Chapter II - ANSWERS TO UNASKED QUESTIONS

CHAPTER II

ANSWERS TO UNASKED QUESTIONS

A loud bang, followed by sounds of whooping snapped Seth awake. The voices of the other boys echoed loudly, though he went unnoticed and ignored. Lying still, he patiently waited until the last of the rowdy boys piled out, heading down to dinner, before rolling over. On his side, he stared across the room at the bunk bed opposite, not focusing on anything in particular, allowing himself to get lost in thought. The only window, counted as a wall since it took up the entire space at the end of the room, exhibited the dull remnant glow of sunset warmly fading to night. He'd been unconscious for hours, and yet...

He raised a hand to his nose, gently squeezing. No pain. Snaking his hand to the back of his head he felt for the sore spot of his graze, expecting to find tender, scabbing flesh. Nothing. Seth sat up, frowning in confusion. Had it all been a dream? He felt no pain and there was no physical evidence to prove what he remembered happened. Only when he stretched his stiff limbs and caught sight of his shoes his heart tightened painfully.

Splattered flecks and splotches of silver.

It was true. He had silver blood.

Panic flooded him, increasing as the strict tone of Ms Stone floated upstairs declaring dinner. He needed to go downstairs before she came up asking questions he couldn't answer. Forcing his feet to walk to the door and beyond, he didn't stop until he climbed down the stairs and entered the dining hall. Taking his usual place at the table of boys his age, most of who avoided looking at him, he kept his head down. Around him talk buzzed of the newcomer, the boy with the floppy hat Seth remembered suddenly with a stabbing pain in his gut.

The new boy saw everything.

He couldn't see him now, and Ms Stone had disappeared. He guessed she was finalising his paperwork and would bring him in for dinner, but what then? Would the new boy point him out and shout to the roof what he'd seen? No, he'd probably already told Ms Stone and the C.S woman and they'd called someone to take him away. But would Ms Stone do that? Their relationship was fragile, so there was no telling what she would do when she heard what was wrong with him. He desperately hoped that sporadic twinkle in her eyes he sometimes found directed at him was enough to warm her frosty heart.

His stomach gave a strange flutter as a thought occurred to him. If he told Ms Stone the truth immediately, without waiting for her to come to him, it could work in his favour. Ms Stone hated secrets. A shiver of hope tingled through him. Ms Stone wasn't a monster. If he asked for help she wouldn't refuse him. It was his only chance.

The sharp clicks of high heels against the wooden floor hushed the room into silence. It was dead quiet as Ms Stone appeared in the doorway looking somewhat harassed.

"I'm sure by now all of you are aware of the situation." She began briskly, Seth's heart sank, realising she wasn't in a good mood. "We have an addition to the Iron House and I expect him to be welcomed. He is eleven years old and has never had a real home." She turned her head sharply, impatiently gesturing. Slowly, the newcomer shuffled into view, heavy, baggy pants scraping noisily, making it easy to hear all his movements. He still wore his large hat, baggy jumper, head hanging as if a weight were attached to his chin. At first glance he looked like a bundle of clothes moving of their own accord. Ms Stone's lips pursed as she looked over him distastefully, then addressed the room of hungry boys.

"This," She announced, thin body stiffer than usual. "Is Slip."

Silence followed her words as all eyes locked onto the new boy, his name hanging in the air like a thick fog. Some mouthed the word to themselves, testing it, getting the hang of what seemed to be a name.

"Sit down." Ms Stone said sternly, pointing a thin finger at Seth's table. "Those are your roommates. You would do well to speak to them at least."

Without looking up, Slip shuffled nosily to Seth's table, sitting silently on the end bench, far from Seth. He was grateful for that ounce of luck since sitting back in his seat would hide him from Slip's view, if Slip ever decided to look up. Looking over his shoulder to Ms Stone, heart in his throat, he waited for her approach to ask to speak in private. His eyes widened in surprise to see her no longer in the room. The older boys entered with large trays filled with food, distributing them among the tables, but she was gone. She must've returned to her office. Without hesitation he stood, hurrying out of the room, knowing it had to be now or never.

As he approached her office, his heart thudded a mile a minute. Knocking with a quivering hand, he waited. No response. He knocked again, this time stronger, hating the suspense. When there was no response he opened the door, cautiously peeking inside. The small, immaculately tidy office was empty. Opening the door further, he slipped inside, closing it behind him, deciding to wait. As he moved to sit in the chair opposite her desk he caught sight of something that instantly sparked his interest. Sitting on Ms Stone's large, looming swivel chair was a newspaper. Ms Stone always kept everything in its place, so seeing something so obviously out of order was enough to distract him momentarily from his dilemma. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a newspaper, since Ms Stone usually kept the boys from reading them or watching the news on TV. To see something practically forbidden was too much of a temptation to resist. Walking around the desk, he picked up the paper making sure not to ruffle it up. Unfolding it, he held it open, reading the bold headline; FREAKS - FARCE OR FACT?

With a title like that he felt he had no choice but to read on.

Tension has mounted to explosive levels over the past months with Police receiving increasing amounts of calls regarding the reoccurring, strange happenings within the City. Calls continue to pour in over the sudden hysteria threatening to take over the City, the alleged 'Freak' cases. Police are forced to abandon their positions to deal with the sudden mass of kidnappings, opening a special call centre to record all reports regarding Freak behaviour claimed to be witnessed by so many.

It is the worse unnatural disaster Starr City has ever seen.

The number of individuals and families disappearing has doubled in the last month, which is the reason the police believe the people of Starr are seeing things that aren't there. They continue to deny rumours that Freaks exist at all, but a great number of people have claimed otherwise, reporting witness to incidents such as people flying, moving faster than physically possible, inanimate objects moving of their own accord; some have claimed to have had their minds read. Although so many cases have been reported, Head Detective Doug Dunbar of the Starr City Northern Police Station insists Freak rumours aren't true.

"Some kids started playing a sick joke that has gotten out of hand. That's all there is to it," He said in an earlier conference. "As despicable as it is especially in this time of crisis, others have caught on and thought it's a great game. They set up incidents for people to see and report so more believe and more can be tricked. Anyone who sees anything remotely strange or 'freak-ish' is a gullible fool if they believe it. It's utter nonsense the City has a secret race it's trying to cover up as many out there believe. It's conspiracy to get the City into a state of further hysteria. I for one would like to be able to do my job and keep trying to rectify the kidnapping cases instead of running off every time an old woman believes she's seen a human reptile walking around her block."

As the Police continue to deny the existence of Freaks, Starr is becoming increasingly frightened and paranoid. With rumours of creatures with strange, supernatural powers hiding throughout the City, and with the alarming increase of unexplained disappearances, our Starr City is fast becoming a place of fear and uncertainty with no end or answers in sight.

The familiar brisk click of high heels almost made Seth drop the paper. Footsteps came louder and closer until the office door burst open and a flustered Ms Stone entered to the scene of Seth innocently sitting in the chair opposite her desk, patiently waiting.

"Knightly!" She gasped, but quickly recovered from surprise as she marched past him to her large chair. Barely noticing the newspaper, she plucked it from her seat and sat opposite with it loosely in her hand.

"What are you doing in here? You shouldn't be in here without me or my permission."

"I - I - " Seth found his tongue suddenly numb, his mind spinning. The words from the article now clutched in Ms Stone's iron grip were causing chaos in his brain.

Freaks.

He resisted the temptation to test the word out loud, knowing he couldn't with Ms Stone watching so intently. Her unblinking stare was trying to read him, but it was impossible because Seth himself didn't know what he was feeling. Reading about rumours in the City, the Freaks, sparked something inside him. Perhaps it was a last desperate reach for an explanation of his self discovery, but even thinking the word and its meaning sent an excited tingle up his spine.

"Knightly? Are you all right? Are you sick?"

Seth swallowed hard, forcing himself to shake his head. He needed to form words so Ms Stone wouldn't get suspicious but found himself at a loss. He was suddenly unsure if he should tell Ms Stone about his blood and hope she was in a better mood, or not tell her and continue to living normally until the next time he accidentally cut himself. Ms Stone raised both eyebrows in impatient question. Seth took a deep breath.

"I need to tell you something."

"Oh? Is this about the other boys? Have they been mistreating you? Just give me their names and I'll deal with - "

"No, Ms Stone it's not the others. It's about me." He felt his heart trying to pound out of his chest and squirmed uncomfortably. "Something... something happened today."

"Something like what? Don't beat about the bush Knightly, if this is important then out with it."

"I got hurt. One of the others knocked me down and I was bleeding."

"Right - give me his name and age and I'll - "

"No, Ms Stone listen! My blood, it wasn't normal!"

Ms Stone paused, becoming a statue as she stared, trying to read him. Seth quickly continued before she could interrupt again.

"It was silver." He blurted, running a hand nervously through his hair. "My blood came out silver. I have silver blood and I... well I wasn't sure what to do but I thought you should know."

It felt like time stopped dead. Seth nervously held his breath, not moving, staring at Ms Stone, watching her reaction. Unmoving, locked in a stare-war with him, he saw a hundred thoughts rush through her head. Neither moved for a whole minute, until Seth needed to breathe and let out a gentle puff. It was enough to snap Ms Stone out of her trance. Her gaze darted away from him.

"Silver." She repeated, eyes locked onto her lap. "Silver."

"Yes, and I didn't imagine it."

"I never said you did."

Seth felt his face flush hot and knew his cheeks were burning bright red.

"So what do I do?"

The paper rustling seemed too loud as Ms Stone opened it, eyes shifting to the front page. Seth's heart sank to his toes as he realised what she was thinking. A full minute passed before she finally spoke.

"I've kept things from you. From all of you." She said vaguely. Her attention stayed focused on the article. "I presume you've read this?"

Seth sat still, unsure how to respond. He was in a state of high panic but she seemed the opposite. She was calm and in control, which to Seth was a comfort and an irritation.

"It was moved." Ms Stone answered her own question as she shifted in her chair, slouching slightly. "I suppose it was mostly for your benefit, but it was for theirs too. I didn't want to scare them."

"Scare who?" Seth ventured cautiously.

"The other boys." Ms Stone finally tore her eyes from the newspaper as she folded it neatly, placing it on the desk. "I didn't want to scare any of you. Seth, I've been hiding things from you. Things happening now, things in the news and on the radio causing panic as you just read. Important things are happening in the world, but I've made darn sure to keep it all outside our borders. I didn't want to scare any of you."

Red flags and alarm bells exploded inside him. Ms Stone called him Seth. She never called him Seth. Ever.

"This article is only a snippet of what's been happening in the City." Ms Stone's firm gaze locked with his. "I don't want to frighten you but with what you've told me, I think it's time you knew. Seth, almost a quarter of Starr City have disappeared. It began three months ago and has escalated from there. The police are sure they're kidnappings because every crime scene has had a forced entry, almost as if whoever was responsible didn't care who knew what they were doing, thus didn't bother hiding their tracks. And because each scene was so obviously handled it has been plain for everyone to see the circumstances in which people were taken are not normal. By that I mean very unusual and mostly unrecognisable methods were used to take entire classrooms of children, bus loads of people, things like that. Anywhere, any time people have been snatched. But some have been left behind, which is the most unusual part. Those taken were specifically taken, specifically targeted and those who were not were left behind without another thought. Why?" Ms Stone took a deep breath, clasping her together. "I think the answer to that is the same reason for the unusual methods of kidnapping."

She slapped her hands down, Seth jumped in fright. They spread on top of the folded newspaper, fingers tapping its cover.

"This. The Freaks."

"But the - "

"Don't you see?" Ms Stone interrupted excitedly, eyes bright from finally sharing her theories out loud. "It all fits! Everything points back to the Freaks! Freaks are out there and someone's trying to cover it up by taking them away and leaving humans behind, saying all of it is a hoax! The entire thing is a circle, and it's all concerning Freaks. I doubt this has anything to do with real people at all, it's just between these Freak creatures and the Government! Unfortunately people tend to notice when their bus is taken and they are left behind, and by taken I mean lifted off the ground and people separated into those taken and those left behind and the chosen taken away on a flying bus!"

"But Ms Stone," Seth said weakly, unsure how to respond. "For that to be true, these Freaks things have to be real... how do you know they are? Maybe they are just people playing jokes. People do stupid things."

"And now we get to the nitty-gritty stuff." Ms Stone sat straight in her chair, hard expression crumpling to one shaken with nerves. "I suppose the only way to do it is to just do it. Like a band-aid as it were. Quick and clean."

Seth's face wrinkled in confusion. Never had he seen such an array of emotions from Ms Stone in his entire life, and in his fragile, emotional state he wasn't sure how much of it he could take.

"Seth, I believe you are a Freak."

His jaw dropped.

"I know this is a lot to take in at once." Ms Stone quickly rambled, adopting Seth's nervous habit and pushing a lose strand of hair behind her ear. "But what you said happened today and today's paper, I just... I don't know what else I'm supposed to do but tell you. I mean honestly, how else could you explain why your hair behaves the way it does?"

"You think I'm a Freak because of my hair?" Seth blurted, surprising himself at the high pitch his voice reached. It was true his hair seemed to have a mind of its own, but that was no excuse to be called a Freak... was it? Seth didn't know what the exact definition of a Freak was.

"Not only that." Ms Stone said defensively. "I'm not an idiot Knightly, I don't just believe things the paper tells me. I've known there was something about you from the day you arrived here, I just didn't know what name to give it. And now we come to it, why haven't you asked me the reason you've lived here so long?"

"S-sorry?"

"Why haven't you asked me about how you got here? You've lived here eleven years and not once have you asked."

Seth could only sit slack-jawed, dumbfounded. He wanted to go upstairs to bed and back to sleep, or wake up... he wasn't entirely sure he was awake.

"I hope you've realised by now you've lived here longer than any of the others. We only accept eight-to-sixteen year old boys here. That's the rule, even before your time. Didn't you think to ask why you were kept here when you were only a year old, when all other babies are sent to proper homes?" Ms Stone shook her head as Seth continued gaping like an uncomprehending fish.

"Oh dear. I suppose in a way it's been a relief not having to explain, but I hoped you'd be at least a little curious. I'll keep it short and simple. Eleven years ago I found you abandoned on the third floor. You were left during the night and I found you crying the next day." Ms Stone stood, moving to one of her file cabinets, pulling open the bottom draw, gently rummaging through it. "It was very curious. Firstly, how did someone get into the grounds when the fence is high and spiked and the gate locked, and secondly, how did someone manage to climb to the third floor carrying you? That was unusual in itself, but then I realised you weren't alone."

Seth's jaw finally snapped shut, but his eyes remained wide as he watched Ms Stone like a hawk as her words sank in. Pulling something out of the draw, she returned to her seat, promptly plopping a small garbage bag in front of her. Compared to the rest of her things, which were looked after in the best way possible, it seemed strange she had something like it hidden away.

"In this bag are samples of your baby clothes and an album of your growth through your years here. I've kept them as requested, but the rest you brought with you." Ms Stone reached into the floppy bag, pulling out an envelope and a long strip of paper. She slid them over, watching his expression closely as he picked them up.

Something close to awe radiated from him as he gently opened the envelope, sliding out the pure white paper inside. His eyes didn't leave it for a second as Ms Stone continued to explain while he unfolded the paper to read the letter inside.

"The long piece is a photo. The letter is the reason I kept you here. Normally I would've given you to the C.S to handle, but the letter... I just couldn't."

Golden writing shimmered as Seth's pale brown eyes scanned words written in perfect, neat letters.

To Whosoever Finds This Precious Child,

It is your duty as finder of this child to keep him and care for him.

To you who has found him, this duty cannot be passed on. It has been your destiny to find him. Keep him, care for him, love him - he is irreplaceable to us.

You may never find out why this child is so special, but you will see as he grows that he is unique, and you will know it is true nonetheless.

Any details you know would be disastrous to his safety and yours, so know only that this precious bundle needs to survive the threat trying to take him from us. Our future, our world revolves around his survival so we beg you as finder to fulfil your duty and keep him safe - this, and one other task is all we ask.

If it is within your means we ask you to capture the moments of this child's youth, as it grieves us beyond words to know we will miss those precious times. Any small token of his growth would be received with the greatest joy for that day in the future when we see him again.

One day you will find him gone. Know that he is where he is meant to be, and your duty will then be complete.

This is all we ask of you, finder. His destiny, our destiny... they are in your hands.

It was unsigned, but Seth read it for the fifth time before noticing. His hands trembled on the paper, hardly believing letter was about him. It sounded like the person or people who had written it were reluctant to give him up, something he hadn't thought possible. He'd never known much affection in his life so it seemed only natural it started from when he was born.

Slowly, he placed the open letter on the desk. Licking his dry lips, his heart hammered painfully. He didn't understand any of it. How could the letter be about him? How could he be 'special' and 'irreplaceable'? None of those descriptions fitted him in the least.

"There's something else, but I'm not sure how you'll react." Ms Stone rummaged around the bag again, unaware Seth was already so overwhelmed with emotions he was becoming numb to them. Finally, she pulled out a certificate, handing it over the table. Taking it, he glanced over it curiously.

"Certificate of Adoption? For Seth Stone?" His eyes bulged from his head as he read the words out loud, shooting Ms Stone an accusing look. She blushed, something Seth had never seen her do.

"It was necessary. I couldn't keep you here at that young age without adopting you myself. It was easier to give you my name than try to explain how I knew your real one."

"How do you know my real one?"

"Seth, it's right there. On the back of your photo."

He looked down at the long strip of thick paper. Lifting it, he brought it closer for inspection as the picture faced upward. The edges were frayed, obviously ripped as if the piece were taken from a much larger picture. Staring up with warm, pale brown eyes sat a chubby faced baby, a thick fuzz of black hair on its head. It looked positioned as if sitting in a row, one long picture torn apart. Fingers tingling in excitement, he flipped the piece over, spotting more glittering, golden writing. Written on the back of his first baby photo were the words,

Seth L. Knightly - D.O.B - 01-01-1313

"Actually," Seth said in a small voice. "I had always wondered how you knew my last name."

A small smile pulled at Ms Stone's face, transforming her appearance once again, but Seth no longer felt uncomfortable around the new Ms Stone. He saw a new side to her, one obscure but motherly, which seemed an accurate term now he knew Ms Amelia Stone was his adopted Mother and not just an Orphanage Mistress.

"So... how do you feel about being adopted? Don't worry, you're still Seth Knightly in all respects, it was just easier to call you Stone for the documents to be done quickly, with the least amount of fuss."

He shrugged, feeling his cheeks heat.

"S'all right." He mumbled, keeping his eyes down as he looked over himself as a one-year old baby. A hundred questions were forming in his mind - who took the picture, who else was in it, why was it ripped up, where was the rest of it?

"Knigh - Seth," Ms Stone said gently. "Do you see yet why I think you're a Freak? It's not just because of your hair. The letter clearly states you are more than you appear to be. A future, a world... it says they rely on you. I've always suspected there was something different about you, something special. And now you've told me about this blood thing I - "

"Blood!" Seth exploded, Ms Stone jolting in shock at his outburst. A chilling thought suddenly occurred to him. "Ms Stone! The new boy saw me bleeding! He knows, I thought he told you already but when you didn't come to me I guessed he hadn't, but he saw it and he knows because he smiled at me!"

"All right, calm down." Ms Stone ordered, snapping back into business-mode. Seth breathed a sigh in relief to see normal Ms Stone return. As interesting as it was meeting her other side, it was this side that could face trouble head-on and order it in the other direction, and it would go with its tail between its legs.

"You're positive he knows?"

"Yes. He was really smug about it."

"That's a worry, since he comes from the outside and is certain to know what's going on in the City. But it seems we have luck on our side for the moment."

"What? How?"

"The new boy, this Slip or whatever we must call him hasn't said a word since the C.S picked him up. Since he's been in custody no one's been able to convince him to speak, that's why he was in here for so long. We were trying to convince him to talk, and thank goodness we failed. He seems adamant to keep his mouth shut, so the advantage is ours for the moment." Ms Stone stood and paced, Seth watching, silently willing her with all his faith to come up with a plan.

"Right," She stopped after a full minute of walking and leaned on her desk, slouching her normally perfect posture. "This is what we do; you need to befriend Slip. Even if he says nothing, talk to him, be nice to him, be his friend and gain his trust. Once he starts talking you can explain that he didn't see what he thinks he did. Make something up, say it was paint or anything else, tell him any story and stick to it. How is he going to prove it wrong? I'm the only one with authority he can tell and I'm not going to tell any one. Yes, I think that'll work. We can handle this situation easily." Ms Stone sat, posture straightening like a pole. "Good. Any other problems?"

"Yes." Seth swallowed hard, lifting the letter and photo strip. "What the hell am I supposed to do if I am a Freak?"

"According to your letter, I think you're meant to wait." Ms Stone gave a vague shrug. "I suppose destiny is going to take its course. Until then, you're welcome to wait here."