The Ripper

A Dance For Shadows

When the prefects found me the next morning I was still curled in the corner. My eyes had gone bloodshot and I was shivering in fear. They had tried to coax me out of my spot but every time someone reached towards me it only resulted in me curling up tighter. It had been the lanky prefect that had found me first after a student had told him I missed breakfast when I had not shown up to class.
"Kid please calm down. There's no reason to be scared, were trying to help you but you have to let us." He spoke in a tone that indicated he was more frustrated with the ordeal than worried.
Either way I didn't believe him, hell I probably wouldn't even believe my father if he said that after a dream like last night.
"Please Jack. It's okay we're not going to hurt you." Another voice spoke that I didn't recognize.
I would under normal circumstances, check to see who the voice belonged to, but as of now I was still too scared.
"Come here it's alright. Just let us talk about." The voice spoke again but this time the feeling of hands accompanied it. I was freaking out, flailing about wildly but then I felt a sharp pain in my back, as everything faded.
When I finally came to again I was laying on a cot, with restraints on. I was about to freak out again when a voice spoke.
"Finally your awake. Now, what the hell happened last night kid?"
It had been the lanky man that had spoke to me. I studied his features looking to see what he was thinking. It seemed he was more curious than concerned but I couldn't quite tell, not that I cared either way.
"Come on boy speak, I haven't got all day you know." He said sounding very frustrated at this point.
"Bad dream." Was my distant response.
"What?! A bad dream?! You vomited up blood! Surely that couldn't have just been a bad dream!" He shouted sounding astonished.
"It's the truth. I just had a horrible dream." I spat for I was irritated by his disbelief.
"Alright, alright. No need to get your feathers riffled kid. Still not sure if I believe you or not, but I guess I'll just take your word for it. Anyway I bet you're wondering why you're restrained."
"Yes." I said trying to control the irritation in my voice and failing miserably. The lanky man simply ignored this and spoke.
"It's because even after we sedated you, you were still thrashing about like a chicken with its head cut off. You got some strength behind those arms too. You hit me several times and I'll admit, it hurt." He seemed to have his pride damaged as he said this.
"Good to see you talking. From the looks of it back there,  I thought you were batty." Said a voice that I remembered from earlier.
It had been the last one I had heard before being sedated. I took time to take in her features. She was short and plump and wearing a nurses outfit, he faced showed age that wasn't counted in years. Her mannerisms indicated that she was very kind and welcoming, always happy. It disgusted me. I felt my thoughts being pulled back to the dream, and shivered. The figure came to mind, with his claws, his absence of a face. The taste of blood flickered over my tongue as if in remembrance of the......the, event that the monstrosity had forced me to partake in. It had felt so real, oh so horribly real. The vividness of which the memories were recalled caused my stomach to violently churn, as my heart began to beat rapidly. My mouth felt dry as my eyes widened. I felt the claw in my chest again, its talons ripping their way through my ribcage. Feeling lightheaded I closed my eyes and tried to relax, this seemed to help slightly. My recollection was cut short when the nurse spoke up.
"Jack? You still with us?" She timidly asked.
"Yes." I said, my voice now a whisper.
I looked at them and realized that they were staring at me. There eyes looking me over as if I was some sort of monkey in a zoo that they had come to visit in hopes of me doing a trick. I felt my blood rush to my face and spoke, my voice dripping with venom.
"Stop. Staring. At. Me." I spat through gritted teeth. A fire burned in my bloodshot eyes.
"Okay, okay. Damn kid what's your problem?" The lanky man asked. I didn't say anything and kept my head turned away from them.
"Anyway." Started the nurse. "You young man need to get some rest. Don't worry about class work I will have someone bring it to your room. Which was rid off the mess you made in it this morning."
She then turned to the lanky prefect and instructed him to take me back to my room and make sure I got my homework as well. After receiving aforementioned orders, he walked over to the bed and undid the restraints. I rubbed my wrists in relief, glad to be free from the coarse leather that they had saw fit to impose on me. I then followed him back to my room, neither of us spoke a single word to each. Which I was glad for as I had nothing to say to this individual. Eventually having made it back. I opened my door and saw that along with the book I had gotten last night, several more had been added. With various papers also covering the small structure, this must have been the homework she had spoken of. I walked in and sat down at the desk, ignoring the fact that the lanky man was still standing in the room with me. As I was starting to get to work he spoke up, sounding exasperated.
"That's how it's going to be eh? Whatever kid just get you homework done and make sure you actually get to class on time tomorrow." With that he left, letting my relish in the silence of the room and read in peace. I checked the clock behind me eleven forty five it read, and I was but surprised by this for I had thought it would be well into the evening. Huh. Funny how time works always forward and never in reverse, bringing the fall of empires and the death of man. Time, a human creation that has spawned the very basis of order yet also has the same control on the opposite. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Deciding that it was best to leave the more ponderous types of subjects for when I didn't have a plethora of papers to do.