The Lost and the Found - Michael Morbius

The Beginning

"Selina, it's your move," Michael prompted over their game of chess, but she had moved to the window upon hearing the hum of a car and voices below them at the front of the building.

"Someone new!" she cried.  "A new friend!"

A few minutes later, Dr. Nicholas came upstairs with the newest addition, an English boy about Michael's age.

"Michael, Selina, this is Lucien," Dr. Nicholas introduced the newcomer.  "Lucien, this is my daughter, Selina, and Michael, another patient here."

"Hello," said Lucien, a little shy.

"Chairete Lucien!" Selina greeted in her native Greek. "Nice to meet you!"

Papa helped Lucien get settled before leaving the three children to get to know each other. 

"Freaks!"

The shout was followed by laughter and more cruel words from the schoolyard below. 

Selina wrenched the window open and shouted some less than friendly Greek out the window back at them, watching them scurry away. 

"Best not to be outside when school gets out," Michael told Lucien. 

Michael and Selina were already inseparable, and Lucien became fast friends with them, he taking on the nickname of 'Milo'. The three were an inseparable trio. 

Even when Michael was sent to America to study medicine, it wouldn't break their bond. It was difficult to see him go, but this was an incredible opportunity.

Selina wrapped him up in a giant hug.  " Michael, I already miss you. But I've always wanted to see New York. Send me a postcard."

He smiled. "I will."

 The reality of Michael and Lucian's rare blood disease was, was that they were growing more and more ill with each passing day, and without a cure, she hoped and prayed that he would not die before she saw him again. But Michael was strong, a trooper, and determined. He would make it. 

He left both her and Lucien folded up animals out of paper, a hobby of his, each baring a letter for his friends.

She was out in the courtyard reading beneath the shade of a tree when she heard shouting and screaming. Racing around the corner she saw a group of the schoolboys surrounding a fallen Lucien, beating him.

She saw red and charged.

She smacked  one boy as hard as she could with her book before dropping it and kicking another boy in the backside. When he turned around she kicked him between the legs.

"Stop it! You monsters! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" She grabbed one of Lucien's crutches and swung it at them, striking one.

"Stop - STOP!" Papa was running around the corner, attempting to break up the fight, but the damage had already been done. "Selina stop - violence is not the answer!"

"But they were hurting him, Papa!"

The boys had thankfully run off, bruised and battered for their misdeeds. One lay on the ground still. Lucien crawled over, grabbed his letter from Michael (which must have been the cause of all this) and began punching the boy. "You stole my letter! Don't you ever come near me again!"

"Lucien!" Papa pulled him back. "What did I just say?! I will have a word with the headmaster of the school."

"Another word with the headmaster - they don't listen!" Selina cried.

"That's enough! Violence is not the answer - it never is."

Papa helped Lucien back up to his bed, checking for injuries. When he left, Selina sat next to Lucien on what had been Michael's bed. 

 "You were great back there, you really showed them," he told her. 

"Thanks. You were too. I won't let anyone hurt you. They do, and they'll have to answer to  me."

They smiled at each other, taking each other's hand, sealing the promise.

When he turned eighteen, Lucien came to inherit his family's substantial wealth. Since he was the boys' primary caregiver, Papa moved them to New York to be with Michael.

Selina was sixteen and it was her first time in America. "New York is magical," she breathed upon their arrival. 

Michael's studies and research were thriving. He had committed himself to finding a cure for their disease. 

"I'm going to save us," he promised Lucien.

So many promises, all with the best of intentions, but which would, in the end, tear them apart.

But that was the end - this is still the beginning.  

(Hello and welcome to my new story! I just saw this movie (finally!) and I thought it was really cool! There will be spoilers ahead of course!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! :) More to come soon!)