CHAPTER FOUR: IS SUCH?

Dribble, dribble…….

‘Fuck!’ I thought failing miserably in scoring. I had been in the gym the whole day. Well not the whole day but I kind of was. I gave up, sat down on the bleachers with my hands on my head I huffed frustrated.

‘I swear I heard someone say they wanted her, and that she’s the one but who. I don’t get it how and who because there were no words being exchanged, in fact it seemed the noise died down. Anyways, it cannot be her right. I mean that lady right there can’t be more than twenty five years old. She looks young and clearly not Miss Johnson from my kindergarten. It’s a shame I never knew her name, I’m sure that’s her little sister, but why would her family be everywhere I go? This is confusing!’

I huffed and laid my head on the bleachers behind me looking at the roof still conflicted.

‘I mean why did I leave class? That was not her, I’m sure! It can’t be her. I mean her eyes were crescent black not seas blue.’

‘I need some release, maybe it’s the stress from home, all those memories we shared with Miss Johnson. I guess I’m just being hunted by her still’

“Hello”

“Max”

“Can we meet?”

“I’m at my office, come around if you can”

“Is the backdoor opened?”

“Why are you asking me about the backdoor?”

“Is it?”

“Yes!”

“Hi”

“Well that was fast”

“Why are you here?”

“I think I’m losing my mind, can we not talk. I just wanna lie in here for a bit”

“Do you need music or burning essence?”

“Burning essence please”

“Tough huh!”

“You have no idea”

“You never told me you whole story”

“You don’t wanna know my crazy, and besides you know what you needed to know”

“You know…..”

“Less talking, more burning”

UNKOWN P.O.V

“We are back here again, why?”

“You see what I have to see, although I do not want to experience this again”

“But I don’t get it”

“Then tell Max you have been in her mind”

“You know I can’t”

“And you never told me why?”

Ignoring the person in front of me I followed Max.

"You're back" he said mischievously to Max.

‘This is new, Max what are you hiding?’

"How was school?" the man on the entrance heartily spoke in intonation, such a disgrace of a man.

She overlooked him with so much malice, I am certain it impelled her of how her father would ask her of her day at school.

‘I envy the relationship they shared. I just wish it had lasted. I mean I don’t think Max would be this mess’

"Hey I’m speaking to you" he bellowed as he stood up following her.

‘I wish I could halt him; but I am not to intervene, I was well-ordered not to’

She overlooked him and treaded faster but not fast enough, he got into her room pushing her with the door as she dashed and sat down in defensively on her crib. He came in and sat down with her when he saw her sitting on her crib crying. He looked at her with no emotion.

"Hey...hey hush now child I'm here for you" he ironically alleged acting like he was concerned as he moved to embrace her but not before she moved away from him.

Max was young but you could tell she wasn’t foolish.

‘I do not wish to see such’ I closed my eyes and watched up at the roof but only to hark back to words I did not want to remember.

FOUR YEARS SEVEN MONTHS AGO

“If he has a child, he will be our undoing, you need to find him, and bring them forth to me. No! Slay the father he is of no use to me, and bring the child. Learn everything you must of him, gain his faith and bring him to me. We can use him for what is to come, he can be our sacrifice.”

“What is so significant of him that all that lives, and does not rest on his death?”

“Find him. The oracles have presented a face of him” he ordered ignoring me, and giving me memories of a boy in what looked like a place for happy gatherings resting unaided.

“He will present himself there nightfall of tomorrow” he commanded beckoning I leave.

‘But he said he, this is a girl. Why did I find a girl?’ I remember questioning myself when I got to the park.

One year ago

“Brother, only a girl has presented herself to me the day you sent me. I thought it wise to follow her but I am yet to see a sign of Luca nor the son. Although I believe she is family with them” I sent a message. I was scared of the reply, and the fact that I had outstayed with the humans.

I wanted so bad to get out of this business. Run away and never look back but I knew what was to come if I did. He practically controlled us all now.

“Seek her, gain her trust and find who I seek. If you need assistance you know who to bring forth in your journey. I have heard so much about this humans. They die with stories untold for one another. You need to tread carefully. The kingdom depends on your success” he hissed.

PRESENT DAY

‘Why haven’t I seen Luca’s son in her memories. I mean I have seen them all but not a son. Not unless Lucca has a hidden son. I need to see this through. I cannot disappoint my brother again or he will kill me’

I turned my eyes back at them.

"You're not my father" she spat crying softly but the man named Michael started to turn red with anger.

He had anger issues, so far what I have learned that about him in her memories, if you did not do as he pleased he would spur-in-the-moment, he was like a prodded hungry lion.

"Here I was thinking me and you will be good friends" he said as he stood up grabbing her harshly by her hand.

I shook my head wanting to escape but if I wanted the whole truth, I needed to stay.

‘I wish he could drown and die, or get hit by a car’ I hated the Michael fellow already. He wasn’t a father figure nor was he kind to the child.

"Kids like you need discipline" he muttered with venom as he took out his belt.

The girl shrieked at his grip, trying to pull away but it was no use. Michael left her hand and thrashed her room angrily giving her a death glares demanding she obeyed.

‘This I cannot watch’. I thought leaving the room.

"I have been nice to you all this while and now you just made me angry" he continued, I could hear him screaming with anger like he owned the house.

I made my way down the staircases and to the hallways. It was dark but I could see through it. I had never been in her house. All her memories were in her gym or at school, never in her house.

‘I guess I understand why she kept away from it, she didn’t want to relive the moments of torment’

"You peace of crap...." Michael muttered with rage out of breath.

‘The child must be giving him grief!’

Choosing to block them I started looking at the omitted pictures on the walls. There had been pictures of Lucca and his whole family but they were removed. Well it didn’t matter to me, I could see pervious imprints.

"Please Michael I am sorry" Max’s cries continued upstairs. I could hear faint cries muffled, she was in pain.

‘You need to do something’ I thought to myself.

‘But I can’t, my brother will kill me if I intervene and that will change the course of history. I wish I could’ I thought to no one but myself.

‘Her pain is becoming unbearable, I mean I had been doing this for so long I feel bad for what’s to come for her. It’s a shame! She had a promising future, and not to mention she was beautiful and humble. If it was another time and situation I would marry her, I mean I don’t like woman like that but she just had that aura about her, that manly side you would wish a man could possess. Worse now that she is old, it’s like a second nature to her’.

Her muffled cries went on until she wasn’t crying anymore. I went up the stairs to see more but what lied before me was impaling and heartbreaking.

She looked so tired and hurting I could tell she couldn't see clearly, she tried raising her head, I swear I got scared there for a minute thinking she saw me but her eyes just shone with tears and blood. The man Michael was still around, still provoking her. She tried pushing him off but he took that as an advantage to continue his malicious ways.

‘Sorry brother but I’m going to kill him before I leave, rather slow and painful. How I wish Max could see him suffer; but in any case I am doing this for the other girls he will do this to. He is just a disgrace of a man, he does not deserve to live. God, some people I do not know why you allow them to exist. I mean look at him!’

"Oh you still have power left in you!" Michael muttered hitting her on the face with a fist. I almost lost it. I mean that girl was practically dead in a way. What fun is there to continue such, or begin it at all?

‘Talk about pedophile psychopaths’

Max lost consciousness, it was too much for her I guess.

I was sobbing inside. Dying a bit myself. I wished my brother could experience this to see her worth.

I sat down looking at her. She looked so fragile yet strong. There was this aura about her I could not place.

The problem is I have never touched her before to know what she is or what she possess. I mean she is her father’s daughter after all so she is bound to have an effect or some kind of importance in her. I moved closer to her, careressed the air around her.

“Woah” I got shocked by a big ball of light.

“Agh!” it lingered on me. It was a rush I couldn’t place, all I know was that it got me jittery and wobbly inside like I was burning internally.

“What are you?” I studied her asleep face. I wanted to touch the air around her, just a feel again but I was scared I might startle and wake her.

Choosing to let that go, I went and sat down on the corner of her bed and watched as she slept like a beat up kitten, all so fragile.

“I need to make an excuse to touch her when she wakes, there is clearly something there” I thought as I drifted off.

‘Yes I slept!’

Morning came, I was still in her memories.

‘Well this one is longer than the normal’

"Maxine food!" her mother shrieked. I presume she was back and up early in the morning. I moved downstairs to watch as she worked. She was so fake a normal person would miss it. She looked like an empty vessel, a memory of some sort.

"Maxine...lets go!" Michael shouted in the sitting room demandingly.

‘Poor little girl, hadn’t he had enough with her’

I turned my eyes back to her mother to see the most heartbreaking face I have ever seen. She looked like she knew what was happening, but chose to ignore it. Her whole aura screamed she felt like she deserved it, they both deserved it.

‘Seriously, she’s just a child, what more can she deserve but love. Such an excuse of a parent!’

"I'm here!" Max answered out of breath looking like she feared the worst.

I looked at her and she looked way better than yesterday. Actually her body looked like it was healing itself.

‘She is special, like her father. Do I tell brother about this? I mean it will be better than killing her. He will just make her a slave in the compound. But at least she will live. Yes I need to alert him, and that will save her.’

"You two are getting along very well. I should leave you both more often" her mother chimed smiling at Michael and not acknowledging her. Her smile was so empty Michael just smiled back maliciously enjoying owning them both.

‘I’m going to enjoy killing him’ I thought dreamingly.

‘I am no killer, but him, if I spared him what good would that bring?’

"She is obedient now" Michael stated like he was talking to an animal and continued kissing Max’s mother.

‘Such a sad fake family’

He on the other hand was holding Max’s hand a little too hard ready to drag her out of the house, trying to hide his malicious doings. Max looked like she wanted to cry but composed herself and left with Michael. I followed suit as they got out of the house to the car. The ride was silent. Max kept tapping her knees like she was ready to jump out of the car and run away, and Michael just kept glaring daggers at her like he wanted to strangle and kill her.

‘I swear there is something wrong with this man’s mind. Something shifted I’m sure’

They reached her school, but before Max could leave he stopped her and muttered venomously into her ear.

"If you tell anyone what happened I will leave your mother and kill you, no one will ever find or look for your body. Your mother will be so miserable she will hate you even in your dead state!" he warned harshly brushing the strands of her hair deceitfully.

Max cringed a bit at his sudden closeness as she nodded nervously and got out of the car a bit hasty the moment he freed her. I followed her, I mean I would have loved to stay around and torture this man but I could not, I needed to enter his memories, and besides this was about Max and not him.

"Miss Johnson is gone" I heard one of her classmates as Max walked pass them.

The moment those words hit her she looked like she wanted to cry so badly. It was like the last peace that made her whole, well not really whole, was gone. Her fire left her, her aura got dim. She looked like she just lost a life. Her eyes looked pale and lifeless.

‘Who is this Miss Johnson? Maybe some teacher she was fond off, but the way her aura dimmed, it’s like she just lost a peace of her soul. She may be young but I guess this Miss Johnson was a big part of her life. Maybe she knows everything, maybe she was family. I need to find her too. Max what is your life all about? Something is amiss.’

Maya’s P.O.V

‘What just happened?’

My day went by hazy as I continued teaching. Although I would glance at the door from time to time waiting.

‘Maybe he will come back’ I assured myself.

I don’t know why I cared but I just wanted him back. Before I knew it class was over. I was so relieved but still trouble about the student that did not return.

‘You know what, I need to act like I don’t care. Like it was a normal day and a student just felt like he didn’t want to learn. I need to report him to the principal’

“Goodbye Miss Johnson” some student lady crew sang in unison. And yeah there was Macie with them, all hulled up around her like a magnet.

“Goodbye kids, and enjoy your day. Stay safe” I smiled back at them.

“Yes mam” Macie saluted me like a soldier. I just laughed at her as I beckoned she leave. Closing the door behind me I made my way to the principal.

‘I’m sorry pal, but I have to report you’ I thought as I made my way to the office. As I passed the secretary she gave me a weird look.

“If you are going there I might warn you, she is not the principal you met in the morning”

“What do you mean, what happened to Principal Park?” I asked suddenly confused.

‘I’m sure you’re wondering why I was, well for starters principals don’t just leave the school without notifying the stuff and the students. Secondly, it’s the beginning of the year, she can’t just leave at the beginning of the year, not unless...’

“Is she sick, did something happen to her?” she was a lovely woman, and she welcomed me nicely.

“Apparently she just started screaming weird things then she attacked the janitor. So paramedics came and dimmed her unfit to lead. I had to call the owner of the school and alert them, luckily enough there was a by standing principal so they sent her. She’s fierce though, and hot” Miranda stopped herself before she rambled any further.

“Oh that poor lady, I guess it was too much for her, she was kind of grown up for the job, if you know what I mean”

“Yeahhhh! Although what’s weird is that there is no generational psychosis in her family. I guess it started with her”

“Well that’s strange. Anyways I should let the new principal be then.”

“Wasn’t it urgent?”

“Oh no, it wasn’t. I’ll deal with it myself” I left Miranda but not before I knocked down a human body behind me as I turned.

“Principal, are you Ok?” Miranda jumped in.

‘Maybe we found her a little too hot Miranda’ I thought as I turned around Miranda bursting out with too much worry.

I looked up and my eyes suddenly started hurting. I was just there staring, dazzled at this goddess. She was beautiful, Miranda wasn’t lying about that, quite too beautiful it hurt. Her beauty was weird and unbelievable.

I don’t know if you know what I mean. I mean she had the freckles, the dimples, the ice blue eyes, luscious lips and curves in all the right places with her baby soft skin and her eyes shone with too much ice blue. It’s was like I’m being drown into the center of the beach. It was scary and luring. I needed to look away or maybe I just envied her.

‘How can one be so pretty?’

“Well it just happens” she smiled studying me closely in a creepy manner.

“Oh my I’m sorry I didn’t mean to say that out lout” I shied away embarrassed I got caught staring and analyzing.

“It’s alright” she laughed the most intoxicating laugh, I just felt so belittled.

“My name is Maya, I teach….”

“History and English, I already know” she finished flashing me a million dollar smile shaking my hand.

“Maya this is our new principal Miss James and…”

Miranda was about to trail of but the principal cut her to it.

“Call me Belinda” she released my hand. Her hands were warm and welcoming. She looked at me deeply in the eyes like she was fazed by something.

“Do I have something on my face?” I asked feeling a little insecure.

“No, no just that…mmmmhhhhhhh, never mind. How are the classes I heard it is your first time teaching older students” she continued to pry.

“Yeah! I was teaching at….” I don’t know why but I felt I could trust her. I wanted to tell her everything about myself. Well that was after we were interrupted by Miranda who wanted so badly to be in the conversation.

‘Oh shucks, she likes her’

I backed up a bit from the principal, she had gotten awfully close to my space. It was kind of exhilarating. Although the moment I backed up, I felt this relief, like I had been tied a knot around my waste I couldn’t breathe. Suddenly I just felt free and it confused me.

‘I was about to tell this woman everything, I mean everything. What is wrong with me?’

“Mam there is someone here to see you” that was my cue to leave.

“Aright! We will finish this conversation some other time, tomorrow lunch?” she asked hopefully.

‘Am I being coated by a woman? In fact what’s happening today, first it was Miranda, now the principal. This is weird. I’m straight people’

And of course I couldn’t say it out loud. Imagine if she wasn’t asking me out. I mean I could tell that lunch was definitely more than colleague lunch but I just chose to play dump to avoid the situation. I couldn’t say no to my new principal, or I might get on her bad side and get a bad record, after all this years of excellent reputation.

‘No thank you. And besides acting oblivious helps sometimes’

“Yes” I agreed nervously hating the idea already.

I don’t know why but from afar that woman gets less and less beautiful.

“Tomorrow then?” she inquired flashing a smile.

“Tomorrow” I awkwardly smiled back giving her a nod.

“She’s all yours” I flashed Miranda a smile as I left. She looked confused but smiled back.

Max’s P.O.V

“Hi! Where is Seth? I just woke up in her office and she wasn’t there”

“Who’s Seth?”

“Ummm haha she’s your boss, duh!” I laughed nervously. I mean I didn’t understand why the secretary was acting oblivious of her boss.

“My boss is Mr. Young and he is out today, he has been for months now”

‘What?’

“What, what do you mean your boss is Mr. Young?” I asked.

‘Is she pranking me or something?’

“I said my boss is Mr. Young and…..”

“Yeah I heard you the first time but since when?” I dismissed her reply, she wasn’t making any sense.

“Since the company started” she scontinued in monotone.

“Listen if you are pranking me, this isn’t the right now. Now where is Seth?” I was suddenly agitated, she was getting on my nerves.

“Wait! How did you get into his office?” she asked making me roll my eye.

‘Agh, she’s not helping. I need to talk to her. Wait! There is Sabastian, his assistant. Good!’

“Hey Bas, you know where Seth went?” I asked removing him from his friends.

“I’m sorry who are you?”

‘Woah! What the fuck?’

“It’s me Max, your cherry, you always call me cherry on top?” I studied his face in a questionable manner seriously hating their pranks.

“I’m sorry I don’t know you.” he dismissed me laughing weirdly, ignoring my presence.

‘What’s happening to this people? Am I the only one who knows Seth? This must be a joke. Yeah it is!’

“Hey” I called out to him again but everyone was looking at me weirdly.

‘Mind your business chaffs’

“Like I said I don’t know any Seth” he was shooing me. He was trying to get Damien’s attention.

“Ok! I have proof that your boss is Seth. Just Google Seth holdings” I asked hopeful, but I saw he wasn’t interested so I decided to do it on my phone.

“Dude, seriously. Our boss” he motioned with his hand pointing at everyone around “is Mr. Young” he finished.

“Look” I took out my phone to search waiting for it to finish.

“No search found!” I read the obvious. I stood there shocked at what was happening.

“Now you have your answer, go!” he was shooing me away again and it was humiliating.

‘I swear this is Seth holdings, Seth where are you’ I turned looking around.

“Ok I will prove to you I know everything about your boss” I assured him ready to justify my annoying presence to him. I beckoned he followed me.

“There’s an entrance coming from underground coming to this office” I pointed on a door as we entered Seth’s office, or should I say Mr. Young now.

“We are not supposed to be in here” he whined.

“You are not supposed to be in there” the secretary whined too.

“I’m calling security”

“Security, security. We have an unwanted guest on the third floor on Mr. Young’s floor can you take her out” she ordered and dropped the phone. I was getting really agitated and confused.

“Yeah we all know about that but it is linked to the whole building so it’s no surprise you know it, I used to play there as I was a kid, now can we get out of here before I get into trouble” he dismissed, whiles he left me there to fend for myself.

Choosing to ignore his act I decided to help him.

“Umm, Seth! Damien already likes you but he won’t ask if you don’t. Just ask him to a wine tasting he likes those kinds of things” I made my way to the underground leaving him confused. I didn’t know where I was going but I just took the chance. And besides I did not want to get arrested, just in case they went far with the prank.

‘In as much as I don’t believe their bull. Seth set me up I’m sure. She must really enjoy this prank right now wherever she is. Ok! Maybe Seth took the tunnels. Let me just follow them and see. I’m coming for you Seth. I’m not losing in this game of yours!’

“Whatttt amm I doing here?” I asked no one but myself. I was standing in the far end of a park. Troubled I turned around and saw a tunnel.

‘What is this? Maybe I was here to see this black hole. Well that’s a really black hole. I mean who would be crazy enough to go in there? That are some scary tunnel.’ laughing I shook my head and left.

I didn’t know how or when I got there but I wasn’t waiting to find out. What if some monster came out of that black hole and kidnapped me.

‘Ha ha ha. Mannn this is crazy! Luckily I didn’t go in. I must have been thinking too hard to even realize where I was going’

“Max” and old man who sold hot dogs I had grown to like shouted at me, surprising me. He was pushing his hot dog trailer.

“Back from Seth I presume” he winked and smiled at me.

“Who’s S…..”

‘Honk’

“Hot dog please” some lady from a blue Mercedes honked at Mr. Philips.

“See you around kid” he waved pushing his trailer.

“Bye…..Back from Seth, what did he mean by that? Who is Seth?.....Wait! Maybe, what is Seth? Mmhh, I don’t know anyone called Seth….but why does that name sound so familiar?”