Cold {L.T.}

chapter five

Louis

My breaths became heavier with anxiety and fear. I knew it was due to my previous encounters in the area, and I knew something would come for me. I was standing vulnerable, out in the open. The odds were not in my favour.

It seemed as if every sound was enhanced at this moment. In itself, that certainly ignited the fear in the pits of my stomach. My eyes began flickering to every shadow or movement, even the breeze rustling the leaves. I started to back up towards the tree for some isolation. Slowly and deliberately.

My life has been flipped out of control these past few weeks. Nothing can be kept contained, and the emotions I've been experiencing were very unusual for someone such as myself. I'm a man of pride, power and bravery. Why must I be put in this position?

I finally reached the trunk of the tree and I gripped the bark for support. Suddenly, I experienced the most peculiar sensation.

Pain swarmed my body and immense pressure is placed in my head. Several colours swirled across my field of vision, creating patterns. The dizziness threw me to the ground and I clutched my head, groaning in agony. The pain became almost unbearable to the point that I could feel the throbbing throughout my whole body. I scrambled to my knees and tried to steady myself. My breaths came out in short puffs, an attempt to ease the pain. It only made it worse, causing a ringing sound to overtake my hearing.

Something thick began dribbling from my nose. I slowly touched the substance.

My once clean hands were now coaxed in blood.

It felt as if someone was mercilessly snapping each individual bone in my body. I've always hated to express the pain I was feeling but this time was an exception. So that's what I did.

I screamed, trying to find some release. The noise intensified but never seemed to travel anywhere. I looked up at the sky and began to say my goodbyes. I think of how I expected to be unafraid of passing. I felt as if my business was not yet completed. Slowly, rage consumed me. I beat my fists against the tree trunk and released a shaky scream. My throat tightened as black spots began to engulf my vision. I reluctantly placed my forehead to the tree and grunted. I didn't want to give in to the darkness but the more I endured the pain, the more inviting the dark void seemed. With one final howl I collapsed on the hard ground and fell freely headfirst into the endless abyss of darkness.

~*~*~*~*~

The air was cold, the darkness, thick and heavy, and the ground was reduced to mud from the rain.

I walked slowly, enjoying the tranquility of my own presence and the scenery around me. I was coming home from the fields as I spent most of my days alone, thinking out there. I wasn't the most accepted child.

"Aye! Freak! What makes you think you're allowed to be here?" A young boy with a face dotted in freckles yelled in my direction. Fuelled with fear, I apologised and began to walk backwards but the boy just gave me a malicious smile and cackled loudly.

"Yeah, you disgusting piece of no good dirt! You can't be around us! You're not normal."

I whipped around to bump into a large looking child. "But that doesn't mean we'll let you off the hook." He looked down at me and smirked. "You're lucky Ronald isn't here to see you. He'd have beaten you to a pulp." The large boy inched closer to jab a chubby finger painfully at my chest. "I guess that means we get the pleasure of putting the monster in its place."

"Gregory, Phillip," I acknowledged. "Listen, whatever I did, I apologise, but please there is no need for this to end in violence," I began to reason. "Please just let me go home," I begged, hoping they'd show some mercy.