Vol 2 ~ What if I ain't no Violinist?

2. Twoset Searchers VIII (Warren's story 1)

Trigger warnings: Bullying.  Self harm and assault with a knife (both end as attempts, none were committed).  If sensitive to any of these topics, please do not read.  If you are a regular reader of my work, you may know that I only touch on difficult themes for the sake of the plot of the story and not for describing prolonged angst.

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Tuesday night

"Hey, Warren. Please. Stop."

Warren looked up.

"..Death?"

"That's Mr Death from a youngster like you. But how'd you tell?"

Warren sighed.

"Well.. I've got myself a noose around my neck. I'm standing on a stool that I was just about to kick away. Then you have suddenly materialised in front of me in my bedroom. I can only assume you are.. Mr Death."

Death let out a smirk.

"Well done not bad for a schoolkid."

"So.. you're here to collect my soul afterwards?"

"Actually no. I'm here to ask you a favour."

"Geez, look Mr Death, I don't mean to be disrespectful but your timing sucks."

"Perhaps. But now that I've interrupted you, why don't you just step down from that stool?"

Warren shook his head.

"I really have no reason to stay."

"Oh, but why the rush? Look, I'm not meant to tell you this but what the heck, you'll be gone in a few days anyway. Your D day is this Friday."

"Will I? It is? How?"

"Sorry, I really shouldn't even be telling you what I've told you already."

"Fine, whatever, it doesn't really matter. But why should I wait?"

"Well you see, I'm actually an F grade Death."

"Uhuh."

"Yeah, I've been coming last in my cohort in all my subjects."

"Mhm."

"So.. I need to up my numbers... if you kill yourself I can't claim your soul and can't add you to my quota. So could you just hang around for another few days, for my sake, please?"

Warren shrugged.

"Fine. Whatever. Saves me the trouble of doing it myself I guess."

Warren removed the noose from his neck and stepped off the stool.

Death smiled.

"Thanks mate, I appreciate it."

Wednesday

The next day at school Warren looked at his locker which had been broken into again. His notebooks were torn with doodles scribbled all over them.

Moron.

Stupid.

Worthless piece of sh*t

Warren overheard his classmates snickering in the background.

Warren took out his phone and started to take photos of the inside of his locker.

Two of his classmates snickering in the background called out as they approached him;

"Hey loser, just what the f*ck do you think you're doing?"

"Yeah what the f*ck?"

Warren replied in his most calm voice.

"I'm taking photographic evidence to send to the Board of Education."

"..What?"

"Better still, I'm going to the police. I could at least file a report for the destruction of property. I'm also sending it to the media as well. I also know where your dads work, so I might tweet on their company twitter accounts, explaining that their employee's son had done this to me. I'll also put it up on my Instagram and Facebook account. I might even make a TikTok out of it..."

"What the.. cut that out, you idiot."

Warren slowly put his phone away into his pocket and took out something else.

"You know what.. what I never understood was how people like you lot think they can get away with doing something as nasty as this to someone. Like they don't seem to think that one day, maybe just one day, that person may have just had enough y'know.. and just ...snap."

With a click, Warren produced a folded knife.

His two peers went pale.

"Sh*t Warren.."

"What the f*ck... put that down Warren"

Warren was so very calm.

"I am not scared of any of you anymore. You should never underestimate the power of a person who no longer has anything else to lose."

Warren's eyes shifted between the two boys. The first boy blurted out;

"W, Warren.. you are absolutely right. We.. I mean, I, I was an idiot. I was stupid. I wasn't thinking at all. I.. I'm sorry."

Warren blinked. He then shifted his eyes to the second boy. The second boy punched his friend in the arm then smirked at Warren;

"You're such a f*cking moron Warren."

Warren smirked back and took two swift steps towards the second boy as he held the knife in his fist.

The boy who stammered an apology widened his eyes and let out a scream. This attracted all the eyes to turn and see what happened next.

Warren stepped in close to the second boy as he pushed the knife into the boy's abdomen. The boy stared at his abdomen in absolute horror as he saw the blade of the knife completely disappear into his stomach. Eye's widened, he drew in a sharp breath and gazed up at Warren as he hunched over. Warren growled;

"This.. is what you... made me.. feel like..doing to you... every ..single ..day.. for the last.. 6 ...months..."

Warren swiftly withdrew the hand he held the knife with.  

Upon pulling his fist away, the two boys noticed the blade was missing from the end of the handle of the knife. The two boys looked up at Warren. Warren flicked a button on the handle of the knife and the blade was produced again, it was a prop knife with a fake retracting blade. The first boy clutched his chest and let out hyperventilated gasps of relief.

"Oh f*ck... f*ck.. oh.. my...god.. ..W.. Warren.."

The second boy who had the fake knife used on him, could not stay standing. His knees gave away and he ended up sitting on the floor. His face then contoured in anguish as he started to sob. The first boy looked at him in horror as it was evident that the second boy had wet his pants.

Warren smiled then whispered;

"You really shouldn't push people this far y'know. They could get up to some really crazy sh*t."

The school bell rang and Warren went to class.