I sat on the steps of my school, looking down at my slightly burnt hands from attempting how to make a fire, only for it to burst up and burn a bit of my hands. They had been bandaged with a cream smeared over them to help them heal. I could still feel the burning sensation, but I had started to ignore it. I pulled my jackets sleeve more over my arms, feeling a bit of coldness nipping at me. I stared at the Jacket, finding some holes were starting to show in it. Thinking, this jacket was originally a doll jacket, it wasn't really meant to be actually worn. Jennifer had offered before to get me a new jacket, but I didn't want to replace this one. After all, this is what Alton had given me. I felt that this jacket was all I had left of him and I didn't want to get rid of it.
It was been about two months since the last time I had seen them, I missed them so much.. What I wouldn't give to leave this place. It was horrible! I still have to attend a hard core schooling system because this isn't about math or English anymore, oh no! It was about surviving.. And occasionally math and English... But anyways, it wasn't uncommon to come home from school with new bruises and cuts.
Now other than my tough schooling situation, within the two months I was here, I haven't made any friends. Only bullys really. Every kid either ignored me, would pick on me, and occasionally I met some nice kids but they didn't stick around for long. There was one boy that was really mean to me, he was the one that seemed to be picking on me the most. Honestly, he seemed to have been the most annoying kid in the school and the biggest show off. Of course I was smaller than him and he wanted to pick on me to show who was 'superior.'
He is like four years older than me anyways. It didn't help that since this place was so small, there was really only two schools here. One for the really little kids, and the other for kids who are ten and up. It really just made a lot of situations worse, but there was nothing people could really do. They are working to expand this area a bit for new homes and schools, this place is still fairly new. They are trying to work with what they got.
I set my head into my hands while I waited for Jennifer and Matt to come get me, they always told me when I got out of school, to wait there and they would come get me. I was so sleepy, It was already late in the evening and either Jennifer or Matt was suppose to be getting off of work any moment now. I was tempted to just lay down on the concrete stairs, but I didn't. I just continued to wait.
In the background, I heard someone behind me but I hardly paid any attention to it. I should have. That same moment, I felt a force hit me hard in the back, making me tumble down the stairs and to the dirt. I felt the pain rise up in my lower back, I knew would surely bruise.
I looked up towards the stairs, where I was originally, seeing Josh snickering as he came the rest of the way down the stairs. This was the kid that chose me to be picked on.. I pulled myself up to my feet, having ot grab onto the railing on the stairs to help keep myself up.
"Stop faking! I didn't hit you that hard!" Josh called at me.
Tell that to my bruising back..
I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at him in annoyance from his comment. That only seemed to have angered him.
His eyes narrowed back at me and he marched forward, trying to hold himself up higher to seem more intimidating.
"You better wipe that look off of your face before I wipe it off for you." He threatened, balling his fists.
My heart began to really thud in my chest at him approaching me. I glanced around for an exit route, finding nothing.. But the stairs to the surface, out of the underground.. I haven't seen outside in two months.. I don't think that's good for me, but it would be nice to see it again. Without waiting for Josh anymore, I rushed by him, running towards the exit. I heard his fast footsteps behind me after a moment of being stunned that I actually ran.
I got to the stairs, running up them as fast as possible, almost slipping a few times but barely managed to keep my balance. I heard he was quickly gaining on me. It was a long set of stairs, but I got to the door, throwing it open and attempted to slam it behind me, in hopes it would slow him down.
Kinda, but not much. I ran out of the building and around it, running into a patch of trees before throwing myself into the nearest bush.
I winced at the branches scratching against me being there, but I had no other choice. I didn't know what Josh planned to do and I didn't want to find out. I didn't know how far he would go.
I was amazed I managed to get ahead of him. By his age and size, I would have thought he would have caught me under ten seconds. Maybe, it could be from all those classes in school I was made to attend. Josh did seem to have been slacking off a bit. Pretending he already knew these things and was already 'amazing' at them. Or maybe.. He was hesitant to come outside like this. I guess it was foolish of me to run out here like this. How I threw open the door and just ran out without watching where I was going? There could have been a Cannibal there and I could have been eaten right then and there. I would have been done for and Josh... He would have lived from any hesitation he could have had while coming out..
I heard his footsteps near me, he was searching for me.
I threw my hand over my mouth to silence my breathing a bit. Not wanting to draw him any closer to me than he was. Surprisingly, he didn't stick around for long. I tried to see out from my spot in a bush to see what he was doing and where he was at. He was back at the doors of the building I had just ran from. He was panting, Looking around the area madly for me... Or for something else. He looked uncomfortable. My hand slipped down and away from my mouth as I watched him. Knowing my heavy breathing shouldn't alert him from there.
He looked scared.
"You're crazy for coming out here! I hope you enjoy being lunch to a Cannibal! I'm not letting you back in!" He called out for me to hear, shutting the door quickly encase there really was a Cannibal near by. Not wanting it to backfire on himself.
I poked my head up from the bush when I couldn't see him anymore at the door.
"I-...I hope he didn't really just l-lock the door..?"
I mumbled to myself in worry.
A second later, I heard a twig snap. My head jerked in the direction I had heard the sound. My heart began to beat even faster, almost to the point I felt like I couldn't breathe. Hiding in this bush isn't gonna keep me safe from a Cannibal. If I can at least make it to the door to be sure if he locked it or not, maybe I can at least get inside and take a beating, rather than being eaten.
I mean, Josh is mean, but he can't be that cruel.. Can he? I jumped out of the bush when I heard another snap even closer this time. I panicked and ran to the door as fast as possible. When I made it, I grabbed the handle and tugged on it, only for the door not to budge.
No! No! No! No! Please!
"J-Josh, Please. Please, l-let me in." I cried into the door, trying to keep my voice somewhat low in case that was really a Cannibal by me. I didn't want to alert him or her even if they most likely were already aware of me.
I tugged at the door a few more times when I heard more movement. I was too scared to even look behind myself to see what was there.
Josh didn't even seem to be at the door anymore. How could he do this to me?! At this point, I stopped trying, and squinted my eyes tightly, knowing there was something right behind me.
I was dead, and I knew it. I was gonna die, and no one would know what happened to me.
My body began to shake uncontrollably, I whined a bit, waiting for whatever was going to happen, happen.
Then finally, and a bit unexpectedly, I was bundled into a soft fabric. A few muffled yelps escaped me as I struggled to get away. I couldn't see what was happening.
I whined and struggled a bit as an attempt to get out of this situation, but my attempts didn't work. It was until my prison decided to open itself. I pushed the fabric off of me, looking up to see what was there. My heart nearly dropped into my stomach. A giant? Cannibal! It has to be a Cannibal! I began to panic and nearly jumped out of their hands until they held me down which didn't help me. It only fueled my fear. I struggled, I whined, I kicked, until they spoke.
"Clay?" A familiar voice spoke, turning a bit so the rising Moon's light would shine down onto their face.
I froze, still from their voice. My heart was still going and tears had already broken free from my eyes and going down my face. I looked up to their face, relaxing a bit.
"N-N-Nick...?" My voice whimpered out quietly.
He gave a bit of a smile, nodding his head. Seeing his fangs shine through.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him, while his grip loosened up on me when he felt I was more relaxed in his hands now.
"You," He said.
"It's funny. For a second, I questioned myself if I caught the right human. You were really fighting." He laughed.
A smile grown onto my face and my fears began to slip away.
"Well I'm sorry that my fighting confused you while I thought I was about to be eaten."
"I'm sorry for the disappointment." He joked.
"But I'm not very hungry."
"No, don't worry. It's more of a relief." I sighed.
"But what did you need me for? Wouldn't you get in trouble for being too close to the civilization?"
"Possibly, but I promised Alton something." Nick began to walk a bit.
"Promised what..?" I sat up on the cloth he held in his huge hands, looking up to him.
"Since I come into the human realm more, the next time if I am ever able to find you, I can take you to your real home. That is, if you want to." Nick offered.
My face lit up, my eyes got wide and my mouth fell open. I jumped up.
"Are you serious?!"
He chuckled.
"I'll take that as a yes?"
"Yes! Please!" I said with excitement.
"Okay, okay! Shhhh!" He shushed me, putting his finger in front of his lips. Showing a bit of a smile.
"We don't need to alert any other Cannibals around."
I covered my mouth quickly, like it would suddenly make me be quiet.
"Sorry." I said muffled through my hands.
He brought me up to his right shoulder, letting me perch myself up there so he wouldn't be holding me the whole time.
He stuffed the little cloth he had away into a pocket.
"Alton made you promise that..?" I looked upwards at Nick's ear, then to his eye.
"Kinda, Mr. Bates wanted you to stay here. Thinking it would be best. But after a bit of some time, Alton more ordered me to get you if I ever saw you out. Which wasn't gonna be a promise it would happen. I'm actually surprised it came to this. But I'm kinda glad. First off, that was dangerous with you being out here like that." He almost scolded me.
Before I could even speak up to defend myself, he spoke first.
"But I missed you, Bud."
I looked upwards to him and smiled.
"I missed you all too." I mumbled.