Toxin

CHAPTER 5 - Answers...?

1 am. I was still up, waiting for the creature to come. But it didn't. I blinked, trying to keep my eyes open. The suggestion of sleep was tempting, but I resisted. I was going to be tired anyways. I shuddered, thinking about the previous night. Has it stopped coming? I twisted, placing my feet on the cool, hard ground of my bedroom. The floorboards squeaked, as if they weren't ready to be used yet. I stood up suddenly, my tired legs couldn't hold the weight of me. I stumbled, my knee crashing into the corner of my bedside table. I could clearly see I was bleeding, thanks to the soft light coming from the moon. My blood drenched knee shimmered, complementing the moon's beautiful ray of light. I couldn't feel anything, but my blood was pulsing hard. I ran to the bathroom, still somehow able to use my leg. I grabbed a random old tea towel and wrapped it around my swelling leg. Something hissed as soon and the tea towel collided with my injury. In fact, I could physically feel the hiss. I lifted the blood soaked tea towel off of my leg. A dark mist-like shadow escaped, making me stumble back in surprise. The mist disappeared almost instantly. I looked down at the wound on my knee. My blood sizzled before retracting back into my leg and closing up the wound.

"I'm heading out now. Love you mum!" I called out from the bottom of the staircase. My mum, with a toothbrush in her mouth, made herself visible from the top, waving me goodbye. I smiled and turned around, heading out the front door. I passed my mum's small, old and bright red Volkswagen Golf and headed onto the footpath. I was around 20 metres away from my bus stop when a silver, ford mustang honked at me. I turned, only to find Atlas right up against me. He held onto my shoulders loosely and pulled me into his chest. He dipped his head until his mouth was level with my right ear. "If you want answers, come in my car. If not, I'll let you catch the bus to school." he muttered quietly. He let go of me, stepping back. Then, he suddenly soared into his car again, sitting patiently in the driver's seat. I swear, if I blinked just then, I would've have seen him move at all. I gulped, blinking in surprise. I walked forward, hurrying inside the car before he made up his mind on leaving me here. I closed the door and put on the shiny black seatbelt. Atlas smirked, shifting the lever into drive. "There's no way that you physically bought this car." I started, staring straight ahead and looking out on the road. "Is that a question?" he'd chuckle, grinning his fox-like grin once again. I mumbled, smiling slightly. "Well the answer to that is yes, I definitely didn't buy this car." he shrugged, beaming. "Great, so I'm in a car with a 'criminal'." I joked, rolling my eyes; "Great.". I gulped, turning to look at him. "So... Are you that stupid misty shadow that comes to my room every night?" I'd question, frowning. Atlas sighed, his smile not completely wiped off his face. "Well, that's a difficult question-" he'd start, which I quickly interrupted him; "No, it's not. It's just a simple 'yes' or 'no' question, Atlas." I exclaimed, looking directly at him. He sighed, chuckling softly. "You see... It's actually not as simple as you think it is." he snorted, running a hand through his hair before clutching the steering wheel again. "Try me." I'd spit, looking forward and crossing my arms. He sighed again, looking out his right window. "I came in here to get answers, so spill." I added, pouting. Atlas looked over at me, before replying; "Well, for starters, I have two forms, as you could probably already tell." he'd smirk, looking forward again. "Go on." I insisted. He sighed, continuing. "And that other misty-like form is a completely different person." he grinned, an amused glint shimmering in his sky blue eyes. I stared back, confused. "Wait. So that's technically not you watching me every night?" I'd utter, turning my body. "Well, yes... But also no. I can see you through that form, but I can't control it." He'd respond, shrugging. "But, I can also hear everything you say, and everything 'the mist' thinks and says." he continued, looking over at me. "Am I confusing you already?" he'd sneer, grinning. I blinked, still absorbing this information. I shuddered, sighing and looking over at Atlas. "No, you haven't lost me yet." I replied, smiling. "So does that creature- thing have a name?" I questions, resolving in Atlas grinning. "I'm glad you asked. His name is Vapour." I smirked, chuckling and leaning back in my seat. "Makes sense."

"So why has Vapour, and you, I guess, decided that you want to watch me?" I asked, hearing my confused tone myself. "Well sweetheart, you're special. A little bit different, to the others." Atlas sighed, looking both ways before accelerating. I blinked, crossing my arms. "How am I different to other people?" I queried, furrowing my brows in confusement. Atlas stifled a chuckle, looking over at me. "You're very different to humans, Aaly." he grinned, turning back. "In fact, you're for starters, way, way, way stronger than them." he'd snort, gazing across the road. I blinked, puzzled. "How?" I pressed staring intently at his beautiful face. He gazed over in my direction, catching my eye, then turning to look back out onto the road. He sighed. "My creator first made himself powerful, using the power of the shadows to make himself invincible, and powerful. Whilst also making himself immortal during the process." started the voice. It was different to Atlas's. It was kind of velvety, but also kind of had that childish edge to it. I'm guessing that this was now Vapour talking. "With the power he was given, he decided to spread it, to make a new kind of creature in this 'ever changing world'." Atlas rolled his eyes, pouting. "So, he gave part of his new soul to his human form's wife." he continued, staring off into the distance as we stopped at a red light. "Because his powers had spread, he decided that he needed a name, before he let his original form take control again. He called himself Veninos." Atlas- well, Vapour looked over to me, then back as the lights changed green. "His wife's creature took the name of Poison, and damn she was pretty." he chuckled, gazing off. "Anyways, later on, Veninos and his wife Poison had three human kids. They were triplets." he chuckled, turning the steering wheel over. We were now 5 minutes away from school. "The first of the triplets to be born was Nicholas, who's mist form was named Bane. The next was a little girl named Joan. Her mist's name was Toxicant. And the last child... She never really got a name since she died at birth." Vapour mumbled, glancing out the window. "But her mist was that most powerful of the bunch. Her mist's name was Toxin." Vapour looked over in my direction as soon as he finished his sentence. My body tingled with a sensation I couldn't describe. "And, so the reason why me and Atlas watch you... Is because you're Toxin."