Blue Spirit Chapter 3

Red X

Dreams swirled. Dark memories engulfing engulfed Red. .
Volcanoes blasting blasted huge masses of lava into the black smoke. A forked lightning bolt blasted ripped through the clouds;. Tthunder reverberating, an assault on blasted his ear drums.
A face laughed at him through the clouds. The face of the man he had murdered, cackling with glee. The black form of the fallen angel swept through the clouds, giant black wings and torn matted robes flapping,with a smug grin reveal ing showing pointed teeth. 
    The sharp bells of his alarm bringing jolted Red back to consciousness, the dreams fading like mist in the morning.
    “Shut up!” Red grunted before slamming the snooze button on the his alarm clock. He Cclutching ed his forehead and scrambling scrambled for his mask,. tTying the sash over his eyes and fixing the slits so he could see he noticed the reflection in the mirror. and sSadness swept over him.
      “Will this scar haunt me forever?” he asked himself. He hurriedly dressed in his black shirt and trousers and, carefully fitted fitting on his tabard. Ripping the curtains open he stared into the gloomy streets, the only light coming from a street lamp. No one walked the streets in these early hours. Quickly he snatched his card key from his desk and closed the apartment door carefully and quietly. Tiptoeing down the staircase he made his way to the gym and used his private key to open the doors.
    Lights flickered on and revealed the room filled with weights and treadmills. Creeping past he went to his own private room heo opened the door. Punch bags hang hung from the ceiling, targets lined the walls and varying various weights were scattered across the floor. Three solitary scarecrows stared back at him with dead, cold eyes. Assorted Various machinery including treadmills, and rowing machines and many others were clustered in the corner. Taking a bow and quiver from a stand he began to practice. Hours passed and sweat drenched his clothes.
    “Goodness you look tired! - lLoosing it are we?  - Cause thanks to you, I almost got killed on your last “mission”!” Grumbled aA voice grumbled from the entrance. A short man with ginger hair slumped against a the wall. A sword resting at his side. His sapphire blue eyes staring stared across the room.
    “You scared the life out of me then, Rob!” Red chuckled. A smile crept over Robs face.
    “Well do you need a sparring partner?” he asked happily. Drawing his sword Red nodded and addedadding,
    “It depends iIf you’re ready?” A flash of metal and they began to spar.
The dim lamp light flashed as there their blades crossed. Flowing through complex combinations and stretching into twisted awkward shapes, the hours passed. Although Red always had the upper hand he enjoyed Rob’s companychallenge. In a world filled with dark figures, his own life a dark shadow, he found Rob was one of his only friends. 
    Panting they finally fell to the floor for a rest. Beads of swept trickled down their faces.
    “What time is it?” Red asked, panting and sliding his blade back into its sheath.
    “Ten o’clock.” ,” He replied, fumbling with the notches on his own sheath.
    “Time for lunch then.” He chuckled.
Rob burst out into a high peal of laughter chuckle and they both jumped clambered to their feet and walked out ofleft the gym. Red returned to his apartment and changed into a more casual attire.


The sound of a rowdy crowd came from the pub as they entered through the door. Most of the customers sat at individual tables. The bright colours splashed across the walls apparently “welcomed people in”, personally Red found them vile. Almost slipping on the chess board floor, the duo made their way to blue bar seats.
    “Hey Dad!” Rob yelled to the bar tender.
    “Rob!” the man replied called in an ecstatic voice “What brings you here son?”
    “We’re just popping in for a bite to eat.” He saidanswered.
Rob dashed off two his room upstairs to change.
    “A beer Frank!” Red yelled over the babble.
    “Sure thing.” Frank replied.
Thoughts swirled in his head. hHe dwelled on the sentence,,. tThat was the deepest clearest memory he had. What he knew had happened ,the last words his father had spoken. His whole life revolved on those words. Every choice, his whole career, that they was were what had leaded led him. One memory that was all he had to remember his Dad. iIt wasn’t enough.
Jealousy would twisted his emotions and clouded his mind, anytime everytime he saw Frank and Rob together. The harsh bang, as the glass hit the table, woke him from his thoughts.
    “Thanks.” Red muttered under his breath. The foam swirled across the surface and shifted into blurred shapes. In the middle a bubble formed an angel he could almost hear the voice it cackling at him. Quickly he swirled the glass and the angel disappeared. Staring round the stuffy inn he lifted his glass and began took a swig.
    “Frank this isn’t beer!” Red shrieked, (while spitting out the drink.)
    “I know. iIt’s coke.” He said simply. C, concentrating on drying glasses.
    “What?!” Red yelpled.
    “You don’t fool me Red,” Frank replied stifling back a laugh “you’re under age, but you owe me £2”
    Red scowled behind his glass and muttered a curse into a his draught of coke. Rob slumped back into his seat with a sly grin creeping across his face.
    “What are you so happy about?” Red asked.
    “Look who’s coming through the door.” Rob said pointing to the entrance. Red let out a gasp then turned his face away his cheeks burning a bright ruby.
    “Is she looking over here?” Red asked in a low whisper.
    “Ye.” Rob said in his usual annoyingly loud tone.
    “Jeez do you have to be so loud!” Red hissed through his teeth.
    “Sorry,” Rob said sounding sorry for himself, “oOh look! Sshe’s coming over!”
    “Quick, pretend you’re laughing at my joke!” he whispered so quickly his words collapsing collided on with each other.
      “What joke?”
      “Quick laugh!”
    Rob burst into fake laughter. The girl fell into her seat, her. Bblonde hair blowing in the wind from a nearby fan. and hHer startlingly blue eyes looked across the unit toat them. A small smile crept across her delicate face.
    “What’s so funny guys?” she asked. Her voice was so sweet and beautiful she could have been a singer if you didn’t know her.
    “Oh, Red just told the funniest joke I ever heard!” Rob said in false ecstasy.
    “I love jokes!” she said in a happy friendly tone, “So what’s the joke?” she asked after a short silence.
    “Umm, well there were these three pirates and one of them said to the other how many raccoons does it take to male a peg leg. Umm ye I forgot the rest…..” Rob tailed of
    “Ye great joke…..” she said. Red elbowed Rob in the stomach and shook his head towards the door to the upstairs rooms.
    “Well I’m off upstairs see you in a bit.” Rob said while standing up.
    “Oh, well I’ll see you later.” She replied in a disappointed voice.
She threw a quick wave to Rob and then a silence broke pierced through the chatter. Red scratched the back of his head while ignoring the girl and his drink. She was rapping her fingers on the table and avertinged her gaze.
    “So. How are you Steph?” Red asked breaking the silence.
    “I’m great. You?” Steph replied.
    “Ye great. I’m doing well at the job.” Red answered.
    “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” Steph retorted mentioned in an uneasy voice. Shock washed over Red’s face. “We never see each other anymore! I love you, but this job has taken over your life. iIt’s changed you!” by the end of her speechtime she finished, she was almost yelling.
    “I’m just doing what my father told me..…” she cut him off halfway through.
    “You never even knew your Dad!” She whispered through gritted teethyelled, standing now “All this weird stuff, memories, even your Dad would disapprove of your job! cCold blooded killing!” She whispered the last three words in a quiet hissreproach. Red turned away and took a deep gulp of the coke, and cringed cringing at the taste.
    “I’m really sorry about how caught up I’ve been lately, but I’ll make it up to you. Saturday we’ll have dinner at Domitrose.” Red whispered calmly averting his gaze.
    “You can’t afford Domitrose!” She gasped astounded.
    “I will come Saturday” he said slyly.
    “Well I guess I’ll see you Saturday,” She said flatly her spirits were lightened but she wasn’t convinced “I have to go but were talking about this over dinner”. Leaning forwards she kissed him on the cheek before walking out the door.


Red gave a quick tentative wave before turning a way looking at the liquid in his glass it swirled as he rotated his finger the energy inside him controlling the element. Lost in his own thoughts a sudden noise began to beat in his head. Swords clashing, horn’s sounding, gun’s firing. Screams of pain echoing inside his head louder and louder. The sounds of war.
    “Didn’t go so well then?” Rob was back he bit his lip when he was finished, “Listen Red I know you aren’t the best at relationship stuff but you’ve got to stop messing Steph around I mean remember how upset she was when she first found out about the spirit thing? Seriously I think she’s right and you should find a less violent job” he spoke in a gentle tone patting Red on the shoulder
    “Sorry but can we just not talk about it.” Red said indignantly. Rob opened his mouth to speak but just bit his tongue and turned to his Dad.
    “Can I have a coke Dad?” Rob asked in an almost pleading voice. Frank just nodded and began to pour the drink. Using the drink as a distraction Rob beckoned Red closer and whispered in his ear “When’s your next job?”
    “Tomorrow,” Red muttered “You in?” giving a grim nod Rob turned and took his drink from his father.
    “I’ll meet you at the gym” he said grinning. As Red got up he watched Rob drinking his glass before saying in a resentful voice “That’s not coke!”
    “Course not my Dad trusts me with alcohol.” Rob laughed. Smirking Rob began a long conversation with his dad and Red left. The rain drilled on the ground. Drums sounded in his head. Sounds of war. Louder, closer. The water didn’t touch Red using his ability he forced the water to bounce away as if he had an invisible umbrella.

“It doesn’t matter what you do or why you do it; as long as it’s for a good reason. Never forget that my son and never give up because there is always hope.”