Tales of Tribulation

1

"Oi, you lanky prat!"

"Can't wait till tomorrow, freak boy,"

"Bloody goth, thinks he's a demon or something,"

Sebastian sighs, overlooking the reflections of a fading sunlight on the river on his way home from school. Trees growing either side of the embankment block out the sun and cloak him in shadows, the imperial building of his school just over the short bridge. A group of kids walk behind him, those in his year too, and one roughly shoved him from behind. He stumbles from the gravel path onto the grass, shoe slipping a little on the aftermath of rain, ruining the sole in wet mud. He frowns, staring up at his assailant. "Leave me alone or you'll be sorry," he growls, standing to his full impressive height, brushing down his uniform.

"Whatever," the boy spits. "Prick,"

Sebastian Michaelis sighs again, choosing to move along with the crowds of other students using his bank as the shortcut to Main Street and diapering to their own houses. However, he doesn't have much motivation to go home. Instead of turning right to return home he double-backs down a dirt path carved into the hillside, watching for obstacles in his way like stones of discarded bottles, picking a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. He's been trying to quit but to no avail.

Earphones blast Monochrome Kiss, his favourite JPop soundtrack and he reaches his favourite spot. The town skate park, adjacent to a small stream flowing into the canal and descended down a hillside from the centre of town, its small and quaint and buried among trees except me vast expanse of open field leading uphill. Small ramps are coated in layered spray paint, mostly words and crude symbols, but some absolute masterpieces lie among them, works of art born from dejection.

Sebastian undoes the straps from his backpack and pulls out his skateboard. He stands on it, gaining balance for a second before propelling himself forward, feeling likes bullet shot from a gun. Alone, in this wide skate park he rides around, eyes narrowed and staring through his hair, crimson iris' flickering as orange sunset fades to a black night sky.

*

Sebastian returns home hours after the moon rose, carrying his skateboard up to the dingy apartment in this run-down council building in an East London slum. He picks out his key and quietly, carefully unlocks the door, stealing inside. The loudest part of his actions was his heartbeat and he can feel it pounding against his chest. Thankfully no light comes on, his father must be too drunk to notice his arrival. He kicks off his red converse by the door and shuffles down to his own bedroom with the BTS door poster featuring the adorable Jungkook. He breathes a heavy sigh of relief when he closes the door.

He would smoke, but his dad will smell it and night notice if he opens a window. Fuck, since he can't smoke he feels his stomach rumble. A menu for a takeaway is tossed carelessly onto his dresser but he doesn't have any money. He hears a small mew and smiles, turning to see his kitten Lockey (like Sherlock) brushing against his leg. "Well hello," he picks Lockey up and places her on his lap, stroking her sleek coat of black fur. She begins to purr. "Were you a good girl today? Of course you were, you're perfect. You are a cat after all,"

Lockey meows again and jumps off his lap. "I know, I'll get you some food tomorrow girl. Dad works until 5 and I'll come home right after school," he promises, and Lockey begins to sniff and scrape at his bedside drawer. He chuckles a little. "What are you doing?"

He opens the drawer and grins widely to himself, pulling out a paper bag of Haribo bears. "Oh, I forgot about these!" He pets Lockey again. "Well done,"

He leans back on his bed, feeling Lockey climb on top of him and curl up on his stomach. He eats the Haribos and on his small TV screen connected to his console, turns on Xbox live.