Absolute Zero

Chapter One

"Sometimes, whether in our heads or aloud while alone, we tell ourselves how great we're doing, and how amazing we are... but then we begin to cry because we then tell ourselves that that's not true."

 

1

Mordecaii woke from his half-sleep with a sigh; yet another disappointingly sleepless night. 'Faaantastic.' He thought as he sat up. In doing so, the cuts on his back stretched, causing a painful stinging sensation to course through the area. He hissed rather like a cat, which was something his stepfather hated. One of the reasons why he got those cuts in the first place.

As he began to get ready for school close to three in the morning, something in the back of his mind told him that today was going to be different. Not necessarily in the sense that he would try for it to be different, it would just be without any interaction from him. He couldn't help but frown at the random thought, and mulled over it while he brushed his teeth.

When he had finished getting ready, he picked up his backpack and headed out to the kitchen, going to ridiculous lengths to make sure he made absolutely no sound as he walked. He didn't want anyone to know that he was up, especially his stepfather; he didn't want to play maid/servant to him this morning, or any morning, or ever. With an extremely silent sigh, he- quietly- made breakfast for his family, fed his mom's cat, washed all of the dishes- the dishwasher was too noisy- dried and put away said dishes, ate a small breakfast of bread and an orange, turned off all the lights, and left without a sound.

~

It was difficult to see the school in the distance, since almost none of the teachers or faculty were there at four in the morning, but Mordecaii knew it was there; he'd walked this way enough times to know without looking.

An unfortunate gift of his were his cat-like abilities; walking without making a sound; blending in to his surroundings; the ease in which he can scale a wall, climb a tree, or jump high into the air without getting a running start first; being able to see even on the darkest of nights or in the blackest of places. Those, and his ability to meow, hiss, and purr like a cat, were the things that his stepfather hated. Strange, yes, but true.

Sitting on the barrier that held dirt for the school's flowers, Mordecaii waited for the janitor to show up and unlock the school. He was roughly twenty minutes early, and it was colder than a witch's kiss out there, but he didn't care; it was better than being at home.

Anywhere was better than being at home.

Being so deep in thought, he didn't hear the janitor walk up to the front doors, and let out a squeak of surprise when he finally noticed him sitting there. "Mordecaii!" he breathed, hand over his heart, "You scared me, again."

"Sorry," Mordecaii apologized under his breath as he stood up.

"It's fine. You'd think I'd be used to it by now, as many times as it has happened, but nope! I swear, kid, you're kinda like a ninja..."

The janitor- Michael was his name- continued to ramble on, being his nature, and Mordecaii listened, being his nature, as Michael unlocked the doors for him.

When Michael unlocked the doors, he said "see ya", and then went around the side of the school to the side and back entrances so he could unlock those. Mordecaii entered the school and walked to his first period class. He never went anywhere else, because anywhere else meant bullies, and bullies meant more cuts and bruises and sleepless nights of crying and nightmares- he didn't need any more than he already had.

Once at his class, he was surprised to find that his teacher was already there; at least, on his way to being there. "Ah, Mordecaii, hello. Fancy seeing you here so early. I don't know why I'm so surprised; you're always here before I am."

Mordecaii nodded, not saying a word.

The teacher nodded, as well, but then he frowned. "What's that on your face?"

Reaching up and touching his face, Mordecaii found that it was one of the cuts his stepfather had given him and his eyes widened in shock.

His teacher saw the expression and frowned deeper. "Mordecaii, who gave that to you?"

Mordecaii looked up at him and shook his head, taking a step back. He couldn't speak; he wanted to, to explain, but he was afraid that he would say something he shouldn't. His teacher stepped forward carefully. "Mordecaii, it's alright, you can tell me," Mordecaii was his favorite student, and he wanted to know if he was alright. The expression on Mordecaii's face told him no. As he raised his arm to hold out his hand, he saw Mordecaii cower and flinch, as if to protect himself.

The teacher knew what that meant. "It was you stepfather, wasn't it? He hit you,"

Mordecaii's eyes flitted around the hallway, like he expected to see someone there waiting to hurt him. "It was. Why haven't you told someone: your mother, me, the counselor?"

Again, Mordecaii shook his head, and for the first time since the beginning of the school year, Mr. McAvery, Mordecaii's first period teacher, heard his voice, although it was a whisper: "Please."

So shocked was he that he couldn't react when Mordecaii took off running down the hallway.

That was the last time he would ever see Mordecaii alive.