Member
Hello everyone. It's been a long time since I've been on the WBO and it's been a long time since i've written a story. So with the new year I've decided to start on a new story.
Also this story is not about Beyblade. So hopefully you'll be seeing a more exciting and better-written storyline than my other story.
Well, enough of my long winded rant. Go ahead and start reading. Enjoy!
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I couldn’t believe my eyes. Just the sight made my head spin. How did this happen? It was impossible. It was amazing. But then again, he always was…
Right in front of me stood Blade, who was waiting in line to get whatever slop they were serving in the cafeteria. It seemed too good to be true. I knew I saw Blade, dead, in the arms of a killer and I knew it was real because I relived the moment every few second in my head. And yet he was there. In my head I was cautious at first- I’d learned not to trust things that couldn’t be true- but I couldn’t resist the enticement of his welcoming warmth, and his laugh and his eyes and I wanted to just go up to him and lock myself in his arms. But I restrained myself. The last thing I wanted to do was make a scene, but I promised myself that I would unlock my shackles at the first chance I could grab.
I could see by the look on Aditi’s face that she had seen him too and she was beyond shock. It was 3:40 now (according to my watch) and this time I was waiting for her, but I didn’t mind because the extra ten minutes gave me some time to level my head. I didn’t know how to approach the situation with Blade. Our friendship was frail to me. It felt new. Fresh. I still felt like he was the hurt boy I met those years ago.
I remembered my mother telling me about channelling my feelings and emotions, because of my emotional instability as a child. She would give me a piece of paper which had written, in her scruffy handwriting: “My name is Claire Diamond and I am…†and I would have to write down how I was feeling. Although, I didn’t physically do this most of the time, I still remembered her writing in my head and I remembered to note, in my head, what I was feeling.
My name is Claire Diamond and I am confused.
She didn’t do this anymore. In fact, she barely did anything anymore. There was no life left in my mother’s eyes.
“So, you saw him too?†I asked Aditi as we walked towards the bus stop. Although, our houses were only a fifteen-minute walk away at worst, I think we both agreed that we were too drained to bother with exercise.
“Yeah,†she said, shivering. Was it the cold or the shock? I couldn’t figure it out.
“It’s crazy, right? I mean you saw him die last night.â€
“Yeah, I mean-†She stopped the sentence abruptly, while I sat there, impatiently, waiting for her to continue. Her eyes seemed fixed on the man in front of us, before she tore them away to look outside the window. I tried to grab her attention, but she just ignored me.
My name is Claire Diamond and I am even more confused.
I recognised this sort of behaviour. The rapid breaths. The wide eyes. The fidgety thumbs. It was the same way she acted when we saw the faceless man. I just pre-occupied myself with the sight of my surroundings. As my eyes scanned the world beyond the bus, which was cut off by a greyed window, I noticed a man running hopelessly to catch the 151, which I could tell he never would achieve. Meanwhile, a girl, probably not much older than me, was sitting against a wall, her breath forming clouds in the air. I could tell from her eyes that she was tired. No, beyond that. She was absolutely drained of all her energy. Just to her left was a man. His back was turned to me, but he was very tall and wearing a long tweed coat going down to his knees. A deerstalker hat covered most of his face but what I could see was completely pale. He’s probably very cold, I thought. The man turned around so that I could see his face. If he had one. Then, my heart started to pound against my chest. I could hear my conscious yelling at me to get out of there. But, I could only stare in terror. I tried to get up, since I was nearing my stop anyway, but I couldn’t seem to do it. I was chained to the spot. My eyes were imprisoned in that empty face. Only when the bus started moving again did I lose sight of the faceless man and start to gain control of my body. The relief flooded in, but even as that happened I couldn’t seem to comprehend what I had just seen.
“C’mon Ads, it’s our stop now.†I whispered, not wanting to draw attention to myself and add to my anxiety. As I took a step off the platform and onto the concrete pavement, one passenger was drawn to my attention; the one in the sitting in front of where we were, who was now facing us. Only he had no face. The claws of fear clutched me again. Clutched me hard. I only glimpsed his face for a second, but it was unmistakable. I got a second sight of his face when the bus left the stop and he stared at me as the bus driver drove it away. The headache I thought I got rid of suddenly returned. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, another technique my mother had taught me. When I opened them it was worse. Everywhere I looked. Every face I saw was replaced by that face of evil that had been stalking me since last night. Everyone was faceless. Strangers on the street. People from school. Even a worried-looking Aditi, standing next to me. Their real faces seemed to melt away and they were replaced by… nothing. A blank sheet. They were all faceless. I tried to run. They all hissed at me as I stumbled past them. I kept running, tears forming in my eyes. I didn’t look back. Once I was a safe distance away, I shut my eyes and once again counted to ten. My vision seemed normal again and I decided to observe my surroundings. The first face I saw lightened my mood completely. The relief of seeing his face, as opposed to a monster’s, was overwhelming. I couldn’t help but fling my arms around Blade’s neck, feeling his strong chest against mine. But the terror wasn’t over. Blade seemed to blush. That wasn’t like him.
“Oh, hello,†he said, “I’m sorry, but… do I know you?†I suddenly jerked away, almost ready to slap him. How could he forget me?
“Yes, you idiot!†I snapped. He gave me a blank look. He honestly didn’t know who I was. “Did you hit your head or something? I’m Claire.†I was completely ready now to kill him. The last thing I needed was a prank. But it wasn’t a prank.
“Look, I’m sorry; I don’t know who you are. Maybe you mistook me for someone else.†He thought about this, before nodding his head as if convinced this was true. But I knew this was Blade. Now my headache was pounding worse than ever before.
“I can’t believe you.†I uttered, but before he could say another word I staggered away. When I eventually found a free park bench, I lay on it, rolled into a ball with my knees in my eyes and cried. It was too much to take in. It seemed like years before I sat up, doubled over and vomited on the grass. The taste of bitter bile stung the sides of my mouth as I walked home. Home. The thought almost made me smile. Hopefully I would be safe there.-----
That night I had nightmares. My reality was a nightmare.
I awoke my body sticky and drenched in sweat. My younger brother, Jett, was sitting by my bedside stroking my hair out. Jett and I wouldn’t instantly be recognised as brother and sister if you saw us - which is a good thing sometimes, I guess – but our hair was exactly the same shade of brown and that was our defining feature. Our common thread. The thing that tied up all the things that made us so close. Although he was three years younger than me he was very mature and I felt that I could share anything with him: and I did most of the time. But we were complete opposites really. He was popular, sporty, attractive and smart, and while we were very close, I felt like he was overtaking me in every way. I was older so I should’ve been better, right? Better at something at least. And yet it seemed he still looked up to me as a sort of role model, when deep inside I knew he couldn’t have chosen a worse role model.
Only later, when I had gone past that half-asleep phase that happens after you wake up, did I notice my mother was in my room too. The smell of sick lingered in the air and there was a massive stain on my bed covers, though it was clear someone had tried to clean it. The familiar surroundings of my room slowly start to appear around me and I feel safer. I still saw the face of that monster every time I closed my eyes, but I knew that when I opened my eyes, the people that I trusted most would be there. I noticed my clock: 3:56AM. Was it that early? Then I realised something else. I would have to go to school in a few hours. I didn’t feel like a thousand years was enough to let me recover from the state I was in, let alone a few hours! Things gradually came back to me. Small things. About my life. I remembered moments, snippets of my life, like the night I met Cole. Or sleepovers at Aditi’s house. Or scenes of bullying and abuse.
It seemed the more I remembered about my life, the worse I realised it was.
I could tell that my mother thought I was just ill – maybe I’d eaten something bad at school- but my brother could see beneath the surface of the situation. He could look into my eyes and know that I wasn’t ill, I was sick… in the head. The thoughts, memories of everything just overwhelmed me. Every few seconds I had to face a new horror in my mind. And yet here I was, eating breakfast as if nothing had happened. I loved my mother, but she didn’t understand what was going on inside my head. But Jett did.
“Mum, I lost my iPod,†Jett said staring at me with his laser eyes, “have you seen it?â€
“No,†my mum replied with her back turned as she was occupied with some toast, “go have a look in your roomâ€
“Claire, come help me.†To be honest, I didn’t want to. I didn’t even want to budge from the seat I was in, but the look he was giving me told me that it was something more important than his iPod. I followed him upstairs, just so we were out of my mother’s earshot.
“What is it?†I moaned. He held my gaze for few seconds, as if scanning my eyes for problems.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!†He said in a sort of shouting whisper. Looking at him quizzically, I shrugged and tore my eyes from his. But he pulled them back by grabbing my shoulders. “Something happened. I know that much. I just want to know what it was. Please, Claire, I’m worried about you.†He opened his mouth to continue, but then closed it, realising what he had to say wasn’t going to change anything. I refused to tell him and carried on sitting comfortably on his bed in silence. Then he hugged me. He had never hugged me before. I didn’t hate my brother. I didn’t know what I would ever do without him. But I never thought I loved him. I never thought he loved me. I guess after he saw my vulnerability, he saw that I needed him. Great! Another thing he does better than me. Being a good sibling. That faceless man had changed me. Broken me beyond repair. I knew that. But I never thought it would change the people around me, especially my brother. That’s when I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I told him everything.
By the end of the story, he was just staring at me, wide-eyed, in disbelief and waited for someone to make some sense of it. I expected that telling him would make the situation easier for me to handle, but instead it did the opposite, just adding to my guilt and worry. Now I wouldn’t be the only one waking up in the middle of the night, screaming silently, because the image of a man kept attacking my thoughts and taking over my entire mind.
My name is Claire Diamond and I am so stupid
While he was trying to comprehend the story, our mother called us, saying that we had to leave or we would be late. But despite all the terrors I had already face I knew that school would be worse because I would have to face the worst terror of all. Blade.-----
The sight of his face as I walked through the school’s massive double doors reassured me. Blade wouldn’t forget me. It was just a prank or something, right? He just caught me at the wrong place at the wrong time. I could see the determined look in his eyes, showing me that he had somewhere to be. Not lessons, those didn’t start for another 30 minutes anyway, but something a bit more vital. I quickened my pace in an attempt to catch up with him. If he did need to do something, he wouldn’t bother to be stopped by me and my stupid problems, but I wasn’t following him for that reason, it was more like my curiosity stirring inside me and driving me on. I attained a few dirty looks because on the path to Blade I seemed to be ploughing crowds of people to either side of me. I was as focused on my target as him. Suddenly, somebody jabbed me in the stomach and the pain spread through me like a fire. Not the pain of the hit. The pain of losing sight of Blade again. It was pain mixed with sadness and despair and something else, I couldn’t put my finger on what it was though. I pushed myself up and briskly walked, grabbing the attention of anyone around me. Luckily, I didn’t lose sight of Blade. In fact, it seemed as if he’d stopped. He was in front of a small wooden door and I noted that the dense crowds had thinned down now and it seemed that Blade’s eyes were closely fixed on one girl. It took me a while to recognise her and though I didn’t know her that well, I could tell that it was Aditi’s elder sister. I didn’t know much about her, because Aditi tended not to mention her, but I saw her around school. She wasn’t really a friend. Just one of those people you wave to on the street. Nonetheless, I still knew her and was curious about what Blade would want to do with her. I wish I never found out.
I continued to trail Blade into the somewhat spooky door. It led into a narrow stone stairwell, which was lit only by a few windows. I’d always wanted to be in espionage when I was younger and this was the best chance I was ever going to get and it did feel exactly like a scene from a film. I didn’t remember this section of the school building. I’d never seen it in my life. I could barely see it then, because it was so dark. I lost sight of Blade again as he turned a corner and started to wonder whether this was really worth it. What was I going to see? Suspicion just seemed to hang in the air. I stopped at an ajar door, which Blade and Aditi’s sister had just entered, and peeked through it.
Inside the room was a large library-type building, with rows of books lining three edges of the room, the other one just a wall which had paint peeling off like banana skin, and there was a coloured mat in the centre. It looked as if it hadn’t been used for years. Blade ambled in and pulled out a book, although I could tell he was only pretending to take an interest in it. Aditi’s sister was picking up a bunch of books too. I noticed her face, stricken with fear and worry. I wished I could see the books she was gathering. It might have given me a better insight into this situation, because it really was making my head spin. That’s when I saw Blade look up. At me. His eyes were different. I knew he saw me, but he chose to ignore me. He seemed annoyed at my presence, but he wasn’t going to do anything about it. I held his gaze and could see that he was locked in thought. He swiftly turned away and pulled something metal out of his pocket. A gun. In what seemed like a few seconds, he spun around and pushed his arm into Aditi’s sister’s neck. She was propelled forward, smashing into a bookcase as she fell to the floor. Blade put his gun up to her head, boring a hole into her thoughts. She could barely speak but she managed to let out a few slurred words.
“Don’t shoot me, please.†Blade just stared, heartless. She was crying. I could see death taunting her in her mind. She was begging.
“I’m not going to shoot you,†Blade said, without any emotion backing his voice. A wave of relief washed over her face. The same thing was happening to me. Aditi’s sister was choking up on gratitude for Blade. Personally, I would never be able to look at him the same way again after that show of evil. But just as everything started to look up, Blade unsheathed a knife.
“I’m not going to shoot you… Those were not the orders.†In what seemed like slow motion, the knife sliced through the air.-----
![[Image: request4v.png]](https://img692.imageshack.us/img692/3791/request4v.png)
Thanks to Synth for the sig and the avatar
PM me for Mario Kart Wii, Brawl or Pokemon. My Pokemon FC is 2365 6466 0001
Before you read a story, go to Renagade Reviews. If you have a story, then ask us for a review: http://worldbeyblade.org/Thread-Renegade...#pid729778
“I thought the devil was a goat-man with a curly beard and horns. I was wrong. Now I know the devil has no face… Literally.â€
Read my new story Faceless. It's promised to be bigger and better than my last one.
http://worldbeyblade.org/Thread-Faceless...pid1080518
Also this story is not about Beyblade. So hopefully you'll be seeing a more exciting and better-written storyline than my other story.
Well, enough of my long winded rant. Go ahead and start reading. Enjoy!
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Prolouge (Click to View)
I stayed, kneeling, on the floor, hands in my eyes and shoulders resting on my bent knees, while I whispered a silent prayer. Despite the breathing of the disturbing creature in front of me and the footsteps of my possessed friend, Blade, hammering into my ears like alarm bells, I tried to think; to think of an escape to this horrible reality I was thrown into. But there was none. If I so much as dared to face the monster before me I would surely die. If I did try to run away I would have to get past Blade. And his gun. So I waited, stalling my fate.
But I could only hinder my death a for a few minutes. Tears leaked out of my eyes. I knew what was going to happen. But if I had to die, I decided it was better to see what this demon looked like, just to give my curiosity one last meal. So I allowed my hands to droop to the floor. I forced my eyes open. Slowly, I craned my head up, just to look right into this beast’s eyes, just to make one last courageous action. But when I looked at the beast I saw no eyes. I saw no mouth, either. In fact, I saw no face at all. The monster had a humanoid figure but its face was blank: just a white sheet of paper waiting to be filled in with features. Despite this, I could still sense that it was smiling. I had given up. I had fallen into its trap. I had done just what it wanted. With a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction, my thoughts slowly began to melt away. My head became fluffy, as if the life was being drained out of it. My vision faded to black as the world around me spun into non-existence. All I could hear was that same breathing from this faceless monster and those same footsteps from Blade, only the footsteps were louder now. Not that it mattered. I was dying. That was the moment I felt my hands lose their grasp on my life. I took a long breath.
I thought the devil was a goat-man with a curly beard and horns. I was wrong. Now I know the devil has no face… Literally.
But I could only hinder my death a for a few minutes. Tears leaked out of my eyes. I knew what was going to happen. But if I had to die, I decided it was better to see what this demon looked like, just to give my curiosity one last meal. So I allowed my hands to droop to the floor. I forced my eyes open. Slowly, I craned my head up, just to look right into this beast’s eyes, just to make one last courageous action. But when I looked at the beast I saw no eyes. I saw no mouth, either. In fact, I saw no face at all. The monster had a humanoid figure but its face was blank: just a white sheet of paper waiting to be filled in with features. Despite this, I could still sense that it was smiling. I had given up. I had fallen into its trap. I had done just what it wanted. With a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction, my thoughts slowly began to melt away. My head became fluffy, as if the life was being drained out of it. My vision faded to black as the world around me spun into non-existence. All I could hear was that same breathing from this faceless monster and those same footsteps from Blade, only the footsteps were louder now. Not that it mattered. I was dying. That was the moment I felt my hands lose their grasp on my life. I took a long breath.
I thought the devil was a goat-man with a curly beard and horns. I was wrong. Now I know the devil has no face… Literally.
Chapter 1 (Click to View)
Before I was enticed into a world of mystery and monsters, my life was pretty normal.
Like any normal 14-year-old girl I was locked in my classroom, attempting some algebra worksheet which seemed like a completely different language. When I gave up on trying to discover what ‘x’ equalled, I looked up the clock as I twirled a lock of my chestnut hair in between my fingers. The clock read quarter-past-three, which meant another fifteen minutes until the school bell set me free. So I had fifteen minutes to kill. I took a peek at the teacher. Reading. So I was safe to stop working. I twisted around in my chair, my bent elbow resting on the top of my unstable chair, so I was in a perfect position to talk to Blade. Blade was my best friend, one of them anyway. The other was Aditi, but she was, as usual, scrubbing her pen on the paper and she would never defy the teacher in any way. Blade, however, was already looking up at me with that mischievous smirk painted on his face. His rugged blonde hair hung from his forehead in strands and reached right down to his blue eyes. He had noticeably chiselled features and a scar across his left cheek was the only imperfection to his fair skin (and even that added a sort of flavour to his face). He was handsome, but I had no romantic feelings for him, or at least that’s what I thought then.
“You know the answer to Question Six?†I asked.
“What do you think?†he replied with that sarcastic look smeared across his face. I had to suppress a laugh into just a smile. He wasn’t the smartest, but his sense of humour made up for all of that. “So you got any plans afterschool?†he added before I turned away.
“Well I was gonna go to Aditi’s house. Why?â€
“Oh, it’s nothing. Never mind.†He tried to smile, but I could see a flicker of disappointment in those eyes. I already knew that Blade didn’t particularly like Aditi so I guessed that was why. He pretended to concentrate on his work but everyone knew he was hopeless at Maths. So, I turned myself back around calmly, only to have my eyes met by a disappointed, wrinkled face.
“Talking in class, were you, Claire?†My teacher, Miss Snow, cautioned. I tried to speak, but the shock of her face appearing in front of me silenced me, leaving my mouth fluttering.
“Yes,†I managed. That was when the bell rang. Just my luck! If I’d just stayed out of trouble for that last few minutes I would be able to go home right about now. To the flattering of books and the closing of pencil cases Miss Snow uttered one word.
“Detention.â€
Like any normal 14-year-old girl I was locked in my classroom, attempting some algebra worksheet which seemed like a completely different language. When I gave up on trying to discover what ‘x’ equalled, I looked up the clock as I twirled a lock of my chestnut hair in between my fingers. The clock read quarter-past-three, which meant another fifteen minutes until the school bell set me free. So I had fifteen minutes to kill. I took a peek at the teacher. Reading. So I was safe to stop working. I twisted around in my chair, my bent elbow resting on the top of my unstable chair, so I was in a perfect position to talk to Blade. Blade was my best friend, one of them anyway. The other was Aditi, but she was, as usual, scrubbing her pen on the paper and she would never defy the teacher in any way. Blade, however, was already looking up at me with that mischievous smirk painted on his face. His rugged blonde hair hung from his forehead in strands and reached right down to his blue eyes. He had noticeably chiselled features and a scar across his left cheek was the only imperfection to his fair skin (and even that added a sort of flavour to his face). He was handsome, but I had no romantic feelings for him, or at least that’s what I thought then.
“You know the answer to Question Six?†I asked.
“What do you think?†he replied with that sarcastic look smeared across his face. I had to suppress a laugh into just a smile. He wasn’t the smartest, but his sense of humour made up for all of that. “So you got any plans afterschool?†he added before I turned away.
“Well I was gonna go to Aditi’s house. Why?â€
“Oh, it’s nothing. Never mind.†He tried to smile, but I could see a flicker of disappointment in those eyes. I already knew that Blade didn’t particularly like Aditi so I guessed that was why. He pretended to concentrate on his work but everyone knew he was hopeless at Maths. So, I turned myself back around calmly, only to have my eyes met by a disappointed, wrinkled face.
“Talking in class, were you, Claire?†My teacher, Miss Snow, cautioned. I tried to speak, but the shock of her face appearing in front of me silenced me, leaving my mouth fluttering.
“Yes,†I managed. That was when the bell rang. Just my luck! If I’d just stayed out of trouble for that last few minutes I would be able to go home right about now. To the flattering of books and the closing of pencil cases Miss Snow uttered one word.
“Detention.â€
Chapter 2 (Click to View)
By the time I had completed my lengthy detention and packed away my schoolbag, it was about five-thirty. It was winter so, already it was very dark. All I saw when I exited the school gates was the disappointed face of Aditi, who had been waiting for the past two hours for me.
“I am so annoyed,†Aditi growled. Aditi was a short, Indian girl, who thought about nothing but schoolwork. She was a very hard-worker, but sometimes she went over the top with effort. For example, when we got an assignment about Mount Everest, she made a scale model of it. Out of sweets and meringue! She had large, thick glasses over her brown eyes. Her soft, chocolate skin perfectly suited her neat, combed hair. She was holding few books in her hand, but wore a fashionable satchel over her right shoulder to carry the remainder. No doubt she was studying while she waited.
“Look, Ads, I’m sorry. I didn’t know this was going to happen.†She walked quicker now, to get further away from me without ditching me. I grabbed her shoulder, even though I could barely see it in the darkness. “Ads, please…†She pivoted around.
“J-Just, shut up, okay!†she screamed, “I don’t want to talk to you right now.†And with that comment placed, she ran away. I guessed she was angry because I made her late for something. Punctuality was essential for Aditi and I snatched that away from her. Without saying a word, I ran after her.
It was only after about five minutes, when I stopped, realising we’d just reached the old graveyard. The place was apparently cursed; of course I didn’t believe that, but it still seemed ominous to be walking into a graveyard when it was this dark.
“You’re not actually going in there, are you?†I called.
“I will if it gets me away from you.â€
“Please, can we just go home?†The desperation in my voice made her hesitate and for a second she was about to turn around and give in to the promise of warmth and comfort. That was before we heard screaming.
“What was that?!†she shouted, before running through the barely visible metal gates and into the graveyard. Naturally, I went after her.
“How am I meant to know?†I did know though. The sound of that scream was unmistakable. It was Blade’s.
I was reminded of the first time Blade and I had met. Being one of my only two friends, I remembered the moment clearly, as if it were a video. I heard screaming and cursing coming from behind a group of trees, which sat on the outskirts of a dense forest nearby my house. I was simply walking home from Aditi’s house, when I heard the screams of terror and helplessness seeped out of the words he said. So I walked over to him. He was laying on the floor, crippled, blood streaming out of his right leg. His jeans, along with the grass around it were stained red. I couldn’t stand the sight of blood so I just decided not to look at his damaged leg directly.
“Y’alright?†I asked, more inquisitively than worriedly.
“What does it look like?†he answered, among more curses.
“You look hurt.â€
“Oh really, I didn’t realise,†he commented sarcastically. I had to swallow a laugh in at this remark.
“Wait; let me call 999 on my phone.†I picked up my phone, typing in the numbers I never expected I would need, while he lay on the floor. I wasn’t good in emergencies and that showed through the anxiety emanating through my voice. I told the lady on the phone about Blade’s state and then sat down, cross-legged, next to him. And we talked. We talked for ages. I attempted to comfort him, but it never worked. At one point, I remembered that you’re meant to stop the flow of blood and lent him my jumper to cover up the wound, which was fine by me because it meant I wouldn’t have to look at the disgusting thing anymore. He told me that he was beaten up by some bullies, who’d thrown rocks at him before leaving him to rot on the floor, and that’s how he ended up in this state. I could relate to it all since I was a target of bullying too. But all the while we were talking he kept screaming, kept returning to that state of unimaginable agony. That scream. That constant, amazing, beautiful scream. How could I forget it? It was literally a personification of all the pain and suffering I’d ever seen. Eventually, after hours of waiting on Blade and trying to ease his agony, the ambulance arrived to take him away. The memory was clear in my mind but what I remember most was his kiss.
But soon that recollection faded away because at that moment there were better things to worry about. Deeper and deeper Aditi and I ran into the darkness. The screaming continued. We tried to trace it, but we might as well have been running in circles. I couldn’t help but let my fear and anxiety take over. Was Blade okay? What was happening to him? All I knew was that if it was the same scream, it must’ve been the about same level of pain and I wasn’t prepared to see him like that again. Silent tears fell from my eyes and, luckily, in the darkness Aditi couldn’t see the emotional breakdown I was going through. A wave of hopelessness crashed over me and I soon relinquished. However Aditi was still running around frantically, searching for the source of the continuing clamour, but, when the screaming suddenly stooped, she plopped next to me on the grass, giving up.
“So you think this place really is cursed, like they say?†I inquired after about half a minute of just the silence. She opened her mouth to answer, but her words seemed to be stolen from her mouth before she could say them. Obviously, she was distracted by something behind me. I spun around only in time to see a slight movement of a humanoid figure behind a particularly tall, new-looking gravestone. I watched for a while, scanning for more movement. Just when I was about to turn back around and tell Aditi nothing was there, I saw it. Only for a second. But it was a second too long. He seemed like just a normal man in a long jacket that went down to his knees. But if he was normal then why was he in a graveyard? And why was he carrying a seemingly lifeless body of Blade? I could comprehend any of it, but at my first guess I thought this guy was a serial killer. Perhaps it was the TV shows and films getting to my head, but it seemed the only logical explanation.
“Let’s get out of here Aditi. I don’t think we’re safe.†Aditi just nodded, half-paralysed in fear. Trying (and failing) to hide the horror in my voice, I comforted her. I could feel someone’s eyes, watching me as I tried to flee. I could feel the breath of the wind whispering down my neck ominously. I could see flashes of a pale white face between the outlines of trees, which made my head spin whenever I looked at it. It was the guy that took Blade. He was there. Following me. And as I walked away I couldn’t help but wonder one thing.
Did that guy have no face?
“I am so annoyed,†Aditi growled. Aditi was a short, Indian girl, who thought about nothing but schoolwork. She was a very hard-worker, but sometimes she went over the top with effort. For example, when we got an assignment about Mount Everest, she made a scale model of it. Out of sweets and meringue! She had large, thick glasses over her brown eyes. Her soft, chocolate skin perfectly suited her neat, combed hair. She was holding few books in her hand, but wore a fashionable satchel over her right shoulder to carry the remainder. No doubt she was studying while she waited.
“Look, Ads, I’m sorry. I didn’t know this was going to happen.†She walked quicker now, to get further away from me without ditching me. I grabbed her shoulder, even though I could barely see it in the darkness. “Ads, please…†She pivoted around.
“J-Just, shut up, okay!†she screamed, “I don’t want to talk to you right now.†And with that comment placed, she ran away. I guessed she was angry because I made her late for something. Punctuality was essential for Aditi and I snatched that away from her. Without saying a word, I ran after her.
It was only after about five minutes, when I stopped, realising we’d just reached the old graveyard. The place was apparently cursed; of course I didn’t believe that, but it still seemed ominous to be walking into a graveyard when it was this dark.
“You’re not actually going in there, are you?†I called.
“I will if it gets me away from you.â€
“Please, can we just go home?†The desperation in my voice made her hesitate and for a second she was about to turn around and give in to the promise of warmth and comfort. That was before we heard screaming.
“What was that?!†she shouted, before running through the barely visible metal gates and into the graveyard. Naturally, I went after her.
“How am I meant to know?†I did know though. The sound of that scream was unmistakable. It was Blade’s.
I was reminded of the first time Blade and I had met. Being one of my only two friends, I remembered the moment clearly, as if it were a video. I heard screaming and cursing coming from behind a group of trees, which sat on the outskirts of a dense forest nearby my house. I was simply walking home from Aditi’s house, when I heard the screams of terror and helplessness seeped out of the words he said. So I walked over to him. He was laying on the floor, crippled, blood streaming out of his right leg. His jeans, along with the grass around it were stained red. I couldn’t stand the sight of blood so I just decided not to look at his damaged leg directly.
“Y’alright?†I asked, more inquisitively than worriedly.
“What does it look like?†he answered, among more curses.
“You look hurt.â€
“Oh really, I didn’t realise,†he commented sarcastically. I had to swallow a laugh in at this remark.
“Wait; let me call 999 on my phone.†I picked up my phone, typing in the numbers I never expected I would need, while he lay on the floor. I wasn’t good in emergencies and that showed through the anxiety emanating through my voice. I told the lady on the phone about Blade’s state and then sat down, cross-legged, next to him. And we talked. We talked for ages. I attempted to comfort him, but it never worked. At one point, I remembered that you’re meant to stop the flow of blood and lent him my jumper to cover up the wound, which was fine by me because it meant I wouldn’t have to look at the disgusting thing anymore. He told me that he was beaten up by some bullies, who’d thrown rocks at him before leaving him to rot on the floor, and that’s how he ended up in this state. I could relate to it all since I was a target of bullying too. But all the while we were talking he kept screaming, kept returning to that state of unimaginable agony. That scream. That constant, amazing, beautiful scream. How could I forget it? It was literally a personification of all the pain and suffering I’d ever seen. Eventually, after hours of waiting on Blade and trying to ease his agony, the ambulance arrived to take him away. The memory was clear in my mind but what I remember most was his kiss.
But soon that recollection faded away because at that moment there were better things to worry about. Deeper and deeper Aditi and I ran into the darkness. The screaming continued. We tried to trace it, but we might as well have been running in circles. I couldn’t help but let my fear and anxiety take over. Was Blade okay? What was happening to him? All I knew was that if it was the same scream, it must’ve been the about same level of pain and I wasn’t prepared to see him like that again. Silent tears fell from my eyes and, luckily, in the darkness Aditi couldn’t see the emotional breakdown I was going through. A wave of hopelessness crashed over me and I soon relinquished. However Aditi was still running around frantically, searching for the source of the continuing clamour, but, when the screaming suddenly stooped, she plopped next to me on the grass, giving up.
“So you think this place really is cursed, like they say?†I inquired after about half a minute of just the silence. She opened her mouth to answer, but her words seemed to be stolen from her mouth before she could say them. Obviously, she was distracted by something behind me. I spun around only in time to see a slight movement of a humanoid figure behind a particularly tall, new-looking gravestone. I watched for a while, scanning for more movement. Just when I was about to turn back around and tell Aditi nothing was there, I saw it. Only for a second. But it was a second too long. He seemed like just a normal man in a long jacket that went down to his knees. But if he was normal then why was he in a graveyard? And why was he carrying a seemingly lifeless body of Blade? I could comprehend any of it, but at my first guess I thought this guy was a serial killer. Perhaps it was the TV shows and films getting to my head, but it seemed the only logical explanation.
“Let’s get out of here Aditi. I don’t think we’re safe.†Aditi just nodded, half-paralysed in fear. Trying (and failing) to hide the horror in my voice, I comforted her. I could feel someone’s eyes, watching me as I tried to flee. I could feel the breath of the wind whispering down my neck ominously. I could see flashes of a pale white face between the outlines of trees, which made my head spin whenever I looked at it. It was the guy that took Blade. He was there. Following me. And as I walked away I couldn’t help but wonder one thing.
Did that guy have no face?
Chapter 3 (Click to View)
By the morning, my eyes were heavy and I barely had enough strength to drag myself out of bed. I didn’t sleep much the previous night because Blade’s screaming lingered in my head and the nightmares of the torture he might have to endure just woke me up whenever I did manage to close my eyes. The whole experience had left me with a splitting headache, as if someone was punching the inside of my skull. So there I was, walking to school, via Aditi’s house, half-asleep and disappointed in myself for not having the courage to save Blade. I had to focus my thoughts to keep myself awake so I focused on the one thing I could think about. The one thing that occupied my head. The one thing that had stolen all my thoughts and emotions. That one thing was Blade. At first I was angry at him. How could he just disappear? He was one of my only two friends and he just left me to face the cold, harsh world alone. Then I realised it was my fault. I was the one who hesitated to save him. Fear dominated me that night and forced me to run away. I knew I would never forgive myself for what I did. But what if it wasn’t too late? What if I could still save Blade? It was a longshot, but it was the only shot I had. By the time I’d trudged myself up to Aditi’s doorstep I’d already made up my mind. I had to find Blade, dead or alive.
On the way to school, I told Aditi all I knew. About Blade’s scream. About how I knew it was him. About the time Blade and I first met (leaving out particular details). At first, Aditi didn’t believe me- it was a bit farfetched to believe that I could tell that Blade had been kidnapped last night just by a scream and with no evidence- but eventually she saw how serious I was about it and decided to play along.
“So how exactly do you plan on finding him?†she queried.
“Well, I don’t actually know. I guess to find him, we’re gonna have to find that guy we saw in the graveyard yesterday.†Aditi looked at me as if I was crazy. Sometimes I wondered if I was. I was scared to death that night when I saw the man. It was as if my brain was melting. But I was determined to find Blade.
“Okay, even if we wanted to find that guy again, how would we do it? It’s not like he’s just going to show up whenever we want him too.â€
“Whatever. I’m just saying we need to try.†Aditi stopped at the school gate.
“Look, you do what you want to do. Just don’t drag me into this creepy murder stuff.†She then ran into the school building, intending to be on time. I ambled in after her, only just realising a tall man had materialised behind the school gates and was watching her intently. The weirdest part was that he had no face.
On the way to school, I told Aditi all I knew. About Blade’s scream. About how I knew it was him. About the time Blade and I first met (leaving out particular details). At first, Aditi didn’t believe me- it was a bit farfetched to believe that I could tell that Blade had been kidnapped last night just by a scream and with no evidence- but eventually she saw how serious I was about it and decided to play along.
“So how exactly do you plan on finding him?†she queried.
“Well, I don’t actually know. I guess to find him, we’re gonna have to find that guy we saw in the graveyard yesterday.†Aditi looked at me as if I was crazy. Sometimes I wondered if I was. I was scared to death that night when I saw the man. It was as if my brain was melting. But I was determined to find Blade.
“Okay, even if we wanted to find that guy again, how would we do it? It’s not like he’s just going to show up whenever we want him too.â€
“Whatever. I’m just saying we need to try.†Aditi stopped at the school gate.
“Look, you do what you want to do. Just don’t drag me into this creepy murder stuff.†She then ran into the school building, intending to be on time. I ambled in after her, only just realising a tall man had materialised behind the school gates and was watching her intently. The weirdest part was that he had no face.
Chapter 4 (Click to View)
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Just the sight made my head spin. How did this happen? It was impossible. It was amazing. But then again, he always was…
Right in front of me stood Blade, who was waiting in line to get whatever slop they were serving in the cafeteria. It seemed too good to be true. I knew I saw Blade, dead, in the arms of a killer and I knew it was real because I relived the moment every few second in my head. And yet he was there. In my head I was cautious at first- I’d learned not to trust things that couldn’t be true- but I couldn’t resist the enticement of his welcoming warmth, and his laugh and his eyes and I wanted to just go up to him and lock myself in his arms. But I restrained myself. The last thing I wanted to do was make a scene, but I promised myself that I would unlock my shackles at the first chance I could grab.
I could see by the look on Aditi’s face that she had seen him too and she was beyond shock. It was 3:40 now (according to my watch) and this time I was waiting for her, but I didn’t mind because the extra ten minutes gave me some time to level my head. I didn’t know how to approach the situation with Blade. Our friendship was frail to me. It felt new. Fresh. I still felt like he was the hurt boy I met those years ago.
I remembered my mother telling me about channelling my feelings and emotions, because of my emotional instability as a child. She would give me a piece of paper which had written, in her scruffy handwriting: “My name is Claire Diamond and I am…†and I would have to write down how I was feeling. Although, I didn’t physically do this most of the time, I still remembered her writing in my head and I remembered to note, in my head, what I was feeling.
My name is Claire Diamond and I am confused.
She didn’t do this anymore. In fact, she barely did anything anymore. There was no life left in my mother’s eyes.
“So, you saw him too?†I asked Aditi as we walked towards the bus stop. Although, our houses were only a fifteen-minute walk away at worst, I think we both agreed that we were too drained to bother with exercise.
“Yeah,†she said, shivering. Was it the cold or the shock? I couldn’t figure it out.
“It’s crazy, right? I mean you saw him die last night.â€
“Yeah, I mean-†She stopped the sentence abruptly, while I sat there, impatiently, waiting for her to continue. Her eyes seemed fixed on the man in front of us, before she tore them away to look outside the window. I tried to grab her attention, but she just ignored me.
My name is Claire Diamond and I am even more confused.
I recognised this sort of behaviour. The rapid breaths. The wide eyes. The fidgety thumbs. It was the same way she acted when we saw the faceless man. I just pre-occupied myself with the sight of my surroundings. As my eyes scanned the world beyond the bus, which was cut off by a greyed window, I noticed a man running hopelessly to catch the 151, which I could tell he never would achieve. Meanwhile, a girl, probably not much older than me, was sitting against a wall, her breath forming clouds in the air. I could tell from her eyes that she was tired. No, beyond that. She was absolutely drained of all her energy. Just to her left was a man. His back was turned to me, but he was very tall and wearing a long tweed coat going down to his knees. A deerstalker hat covered most of his face but what I could see was completely pale. He’s probably very cold, I thought. The man turned around so that I could see his face. If he had one. Then, my heart started to pound against my chest. I could hear my conscious yelling at me to get out of there. But, I could only stare in terror. I tried to get up, since I was nearing my stop anyway, but I couldn’t seem to do it. I was chained to the spot. My eyes were imprisoned in that empty face. Only when the bus started moving again did I lose sight of the faceless man and start to gain control of my body. The relief flooded in, but even as that happened I couldn’t seem to comprehend what I had just seen.
“C’mon Ads, it’s our stop now.†I whispered, not wanting to draw attention to myself and add to my anxiety. As I took a step off the platform and onto the concrete pavement, one passenger was drawn to my attention; the one in the sitting in front of where we were, who was now facing us. Only he had no face. The claws of fear clutched me again. Clutched me hard. I only glimpsed his face for a second, but it was unmistakable. I got a second sight of his face when the bus left the stop and he stared at me as the bus driver drove it away. The headache I thought I got rid of suddenly returned. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, another technique my mother had taught me. When I opened them it was worse. Everywhere I looked. Every face I saw was replaced by that face of evil that had been stalking me since last night. Everyone was faceless. Strangers on the street. People from school. Even a worried-looking Aditi, standing next to me. Their real faces seemed to melt away and they were replaced by… nothing. A blank sheet. They were all faceless. I tried to run. They all hissed at me as I stumbled past them. I kept running, tears forming in my eyes. I didn’t look back. Once I was a safe distance away, I shut my eyes and once again counted to ten. My vision seemed normal again and I decided to observe my surroundings. The first face I saw lightened my mood completely. The relief of seeing his face, as opposed to a monster’s, was overwhelming. I couldn’t help but fling my arms around Blade’s neck, feeling his strong chest against mine. But the terror wasn’t over. Blade seemed to blush. That wasn’t like him.
“Oh, hello,†he said, “I’m sorry, but… do I know you?†I suddenly jerked away, almost ready to slap him. How could he forget me?
“Yes, you idiot!†I snapped. He gave me a blank look. He honestly didn’t know who I was. “Did you hit your head or something? I’m Claire.†I was completely ready now to kill him. The last thing I needed was a prank. But it wasn’t a prank.
“Look, I’m sorry; I don’t know who you are. Maybe you mistook me for someone else.†He thought about this, before nodding his head as if convinced this was true. But I knew this was Blade. Now my headache was pounding worse than ever before.
“I can’t believe you.†I uttered, but before he could say another word I staggered away. When I eventually found a free park bench, I lay on it, rolled into a ball with my knees in my eyes and cried. It was too much to take in. It seemed like years before I sat up, doubled over and vomited on the grass. The taste of bitter bile stung the sides of my mouth as I walked home. Home. The thought almost made me smile. Hopefully I would be safe there.
Chapter 5 (Click to View)
That night I had nightmares. My reality was a nightmare.
I awoke my body sticky and drenched in sweat. My younger brother, Jett, was sitting by my bedside stroking my hair out. Jett and I wouldn’t instantly be recognised as brother and sister if you saw us - which is a good thing sometimes, I guess – but our hair was exactly the same shade of brown and that was our defining feature. Our common thread. The thing that tied up all the things that made us so close. Although he was three years younger than me he was very mature and I felt that I could share anything with him: and I did most of the time. But we were complete opposites really. He was popular, sporty, attractive and smart, and while we were very close, I felt like he was overtaking me in every way. I was older so I should’ve been better, right? Better at something at least. And yet it seemed he still looked up to me as a sort of role model, when deep inside I knew he couldn’t have chosen a worse role model.
Only later, when I had gone past that half-asleep phase that happens after you wake up, did I notice my mother was in my room too. The smell of sick lingered in the air and there was a massive stain on my bed covers, though it was clear someone had tried to clean it. The familiar surroundings of my room slowly start to appear around me and I feel safer. I still saw the face of that monster every time I closed my eyes, but I knew that when I opened my eyes, the people that I trusted most would be there. I noticed my clock: 3:56AM. Was it that early? Then I realised something else. I would have to go to school in a few hours. I didn’t feel like a thousand years was enough to let me recover from the state I was in, let alone a few hours! Things gradually came back to me. Small things. About my life. I remembered moments, snippets of my life, like the night I met Cole. Or sleepovers at Aditi’s house. Or scenes of bullying and abuse.
It seemed the more I remembered about my life, the worse I realised it was.
I could tell that my mother thought I was just ill – maybe I’d eaten something bad at school- but my brother could see beneath the surface of the situation. He could look into my eyes and know that I wasn’t ill, I was sick… in the head. The thoughts, memories of everything just overwhelmed me. Every few seconds I had to face a new horror in my mind. And yet here I was, eating breakfast as if nothing had happened. I loved my mother, but she didn’t understand what was going on inside my head. But Jett did.
“Mum, I lost my iPod,†Jett said staring at me with his laser eyes, “have you seen it?â€
“No,†my mum replied with her back turned as she was occupied with some toast, “go have a look in your roomâ€
“Claire, come help me.†To be honest, I didn’t want to. I didn’t even want to budge from the seat I was in, but the look he was giving me told me that it was something more important than his iPod. I followed him upstairs, just so we were out of my mother’s earshot.
“What is it?†I moaned. He held my gaze for few seconds, as if scanning my eyes for problems.
“What the hell is wrong with you?!†He said in a sort of shouting whisper. Looking at him quizzically, I shrugged and tore my eyes from his. But he pulled them back by grabbing my shoulders. “Something happened. I know that much. I just want to know what it was. Please, Claire, I’m worried about you.†He opened his mouth to continue, but then closed it, realising what he had to say wasn’t going to change anything. I refused to tell him and carried on sitting comfortably on his bed in silence. Then he hugged me. He had never hugged me before. I didn’t hate my brother. I didn’t know what I would ever do without him. But I never thought I loved him. I never thought he loved me. I guess after he saw my vulnerability, he saw that I needed him. Great! Another thing he does better than me. Being a good sibling. That faceless man had changed me. Broken me beyond repair. I knew that. But I never thought it would change the people around me, especially my brother. That’s when I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I told him everything.
By the end of the story, he was just staring at me, wide-eyed, in disbelief and waited for someone to make some sense of it. I expected that telling him would make the situation easier for me to handle, but instead it did the opposite, just adding to my guilt and worry. Now I wouldn’t be the only one waking up in the middle of the night, screaming silently, because the image of a man kept attacking my thoughts and taking over my entire mind.
My name is Claire Diamond and I am so stupid
While he was trying to comprehend the story, our mother called us, saying that we had to leave or we would be late. But despite all the terrors I had already face I knew that school would be worse because I would have to face the worst terror of all. Blade.
Chapter 6 (Click to View)
The sight of his face as I walked through the school’s massive double doors reassured me. Blade wouldn’t forget me. It was just a prank or something, right? He just caught me at the wrong place at the wrong time. I could see the determined look in his eyes, showing me that he had somewhere to be. Not lessons, those didn’t start for another 30 minutes anyway, but something a bit more vital. I quickened my pace in an attempt to catch up with him. If he did need to do something, he wouldn’t bother to be stopped by me and my stupid problems, but I wasn’t following him for that reason, it was more like my curiosity stirring inside me and driving me on. I attained a few dirty looks because on the path to Blade I seemed to be ploughing crowds of people to either side of me. I was as focused on my target as him. Suddenly, somebody jabbed me in the stomach and the pain spread through me like a fire. Not the pain of the hit. The pain of losing sight of Blade again. It was pain mixed with sadness and despair and something else, I couldn’t put my finger on what it was though. I pushed myself up and briskly walked, grabbing the attention of anyone around me. Luckily, I didn’t lose sight of Blade. In fact, it seemed as if he’d stopped. He was in front of a small wooden door and I noted that the dense crowds had thinned down now and it seemed that Blade’s eyes were closely fixed on one girl. It took me a while to recognise her and though I didn’t know her that well, I could tell that it was Aditi’s elder sister. I didn’t know much about her, because Aditi tended not to mention her, but I saw her around school. She wasn’t really a friend. Just one of those people you wave to on the street. Nonetheless, I still knew her and was curious about what Blade would want to do with her. I wish I never found out.
I continued to trail Blade into the somewhat spooky door. It led into a narrow stone stairwell, which was lit only by a few windows. I’d always wanted to be in espionage when I was younger and this was the best chance I was ever going to get and it did feel exactly like a scene from a film. I didn’t remember this section of the school building. I’d never seen it in my life. I could barely see it then, because it was so dark. I lost sight of Blade again as he turned a corner and started to wonder whether this was really worth it. What was I going to see? Suspicion just seemed to hang in the air. I stopped at an ajar door, which Blade and Aditi’s sister had just entered, and peeked through it.
Inside the room was a large library-type building, with rows of books lining three edges of the room, the other one just a wall which had paint peeling off like banana skin, and there was a coloured mat in the centre. It looked as if it hadn’t been used for years. Blade ambled in and pulled out a book, although I could tell he was only pretending to take an interest in it. Aditi’s sister was picking up a bunch of books too. I noticed her face, stricken with fear and worry. I wished I could see the books she was gathering. It might have given me a better insight into this situation, because it really was making my head spin. That’s when I saw Blade look up. At me. His eyes were different. I knew he saw me, but he chose to ignore me. He seemed annoyed at my presence, but he wasn’t going to do anything about it. I held his gaze and could see that he was locked in thought. He swiftly turned away and pulled something metal out of his pocket. A gun. In what seemed like a few seconds, he spun around and pushed his arm into Aditi’s sister’s neck. She was propelled forward, smashing into a bookcase as she fell to the floor. Blade put his gun up to her head, boring a hole into her thoughts. She could barely speak but she managed to let out a few slurred words.
“Don’t shoot me, please.†Blade just stared, heartless. She was crying. I could see death taunting her in her mind. She was begging.
“I’m not going to shoot you,†Blade said, without any emotion backing his voice. A wave of relief washed over her face. The same thing was happening to me. Aditi’s sister was choking up on gratitude for Blade. Personally, I would never be able to look at him the same way again after that show of evil. But just as everything started to look up, Blade unsheathed a knife.
“I’m not going to shoot you… Those were not the orders.†In what seemed like slow motion, the knife sliced through the air.
Thanks to Synth for the sig and the avatar
PM me for Mario Kart Wii, Brawl or Pokemon. My Pokemon FC is 2365 6466 0001
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“I thought the devil was a goat-man with a curly beard and horns. I was wrong. Now I know the devil has no face… Literally.â€
Read my new story Faceless. It's promised to be bigger and better than my last one.
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