Angel of Darkness (DARKNESS #1)

II

Six Years Later
Asteaia, Lysithea
Unnamed.

    The scarred child frantically searched through the darkness, his small hands grappling for his most precious and only possession. His fairytale book. Ms Boggs had given it to him. Maybe one of the other children had borrowed it? He wasn't allowed to see them or interact with them, but he could hear their laughter and voices from his room in the cellar. Sometimes, he would dream of being able to play and laugh with the children that lived above.

    He knew he had done something naughty, in order to be punished by Lady Celia. The Madame rarely came down to the cellar or let him out, but when she did - it was not pleasant for him. The child didn't understand. What did he do wrong? Why wasn't he allowed to play or speak to the other children, or even be seen for that matter? Why was he always locked in the cellar? The scarred child knew it had something to do with his face, but did not know exactly what. He had never seen his face before.

    The small boy felt his heart pang in his chest. He wanted his book. He wanted to read through the crack in the wall, the only sunlight that ever trickled into the cellar. He wanted to look at the pretty pictures of the princess and prince. Maybe if his face was as pretty as the prince's, he would be allowed to play with the others?

    Tiptoeing up the rickety staircase, the child felt around for the doorknob. He shook it roughly, surprised when he heard a click. The same sound he had heard earlier, before his book went missing. Maybe the Madame was finally letting him outside! Maybe now he could play with the other children. The scarred child beamed, as much as he could under the bandages wrapped around his face. He skipped happily through the door, only to wince when the sunlight shone brightly into his eyes.

    "Why...light?" the child muttered softly, glancing around. Everything seemed so large and bright and beautiful to him. It had been a long time since the Madame had let him out of the cellar. The young boy ran his hand over the solid maple banister, watching the light shine off it with wonder. The child's ears perked as he heard loud laughter coming from down the hall. The boy followed the sound. Maybe the other children would play with him? Maybe they knew where his book was?

    "I stole this book from the Monster's lair. Did you know, I overheard someone saying he was a vampire!" A voice jeered as frightened gasps followed. Another voice piped up, "Did you know, Vampires have large fangs and look disgusting! I bet that's why the Monster wears those bandages!"

    The scarred child pushed open the heavy oak door to the room, wincing as the sun once again shone brightly in his eyes from the large windows. "Hello," he murmured softly, trying to smile at the other children. He stared at them as they recoiled, scared and disgusted. "Monster," another child muttered. She was about the scarred boy's age. The boy lightly touched his bandages before nodding. Maybe that was his name? He had never been called anything else.

    An older boy glared at the bandaged boy, before stomping over and shoving him to the floor. Mocking, malicious laughter followed, radiated through the room as the scarred boy rubbed his knee in pain. He felt a single tear trickle down his cheek, being absorbed almost instantly into the rough cloth of the bandages. "Why are you here, Monster!" Tommy, one of the older boys sneered. His piercing gaze made the smaller, bandaged boy shake in fear. That gaze reminded him of Lady Celia.

    "Book. Lost. look," the bandaged child stammered as the children burst into mocking laughter. "The monster even talks like one! Tell me, monster. Are you looking for a fairytale book?" Another boy, Arnold mocked. The scarred child nodded. "Yes. Prince. Princess. Book."

    The children laughed again. "Do you want to know why you have to wear those bandages on your face" another boy jeered, nudging Tommy and Arnold. The bandaged child began to shake his head. He didn't know why he wore them, but the Mistress and the others told him to never take them off. The Mistress said if he did, he would face a harsh punishment. Arnold snorted loudly, "Because you're a Monster, that's why!"

    "Yes. Name...monster," The scarred boy exclaimed, trying to understand. But before he could say another word to his defence, the loud echo of a slap bounced off the walls of the room. Arnold whispered something to the other boys as he shook out his fist, the knuckles bright red. The bandaged boy lay in a ball on the floor, clutching his face. Touching his fingers to the bandages around his lips, they came back oddly red. He curled into himself, trying to shield his aching body from any other attacks.

    "Do you know what today is, Monster?" Another boy named Judas asked. The smaller boy shook his head, still curled on the floor. "It's the day when all the lords and ladies come to adopt us," Judas sneered. The bandaged boy slowly raised his head from the floor. His small eyes almost seemed to twinkle as his spirits raised. Maybe he would get to have a family! He'd always wanted a family, to love him and take care of him. Someone to hug and kiss him and tuck him goodnight, just like he'd read in his fairytale stories.

    "Ha! Like anyone could love him! I bet his own mother couldn't stand the sight of him" Arnold laughed, snapping the small, injured boy out of his happy daydream. The boys laughed tauntingly behind him. "That's why you have to stay downstairs, Monster. No one can bear the sight of you," Tommy added, smirking. He was answered with more mocking laughter, as Judas kicked the scarred boy in the stomach.

    "Let us see if the monster is really as horrible looking as we think," Judas suggested, a vengeful glint in his eye. The scarred boy stared up at him in horror. The Mistress forbid him from ever taking them off. Arnold smirked, grabbing the petrified boy by a corner of his threadbare shirt and dragging him to the corner of the room, where the large wooden mirror stood. The scarred boy's face was bashed into the mirror, again and again as the bandages were ripped from his uneven flesh.

    A disgusted and horrified look filled the faces of the children in the room. "Look at what you are - a monster! Who could ever love a monster like you" Judas spat, yanking the sobbing boy back by his hair. The scarred boy blinked blearily through his tear filled eyes at the gruesome image in the mirror, before letting out a horrified scream. Heavy footsteps stomped below them as the other children scrambled from the room.

    The scarred boy touched his reflection slowly, letting out a horrified squeak. He had never seen anything as horrible as his own face. A single, solitary tear slid down his deformed cheek and fell onto the cold concrete floor. "I, monster" he quietly murmured to himself, his shoulder shaking as he sobbed.

    The door swung open as the boy turned his face to see the furious expression of the Mistress, who recoiled in horror. "You! You stupid monstrous boy - you are coming with me! You will pay from this insubordination," the Mistress screamed, grabbing the sobbing, scared boy by the back of his shirt and dragging him from the room.

    Later that night, after being beaten soundly by the Mistress, the small boy tossed and turned. His face was monstrous and hideous to look at. He wished, oh so desperately that he could be as handsome as the prince in the story. Everyone loved the prince. If only he had been born a handsome prince instead of the ugly monster that he was, maybe he could be loved too.

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Note from the Author

In the edited version, our main character isn't given a name until later. For that reason, he is referred to as the scarred child, the bandaged boy, etc. Additionally, our main character speaks very fragmented english, as a result of his little/no education and literacy skills. These are corrections that I have added in my editing, and will be continued moving forward. For this reason, there may be discrepancies between chapters on these two standpoints.

Aria
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