King of Locusts | ✔

Chapter 8

The alarm on Lunan's phone roused him to consciousness. Groaning, he blindly reached for the device and squinted as its brightness flooded the screen. Lunan stayed in bed for a few moments longer before forcing himself to face the day. He kept his gaze forward when he swung his legs from the bed and went to the bathroom where his reflection confronted him. When he asked Gabriel to remove some of the household mirrors two months ago, his guardian did so reluctantly. However, Gabriel drew the line at the bathroom mirror.

Lunan's dull gaze hardened when he looked in the mirror and his eyes swept over his body. The bruises still littered his form, although "bruise" was no longer the proper descriptor. He traced over one of them, wincing at the slightly raised skin. Rather than fade like normal injuries, the bruises darkened to a deep black and took on a more definitive shape. Arcs and swirls now decorated Lunan's flesh, originating from his core and stretching up from his chest and down his legs. He would have thought them beautiful were it not for what they represented.

He stuck to his gut when the markings first appeared on his body and refrained to inform Gabriel about them. Through careful effort, Lunan was able to keep the symbols secret, but doing so took a toll on the boy. He found himself withdrawing from physical activity to keep his guardian unaware. Once like the other children his age that played rough and tumble, Lunan became more cautious when doing physical activities. When at his gym class, for example, he wore long-sleeved shirts and sweatpants instead of the T-shirt and basketball shorts he wore before. At the moment, that didn't rouse suspicion, But come springtime, he would dread the attire. He chose a pair of black sweatpants and a gray shirt that morning, putting them on in a hurry before going downstairs.

"Morning," Gabriel said from the kitchen. Lunan echoed the greeting.

Gabriel glanced at Lunan's outfit. "You know the high is 70 today?"

"I'll be fine," Lunan dismissed him. He took a granola bar from the pantry and went to the front door.

"The bus won't be here for a bit. I planned to make you breakfast."

Lunan shook his head curtly. He didn't look back at Gabriel as he put on his shoes and waited outside, and in doing so, missed his guardian's knowing look.

He heaved a heavy sigh once outside the house. Lunan took no pleasure in pushing Gabriel away. He knew that Gabriel wanted to know what caused the sudden shift in his demeanor, but he couldn't bring himself to tell him.

I want him to see me as a normal child, he thought as the bus pulled to a stop at his house.

Physical activity aside, Lunan tried to maintain the image ascribed to him at school. However, he was at the age where one's friend group was based on who they played with. Because of his reduced interest in play, his schoolmate friends diminished in number. Previously, when Lunan went to school, his friends would spot him and surround him, cajoling over the morning's events. However, that happened less and less frequently these days. The only consistent part of Lunan's school life was his reception by the faculty. They still beamed at him during lectures, but Lunan also caught their unsettled frowns when they thought he wasn't looking.

He could almost pretend that everything was normal until it was time for physical education. He sighed as the third period bell rang, indicating that his class was to head to the gymnasium. Because Lunan already wore his gym clothes, he sat awkwardly in the boys' locker room, trying to mind his business until the gym teacher gathered them all for roll call. However, Lunan realized with a sigh, that he would not get the peace he sought. He made out a group of boys from the corner of his eye, some of whom he called friends at one point, glancing his way every so often before one of them separated from the group and sauntered to Lunan.