Chapter 1: Awaken!

The alarm clock rang noisily...

Derek opened his eyes lazily to the sight of a small foot in his face. He stretched his left hand over his head and reached the alarm clock at the bedpost. It was too stubborn to stop its screams regardless of how much he pushed its buttons.

He lazily pushed the foot out of his face and tried to sit upright, but the feel of a sharp migraine sent his head spiralling back to the bed.

He sat upright again, rubbed the temple on his head with his fingers. Just then, images of fire from a woman's hand and a bald man laughing hysterically flashed in his head. When a sense of familiarity for the scenes hit him, the pain in his head struck again and the images scattered like dust after a passing breeze.

He begrudgingly got off the bed and pushed away from the two unexpected guests that decided to share his already small bed with him. He reached for a towel and took a few steps forward, out the door and into the hall when an itch in his throat made him cough violently. Bringing his knees to the ground.

Derek looked at the spittle mixed with a few traces of blood on the ground and grunted a bit. He leaned with his left hand on the wall for support and dragged himself to the bathroom down the hallway. Wobbling along the way like a strand of noodle in soup.

He opened the bathroom door and leaned on the sink, looking into the mirror on the wall. "What is happening to me" he muttereded, turning on the tap.

But like a sick old man, the tap sputters water a little and decides to keep its calm.

"Damn! the plumbing in this place." He complained as he knocked on the pipe beneath the sink a little, which prompted the tap to vomit its contents. The tap water was slightly coloured brown but he did not mind as his hands took a hand full to wash his face. He looked at himself in the mirror again and sighed loudly.

He had long black dreadlock hair, reaching to his back from his head. It was woolly but careful observation would leak knowledge that it was well cared for. He had not so thick eyebrows that were sharp at its ends with bold deep-set eyes that gave the illusion of calm before a storm. His nose was short bridged with straight fine cheekbones guarding its flanks. He had lips that gave people the impression that he was always smiling. His skin was dark caramel and even gave a slight glow under light.

Too bad for all his looks he had a skinny, frail build. He always looked sickly, like not enough blood was going to his face. For not his height that was considered rather tall for his age bracket, one would think he was a malnourished 'stick' in the room. He had three thin trails of black lines running down from his right shoulder to his chest like rivers en route to the sea.

Wait!...' What?'

"Shit! What's all this on me? Those tiny 'minions' have turned me into another art project." He cursed loudly, scrubbing hard at the lines with the towel and water. Nearly giving his already dark skin another shade of color but it was to no avail.

He could have continued if not for the burn he was starting to feel. He dropped the towel more in acceptance than annoyance and stepped into the shower for a bath.

As soon as the water hit his head, running its course to his back. A different wave of pain assaulted his senses. But this one was a pain he was already used to. A scar, cutting diagonally across his back. From his left shoulder to the right side of his waist.

It was thick as two centimetres and looked like the unfinished work of a skilled butcher. This scar had been with him as far back as he could form memory.

Mrs Manica the orphanage caretaker, said he already had the injury when she found him at the doorstep several years ago.

It was not all that bad, except when the scar came in contact with water. For some reason, it only hurt when his body became wet. The more the water, the more the pain. And as such, the major fundraiser of fear for any large body of water he ever saw.

One time a few years ago, one of the orphanage kids threw him into a pond of water as punishment for trying to stand his ground.

Oh! the dread of that day. Let's just say drowning was the easier hurt.

His phobia was so bad, he could already imagine the amount of pain he would go through just looking at large bodies of water in a magazine. Naturally, wild nature shows of the deep big blue were avoided at all costs.

"Run!"...Images of last night's dream invade his mind again. And an increased taste of iron filled his taste buds. He spat out more blood and proceeded to wash his mouth.

He finished his shower, took an aspirin from the bathroom cabinet, and sat on a stool. It was not the first time he was having these dreams, there just got worse this time of the year.

After his mind became calm, he stood up and looked at the empty bathroom, smiling to himself. This could be considered a small achievement. Being the first to use the bathroom today.

You see, it's an orphanage. That alone spoke volumes of the amount of competition one had to go through to enjoy its facilities. Not that there were no other bathrooms in the house, but this was the only one with hot water and a lack of infant poop smell.

He wrapped the towel around his waist and proceeded to open the door to the hallway.

when?

"Surprise!!!" A small gathering of children and teenagers screamed together.

Derek nearly lost his footing to the ground and his frail frame did not help matters with the balance either.

"Wooh!!! catch him fast, he is about to fall" a shout came from behind to alert the ones in front. And a hand went forth, saving the 'stick' inches from the ground.

He looked up at his lifesaver and gave a shallow 'thank you. Only to realize he was barely held up by the towel on his waist.

Madeline thought good of her catch only to realize what she saved him by and immediately let go. His backside kissed the ground hard and a few people reached out to help him up.

"Happy birthday man, you are now sixteen. And for the first time, you made it to the bathroom before anyone." Aesir said as he helped pick him up.

Aesir was his best friend. A natural bond first formed based on the love for comics, anime, and the divine excitement of action figures. At this point, he was a brother.

He had short curly black hair and quite the amount of muscles for a guy at seventeen. A face that showed his true character of being honest to a fault and a smile that showed a missing tooth.

Derek was not dumb, he knew it was not tardiness to time that got him his hot shower today. Apparently, everyone had planned to let him have his way.

As people kept on shouting birthday wishes, a petite-looking girl pushed her way through the crowd and jumped on him. Wrapping her hands around his neck, she forced a kiss on his cheek. And as expected, he nearly touched the ground again.

"Tiny! take it easy, he will break!" Aesir scolded. But there was no stopping this one.

"Don't call me that! Only Derek can call me that". She protested, giving Aesir a stern glare but conceded to only putting her arms around his waist.

This petite-looking girl came to the house about two years ago and was usually cold and distant to everyone but for some unknown reason took a strong liking to Derek and has been to him like used gum to shoe ever since.

Most people usually underestimated her for her size, but she had several months on Derek in age and all who knew her in the house, knew she was as cunning as a rabbit with three holes and as harmless as a starving tiger.

She was light-skinned with a figure that could only be truly appreciated when she stood on a high pedestal. She had a large afro on her head that she considered more of an asset than her pretty face and figured waist.

"Sorry! Augustina" Aesir acknowledged defeat before the rumble. In fact, just getting a warning was evidence that she was in a very good mood.

"Out of the way everybody." A woman carrying a cake with sixteen candles on it spoke up.

The children gave way to let Mrs Manica move forward with the cake. "Make a wish sport" she employed, presenting the cake before him.

Derek paused for a moment, looked at the faces of the people around him, and thought in his heart that no wish could beat what he had now. That was when he noticed something and asked.

'Wait a minute'

"Where is Miss Carla? I don't see her here." He questioned, looking around like he misplaced something.

"She went out early to buy stuff for the party later. We only discovered last night that we did not have enough in the house for a coming of age celebration." Answered Mrs. Manica.

"Oh!" replied Derek.

"What? you miss your mummy already?" Aesir teased.

"Stop it! don't start, you know how much she means to him." scolded Tiny

"Ya! who doesn't know she is his second 'mommy'?" Aesir teased some more only to get another glare from Tiny.

"Don't worry, she'll be back soon mommy's boy" Mrs. Manica encouraged and he finally closed his eyes, blowing at the flame of the candles.

"Okay, kids. Hurry up! breakfast is in ten minutes and the bus for school leaves in fifteen. It will wait for no one unless of cause you want to enjoy the same thrill as 'wandering nomads' to school.

"Yes! Mrs Manica" a unison reply was received from all the children as they disperse to start the day.

All sat at the table in the cafeteria to enjoy breakfast.

Breakfast went on perfectly until Mrs Manica took her to leave after she was done with her meal, exiting the cafeteria.

Proper observation would tell that all eyes were traced on her back as she left.

And behold, the hall suddenly plunged into noisy chaos.

Tiny tried to force-feed Derek who refused continually, while Aesir argued about an anime with four other boys around him. Bets were been made over food on different tables as little kids the ages of six to eight ran around the hall throwing pancakes at one other.

One of the flying projectiles missed its target and hits the jug of lemonade on Derek's table, drenching everyone at it with its yellow contents.

Tiny screams in shock and proceeds to chase after the offenders, while the others make effort to wipe their faces with napkin cloths.

Derek and Aesir head back to their rooms to change clothes when the bus horn was heard. The duo hurried to change clothes and proceeded downstairs out the dorm doors only to see the bus making attempts to leave.

They both ran for it when Derek noticed a woman carrying grocery bags ahead approaching them.

He barely had his shirt through his neck.

He ran to her and gave a kiss on her left cheek."Thanks for the cake, I know you made it. Not Mrs. Manica."

She was surprised. But before she could say anything he took off in direction of the bus.

She tried to call him, but it was too late. He only turned around and shouted, "I'll see you after school."

Derek entered the bus panting hard for a loss of breath. Only to meet a pouting Augustina. He knew why she was angry. It was because of the kiss he gave Miss Carla. He patted her head a few times and proceeded to sit beside her.

Meanwhile, Miss Carla remained where she stood with the bags in her hand staring at the already moving bus.

She muttered in a low voice "Oh No!"