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Title: Zox: School of Gods
Chapter: The Whisper
Word Count: 1,278
Rating: PG
Previous Chapter(s): One
THE WHISPER
A flash of lightning shot across the dark sky. A loud boom followed.
The house shook.
The sound echoed in the dark.
A boy no older than ten hid under his blanket.
Under the covers he wiped his eyes. He stared out the window from beneath them. The sound made him think back. Five years ago he'd lost Hisashi and Papa. He missed them. Wished they were there. He held his hand over his heart. His shoulders shook.
Rain hit hard against the window. It brought him back to the present.
He couldn't see far out the window. It was too dark. Heavy storm clouds made the night darker than ever. He saw no sign of the moon. Nor a single star.
He shivered at the sight. Clung tighter to his blanket.
He looked out into the storm again.
Another streak of lightning lit the sky. A loud boom followed it. He screamed.
“Mommy!”
He hid his head under his pillow. Shivered under the covers. Closed his eyes with a whimper.
His thoughts were a mess. He could not think. “Mommy, where are you!?”
His lips thinned. His pupils dilated.
He heard the door creak. Turned his head. Lifted the covers back. Sneaked a peak.
In the doorway stood a weary eyed, frizzle haired woman. She held a candle in one hand.
A whoosh of air passed his lips.
“Akuro,” in a stern voice, “go to sleep.”
Sitting up he frowned at her.
“Mom I can't sleep.” His head turned. He gazed out the window. “Storm.”
He heard her sigh. The creaking of the floorboards. Felt a dip in his bed next to him.
She reached toward his nightstand. Set the candle down. Took his chin in one hand.
She turned his head. Tilted it back. Their blue eyes the color of the sky reflecting off crystal clear ice met.
"Akuro," he saw her try to smile, "nothing is going to happen. How many times have I told you? We're safe inside."
"I don't know." He dropped his gaze from hers. She'd told him a lot. Maybe every time it stormed. Maybe many times during a storm.
“Look at me.”
He looked back up at her as she tried to reassure him.
“What happened to Rokuro, to your father, isn't going to happen to you.”
“I know,” but that didn't make it any easier to get over his fear. “But, will it happen to you?”
Her fingers brushed back his hair. "Your hair reminds me of your Papa."
Akuro looked up at her, "My hair's not black."
She smiled, "No. But its not red-orange like mine."
"What color is it?"
"Dark auburn. Dark like your fathers. With a bit of red like mine."
His lips trembled as he smiled.
"As for that happening to me. It wont. I made you a promise. Didn't I? I've kept that promise. Haven't I?"
He nodded. She was right. She hadn't been hit by lightning. Hadn't vanished. Not like Papa. Not like Hisashi. Tomorrow would mark the fifth year since they'd been gone.
Seeing her real smile he smiled too.
Another loud crack echoed in the dark of night. The candle moved. The house shook.
His mother caught the candle before it fell. Before it set something on fire.
He wrapped his hands around hers. Buried his head against her bosom.
He heard her shaky sigh. Felt her fingers thread through his hair.
“It's alright Akuro.”
Tilting his head back he glanced up. Noticed her looking out the window. He exclaimed in horror at the sight.
“The black walnut tree! It was hit!”
“Yes.”
“What if it fell on the house!?”
He felt tears welling up. His eyes stung. He could not stop them. They ran down his cheeks.
“We'd be crushed!”
She held his chin. Their gazes met. "But it didn't crush us. We're safe. Our yard will look a mess in the morning. But you and I, we're safe. That is all that matters."
She stroked his cheek. "Now you should get to sleep. You have a big day tomorrow."
He grabbed her hand when she went to stand.
"Mom! There's no one to protect us. Papa isn't here. Hisashi isn't here. Not anymore. The gods died a long time ago. How is it going to be okay?" He'd always wondered. Ever since that horrible day. The day when his big brother and his Papa had been taken from them.
She bent down. She did not smile. She did not frown.
He blinked as her hand came up and tweaked his nose.
"Akuro don't worry about that. It's only a fairy tale. We can protect ourselves. And each other. We've done so ever since that day. Haven't we?"
He kept quiet for several long seconds. He nodded slowly. If it wasn't true he didn't know what might have happened to them.
“Now please get some sleep. Let us not speak of these gods again.”
He let go of her hand. Slid back under his covers.
His mouth twisted into a pout.
She bent down to kiss his brow.
He murmured,"Goodnight Mom."
She leaned down to blow out the candle.
He called out, "Mom!"
“Yes?”
“Could you... leave the candle lit?”
She stared at him in silence. Her brows furrowed in thought. She nodded. "Just don't move it. We don't need a fire to start."
“Thanks Mom.”
In the quiet of night he watched her. She walked across the room. Her skirts rustled as she disappeared down the hall.
Once he could no longer hear her he reached under his pillow. Pulled out a book from under it.
The title read Ragnarok.
For hundreds of years mortals have lived in fear.
They fear because of their belief. Without gods they are doomed. Unsafe.
The gods they once had are gone. They died long ago. In a battle forever to be known as Ragnarok.
Each and every god was killed in the end of days. A time known as Ragnarok. The gods both male and female had destroyed each other. Until not one of them stood.
It was an epic battle that happened over seven hundred years ago. One in which their were no winners.
At the end there were only losers.
They had been warned. Warned of the end of days. None of them had truly been prepared for it. Not for Ragnarok.
It was a battle in which none were fated to win. Instead they had all been destined to lose.
Ragnarok; the end of days. When Skoll finally ate the sun and his brother Hati scoffed the moon.
When it was over only two humans lived to tell the tale. A husband and wife. Lif and Lifthrasir.
From them a new era began. For they were the ones to repopulate the Earth. A planet without deities. A world filled with uncertainty.
He sighed and put the book back under his pillow.
"Akuro."
His brows furrowed. The corners of his lips dipped downward.
“Who said that!?”
No one answered.
Akuro swore he'd heard someone whisper his name.
He shook his head. Pulled his blanket up to his chin. Wiggled down and shifted about on his bed.
Awhile later he stopped moving.
He gazed up at the ceiling.
The storm had stopped some time ago. He'd not heard any thunder. Nor seen any bright flashes.
He smiled and lifted himself onto his elbow. Leaned toward the candle. Blew out the flame.
Laying back down he closed his eyes. Snuggled under his comforter.
A smile touched his lips. He fell asleep.
It drizzled on and off outside.
