Post by Insaniholic on Apr 21, 2008 14:38:08 GMT -5
Note: This chapter should be read while listening to this song. Click Here
Something in the Sound
Chapter 1: A Shadow around Every Corner
Hi. My name is Vincent Haelin. I am 14 years old. I live in New York and attend Jessire High School at the 9th grade level. I was born here in NY, but my parents are from New Jersey. I have an older brother, but he’s over in Japan right now, and a younger brother here living with my parents and me. That’s just a bit of background.
I’m always being told about how my family is really artistic. My older brother is a painter, sketcher, sculptor, etc, and my little brother is a born actor, which is a trait I really hate at times. My mom’s a writer and my dad’s a architect. Me, I’m told I’ve got an ear for music.
I’ve always felt a strong, deep connection towards music. I don’t know whether it was because my mother played music while I was yet to be born, whether it was just “because”, or whether it was because of some supernatural, inexplicable phenomenon. I really have no clue. That was, until the day I found out the truth, that there was something in the sound.
It was like any other day, same routine to follow. Wake up, get dressed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, go to school, eat lunch, continue school, go home, do my homework, do any extra-work from my parents, eat dinner, spend some time doing whatever I feel like, brush teeth, and go to sleep. Same old, same old. But of course, something had to go wrong.
It was a usual Monday, and there was the “hangover” from Sunday. Bleh. My alarm clock blared loudly, only adding to the pain from my headache. I reached from my bed, feeling for the clock, with my eyes closed. I felt the texture of it, finding the button to turn the wailing off. I got tired of searching, so I smashed at the buttons randomly, until the alarm was off. The headache was painful, eating away at my mentality.
It was 5:30 AM. I needed a few more minutes of sleep, so I stayed in bed for a while. The headache only got worse, and now I was hearing voices. This was not normal. I got up, rushing to the medicine cabinet to get some aspirin. As I ran through the halls, turning, I swore I saw shadows. I was growing hysterical. I ran twice as fast, but slipped on the ground. I was in midair, and I really hated gravity at the moment. THUD. I slammed onto the ground. I got up and looked behind me, seeing a shadow withdraw, creeping away from my sight. I walked to the cabinet, opening it. I got a canister of aspirin, screwed off the cap, and poured one into my hand. I popped it into my mouth and washed it down with a cup of water. The pain faded away a bit, but then I gazed at a clock. It was 5:45.
I had to get going. I got dressed, putting on a grey shirt, a red hooded-sweatshirt, a pair of blue jeans, and a pair of white socks. I didn’t have time to brush, so I just used some mouthwash. I grabbed an apple from a basket of fruit and ran out the door. Even now, I still saw shadows. In my head, I could hear maniacal laughter. My headache got worse again. This time I lost conscience. And I knew I saw a dark figure with my last bit of awareness.
My eyelids were heavy, but I mustered enough strength to open them. I didn’t know where I was, but I knew I was somewhere, definitely somewhere. I noticed I was lying on a couch. I turned my head to the left and then I saw a man, somewhere around in his 30’s. He looked like one of those guys in the movies, books, and any other fiction that were really cool-looking. He had semi-long, dirty blonde hair with a few bangs in the front, sun-glasses, black jacket, white shirt under it, and a pair of black pants.
“Hey kid.” He said without even glancing at me. He was sitting there, smoking a cigarette.
“Huh?” I simply replied.
“You saw them, didn’t you?”
“Saw who?”
“Did you see the shadows?”
“Sort of. They were blurry.”
“So you’re a Listener.”
“What?”
“You must be clueless, kid.”
Then I remembered I had to go to school.
I got up, ready to leave, but then, as if he could read my mind, he said, “Don’t worry kid. It’s a Saturday. It’s been 5 days.”
“What?!” I yelled in panic.
“Nah. Just kidding with you.” He replied and chuckled a bit. “It’s the same Monday as today. Besides, I called in for you.”
My brow furrowed in annoyance. I mean, who was this guy? Just as I was going to say a word, he had taken out a gun. It looked like a regular handgun, but there was some kind of markings etched into it. He shot, and I flinched, closing my eyes, hoping I wasn’t going to die. Then I noticed, after a few seconds, I was still alive, and not in pain.
“God damn shadows.” He said.
I turned around to see a blurry image of darkness, and I heard it clearly shout, “Akhvu hunar-guhrii jintaz eui giram!” It slowly faded away.
I was appalled, and my fear could have been sensed.
“Hey kid, it’s just a shadow.” He said. “You’ve seen ‘em before.”
I didn’t know what was happening. It all went by so fast.
“C’mon kid, let’s go for a walk.” He said. He got up and started walking out the door.
I followed him, hoping for some answers.
There was definitely something in the sound.
Notes & Trivia
-Some stuff about that cigarette: NO! I am completely against smoking. Don't smoke. You won't be cool. Only fictional characters can be cool by smoking.
-Each chapter will have a song to listen to.
-The image was done on Photoshop.
-Post lots and lots of comments, please.
-The final draft strayed away from the original idea. There wasn't supposed to be "shadows" or that extremely fictional things. Originally, it was just supposed to be about a guy with extremely good hearing and musical talent.
-All the people in Vincent's family are left-handed!
