by Keya Jay
***
None of the student’s showed up for practice, not one which was odd, Aaron paced the warehouse over and over waiting for someone to show up but no one ever did. He walked down toward the stadium that the battle had taken place and the stands were full of people but none of them were his students.
“What’s going on here Fred?” Aaron asked the man that refereed most of the fights that went on down here.
“Oh Aaron,” he said acting surprised to see him. “I was told that you would be here but I never expected you to be here this early,” he said as he whipped the sweat that threatened to take the plunge from his forehead.
“What do you mean I’m early?” Aaron asked as he stood there even more confused than he was the moment he walked in here.
“Hey Jeff take Mr. Fields here down to the lockers so he can change, he can’t battle in this suit,” Fred said to another ref.
“Battle?” Aaron questioned. He didn’t think it was humanly possible to get even more confused than he already was so he followed Jeff down toward the lockers.
“You got 15 minutes,” he said grumpily as he let the door close behind him.
“Who the heck am I battling?” he said to no one in particular as he eyed the clothes that sat nicely folded on one of the benches.
Aaron slipped on the shorts and t-shirt that was provided feeling slightly naked without one of his suits on. He was about to head out toward the battle field but he saw a water bottle sitting at the end of the bench that had held his clothes. It was sealed and looked as though it was put there for him so he uncapped it and began to drink. After the short water break he placed the cap back on the water bottle and headed out of the locker room.
“ALRIGHT HE’S HERE!” Aaron heard someone yell but the sun seemed way too bright today. Aaron’s vision was filled with lots of pretty bright lights. He reached a hand out to touch them but they seemed to have run away from his touch. I won’t hurt you, he wanted to say but he couldn’t get his mouth to work.
“Aaron are you ready?” Aaron turned toward the direction of the voice. The light seems to be talking to me now, he thought as he smiled sloppily.
Aaron shook his head eagerly thinking this light was going to play with him. He held his hand out toward it again but it just continued to move.
“Stay still light,” he mumbled in a voice that sounded gruff and unused.
Aaron blinked his eyes repeatedly because the light was now too bright. It looked as though it was angry he hadn’t spoken to it so he tried to apologize but a hand came down around his mouth making it physically impossible.
“I always keep my promise Aaron,” a gruff voice whispered.
Aaron turned toward the voice and it was a red man with horns and a red emblazed pitch fork. Oh-My-Word I’m in hell is all he could think over and over as he looked the devil in the eye.
“Didn’t I tell you not to look a gift devil in the mouth boy, how many times do I have to tell you that?”
“Mamma,” Aaron mumbled as he tried to see where she was hiding from him.
“It’s a gift horse,” the devil sneered.
“Same difference,” she argued back. “Now let my boy go he doesn’t belong with you,” she demanded.
“Aaron!” he heard a female voice shrill. Aaron turned toward the voice.
Oh-My he thought as he watched the beautiful angel with golden wings make her way down to him. She got close so close that he could almost touch her and so he did.
“Hey!” she yelled but it was a man’s voice Aaron was hearing coming out of her mouth.
“Aaron are you ready?” Aaron turned toward the orange toad that was asking him a stupid question.
“Why are you speaking, you’ll make me look crazy if I talk to you, hop away!” he told the toad.
“Aaron!” the toad said more firmly. “Turn around your opponent is over here,” he said as he placed his little webbed hands on Aaron’s shoulders and turned him around.
“Alright Richard are you ready?” The toad asked.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” the devil said as he smiled at Aaron.
Aaron had to admit he never before thought he’d see the day the devil wore a smile on his face so proudly.
“Alright!” The toad yelled. “Shut up!” “This fight today is not only for the title of Whisperer of Night but this is for the greatest tittle of them all. Winner takes all!” The toad announced. “Aaron has willingly put his tittle in the air and has decided to battle Richard for it. This fight determines whom THE GREATEST WHISPERER tittle is bestowed upon!” The toad yelled to the crowd of fish sticks that seemed to shake with excitement only exceeding in making Aaron hungry. “This is declared a fair fight. WINNER TAKES ALL!” he announced once more.
Aaron had no clue what happened after that all he remembered was the devils termite infested twitch of a smile and then the lights were no longer too bright they were too dim as an aching pain echoed in the side of his skull. Something dripped from his nose into his hands, and though he couldn’t see it well it looked like water. Aaron titled his head skyward to see if it were raining and that’s when a skull crushing pain came over him making him fall flat to his back as his jaw tingled with pain.
“Drinking water before a fight isn’t always a good thing now is it?” The devil asked as he loomed over him. Aaron wanted to keep his eyes open but they were too heavy and he couldn’t do it, he wasn’t strong enough.