• The young boy brushed his finger's on the cold, oak wall as he walked in a dark Hall Way. His dark, shaggy hair curled on his neck and ear's, and his bright, red sweater mached the blood-red carpet.

    What seemed to be a never ending hall way, finally came to a stop. Before him was a Giant Door, he could hear a women's voice in the next room, humming to herself. The humming didn't seem to bother him, though. His big, green eye's stayed focused on the marble Door nob more than his ear's focused on the women's vioce. But as his pale hand's reached for the large, marble door nob, the women spoke:

    "My dear, Ache. Come in," She said, her voice was soft and kind, unlike anything the child had ever heard."I know your there, Ache. There's no need to hide, I won't hurt you. "

    Feeling trust in her word's, the boy continued to open the door, but just as his hand's touched the cold, marble nob, the door had burst into flame's, burning both the child's hand's. He fell to his knee's in terrible pain, tear's ran down his pale face like rain drop's. He tryed to call out for help but he could not speek, and as the whole room cought fire, the boy could hear the women's horrible scream, like as if she was shouting in his ear...


    "N-no! Stop--!"

    Ache woke with his heart hammering in his chest, his whole body was trembling and he couldn't stop it, no matter how hard he tryed. He quickly looked down at his hand's, the scar's from many year's ago pulsed in his palm's. He turned his head left and right rapidly, checking his surounding's, and was relieved to see he was still safe in his bedroom. It was a rather poor room, though, carpet was a mess, clothe's everywhere, newspaper's and old picture's were scattered on the floor. The room was covered in thick dust, as well, as if he'd never touched anything in there but his bed. Moment's after waking, his vision then began to blur, and short image's of his nightmare's flashed in his mind, like a sick slideshow.

    "...S..stop...p-please...!" He said to himself, hoping it might help the flash's go away. He put his hand on his forehead and shut his eye's tite, then opened them again.

    He stood out of bed feeling light-headed and numb, his hand still on his head. Ache spun around and used the wardrobe for support. He panted and took several deep breath's, and just across from the bed there was a door. It was opened by only a crack, but already Ache felt as if he was going to faint by looking at it. His vision went from bad to worse as he reached out his hand and ran to the door. When the flash's stoped, all he could see was darkness, but he soon felt his hand touch the cold, wooden door. He slamed it as hard as he could, making the whole room shake, and managed to lock it quickly. When the door closed, he could see again, like the darkness was only the light's turned off and someone had flicked them back on. He took another deep breath and turned around, his heart still pounding, hand's still burning.

    Ache dragged his feet on the carpet, making a horrible noice like sandpaper, as he walked to the door on the left and opened it. He walked down the stair's and headed for the bathroom. When he entered, he looked at himself the mirror. Shaggy hair, dark as midnight, bright green eye's and pale skin that almost gave a pure, light glow. Ache chuckled when he saw himself, no wounder stranger's find him so scary and lifeless, he looked half dead!

    "...It never change's..." He said under his breath, feeling as gloomy and poor as his look's and bedroom did. He sighed and marched out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

    He walked into the Living Room and turned on the T.V., almost hoping to see someone more miserable than he was at that moment. He flopped on his old, brown couch and grabbed the remote, but out of all the channel's such as, Horror, Comdy, Atcion, Drama and History, the New's was the only thing he could stand to watch.

    As he watched the New's, his phone range, but he ignored it, he wasn't feeling up to talking today. The phone range five more time's before the caller left a message saying:

    "Hey, Ache! It's your long lost buddy, Scott! Remember me? Well, you better! Anyways, Im just callin' up to tell ya im coming over some time this week, so don't attack me like you did last time, OK? I should be over by Friday."

    Ache turned his head around then stood up. He walked into the kitchen were the phone was laying on the silver table. He leaned against the cream, colored wall and continued to listen to the message.

    "And by the way, when I come over, you better have your place spotless! I don't get how you can live in that house when it's full of dust!? Well, seem's I got to go, see you bro!"

    The button on the phone flashed red, saying "New Message", Ache chuchled and pressed "Delete All Message's."

    "Bossy as ever..." He muttered to himself, woundering why Scott couldn't just rent a hotel insted of calling in, telling him how clean he should keep the his place.

    Ache spun around and walked down the small step's to his living room, and although the T.V. was out of sight, he could hear the Weather Report as he moved nearer.

    "Well, folks, look's like it's gonna be a another Rainy day in North Spring, today." Said Jack, the weather man, in a low, disappointed voice. "But don't be down by this new's, tomarrow --"

    He turned off the T.V. and grabbed his leather jacket from under his Coffie Table, curious to how it got there. Ache fixed his jacket then headed out for work.

    North Spring's was a small town, mist filled the ground. The building's looked old and worn, brick's missing here and there. Not many people lived in North Spring, either and those who did weren't very friendly, "Stuck up" is what Ache called them.

    Ache turned from Jeremy Str. to Ever Springs, walking pass Gift Shop's and General Store's. Waiting patiently at a Bus Stop, Ache noticed a young boy runing from a group of teenager's across from the street. The town was known for gang's every now and then, so he didn't take it that serious, but Ache couldn't ignore it, seeing as how they were heading for his neighborhood.

    He made his way by the passing car's and followed them to old, junky, alleyway, not far from his house. He stayed a distence away from the gang, so they didn't notice him. He sneeked up against the wall. Curious, Ache peek his head over to look into the large, dark alleyway. As he thought, the boy had no chance in fighting them, instead he was on his back, being kicked in the rib's by one of the five teenager's who had chased him.

    "You stupid fool! Did you really think she'd pick you!?" Said the tallest of the teenager's as he walked up by the boy's body. He joined his friend and begun to kick the boy as well.

    "...W-what, Dean? J-jealous...that she like's me more t-than you!?!" Said the boy coldly. Dean's face had turned red with anger.

    "Why you little-!" Shouted the shortest of the teenager's. Dean lifted his hand to hult his friend's who had all moved closer to attack the boy. The boy sruggled to stand on his own, using the wall as support.

    This now gave Ache a better look at the boy's face, he looked no more older than the gang, about seventeen year's old. He was tall, skinny and had Dirty-blond, shaggy hair with streek's of dark brown in it. His clothe's were clearly not his size at all, baggy, dirty and torn and if not for the belt, his the pants would have slid right down to his knee's.

    "What did you say!?" Asked Dean through gritted teath. The boy chuckled and stood straight. Ache was surprised to see the boy was actually taller than Dean.

    "Poor little, Dean. To stupid to notice when his women's lookin' at me...and not you..." Said the boy, mocking him as he looked down. Dean gave him a sneer look and cursed under his breath. He rased his fist, but before he could touch the boy, Ache shouted:

    "Hey, cut it out!"

    "Wha- who the hell are you!?" He bellowed as Ache came walking into the allyway, the shade making it hard to see anyone's face.

    "That dosn't matter, I told you to stop!" Ache shouted."Let him go, now!"

    "Fine! I don't care who you are, anyway. Your both gonna end up the same either way!"

    Dean came runing at him with his fist in the air. Ache stood there, almost paralyzed. He had never been in this kind of position before, so it took time to react, but some how he managed to ducked just before Dean's attack had hit him. Ache punched Dean's stomach, making him fall over on his side, and missed another one of the other teenager's blow. The blond-haired boy tackled the short teenager who had tryed to attack Ache earlyer, and begun punching him in the face. Ache was now facing a tougher teenager, which he once again managed to dodge his attack.

    "Hey, kid! Little help here!?" He shouted over his shoulder.

    "Uhh, alright!" The Blond-haired boy had grabbed a large brick from the ground and threw it at the teenager's head, hoping to hit him.

    *

    After about eight blow's to the stomach and face, and a few more brick's thrown here and there, they had finaly defeted the teenager's. Ache then grabbed Dean by the rist and pulled him up.

    "L-let go of me!" He demaned, but as he struggled, Ache griped his rist harder and harder.

    "Ha!" Chuckled Ache."You are poor," He looked pass Dean's shoulder and saw that his friend's were far from trying to save their boss, insted they stood there behind the Blond-haired boy, swollen, bloody face's hiding from him, like mice."Wish my friend's were as loyle as your's..."

    "Fool's! Get him!" Dean bellowed, but they all shook their head's.

    "T-t-that's A-Ache! The guy we told ya a-about!" Trembled one of the teenager's, pointing his waery hand at Ache.

    "Well, it's not like your puting up much a fight, either," Said Ache, laughing at how week his struggle was.

    "Now, get the hell out of here before we really make you pay." Ache's grip burned Dean's rist, like a burst of flame inside his vain's. He let go and Dean fell to his knee's, holding his burning rist.

    "You...Your that freak?!" He shouted, staring deep into Ache's bright green eye's.

    "C'mon, let's go!"

    They all darted out off the alleyway as fast as they could, cussing countlessly under their breath. Few moment's later, the boy slaped Ache's back, the impact making him croke a bit.

    "Thank's!" Beamed the boy."I would have been a gonner if you hadn't come!" Ache spun around and looked the Blond-haired boy. The boy held out his hand, hoping for a handshake.

    Ache was a bit tooken back when the boy spoke. He hadn't notice at first, but the boy spoke with a British accent. It made it quit hard to understand what he was saying for a moment, but Ache just grined slightly, and shook his hand.

    "No problem..." Said Ache. The boy smiled and begun to shake Ache's hand rapidly, and didn't stop. It was begining to make his arm sore after the first two minute's.

    "H-hey, what's your name, by the way?" Asked Ache, hoping that the question would stop the handshake. The boy seized the shaking instently and slowly let go of Ache's hand, he looked a bit pale and embarissed. The boy gulped then leaned over next to Ache's ear.

    "Laurie...Laurie Valentine..." He wispered, as if the garbage can's and broken glass were eavesdropping in on their converstion and he didnt want them to hear. Ached rased his eyebrow's, he didn't seem to understand why the boy, named Laurie, was so embarissed to say his name, it wasn't that bad, was it?

    "Well, what your name?" Asked Laurie, still wispering.

    "Ache." He replied quickly. There was a short moment of silence before had Laurie broken it with another question.

    "Just, Ache? No...last name or anything...?" Laurie waved his hand in curcle's next to his head, looking as if he was trying to swoosh invisible fly's away.

    "Yeah, just Ache." He replied, trying not to sound annoyed. This was a question he had faced many time's by stranger's, why did he have to bother telling them his last name? Was 'Ache' not enough for them to gossip about? It's not like he was ever going to meet stanger's again, thought Ache.

    "Uhh, well -- I should get goin' here soon." Said Laurie, kicking a rusted tin-can on the floor.

    "Yeah, same here." Ache said, he turned around and begun to walked out of the dirty alleyway."Stay out of trubbled, okay, Laurie!?" He shouted over his shoulder. In just inch's of exiting the alleyway, someone runing at full speed had rammed into Ache's shoulder and almost pushed him over. All he could see was a short blur of light, long blond, curly hair passing as he was hit.

    "Sorry!" Shouted a girl's voice. She ran into the alleyway, and Ache could hear a loud, terrified gasp as he exited.

    "Laurie!! " Bellowed the girl, her voice echoed on the building wall's. Ache didn't bother looking back to see who she was or what she was doing, he just shrugged and kept walking, thinking of how his boss is going to react when he come's to work brused and late.