go?!”
“Where did who go?”, Justin asked.
“The guy that was just standing behind me!”, she shouted, waving her arms around crazily.
“Um… what guy? You were standing by yourself when I came out of the school…”, Justin replied.
“What--no! That guy from earlier was just… here…”, Michelle said, trying to convince herself that she wasn’t going crazy, “Monica! You saw him, right?!”
She shook her head.
“Sorry… I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Great… I’m hanging out with a crazy chick.”, Justin muttered.
“I am NOT crazy!”, Michelle shouted in defense, “It was that guy we saw in the hallway this morning! He was just here--I swear!”
Monica’s eyes widened. She remembered him all too well, and found that she was glad she wasn’t looking up when they exited the school building.
“Whatever then. Let’s go, girls, pizza’s-a-waitin’!”
The three of them headed off; Michelle, looking over her shoulder… seeing that Monica was doing the same. Justin, however, didn’t seem bothered at all as he led them across the street, towards the pizza place.
Chapter Three: Oh, So Hungry…
Bryant and Jessica sat at a table in the corner, waiting for their food to arrive. Jessica was impatiently tapping her fingers on the table, looking out the window to her right. She was sitting facing the front door, and had a clear view of the side of the restaurant as well… as if she had planned it all, and was expecting something to go down.
Bryant looking around for the waitress that took their order. He was also waiting impatiently, and looked as if he was going to burst at any moment. His stomach growled, sounding like a chainsaw.
“Ah! What the hell?!”, he shouted, “Where the heck’s our food?!”
“I dunno, but if it doesn’t get here soon…”
Just then, as if on cue, the waitress walked up to their table, gently placing the pizza platter down. Bryant dug in with one hand, waving the waitress away with the other.
“Don’t think you’re gettin’ a tip either!”, he muffled, shoving two slices of pizza in his mouth…
Jessica slipped the waitress the money, and she walked off… possibly annoyed that she wasn’t given a tip…
“How about you save some for me, eh?”, Jessica complained, “Other people have to eat too!”
“Well--mmhm, this is some good shit--dig in then?”
Bryant reached for a third slice, but his hand was caught by Jessica’s. She took two slices, and placed them on her own plate. Bryant smirked and reached for another slice with his other hand. He looked up, wondering why it was so easy to claim another slice, and found that Jessica was staring out the window again.
“What is it now?”
“Look…”, she whispered, “Its those losers…”
“Heh, well if it ain’t Goth, Prep, and Burnout?”, said Bryant, who had just swallowed half a slice in one gulp, “Eh, just ignore ‘em.”
Jessica looked back to her plate, and realizing that one of her slices was gone, threw the salt shaker at Bryant… nailing him on the forehead, and sending salt flying everywhere.
Bryant sighed, looking at the now salty pizza. He shrugged, and grabbed another slice. Jessica smacked herself on the forehead.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you”, Bryant said before shoving a slice into his mouth, “You lose brain cells that way.”
“If you were me”, she replied, finishing her slice, “You’d actually have brain cells to lose.”
“Nice…”, he mumbled, drowning his defeat with more salty pizza…
“Harsh as always, eh, Jess?”, Justin said from the entrance, “I saw the whole thing. How can you ruin pizza like that?! Its… its… unholy!”
“Shut the hell up, you stoner!”, Bryant shouted back.
“Man, I haven’t lit up in over a year,” Justin shouted as he sat down at the table near the exit, “So would ya give that ‘stoner’ shit a rest already?”
Michelle hopped over Justin to sit on his left, demanding to sit by the window. Monica sat across from them.
“Do we really have to eat here”, Monica protested, “I’m sure there are other places to eat…”
“True, but there’s only one Pizzeria in town!”, Michelle replied, “Just ignore them… like we do.”
A waiter arrived at their table. Justin made the order, and the waiter went to the back of the restaurant to receive it. Their stomachs continued to growl…
***
The Sun continued to beam down upon the town of _____________, yet a surreal chill began to fill the air. Not one given off from a gentle breeze, but the sort of chill one gets when they’re frightened or in a state of shock. The type of chill that create a cold sweat.
What could possibly drive the forgotten to seek remembrance within the light of day? What would cause the souls of the lost to once again walk amongst the living? Could it be… desire? Hunger? … Or Revenge?
These questions remained unanswered, and it was better that way. Or so he felt. His job was the tame the undead… using their unholy souls to keep the dark lord in his eternal captivity within the Heavenly Abyss.
He stood tall over the fallen corpses. He had just reaped their lingering souls from their reanimated bodies. Souls do not just return to the realm of the living without warning, let alone during the day… no, there is usually some sort of warning. A thick haze, a darkened sky, or even electrical failures. Yet none of these occurrences have been noted as of late.
He was lucky that he sensed them the moment that they had manifested, otherwise there would have been mass casualties, for the dead love company.
He was surrounded by at least thirty of these creatures, all advancing with the purpose of his slaughter. Within the spiritual hierarchy, the “Wicked” are said to be among the most powerful. Their infamous blood red aura is sure proof of one’s near demise. He readied his gauntlet, for he knew that he was in for a real fight this time…
***
The clouds began to embrace the shining Sun, masking it like a darkened whiteout. The gentle breeze got colder, and felt as if the arctic winds were knocking on the near Summer doors.
They had just finished their meal, and luckily for them, Bryant and Jessica had already left. Monica led the others out of the Pizzeria, and was the first to notice the sudden shift in temperature. She was, however, the only one to notice the dark feeling of hatred and rage weighing down the once pleasant air. It was almost hard for her to breathe in. It was an indescribable experience.
“Wanna walk me home, Justin?”, asked Michelle innocently, “Its gettin’ kinda dark outside.”
“Um… sure?”, he replied, “I got nothin’ better to do anyways…”
Monica, paying no mind to her new friends, began to walk towards the source of the aura. She couldn’t help but be drawn to it… like a moth to the flame.
“Yo, Monica, you comin‘?”, Michelle asked, “You guys can hang out at my place for a bit…”, she continued, “… my brother probably isn’t home yet.”
Monica didn’t respond, and instead began to walk faster towards the dangerous aura.
“Yo! Earth to Monica, do ya read?”, Justin shouted.
Michelle ran up to her, shaking gently to snap her out of her trance-like state. Monica shook her head and turned to face them.
“Huh?”
“I asked if you wanted to join us? My brother has an X-box… I may not look like it, but I’m quite the Halo mastah!”
Justin laughed.
“In all seriousness, we should get going. It looks like its gonna rain or something’, and my house is on the other side of town.”, he walked over to Monica, “So we’re gonna chill at her Michelle’s place for a bit.”
“Oh…”, Monica spoke softly, “Um, actually, my house isn’t too far from here… I think I’m going to head home now.”, she turned around, and began to walk towards the aura, which was in the opposite direction than her house.
“Alright then, whatever floats your boat,” Justin said, waving, “Later then. See ya tomorrow, eh?”
“Yeah. Thanks, you guys. Today was great.”, Monica shouted as she broke off into a run. Justin and Michelle both realized that she was surprisingly fast, making it to the next block in a matter of moments…