Phantom-Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The next seven days I stayed with Jen in her shrine. Castial and Raven would come and visit me every day and tell me all that was going on. My Uncle and Alex didn’t come to see me not even once.

Though I was glad that Alex didn’t visit because things would’ve become very awkward between us seeing as he loved me or my past self but what excuse did Uncle have. I could understand he was feeling guilty but I still wanted to see him. I’d hope for my Uncle every time anyone came to pay a visit.

Jen didn’t like Castial entering her shrine and Raven couldn’t because it was a sacred place so we’d meet outside most of the time.

Raven and I became good friends mostly because my Uncle would send him to check up on me on his behalf.

It was the last day and I went with Raven to the lake of the water fairies to learn the balance of water but instead of teaching me that the fairies started flirting with Raven who unusually didn’t respond to them.   

From what I picked up in these few days Raven was a guy who could possibly flirt with anything that has the word female written on so this was very strange. He kept looking at the direction of the forest of darkness with a hurtful expression.

I asked him if he was alright.

He looked at me with pain ‘can’t you hear that?’

‘Hear what?’ I asked trying to listen. It was that song the same song that I heard the last time when I found the forsaken place. It was more painful now. It was intense I could only hear ait a little and my head started to ache so no wonder Raven had such a tortured look on his face. He was a half demon so his hearing abilities were far greater than that of mine. Poor thing he must’ve been suffering all this time.

I wanted to do something to end his suffering. Then I remembered the last time I went and visited the song stopped.

And I also wanted to visit the oracle’s-my body once. I asked Jen and Castial many times but they refused to take me there.

I figured if I asked Raven now he’d take me and then I could put a rest to my restless mind and stop Raven’s suffering.

Raven was against the idea but he couldn’t say no to me. He asked me to climb on his back and I did. Raven jumped as high as a baboon and ran as fast as a cheetah. He jumped from one tree to another faster than I could blink.

We reached the mystical garden in less than ten minutes. Raven couldn’t go any further because the voice was so loud.

I went to the forsaken place and stood there outside the building for a while. I needed some quiet time.

When I opened the door Alex was there. It was awkward just as I predicted. He had the same sad expression he had the last time he visited and when he saw me he tried to smile.

I couldn’t smile back even if it was only for the sake of courtesy. I overlooked him and went straight to the casket. I tried to open the lid by myself but it was too heavy.

Alex offered to help but I didn’t want any from him so I ignored him neither the less he helped me.

Though I’d seen it before it was still scary. Everything was the same but something was different. It felt like the body would spring to life at any second. I touched its hand thinking I’d be able to make some connection with my past self.

Suddenly the body opened its eyes. Its eyes were hollow like a void. It got up and when it saw me its eyes started to glow, two long sharp fangs came out and before I could do anything it had already bitten me.

The pain was unimaginable as if someone was not only sucking my blood but also my soul from my body. I screamed out of agony.

Hearing that Raven quickly came to my rescue but he couldn’t get close. Something was not letting him enter. Alex being there wasn’t of any help. He just stood there stunned and frozen.

I had made up my mind no one was going to help me. I was done for. And just when I thought all hope was lost a spin of white flames appeared beside me and inside was Jen.

She tore the fangs from my neck and pushed the body back in to the casket and Castial quickly shut the lid.

A white thing came out of the casket and entered me. I could feel my life returning. I lost my balance and Jen grabbed me.

Castial helping me with my wound while Jen was lecturing Raven. Alex hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of seeing his dead lover’s body spring back to life.

Jen was very angry and now that she was done with Raven it was my turn ‘This is why I told you not to come here again’

‘Did you know this would happen?’ I asked

She didn’t deny it ‘Yes. The last time I brought you here I could feel something like this would happen if you returned’

‘So what does this mean?’ I didn’t get it.

She explained ‘The body has been inside that casket for so long that it now has a longing for a soul’

‘My soul….’ I finished the sentence.

She confirmed it ‘Yes’

She told us why this happened because even when the soul departed the body wasn’t set free. It wasn’t buried or cremated which made it unable to accept its own death.

The thought was scary. I felt bad for it.

I asked Jen why’d the body bite me?

She said it was to suck my soul. That was something that I’d never heard before. I asked Castial out of curiosity ‘Why do vampires drink blood and Alex, he’s a Phantom why does he drink blood?’

He couldn’t answer it but Jen had the answers ‘because they need a lot of energy and blood is the purest form of energy and human blood was the finest. Right Castial?’ She looked at Castial with disgust.

She finished her sentence ‘And Alex needs blood to fight the temptation from your blood and plus he went in to a battle that day and got drunk after that. He couldn’t handle his drink so he ended up reviling his true identity’ She was getting tired of all his mistakes now.

My neck was bruised very badly so Jen took me to the elixir fall. The water could actually heal. Raven laughed and criticized ‘You’ve seen so much these few days and yet this amazes you’ he shut up soon enough when Jen gave him a look.

Everyone was worried about me so they stayed back. Jen let everyone enter her shrine which I thought was nice of her. Castial thought that if we left Alex alone something bad would happen so Castial dragged him here.

 They thought I’d be in too much shock but after finding out that my daddy was a Phantom and I an Oracle nothing in this world could phrase me.

Honestly I was more worried about Alex, who hadn’t recovered yet from the shock of seeing his dead lover’s body come back to life in front of him.  

My Uncle couldn’t stay away anymore after hearing about what happened so he rushed to Jen’s shrine.

When he got there everyone excused us and left the room.

‘You don’t have to do this’ he said looking guilty.

But I had to ‘I do’

He tried to convince me otherwise ‘no you don’t. Everyone’s here to protect you. You don’t need to learn how to unleash your Oracle powers if you don’t want to’

‘Are they going to stay with me forever’ I asked knowing the answer.

‘Of Corse’ He didn’t hesitate to answer.

I told him why I needed to learn how to unleash my powers ‘That many be so but I want to unbind them daddy. I want to set them free. So I’ve decided to learn my own powers so that I don’t need anyone else. I plan on leaving the Phantom Valleys as soon as I graduate and at that time I want everyone to move on. I want to live a free life daddy even if I have to fight every second for it for the rest of my life’

He kept quiet and the next question made my heart melt ‘Are you goanna sever all your relationships even with your daddy?’

Just the thought made my heartache ‘Of Corse not!’

He calmed down ‘I’ll support you then’

‘Thank you’ I couldn’t say anything more    

When we walked outside to everyone I knew they heard every single thing I said because their faces were gloomy.

I told them that I meant every word I said and that I really did want them to move on. I wanted them to forget the past but I couldn’t ask for something like that so I told them I was sorry that they all had to suffer so much because of me but I was ok now.

I asked them to leave Alex and me alone. I asked Alex to take us somewhere where we wouldn’t be heard. He gave me his hand and I took it. In a fraction of second we were under the tree of salvation.

I let go of his hand as soon as we got there so he had a very rejected face. He wanted to check if my injury was properly healed but I moved away. His rejected feeling was getting stronger.

He asked me not to say it.

I knew I had to ‘I’m sorry Alex...’ He wanted to stop me but I continued ‘I’m sorry I made you wait for me for a thousand years, I’m sorry you had to sell your soul to the devil, I’m sorry I made you go through so much pain and lastly I’m sorry that I couldn’t love you like I did in the past.’ And with the end of the sentence he paused.

He was reluctant ‘It’s not your fault that I…..’

I didn’t let him finish ‘It was still because of me’

He didn’t have a reply.

I announced ‘Alex I want you to be free. No I’m setting you free.’ And without a word I left him there alone.

I’d been living in the shrine for so long that I knew my way around the forest very well. I reached the shrine by sunset. Everyone was waiting eagerly. When I returned alone they started to question me.

I told them that I’d set Alex free and though he’d need sometime alone right about now.

Raven sarcastically remarked ‘The dude’s been in love with you for more than a thousand years. Do you really think he’d give up that easily’

Raven was right but right now at that moment I didn’t want to think about that. Tomorrow I was going to return to school and I wasn’t beating on it but hopefully a normal life. I wanted to celebrate for some reason. I just wanted to set loose. Forget everything and just party.

I asked Jen if we could do it and Raven was also seconding my suggestion. Jen didn’t say no and seeing it was past sunset we agreed to a Bar-B-Q.

Everyone gathered things and if you’re having a Bar-B-Q with a half breed angel, a half demon, a deity and a Phantom gathering things was easy.

Castial was on the grill and Raven was sitting beside him finishing any meat before it reached the table. My Uncle was playing with the fox kids and Jen was keeping an eye on everyone.

I kept looking at the bushes hoping Alex would come but I knew he wasn’t going to. But something was there. A light white thing passed that way and I unconsciously followed it hopping to catch it before it was out of sight but it was too late the white thing was already gone.

I kept looking at that stars asking where Alex was now.

The answer came from behind me ‘He’s at the forsaken place’ Jen had somehow read my mind.

‘How do you know?’ I asked.

She told me ‘I placed a charm there so whenever anyone entered I knew. Just like today when you went there without telling me. I knew the instant you entered the building but it took me some time to get there because something was blocking me’

‘The body’ I guessed and a deep silence fell between us.   

She broke the silence ‘You don’t have to put up a strong front at least not in front of me.’

I wasn’t ‘I’m not holding it in’

She wasn’t satisfied ‘ok then maybe you should start processing your situation before it’s too late’.

Before I doubted myself but now that it came out of Jen’s mouth I was sure I was coping the best I could ‘I’m really ok and it’s alright I can cope whenever I want to but now is just not the time. And it’s not like I am goanna die anytime soon.’ I said it sarcastically without realizing it.

I quickly controlled the situation ‘Plus the tea helps so I’m goanna need a lot of it’ we started laughing at that.

‘Let’s return’ she said ‘before Raven finishes all the food’.

Raven replied from there ‘I heard that’.

She teased him ‘You were meant to’.

I Shouted ‘Let’s drink till we drop!’ but my Uncle was against us drinking so I had to rephrase it ‘LETS party till we drop!’.

Raven handed me a glass of juice and after that I blacked out.

~END of Chapter 9~  

Phantom-Chapter 8

Chapter-8

When I opened the blue velvet box lying on my bed inside was a violet dress. It was a long silk and satin gown with black glitter work on its trail. The long sleeves were silk except for the embroidery borders. There was also a pair of shaded black and violet shoes to go with the dress and the mask was a master piece.

When I put it on it was exactly my size. Like it was made just for me. While I was looking at the mirror someone was at the door. When I opened it someone had sent a topaz necklace to go with my dress. It was Alex I could tell so I owed him a whole year worth of thank you. Inside the box there was also a note or should I say a clue “Look for me and there I shall be”. Honestly that made no sense to me but it was fun like playing hide and seek.

When I got to the ballroom everyone was hidden in masks. The party had just started and most of the guests were coming.

Admes and Crystal were welcoming everyone with a blue rose. And Adora and Saf were in charge of the guest list. They all looked beautiful. Seeing as it was against the rules to reveal ourselves I quietly sat in a chair with the best view of the whole room. I could see everything. Someone came from behind me and stood there. He said that it wasn’t good to come to a ball and not dance. I knew it was Alex.

‘But nobody’s interested in dancing with me’ I said pretending to be pitiful.

He continued with his teasing tone ‘Is that so’

I agreed ‘yes’

He offered still acting charming ‘Well I guess I’ll just have to do seeing as nobody else is asking you to dance’ and we both started laughing. We were about to go to the dance floor when one of the committee members came out of nowhere and asked for Alex’s help in something.

Before leaving he apologised and made me promise to save my last dance for him.

I kept standing there alone thought I knew where everyone was. Jen was wearing an orange ball gown and she was easy enough to spot because of her hair and plus Castial was hanging around here trying to summon up the courage to ask her to a dance.    

Raven was sitting beside the drinks bar with half a dozen girls in his arms. I could recognize everyone even with their masks on but I couldn’t just go there and start to talk to them because if I did Castial would be very mad.

A voice from behind me said ‘Would you like a drink’

I got irritated I mean who offers a highschooler a drink but when I looked behind there was a guy with short blonde hair and sea green eyes standing there. He had apple juice in his hands. I took his offer.

 We talked and I found out that he was a biologist from MIT who came here to see the level of education.

He was fairly impressed by all the presentation seeing as it was solemnly done by students. It made me happy that people appreciated our hard work and I think I blushed a little.  He asked me to a dance and I gladly accepted.

After the song I kept talking about biology. Knowing my knowledge he mistook me for a science student. When I told him that I was an arts student his interest grew in me even more. He was surprised with my interest in biology what was I doing in the arts sector. He started telling me about an experiment they were carrying out at MIT but the party was getting very loud so it was getting hard to listen so we walked to the garden.

We kept talking till I heard Castial announced that the game was going start. I didn’t want to go back inside because I knew they’d force me to enter if I did.

But because I was the one who had the chits I had to go and hand them to Castial. Admes and Crystal had already started to supply others their number cards.

Everyone was excited about it. Castial announced that everyone had to participate. I was at the door now but lord knows how Castial was already standing behind me and said ‘Of Corse that also includes you’

I objected ‘Come on Castial I’m really tired from all the work we did the past three days can’t you cut me some slack’.

‘No can do’ Said Raven who also came from nowhere.

‘Fine’ I gave in because I knew if I didn’t they’d keep pestering me about it. My number was 216 and I had to find 436.

I didn’t pay much attention till someone came and asked me ‘are you number 216?’

When I turned it was the biologist from earlier. He was delighted that it was me. He said that we should continue from where we left off. The party was at its peak so we went to the garden. He continued to tell me all the amazing things about MIT.

The DJ announced that this was the last song. I remembered that I promised Alex my last dance and was about to return but before I could do that everyone was here. Castial, Raven, Jen, my Uncle and even Alex. They all looked worried and looking at that biologist they all looked like they were ready to spill some blood.  

Jen came to me and asked me to follow her. When I asked her what was wrong she ignored most of my questions. She dropped me off at my room and told me to stay there. I objected but she asked me to trust her so I did.

I sat there in my room waiting for someone to come and tell me what was going on. It was already past midnight and I was getting very anxious now and then finally someone was at the door.

When I opened the door it was Alex standing outside. He had blood stains all over his tux and he seemed drunk. I asked him what was the matter but he just vanished. That spooked me. I looked behind and Alex was already in his room.

He didn’t look ok and he was doing something beside the refrigerator. I walked up to him and asked if everything was alright. When he looked behind I saw the most fighting scene I’d ever seen in my life.

He was holding a blood bag and there was some blood stains on his fangs. Yes he had fangs, two long sharp fangs and his ears became pointy like that of an elf’s. And there was a tiny spark of light deep in his eyes.

‘Get away!’ his voice was filled with detests ‘your stench is bothering me’

I don’t know if it was because of what Alex said or how he looked like or my fear of seeing something that I couldn’t explain in anyway or what Castial said starting to make sense or maybe I just didn’t want to accept it but I ran. I didn’t know where I was going I just ran forward like my life depended on it.

All of the things Castial told me were going through my head. I possibly couldn’t accept something like this. I tried to convince myself that it was all just in my head and that what I just saw in the room was just me being delusional.

Even when I convinced myself I still kept running. I was already outside the dorm and in the front yard. I finally stopped when I bumped in to someone. It was Jen.

I didn’t want to tell her why I was running like crazy because if I said something like that out loud it’d mean that I actually believed all that mumbo jumbo. But as usual in front of Jen I always said the things I didn’t want to.

I told her that Alex was drinking blood and had fangs and his ears were pointy and his eyes were glowing a little.

She just sighed.

I quickly regained my consciousness ‘May be it was just in my head what’s wrong with me?’ I said pretending to laugh.

She sighed again and said ‘You already understand what it means don’t you?’

I objected ‘I don’t’

She was saying it without any remorse ‘Alice, he’s a Phantom ‘

It sounded strange ‘Of Corse he’s a Phantom that’s his family name’

She tried to put some sense into her words ‘He’s THE Phantom. The one who fell in love with the oracle, the one that sold his soul to the devil and the one who waited a hundred years for her’

I was still not convinced ‘Jen you do know what you’re saying right? You guys read too many books, all of you.’

She said ‘I guess I have no choice I’ll just have to give you some proof’ and suddenly a string of white flames covered her and when the flames diminished Jen was a different person or should I say a different being.

She had fox ears on the top of her head instead of normal ears and white flames were surrounding her but what was even more frightening was that she had nine long tails behind her.

She presented ‘Nine-Tailed fox deity at you service’

 I was still in denial ‘This isn’t happening right?  I mean all of this makes no sense. This is an illusion isn’t it?’

She didn’t want to but she had to ‘Are you that scared of the truth that you’re going to deny it even when I’m giving you proof?

But I was because if I accepted that all that she claimed and all that Castial told me and all that I saw then I’d also accept that my Uncle never actually cared about me and all my other friends they were just nice to me because I’m the reincarnation of ………. I couldn’t say that even in my head.

‘But I my parents are humans’ I said trying to sound sure of it.

She agreed ‘That is true but just because you were born to a human doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a human’

‘So what you’re saying that I’m not a human?’ I demanded to know

She explained ‘No, you are a human but also the oracle.’

I didn’t want to hear it anymore ‘that’s enough I don’t want to hear anymore!’

She kept saying ignoring my feelings ‘you need a strong proof that all of this is real and that you’re the reincarnation of the oracle then come with me’ She spread out her arms.

I didn’t want to go but I couldn’t not go. When I went into her arms the white flames got closer till they covered us whole and when the white flames separated and we were in the forsaken place.

I had a feeling in my gut that something bad was going to happen. Jen slowly walked to the casket and removed the lid. Inside there laid a girl with long black hair, pale skin and dried lips and maybe that was the only thing that was different between us, our lips. It was like I was sleeping there in that casket but then I realized I was here standing beside Jen looking at it.

‘Isn't this proof enough?’ She asked

I denied it even more strongly now ‘But this isn’t normal. This makes no sense.’

She was amazed by how hardly I denied it ‘Of Corse this isn’t normal but nor are you. All of this is real and you know it just as well as I do’

‘But I don’t have any powers’ I informed her

She reminded me ‘Remember you once told me that you were a very strange kid when you were little so you use to be bullied a lot so we think that at that time you shut your oracle powers up.’

‘So that means that I’m a normal human now right’ I asked starting to sound relieved.

Her face turned blue ‘I’m afraid not we think that on your 17^th birthday when your time will stop your oracle powers will re-emerge’

I protested ‘But I’m not an oracle or that girl Alex use to love. I’m me’

She agreed ‘Yes you are you but you are also her’

‘How do you even know her?’ I finally asked

‘She was my best friend’ she said it with a lot of pain.

I felt betrayed ‘So that’s it you all got close to me because of that’

She objected ‘Of Corse not! We know that you’re you and we don’t want you to be anyone besides you but we also want you to understand that she is you and you are her. You both may be different but are one and the same’

I was at the verge of tears ‘But still it was because I’m her that all of you Alex, Castial and you became friends  with me and even my Uncle…….’ I couldn’t finished my sentence

She tried to console me ‘Hey calm down your father’s love towards you is completely genuine’

‘But he only took me in because I’m her reincarnation’ I insisted

She couldn’t deny it ‘That may have been his intention but only before he met you. After meeting you he has loved you like his own daughter and will continue to do so’

I was not convinced ‘Alright even if I believed you then answer me this why did he bring me here’

She wasn’t sure whether to say it or not ‘The guy you met in the party, he was a pawn of the wicked witch. He only got close to you so that he could capture you and take you to his mistress where she’d sell you off to the highest bidder. Your father knew if the word got out that you are the oracle then many demons, deities, witches and even gods and goddesses would want to possess you so he brought you here to the Phantom Valley where none of them can enter without being invited. To keep you safe’

I calmed down a little. Jen again transported us to an old wooden house. There were two fox children there who served me a cup of tea. After drinking the tea my heart felt a lot lighter and I felt peaceful somehow. She told me that it was a tea made from the leafs of the tree of salvation and the water from the fountain of honesty. It had the power to give us inner peace.

‘So how many students are supernatural?’ I asked now that I calmed down I needed a few answers.

She answered ‘there aren’t that many supernatural students in the day class but all the night class students are supernatural beings’.

I asked ‘Do I know now anyone like that except for you and Alex?’     

She answered without changing her expression ‘Castial is a half vampire and a half angel and Raven is a half demon.’

I asked her ‘how could anyone one be a half angel and a half vampire?’

She slowly described it to me ‘Castial was originally an angel who then became the butt of a joke of a very cold vampire. After his transformation Castial did kill that vampire but he was rejected by haven and started living here in the land of rejections.’

That somehow made me sad and looking at my expression Jen assured me that Castial was a happy half-breed.  

After taking another sip of the tea a very painful question came in to my mind. Everyone accepted me as me, good but what about Alex did he expect me to be like her. I asked Jen unconsciously. She herself didn’t have an answer to it.

I told her that I had no desire to be the oracle or even learn how to be one. I was me and that’s all I would ever be.

She told me that if I understood the oracle more then maybe I’d finally accept her as me. She said that she was telling me this out of her own experience.

She began ‘I am a special deity, the nine–tailed fox so of Corse I have a secret. I turn into a boy during a specific time and when I found out about it I was only a little girl and I just felt like my whole life was a lie. I was crying in a meadow alone and that is when I met her. She was a kind yet sad girl rejected by her mother, taken in by the cruel elders. We soon became best of friends. She’d tell me all of the sadness in her heart which would make me cry but she never cried instead she would smile and you’d feel like she was going to fade any second’ Her eyes became blank ‘One day when I asked her why she didn’t cry she pitifully confessed that it was because she didn’t know how to. It was very sad. I fell in love with her…’ Looking at Jen was getting very painful now

She continued holding back her tears ‘But of Corse I never told her that I was part male for I thought if I did she’s hate me like everyone else. One day she brought Castial to meet me. Castial and I we hated each other from the start. Castial threatened to expose me if I bother their friendship but I didn’t care and just as he promised he did. It was the first time in my life that I’d seen her cry. She shed tears not because she felt betrayed but because she thought that I didn’t trust in our friendship enough to tell her. It was a dark day but it soon passed. Even though Castial and I didn’t get along too well the three of us would hang out together. We just wanted to see her happy and then the day came when she announced that she fell in love. We’d never seen her happier so we couldn’t go against it. I said I’d support her in all of her decisions but what she asked of me was too much.’ Jen looked very sad ‘She wanted me to help her kill herself for that Phantom. I was against it but she didn’t need me. Castial was an angel so he could do something as simple as remove the soul form the body but I thought he’d never agree but that fool couldn’t say no to her and took her life…..’ Her eyes filled with hatred ‘Where now the tree of salvation stands. It is her kind soul that grants everyone salvation to this day. I wanted to kill Castial as soon as I found out but then figured a life of being hated by the one he loves would be much more painful’.

She was right Castial did look tortured.

Jen came out of memory lane and asked me if it was still too hard for me to accept my past.

I answered her honestly ‘it isn’t but also now that I understood my past self it doesn’t mean that I am going to become her anytime soon. For me loosing myself is unacceptable’

She agreed ‘And that’s exactly why you have to regain your powers so that you can fight against those who opposed that idea’

She reminded me that what happened tonight would repeat itself multiple times. So I had to prepare. 

I knew what she was saying and I was accepting it but I told her that I didn’t want to return yet and she said I could stay at her shrine as long as I needed to recover and that she’d inform everyone else about it.

 ~END of Chapter 8~

Phantom-Chapter 7

Chapter-7

First all the presidents decided to gather all the committee members whom I didn’t know existed. We were all separated into groups. Turned out that the blonde boy and the red head girl were both student council members but of Corse they were on Castial’s team.

Two very cute twin brother and sister were on Jen’s team. I didn’t even know they existed till that day. I’d never seen them in class but then again they were probably night class students.

I was on Alex’s team but we only had two members so we had to wait for our last member before we could start work.

Everyone introduced themselves. The blonde boy was actually a highschooler and his name was Admes. The red head was called Crystal.

The names of the twins on Jen’s team were Adora and Saf.   

We all divided our works. Jen’s team was responsible for the food. Castial’s team’s work was to work on the invitations and entertainment while our team’s work was the designing.

Everyone started to get to work right away but we had to wait for our third member. It was lunch time and we hadn’t eaten anything so Alex suggested we eat and by that time the third member would probably arrive.

After lunch when we went back to the student committee room someone was inside. When we opened the door there was this guy with short very dark red hair, fair skin, ocean blue eyes and a slender body. He was making out with not one but two girls. The girls left when they saw us giving us a very nasty look.

Alex asked the guy ‘What was that?’

That guy very unapologetically said ‘Didn’t you see for yourself or do you want me do give you an example’ looking at me.

Alex gave him a look and he resigned ‘I meant I’m sorry’

He introduced himself to me ‘My name’s Raven’ he lifted my hand to his lips and pressed a kiss on it.

Taking back my hand I introduced myself ‘I’m Alice’

‘Oh the headmaster’s daughter and the reincarnated……’ Alex stopped him there. Alex told him to start working. In just two hours we had already selected everything. Though Alex and Raven were worlds apart they both worked really well together.

Raven was also one of Alex’s best friends. What I didn’t get is that even though Raven was so different from everyone he still fit into our group.

We finished one-third of the work by 8pm. But we had to stop because it was supper time. We all gathered in my and Alex’s room to report our progress. Everyone had good news and by time our committee’s meeting was over it was around midnight. Jen stayed with me like she usually did and all the boys stayed in Alex’s room.

In the morning during breakfast we had already decided what we were going to do. We weren’t able to do our classes due to all the work. Uncle Pete would come and check up on us from time to time. Raven would flirt with the girls who volunteered to help and get scolded by Alex. Those two were like a comedy duo and not one minute went by without laughter.

Though most of the time Raven screwed around his work was flawless. He did most of the sculpture work. Alex’s work was the manager’s and all I did was help with the little things. There was nothing for me to do in the evening when they were placing the sculptures so Alex sent me to help Castial who could defiantly use it. They couldn’t find entertainment in the school of A-class singers and dancers.

Castial wanted something more than your average entertainment he wanted to give people something they’d remember for a lifetime.

I suggested a magic show but even that was too common for him.      

He came up with an idea. We selected the theme of a macerate ball and Castial thought that he could us it. He wanted to hold a number draw and whose ever number you got you had to find that person no matter what even if you didn’t know that person before midnight and four people who could do it the fastest would get a date with one of the four student council presidents. I asked him what if two of them were guys because only one of the presidents was a girl. Castial assured me that there was a high probability that most of winners would be girls and if not then Jen’d just have to go on a triple date with two guys she didn’t know.

It was a fresh idea but that meant we had to design gifts for all the other winners by tomorrow and also convince the other three.

After supper we all gathered in my room again. Castial and I told them about Castial’s idea of entertainment. They liked it except the part of them being the first prizes. Convincing Raven wasn’t hard but the other two were completely against it.

We convinced Jen by telling her that there was a very low probability that any guy would win. Castial would usually not be that brave but he gave her a very reasonable explanation and also reminded her that if the welcome party wasn’t successful then we’d have to meet the angry side of my Uncle which apparently was not pretty. That was enough to convince her but Alex wouldn’t agree no matter what.

Castial and Raven took him to a corner and whispered something in his ears. He agreed right away and the other two boys had a very proud look on their face like they had defeated someone very victorious.   

We first decided on what gifts we should give and then came to a conclusion that it should be a gift that was befitted for both a boy and a girl. Raven recommended condoms because according to him it was useful for both a boy and a girl but we just ignored him.

I recommended cookies but Jen pointed out that nobody would go and do that much hard work for something like cookies. Finally Castial suggested we give key chins made out of the crystals from the crystal mines.

I asked who would go there now and Castial said that he had some in his room back at his dorm. He took Raven with him.

While they were getting the crystals the three of us were preparing the gift boxes and the chains. When they finally returned they were socked like they actually mined the crystals. They hit the shower as soon as they returned. Jen and Alex used a strange silver dagger to break and shape the crystals while I was in charge of packing them.

The other two joined us soon enough and their job was to join the crystals with the chains. We all had our own parts to do so everything was systematic. I was getting sleepy so I went to the kitchen to prepare a cup of coffee for myself. Alex came in and told me not to work myself too much. He told me that they could handle everything themselves so I should go to sleep.

It made me mad I did this because I wanted to because for the first time in my whole life I felt like I was needed. He apologised and said that he was just worried but if I wanted to then I was more than welcome to help them out.

By the time we were finished packing all the gifts it was already 7 am. We got ready and quickly finished our breakfast. There were only a few hours before the party and we still had a bunch of things to finish.

Most of our sculpture work was finished and placed in the right place so all we had to do today was arrange all the curtains and table clothes.  It was a huge room so we separated the back half and place all the tables there. The middle was the dance floor and the first bit was left for the stage where the school bands were going to perform.

After arraigning the table clothes the food started coming by three. Now we had to design the curtains and the stage. The curtains were dropped in an elegant way by Alex and Raven was working on the stage.

The stage had to appropriate for all the music genera’s it was hard but finally we decided on a white theme which would suit any type of music.

After finishing the stage we helped Castial out with everything he needed. We finished everything right before the party started. Uncle came to double for one last time. We were very nervous. Uncle gave us an A for the job we did and ordered us to get ready.

I was so busy with all of the work that I forgot about the gown and the mask but unlike me everyone else had their things ready. Looking at my face Jen offered to lend me a dress but before I could accept it Alex answered ‘She already has a dress’

I looked at him surprised and he said that he had a dress prepared for me. That pissed Jen off even more but she let it slide seeing as my Uncle was there and she respected him a lot.

 Everyone went to their own dorms or rooms to get ready.

I was about to leave with Alex when Uncle stopped me. Seeing Alex waiting for me he said that it had nothing to do with Alex so he should leave in a very mean way and Alex left after that.

My Uncle asked me about the progress                   

I asked him back ‘what progress?’

‘The progress between those four children’s’ He said sounding worried.

I gave him an honest reply ‘the three boys get along well but Jen’s still…..’ his face turned even more blue so I assured him ‘her hatred towards them has toned down a little and I think soon she’ll stop hating them’. Hearing them my Uncle sighed a breath of relief.

He told me to keep reporting him about their progress and told me that I could take my leave now.

Walking back to my room the hallway was full of girls running here and there. Though the students here couldn’t be bothered about things other than their “passion” they seemed very passionate about the macerate ball.

When I reached my room Alex was already. He was heading out when he told me that my dress and mask were on my bed. I asked him to show me his mask but he teased me reminding me what Castial said earlier about not reviling your identity to anybody even your friends. He even said that if I was that curious then I should just go there and look for him. ‘It might me harder than I think’ and left.

~END of Chapter 7~

Phantom-Chapter 6

Chapter-6

The morning was hasty. Both Jen and Alex had left without me and all they left was a note telling me to meet them at the dining hall.

Breakfast started at 8 am and it was already half past seven. I had to hurry because if I were late in the very first day my whole semester would be ruined.

I got ready as fast as I could and was heading out when I bumped into a delivery guy at the door. He dropped a cooler which contained a lot of blood bags.

I asked him puzzled ‘Who are these for?’

He checked the clipboard he was holding and answered ‘For some Alexander Phantom. This is his room right?’

It was Alex’s room but what was Alex doing with so many blood bags so I asked the delivery guy.

The delivery guy said that he wasn’t sure but it was sent from the city hospital for low blood pressure.

I let the delivery guy into the room and he stored the blood bags in Alex’s refrigerator inside his room.

By the time I reached the dining hall it was already 8. As soon as I entered the dining hall my eyes were blinded by all the shining students. They were all so stunning that compered to them I was nothing. But even in this crowed those four people stood out.

Alex, Castial, Jen and my Uncle were all waiting for me at the farthest corner of the room. Everyone was taking sneak peeks at them and although Jen was trying to act like the “geeky art student” she still was grabbing a lot of attention.

They were discussing something but as usual when I got there they stopped. When I asked them what they were all doing together my Uncle informed me that Alex was the student council president and the other tow his vice-presidents so they were just talking about the entrance ceremony. Eating breakfast with all three of them in the same table was almost impossible. Jen and Alex kept glaring at each other while Castial felt too uneasy sitting beside Jen to eat anything.

And even in between all this tension my Uncle kept eating like nothing was wrong. During breakfast my Uncle handed me my class routine.

Today was Monday my first period was painting. Jen accompanied me there. The teacher was not bad though she’d give you the crazy lady across the street feeling. All of my class mates were great. They wanted to do nothing with anybody but themselves.

All of my classes were with one of the three of them except for music where both Alex and Jen were present and by the end of the class it had turned into a competition between the two of them.

During lunch Alex had some business to attend to so he left with my Uncle and Jen had to go somewhere and so she did.

It was only Castial and me. We took our lunches to the school garden and sat down beside a tree.

‘Ok now that we’re alone tell me’ I demanded.

Castial didn’t understand what I meant ‘tell you what?’

I reminded him ‘the story you said you were goanna tell me?’

‘Oh that’ he was in relax mode now that Jen was gone.

‘Yes that’ I said.

He asked me very cunningly ‘Are you sure you’re going to be able to handle it?’

I was very sure I could ‘yes’

‘Ok then I’ll start but you’re not allowed to interrupt me in anyway or deny me because what I’m about to tell you will make you question everything you believe in…..’ and he began ‘you heard the story of the Phantom & the oracle that much I know but what Alex didn’t tell you is that the Phantom is still alive and it is he who told you his own story…..’

‘Are you implying that Alex is the Phantom?’  I asked very irritated

 ‘Didn’t I tell you not to interrupt me’ he scolded and continued ‘The casket that you saw contained the oracle’s dead body Alex’s dead girlfriend. You already heard that she took her own life to save his so I’m not going to repeat that but did you also know that she reincarnated sixteen years ago on the 16^th of august in California to a women named Lenora who 8 years after that lost her birth father and was adopted by her current father two years later. She was raised by her adoptive father and now right before the time her time will stop she was brought here to the Valleys of the Phantoms where she reunites with her former lover Alexander by her so called father the first Phantom...’ That was enough he was defiantly crazy accusing my father of being a beast and me the reincarnation of some oracle.

‘What proof do you have’ I demanded.

‘A heart on your heart…’ he silently murmured

As I was about to ask him what he meant by that Alex showed up and asked me to follow him. When I asked why he reminded me the classes had already started and we both had the same classes so he thought I would like to go there with him.

Looking at both our expressions Alex looked at Castial suspiciously. Castial just took off saying that he was getting late for his class.

On our way to class Alex asked if Castial was bothering me in anyway. He said that Castial was very sadistic and loved to bully others especially cute girls like me. That reminded me what he said to Jen last night and it suddenly became awkward.

All of my classes finished in such a daze that I didn’t even get what most of them were about. I kept thinking about what Castial told me and about what Alex and Jen were talking about last night. It all just kept going over my head. For a second even I believed Castial but then I realized that I believed him because he believed it. It was really natural how Castial could believe in something so insane and also how Alex believed in something like those myths without any proof even if it made no sense to do so unlike me who is always looking for answers.

 Their blind faith scared me because I came from a world where people need evidence for everything.

I kept looking at the stars where I saw billions of gaseous structures and wondered what they thought of these stars. Jen came and sat beside me. She didn’t ask me anything just quietly sat there and looked at the stars with me.

I asked her maybe just out of curiosity ‘what do you see when you look at the stars?’ 

She didn’t look at me ‘Little sparkly jewels designing the night sky’

I wasn’t usually this relaxed but whenever I was with Jen I always found myself opening up to her ‘Hey Jen are you a believer like Alex and Castial?’

She looked at me finally and with a strange look in her face answered ‘Maybe who knows. Are you?’

I answered instantly ‘No!’  

She was taken aback a little ‘you don’t have to oppose it that strongly?’ But I had to for my peace of mind. If I ever became a believer then I’d start looking for answers which didn’t exist so I had to.

She got my answer without me having to tell her. She just always knew what I wanted to say before I said it. She didn’t ask me anymore questions and we silently kept looking at the stars. Soon the two boys joined us and for the first time in my life I felt like I had friends and it was a very joyous feeling.

After that I always hung out with these guys and Jen and I became very close. I’d tell her everything and let her see my weakest sides and greatest fears. She always knew what to say and most of the time her explanations sounded very reasonable.

Halfway through the month rumours started spreading that me and Alex were going out so things became very awkward between us. I use to spend most of my time with Jen so I was closest to her.

I realized soon enough that Castial didn’t fear Jen but actually loved her. One day I asked him why didn’t he just confess and he sadly reminded me the way Jen detested him. It was really hard to watch it sometimes so I would go and sit beside Alex who would always sit under the tree of salvation whenever he got the chance to. When he was his winter self he didn’t say much but when he was his devil self he would usually tease me if I sat beside him.

By now I realize that Alex’s personality was very different from the usual ones people could describe in a single word or sentence.

One day I was sitting beside Alex reading a book when Castial came looking for us. He announced that my Uncle was looking for us and told me to tell that to Jen. Alex went with Castial while I looked for Jen.

She was nowhere to be found till I got so tired that I shouted her name. As soon as I looked behind me she was standing there looking irritated as if I’d just called her when she was doing something important.

She asked my why was I screaming for her. I told her I’d tell her on our way to my Uncle’s office. I told her that my Uncle was looking for her. Her expression turned blue. She looked very worried.

Inside my Uncle’s office the atmosphere was very tense everyone’s faces were blue. After dropping Jen there I thought I should take my leave seeing as they never talked about the student council in front of me but my Uncle ordered me to stay.

I got worried seeing the others expressions and stood there silently. My Uncle broke the silence by telling us to calm down. He said that it wasn’t a serious matter he just wanted us to plan this year’s welcoming party and he thought that maybe I could help the student council out with the committee work.

We were all relieved. My Uncle just wanted to give us a heads up about the quest list. Alex told him that he already had it. My Uncle wanted us to make it as memorable as possible but there was a time limit of three days. We all freaked at the time limit and started planning right there.

~END of Chapter 6~

Phantom-Chapter 5

Chapter-5

A garden more beautiful than any other garden I’d ever seen. It felt like happiness, joy, freedom and everything good. It was filled with ecstasy. It was then that I realized that wind was a free being when it welcomed me. The place had something nostalgic about it.

This was the place where Alex wanted to bring me so we had to cross the forest of darkness. This was the meeting place. I looked at Alex with disbelief. He said that there was no way to enter here and yet here I was roaming around this forbidden place.

He replied with a smile ‘Didn’t I say it waned you to visit it’

I asked ‘But you said there was no way to enter’   

He corrected me ‘I only said that it was sealed away I never mentioned anything about having no other way to enter it’

I still wasn’t satisfied ‘but didn’t you say that nobody could ever enter?’

He didn’t want to answer the question ‘who cares we’re here now.’ He was right we were here in this mystical garden who cares how we got here what matters is that we are here so we should make the most of it.

Everything was so musical about the garden. It was in full bloom but there was still something that was bothering me like sharp pain tingling in the most deep dark part of my heart. Something was calling me like in the morning. I didn’t know who it was or even what it was but I found myself getting more drown to it.

The voice kept singing and I kept walking. Suddenly the voice stopped. When I could finally feel my body and mind I found myself in front of a small white house. Something was locked in there I could feel it. That was what was calling me. I could feel the sadness from it. It was scared and hurt. It wished to be freed from this prison within its own heart. It called out to me out of loneliness.

I don’t know what I hopped for but when I opened the door to the white building and saw that there was nothing but only a stone casket it disappointed me.

Castial was surprised by my strange behaviour and so was I but Alex thought nothing of it or so I first thought. As soon as Alex laid his eyes on the crackled casket his eyes filled with unbearable pain.

He kept looking at it like he could see the person inside. A somewhat sad silence filled the room till Castial broke it by announcing that it was already evening.

Alex tore his eyes or one could say his heart from the casket and finally looked at us. I thought he was going to cry but he didn’t. He first said a few words to the one lying in the casket and then was ready to return with us.

On our way back Castial accompanied us so we had no problems as he knew his way around the forest. We kept silent the whole time we were in the forest. I found it difficult to talk to him about anything but the question was burning in my mind. I snuck up to Castial and asked him ‘Whose casket was that? And why did that person calm down after Alex’s visit?’ On my second question Castial was a bit surprised though he didn’t question me about it.

He simply answered keeping his voice in a low whisper ‘the oracle; you’ve heard of her haven’t you?’

I answered ‘yes’ but how did he know.

‘It was the Oracle’s grave’ he said not thinking how strange it sounded.

‘What?!’ I raised my voice unconsciously.

He keeping his voice down said ‘Come to me tomorrow at the school garden during lunch break I’ll tell you the rest of the story…..’ At that Alex walked right past us pulling Castial right along with him like he was following our conversation all along and didn’t wish for us to continue any further.

When we returned everyone kept staring at us passing snarky comments but they only did that because they didn’t know it was us. Happy as I was being criticized by those mere ‘minions’ displeased Castial.

Alex was still sad so he shut himself up in his room as soon as we got back.  Uncle Pete was pleasantly surprised to see Castial with us. He was very curious to know about our tour so he kept knocking Alex’s door till Castial told him that Alex had just returned from forsaken building which was the nickname they gave to white house.

Uncle’s expression changed at once. His expression got gloomier but I liked my Uncle’s idiotic side more so I quickly changed the subject and started telling him about all the places we went to today.

I was about to ask him about the casket when Castial interrupted us by informing him Ms Sophie our consular was calling for him.  Uncle didn’t even ask him how he heard that. He just left after getting informed.

Castial passed me a note which said not to tell about our meeting to anyone especially my Uncle and Alex.

It made no sense to pass a note at this distance but before I could tell him that he put a finger on his lips as a way of asking me to not say anything.

I was curious enough to keep quiet so I agreed.

 He stayed for supper though he didn’t eat much. My Uncle didn’t return after the last time he departed and as for Alex he was still locked up in his room.

It was almost around midnight now and Castial sill insisted to stay till he knew Alex was feeling alright. I knew he was being considerate towards his friend but I still wanted him out.

Right when I was trying to think of a way to send him away someone knocked the bedroom door. When I opened the door it was Jenny. What was she doing here? And also at the middle of the night. I had many questions but the most surprising thing was the expression on Castial’s face when he saw Jenny. Anybody could tell by the tension in the air that they knew each other. When Jenny entered the room Castial’s eyes went blank with sadness and guilt.

Jenny asked him to leave but Castial objected ‘Alex just returned from visiting the grave in the forsaken place’ That was enough to let her make her change the firm expression she was using to talk to Castial.

She ordered him to leave for she was here now so there was nothing to worry. Castial didn’t want to but he still listened to her. He left without a word.

I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed that the great Castial was being ordered by none other than Jenny.

Jenny seemed different now. I was so mesmerised by her change it took me a while to realize that she was in my room and also knew I shared it with Alex.

I asked her everything that came into my head ‘What are you doing here and so late and how do you even know Castial and how do you know about the forsaken place and…..’ She cut me off.

She told me that my Uncle had asked her to look after me for the night for Alex was in no shape to do so.

I asked her how did she even know my Uncle?

She sat down on my bed and started explaining everything ‘He is someone I know from a long time ago and even if I hate both Castial’s and Alex’s guts I still have to work with them in taking care of you’.

What she said was something I didn’t expect from her ‘But weren’t you Alex’s fan just yesterday?’

She gave me a look of disbelief ‘His fan?! I hate him with all my might I only did that because there were so many students on the train so I acted like one of those geeky art students so that I didn’t intrigue anybody’s interest in me ’.

She was already lying on my bed so I joined her. Even though she seemed so less warm from yesterday when I hugged her I could feel she was very kind. The whole night as the thunder ravaged the sky she kept holding on to me.

Unlike Alex she didn’t say anything to calm me down though she kept telling me that it was only a clash between two stupid cloud heads in a very sarcastic way but I could sense her uneasiness each time lightning struck. She kept hugging me and caressed my hair. It felt very comfortable and soon I calmed down. To take my fear away she told me that each time a lightning hit somewhere it lost a bit of its energy so by that we knew that it will soon diminish.

Knowing that was comforting but the reason why I hated thunder wasn’t because of the lightning. I hated it because of the dark memories it held for me. Though I didn’t mention it to her she somehow noticed.

She said that we become less afraid of something if we share it with someone.

These memories were dark and disclosed in my heart. I dare not open them even to myself better yet I started telling her about them.

And she was right after telling her about them I felt a lot lighter.  I felt even better when she reminded me that those days were gone so there really was no point in holding on to them. It made so much sense. I was so trapped by my past that I forgot that if all of those things that happened hadn’t happened I would’ve never met my Uncle. I would’ve never found myself.

For the first time in my thunder didn’t remind me of the savaged past but gave me a hope for a better tomorrow and if the tomorrows were as beautiful as the mornings here in the Phantom valleys than the thunder was a good thing it made us see something beautiful in a more beautiful way. It made us appreciate it more.

Jen sang me a sweet lullaby which took away all of my fears and I had fallen asleep without realising it.

In the middle of the night I woke up but I couldn’t come out of the bed because the atmosphere was so heavy. Alex was out of his room and Jenny and he were discussing something or more like Jenny was warning him. I didn’t eavesdrop on them on purpose but I couldn’t fall asleep nor get out of bed because of the condition so I just hid under my blanket pretending to sleep.

I could clearly hear what she was telling him.

She warned him to keep away from me.

He objected ‘And who are you to tell me that?’

‘You know who I am and what I will do if it’s for her’ she said with an angry grunt. 

He pointed out to her ‘You say she’s your best friend but you conceal you true identity from her’

She said trying to calm herself down ‘What about you? I’m just waiting for the right time to tell her and anyway what I hide from her has nothing to do with an outsider like you’

Alex sarcastically said ‘You say you don’t approve of me and yet you let your barrier down when we last visited your shrine and even accepted the offerings I offered to you’

She became a bit uneasy ‘That was because it is my duty’

Alex proclaimed ‘you say it’s your duty but in reality you already know that I’m the only one who’s perfect for her’ and because of what he claimed I just knew if I continued to eavesdrop on them I’d end up hearing something I wasn’t suppose to so that made me nervous and my heart started pounding like crazy.

They noticed something because all the tension in the air just disappeared. Jenny was returning to bed but before that she warned him again ‘She’s not her you shouldn’t expect her to be like her. They are different people even if they are the same they are still far from one. And the next time you see her don’t show Alice your pitiful emotions. She’s but only a girl if we hit her with that much info she’ll resist it so we have to ease into it. So the next time when you go to the forsaken place return as your normal self remember you exist for her sake now for that child has gone through so much that I don’t want to see her get hurt. You get what I’m trying to tell you don’t you Alexander?’

All Alex did was agree with her ‘I do….’ And his voice drifted into a silence.

When Jenny joined the bed again she ran her fingers through my hair and I fell asleep instantly.

That day I felt like I heard something I shouldn’t have.

~END of Chapter 5~