Halo

Serendipitous

 Vroooooommmm

My head rested against the chilled window, eyes shuttering and threatening to pull me down into the darkness.

Pain, pain shot around my body as I was tugged around, against the door and the sides of my seat...

Water...The water filled the car...Someone, someone help me...Please help me, someone....

"Bad?" There was a soft jerking on my shoulder. "Bad? Wake up." The voice...It was a voice I recognized...Skeppy...Save me, I can't breathe.

I jumped, body shaky and sweat dripping off my forehead. It took a second to fully recognize my surroundings. I was sitting in class, Skeppy beside me, worry engulfed his features. I wanted to take my hood down and run my fingers through my hair to relax, but I couldn't. They'd see, they'd see I wasn't normal.

My thoughts were interrupted with "Bad? You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Y...Yeah...I'm good. Why'd you let me fall asleep?" I asked him, I felt as though air wasn't coming to my lungs properly.

"I don't let you do anything...You are your own idiot." He chuckled, any hint of worry was gone.

Before the conversation carried out any further we were interrupted by Mrs. K the English teacher. "Boys. Pay attention, you're meant to be writing an essay. Bad, please remove your hood. I've asked many times already."

Anger shot through my body and I touched my hood..."I can't...I told you before."

My voice sounded very deep, deeper than ever and met her eyes, Mrs. K gasped out, touching her throat as if something was choking her and I watched as she struggled for breath, but the anger didn't stop, I wanted her to suffer...To feel pain.

"Bad! Call a teacher! Someone...Help her!" Skeppy beside me yelled, causing any anger inside of me to vanish and as though I woke up from a dream I realized she was actually hurting. So we both ran to her as students left the room in search of some aide.

Riiinnnggg

The day wrapped up with a loud warning of the bell as rumors of what happened in class today start being whispered around.

It doesn't bother me though. I wait for Skeppy at the front gate for his class to be let out.

As we walk home I make sure to tell him not to tell Father Johnny what happened at school, He'll probably give them some religious mumbo jumbo about how they should have gotten help faster and how its "god's message to protect others from home and to love all god's creations"

Skeppy agreed and moved the conversation into a different direction "Did you hear about the fight in the cafeteria today? Two seventh graders were high up on their horses again and thought it would make them cool to start the fight." He said with light humor in his voice.

" I did...Too bad it did them no good and only ended up spilling one of the eight graders' pasta. He is so dead tomorrow" I replied with a laugh.

Skeppy seemed to notice I was slightly distracted...Why had I seen the same dream every time I fell asleep? Father Johnny just preached to me that it was god's sign.

"Bad? What's wrong?" He stopped walking, causing me to stop as well and watch as he walked in front of me, back turned to the road.

"I'm sorry, I'm just in my own head." I let out, a sign escaping my lip as a chill went down my spine.

"Can I ask you something?" He asked, eyes scanning my face.

"Yeah, of course. I never lie to you." I answer, a smile tugging at my lips as he rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Why do you never take your hood down? I've never seen you without it before..." He asked, eyes on my dark hood that hung over my head, my horns helped hold it in its place.

"I told you Geppy...I'm not normal. If I was...You wouldn't be my friend." I replied, bringing up the very first thing he ever told me.

He shoved my arm, making me take a step back as we both laughed but started to walk again, side by side as we always had. It was a Wednesday so his family was fine with him walking to the church with me, they'd take him home after.

We helped fix up the church before it started, making sure people had places to sit. And that the offerings were ready.

As church started Father Johnny had made me and Skeppy sit in the pews behind him where elderly and small children sat. He did this so we didn't act up, as we normally would.

Through most of the preaching Skeppy and I sat in the corner giggling about anything and everything. Every now and then we'd get glared at by Father Johnny, but we knew not to get loud....Mainly when everyone was going to bow their heads and pray.

I never prayed because when I was younger, just saying god's name made my throat hurt.

"Bad...Church is almost over...Sneak away with me?" Skeppy asked, voice soft and his breathing blowing against the skin of my neck, making me shiver.

We both snuck behind the pews at the top behind Father Johnny and out the side door. I knew someone had to have seen us, but maybe not.

"What's it like? Living in the upstairs part of a church?" Skeppy asked as we walked through the log corridor. The church was three stories. The first floor was the main room, which was where people came in for church, the second floor, which he and I were on now was for bible study and had a kitchen for when the church held cookouts, and the last floor was just rooms. It was where Father Johnny and I stayed. We lived inside the church, which sometimes was strange, but I never minded it.

"It's like living in a giant house, with a few extra things. At night...It gets creepy on the first floor. The nuns stay in the outhouse."

The outhouse was another part of the church, it was attached by a long hallway.

Skeppy and I got into my room where we were talking about the fight again, how the kids would get punished...Until pain shot through my right eye, causing me to lay a hand over it and cry out in anguish

"Bad?!" I heard Skeppy say, but everything faded from around my...Until I was in an open field, standing next to a woman who was speaking but I didn't hear what she said...

Everything turned black, and I heard Skeppy saying something, calling my name.