Outsiders

CHAPTER 6 - Oh Strange Stranger

A funky-suited teenaged boy with markings on his face was the one who spoke those words out which left the boys with questions. "What is this a prank? Is this also one of your weird buddies Mach? Are we starting some kind of ritual?!" Says Nasa.

"I have no idea who this guy is and I just met Tenbris tonight right before I went through the forest and stumbled upon you." Replies Mach and continues to say, "Now who might you be?" The stranger answers, "Follow me."

"We're done playing games for one night, just answer. Who are you?" Says Tenbris, when all of a sudden Mach pulls his fist up and says, "Alright then, there's another way for you to answer if you don't like the traditional way!" Tenbris pulls him from his shirt as Nasa watches. "Cut it out Mach, let's just leave!" Mach scuffs and holds his anger in, it seemed like he was reflecting his rage at this stranger, who was standing quite still with a bland face. The boys decided to walk away from the stranger, that's when he spoke from behind them saying, "I can help. Help you understand what's happening to you all."

Mach kept walking, shouting out, "Ignore him, he has no idea what he's talking about."

That's when he realised that Nasa and Tenbris stood still behind him quietly. Mach turned around waving his hands around angrily, "You want to trust him?!"

"I do." Nasa as Tenbris also speaks up and says, "We trusted you, right? Why not him too?"

"Well fine. Never mind, you guys go and get murdered by this weirdo that was standing there the whole time doing absolutely nothing, waiting for idiots like you to willingly go with him, but don't come back telling me I'm right, cause I know I am." Says Mach as he raises his eyebrows walking in the opposite direction of where they're standing.

"We'll probably be dead if you're right." Says Nasa sarcastically, smilingly scoffing as Tenbris turns to look at him lip-syncing, where his smile slowly starts to fade awkwardly looking at the side.

"Look, we don't know what's going on with us or what's going to happen to us, we're just confused. And! allegedly this guy seems like he knows things that we don't, so! Logically going with him would be the most resourceful thing we can do tonight." says Tenbris. "Or to get a shady invitation that would turn your life upside down." Says Mach with repulsiveness, thinking of the time he got a letter which ended up getting him kidnapped and mutated into a hybrid creature.

"I'm not falling for the same shit twice. It was nice knowing you dudes, at least while it lasted." He says as he walks off, but before he could walk far away from their distance, the stranger speaks again saying these few words.

"Come back."

Mach's body stops at his command, as he does what he was ordered to do out of his free will. The boys were shocked as Mach was angrily frightened screaming, "You Wizard! Stop this now or I'll mess you up!"

"He's like us!" Says Nasa.

Tenbris grew more curious as to how he could help, listening silently as the others. "I live with people who are like us and I think we can help you all too. Now I won't force you guys to follow me-" He says releasing Mach, "but I also won't ask you again."

"We're coming!" Shouts to Tenbris as soon as the guy finishes his speech. "Speak for yourself explosion."

"Mach, I know you're upset about what happened to you and that you're not willing to risk making the same mistake, but this time it'll be different. This time you won't be alone and we'll be there to save each other if shit goes down." Says Nasa while Tenbris adds, "So what do you think?"

Mach thinks for a second, looking at their humble faces saying, "You idiots are probably gonna die without my guidance if shit happens. I'm coming." He says with a smile as Nasa and Tenbris get excited, laughing with glee.

"Good, now let's move." Says the stranger. As the boys follow him at the back into the forest silently. Nasa runs up next to the boy and says "So strange stranger, I'm Nasa, that is Tinybres and Mach is the-"

"It's Ten-bris! Tenbris!" says Tenbris while huffing at the side as he rolls his eyes. "Oh- I'm, uh- Sorry, heh." Says Nasa putting his hands behind his head.

"Vox." Replies the stranger.

"Oh is that your name? That kinda sounds cool! I don't mean it as half cool, but cool, cool sounding. I mean you have an 'x' in your name, that's rare, I barely meet people with an 'x' in their name... actually, I barely meet new people in general." Says Nasa Excitingly, slowly reflecting his insecurities as his voice starts getting lower. The boys in the back look at each other questionably.

"Yeah, you're likely correct on that. I mean I am the only person with a name which contains an 'x,' in the academy, so you might be correct," says Vox looking forward. As the boys ask, "Academy?"

"Yeah. The people who can help you are there."

"Where is this so-called academy place, why is this in the middle of a forest, I mean we are walking deeper and deeper through the forest and I can't see a school building anywhere in sight," Says Tenbris as the others get suspicious.

"We're close, just a few steps away," They walk for a bit and that's where Vox goes through a bush telling them to follow him in. They all looked at each other as Mach says, "Ladies first." Nasa and Tenbris give him the look, ignoring him as they walk in through the bushes.

They poked their heads out the other side of the bush first, seeing Vox hiking up a great hill; there were no trees around or on the hill. "This is kinda fun!" Says Nasa, "Are you finding this entertaining?" Tenbris replies as Mach looks at him weirdly. "Kinda, I mean we're like these random kids who hold supernatural abilities... and wings, and we meet this strange dude in the forest who says something like, follow me, I can help you uncover your darkest secrets-"

"Are you trying to imitate Vox's voice?" Replied Tenbris to Nasa as they were hiking up the hill far behind Vox. "Well yeah, he's a strange dude in the forest, isn't he?" Mach laughs and says, "Well so are you!"

The boys finally reached the top of the hill, approaching Vox near the porch. He was standing near the door holding a lamp. "We're here," he says.

"I didn't expect the academy to look like this?" Says Tenbris questionably. "This is where the supernatural kids-"

"Die? Right about that." Says Mach cutting Nasa off. "Pff, what? No, it's where their journey begins, by entering a mysterious cottage that they should probably avoid, but damn I'm so curious!" Says Nasa with excitement.

"Mach, I'm with you at this point," says Tenbris as they both give each other a look that something bad might happen.