Positive

Chapter 2

Swinging his rucksack onto his bony back, he checked that the coast was clear, then started his way stealthily down the quiet corridors. Just a corner to turn, he encouraged himself, straining every wasted effort to not think about the consequences of being seen by other classmates before the teacher arrives.

He was approaching closer, closer, closer to the corner. He was actually going to succeed this time! After all those months, he was finally going to --

'Oh look, it's the "Needle-man" again!!' someone from behind him shrieked.

'WHAT?!' booms the familiar voice of Tom Lentus, the person Ien hated and vice versa. Lentus's voice was the last thing Ien could bear right just now.

'WHAT,' Lentus roars, 'DID I SAY, ABOUT YOU COMING BACK TO THIS EFFING SCHOOL?'

'To never come back,' Ien whispers back.

Tom Lentus was huge, and by huge, I mean as large as a giant, if Ien does say so himself. He was taller than any other student. He had a rather small head, with the tiniest, black, button-sized eyes, a fat nose, and a thin-lined brown mouth. Lentus had no neck, broad shoulders, pumped-up chest, a wide waist, and two fat thighs. Occasionally, Ien swore that he saw a black spark come out from his index finger every time he picks on a lad.

Lentus grabbed Ien by the neck, dragged Ien towards him, and pulled Ien up so their eyes meet on the same level. Ien gulped once, twice.

'Oh,' Lentus said breathily, in a queer, wrong, gentle voice, 'but you didn't listen did you?'

Ien was certain that he had smelt garlic in Lentus's breath. He cringed at the smell, then, mustering all the courage he could find, looked away and glanced at his left shoulder. There it was, the black sparks, only this time it never stopped.

'DID YOU? LOOK AT ME, AND ANSWER!' Lentus shouts, letting Ien go and throwing him onto the cold, hard ground. The sparks from Lentus's index finger began to multiply. It gradually turned into black smoke, creating something that looked like a thunder cloud.

Ien gathered all the strength he had left, and pushed himself off the floor. He touched a point on his right arm, halfway between his elbow and his shoulder, and felt pain. He looked at it, and saw a small, purple bruise. Suddenly, he felt warm. The warmth then turned into boiling hotness. His right arm felt like it was burning, and he found out that he was angry. His hands clenched, but some unknown force had pulled his right index finger out of the fist. He could no longer control his extreme anger. Then, without even knowing on Ien's part, he lifted his right arm and pointed it at Tom Lentus. Red sparks were coming out of his finger.

'Arma!' Ien shouted. What it meant, he didn't know. All he saw, and along with everyone else, was the big bully Tom Lentus flying backwards towards the big wall at the end of he corridor by the 'Needle-man'.