Jack Stargazer chapter 1 'Not Another Fantasy Story'
Not Another Fantasy Story
Jack “stargazer” Starlow was no ordinary eleven year old boy. In fact, he was everything but ordinary. With his messy, wavy, golden locks and blue eyes, he was already a strange sight to behold in a dark haired, brown eyed, family. He also was not the biggest of boys, both in length, and width. And then his oversized glasses. Clearly too big for his face, and a very dark khaki green. But he looked good in them, that’s what he thought. But no one seemed to agree with his sense of fashion. His jeans, all torn. His shirt, which always had every button unbuttoned, even the sleeves. With a logo t-shirt of one, or other, cartoon. Though he would always argue that it is ‘anime’, and not a ‘cartoon’.
Jack had a cheerful personality, but had a careful way of approaching other people. Always thinking his steps thoroughly through. Who to befriend, who to avoid. Which teachers to trust. Which road to take home. What to eat. Everything mattered, because everything you do has an influence on your day. That is what Jack truly believed.
But Jack discovered, at a very young age, that not everyone thought the same way. Not everyone holds friendship and trust and loyalty in such high regards. He quickly learned that, unfortunately and disappointingly, people only felt these emotions when they were scripted for them. Jack had matured so early, on an intellectual level, that he was misunderstood by all. And had spent the following seven years under brutal bullying at home. By his two brothers; Pryede and Worath. His two sisters; Luyst and Glytoni. Even his parents; Greade and Envay. His classmates, in fact, the entire town did not seem to like the boy that much. They hated him because he was part of the Stain family, and his family hated him because he is not like them.
“Soloth! Soloth!” Envay was pacing up and down the lobby; “Soloth!” She moaned in aggravation, “where is that useless brat!?”
“I saw him playing with one of his stupid pests again.” Pryede said, boastingly.
“Get him.” Envay snapped, “get you brother!”
“That little pest is no brother of mine.” Pryede said under his breath as he stormed up the stairs, two steps was all it took him. “I’m gonna get, you little shit!” He shouted; as he pulled down the attic trap door ladder.
“Shh, shh, be quiet. He can’t see you, he’ll take you away and hurt you. I can’t stop him, he’s too strong. You need to stay hidden.” Jack was sitting in the far east corner of the attic, talking to several little critters. A mouse, a squirrel, an owl and a kitten. “No, no. Just hide, please.”
“Who’re you talkin’ too, squirt?”
Oh no, he’s already here. “N..nothing.”
“Whatcha hidin there? Is it one of your stupid pests? You want me to kill them, like I did with the others? You wanna eat them again? You liked it? Is that it!? Move!” He pushed his brother away, who fell, face first, on the floor. His nose bleeding, his eyes struck with fear. No, please, no. “Let’s see what we got here.” The oldest brother put his hand through the crevice in the wall where Jack had been standing, trying to hide it, trying to give his friends more time to escape. Because that’s what they are, friends. Not pests. Not pets. They’re my friends. They’re the only ones that understand me! But his voice fell flat. Fear stopped his mouth from moving. He felt powerless, useless. Responsible for whatever horrors his brother had in store for his dear friends. “p..pl..” But the words wouldn’t come out, no matter how he tried. No matter how hard he forced himself to speak. They fell silent as he forced his mouth open. No, please, no. Speak! Speak! Please.. Tears filled his eyes, and at the sight of this his brother grinned, shoving his arm deeper into the crevice. Grinning, always grinning, but then his grin trade places with confusion. He can’t find them, they’re gone! Jack couldn’t help but let a smile escape his lips.
“Something funny, squirt!?” Pryede, who had already moved from the crevice to Jack’s side, stood glaring at his brother. “I asked you a question!” He shouted, “so, you’re not answering, are you?” He continued, not leaving his youngest brother room to answer. “Then it’s time to feel some pain, little bro.” He laughed, grabbed Jack by his shirt, pulling it so hard the eleven year old boy had to gasp for air. “You’re coming with me.”
“Pryede, have you found Soloth?” Their mother shouted from below, in a voice that would make even the bravest of men tremble in fear. “Pryede!?”
“You’re lucky, little shit.” The oldest of the Stain boys said, “for now.” And he pushed his little brother down the stairs as he shouted; “Found him!”
Jack came tumbling down, hitting his head three times. Thinking one day, you just wait, one day, all the way down.
“Soloth! I told you to be here eight minutes ago!” She raised her hand.
Jack, still looking down, “it’s only eight minu..” And his mothers’ hand hit him against his right cheek with such force his head hit the ground again.
“You ungrateful little shit!” She shouted ecstatically.
What should I be grateful for? He thought, giving a quick dead eye look at his mother, then his brother and sisters, laughing at him behind his mother, and then his oldest brother, still standing atop the stairs. Another hand hit his face, this time the left cheek.
“You DARE glare at your MOTHER!?” Envay was now in complete fury, “You little SHIT! I Despise the day I ever got you!”
“Whoa whoa, what’s going on here?” Greade, Jack’s father, had left the basement. “What’s with all the shouti..” He saw Jack lying on the floor, with blood all over his face now. “You.” The hulking man snapped. “It’s always you.” He made a fist. “Why is it always you?” He hit Jack in the nose, even more blood gushed out. “Why is it that you don’t learn?” He picked the boy up and put him back on his feet. “Why is it that you aren’t like us?” He stomps him in the stomach, Jack gasps for air. His brothers and sister all joined together now, laughing in their wicked way. His mother looked down in disappointment. “Why can’t you be more like us?” He pulls out a handkerchief and starts wiping his hands clean. “We raised you. Where is the gratitude for that? Your brothers and sisters learned so much faster than you. But, then again, they are pure blood. And you..” He glared at his wife for a second, who hung her head in shame and started to apologize. “You’re just some ungrateful little shit we had to save because my wife believes in old wives’ tales.” He turned around and left the room, back to his basement; Envay following him, still apologizing.
“You heard that, guys?” Luyst said, in her wicked way. “Dad finally admitted it. He’s not even our brother.”
“Hey! You’re right, he did! OH MY GOD! I am SO mind blown, right now.” Glytoni giggled, Jack had always favored Glytoni over his other siblings. They were the youngest and had the best connection with each other, until they hadn’t anymore and Glytoni “grew up”. And she joined her older siblings in tormenting Jack.
“So, Soloth.” Pryede started, as he raised his hands “ready for some fun?” Oh no. Jack thought. “Let’s GO!” Pryede shouted, mockingly in the voice of Peter Pan; one of Jack’s favorite stories. “Get the little twerp.” Worath gave out a battle cry, “I’m gonna hurt you real bad, this time, Soloth.” Luyst threw a bottle, missing Jacks’ face by inches. “I’m not gonna miss next time, Soloth.” Glytoni giggled and came rushing in, “hahahahahaa, Soloth!”
My name is Jack Starlow! I am NOT part of this family and I leave you today. Is what he wanted to say, but instead, he stood up and ran up the stairs. The attic trap door was still open, he sped up the attic stairs, closed the trap door and locked it. Quickly grabbed some supplies; food that he always kept in his room, because they would often not leave anything for him. Thread and needle, because you never know when you might need a thread and needle, he thought. Money; that he had saved up by doing odd jobs when he sneaked out at night. His bus pass; complementary to his school. And his friends, who had already snuck into his backpack, nice time saver, he chuckled. “Time to leave.” He started to sweat, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” He started to doubt, “No! I can’t doubt it. I can’t stay here. They’ll kill me for sure. I should’ve left when I found out the truth about this family.”
“Soloth!” The attic door began to shake, “Soloth!”
“Time to go.” He grabbed his backpack, checked if all four of his friends were present, eight eyes stared back at him. “Awesome.” He muffled under his breath while pushing open the roof window, but not before shouting “My name is Jack Starlow!”. And he hurried out of the window frame, afraid they’d burst through the door any minute. The climb down was easy, he had done it a thousand times before as he sneaked out to work odd jobs. He knew every step to take before he took it. But this time was different. Jack was injured and in a hurry. His foot reached out too far, he slipped and fell down. Luckily, he was already half-way down the prickly thorns, and didn’t need to climb further down those dreadful thorns. “Lucky”. He sang to himself, laying on the ground, covered in dirt, thorns and blood. “So lucky.” He groaned, as he tried to get back to his feet. In need of a quick get-a-away he started looking around. “Can’t use mom and dad’s cars, or the twins’ dirtbikes.” He sighed. Looked up and began hearing sounds coming from the attic. “Guess I’ll just run.” And run, he did. Before you knew it, he was out of sight. Knowing the alleys and streets of this town like the back of his hand; because his family were not the only ones he had to run from. He left the abandoned Starlow Street, where he had lived all his life, and has never once seen another person vacate any of the other houses. It was a dark and cold street, but he enjoyed it’s loneliness. He felt at home in this street. Unfortunately, he had to share it with his adoptive family. After Starlow Street came Bunkle Bridge, notorious in folklore for it’s trolls, or so they say. Many say that Starlow Street is abandoned because of the Legend of Bunkle Bridge. But Jack knew that the Stain family had a part in it, definitely, he thought. Beyond Bunkle Bridge was The Forest of Aliscius, and beyond that the town of Aliscora, both named after a fabled warrior of old, Aliscius the Bright. A former soldier who rallied the rest of The Light’s side’s final battalion of, originally, five hundred thousand strong, now reduced to merely thirty warriors. To face off against the might of The Dark. Forces of evil, orcs, goblins, trolls and so much more. And somehow, they won. Because Aliscius had found the legendary Sword of Eternal Light.
Jack always thought the story was a sappy one, I would’ve written a better one, he always thought to himself every time the story was read to him at school. He suddenly remembered something from kindergarten; at the age of three, he had asked his teacher: “People based a religion on THIS!?” And was immediately transferred to the “troublemaker class”, which no one was surprised off. “He’s a Stain, after all.” The teachers and parents would agree amongst each other.
“Old news.” He told himself out loud. Cheer up. He thought, smiled and continued into The Forest of Aliscius. A special forest. Depending on where you would enter, you’d get an entirely different experience walking through these woods. If you entered from Bunkle Bridge, you would get a dark and scary path, creepy noises left, right and center. But if you entered from Widow’s Lake, you’d get a very rainy walk. Another entrypoint is Flowerbed Avenue, making it so your walk is warm and sunny, even if it’s snowing outside of the forest. And the final entry point, Jack’s personal favorite, Icarus Street. Where you’d always get a starry sky. He would often cross the forest, through the dark and scary path of Dunkle Bridge, to then return through Icarus Street. He would often spend the night in a tree, staring at the night sky. The thousands of bright lights, so very far away. It had always intrigued him. The bullies from school had given him the nickname “Stargazer”, most likely hoping to hurt Jack emotionally. But failing as Jack’s response was a solid; “OH! That’s so good, can I use that?” Leaving the bullies behind, completely dumbfounded.
Unfortunately, Jack couldn’t go to Icarus Street. It’d be the first place they’d look for me. He thought. And the next place they’d look for me is the last place they think I would be. Which is here. So I can’t stay here either. He tried to look up, see the sky through the trees, but to no avail. Only darkness, only scary noises and shadowy figures creeping by. As usual. He thought. “Widow’s Lake!” He suddenly shouted, scaring his friends in his backpack. “Oh, I’m sorry, guys.” He apologized, eyes filled with genuine shame. “Let’s get a move on. Widow’s Lake is at least an hour a half on foot in this darkness. And we better do it in an hour, better yet to do it in less.” He said, while picking up the pace. “It might get a bit bumpy in there guys.” And he started running. Jumping over trees in the dark, he surprised himself at how well he knew these woods. It felt like home. Just as Starlow Street. He evaded a branch on his left side, another on his right. Jumped over a fallen tree and avoided a few pitfalls hunters had made. The Stain family enjoyed hunting in the dark part of the forest. Jack took a quick look behind him, stopped moving. Slowed his breathing and tried to listen if he could hear his deranged siblings running towards him. Because if there was one thing he could count on, it is that his brothers and sisters aren’t able to hunt in silence. His parents, on the other hand, were silent and deadly.
He could feel a little tug on his shirt, Dilligaince the owl had crawled out of the boys’ backpack.
“I get it, I get it. We’re going.” But the owl suddenly jumped up and took off. “Wait, where’re you going? Dilly? Dilligaince!?” He sighed in annoyance, “fine, you know your way back to me.” And the boy took off, in the opposite direction of Dilligaince. Running, faster than before. Somehow he knew something bad was about to happen. He ran and he ran. Evading trees and branches left and right. When suddenly he tripped over something. Felt like a leg, he thought, not gonna check. He concluded and dusted himself off. Ready to continue. When suddenly he heard the sound of a twig snapping, at least two hundred meters aways from him. Immediately he knew he had to run, only four hundred meters left until he would reach Widow’s Lake, a very crowded place where “his kind”, being a Stain, was not welcome. His parents would never cross the over, he thought. And so he ran, like never before. Sprinting until he felt a metal taste on his tongue and throat. His spleen started hurting, but he couldn’t give up, he ran even faster and faster. Another twig snapped, this time right to his left, only a hundred meters left, the boy thought, but stopped. They’re just playing with me. He thought, getting angry. “You think I’m some kind of toy for you to play with!? HUH!?” The eleven year old boy shouted to the darkness of The Forest of Alicius.
“That’s exactly what you are now, useless brat.” The voice of his foster father reached the boy before his father did. Giving Jack just enough time to avoid an attack that would have cut him in half. “Seems you learned something after all.” Greade said, somewhat proud, but in a mocking way.
“Are you NUTS!? You could have killed me!” Jack shouted with fear coursing through his words.
“That’s the point, dear little snack.” Now his mother’s voice, Jack took a step backwards. Sharp claws barely missing him. “Oh.” She said amusingly.
Jack took a quick glimpse at the road, fifty meters, he thought. Great, I got closer. But now what!?
“Awh, look at that Envay, he’s trying to think his way out.” Greade spitted on the floor, “forever the disappointment. Stains fight with the claws they’re given! Not hide behind...”, he spat again, “...words”.
“Do you think he’ll taste bad because we’re gonna eat him early?” Envay asked her husband.
“We’re not gonna eat him early…” Greade said with a smile, “we’ll keep him and torture him untill he begs us to eat him.”
His foster parents had been standing in the shadows this whole time. Hiding their true forms. But Jack knew. He had seen them, all of them, killing people. Eating their souls. Stealing their skin and identities. He felt disgusted the day he found out they really are the monsters the whole town claims them to be, in fact, they are worse. Much worse, he thought. I gotta make a run for it. The boy thought, looking for an opening to move closer to the exit.
“Are you trying to move closer to Widow’s Lake?” His foster father started laughing out loudly, “you foolish boy, do you think the great Stain family fears a few peasants? Mortals? No.There’s no escape for you, little “Jake.” And he cackled again, he sounds like an anime villain, Jack thought.
“Why?” Was all the boy could say.
“Just take a look, boy...” Greade said, picking up Jack and throwing him out of the woods and unto the grass of Widow’s Lake, “...you’ll see for yourself.” He growled as he left the woods and slowly entered the, by street lantern, lit Widow’s Lake. He could see his foster father’s right foot enter light, it looked odd. Huge and grotesque, like the foot of some kind of scaley animal. But just as the young boy tried to get a good look, someone grabbed him by the shoulders; with what felt like enormous hands; and the boy was pulled up in the air and thrown into the arms of someone else. Who immediately knocked the boy out.
“We’re taking the boy.” A gorilla-shaped man said to Greade.
“Kayndness!” Greade growled and lashed out from the darkness, using his tail as a whip. “I’ll get you for this! The boy is mine!” Sharp claws missed Kay’s right eye by millimeters. The gorilla-man, faster than he appears to be, had grabbed both tail and arm.
“Time to go back to the darkness.” Kayndness replied, “say hello to the fam!” And he threw the demon back into the woods. “Chaziddy!”
“Captain?” A parrot-looking man yelled, holding the unconscious Jack in his feathery arms.
“We’re leaving.”
“Yes, Captain!”
A small flying ship descended from the clouds, “Why has the cloaking device been turned off? What the hell is that new guy doing this time?” A rope came down, “Give me the boy, Chaz. Fly up, see what the old man’s doing.”
“Aye, Captain.” The parrot-man replied to his Captain, as he handed Jack over to Kayndness; clapped his wings and flew up. Having reached the ship in the blink of an eye. “Nano, the Captain wants to know why you turned off the cloaking device.”
“Oh, hey Chaziddy! Whazzup?” A, relatively, old looking turtle-helmsman greeted his Vice-Captain.
“Oh my Antromea! Have you been touching that human tobacco, again?”
“It’s not tobacco, man. It’s weed. It’s good for you, you should give it a try. Might calm you down for a second.”
“Sweet Liftrea, you’re an old man, Shell. What are you doing?.”
“Hey! I’ll have you know I’m quite young for a turtle!” The old turtle replied, quite proud of himself. “Hey!” He yelled out, when Chaziddy took the veteran’s pipe. “Give me back my pipe!”
“SHELL!” Kayndness had already reached the ship, “what the hell are you doing? What will you do if the humans see us again? We are in the middle of a town, NOT a farm like last time. The humans may outcast one local, but they will not outcast an entire town. Turn on the cloaking device! NOW!” The gorilla-man bellowed.
“Y-yes, Sir! Sorry, Sir!” And the old turtle turned the cloaking device back on.
“Now, take us away, Mr Shell.”
“Where’re we going, sir?”
“We’re going home.”
“Sir! Yes, Sir!”
“Are you sure, Kay?” Chaziddy asked his Captain, “It’s been a long time since we’ve been home. We’ve been looking for the boy so very long, it almost seems like a lifetime.”
“I am sure, Chazz.” The Captain replied, with confidence, he paused a moment, “the boy needs to be safe.”
“I know, but, are we not safer in the sky than on land?”
“You always were the wisest of Vice Captains, were you not?” Kayndness said, laughing. “We will not return to stay, we must pick up supplies. And we need that scroll.” He said, staring in the distance.
“The scroll? But, Kay, we couldn’t even make it the last time. How would we be able to do it this time?”
“Well..” The gorilla-man started, “we’ve got the boy.”
“The boy?” Chaziddy asked with certain sarcasm, “the boy is a boy. What can he do? He may be the child of prophecy, but clearly he has yet to awaken his true potential.”
“Well..” The Captain began anew, “we’ve also got these guys.” And he opened Jack’s backpack. The heads of Abby the squirrel, Libra the kitten and Hummy the mouse popped out of the backpack.
“Pets?” Chaz said, mockingly. “An eleven year-old boy and his three pets? That’s our salvation? They are to stand against evil? Dear God, Kay..” The Vice-Captain said to his Captain.
“Have some faith in your Captain.” His captain replied. “Have I ever led you astray?”
“Well, there was that one time in Calusmepia.” Chazz said, still thinking of other examples.
“So, one ti…”
“And that time in the Gomornea Tunnels, or that time in the Mines of Dyceasd.”
“Fine, fine. I get it. Then what do you suggest our next action will be, Mr Vice-Captain?” The gorilla-man sneered.
“I...I don’t know.” The Vice-Captain said, “as you said, we need the scroll. So we must return home. But…” The Parrot-man reverted to a regular man, with a multicolored mohawk. Dressed in green leather and small, round, sunglasses. “Our home...it’s been…” the words would no longer leave his lips, the wound was still fresh. They had lost their home to evil. Their leader, Zeulzus the Hammer, had betrayed them. Shell had discovered that Zeulzus, who now calls himself Zelzus Deathhammer, was secretly working for the demons all this time. It IS the main reason Shell was accepted aboard The Arc, as it’s helmsman. His unconventional ways were also the reason they managed to escape a massacre. Now they were the only ones left, the last stand. A Captain, his Vice-Captain, their helmsman, a boy and his three pets.
“I know, my friend. Our situation is dire. I know.” Kayndness said, in a voice that would break your heart. The pain of losing his family, seeing them killed before his eyes by the man that had raised him, taught him everything he knew. Whom he respected with all his heart. The wound, the pain, it was still too fresh. He preferred not to think of it. He preferred to let his fists do the thinking for him. And he preferred to do that thinking, up close and personal, with Zelsus. “But we must, we have no choice. For the sake of the world. For the sake of our legacy, of our existence. We must face him.” Kay reverted to his human form, which still looked like a gorilla in a t-shirt. “But you’re right, we need more people. And the boy must awaken his latent abilities.”
“What about the Widower Witch? Maybe she has the answers we seek? Or a path for us to take?” Shell had been absent for the entire conversation that the other two had nearly forgotten about him. “What?” He said when he saw his Captain and Vice-Captain stare at him. “Something I said?” He chuckled.
“Everything you said!” Kay shouted out, running up to his helmsman, holding him in the air and then hugging him tight, the way only Kayndness could do.
“Good thing I’ve got my shell on...” The old turtle said with a sheepish smile, “...or you would’ve crushed me.” He laughed out loud.
“You’re a genius!” Kay kissed his helmsman, “A friggin’ genius!” He laughed and laughed. “Set course for the Widower Witch, Mr Shell.”
“Aye aye, Cap’n.” The Turtled man said playfully, “West, west. To the west we go. West, west, to the west we sail. West, west, the Widower’s Witch. West, west, she knows best.” He sang out loud, taking out a second pipe and lighting it. “West, west …” He continued to sing but stopped abruptly. “Captain, incoming!” The turtle man shouted.
“What is it?” The Captain shouted back from his cabin door.
“Something appears to be flying our way, Captain.” And something did, far in the distance. Something came flying directly towards them.
“How is that possible?” He looked at his helmsman, “have you turned the cloaking device off again?”
“It’s on, Captain.” The faithful helmsman replied.
“Then what in the …” He stopped, as the figure was about to land on the bow of the ship. “Prepare for battle, boys!” The captain shouted, changing to his beast form.
“Aye, Captain!” Chaz and Shell said in duet, following their Captain’s example.
“Goddamn Light Chasers!” Greade growled. “Goddamn monkey! I’ll get him for this! I’ll kill him!!” He started smashing trees and throwing rocks. Envay just stared at him, forever intrigued by Greade’s rage. It is why she had chosen him as her mate. A succubus needs a hefty meal, she thought, grinning.
Laughter could be heard east of them, “We need to train our little demons better. They’re horrible hunters.” Envay giggled.
“Speak for the others.” Pryede, the oldest, said. “You never heard me coming, did you, mother?” He gave a little cackle.
“Oh dearie, have I not told you to be aware of your surroundings?” She said, while tapping three knives against two of his legs and an arm. “You would’ve lost all your limbs.” She giggled. “Did you really think you’re better than me?” The boy bowed down. “Go back to your brother and sisters. Take them home. We’ll discuss your failure later..”
Pryede, angry and insulted, stood up and turned around.
“...and your punishment.” His mother slipped under her breath, as he left, just loud enough for him to hear. The oldest of their children disappeared from sight. Shortly after, the laughter of his siblings ended. Just as abruptly as she caused his pride to fall, mere seconds earlier.
“Is that how you keep your Blood in line?” A tall thin woman had appeared from the shadows. So tall she could be a tree, but so thin the tree would have to be a branch. Her skin as white as the white from her eyes, with two blue vicious eyes swimming in the white, like sharks, looking for their next victim to prey upon.
“Anoërksia, what are you doing here?” Envay sneered, “is your sister here as well?” She looked around nervously. Envay had never liked the youngest of the Linquish sisters. Because her beauty was beyond comparison.
“No.” Anoërksia began, with a voice that seemed to vibrate a little, “Ortheksia isn’t here, Envay. No need to be envious.” She let out a cackle that seemed to send vibrations into the air. “This isn’t Nighthood business.” She purred a little, “I just wanted to watch you fail.”
“Why you…” Envay began, her emotionless face now red with fury.
“CALM YOURSELVES!” Greade bellowed, immediately both demons fell silent. “Why are you here, Anoërksia?” Greade said, snapping his teeth right before her eyes.
“My Lady Destitia has sent me.” The tall thin demon said, her voice still vibrating, but this time because of fear. The fear of having her head ripped right off of her shoulders, she had seen him do it before, for far less.
“Destitia?” He said, the name left a vile taste in his mouth, “what’s she want?”
“My Lady wants you to come to the mansion. She has news from The Widower Witch. Turns out the child you were raising for lunch is actually a very prominent figure in the prophecy.”
“That little runt?” Greade growled, “And that stupid monkey has got his hands on him. This isn’t good.” He looked at his wife, “We’re leaving.”
