Ch2 - Alone

I like the idea of being alone. Yet if I was truly alone I'd be very afraid.

A male, tall and well built walked along.

The buildings along both sides of the street were decaying.

The street was empty, and he just walked for a long while.

Almost absently.

Finally he paused, and looked about.

"Is anyone there?" he asked.

No response.

So he smiled and continued on.

He then went inside a shop, it too was abandoned.

He sat down in a chair and began to read.

He read and read, content to finish his book in the peace and quiet.

After he finished, he set the book down.

He got up and stretched, before walking to the window.

He looked out, seeming now confused by the continued absence of people.

He went out again, and looked around.

The streets were still deserted.

He walked down the street and went to a house, he knocked on the door.

No answer.

He went to a plant and picked it up taking the key.

He went inside, using the key yet the house was empty.

Like whomever had lived there just vanished.

He went back out locking the door and placing the key back.

He then hurried down the street and went inside a grocery.

It was devoid of people.

Baskets were about, even with items inside.

He began to look panicked, he exited and looked about.

"ANYONE?" he shouted, and began to run down the street.

He'd wanted to be alone, but not this alone.

He had only wanted to be left alone to read.

He kept running and shouting, listening for any response.

Finally he was exhausted, and sat down on the steps of the house he'd entered before.

He'd managed to go in a big circle.

He sat unsure what to do.

Everyone was gone.

Even his fiance.

As the reality sank in, he began to cry.

Lanz walked up, his steps silent.

He stood directly in front of the male, before looking about.

He thought to himself, for a moment.
He then sighed silently, and grabbed the male forcefully.

"Wake up. We need the room for rent!"

The world suddenly shattered.

-----------------

The male at the counter suddenly started awake.

Standing in front of him was a male with red hair.

"Ah, good. We awoke you.

We saw the sign, and were hoping to rent the room upstairs."

Lanz stepped to the red haired male's right.

The male looked to the two of them.

"I need quiet tenants."

The red haired male raised his right hand, "Promise.

He's a student anyway. I'm just his cousin."

"No parents?" the man asked gruffly.

Lanz leaned in a little and with a dark expression spoke...

"Dead. And we didn't want to be alone."

The male sat back a little, and swallowed hard.

He stared at Lanz a long moment, before looking to the red haired male.

"Fine, just fill this out." he said pushing a piece of paper.

The male nodded, and began filling it out.

"Rent is 400 a month.

Unless you're willing to help with the shop."

The male spoke, "Oh? I'd have no issues helping you with the shop."

The man nodded, "Alright. Then it's only 300 a month."

The red haired male nodded, and passed back the paper.

"Sounds good. Anything else?"

The man looked over the paper.

"How do you pronounce that?"

The red haired male spoke, "Kanzo."

"Ah... Well, Kanzo, and Lanz.

Here's the key." he said offering a key.

Kanzo reached to take it, and the man pulled it back.

He motioned to Lanz, "If I found out he's not attending school, I've got no issues calling the truancy officers."

Kanzo nodded, "Understood."

The man then offered the key again and Kanzo took it with a smile.

The two went up the stairs with their bags.

Kanzo unlocked it, and it was barely a one room apartment.

Lanz looked about, "You were right, cities are expensive."

Kanzo shook his head and tossed his bag on the couch.

"Yea, and you were right about cities having better things to do than check on new occupants.

Also, schools in cities see more diversity in demons.

Perhaps they'll have a better idea of what to do with you."

Lanz grumbled as he tossed Kanzo's bag off the couch and flopped down.

Lanz spoke, "So, what are you gonna do about that other 300 a month he expects?"

Kanzo crossed his arms, "That is a good question...
I suppose I'll need a job of some sort.
I'm sure there's other shops looking for an extra pair of hands."

Lanz rolled his eyes, and there was a small jingle.

He rolled over and gently picked up his mother's necklace.

The chain was black, with a gold pendant.
In the pendant was a small purple gem.

Kanzo spoke, "You know... Staring at it isn't gonna make it speak to you."

Lanz looked to him, "What if it does?"

Kanzo shook his head, "Then by all means, rub it in my face when it happens."

The next day Lanz was walking with his school bag.

He walked up to a large building.

He sighed and went thru the gate, and into the building.

He rent to the door on the right, and inside was a woman sitting at a desk.

Lanz just stood silently, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence.

She gave an exaggerated sigh, "Don't just stand there.

What do you want?"

Lanz felt a tad taken back, but spoke, "I uh... just moved here.

Was hoping to enroll."

The woman then looked excited, "Oh, you're new!

My apologies, normally students only come here when they're in trouble."

She rummaged thru a few papers.

"Do you have your old school transcripts?"

"Uh... No?

We... moved in a hurry."

"That's fine. Fill this out, with your old school's info.

We'll contact them and get everything."

Lanz took the papers she offered and filled them out.

He handed the papers back to her.

She read thru them, "Alright, so ahead and take a seat.

We normally divide students by ability.

So, a teacher will be over to administer your tests."

Lanz went and sat down.

A few minutes later a women came in.

She was wearing a long brown dress, and had green hair.

She had long antlers sprouting from her head.

She looked about then spotted Lanz.

"You're the new student?"

Lanz stood up, "Yes, ma'am."

She smiled, and shook his hand.
"Welcome, I'm Ms. Terkin.

I'll be administering your tests."

Lanz nodded, "Lanz."

She nodded, "Alright, let's go, Lanz."

The two walked out of the room, and went down a hall.

Halfway down they went into a room.

The room had various cubbies, and shelves.

Hooks, and a large board.

In the room were only nine chairs, set in a square.

"Alright, go ahead and take a seat."

Lanz gently took the chair closest to him.

The woman came over, "Okay.

There are various aspects to the exam.

There's a educational review.

Not to hard.

Then you'll take the skill challenge.

There is a physical exam, that the physical training teacher will administer.

Oh, and there's a personality exam.

I'll be honest, the last one normally just confirms species.

Different species answer differently.

We can do them in any order...
Oh! Except the physical exam.
That will have to wait till later, as there are physical classes until last period."

Lanz just stared at her for a moment, before shaking his head like he was shaking off confusion.

She smiled warmly, "Where would you like to start?"

Lanz smiled back, "Can we start at the personality exam?"

It would be a good chance to see if they could pinpoint his species.

Perhaps this school would be useful.

She grabbed a thick spiral book, and a notebook.

"Alright, you hold this.

You'll go thru each one and answer it honestly.

Most are like... what do you see?

Finish the sentence.

How would you react?

Simple.

And there is no wrong answer."

Lanz took the spiral book, and she sat down with her notebook.

She nodded for him to start.

He opened it, and it started with a blob.

Above read, 'What do you see?'

He stared at it, and looked to her, "A blob?"

She scribbled down, "Alright. Next."

He blinked surprised she accepted the answer.

She had said there were no wrong answers.

He turned to the next page.

Another blob, but oddly shaped.

He stared at it for a moment.

"Even butterflies die..." he said quietly.

She leaned looking at the picture.
It did seem to resemble a butterfly with various smaller splatters about.

She sat back and wrote.

Lanz flipped to the next page.

It read, 'A homeless man asks you for money, you...'

Lanz spoke quietly, "Know you can't help, thus he will likely starve and freeze to death."

The woman sat a tad wide eyed, but wrote it down, looking concerned.

He flipped the page, an image of a girl walking in a forest.

"Her worst nightmare has come true...
She's lost, never to be found."

The teacher wrote the answer cautiously.

He flipped the next page.

It read, 'Each day Steve works in his shop. Steve is a ______ person.'

He actually laughed out loud.

"Steve is a miserable and self-loathing person."

He was actually enjoying himself a bit as he turned the page.

It was another blob, "Geez, somebody had a bad day."

he said and turned the page.

She paused unsure if that counted as an answer, but wrote it down.

It read, 'You are challenged to a fight. What is your best course of action?'

He laughed again, "Given the past, I'd say to run like hell."

He continued flipping pages, and she looked more and more concerned as they finished.

Finally she nodded as he finished the book.

"That was good.

Go ahead and take a short break.

Decide between the education and skill tests." 

She said before hurrying out the door.

He watched her, having hoped she'd have an answer for him.

He shrugged, before he heard voices shouting outside the door.

He got up and walked to the door, leaning against it to listen.

"You don't understand.

He's creepy.

Like... Just- Look at his answers.

He actually laughed at the question about an eagle killing a rat.

Saying, 'One person's dream is another's nightmare.'

I don't even know what to categorize it.

I've heard some gruesome answers.

But his... I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight."

Lanz stepped away from the door, and sat back down.

He sighed and spoke to himself, "Congrats, start at a new school by freaking out a teacher."

After a few minutes she returned.

Wearing a smile, that he knew was forced and fake.

"So, how about the skills exam?

It wont take long, then you can do the education, and hopefully it'll be last period by then."

Lanz looked to her, "I don't have any skills."

She paused, and looked to him.

"Of course you do.

All demons have some sort of skill or talent."

Lanz shrugged, "Nope."

She looked determined, he kind of guessed she'd been told to push the skills.

To further determine what kind of demon he was.

"Perhaps you just consider it normal cause everyone in your family can do it."

He shrugged, shaking his head again.

"Nope. I'm... rather different than my family.

I am CLEARLY not the same species.

It isn't even a factor.

Sometimes I'm convinced I was adopted."

She seemed to think, "Well, let's try a couple things.

See if anything works."

Lanz shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

She nodded, suddenly threw a ball at him.

It hit him and bounced away.

He watched it, then looked to her.

"Alright no force fields or shields."

she wrote down her thoughts.

She then walked over, with a small bag of stuff.

She sat down, and took out a vial.

She shook it about, "Does this interest you?"

She said taking the cork off.

He examined it, "What is that?"

She put it back, and wrote.

"I'm seriously curious." he said.

"It was blood. Certain species, have a natural reaction to it."

He sat back, "Oh... Fun."

She pulled a small needle, and pricked his finger.
"oh!" he shouted pulling his hand back.
She grabbed his hand and examined it.

"Your clotting agent is slow." she said writing.

He put his finger in his mouth.

"I don't like this test anymore." he said with his finger in his mouth.

"You're fine." she said absently.

He wondered if he should have saved the personality exam for last.

Her kind and warm persona from before had become darkly determined.

She seemed near the verge of obsession with her notes.

"Alright, is there anything you dream about?" she asked

"Dream?" he asked.

"Yes. Most species will dream of certain things, it gives hints to their abilities."

He shrugged, "I don't dream."

She wrote, but paused, and looked to him.

"Ever?"

He nodded, "Yea. I've never had a dream.

Or nightmare.

Closest is when I seem to jump into other people's dreams.
Though if those are the standard for dreams, then I'm fine."

"Jump... into people's dreams?"

He nodded, "Yea. My old school told me I was crazy.
That they were my dreams.

But I swear they aren't.

It seems like it's happening to someone else.

I'm just... observing.

And I know it's a dream."

She got up, "I have to speak to a co-worker."

Lanz stood up, "Wait, do you know what I am?"

She ignored him and left.

He got up and went to the door listening.

Except now they were whispering, he couldn't hear them.

He felt annoyed, and opened the door.

The female teacher, and two males were standing there.

They looked to him.

He glared to them annoyed.
"You know something you aren't sharing.

Spill."

The female walked over, "I'm sorry dear.

We cannot teach you."

"What? The law states schools must accept all species."

She nodded, "We're aware.

But there are exception species."

Lanz rolled his eyes, "Yes, because they are a threat to all others in the school.

Like berserkers, and blood demons.

I'm not a threat. I didn't hurt anyone at my last school."

"Not knowingly, I'm sure." she offered.

Lanz felt annoyed, "How would I not know I'm hurting people?"

One of the males spoke, "Lanz was it?"

Lanz nodded, and the male spoke again.

"Do you know how many suicides occurred in your school this year?"

Lanz thought, shaking his head.

"I dunno. A dozen."

"We're only half-way thru the year, and there were a dozen suicides?"

Lanz shrugged, "Yea, what of it?

Suicides are common."

The man shook his head, "No, they aren't.

Even with our large school, we haven't had a single suicide.

Until today."

Lanz spoke, but all that came out was "What-?"

The man nodded, "You've been here over two hours.
And ten minutes ago a student jumped off the building."

Lanz shook his head, "That's horrible.

But that isn't my fault. I did nothing.
I was here the entire time."

"Son... You said suicide is common.

Yet most schools... Never see suicides.

You naturally create fearful people, who become sick with hopelessness."

Lanz protested, "That's not possible."

The male teacher stepped forward.

"It is a common occurrence for your kind when you are uncontrolled."

"My kind? Uncontrolled?!
I'm not doing anything!

I'm certainly not out of control."

The male teacher sighed,

"We are giving you a recommendation for a specialty school.

Privately funded by the royal family."

"Specialty school?" Lanz asked.

The woman spoke, "Yes, for special cases, and demons who can't seem to control their abilities."

Lanz spoke, "I don't have abilities.
I might as well be human.

I can barely pass the physical training exams."

The final male of the group stepped forward.

"Son, I'm sorry.

But we cannot teach you.

The results are clear from your personality exam, and the notes for your skill exam...

You are a nightmare demon."

Lanz stood in mild shock.
"What the hell is that?"