Assassination Academy (Book 1)

Chapter 10 - {One Who Has Not Stirred}

Ayrton yelped with fright. 

A man.

Not jut any man, Ayrton thought. An old one.

Ayrton examined him from his doorway, which was locked shut. 

Wrinkles were everywhere on his face, and he had a bigger nose than many people he met before. And he meet many people with large noses before. Ayrton couldn't see his eyes, he had a robe with a hoodie-like hat on, and it was the kind of robe Ayrton saw that wizards wore when they cast magic or perform spells.

The robe was a shade of dark blue, and also with many wrinkles, like that old man has been sleeping with his robe on for a long time. 

"H-H-Hello?" He asked the man in a quiet voice.

No response. Ayrton stalked closer, but still kept a small distance. 

"Hello?" He tried again.

Suddenly, the old man's hand shot out and he grabbed Ayrton's arm.

Ayrton yelped at how cold and wrinkling his hand was. It was like touching cold, freezing, wrinkly ice. "What are you doing-" He started.

But he was no longer in his room. He looked around the place he stood in. The man was still there, with his clothes and pose the same way he was a second ago, but he looked....happier, by the way he stood a bit straighter.

The place was dark, with a few swirly shadows that danced below their feet, and Ayrton could hear quiet squawks from birds or other creatures outside the darkness.

"Hello, Ayrton," The man said suddenly. Ayrton jumped and turned to him. "Sorry to frighten you. I couldn't speak to you in your world." 

"M-My world?" Ayrton asked, curious. 

"The human world," The man nodded. "This isn't like your world, I presume you know." He stalked closer to the boy, and Ayrton backed away from him. He sighed. "You humans don't trust people like us, do you?"

"Us?" Ayrton asked.

"There are more of me," The man said like it was obvious. Ayrton looked even more confused, so he added, "Not me, like, more people like me? Yes. That's right." 

"Why am I here?" Ayrton asked, jumping toward the bigger, more important question.

"Ah, yes, I haven't told you that yet," The man smiled. He took off his hat.

Ayrotn gasped as he saw his eyes. Wrinkly eyelids, of course, but his eyes, one was dark blue and the other was yellow. And he was bald, like any other old man would be in his world.

"You shouldn't be surprised," The man noted as he saw Ayrton's expression. "I told you I wasn't like your species." He stalked closer.

Ayrton still backed away, less distance this time, though. With a quivering voice, he said, "You haven't answered my question yet."

"Right." The man said. "I've been asleep for more than three years. I lost track of time long ago."

"Three years?" Ayrton asked. "That must be long. Why does that affect me being here?"

"Let me tell my story," The man said. "It all started when I was a little boy:

"It was a very nice day for me and my friends to go playing, it was fantastic, even. It was sunny, bright, and the breeze wasn't too cold. My friend, Jack and I, went inside the forbidden forests, as a dare from another one of my childhood friends.

"It wasn't good in there, the weather immediately changed into a dark, stormy, and shadowy weather, and Jack was shivering so hard he nearly fell over. The dare was simple, Go inside the forbidden forest until you reach the end, and then come back. Jack said it wasn't safe for me to go on my own, so he came with me-"

"-And you fell asleep?" Ayrton interrupted.

"What? No! Stop interrupting," The man snapped. "Look, OK?

"He came with me, and we ventured into the forest together. It was always a secret, why they were forbidden. It was a mystery. We couldn't tell what time it was, since I didn't bring my pocket watch and it was to dark to make a sundial. Jack suggested we rest, but I said I wanted to get out of here as soon as I could.

"So we ventured deeper into the forest. Then Jack said he heard whispers in the trees. I told him to not lie about creepy voices, but Jack insisted that he heard the whispers. I trembled and looked to my right, and saw a pedestal. Jack said he couldn't see it, but still went with me to explore.

"On the pedestal was a book, and Jack said he heard the whispers again. This time I believed him, and asked where it was coming from. Since he couldn't see the book or the pedestal, he didn't know he was pointing at the book.

"I told him that he was pointing at the book, and Jack screamed. I asked what was scary, and he said he suddenly couldn't feel his feet. We both looked down at Jack's feet and I almost screamed, too. His feet were turning into small sprouts of dark, withered trees, like the ones around us, and the pedestal. I looked down at my feet, but they weren't turning into trees. Jack told me to run for my life, but I told him I wasn't leaving without him.

"I tried to find a sharp rock to cut the sprouts, but when I tried, only green blood spilled from his legs. I didn't know why, but my instinct told me to reach for the book and open it. By the time I opened it, Jack's stomach was already part tree.

"I flipped to a random page, and I read out a poem. The Academy awaits, those to do not toy with fate. The train station true, those who come through. 459 and one third, the answer in one that has not stirred. Find the answer, sleek and true, may you behold, the entire crew. The train station is there, if you are sincere. Await the tide, where you will ride. Jack screamed at me for wasting time and told me to read something useful or run for my life.

"I told him I wasn't leaving again, but by the time I finished I was also couldn't feel my toes. Jack screamed, and I looked at him, but he gestured with the only part of his body that was intact, his head, at my feet, which were turning a marble, stone color. 

"I also screamed for help, and by the time I yelled thirty times Jack was already a tree. I looked around, and I knew I was dead. I threw the book to the ground, and surprisingly, I could feel my legs again as soon as it reached the dirt. But then everything went black. 

"Then I awoke and found I was in your room. I realized that I've been alive, just sleeping for three years." He finished.

"Um, wow, that was kind of creepy," Ayrton commented. "What does that have to do with me?"

"You were the one who woke me up," The man said. "I saw the book on your desk, it was the same one I found on the pedestal that day. I'm the one who has not stirred."

Ayrton sucked in a sharp breath. "You? You know how to go to the train station?"

"In fact, I do," The man nodded. "But first...I have something you need to do for the answer..." He looked at Ayrton, straight into the eyes.

Ayrton let himself yelp slightly at the sight of his eyes for one second, then calmed down, "What do I have to do?"

"What is....my name?" The man asked.