The Ancient Guardians

The Ancient Guardians (Wind, Chap. 1)

THE ANCIENT GUARDIAN OF WIND

Chapter 1

Time, in itself, is relative, not only in space-time, but also in perspective. Depending on situations, time can seem slower or faster to the mind. Of course, in school it’s always slower. 15 minutes. Only 15 minutes since chemistry class started. The teacher could be such a bore at times. I don’t hold any grudge on Mrs. Dimshir, I mean she IS trying her best to make it fun, but chemistry just isn’t fun. Her full name is Mrs. Gloretta Dimshir. She has brown eyes, brown hair, an aged face and a short stature. I think she’s in her forties, and she’s also kind of chubby. She was saying something about reactions, I wasn’t really paying attention. I could always read the book later and catch up, since I didn’t have much to do at my house anyway. Right now I’m just doodling in the margins beside my notes.

            “Mr Colia! What the hell do you think you are doing?”

            I jumped a little as Mrs Dimshir screamed. Fortunately, it was directed at another student.

            “I'm listening to you Mrs Dimsighted.” He told the teacher. The class laughed at his cruddy remark.

            “It's Dimshir! If you call me that one more time the principle will have you in his tender care. And you are NOT listening to me either; you're drawing in your notebook.”

            I subtly put my pencil down and flipped the page of my notebook. The student who was being screamed at was Alexander Colia. Luckily for me, the teachers keep their eyes on him more than anyone else, since he does this in practically every class. He thinks he’s better than everyone and teases the teachers when they confront him.

            “Well there's that too...but you can't say I haven't been listening.” He said.

            The two guys beside me started whispering. “Here we go again...”

            “Just like with all the others.”

            Mrs. Dimshir hadn’t yet been a victim of his teasing, so she had no idea what she was going into. “Oh really? What have I been saying then about reactions then?”

            “A reaction has to be balanced on both sides of the equation. A reaction can also create or consume heat in its process. And most important, a reaction can always go the other way around, which is called a reverse reaction.”

            It’s hard to deny that he’s good. Whatever he does at the same time a teacher speaks, he never fails to miss one word they say. Unlike me who hadn’t heard most of that part.

          The teacher was obviously speechless, since she had expected otherwise. “That's...right. I was wrong, I guess.”

            She went back to teaching her class and Alexander started drawing again. I hate how he takes advantage of teachers like that. He’s just showing off. I glared at him and he turned his head, looking at me and smiling. What’s worse is that the class actually likes what he does. It’s hard to believe he’s so popular at school. He’s been given the nickname ‘AC’ and he’s the captain of almost every sports team in school. He has blue eyes, short blonde hair, a strong body with long legs and he measures 5’10’’, which is just over me. Oh yeah, my name is William Midstone. I’m 16 years old, in 11th grade. I have brown eyes, brown hair, slim arms, long legs, a small body and I measure 5’9’’, which is perfect for running. I’m the record-holder in the school’s marathon and I’m not part of the athletics team, but they ask me to represent them in running competitions. I really like running because I love the sensation of the wind when I run; defying it, cutting through, running along with it. I especially didn’t want to join the athletics team since Alexander became its captain last year. Something had to be done about that guy; I’m going to have to talk with him face to face. The last times I had talked to him it hadn’t ended well, but this time I was confident. I went over to him when the class ended. “You must really think you're funny now, right? Oh, look at me, I can do two things at once and humiliate teachers, big deal!”

            He looked at me with those arrogant eyes. “Do I smell a bit of jealousy from your tone? I think so indeed.”

            How dared he? I was just pointing out what he did, not jealous. “Why should I be jealous of you? You're just a big show off and you know it as well as I do!” I said that a little louder than I wanted.

            He gave me an amused smile. “Calm down now, no need to pop a nerve here, I was just having a bit of fun. Come on, you have to admit it was funny.”

            “That's not the point! You're just showing off your talents so you look good in front of everyone!” I told him.

            “It's called raw intelligence, short stuff. And if you can't stand my being better than you then I suggest you run back home since you like running so much.”

“Fine I will then! And I won't come back either!” With that I left through the observing crowd. Why did I say that? I’d have to come back at some point. Maybe he won’t think it’s just a bluff. I could definitely miss a day of school to make him scared. I’ll have to work this out later. Guess I have to go home now...the last place I want to be. My parents never wanted me. The only reason they send me to school is because they want me to get a high-paying job and give them some money, unfortunately they’re not the patient types. My mom and my dad are not only lovers but they’re also companions in drinking. They have a lot in common, including being violent drunks. When I was little I was so beat up I constantly had thoughts of suicide. When they got too violent, I’d get out of the house and just run, run and run until my legs gave out. When I started middle school, the physical education teachers noticed I had a talent for running long distances. Ever since then, my suicide solution was no more: as long as I could run, I wouldn’t stop living. I arrived at my miserable small house, dreading opening the door like every other time. I opened it and took a step. As soon as I was in I was drenched by the smell of cigarettes and alcohol. My mom was sitting on the couch of the living room without a shirt or a bra, smoking and watching TV. Our kitchen was behind the living room, and the dinner table on the left of it, right in the corner, with only two bedrooms to complete the set, both beside the kitchen. The bathroom was on the other side of the wall, basically, a house to fit its owners.

My mother noticed me coming in. “Oh, YOU’RE here. What’d you learn in school today?”

            “Not much. Some geography and chemistry, stuff like that.” I answered as I took off my shoes and closed the door.

            She looked uninterested; she kept her attention on the TV. “How’s that helping you to be a doctor or a lawyer or whatever pays off these days?”

            “Let it go, mom.” I said. I took my bag and went towards my bedroom. “And put a shirt on.”

            “You should be grateful that I let you feed on these.” She told me as I got to my room and closed the door.

            I sat down on my bed and took out my chemistry book. I flipped the page to the reactions section. I hated this room. I’d rather sleep outside than in here. The smell in it infects my nostrils more than anything. Anyone coming in here would wonder what it is. My parents indirectly told me what it was when I had asked. Before I was born, this used to be their ‘Sex room’. I tried to concentrate my mind more towards the book than the smell. I heard the front door open, probably my father coming home from work. My mom didn’t work and he worked in construction. I heard their slightly muffled voices.

            “What a nice sight to come back to.” That was my dad, his awkward talking suggesting he was drunk already.

“Welcome back, hun. Oh, beer, give me some of that.”

And I thought she had already drunk her fill today. I put my book back in my bag. I couldn’t concentrate like this. I guess I’ll tell them I don’t feel good tomorrow to miss school. I lied down on my back. I didn’t want to be a lawyer or a doctor. I just wanted to do what I loved, like running or reading. Unfortunately the only books I could read were ones from the school library or my textbooks. I just wanted to feel the wind...

            When I slept this night, I dreamt of flying.