The Starved

Chapter 1: Tootsie-Roll

"To what degree?" the teacher, Mr. Yun asked, whispering.

"Bad, the kid was nearly dead when they got to him." the other teacher, Mr. Bane responded quietly.

"Jesus. I mean I've heard of school fights but... Really that bad?"

"Yeah, I was just as surprised as you." Mr. Bane responded, clearly still upset. "As the paramedics pulled the kid to the ambulance he kept screaming 'stay away'. At least that's what I heard."

"Damn. And that's the kid who did all this?" Mr. Yun gestured to the kid who sat motionless, staring deeply at a picture on the wall of the principal of the school. His eyes were cold and empty.

"That's what everybody is saying. No one really saw it happen. When they found the kid laying there, this kid," he referred to the same kid sitting in the chair, waiting for the counselor, "was just standing by him. Staring. He didn't say anything as they hauled the kid off. Just stared."

"Demented, that's what that is." Yun stated, clearly showing his disgust. "So, what's he doing here for the counselor? Shouldn't he just go straight to juvy? All the evidence points to him."

"That's what I thought. But the officer said he wanted to get the point of view from the kid. All the angles, I guess," Bane explained then seeing the confusion on Yun's face said, "Hey, I don't get it either. I say just lock him up."

"Yeah, eight years old or not. That kid needs to get gone. I don't need him near my kids."

"Yeah." Mr. Bane spoke louder than a whisper. The kid sitting in the chair looked up at the two teachers and stared. A cold, dark chill formed in the air like a dark whisper ushering them out. Pushing the two to leave. Bane glanced at Yun, there was a fear in his eyes. The crimson stain on the boy's shirt only made his eyes more devilish.

"I'll leave you to it. Have fun sitting through that train wreck of a counselor session." Yun encouraged nervously, and aptly left. Leaving Bane and the kid alone in the small hallway. Bane had nearly forgot about why he was there. To supervise the counselor's session and 'make sure nothing funny happened' the officer said.

The kid still was staring at Bane, making him incredibly nervous. He's just a kid. He told himself. A nervous laugh picked up in Bane's mind. Just a kid with blood stains on his shirt. Something was quite off about him. Something detached. Bane stood, silent. To his appeal the kid switched his gaze back to the principal's picture.

Just a few moments passed before the door next to the eight-year-old opened revealing a pretty brunette wearing a surprisingly professional suit, Miss Lunar. She kneeled next to the kid's chair. "Hey," her voice was calm and soothing, "Lewis." The boy, Lewis turned his head toward her. Even with his dead stare she stayed calm, baffling Bane. "Why don't we go ahead into my office?" she was careful not to say anything to set him off. Must've read the file. Bane thought. Lewis sat, unmoving. "Here, how about you come sit down in my office, and you can explain what happened. And for every question you answer I, Abby Lunar, will give you any one candy I have in my little jar over there." She suggested, pointing to the jar on her desk inside the office.

Lewis stood and walked past Abby and into her office. Still completely silent. He sat down in a chair much larger than him that was close to the jar of candies. Abby stood and motioned for Bane to join them in the office. He did so, still slightly uneasy. Bane took his place in the back-left corner of the room while the desk was to the right. Abby closed the door and went to her desk, she sat down and grabbed a folder. She glanced to Bane then towards Lewis. "Mr. Bane will be joining us for our talk, are you okay with that?" Lewis stared at the jar of candies, unresponsive. "Here," she grabbed one of the candies and set it in front of Lewis, "for you joining me in my office."