Eli Fletcher: The Mark Of The King

Chapter One: Custodes Avis

Chapter One

Custodes Avis

            The first twelve years of my life I have moved from orphanage to orphanage. I wish I could tell you everything, but I really don't remember much before the age of six. But, like I said, I've been passed around from place to place because weird stuff keeps happening around me. Stuff I can't control. I don't know why it happens, it just does! So, why am I, Jefferey Kidd, the one who gets punished for it?

            Someone died at the last place I lived. Surprised? Well, my story isn't a very happy one. So, there I was, walking down the hall to join the rest of the kids to play out on the playground; I don't know why, it's not like any of the other kids would play with me. Not unless a teacher made them... Sorry, back to the story. So, I'm walking down the hall, and this tall guy comes out of nowhere and blocks my way to the doors. I remember it being really awkward, because there was no one else around.

            What was worse was that the dude looked like he wanted to hurt me. So, I turned to find someone in charge, because that's what we're supposed to do when a stranger walks into the orphanage. But as I searched for an adult, the doors kept locking themselves before I could open them. I knocked on them, knowing someone was inside, but there's no sound.

Thinking I should keep the guy in sight, I turned around and he was right there, towering over me and blocking my view of everything. I was trapped with nowhere to go! All I could see was this tall guy in a tan trench coat and his glowing red eyes. Even his face was obscured in shadow by a wide brimmed hat and his popped up collar.

            Suddenly, one of the doors came crashing open and Mr. Finch, the director of the orphanage, came tumbling through. He yelled something at me that I didn't really hear, and then he tackled the red-eyed guy! I'd never seen him move like that before. Mr. Finch wasn't exactly what you would call athletic. He looked something like a science teacher or a psychiatrist on TV; short and balding with wire-framed glasses. He had a pudgy stomach, too, probably from the donuts he ate every morning.

            But there he was in a funny looking V-necked, argyle sweater vest and regular ol' brown slacks, fighting this huge guy in the hallway! I ran for it, but watched from around the corner. The big trench coat guy grew bigger and bigger, making Mr. Finch look really small.

            "I'm the Protector, you are not welcome here!" Mr. Finch shouted.

            Protector? Of what? I wondered. Then, out of nowhere Mr. Finch had a sword and plunged it deep into the stomach of the guy in the hallway. A monstrous scream came out of the mouth of the guy in the trench coat, and then he fell on top of Mr. Finch. There was a small explosion that shook the building, and the ceiling started crashing down.

            I found a doorway, since the doors finally decided to work for me, and stood inside of it. Earthquakes are common in California, so I knew the drill.

            When the shaking stopped, and all the emergency crews had cleared the debris, they found the charred remains of Mr. Finch's body. Soon after that, they relocated all of us kids because the building was unsafe to live in anymore.

            I remember sitting there, watching the crews work, wondering where we would all be sent. It wasn't likely many of us would stay together. I also knew that no one would go wherever I went. Since I'm kind of a loner and didn't have any friends, I didn't care if any of the others went with me anyway.

            When I was younger, I thought I didn't have any friends because I didn't stay in one place long enough to make any. I soon learned that wasn't the case. Somehow the kids knew the stories of why I was coming to their orphanage. So, because of that, they pretty much avoided me. I think they were scared I would get them killed. The thing is, no kids ever died at any of the orphanages I lived in, so I don't know what they were scared of. I guess the stories were still scary, though.