More Than Serious

Ele: Well this doesn’t sound good.

Tab: Especially with what happened last chapter… I’m afraid to read on.

Kla: If your afraid already, you should stop right now Tab.

Tab: Perfect.

Nic: … Hmm? I’m sorry I as busy reading this other story.

Ele: Really what?

Nic: It’s called High School Never Ends, it’s really rather exciting.

Ele: Sweet! Reading time!

It wasn’t a man, but a boy. His hood was off so I could tell he was a boy. His hair was a light gray ash color slightly curled and stopping at the ears. His bangs were long and covered his eyebrows, which we’re also gray. His eyes, which were green, was framed by perfectly round glasses like Harry Potter. A small scraggly mustache formed under his small nose; something I remember as peach fuzz. I wasn’t sure who he was when he was walking, but the fullness of his face when I saw him made me faint. I knew who he was… or… I think I know.

Charnol was carrying me on his back when I woke up.

“Sorry I gave you a fright, Charnol.” The boy was saying, Charnol laughed at this.

“I think you gave, Klara a scare more than anything. Are you here for a haircut or something?” Charnol asked.

“I… I wasn’t going to come, but Sumu asked me to come. He said he needed my help with something. So, I couldn’t refuse the invitation. How’s it been going?”

I heard Charnol sigh. “Okay I guess. Something strange has been happening. That maybe why the king has asked you to come.” He says. I don’t feel so light headed anymore, but I fake my unconsciousness. “The king is afraid of something. All the Gargoyles feel something coming. Do you know what it is?”

Silence. Charnol stopped and turned to look at the boy. I didn’t dare open my eyes to see his face. “I don’t know.” Something in his voice sounded strange, as if he wasn’t telling the truth; or the whole truth.

“Oh, okay then, that’s good.” Charnol didn’t notice. “Also, she’s changing oddly.”

“How so?”

Charnol shifted me on his back. “I don’t want to say really. It scared Klara a lot, though.”

I finally opened my eyes and shifted my head to look away from the creepy boy. My left cheek rested on Charnol’s back. I didn’t want to look at the boy. Mostly becausehe looked… cute. I have to admit it: the boy is cute. I didn’t look at him or speak, who could? I wasn’t sure who he was yet. I just needed to hear his name for the damanged memory to click.

Kla: Yeah… intermission, believe it our not………. TIME’S UP!

Charnol had carried me to my room where I thanked him and began writing to this very moment. I don’t know what to think right now. I’m wondering now… what is coming that the Gargoyles and Sumu fear? I’m afraid to find out what is.

There is something coming for sure. Whatever it is must be bad for that boy to lie about it. I glance over to my left hand. The marble is spreading to the other knuckles now. I grit my teeth and clench my hand into a fist and slammed my head into the book. Tears stream down my face. What is happening to me? I feel less human every day.

A knock at the door. I quickly jolt up and glance to the door.

“Klara? May I come in?” It’s Sumu.

I quickly wiped my eyes and scribbled down in my book. “Just a second.” I hastily wrote down the knock on the door and closed the book. “Come in.”

The door opened and I watched Sumu come in, followed by the boy. I quickly looked at the floor. I heard footsteps come towards me, I didn’t know who. My hands on my lap, I flexed my left hand, watching he marble knuckles bend.

“Klara, look at me.” A voice whispered softly. I looked up from my lap to look at the boy. I stared, mesmerized at him. “Give me your left hand.” I obeyed my hand moving to him as if it wasn’t even mine. The boy took my hand and I watched as he ran his thumb along my knuckles. I winced as he inspected my knuckles.

“Relax, I’m a Cleric, I won’t hurt you.” The boy whispered softly. My fingers and hand shook from fear. It was as if it wasn’t my hand at all! I watched as his eyebrows wrinkled in worry. His thumb continued to search. He arrived at the edge of the marble on my hand to where the skin returned. He looked closer and dug his nail under the skin. I gaped as he pulled off my skin to reveal my index finger and thumb to be pure marble. My eyes widened in horror, I never expected it to spread that fast. The marble spread to half across my palm already. The boy rubbed my hand and a little more skin peeled off to reveal my last two fingers half way enveloped by marble.

“Things are not well, Sumu.” I was in a trance as the boy stood up and looked a Sumu. I watched as he ran his staff along the floor in thought. “The seal is weakening, it is effecting her while she lives down here. The Masters have sensed that the seal will break soon, very soon.”

Sumu seemed to glare at the boy. “How can that be? The first clerics themselves made that seal! How is it breaking?”

The boy rubbed his temple. “Sumu, I can’t stop what’s happening now. The best thing is to keep a seal on the room to slow the spread.” He explained. I had no idea what they were talking about, my eyes seemed focused on the boy’s staff now. My mouth moved, no words coming from it. The staff seemed to be blinking dimly. “They are coming back, with a thirst for blood. You knew deep down that they might come back.”

Sumu looked at his coarse ridged hand, deep in thought. “Some say that day would never come. What are they going to say now?”

I found myself screaming. The rock on the staff was now bright like the sun. It felt like it was burning out my eyes and my hand.

“Klara!” the boy screamed and pulled the rock out of the staff. The light ceased. My mouth hung open with my left hand curled in pain. I only saw red, my eyes to the rock above. I could feel a cool liquid run down my cheek, like tears. My head dropped and my body leaned forward and collapsed on the ground.

Tab: Another intermission. This is scary no?

It is night. I look around, I’m in my room. I sigh and start walking. I stop as I notice someone asleep in my bed. I tip toe closer and gasp. It’s me. The me in the bed suddenly wakes up and slips off the bed. I step away as the other me crosses over to the mirrior. I walk behind the other me to see the reflection.

My face, like normal. I other me leans forward for a closer look and pulls at her collar. My eyes widen as I notice my collar bone was now made out of marble. The other me smiles and the marble quickly spreads to her neck, to her chin and swallows her eyes. She looks at her feet, away from the mirror. I step away, my eyes on the other me as her hunched shoulders begin to shake as if she is laughing. I look at the reflection in the mirror. Coarse magma rock like Sumu’s hand begins to erupt out from her hair. I start sweating as my heart pounds like crazy.

“Kend ja nea?” I hold my self as I hear harsh words bounce around the room. The other me suddenly turns and inches her head up to look at me.

I trip and fall to my butt; my arms are shaking with fear.

The other me, is not human. The left side of her face is now coarse magma rock. It rose up almost like a ear. Her hair is gone except on the right side. Her eye is just a red ball, staring at me. She took a step towards me her left hand pure magma rock raised and in a fist.

“Kend ja nea?!” the other me spoke, her voice raspy and harsh. I shrivel in terror against the floor, tears streaming down my face. Her hand flexes, sounding like bones snapping. “Jo ja klanise!” the other me leaped her mouth open, dripping blood with dark fangs, seeking, wanting, hungry and mad.

Ele: 0.0 Scary…..

I wake up suddenly, my breathing harsh and my body covered in sweat. The sheets on my bed clung to my legs. I quickly tear off the sheets and slip off my bed towards the mirror. I quickly tear off my shirt and inspect my body for the marble skin. Nothing. I look to my left arm….

The marble now engulfed my whole left hand and now reached to my elbow. I collapsed onto the floor and hug my knees. What is happening? Wait, a seal, something about some seal going to break. The dream, it means something. I get to my feet and run for my desk.

Ele: OMG!

Tab: That’s scary Kla.

Nic: GAH! What is the seal for?

Kla: You’ll find out, a couple of more chapters.

Nic: What about that boy?

Ele: I think I know who he is.

Kla: You’ll find out next chapter.