5 The Wrath Of Delran

"This is not fair! This is so not fair!"

Mom rang me up while I was driving and started whining about how I made arrangements to get all the birds she collected out of the house. I was well aware that I was violating traffic rules by talking on the phone while driving but Elwyn here, is terrified of my mom, so he didn't want to speak to her while she was in a sensitive condition. I could even hear her sniffling over the phone.

"What's not fair is the fact that you don't have a biodiversity conservation license granted to you and you still kept them, which is illegal. You could've been sent to jail, mom."

"They need me, Blaine!"

"They need an environment that matches their habitat, not confinement and cages. They will sooner or later suffocate, mom. Try and understand things from their view. Birds can't adapt to such... closed conditions. Besides, just because you've always wanted to raise birds doesn't mean you can actually ship a Crimson Rosella all the way from Norfolk Island! What were you thinking?!"

She thought I hadn't seen. She should have known better. I heard her gasp.

"How did you know?"

"The authorities who came over to take them were surprised to find that bird at our house so they informed me. Now, let them free mom. It's for the best. They'll be taken to a better, 'licensed' aviary."

"But-"

"Please."

"Okay then...if it helps them."

Bingo.

"You're a great mom. Now please let them do their work. You don't even have to pay them."

"Alright. Try and come home soon."

"I will."

Elwyn was staring at me real hard. It was the I'm-judging-you-real-hard glare.

"You got something to say?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Nope, nothing at all. Oh wait, I do. We're here. Pull over."

We had reached the beginning of the forest and as we looked upon the thickly colossal trees, memories began reeling in my mind at a fast pace. I was never a believer in anything beyond human understanding but this I knew for sure: this forest has many stories, secrets to be precise. Some of them hidden away in the depths of Mother Nature's womb beyond what's visible to the naked eye. People have died in this forest and some of their bodies could never be found, but somehow, I only found peace in the stillness of this greenery. Apart from that, this forest hides some of my secrets too. Secrets that even Elwyn could never know or get it out of me even if he used his abilities. It felt like we had gotten deeper inside the woods as I felt the temperature drop and the surroundings started to fog up a little with snowfall, but Elwyn kept walking like he knew where he was going. Ah, right...his psychic abilities are really helpful in situations like these.

"The plantation was supposed to be somewhere here...welp, I guess we're lost now."

Is it normal to be mad at your best friend so much that you want to just smash his head to the nearest solid you can find? I don't know if that's normal but I was surely beginning to have murderous intentions for Elwyn because of his uncontrollable mindlessness.

"How about I just snap your neck and leave your body here for the beasts of the forest? That should probably buy me enough time to escape this wretched place while they'll be feasting on what little flesh is left on your gangly body."

"Again with the threats, Blaine? Not gonna scare me. And for your information, there are no predatory animals here."

"....yeah. You're right. But don't you think it's weird? The whole town is like hell's oven and here we are, in the fog of the forest nearby. I know today is Christmas and all, but everything about this place feels too ominous to me."

"I know what you mean. I understand, but we have no choice or all of us will freeze like non-tasty popsicles if we don't gather firewood as soon as we can. Look man, I'm sorry we're lost. I really am, but it's harder to see things in all this murk, and stop thinking about how this town is usually for the rest of the year because that is not the situation now. It's getting cold. Just give me some time to remember the right path. I'll take you to your fated destination, where you're supposed to go. Do not worry." He smiled.

"What's that supposed to mean? We're only getting wood and going straight home, aren't we?" I asked him, feeling anxious for some reason. He only sighed.

"I don't really know. There's just something, something I can't quite put finger on but you are going to face something really disturbing today, something traumatizing from your past. No matter how much you try to avoid it, there is practically no way you'll be able to escape that situation."

My patience was at its limit now. First, I still have hundreds of uncleared doubts about everything and now I was right about Elwyn trying to hide something from me.

"So you just bring me here, to the most dreaded place of the town only to have me face something I'm supposed to run away from? What kind of a best friend are you man? You know, I was suspicious of you, thinking you were hiding something from me since before we took off to this forest. And look where you've gotten us now. All of this would not have happened if we just stayed home in layers of clothing and blankets. There might not be enough wood in the house but there is a lot of kerosene and lamps. Now what, I just wander around this place till I'm met with my predicted suffering while you stand and watch? What good are those psychic abilities of yours when you don't even know how to put them to proper use?"

His eyebrows furrowed and his face turned slightly red, with his fists clenched. Someone is definitely angry.

"Look here Blaine. Whatever I do, I do it for for your good. You know I'm not like other psychics. I don't see clear visions like the others, but I have accurate prognosis about almost every situation, there's no denying that. Whatever this is that you're going to face, it is also going to harm those around you, which is exactly why I brought you far away from home. Like I told you, nothing can stop this occurrence from happening today. Some tears will be spent, but some answers will be found too. If you really want to attain inner peace, you need answers, and answers you will find today, but only with bloodshed."

Shed blood and tears, he says. You'll find your answers for that price, he says. Haven't I shed enough in the past already?

"So you lied to me about the plantation here?"

"No, we really did lose our way. Sorry about that."

It was already snowing but now, the wind started howling too. This is no less than any scene from a horror movie. People like Elwyn and people who follow Elwyn would end up dead in a horror movie right in the first five minutes. I glared at him.

"I hate you."

"No you don't. I'm your best friend dude. You love me."

"When hell freezes over."

He slightly spread his arms, as if trying to make me acknowledge the surroundings.

"Vanifernum has, now. See?"

I rolled my eyes and he proceeded to lead the way. Hopefully.

It's been a long time since I visited this forest, so I've forgotten some of the way. All this snow and trees that look like each other's replicas made it even worse. After a few more minutes, there was still no sign of any plantation and the sky started to get even darker, as if warning us about what's to come, and all of a sudden Elwyn stopped in his tracks and held me back, pulling on my coat while I was too busy checking out every direction, trying to find a way out of this maze-like forest.

"What is it now? Don't tell me we've been going around in circles or I swear I-"

Words in my mouth died down as I was dumbfounded at the view in front of me. Elwyn subconsciously took me to the place where it all started - the pond in the middle of the forest. Only a handful of people knew of this place. What was more astonishing was that the water body had dried up and all that was left of it was dry land, now covered with a thin layer of snow. Elwyn visibly shuddered before saying,

"This place has a lot of dark memories, and the forest hasn't forgotten it...it's like miasma rotting over the years still lingering within the soil of this land and the trees surrounding it. Something very bad must have happened here. How come I was never able to come across this empty land all these years?"

With all my strength, I wanted to speak something, anything... but my state of shock wouldn't let me. There was something more puzzling on the other side of the empty land, near a white marble gravestone. A man was wiping away the dirt and stains on the gravestone and placed blue hydrangeas near it. By the time I could properly see who it was, memories of the past came hitting through me like a train and I started panicking. It was almost like voices ringing in my head and I lost my composure, falling on my knees.

"Oh no, not here. God, please Blaine, you can't possibly be having a panic attack here! Hey, hey, look there's someone there. Maybe he knows the way out, let's just ask him. Hang in there, please. Your mom will rip me inside out if you die in my hands. Darn it, just when I thought things would get better!"

In that moment of panic, I looked up at the man on the other side, who also looked at us. But I really wished for a miracle to happen because I just recognized him. Stronger than before, taller than before and angrier than before, I saw Delran Fairchild. I could feel him glower at me from that distance even in this snowfall. My panic attack only rose up and I saw Elwyn gulp, looking in the direction where Delran was, before looking at me, whispering;

"We're gonna die now, aren't we?"

That terrifying being was coming to us with huge steps while I was trying to calm myself down. Even if I did calm down I'd get hit by another wave of this condition, as Delran's mere presence always left me trembling in fear so I did what I could do. I just stayed there without moving because I was more than sure he's coming for my blood and it would be a waste running and draining my energy in a place where I had no memory of directions. No matter how suspicious he was, he had a special place for Loralie in his heart. He has every right to bash me up, as I'm responsible for her death. She had control over him like nobody else, like a mother and a child desperate for her attention. Now he wants to wreak vengeance on me, so be it. Elwyn being the garrulous person he is, tried to divert his attention from me, but God knows how long he'd be able to.

"Delran, hey man! Long time, no see. How have you been?"

Delran just stood in front of Elwyn, looking down at him, without blinking his emotionless eyes. It was only a few seconds after that he finally spoke, not even bothering to look at me who was audibly trying to breathe.

"Puny Elwyn Belcher. What are you doing here? And what's this, you brought a prey to hunt on Christmas? How thoughtful of you."

Before he stretched his hands out to grab me, Elwyn blocked him while pleading him.

"No, please. It's been years and it had nothing to do with him. We all do grieve for the loss of-"

"Don't say her name! Don't you dare. You rabble don't even deserve to speak of her with your filthy tongues. And you, well well well, would you look at that. The young CIO of Octavia is having a panic attack in front of an old.... acquaintance. You see me from where you're kneeling? That's your place. Riff-raffs like you belong right there below us blue bloods." He said, pointing a finger at me.

"Just because you got your face and life all pretty doesn't mean you can get away from your past. You will pay for the loss of a life either through me or something else, but I'll make you pay this time. With your blood. Out of my way you vermin!"

In a swift move, he pushed away Elwyn and lunged for me, grabbing my collar and punching my face repeatedly without a break. Elwyn tried to punch him, but he caught his fist and kicked him in the stomach, sending him to the ground. It was hurting so much, but even in that anguish all I could think of was Loralie, in her impassive guise, looking at my face, asking me a question she knew the answer to.

"Weak. Pathetic. What would you do without me, Blaine Bennett?"

Without perusal, anyone could believe she was the cold-blooded girl they thought her to be; that's because she was. I was pulled away from my memories when I heard a slight crack followed by immense pain in my mandible.

"Oh my..."

That retarded jerk broke my jaw?!

"Oh, I like the sound of that. You heard your jaw breaking didn't ya, Bennett?"

No matter how much he hurt me this time, I deserved it. I deserved it all, every single blow. Maybe then I would be able to get over her demise. He kept kicking me in the stomach and I could hear Elwyn shouting to stop, but I don't think he was going to.

"What did she even see in you? You were only a wimp, an invisible speck of dust and yet she stayed by your side till the end! All those years I spent trying to let her know about how I felt were in vain only because of you. The person you are today is solely because of her, it's like you're a product of her concern."

"I know...and I'll always be grateful to her. Always."

"That look in your eyes. I've always hated it. That very look of madness and longing. Sure, you had brains but you were dumb as a door nail. She gave you courage, that's evident but you never realized she had eyes only for you and still does and it drives me crazy!"

The whole world stopped around me as I began to slowly process the last sentence Delran blurted out. I saw his face change into a very clear expression from his own words. Regret.

"What do you mean, 'still does'? She has never once liked me, not even a little bit. She always thought of me as a burden....but answer me this. What did you mean when you said she still does have eyes for me?"

He froze, with my once plain collar now crumpled like paper in his palm. When I looked at Elwyn, he had his hand over his mouth in shock. I was starting to lose what little patience I had. All this time I was willing to go through any sort of pain as a form of penance but now, I needed answers. Delran was diagnosed with some behavioral disorder, whose name I do not remember but I knew that might have been the reason for his outburst and slip of the tongue.

"Tell me....Tell me! You never lie, Delran. Speak up!"

I pushed his hand away and caught his neck and took him by surprise. He had never seen it coming.

"I'm not the weak boy I once was anymore. And you better spill the beans or I'll bury you six feet under this land and snow. Nobody will ever know."

My whole face was hurting, my body was too but if I needed answers, I would have to at least pretend as if nothing of this has affected me.

"You....how come? How have you become like this? I could never even hear your voice properly and now you give me an ultimatum? You don't look like your old self."

"Yeah, I got that from Elwyn already. Now you tell me the truth or I snap your neck like a stick."

"You don't have the courage to do that. You wouldn't even hurt a fly. How could you possibly kill?"

He's testing a lot of my patience. Wonder how long I can keep up with his gibberish.

"How do you know I haven't ever killed a person, Delran? Wait, you know what? I think I should just...do away with you, very very quietly."