the soul thief series

It was the end of another monotonous school day. The same boring classes, the gibbering students that filled the school corridors in the time between each class, and the horrid teachers that seemed to enjoy reprimanding the skinny students before and after the school day for no obvious reason. Tom Quarte was actually one of those skinny students that the teachers, along with the students, enjoyed cornering in the class or break time and begin drenching him with all kind of annoying stuff.



But for Tom the whole thing was rather frivolous. All that he did was turn a deaf ear, and walk away in disgust. He didn't care for the piercing looks of his peers, or the galling remarks of his teachers that all spoke out,"look at this crackpot, he's weird"





Tom knew that he wasn't quiet normal. He was sure that his sudden jolts, and frequent babbling to himself would put him under scrutiny from both teachers and students, even parents,for the rest of the year,and may be the rest of his life.The life that he held dearer than his heart.He couldn't help imagining that one day the dark secrets that shrouded him would be divulged because he simply failed to control his fury.





Tom ran out of school to find his father waiting in his dusty fiat 128.Tom bounced into the car,threw his bag on the back seat and waited for his father to ask him the list of  daily questions that Tom considered truly annoying.



Tom's father was a compact man,his chubby bulk seemed to be inviting everyone to puncture it out.He had a bright,bald head and wore eye glasses,with thick lenses.



Adjusting his tie in the front mirror he began"did you attend all the classes?"



"yes father"



"did you stray during the break time"



"no father"



"did you talk to yourself infront of anyone or alone?"



Tom hesitated for a second,and thought that if he lied his father would know from Miss Pessie,who seemed to adore him.Last year she was the reason for his two weeks expellsion  that Tom remembers that it was due to reading a fantasy novel in her class.



"no father"Tom managed to lie,avoiding any direct eye contact with his father.



"fine"



Revving the engine,he wheeled off.After a while of complete silence Tom's father spluttered out while adjusting his tie for the third time in 10 minutes"Tonight you're going to see a shrink"



"what??"Tom diverged his head away from the window,trying to comprehend the sudden sentence.

"you heard me you're going to see a shrink'



"why ?"



"Ohh..nothing,simply because you're quiet sane,you don't speak to the mirrors all over the house,you don't wonder off in the streets every single night,you don' t thrash your mates at school for insulting your imaginary friends,nothing at all"



"I thrashed Jack once, besides he slapped me first and called me weirdo"



"very nice of him, I think if I were in his shoes I might have pulled you the nearest asylum"



Tom looked infront of him in dismay. How could his father doubt him for a mad boy.How can't he understands that he's special. Tom knew that" seeing is believing".

No one could ever meet his friends,no one could feel the coldness that fills the place when they appear out of nowhere, no one except himself.



After parking in the narrow lane beside the wooden house, Tom came down followed by his father who locked the car, and walked towards him.His flattened nose that stuck right in the middle of his face puffed in and out in anger as he spoke"Tonight do you hear me,if anything happened you'll be crushed" he balled his hand in front of his face in threat, then vanished into the house.





Tom stood languidly,stooping under the heaviness of his backpack.He seemed to be waiting for something.Suddenly something rattled under the sole of his shoes.Grey fumes spiraled out of the ground coming together to form the outline of something featureless.It was nearly the height of Tom'e waist,his crooked.slender legs took shape,followed by his abdomen,then chest.A moleskin piece of cloth slung down his shoulders,concealing under it silver charm glinting in sunlight.



Tom smiled to him,as he dashed forward seeking secrecy under the shade of one of the huge pines on the other side of the road.



The mysterous creature followed him scrambling like a tame ape behind his master.