The Deep

Brimstone Academy

My footfalls were barely audible on the hard concrete, as I slowly walked to the main entrance. My smokey-brown curls floated in the glorious, morning sun.

Small groups of teens gathered in the large courtyard of the academy, all dressed in their green and black uniforms. I smiled as they spoke of their weekend adventures, and happenings. Laughter arose at the antics of another. I was the only one who didn't have the luxury of friends. No one seemed to notice me at the school accept for the teachers and professors. This didn't bother me much. I loved to observe the lives of every one and every thing.

It brought me joy to watch the birds in the morning. When they arise from their sleep, they move slowly and brush their bright feathers in the gleam of the just-rising sun. Then they sing their own individual songs; alerting others of the rising beauty of the sun. Then they sing to each other in utter joy. After that they look for food and flutter about, all upset at each other with angry squawking. Their antics make me laugh every morning.

The sound of everyone melds together as we make our way to our respective places. The smell of everyone does too, unfortunately.

After the bell sounds again, I hear a yell. I trot over to the narrow hallway where the sound came from. I see a group of five boys pushing someone back and forth amongst themselves, and beating them with their fists. I walk up behind the group. In a loud and firm voice I say, "What in Gods name are you bufoons doing to this person!?

They all stop and look back at me in utter surprise. " Oh, just teaching this weakiling a bit of a lesson is all", says the one with the blonde, slicked back, hair.

"Well, I'm sure you can settle this without violence in the future then?"

"Now why would you think that?" he retorted.

"Because if you don't, I can and will involve the authorities in a heartbeat."

"OK princess, he's all yours. Let's go guys."
They picked up their abandoned jackets and glared at me as they left. I heard a couple of curses as well.

I came over to the side of a badly beaten boy, laying prone on the cold tile. "Are you alright?"
He groaned.
I lifted his torso up until he was in a sitting position. His face had a few cuts and was already showing signs of bruising.
"That looks bad. Here, let me take you to the infirmary."

I grabbed his arm and held him under his other arm. I brought him to his feet.
"What is your name?" I asked.

"Why did you help me?" he replied.

"I will answer that when you answer my question."

"Ander Kensington."

"Nice to meet you Ander... I helped you because you needed help."

"How did you know they weren't going to turn on you?"

"Because I'm good friends with school authorities and statisticly speaking, boys are less likely to hit girls than other boys. So I wasn't concerned."

"Oh" he says, with pain clear in his voice.

"Do you think anything is broken?"I ask.

"No, I don't think so."

"OK that's a step in the right direction. Can you walk alright?"

"Yeah, I think I twisted my ancle though."

"OK, just put your arm around my shoulders and lean in this direction."

He did as I asked and soon we were making our way down the long hallway.

"What's your name mystery girl?

"Xylia Montague," I replied.

"Thank you for helping me Xylia."

"No thanks needed Ander. But I do have one question, why were they beating you like that?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, we have some time."

"It started back in middle school. I was the new kid. Everyone saw me as something I wasn't. No one noticed me until the day I showed my interest in foreign languages. Soon, everyone wanted to pay me to do their home work. I declined all of them. Soon, I was as popular as dirt. Everyone's personal punching bag," he says, as he looks at the floor.

"Well, dirt may be referred to as something undesirable, but it helps the lives of everyone around them. People grow gardens, farms, orchards, and other things in it. It has keept the human race happy and well for thousands of years. I don't see why people hate you so much when you have so much to offer the world."

He stopped and looked me in the eyes. "That's the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me, Xylia. Thank You."

I smiled, "Here's the infirmary."