Post by thadius on Apr 24, 2007 15:42:37 GMT -5
This is what I pictured for my first chapter at the Institute.
Thadius was perched like some bizarre gargoyle upon the roof of the Institute. Another boring night, he thought to himself. Another long, boring night of standing guard over the school. At least I can train myself while I'm at it so that it's not an entire waste. Although I'm ne- Wait, what's that?
Thadius tilted his head to one side, as though he was listening to some far-away noise. In truth, he was doing a bit more than that. He was keenly aware of almost everything that went on in the Institute, so he knew when someone was moving around that shouldn't be.
It's not the janitors, they're still in the cafeteria. It's not the launderers, they haven't left the laundry room. It's someone else entierly. Oh, this should be interesting.
Thadius faded out until there was nothing where he had been except darkness. Ten seconds later, someone opened the door to the roof and looked around as though they were expecting something...or someone. He walked out about ten feet and paused a few seconds before calling for whoever he was looking for.
"Hello? Anyone out here?"
When the boy got no response, he turned back towards the door downstairs, only to find it, and any other way of getting back downstairs, missing. Then a voice spoke.
"I know who you are."
The voice echoed. Who you are...you are...are... The boy twirled around, seeing nobody. "Who's there?!"
"I know what you are. And you want to know more about me?"
"I asked who was there!" An edge of panic crept into the boy's voice.
"Settle down, I won't hurt you. I'm just the night guard, and I'm very good at what I do."
Thadius appeared then, standing over where the door downstairs had been previously. He looked at the boy, and sighed.
"Five years," Thadius said.
"What?" The boy was confused.
"I've been doing this job for five years. It's been seven years since I was normal. In all that time, I never dreamed anyone would want to talk to me, much less know me."
"Well, I need to get back to bed mister, otherwise I'll be in trouble."
"No, you won't. I'm the night guard, the only night guard, and I have very little respect for rules that aren't mine."
The boy was even more confused. "But if you don't like the rules, mister-"
"I'm no mister, not even a sir, seeing as I'm not a knight of the church of England. I'm just Thad, and I'm probably the same age as you. And I don't like the rules cause I don't like much anything. You, though, I like."
The boy was minorly relieved to hear he wasn't on the vast list of hated objects. "Well, can I please go back to bed? I'm very tired."
"Yes, you can. However, I have something I'd like to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Do you know of a boy named Apogee?"
"Sure, he sits in the library all the time, got a glazed look on his face. Some people say they've seen him eating or drinking, but he never leaves that seat."
Thad nodded. "Tell him Thadius sends a message, and he'll snap out of it long enough for you to deliver it."
"What message?"
Thadius smiled. "Here it is, then.
Darkness and light must mingle again,
Will you stand by me in the end?"
The boy quickly memorized the couplet. "I think I have it, si- Thad."
"Recite it back to me."
The boy did so perfectly, and Thad fairly beamed. "When you have his reply, return to me during the night and tell me what it is."
Thad vanished again, and the way back inside reappeared. The boy headed for the door when Thad reappeared behind him. "By the way, boy..."
He turned to face Thad again.
"How did you know I was up here?"
"It's my power, Thad. I know where people are that need help, and I know what to do most of the time."
Thad smiled again, and waved the boy off.
"Go, then, and do good things."
The boy walked down the staircase back towards his bed. Thad instantly slumped.
"That was a good boy...I hope he doesn't get picked for experimentation before he delivers my message...like all the others..."
He was, unfortunately, right in his thoughts. Not a single message of his had gotten through, and not a single person had returned to him...and it wasn't an accident.
Thadius was perched like some bizarre gargoyle upon the roof of the Institute. Another boring night, he thought to himself. Another long, boring night of standing guard over the school. At least I can train myself while I'm at it so that it's not an entire waste. Although I'm ne- Wait, what's that?
Thadius tilted his head to one side, as though he was listening to some far-away noise. In truth, he was doing a bit more than that. He was keenly aware of almost everything that went on in the Institute, so he knew when someone was moving around that shouldn't be.
It's not the janitors, they're still in the cafeteria. It's not the launderers, they haven't left the laundry room. It's someone else entierly. Oh, this should be interesting.
Thadius faded out until there was nothing where he had been except darkness. Ten seconds later, someone opened the door to the roof and looked around as though they were expecting something...or someone. He walked out about ten feet and paused a few seconds before calling for whoever he was looking for.
"Hello? Anyone out here?"
When the boy got no response, he turned back towards the door downstairs, only to find it, and any other way of getting back downstairs, missing. Then a voice spoke.
"I know who you are."
The voice echoed. Who you are...you are...are... The boy twirled around, seeing nobody. "Who's there?!"
"I know what you are. And you want to know more about me?"
"I asked who was there!" An edge of panic crept into the boy's voice.
"Settle down, I won't hurt you. I'm just the night guard, and I'm very good at what I do."
Thadius appeared then, standing over where the door downstairs had been previously. He looked at the boy, and sighed.
"Five years," Thadius said.
"What?" The boy was confused.
"I've been doing this job for five years. It's been seven years since I was normal. In all that time, I never dreamed anyone would want to talk to me, much less know me."
"Well, I need to get back to bed mister, otherwise I'll be in trouble."
"No, you won't. I'm the night guard, the only night guard, and I have very little respect for rules that aren't mine."
The boy was even more confused. "But if you don't like the rules, mister-"
"I'm no mister, not even a sir, seeing as I'm not a knight of the church of England. I'm just Thad, and I'm probably the same age as you. And I don't like the rules cause I don't like much anything. You, though, I like."
The boy was minorly relieved to hear he wasn't on the vast list of hated objects. "Well, can I please go back to bed? I'm very tired."
"Yes, you can. However, I have something I'd like to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Do you know of a boy named Apogee?"
"Sure, he sits in the library all the time, got a glazed look on his face. Some people say they've seen him eating or drinking, but he never leaves that seat."
Thad nodded. "Tell him Thadius sends a message, and he'll snap out of it long enough for you to deliver it."
"What message?"
Thadius smiled. "Here it is, then.
Darkness and light must mingle again,
Will you stand by me in the end?"
The boy quickly memorized the couplet. "I think I have it, si- Thad."
"Recite it back to me."
The boy did so perfectly, and Thad fairly beamed. "When you have his reply, return to me during the night and tell me what it is."
Thad vanished again, and the way back inside reappeared. The boy headed for the door when Thad reappeared behind him. "By the way, boy..."
He turned to face Thad again.
"How did you know I was up here?"
"It's my power, Thad. I know where people are that need help, and I know what to do most of the time."
Thad smiled again, and waved the boy off.
"Go, then, and do good things."
The boy walked down the staircase back towards his bed. Thad instantly slumped.
"That was a good boy...I hope he doesn't get picked for experimentation before he delivers my message...like all the others..."
He was, unfortunately, right in his thoughts. Not a single message of his had gotten through, and not a single person had returned to him...and it wasn't an accident.