by Joshua Hoyt
Chapter 3:
Tom felt both excited and anxious about the new adventure and life that lay ahead of him. He stepped out into the snowy day, tasting his newfound freedom, and walked down the steps holding his hands out to catch a falling snowflake. He stopped and gazed at his hand and the snowflake suspended above it. As he scanned the lot his jaw dropped. All the snowflakes hung in midair. Not only the snowflakes stood motionless, but everything appeared to have stopped in mid motion. John’s breath hung like a cloud in front of his mouth. The woman’s hair hung in mid sway. He tried to walk but his arms and legs would not budge. His heart beat faster and his palms began to sweat. What’s going on? What’s happened to me? A man, not much taller than him, approached. He had on a dark suit and black cloak with a red dragon emblazoned upon it. He held a jagged long sword in one hand and a curved knife in the other. Tom struggled to move. A sinister smile spread across the man’s face as he drew closer. His mind screamed, Move! Run! Do something!
The sun glittered off the individual snow crystals that now hung all around him. He could smell the smoke standing in the air from the orphanage chimneys. He could even hear his own heart beating faster and faster as the man drew nearer. The man slowed and the sinister grin grew wider, revealing yellow and broken teeth. Now in striking distance, the sword started its short descent toward his chest. The blade descended closer and closer and still his body refused to respond to his screaming mind. When it had nearly finished its descent Tom thought, It’s strange to have my new adventure end so soon after beginning.
A bolt of light hit the man, throwing him to the side like a child’s toy. The smell of melting flesh filled Tom's nose and the man’s screams filled his ears. Once again snow flakes traversed their normal course from sky to ground. Tom’s body again responded to the commands of his screaming mind. He searched wildly for a place to hide as other men entered the courtyard. John moved in front of Tom and stood like a fortress with his pistol and long sword drawn. The woman stood next to a car, hair flying all around her as she chanted and swayed rhythmically, just as his mother had moved the night he had last seen her.
Another attacker, the red dragon on his cloak flying as he ran, charged Tom with a huge axe pitted and gashed from past battles. Above his scarred face a helmet with blood red hair trailing out the top capped his head. The large shield he carried had the same dragon emblazoned upon it. John stepped between them, and the attacker jerked an instant before a pistol sounded. Yet another man appeared next to John, sword flailing. John twisted, maneuvering behind the man, and thrust his sword into the attackers lower back. The man’s sword dropped and John pushed him away with his pistoled hand. Shock crossed the man’s face as he fell. Before he even hit the ground John was already searching for new threats. Black smoke filled the air as John’s pistol shot once again reverberated off the orphanage.
A second later a man’s scream filled Tom’s mind. Tom jumped as a yellow ball of fire exploded from the woman’s hands. The fire ball flew toward two men, giving them no time to react. An explosion engulfed them both in flames. The men screamed in agony as they rolled around on the ground. Tom stared open mouthed at the woman by the car. Her face clouded in mystery as she started to chant and sway once again.
John shouted. What did he say? Tom thought. Explosions and screams roared around Tom making it impossible for him to think. What’s happening? John shoved Tom toward the car snapping him from his hypnotic state. Suddenly Tom awoke to men moving in around them.
John pushed him once again. “Run for the car. Now!” He screamed.
Tom came to his senses enough to stumble toward the car. As he glanced over his shoulder he saw the door to the orphanage open. He stopped, wondering who would be stupid enough to come out into this mayhem. The headmaster stepped out, armed with a shotgun. He shrank when he saw the chaos around the orphanage, and head cranking from flying swords to light and fire spitting from the woman’s hands. His face went white and he lowered the weapon. Frantically he scrambled to return to the safety of the orphanage but before he could reach the door a bullet hit him. He went down with a thud.
John pushed Tom yet again. “Tom, move!” As Tom reached the car, he saw perspiration and blood on the woman’s face. Her eyes were no longer blue, but had turned to a swirling dark gray. She leaned on the car for support. John threw Tom into the car with one hand while firing his gun with the other. He then helped the woman in and yelled at the driver to go. The car started with a lurch as John jumped in and slammed the door closed behind him.
Crumpled on the car floor Tom looked up at the woman slumped against the door. She looked back and studied him for a moment. “I hope you’re worth it,” she muttered.
John smiled and said, “Nice to meet you, Tom. I’m John and this is Kristiana.” The car rumbled down the graveled road and Tom dragged himself on to the seat facing Kristiana. John wiped at the blood that ran down his face with the rag Kristiana handed to him. “Thanks, Kris.” Then looked at Tom. “Are you hurt? He looked Tom over then said, “You look fine.”
The adrenaline wore off and Tom shook as he realized how close to death he had come. He struggled to speak, “W-w-w-who are you?”
Laughing slightly Kristiana looked at John, then back to Tom. “Why, we’re your new family.” Kristiana closed her eyes and fell asleep. John, on the other hand, stayed attentive as he reloaded his gun and cleaned his sword. Tom watched him clean the blade, wondering where they were headed and if he had really made the right choice last night.