Eridanus ~ A Collection Of Short Stories

Decayed Roots of the Oak

[Written for "Secrets and Sacrifices" prompt contest by BadassReads  . Word count – 2895 words.

Prompt 3 – A person discovers that their family has been keeping a devastating secret from them for years. As they delve deeper into the truth, they realise that their entire life has been a lie. Will they be able to come to terms with this newfound knowledge and find a way to forge their own path, or will the weight of the past prove too heavy to bear?"]

Punctuality is the politeness of princes, some say. Students on their way to a class they absolutely despise will disagree, citing neither punctuality not politeness as priorities to maintain as they trudge to attend the much hated subject.

However, being late to the one class where your skills surpass that of your classmates, with a passion to match...

Magnus couldn't help but feel awful as he strode down the crowded hallway, his psychology textbooks spilling out of his hands as he maneuvered between the idle students who crowded the corridor, their saunter to the next class less than enthusiastic.

Magnus glanced at his watch.

2.15

He heaved a sigh of relief and allowed himself the liberty of brushing back his raven hair. The jet black shade of his hair was one of the few characteristics that set him apart from his father, underlying his status as an adopted child. That aside, even the neighbours couldn't help but notice how the teenager had assimilated his new father's mannerisms.

"Late to class, Jansson?" A voice taunted from behind. Magnus sighed in exasperation as he turned to face the Larsen twins, who wore their perpetual smirk of derision that they reserved for him.

"Professor Carina's favourite student at that," Lea Larsen droned on in faux amusement as she leaned against the wall opposite the classroom. "That status may just slip away if you're not careful."

"In case you can't tell time, I'm not late," Magnus replied flatly, gripping his books as tightly as he envisioned himself strangling the twins, who had got on his nerves more than once.

Lloyd sauntered upto the classroom door, joining his sister in their traditional mockery of their quiet classmate. Magnus had been the target of sneers and sarcasm for more reasons than his silent nature and goth hairstyle, which was the only way he preferred fashioning his long raven hair.

Sometimes, the vivid details in which he dreamed he could hurt the irksome people around him worried Magnus.

Alright, calm down, Enough with the murderous intentions.

Lloyd chuckled, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "I'd assume that the son of a policeman would learn punctuality." He paused with a look of mock sympathy.

"Of course, adopted children don't learn much from their parents, do they?"

A streak of red flashed across his mind as Magnus dropped his textbooks in an instant. Before he knew it, something in him had snapped and he had lashed out at the Larsen boy, stopping just inches before breaking his nose. Magnus paused, the sound of his own wavering breaths following Lea's contorted shriek and her brother's crash against the wall.

Without another word, Magnus picked up his books with trembling hands and made his way into the psychology classroom. A dozen pairs of eyes followed him, before the Larsen twins scowled at the onlookers and shuffled into the room.

*****

"Psychopathy is considered by many institutions to be a psychological disorder," Professor Carina stated, turning a page in the book on her desk.