A Lion's Roar

Chapter 1: Intro

Chapter 1: Intro

Hi. I'm Nicholas Hunter, and this is my story. Sadie and Carter (friends of mine) recommended this guy to transcribe my recordings, so maybe I will. However, the guy published theirs, but I don't want that. There are ways of tracking people, and ways of finding information. [No, Arya, I am not as paranoid as the alien invasion nerds. Go away.] Anyway, he suggested posting it on this obscure website called, um, Wattpad, I think? So, yeah... If you are a rogue in training, this is the place for you. Maybe you can learn from my absolutely stupid mistakes. [Shut up, Arya! I told you to go away! Sheesh!]

I don't really know where to start, but I might as well start with the first time, as far back as I can remember. I mean, I know it happened at least a dozen times...but that time...it was the first time I had delibrately wanted it to happen. I think it was when I was nine. You see, I lived in Manchester, a beautiful city that was pretty normal. The primary school (yes, we British do call it primary school) was nothing out of the ordinary, including its own sports facilities, okay teachers, and yes, its own English bred bullies. You might be wondering, the great Nicholas Hunter was bullied? Yes, hard to believe as it is, I was. But why?

Well, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I didn't have a mother. Yes, I can see you looking at me as if I'm stupid. Well, I'm not. [Shut up, Arya!] Obviously I did have a mom, but for reasons I didn't know at the time, she just walked out on my dad and I. I don't blame her, though, why you'll find out later. Or, if you know what the prologue was about, yeah, that's why.

Secondly, I wasn't really normal. I didn't exactly fit in, even when my Gift was dormant. My hair was what one might call platinum blonde, so it looked like I was wearing a strange helmet. Yeah, as you can imagine, that didn't go down too well...

And thirdly, my attitude. I was always rather sarcastic, not really one to back down. Sometimes I would just keep silent, but in my head I was yelling sarcastic comments so loudly my head would hurt. Also, I apparently sounded "posh". Like I had one of those accents that those nineteenth century English actors who drank tea with their pinkies out or whatever, I wouldn't know. Whenever people told me this, I just laughed or stared at them, depending on who they were. Honestly, I just ghosted through Primary 1 and 2 really silently, not really noticed much, but it was in Primary 3 when the trouble started.

I had just walked into the schoolyard when I was pushed to the ground. Craning my neck, I twisted for a look at my attacker. He was not your typical bully, he was rather short, for one, and he was rather plump. But he had two large "friends" behind him who seemed to favour brawn for brain, and the trio? They spelled trouble.

I stood, brushing off my jeans. "Good morning, gentlemen. How may I help you?" This was when my apparently "posh" accent came into play. They sneered at me, stepping forward aggressively. "Hello, loser. What's your problem?" I didn't understand. "I don't have a problem. Do you?" "Yeah. You're our problem. Think you can swagger in here like ya own the place? Think you're some kind of posh snob? Think again, a**hole."

Well, the rest of it... Lets say the boys had an extensive vocabulary, and...um...delighted in displaying it. Fortunately, they didn't hurt me too badly. They were mostly just asserting their "authority" over the schoolyard and I was chosen as an example. Eventually they moved off to another victim and I was left sprawling on the ground with a mouthful of dirt. Great. Just what I wanted to happen. I was now a "victim" and as a result would be isolated from my classmates.

I wasn't disappointed. When we had gone into the classroom, everyone moved away from me. Although honestly, I couldn't blame them. Being seen with me was now considered social suicide.

And so it went on. Unlike some I have heard of that managed to shake the bullies off, I remained a favoured target of Jake, Tim and Bart, or as I like to call them, Stoner, Jerk and Moron. ;) As it turned out, those nicknames were a horrible idea.

One morning, I was shuffling into the schoolyard when suddenly I was once again pushed over. I knew without looking that my assaulter was the trio of stupidity. Clenching my teeth, I muttered, "Oh look. It's Stoner, Jerk and Moron. Wonder what they want." Unfortunately for me, Jake had heard me. Yeah... You can guess what happened then. I was shoved and one landed a kick in my ribs. "What did you say? Hey you *bleeping* loser, what did you *bleeping* say!?" I cowered, unused to such violence. After all, they'd rough me up a bit before but now I was genuinely scared for my life.

Again, I wasn't disappointed. After school, the trio caught me as I was rushing out the school gate. A few of my classmates shot me sympathetic looks, but eventually they all left.

Now, an interesting bit of information about our neighborhood. It had a well that wasn't that deep, but was seriously awful. You might think, oh, a well! How pleasant, wells are so rustic or whatever. But no, this one was full of gunk and mud.

Anyway, right after everyone left, the trio dragged me out of the schoolyard and started kicking, punching, and scratching me. Yippee. I couldn't fight back, so I curled up into a ball and- [No, Arya, I did not turn into a porcupine! What on earth-no, I don't even want to know.]

Anyway, I curled up into a ball and just took it. What else could I do? "Call us Stoner one more time, Nicky! Go on! See! If! You! Dare!" They punctuated each word with a kick in the ribs. I groaned and hunched up tighter. I hurt everywhere, especially my ribs, of which I thought one might have broken. Jake managed to land each kick in the same place and I couldn't help letting out a whimper. "That's right, *bleep*, cry!" Jake hissed. Then, for the first time in my life, I blacked out. Although it was only a momentary lapse of consciousness, I felt thankfully free of all the pain and insults. When I came around, I could see the trio looking at me. "I think he's learned his lesson. Throw him in." Tim grabbed me and flung me straight into, yes, you guessed it, the well. Yeah.

Well, as I said, this well wasn't too deep, so I wasn't in any danger of drowning. But it was extremely disgusting and freezing cold. Also, although the gunk was only waist deep, the well extended at least another 1.5 meters down, so climbing up wasn't an option.

About half an hour later, as I was pulling gunk out of my longish hair, I heard footsteps. Hopeful, I yelled up, my voice echoing. "Hello? Is anybody there?" In a few moments, a frowning, bearded face peered down at me. That was the first time I met Halt. "What on earth are you doing in there?" I glanced around me before replying, "It wasn't really a choice." He rolled his eyes, before stretching a hand down. I grasped it and he lifted me up and out of the well.

I glanced down at myself before looking at him. "Thanks,-?" But he had already slipped away into the gathering darkness.

Okaaaaaay. I sighed and slogged home, my gunk-filled clothes chafing against me. I felt much better after a shower, but the hatred I felt towards the three noobs was not subsiding.

(ReallyRandomReader wanted me to update soon, so I transcribed the recording as soon as I could. Hope you enjoyed. This is part one of the recording, I'll post another one sometime soon, I guess.)

~R