Loss and Gain

Why did I make such a dumbass decision? I’m still waiting to hear the answer, come on me! Say something, anything! Oh wait you can’t because right now-

*SMACK*

“Urgh!”

For the past 5 minutes I’ve been getting railed on by Bernard and his cronies. One of those two nameless pricks holds me in place, meanwhile Bernard uses me as a punching bag and the other gives annoying commentary. Each punch feels like a hammer, hey champ you should take these skills to the boxing club. You’d make a real killing there!

...It hurts to even joke to myself. I just had to play hero, it’s not like Stacy will notice me now. She didn’t even look back at me when she was running away, should I really have feelings for a person like that. Bernard continued to punch me, sometimes in the face, and other times in the chest. He used enough force to get the message across, and I’m the unwilling recipient of that message. After a while, Bernard took a breath of satisfaction and told his goon to drop me. Upon being released I dropped to the ground, my legs feel like jello right now. Bernard looked at me and laughed, then he spoke to me for the first time during this whole exchange.

“You really are a dumbass, you know that right?”

“*Cough cough*...Piss off.”

“Tell me, do you think a girl like her would care for a guy like you?”

I froze for a moment, why is this happening to me? Isn’t it bad enough that I got my ass handed to me? Bernard didn’t care about my state and continued.

“You're pathetic, you know that right? You jumped in to protect a girl who didn’t even like you, a girl who thinks of you the same way everyone else does.”

“....”

“Listen trash boy, you’re a blight on this academy. Even if you told someone about this, they would say you deserved it. You bring your trash to school, your demeanor is trash, your uniform is ragged like trash, and guess what?”

Bernard walked over to me while I was hunched over one the ground, and kneeled down to my level. He then placed his hand on my back and looked me dead in my eyes.

“Your family is trash too.”

“...What?”

What the hell did this guy just say? Bernard immediately stood up and looked back at his cronies while pointing at me.

“Hey, you guys wanna hear something funny?”

His cronies begin to light up, like kids on Christmas. That’s when Bernard looked at me and pulled the trigger.

“I was bored one day, so I decided to read some of the books at my place. It was a catalog for deceased Pioneers, and guess who’s parents showed up there. You guessed it, this guy’s! They were apart of the grave robbers, isn’t that hilarious!”

The two idiots behind him began laughing, laughing at my parents’ deaths. How dare they, have they any idea the pain their loss caused me. Bernard continued to watch me squirm and kept going.

“What’s wrong, are you upset that your secrets out. You miss your mommy and daddy, well too bad! I guess you bring that crap to school because it helps you feel closer to them?”

“...”

This idiot acting like he knows my whole story, I decide not to answer him. This results in me getting kicked in my ribs, and him continuing to reprimand me.

“Stop bringing people into your pity party, it’s not our fault that the people your parents robbed are haunting you! Stop trying to bring us into your problem, I just hate it when stuck up guys like you try to get people to understand them. Just roll over in a ditch somewhere!”

Bernard turned to leave, his cronies continuing to chide me for existing. I can understand where he’s coming from, I even tormented everyone the past few days just because I was upset. However, there’s one thing I can’t let slide.

“Hey, where the hell are you going?”

“Huh?”

Bernard turned around confused and his cronies seemed startled by the wrath in my voice.

“Say what you want about me, BUT YOU LEAVE MY PARENTS OUT OF IT! YOU JACKASS!”

I ran up with my fist raised to punch him, only to receive a swift jab to my face. My nose is gushing blood right now, is it broken? I could feel myself start losing consciousness, but before I could fall on my back I felt something tugging at my neck.

“By the way, this is too nice for a guy like you. Consider it mine.”

He snagged the necklace I wore to school, the one item from my uncle that I didn’t hate. After taking his trophy he left me there, meanwhile his cronies ran back to me. One started kicking me and the other spit on me, I guess that’s what I get for fighting back. After throwing salt in my wounds they left me there, and I lost consciousness.

****

When I woke up, the sky was a dark blue hue and the moon had risen. I checked my phone to see I was knocked out for two hours. I simply got up and dragged my battered body from the school rooftop and down the way home. Maybe I felt I needed a pick-me up because before heading back home I stopped by Randy's, my favorite burger place. The usual cashier there said hi to me, but noticed my condition and asked if I was alright. I asked her not to mind me and placed my order. I got a large cola, a large order of fries, and two jumbo bacon cheeseburgers. After that I made my way home, upon entering Eve called out to me.

“You’re home late, and you look like crap.”

“*Sigh* Yeah, I know that better than anyone else.”

I put my food on the table and went to take a shower. The water stung due to my battered body, I swear I’m gonna get that bastard for this...What’s the point?

I was a dumbass for getting involved with him, and now I want to jump back in and get my ass beat again. How I am even supposed to go back to school after taking a beating like that. After I finished my shower and got dressed, I just sat on the couch next to Eve who was propped there. We both just sat there silently, watching the anime that popped up from the autoplay function.

“...”

“...This isn’t like you brat.”

“What do you mean?”

“You're usually as sharp as a knife, and you came home bruised too. Add in the fact that your necklace was missing, yep you got your ass beat. Didn’t you?”

I stared at Eve for a moment, but she continued watching the TV. I don’t know what came over me, but I started spilling out what happened to me today. Why am I even talking to her, she’s glued on the TV right now? Actually, maybe that’s why. I just need a brick wall to talk to, something or rather someone who won’t judge me.

After speaking to her, I felt a little better. Maybe I can stomach some food now? I got up to go eat, but that’s when I noticed it. The broken picture of me with my parents, right before they went on their last expedition. I grabbed the frame, and immediately my eyes started to burn. I was like they were looking at me, asking me to make things right. I wanted to get rid of it, so I immediately grabbed one of the boxes that was in the corner. I was sealed, if I wanna ram this thing inside I’m gonna have to cut it open. I got my box cutter and began to cut the tape on the box, that’s when Eve called out to me.

“Hey kid.”

“What is it?”

“The punk that beat you up kinda has a point.”

…What? What did she just say to me? I can feel myself getting angry, but I’m not just gonna sit here and ignore what she just said.

“Can you repeat that?”

“I had a feeling you’d get mad, listen that’s not what I-”

“WHAT IS IT THEN!”

*Swish*

I stared angrily at Eve after she made that annoying statement, but then I noticed something. My left hand had a burning sensation, I looked to see a gash on my hand. Wait a minute, I heard the sound of something getting cut before. Don’t tell me-

“AHHHH! CRAP!”

I threw my box cutter down and started panicking. No I gotta calm down, otherwise the bleeding will get worse.

“Uh, are you alright?”

“Does this look alright to you!”

I turned back to Eve and showed her my bloodied hand, this was partly her fault after all. What I didn’t expect was some of the blood pooling on my hand to go flying onto her.

“GROSS! Keep your blood to yourself!”

“Oh! Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

*Ba-bump*

...What was that?

*Ba-bump*

There it goes again, what was that sound? Wait a moment, that’s the sound of a heart beat! That’s when I noticed something, my blood hit Eve’s face. That includes the strange paper nailed to her head and the nail as well. That’s when I remembered uncle’s instructions, he said to never let the nail come in contact with blood. Don’t tell me I did something-

“Urgh, why do I feel so strange?”

Eve began to shake uncontrollably, as she shook the nail in her head began to start pushing out.

*Ba-Bump*

*Ba-Bump*

*Ba-Bump*

*Ba-Bump*

I see now, that heartbeat is coming from Eve! What did I do to her? As I questioned that Eve kept shaking as if she was convulsing.

“Uuurrghhhh!!! Don’t just stand there, help me you idiot!”

“Right, I’ll call an ambulance...Oh right, you’re already dead. Actually, if your heart’s beating again, isn’t this a good thing?”

“You little bastard, I feel like I’m about to burst. How is this oka-GGGGAAHHHHH!!!!”

*Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump**Ba-Bump*

Her heart beat began to spike, to the point where her bandages began to become undone. I started to see wrinkle gray-like skin, and flesh that was slightly rotted. The stench was enough to make me want to lose my appetite. That’s when I heard it.

*Clank*

I look to see the nail in her head hit the floor and crumble away, leaving behind a partly visible Eve. Is she gonna be okay?

“Eve are you-”

“GGGGGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Her arms broke through their bindings, and she began holding her head in her hands. I saw her face and wanted to scream, she had no eyes and was missing teeth. Her hair was practically gone, as I mentioned before she was practically a human skeleton. At least that was supposed to be the case, her body began to glow with an ominous red light. I blocked my eyes, but I could hear it. The sound of her screams mixing in with the sound of bones getting reshapened. I wanted to cover my ears, but I couldn’t. I was the reason for this, the least I can do is endure it with her. Eventually, the sounds stopped and even the rotten smell died down. I was too scared to look, but then I was shocked when I started hearing a voice.

“Geez, I know I should be grateful to be unsealed and have my exquisite form back. However, that was too painful, I never want to do that again!”

I froze, that wasn’t the voice of the decrepit chain smoking mummy that was here before. I uncovered my eyes, only to be more amazed at the sight before me. Standing above a few torn bandages, was a girl around my age. Her skin was slightly pale, her hair was black but also vibrant, and her eyes were a soft red. I didn’t want to connect the dots, but the girl was wrapped in the same bandages Eve was wearing. That’s when she noticed my gaze, and began to smirk at me.

“Ha! Told you I was a beautiful maiden, I bet it’s easier to tell with my face uncovered right?”

Eve struck a pose as if she was trying to look cool, I wanted to deny it but this brat really is Eve isn’t she. I then noticed Eve looking me up and down, her hand holding her chin. She then began to give me a strange smile, revealing her teeth which surprisingly weren’t fangs.

“Well then boy, it appears I should show you the power of a dark lord.”

Immediately a strange black mist sprouted from her hands and enveloped my body. Crap! What’s she going to do to me! Is this revenge for me water boarding her! I’m sorry for that alright, PLEASE DON’T KILL M- Huh? I noticed something strange, my aching body felt like it was back to normal. No, I felt better than that! It’s like I just got a luxury spa trip, what just happened to me. I looked at my hand, and the gash I had was gone. No way did she do what I think she did? I felt my busted nose, sure enough it was healed. Why would she help me?

“Is it really surprising that the first thing I used my powers for was to fix you me, you really aren’t very trusting are you?”

“Huh?”

I looked down to see Eve crouched slightly beneath me, she was stanced like a girl who was trying to make a request.

“That said, now we’re even for healing each other. However, I have another favor to ask.”

*GRUMBLE*

I looked at Eve who now had a dumb yet embarrassed smile on her face.

“Do you have any grub, I’m starving!”