Pretty Boy Psycho

Dark scary alley. I take in plenty of deep breaths, especially on going around corners. I wish I had a travel buddy. I really ought to turn back. Find my way home. I doubt I’ve strayed too far from my neighbourhood. Proper darkness will descend soon. Did I miss dinner? Yeah. And where am I going to sleep? I doubt there are any beds outside Lundune. Did I bring a tinder box? No. I don’t even know how to use one. At least now I’ve got the magic nail polish no one will think I’m sick so won’t start devising plans to kill me.

Ouch. I walk right into a metal grid. Gate! Totes awesome. Through the gates there’s dead crispy grass but grass all the same. I push on the gate. Eeek, it creaks open. Wow cool. I run outside, down a cracked stone hill, onto GRASS. I sit down and run fingers through blades. I wonder what alive grass feels like. This stuff is like straw. Laying down I stare up at huge grey clouds blotched with brown, blocking out dim sunlight. The sky remains the same as it does on the inside of Lundune, save for it is vaster, with more clouds, stretching on forever, without horrid collapsing buildings towering into them.

What’s that? I blink having thought I saw a shape in the sky. Was probably a shift in the clouds. Yeah that’s what it’ll have been.

Wow I think there’s trees over there. Why didn’t I notice them before? Because I was distracted by the grass. Shooting to my feet I run over to those trees.

“You must be an oak.” I rest a palm against the tree’s trunk. Knock knock. Hollow. Dying. Hollow. Hollow. Dying. “Hollow. Hollow. Dying,” I say as I wander further into the woods. These trees are a lot like people. They’re rotting away, becoming hollow, losing their personalities. Is there a link? I crane my head back, wondering why those clouds came. A branch cracks from above. I tilt my head trying to see if a bird is hopping round in the trees.

“Ahhh!” I shriek as a person dressed all in grey falls from above. He lands in a crouch in front of me. I take a step back, wanting to run away. People shouldn’t fall from the sky or maybe they do out here.

“Cloudy,” musters this guy sounding as though he’s got a gruff throat.

“Oh no I’m not a Cloudy. Are you?”

“Do I look like one?”

“Do I?” I stare down at my waistcoat, wondering if Cloudys wear waistcoats.

“A trainee ain’t ya out for a stroll?”

“Urrr.” What a useless answer. I see him reach out for me. Give a scream as I shoulder by this weirdo, just manage to dodge him grabbing me, and take off, screaming. He chases after m-e-e-e.

Next thing I know a lady all in grey lands in front of me. I fall, ending up on my backside. The man in grey clutches my shoulders.

“Sad, will they give us a ransom for this Cloudy?” asks the lady. She crouches in front of me. “It’s got stunning hair so must be healthy.”

My heart races. There’s like cold metal pressed against the back of my neck. I’m so terrified wetting myself isn’t even an option. Chest constricts. Can’t breathe. These guys must be Thunders. They loathe the Cloud Association organisation; are trying to bring it down. Sad applies pressure to his blade.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Boots stamp along the ground. Please not another Thunder. Won’t make much difference if there’s three of them seen as my head’s gonna get severed regardless.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

I stay sat in the same position as Sad lets me loose so he can defend himself from a man in a blue blazer, dual wielding swords. He’s amazing as he fluidly takes on both Thunders. He’s always on the attack, too fast for them to need to switch into defence. They know they can’t touch him so fall into a retreat. I expect the Cloudy to pursue them instead he slots his swords into their sheaths strapped to his back. Fixes his attention on me.

“You must be Corey.”

The words I’m Alex form in my mind but mouth won’t work.

“Brown eyed check. Dirty blond hair. Well seems pure blond to me. I guess everything looks duller in Lundune. Blond check. And you’re twelve, right? You look older despite being titchy.”

I manage a, “fourteen,” my voice is squeaky.

“Strange my notes said you’re supposed to be twelve.” The Cloudy shrugs. “A slight clerical error. Sorry I’m late. You ought to have waited at the gates. That was you screaming yeah?”

“Ur-hurh.”

“At first I thought it was a little girl.”

My cheeks flare red. “He was chasing me.”

“Then you should have waited by the gate instead of getting impatient. What am I supposed to do next?” After a lengthy pause the Cloudy clicks his fingers. “That’s it initiation.”

I shuffle away from him as he kneels opposite me. “What’s initiation?”

“Making sure you fit Cloudy standards. Hold out your hands, palms down.”

“Cloudy standards?”

“Afraid so. Not just anyone can train to be a Cloudy.”

Phew I’m bound to fail an initiation test. I hold my hands out anyway figuring he will see through my nail polish off a dodgy merchant.

“All clear. Best show me your toes too. A pointless waste of our time really; I can see you’re healthy as a griffon, but procedure you know.”

I manage to force a smile. “I am healthy. Nothing wrong with me.” I bet there aren’t any white marks on my toenails. I take off my shoes and socks to prove it to myself rather than the Cloudy. “Healthy see?”

“I do meaning initiation is over. Or at least I think it is. I don’t usually deal in recruitment.”

“What do you usually deal in?”

“Did I forget to introduce myself? I’m field agent Jordan Darling, Cain Dacota’s colleague. You know about Cain.”

I know nothing out the ordinary about Cain. Only what everyone else knows which is he’s considered a big shot field agent in the Cloud Association community. “He’s cool.”

“And likes shiny things that stand out,” adds Jordan.

This Corey must stand out. I wonder where he is. He’s supposed to be at the gates waiting to be recruited. No one except for me was at those gates. Maybe this Corey chickened out. I would. Training to be a Cloudy would be scary. For starters they have to be able to fight.

“We better make a move. It’s quite a trek to Cloud High.”

“Oooh I can’t possibly go to Cloud High.”

“Why ever not?”

Because Corey is long gone, lost, captured, or dead. I keep these answers to myself and stare blankly at Jordan.

“That’ll be the first time you met a Thunder I expect. You’re probably the only third year trainee who’s encountered one directly. Don’t let the experience put you off. The next time you run into one you’ll have the skills to deal with them. Cain told me you’re a sleuth of a pick pocket. You can put your sneaky thieving to constructive use.”

Thieving! I’m no thief. “Stealing’s bad. You’ve got the wrong person.”

“You’re getting cold feet. I felt the same way when I first started out. Honestly though out here is a lot better than being trapped in that stuffy city. City dwellers are protected from Thunders but aren’t really living. You’re fortunate to be free from the affliction. There’s a world outside Lundune. A world of life. Living people who are doing things rather than sitting round in fear of getting a white spot. Return to where you came from if you like or follow me to a brighter life.”

“A brighter life! That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for Jordan sir.” I put my socks back on. “But I’d have to train to live at Cloud High right?”

“That’s the general idea. Cain will have told you about what is expected.”

“Urm...”

“Didn’t he? He does come and go. He probably threw a scrap of information at you and ran to his next assignment.”

I slip on my shoes debating wherever to run off or follow Jordan to Cloud High. Now I’m outside, under these trees, going home seems much more foolish than exploring outside. Jordan thinks I could train as a Cloudy. Called me healthy. Believes in me. I leap up. Brush off long dead leaves which have stuck to my sleeves then straighten out my waistcoat. Block out the nasty image of those Thunders. “I’ll train hard. Promise.”

Jordan starts trekking through the woods. I hurry after him hoping I’ll be able to keep up.

“Is this part of initiation?” I pant after a long half hour. He’s too far ahead to hear me. I find a spurt of speed. If I lag too far behind he might realise I’m too weak to be trained. An uplifted tree root trips me up. I crash onto my hands, heart skipping. Could have bumped my nose.

My tumble gains Jordan’s attention. “Careful.” He grasps hold of my pack which has sloped off my shoulder. “What in the blue skies have you got in here?”

“Clothes.” Half my wardrobe to be exact. Wish I could have fitted the other half in too. “Is this hike like part of my initiation?”

Jordan shoulders my pack. “No. Want me to slow down for you?”

“I can keep up.”

He slows down anyway. I keep a step behind him. Nightly animal noises make me jump. Was that a bear growling? It could have been a wolf. Something’s scratching about in the distance. “Ahh!”

“Wild cats,” says Jordan as I stumble into his back as one of those cats goes woowah, “they’re practically harmless.”

“Practically?”

“On rare occasions they’ll attack. I’ve been told their claws are incredibly sharp.”

“Ah!” I jump yet again as something sweeps across my cheek. I laugh on realising the something was a low hanging tree branch.

“Boy you’re excitable,” says Jordan.

“I know right. Urrr I mean it’s my first time out of Lundune in forever. I’ll calm down in a sec.” I won’t. Me and calm are rarer than wild cats attacking.

Yawners. Soo sleepy. We’ve been travelling all night through the woods, then over a field, round the outskirts of a village, and now as the sun rises behind the clouds we’re having a break amongst a mound of rocks. I found this big flat rock perfect for slouching on. My feet are sore. I think I’ve developed a blister. I’m blaming my shoes which weren’t designed for hiking.

“Right up.”

“Up? I’ve just sat down.”

“And I’ve an assignment to get too. We’re almost there. You’ll be sat down soon enough.”

Sounds like we’re moving on. I run my fingers through my hair on slipping off my rock and going after Jordan who is already a few good yards away from me. The grass appears to have a fraction more bounce and a lot more colour in this part of the world; more yellow than brown. Owie my blister. How can he keep going this fast? Almost there. Can keep going for a little longer seen as I managed a whole night.

“Whoa what’s that?” I ask on looking up from studying the grass. Before Jordan can answer me, I run right past him to kneel down beside a pond with a wooden bridge going over it. I dabble a hand in cool water then kick off my shoes. Instead of going over the bridge I hop onto a stepping stone. Hop. Hop. Hop. Try my best to keep from falling as I work my way across the pond.

“Hi!” I wave at a boy who’s stood in the middle of the bridge, scowling at me. In return I cross my eyes. “Your hair’s totes amazing.” He’s got black hair with neon blue streaks. Shiny. I grab a chunk of my own hair hoping it’s not messy. On doing so I unbalance myself. “Ahhh!” Splash. Oh no my favourite waistcoat will be water damaged. I shoot up super quick and run the rest of the way through the pond. Duck behind a bush. How embarrassing. From the cover of my bush I watch the boy slope over to this massive fortress with arched doors and windows. Notice he’s wearing a light blue shirt, and boots to match.

“Is he a student?” I ask as Jordan comes up behind me.

“A trainee.” Jordan points at the fortress. “Welcome to Cloud High.”

Cloud High looks scary. I thought it’d be more homely, like a fairy tale castle or courtly mansion. I tilt my head to one side for a second viewing. Tall and looming, sort of handsome.

“You’re sat down again. Up please. I’m running late. Cain will kill me.” Jordan passes me my pack. “We’ve got a popup Thunder camp to deal with. That and he’ll want to know I’ve delivered you safe.”

He delivered me perfectly safe. Corey not so. Maybe I should tell him who I actually am. Too bad he’s ushering me through Cloud High’s doors not letting me get my words out properly.

“You’ve really got the wrong person.”

“You’re not backing out now you’re here. I told Cain I’d bring you. Better here than roaming the Black Market stealing.”

“I’m not who you think.”

“Cain knows talent when he sees it.” Jordan nudges me over to a hefty desk, with a lady behind it, scribbling away at some paper. “I’ve brought a new recruit.” The receptionist ignores Jordan; keeps busy with her scribbling. “That lad Cain took an interest in.”

She looks up from her work. “Ooh that recruit. Corey West isn’t it?” She smiles at me. “You’ve been the main topic of conversation all week.”

“I have?”

“Sure. You must be something special if you caught Cain Dacota’s eye. Right down to business. You’re a first year trainee yes?”

“Urrr no, actually he’ll be in third year.”

“But my notes state I am to expect a first year trainee.”

“So did mine. There must be a clerical error.”

“Not to worry I am sure Master Clover can fit him into her class.”

“Good. Then I can leave him in your capable hands?”

“Yes yes. Off you fly.”

“I might see you around Corey.”

“What you’re leaving me here?”

“Obviously. I have my assignment to do.”

That’s that. Jordan heads out the door, leaving me with the receptionist who has taken to writing again. I lean against her desk wondering what I have gotten myself into. I ought to yell, my name’s Alex, then I’ll be shown the door or taken home. Home no. Can’t go there. Try here. A brighter place.

“You’re in room one hundred and one this morning.” The receptionist pushes a folded sheet of paper across her desk to me. “Give this to Master Clover. It explains everything.”

I give my pack a tap. “What about my stuff?”

Leave any personal items here and I will have them sent to your room.”

I stand still on the spot as though startled.

“I’d hurry up if I were you. You’re late.” The receptionist gestures at a passageway. I’m guessing room one hundred and one must be down there.

Slipping my pack off my shoulder I leave it on the desk then make a move towards the passageway which is lit with oil lamps. This is not happening. I’ll make a terrible Cloudy in training. But I must have a right to be here if a field agent said I passed initiation and looked healthy.

Owww my blister is rubbing real bad thanks to getting wet feet. So much for having a sit down on arrival. Best keep an eye out for room one hundred and one. Urrr could be difficult. This passage is linked to several others. Numbers are painted above archways cut into the walls. There’s room ninety and opposite it ninety one. I wander down a passage on my left which takes me to an eighty zone. I double back then take a right instead. Yay one hundred and one.