Paranormal

Chapter One
As the evening sky turned a dark azure blue, a cry of terror erupted from the house in the meadow. The house stood out in the country; nobody but Malcolm heard Eirian Devinish’s last breath. He wasn't sure where William was. This had proved to be fairly beneficial; Malcolm had been able to go one on one with Eirian, the surprise attack working out rather nicely. He no longer needed to fret over her.
But William would be a problem. Where was he? Malcolm doubted he left home at nighttime very often. He wasn't sure if he should sit and wait for William to return, or go out and try to find him.
No, he thought sensibly. There was no way he knew I'd be coming. And even if he did, he wouldn't have left Eirian by herself. He decided it best to just settle himself on the couch in the dim living room and await William’s return. For awhile, Malcolm sat staring at Eirian, wondering how such a sweet-looking woman could have been so troublesome to him. Such a beautiful woman, with her chestnut brown hair, deep blue eyes and delicate facial features; she gave off a simple, friendly aura, even when she was dead.
He closed his eyes in an attempt to get some rest, but drastically failed. He was too hurried to finish his mission for sleep to come. He was certain Tobias would come and check on Eirian and William in the morning, so if William didn’t return soon, God would only know what might happen.
Suddenly, Malcolm heard a noise. It was faint, but definitely there; a baby crying. Must be James, he thought in amusement He found it funny that William’s only child would be the one to alert Malcolm. He heard a door open, the door in the main hall. Malcolm lifted himself, ready for the task ahead. He knew the perfect way to kill William; Toritus would be the best way to go, like he had done with Eirian.
As William walked into the living room, he made a very bad mistake. He did not turn on the lights, therefore in no way was ready to fight back when Malcolm attacked him.
The force of Malcolm made William drop little James; the baby crashed onto the floor with a loud wail. Malcolm brought William down to the ground, pinning him underneath him. "Hello," Malcolm said in a whisper. "Miss me, William?”
William made an attempt to yell out, probably to warn Eirian, but Malcolm stopped him with a blow to the face. "Eirian’s dead. Now it’s your turn." As Malcolm spoke, he reached one hand into his pocket, keeping William down with the rest of his body. He pulled out a bottle that contained a yellow liquid.
"Don’t worry ‘bout James. I’ll take great care of him!" Malcolm exclaimed with a vivid laugh. He uncapped the bottle, then brought it to William’s lips. "Hope you had a nice life," Malcolm whispered as he tipped the bottle and the liquid splashed into William’s mouth. William struggled to get free, but Malcolm was a man of amazing strength. It was over for William, though just the beginning for Malcolm and James.

An hour later, Malcolm was sitting at a bus stop with the now sleeping James. The two were bonded with not only blood, but with the plans held for the future, the plans Deimos had crafted two years ago.
Out of the darkness, a man emerged and came towards Malcolm. "My God. Malcolm? Have you - you have James! My Lord! Malcolm, you’re a saint!" the figure exclaimed. It was a man named Tobias Regulus. His face was filled with worry-lines, but seemed to animate somehow upon seeing the baby. "We thought he had been kidnapped! You know about Eirian and William...?"
Malcolm nodded. "Yes. Such a shame to loose two such amazing people."
"But - how - how did you get James?"
"I arrived at their house after the murder occurred. I didn’t see anyone at the scene; no one besides the poor baby. I didn’t know what to do, I grabbed him then ran here. I was going to catch a bus and head up to the Bureau of Forces. Tell them about the deaths. But I missed the bus, so I’ve just been sitting here - waiting." The lies came very easily to Malcolm; he had a unique talent with creating very believable lies.
“Aye, Malcolm. I understand how you must feel. You’re sister and best friend being murdered. Their poor baby all alone. Give him to me now, though. I was heading to the Bureau. As the Head, it’s up to me to decide what to do. It’s obvious we have a killer loose somewhere." Tobias reached out to grab James. Malcolm hesitated, then gave him the child. But he needed to keep James. Keep him and get him to Deimos. Until that happened, the mission wouldn‘t be complete.
"Tobias," he said suddenly. "Can I go with you? I’m feeling - very out of it - right now."
Tobias glanced up at Malcolm’s young face. "Yes, I believe that would be a good idea. You can get checked out at Montgarmy’s Medical Wing, you can. I believe you’ll need it after your experience and little James too. Poor little lad. I suppose I’ll need to contact Lilah and Ronald - they’re the kid’s godparents, from what I remember."
"Indeed they are. You've been keeping close watch on Eirian and William lately, haven’t you?" Tobias nodded. "I had a feeling,” Malcolm went on, his voice velvety smooth, as usual. “What with the rumor of Deimos coming back, they’d be the first he’d want dead," Malcolm finished gravely.
"Oh yes. But it appears that through all my watching, the one night I slip up, Deimos got to them."
"So," Malcolm said trying to sound casual. "You’re certain that this happened on Deimos’s orders?"
Tobias nodded sadly. "Positive. When he went into hiding last year, I knew we were going to have a hard time in the future. I knew he was just plotting something. For some reason, he wanted them dead."
Malcolm gave a sad half-smile. "Well, at least James is okay. You know I am his uncle. I could take him in," Malcolm said as a bus rolled into the stop.
They both got up and on the bus, continuing their conversation in hushed whispers. "No, William specifically told me to give James to Lilah and Ronald if anything happened. He knew someone was out to get them," Tobias said. Then he leaned in close to Malcolm. "If you want to know a secret, I think William and Eirian knew about something that none of us do. Something big."
Malcolm nodded. If you only knew, he thought bitterly. The bus stopped on a dark street and Tobias and Malcolm got out. Tobias was still holding onto James, who had woke up and was blinking into the sinister night. As the two men walked down the street, turning down an even darker alley, clouds slowly drifted overhead. The night seemed so solemn, like everyone knew something important had happened. The alley was made by the sides of two very old buildings; one had a ratty side-door that Malcolm followed Tobias through.
The building smelled bad, a mixture between moth balls and mildew. It was dank and shadowy, but Malcolm knew where they were. There was a Port-Hole here. Tobias stumbled about the room knowingly, tapping on things here and there. Finally he walked over to the wall opposite the door. Malcolm trudged over there as well. In a moment, a blazed circle appeared on the wall. It looked very animated and lit the whole building greatly. Tobias stepped into it and James started crying. Malcolm waited a moment, then walked into the circle as well. It was very cool in there, yet quite a bit warmer than the building had been. Malcolm took a few steps through it, then found his footing gone. He stumbled a little, then regained his balance expertly. God, he hated Port-Holes.
He had found himself in a warm, well-lighted room. It was painted a soft cream and seemed very welcoming. A brown couch sat against one wall, a potted palm tree placed next to it. On the reverse wall there was a large reception desk. A short woman was seated at it, but jumped up from her chair the moment she saw Tobias.
"Oh God, Mr. Regulus, you’re back! We just got disturbing news, sir. Blinton, you know, our Vektour trainee, he called in a few minutes ago saying he can’t get William or Eirian to answer! Where could they be?" the woman, Elladora Munch, Bureau secretary, shrieked upon seeing Tobias. But he held up his hand, a silent motion telling her to stop.
"The Devinish family no longer lives," he said in a tired voice. "I found Malcolm - you know, Eirian’s brother? - with their baby. He said he saw no one at the scene of the crime. It is a shame, very big shame. Such amazing people." Tobias shook his head of brown hair, making it even messier than it already had been. His golden-brown eyes looked subdued and distressed. Elladora let out a tiny gasp.
"Oh dear and this must be little James?" she exclaimed. "Dear, dear thing," she murmured, sounding very motherly. She put her hand to his forehead and gave a disproving look to Tobias. "He’s only a year old and you brought him out into the cold for how long without a jacket?" she yelped, glaring at the two men.
Malcolm rolled his eyes.
Tobias replied with a tired tone, "Ella, his parents were just murdered. Malcolm wanted to get him out of there before whoever killed the parents came back for the kid." Ella rolled her eyes to show she still would’ve grabbed a jacket. Tobias closed his eyes briefly, then said, "Okay, Ella - please take James and Malcolm to Montgarmy’s? They need to be checked over, I know you’ll agree."
Ella nodded and started walking towards a hallway. Tobias gave James to Malcolm. "I will see you two later," he said as he headed into a room that was labeled "Important Business".

An hour later, Malcolm and James were sitting together, alone in the waiting room. James was now wide-awake and crawling all about the floor. Malcolm gave him a sneering look. "Just wait," he whispered. "I’m not done with you." He felt like leaving, but knew if he did, he would look suspicious. Plus, he had to leave with the baby, and if he took the kid now, it would be obvious what had happened. No. Since Tobias had found him, he’d have to wait until James was placed in his new home, then kidnap him, and then have his plan unfold. He had waited so long to get rid of Eirian and William; he could wait a month or two to get James.

Four months later found Malcolm sitting in Siavush Ward, the toughest guarded prison for people like himself. People of supernatural powers that would easily overthrow a normal person’s prison. He kept going over the plans he and Deimos had made for James...they had worked so hard to perfect them. Kill Eirian and William. Then kidnap James and take him to Deimos. The plans for James were nearly unthinkable. But not now, he thought angrily. Now everything would have to be rethought. Redone.
He had let the kid stay with Lilah and Ron for two months before striking. He broke into the house after he had drank Silencio Poison, the best way to make yourself completely silent. Then, as he had walked to the room he knew was James’s, he heard someone, someone in the kitchen. Quickly, he darted down behind the couch in the large living room. A few seconds went by, then he felt something tackle him. It had been Ron, his own stupid brother, who had tackled him.
At least the shock on his face was nice to see, he though gloomily.
Malcolm had tried to explain himself; but things had unfolded by then. People realized that Malcolm, Eirian’s own brother, had decided to kill her and her family. But why? everyone seemed to ask. Malcolm knew better to tell...but some things you can’t keep secret. A few days after he was put in Siavush, Tobias himself and three Vektours that Malcolm did not know came to his jail cell. They forced him to drink Truth-be-Told, the strongest stuff in Paranormal to make someone speak the truth.
So they asked why he wanted James. He had gotten away with the other two deaths; so why not just leave the helpless baby alone? Malcolm explained about the information he’d received from Gloria DuBarre, a fortuneteller. She had said (and he had memorized),
"In years to come, a son will be born to a family of Vektours in the middle of winter. The child will grow to have great power, power beyond our wit. You’re relations to this family are strong now. I cannot tell you anymore."
Malcolm explained how Gloria had made this prediction two years before James was born, a year before his parents were trained to be Vektours. Being the man of intelligence that he is, Malcolm checked the files on the Vektours and saw that they were the only family who had a son in the middle of winter. And that family was one he knew too well, Eirian and William Devinish, his sister‘s family. For years, Malcolm had confessed, he had been working with Deimos. He was craving power, power that Deimos could help him gain. So he asked Deimos what to do about James, someone who would grow to have more power than anyone else in Paranormal. Deimos said to kill the kid’s parents and then take the kid to train for their own use.
After that, Tobias knew that for James to ever lead a normal life, he’d need to live away from Paranormal, in the normal world. When Deimos decides to get someone, he didn’t stop if they were still alive.
So, all Tobias had to do was claim Malcolm killed James, then find James a home in the regular world. It was a shame that someone of such high quality had to go, but it would be his only chance.

Chapter Two
Thirteen years later...
A terrified shriek broke the frozen evening air. It seemed to surround James Devinish, almost choking him. It wasn’t a normal scream; not like the sound of the playful children in the park, happily going about the evening. No, there was something off about what he’d just heard. He could tell some other people around the park found it odd too, though they seemed to just brush it off and go back to whatever they had been doing.
He continued down the pathway, keeping his ears open to any given sound. A twig snapped, and James lifted his head up to study the forest beyond the paved path; was there someone lurking in there? he found himself wondering. He stopped for a very brief second, then started on again, knowing he needed to get home.
But then the sound pierced the atmosphere again, a scream coming from the forest. There were few people around now; he had come fairly far on the path. The only people within hearing distance were an elderly couple sitting upon the old wooden bench, looking partially asleep. The sound didn’t appear to have stirred them. But it was irking James. He sighed lightly, then crossed over to the woodsy area, stepping off the path into the forest. The simple smell of pine seemed to embrace him instantly. The cool autumn air felt even better around the many pine trees that now surrounded him. As he walked, the light sound of snapping pine needles could be heard. But then another scream came and James quickened his step. Each time the noise came, it sounded farther away. Before he knew it, he was running.
In a few moments, he came to a clearing. There was a shallow pond with rocks all around it. On one particularly large rock, a man sat, staring into the water. He seemed to be in mid-sentence, but stopped abruptly upon seeing James.
James hesitated before he spoke. “Uh, sir?” he asked uncertainly. The man must have been talking to himself; James wasn’t sure if he was sane enough to be out here by himself.
A look of panic froze on the man’s face. “You didn’t - you weren’t - what?”
“I was just wondering if you were, er, all right...?”
The man looked relieved. “Oh God, is that all? I’m fine kid, now scram.”
James gazed up at the man. He looked only to be in his mid-twenties, if that. He had a dark face that seemed to have a hint of pain hiding in it, mainly around the dark brown eyes. “But, er, sir? Did you hear those screams?” James asked, knowing he sounded like a meddlesome kid. “They were coming from over here.” Had he imagined them? It wouldn’t be the first time he heard something no one else did. But he had seen the troubled expressions of the other people in the park; they’d heard it too.
“Screams? Aye, boy, you’re crazy. S’been silent as a church mouse over here.” As the man talked, he seemed to be staring at the place beside him, as if there were someone there. It made James feel uneasy.
“A-are you sure?” James asked, hating the fact that he sounded like a probing child. A boy of fourteen, he prided himself on being somewhat mature, rarely asking such dim-witted questions.
“What? Don’t believe me? How long you been standin’ there, kid?” the man demanded hoarsely.
Taken back by this question, James waited a second before answering. “Not long. I just heard someone screaming, so I came into here. Trust me, I steer clear of these woods unless I have to go in them. Bad memories,” he said, reliving the last time he’d been in this area. It had been evening then, too, though this time it was in the winter and cold snow was harshly blowing every which way. He thought he had seen someone in the woods. Intrigued, he went in, trying to follow the blurred image. When he finally caught up to it, it had suddenly disappeared. It still spooked him when he thought of it.
“Well, good. Now go on. You hear me? I said get out of here, ya little brat!”
Again, James was startled. He hadn’t expected the man to yell. He turned on his heel and walked quickly from the pond, heading back to the path.
Back at the pond, the man sat there on the rock, his breathing heavy. “God, that was a close one!” he exclaimed to the space beside him. In the place, an image started materializing. The image quickly turned into another man, sweat beading on his wrinkled forehead.
“That was too close,” he said, gazing at the spot where James had been standing just moments ago. “James can‘t find out what I‘m up to until I get to his house and get rid of John. If he does, that might ruin everything I’ve worked for and you know it.”
The other man nodded grimly. That kid was a problem. He was smart, it was apparent. Well of course - look at how his nosy parents had been! The two men gazed at each other for a second.
“I’m still going to follow our plan. Deimos will kill us if we miss getting James again. I’ll go take care of John...when the kid runs out of the house, make sure you keep him so I have time to find some things out for John, okay Dalton?” the man who had materialized said grimly. Then, quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared, leaving the other man to sit and wait.

As James approached his weathered house, he thought about how much he didn’t want to go inside. He lived with only his father, a strict, orderly businessman who barely noticed James. In fact, there was no bonding between the two, though they had lived with only each other for more then four years, ever since Karine and Dad (or John, as James called him) had gotten the divorce. James was a disappointment, according to his father. Oh well, he thought. Open the door, go on in, do your normal routine.
Opening the door, he heard an odd sound from inside, a light, eerie humming that sent chills down his spine. He knew better to mention anything as he stepped into the living room and saw his father; the last time he’d heard this noise and told someone, he had been sent to a mental hospital for a week of observation. He walked into the kitchen, still waiting for the humming to return. What was wrong with him? he wondered. He knew of nobody else who heard these strange sounds or saw these strange figures. Was he really imaging them?
No, he decided. They are real. And that man knew something about it, I’m sure of it.
He settled into his room, sitting on his bed staring at the blank white wall in front of him. Then he heard it, the humming, but this time different, faster. Suddenly a yelp beckoned him from his room. The sight met his eyes when he opened his door was beyond his own belief. His father, who had been sitting grimly in his armchair reading the newspaper, was now lying on the floor. His mouth was gaped open as if he was trying to yell, but words obviously failed him.
“John?” James asked as he walked over to him cautiously. What was happening?
Then his father uttered two choked words, barely audible. “James,” he gasped. “Run.”
For a second, James stood there, gawking at the odd sight. But then he saw his father wave his hand, telling James to leave. Something serious was happening. Something bad. James awkwardly rushed to the door. He opened his mouth to ask what was happening, but his dad shook his head violently.
“Good work,” a dark voice said as James left the house. “Now just think - you don’t have to deal with that meddling kid anymore and neither do I. It’s a win/win situation, if you ask me.”
James’s father stared at the man. He was very tall, probably almost seven feet. He had dark blonde hair that fell to his shoulders in a graceful, elegant manner. Threatening blue eyes were framed with light lashes; his other facial features were smooth and refined. “What are you going to do to him?” John whispered as he stood up and sat on the couch, feeling regretful that he’d played this cold man’s game of hate.
“The boy? He will be meeting a very, shall we say interesting, death, indeed. Unexplainable, even. Though, not for a long, long time. I won’t go into detail now. But you know what forces I work with, don’t you John?”
He nodded. A grim bubble of guilt settled in his stomach as he thought of the boy he‘d been taking care of for so long. James was only a mere child, a boy of pure innocence who had never been accepted. Because of the man in front of him, James had missed out on the childhood he was destined to have.
“So, John. Do you care to further enlighten me on the subject of why James was placed with you? I know you must know; I know it has something to do with Tobias - trusting you. But I shall deal with Tobias soon enough. I‘ve been waiting a long time to do that,” he finished, smiling wickedly.
“How long have you been out of jail?” John whispered. “Why did they let you out?”
“Ha, you think they let me out. Comical, really, John. No, I broke out. Took long enough to find a good plan. But, let me make this clear. I ask the questions here. Not you. So why are you housing the kid?”
John sighed. “Well, Tobias knew Deimos was coming back one day, coming back to power. He knew it. So he also knew, of course, they’d need an army to fight him. So he figured that he could place the kid here, then come back and get James in case he ever needed to, only for an emergency. You know, like if they drafted people again.” John stopped, taking a breath.
“Ah, he never figured I’d be the first person in the world to break out of Siavush? You know, Tobias has always underestimated me,” Malcolm said, scratching his head lightly. “Anyway, so he put James with you so that he’d still be tied with Paranormal, eh? What a moron. That made it so much easier to find the kid, really.”
“You are cold and heartless, Malcolm!” John screeched, jumping up from the couch suddenly.
“Don’t - you - ever- utter - my - name!” Malcolm roared fiercely, his face looking raged. “You are unworthy to address me by name, you filthy scumbag!” He took a deep breath, then in a controlled voice, he said, “Now, now John. Look, you’ve gone and made me lose my temper. I was about to hit you. That wouldn’t be good for either of us, now would it? Anyway, I need to finish up here with you. I’m going to be explaining everything to James before I take him into Paranormal.”
John closed his eyes briefly. “Tobias told me no one would ever come for James, besides himself. He said that he made everyone believe he was dead!”
“Yes, but see, he said that I killed him. I definitely did not. He’s much too valuable to a certain plan I’m involved with,” Malcolm explained with a crooked smile. “So dear old Dalton worked for five years - five long years - trying to figure out where the little brat was. When he finally figured it out, he started focusing on how to free me from Siavush. It took nearly ten years, but I’m out now. And I’m going to get the power I deserve in Paranormal, just watch.” Malcolm laughed, sounding very callous. “Oh, wait. You won’t be able to watch. You’ll be dead!” he exclaimed menacingly. “Oh don’t look so scared, the death I have chosen for you is just slightly painful. Take it like a man.” Malcolm walked over to John and pulled out a tiny bottle that held a blood-red liquid. “Open up,” he told John, uncapping the bottle as he spoke. “Don’t resist, otherwise I’ll come up with an even worse death. And hey, you’ve had forty-two years of living, haven’t you? It’s time for -”
All of the sudden the front door flew open. “Stop!” James yelled as he ran towards Malcolm.
Malcolm let out a little sigh, then settled the bottle on the floor. “How - the - hell - did - you - get here?” he demanded in a low, spread tone.
“I‘m almost insulted that you thought that man could keep me from coming back here. He isn‘t exactly very smart, now is he? So I lost him and came back here - and who are you...?” James rushed, his breathing somewhat delayed.
“I knew I couldn’t trust Dalton. James, I’ll be explaining everything to you as soon as I kill this man.”
James walked closer to Malcolm. “I’m not going to let you kill my father,” he said quietly.
“Oh, but boy, this man is not your father. I had the pleasure of killing your father shortly after you were born. Your mother too. They died much worse deaths than John will, though. He‘s not worth killing harshly, I‘m happy with just poisoning him with something not too strong.” James was about to reply, but Malcolm cut him off. “I’ll explain everything as soon as I kill John.”
“You won’t kill him! I won’t let you!” James ran at Malcolm, but the man was much too quick. He put his palm out in front of him and grabbed James’s shirt.
“I didn’t want to do this, but alas, I have but no other choice,” he said, glaring into James’s eyes. James tried wriggling free of Malcolm’s grip, but Malcolm seemed to be freakishly strong. Malcolm closed his eyes, appearing to be concentrating very hard on something. His grip on James grew stronger. When he opened his eyes, James felt a huge force push him into the wall. It felt as if a gigantic hand had pushed him, though all Malcolm had done was open his eyes.
"What the..." James started, but then Malcolm walked over to him. The last thing James remembered before being knocked unconscious was wondering how a man could look so elegant as he punched someone in the face.
"Now, John. Where were we?" He walked back over to the short man who sat upon the floor. John hopped up quickly.
“I’m - I’m not giving in with out a fight!” John stammered, his voice trembling. He threw himself at Malcolm with all his strength, but Malcolm had anticipated the move. He grabbed John by the neck and held him a foot or so above the ground.
“John, so foolish of you to actually try and defend yourself,” he said, shaking his head in amusement. “But I will have to give you credit. Usually cowards just let themselves be killed.”
John tried to hit Malcolm, but before he could, Malcolm had slammed the small man onto the ground. Pain raced through John’s body and he had to suppress a yelp. Malcolm just gave one of his cold laughs, then walked over to grab the bottle of poison.
John stared at the floor for a moment, then glanced over at the hunched figure of James and felt a surge of helplessness. It was over. He couldn’t fight back, couldn’t resist. His body felt broken and limp. What would Malcolm do to James? He was only a kid, barely turning fifteen. How could this have all happened? When Tobias made all the plans, they had seemed flawless. Well, they had worked for nearly fifteen years. But something in the perfect thread had broken; Malcolm had escaped.
"Well John. Say goodbye. Open your mouth, please. You only need about a teaspoon. That will finish you up nicely,” Malcolm forced the tip of the bottle into John’s mouth, estimating about how much a teaspoon would be. When he pulled the bottle away, John gave a cry of sheer pain. It felt like needles were being pierced into his skin. Malcolm just shook his head slightly. “Oh, my. Did I say that this wouldn’t hurt? I really must stop with all my lies. If you just lay there it will all go by rather quickly. But then, you might not want to believe me. Remember, I am a liar,” he gave another cold laugh as he walked over to James’s limp body. He grabbed the boy by his shoulders and lifted him up. He was still out cold. He heaved him up onto his shoulders, then turned to look at John. “I leave you here, my friend. Don’t worry about James,” he said, a spiteful grin gathering on his face. “His fate will be to die for.”

Chapter Three
Less than an hour later, Malcolm was settling himself on a lumpy gray couch, impatiently staring at James. The kid still hadn’t come to; Malcolm was waiting to explain everything, to enlighten the boy of the lies he had been swimming in for the past fourteen years. Now that Malcolm had set the story on the table in his mind, the lies seemed pointless. They should’ve just told the kid everything from the start, found him a foster home in Paranormal. It would’ve been simpler. But he supposed it had made everyone feel that James was safer away from Deimos and any of his supporters, though the only true supporters he had left were Dalton Hayde, Blaire Levidine, Malidah Andrine, and Malcolm himself. There were people who agreed with him and would like for him to rule; but the listed four were his only left servants.
So instead Tobias had placed James with John. John, of all people!
John Golivon - or John “Devinish”, as he had been living as - was a man who had been exiled from Paranormal about twenty years previous for selling illegal animals. Dragons, goblins, epithereals, pixies, you name it, he sold it. Of course, such actions couldn’t be allowed. These animals were not only destructive and dangerous, but also required a lot of work and patience, which most people couldn’t provide. So, John Golivon was sent to live in the normal world, with no more magical power.
That’s what they had wanted to do with Malcolm. Chuck him out of Paranormal for good. But they had decided against it; Malcolm was a ruthless man who would have caused havoc in the normal world, no doubt. Plus, he would have had easy access to little James...
Restlessly, Malcolm got up from the couch and walked over to James. He had set the kid on the floor. Other than the couch and a bookstand, there wasn’t any furniture in the run down house. He glanced around the room. It was very dim, but he could see that the walls were peeling. This was the house that everyone in the town claimed to be haunted, mainly because it was old and worn.
Malcolm studied James’s face. He had his mother’s delicate features and they fit in nicely with his father’s proud aura. The boy was handsome, no doubt, in his own way. Yet his skin was very pale and his face was quite thin. Malcolm knew the kid hadn’t had the most wonderful life with John; the man was a drunk, a fraud, and a loser...how could he provide a decent life for anyone?
In a bored manner, Malcolm got up and walked over to James. Lightly, he kicked the boy in the side, hoping that that might bring him to. James’s eyebrows fluttered, then he opened his eyes. The look on the adolescence's face was one of complete perplexity.
“Hello, Mr. Devinish,” Malcolm said in mock sensitivity. “Have a nice rest?”
James blinked. “I’m not going to let you hurt my dad,” he whispered, sounding out of it, looking around the room. At once he knew he was no longer in his home. His befuddled expression quickly turned to one of utmost detestation. He raised himself into a sitting position.
“Ah, but see, I killed your father years ago. Do you mean John? Why, I killed him while you were asleep.”
“I wasn’t asleep!” James yelled in anger, standing up angrily. Unfortunately, James was only five-foot-seven. He found it intimidating how Malcolm towered over him. “You - there’s something wrong with you!” James exclaimed, wondering how someone who had just committed murder could be so calm. But then, James had never met a murderer before...
“Indeed there is,” Malcolm replied with a satisfied smirk.
James was clearly taken back by Malcolm‘s response. He had a throbbing pulsation going through his head, banging so loudly he felt as if he might faint. His voice sounding distant and hoarse, he asked; “But you - why - who are you?”
Malcolm smiled. “I see you’re somewhat like your father; curious. It was the end of him. Curiosity is not a good thing, James. Now, you want me to explain things?” James nodded impatiently. “Well, then keep your abnormally large mouth shut and let me do the talking,” he said, a look of superiority clouding his face. He sat down over on the couch; James remained standing. “Okay, so. It all started with your mom and dad. Eirian and William Devinish.”
“But my parents -”
“Excuse you for interrupting me. You need to speak only when asked, can you do that?” Malcolm asked in a contemptuously slow tone. James glared at him. “All right, so your parents got married, blah, blah, blah. They trained together to become Vektours. Two -”
“They trained to be what?” James interrupted fearlessly.
Malcolm took a deep breath, then said in an angered tone, “James, if I am going to tell you everything, you need to shut up! If you don’t, you’ll force me to do something that I will really regret in the morning. So if you want to still be alive tomorrow, don’t - interrupt,” he said, then closed his eyes for a second. James couldn’t believe how easy it was to anger the man. He decided he better not talk again unless asked to, no matter how bad the urge. “Okay,” Malcolm began, sounding a little calmer. “So, Vektours are - well, I can explain that later. Anyway, two years before you,” he said, glaring at James, “were born, a fortune teller, a highly gifted one, told me that a very powerful boy would be born to a family of Vektours, blah, blah. I figured out it was you, went and asked Deimos, my noble Deity, what to do. He said I needed to kill your parents, then kidnap you. Then train you to help us take over Paranormal,” Malcolm said in a drawn out voice. “Oh, and another thing; I’m your uncle, but I‘d rather you not broadcast that.”
James couldn’t help it, he started laughing. This was one seriously crazed guy, even crazier than he himself. His noble Deity? He thinks he’s my uncle? And I thought I had problems, he marveled. Malcolm raised his eyebrows in question. “...Why are you laughing...?”
“Oh, I can speak now? What an honor. I’m laughing because you’re insane. I-n-s-a-n-e.”
Malcolm slowly shook his head slowly. This was not the reaction he had thought he‘d get. “Why, exactly am I insane...?”
James laughed again. “Oh just for a few reasons. You think you’re my uncle. You have a noble - er - Deity...and what the heck is Paranormal supposed to mean? Plus the fact that you think my parents are named Eirian and William...”
Malcolm blinked. “They - are.” He leaned forward and slapped James across the face. “Never. Ever. Laugh at me, kid. Never,” he said, shaking his head back and forth, still in shock.
James stood there and stared at Malcolm. Rubbing the place where he had been hit, he asked, “Why should I believe you? I’ve never met you and you poisoned my dad just a few hours ago. What would you think?”
Malcolm considered this. Then he laughed. “You are a lot like your mother, you know that? Not one to believe something right away without proof, eh? Not to mention incredibly nosy.”
James felt like saying something, though he wasn’t sure what. Instead he just sat there, waiting for Malcolm to continue.
“Okay. If you don’t believe me, I don’t really care. It’s your stupidity, not my own. Let me explain about Paranormal, huh? Then maybe you’ll believe me. Paranormal is where people with certain powers live. People with magic in them. In Paranormal, there are spells and hexes and curses. Or, my favorite, poisons. They’re the simplest but can be quite hard to prepare. But magic is a real thing. Your parents were very magical people; you are too, just without the required training. In order for your powers to come out, you need to get schooling. You never were schooled because you were never supposed to know about Paranormal, considering there are people like myself who want you dead or on their side. Tobias, our “president” decided it would be best for you to never know of Paranormal. When I failed at kidnapping you when you were a year old, I got thrown in prison and you were put in the normal world. They passed it off that you were dead, that I had killed you. Nobody planned on me escaping,” Malcolm laughed, a crooked smile dominating his cunning face. “When I did, with the help of several friends, I learned where you were, and came here to get you to carry out my plan of ruling Paranormal.” He stopped for a moment, catching his breath. “And Vektours are people who fight against the ‘evil arts’. In other words, people who don’t like Deimos and any of his supporters. That would include me,” he added, lifting an eyebrow.
James had an nagging feeling that Malcolm was telling the truth. It was hard to accept that the man in front of him had not only murdered his real parents and the closest thing he had ever had to a parent, but wanted James to join forces with him. Maybe it was because of denial, but James felt he couldn’t - wouldn’t - believe him. He just sat there, staring at the floor, noting that it was very dirty. Vaguely, he wondered where they were and if he could run away. Malcolm seemed to read his thoughts.
“You’re staying here, boy. I wouldn’t try escaping, unless you’re in the mood to be near-killed, which could definitely be arranged, just so you know. Anyway, I’ve hexed the house; no one can leave it until I take the hex off. I’m going to get some sleep. Good night.” Malcolm lay down on the couch, leaning over to shut the dinky lamp on the floor off.
James shivered. The night was fairly cold. He leaned back on the floor, trying to get some sleep, but couldn’t stop thinking of everything he’d just heard. Either way, if Malcolm was telling the truth or not, James was certain that he was in the hands of a fanatical person. The road ahead of him, the one he could see in his head, was dark and bumpy; his future was now even more uncertain than it had ever been before. He shivered again, wishing he had a blanket, or at least a jacket. He sighed, glancing around at the ominous little house, suddenly feeling very scared, a feeling he was not used to. In his opinion, fear just got in the way of things. But his whole situation suddenly seemed so lost, so dire...so hopeless. And the fear, he found, made it seem a little easier, in an unexplainable way. It filled the empty knot of uncertainty. It showed him that even though things were about to change drastically, he was still human. For once in his life, knowing he was human actually comforted him as he fell into a troubled, restless sleep.