Chapter 1: The Memory
Xerx stepped over the fallen door, from were the hinges had allowed it to collapse, into a room with a broken table. The walls were brightly decorated, and painted in a dark crimson, as if the place had been drenched in blood.
A dark-clad figure sat behind the lone piece of furniture, calm and unwavering, almost as if expecting Xerx's unwelcome intrusion. The man was no more than a silhouette, a shadow blending in with it's dark, grim surroundings. His attire was familiar, as he wore the same, repetitive, black cloak Xerx had grown used to. His hood covered his face, leaving his identity a mystery, and his personality enigmatic...
"So...." The cloaked man began "Why are you here?" His voice was cool, and at the same time taunting. He knew the answer to his own question, yet, he couldn't resist ridiculing the silver haired youth.
The words were running through the back of Xerx's head, filling his mind with a swirl of mixed emotions.
Why?
Why was he here? That very same question brought back an endless ocean of memories...
The memories...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rex was running down the road, his feet pumping furiously, and his heart throbbing with desperation.
"Get back here!!" a big man bellowed, running after him, in hot pursuit. Despite his large body, the man sprinted quickly, his stubby legs a blur as he chased his prey vehemently.
Rex was a very thin, and tall young man, his head hosted a mane of long silver hair, and exhuberant blue eyes. He was a poor orphan, with no particular reason to live, he was just there...just an insignificant person that had to resort to stealing, lying, and deceiving to live....
The man was gaining on him. Slowly, but still gaining. Within seconds Rex was in range, and the man tackled him to the ground, hard.
He then slammed his head into the mud, and held him there. Humiliating one who had already lost so much...
"That's what you get for stealing you thief!" The man yelled at the top of his lungs while still wrestling him to the ground. Rex pushed the man off him with a hard shove, and attempted to escape. But the man was determined, and he hooked the boy's ankle with an iron-hard grip.Rex's captor stood, dragging the silver haired youth to his truck.
I'm going to die...Rex thought...I'm going to die... And then, no more thinking, as the exhausted teen fell into a deep slumber...
The man killed the engine as they arrived at their destination. He climbed out of the pickup, slamming the door with great force. Making sure the back doors were still locked he ambled towards the front door of the house they had driven to...
"Too bad for you that we still have the most extreme penalty for thievery" The man said mockingly, as he walked into the raggedy old house to get the sheriff.
No doubt to hang me...
Rex, now hysterical and unwilling to die, slammed his b ody against the car window, using his body's momentum to add strength to the blow. The glass shattered into fragments, and the teen landed hard. He instantly winced, expecting to hear the crash of thousands of sharp crystals onto the asphalt, and his face...
Silence...
Rex looked back aghast, only to see that the broken glass stood still, floating in the air like a transparent cloud...
And a cloaked man, one who had not been there before, now stood, dominating the situation.
"So, your the one I'm after?" He said dreamily, in an almost lethargic manner. The stranger didn't seem to pay much attention to the terrified youth.
"Hold on...let me read exactly what I'm supposed to do..." The cloaked intruder continued, almost as if talking to himself, ignoring his one-man audience. He took out a small note from one of the many pockets his trenchcoat hosted. Rex did not know what was going on, he was tired dizzy, and certainly confused.
"Bring Xerx to the mansion" He read aloud,"P.S, Don't screw up..." He faced Rex, and shrugged, almost apologetically.
"I don't think that last note was necessary..." The cloaked man said, trailing off...
"Well, thats it! I am to bring you to the mansion freely"
The cloaked man strolled towards the silver haired boy, Rex turned and began to run, human instinct and fear of the unknown kicking in.
"We can make you feel accepted!" The man shouted, at a fleeing Rex, calmly walking while the boy sprinted with all his might.
"Not only that! We can help complete you, like we are doing with our selves!"
But Rex ran, not looking back, ignoring the stranger's attempts at persuasion...
Ironically, he would join the man eventually, wether he wanted to, or not...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Xerx sat in the small chair, certain that it would collapse under his weight. He scanned the room looking at the plain crimson walls. He felt nauseated, the memories were like a badly operated roller coaster...
"What is wrong with me!?"
Xerx stepped over the fallen door, from were the hinges had allowed it to collapse, into a room with a broken table. The walls were brightly decorated, and painted in a dark crimson, as if the place had been drenched in blood.
A dark-clad figure sat behind the lone piece of furniture, calm and unwavering, almost as if expecting Xerx's unwelcome intrusion. The man was no more than a silhouette, a shadow blending in with it's dark, grim surroundings. His attire was familiar, as he wore the same, repetitive, black cloak Xerx had grown used to. His hood covered his face, leaving his identity a mystery, and his personality enigmatic...
"So...." The cloaked man began "Why are you here?" His voice was cool, and at the same time taunting. He knew the answer to his own question, yet, he couldn't resist ridiculing the silver haired youth.
The words were running through the back of Xerx's head, filling his mind with a swirl of mixed emotions.
Why?
Why was he here? That very same question brought back an endless ocean of memories...
The memories...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rex was running down the road, his feet pumping furiously, and his heart throbbing with desperation.
"Get back here!!" a big man bellowed, running after him, in hot pursuit. Despite his large body, the man sprinted quickly, his stubby legs a blur as he chased his prey vehemently.
Rex was a very thin, and tall young man, his head hosted a mane of long silver hair, and exhuberant blue eyes. He was a poor orphan, with no particular reason to live, he was just there...just an insignificant person that had to resort to stealing, lying, and deceiving to live....
The man was gaining on him. Slowly, but still gaining. Within seconds Rex was in range, and the man tackled him to the ground, hard.
He then slammed his head into the mud, and held him there. Humiliating one who had already lost so much...
"That's what you get for stealing you thief!" The man yelled at the top of his lungs while still wrestling him to the ground. Rex pushed the man off him with a hard shove, and attempted to escape. But the man was determined, and he hooked the boy's ankle with an iron-hard grip.Rex's captor stood, dragging the silver haired youth to his truck.
I'm going to die...Rex thought...I'm going to die... And then, no more thinking, as the exhausted teen fell into a deep slumber...
The man killed the engine as they arrived at their destination. He climbed out of the pickup, slamming the door with great force. Making sure the back doors were still locked he ambled towards the front door of the house they had driven to...
"Too bad for you that we still have the most extreme penalty for thievery" The man said mockingly, as he walked into the raggedy old house to get the sheriff.
No doubt to hang me...
Rex, now hysterical and unwilling to die, slammed his b ody against the car window, using his body's momentum to add strength to the blow. The glass shattered into fragments, and the teen landed hard. He instantly winced, expecting to hear the crash of thousands of sharp crystals onto the asphalt, and his face...
Silence...
Rex looked back aghast, only to see that the broken glass stood still, floating in the air like a transparent cloud...
And a cloaked man, one who had not been there before, now stood, dominating the situation.
"So, your the one I'm after?" He said dreamily, in an almost lethargic manner. The stranger didn't seem to pay much attention to the terrified youth.
"Hold on...let me read exactly what I'm supposed to do..." The cloaked intruder continued, almost as if talking to himself, ignoring his one-man audience. He took out a small note from one of the many pockets his trenchcoat hosted. Rex did not know what was going on, he was tired dizzy, and certainly confused.
"Bring Xerx to the mansion" He read aloud,"P.S, Don't screw up..." He faced Rex, and shrugged, almost apologetically.
"I don't think that last note was necessary..." The cloaked man said, trailing off...
"Well, thats it! I am to bring you to the mansion freely"
The cloaked man strolled towards the silver haired boy, Rex turned and began to run, human instinct and fear of the unknown kicking in.
"We can make you feel accepted!" The man shouted, at a fleeing Rex, calmly walking while the boy sprinted with all his might.
"Not only that! We can help complete you, like we are doing with our selves!"
But Rex ran, not looking back, ignoring the stranger's attempts at persuasion...
Ironically, he would join the man eventually, wether he wanted to, or not...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Xerx sat in the small chair, certain that it would collapse under his weight. He scanned the room looking at the plain crimson walls. He felt nauseated, the memories were like a badly operated roller coaster...
"What is wrong with me!?"