Of The Earth

Age 17, Galaxy Hills students, last day of school

We always threw a bit of a party on the last day. It was a tradition at this school. So there we were, on the school grounds, burning school work, playing music, dancing and singing and swinging one another round and round like a Catherine Wheel. There's toilet paper everywhere and burning books and the smell of alcohol. A true epitome of young adult fun. I was with my best friends, Ches and Kyle, ever so slightly drunk. All three of us were a little drunk, but I think I was the most. I mean, I was dancing around in circles, and I had matured from elementary school, and I swear I may have even been trying to chat Kyle up. One of my advances was vile enough to have him punch me in the face. I just laughed and hugged him, and there was a photo taken of me dripping nose blood over his favourite shirt.

It was a great party, but the neighbours of the school weren't too pleased with all the noise and light, and then a group of older boys, men, were by the gates. They weren't from around, and they were wearing some kind of school uniform. Among them was a famous face, wearing his own clothes. Sigmund. These must have been old school friends of his, I guessed as they got past the gates, crashing the party. I swear there were twenty or so, or maybe I just had double vision, but they sort of mixed in with the dancing crowd and enjoyed themselves, except for a few who clearly knew Kyle and were bothering him. Ches tried to make them stop but got thrown across the playground, and then...a fight broke out, Sigmund versus Kyle. No magic at first. They had hold of each other and then Kyle's feet slipped sideways and he ended up on the floor, pulling Sigmund down upon him, and they rolled, kicking and punching, biting and screaming, and then Kyle started slamming Sigmund's head into the ground over and over. Sigmund blasted something at Kyle, who screamed, jerking back and clawing at his own eyes. Sigmund launched himself at Kyle's back, wrapping an arm around his neck, smashing the redhead's face into the ground. He tried to push himself up, but quickly got slammed down again by Sigmund's weight. Magical fire burst into Kyle's hand and he brought it up to the German wizard's silver hair, which caught alight at once. He shot up with a scream, alleviating the pressure on Kyle's back, so he turned onto his back and smirked. "Had enough, Sigmordian?" He called with a laugh. Sigmund focussed on putting out the fire, not noticing Kyle coming for him again, with a bottle in hand. I don't know what he was expecting to happen as he smashed the bottle against Sigmund's head, yelling 'who's the better wizard now?', but I guess it was less than the fire growing and spreading or the Sorcerer collapsing with blood gushing from scratches. He stepped back, getting his breath back and slowly a crowd got brave enough to draw close to his back, staring at the fallen, burning body that once had been Sigmund the Sorcerer. He turned to his school chums and Sigmund's friends, all of whom simply looked shocked. He looked back to the body, back to the crowd and then disappeared.

Ches and I ran to his house, and when we finally got there we were so out of breath, but still we hammered on the door, screaming to be let in. No-one answered, so we got in via the mail slot.

No-one was there. The living room was empty, but a few books were out of place. In the bedroom, the bed had been stripped, the wardrobe ransacked, school bag missing. Kitchen, all the food had been removed.  They walked through the whole place, but they only found a few messes. Evidence of Kyle's frantic sort and shift before leaving again, and then there was the Necronomicon and the Scrivener Elf, trying to clean up. "Where's Kyle?" I blurted.
"He's gone." Replied the elf sourly.
"Where?"
"We don't know." The book said. "He said he had to go, and he made sure we couldn't follow..."

~*~*~*~

My name is Toby Cranapple. I work in a boring old office, in insurance. It bores me, but it puts food on the table. I'll admit I'm not fully satisfied with my life the way it is, but I guess I'm not disappointed with what I got. It could have been way worse. I could have ended up with no job, no home, no future, but I'm in financial comfort, I've got a safe job and can call a little house and a chevy my own.

It all started when I was sitting down for lunch with my friend, or maybe just co-worker, Carl, talking about what we had seen in the news lately. It was the same old stuff. War, disaster, famous people, embezzlement and The Conjurer. There was this thing, a Wizard of impeccable power, known simply as The Conjurer. I like to think if Kyle ever met him, he would despise him. He told me he wasn't the only conjurer in the world. I guess there are different disciplines out there. Anyway, we were talking and eating.

"I used to know a wizard, actually. Used to go to school with one."
"Did you?"
"Yeah. If he was here now he would say the Conjurer was such a show off."
"You kidding? He spends half his time saving lives-"
"Like he wants to be a superhero."
"Not a very good one. The rest of his time he hurts people for their money."
"Well, yeah, that's why he's in the news so much."
 And then my phone went off. Checking it, I saw a text from some unknown source. Reading that, I found it was an invitation. I was being asked to go to Galaxy Hills, back to the school, for a reunion. I gasped. "Carl, Carl!"
"It isn't more work stuff, is it?"
"It's an invitation! To a high school reunion! God, I haven't seen those guys for years! I'm so excited, I'm gonna see them all again! Are you excited, Carl?"
Carl frowned. "Not really, I'm not going."
"Oh, oh yeah, right. You know what? It will be awesome! I mean, we never had a big class, thirteen people at most, but everyone will be there! Ches and Duke and Nancy and Francine and Cheech, and oh my god, everyone else and I haven't seen those guys for years!"

I got a bus up to Galaxy Hills and in the warm summer sun I walked up to the school building, looking for the classroom where everyone would be meeting. And there they all were. I recognised them all off at once. Nancy by the window, wearing a mink coat and talking to someone on a phone. Lupe and Duke were talking in a corner, and my had they changed, both ever so attractive. Sat on a desk was a rather chubby form with a goatee. Ches Mufflin, my best friend ever to go to the same school as me. He leapt up as soon as he saw me. "Toby!"
"Ches!" We hugged. "Lord, it's been an age! I've missed you."
"I missed you too, man!"
"How have things been in the movie business?"
Ches grinned. "Things have been great. We're planning a new Man-Arctica movie, and it is going to be awesome!"
"It isn't going to star Blaise Payne again, is it?"
"I'm not sure. We'll see."
I looked around. Everyone was here. Cheech, Lupe, Fankylechum...not Kyle though...it didn't really register in my mind that much though. It was a lot of fun.

On the way home, I took the same bus as Ches, and we talked a lot, about what's been happening, about his career, a movie director, and then...the bus broke down. Everyone filed off, looked at the damage. Phones weren't working. Sighing, I sat on the edge of the road, head in my hands, and Ches sat beside me. "We could try see if anyone's on the other side of that forest that can help."
"That would be useless."
He lowered his voice. "I mean I'm bored and want to go for a walk. Might as well make ourselves look good."
I laughed. "You've changed."
"Haven't we all?" He stood, carefully making his way down the embankment, and sighing, I followed. We walked for a while in silence and reached a clearing, but before we could get further, something began to...materialise...sort of a small, run down cottage. We backtracked and hid behind a bush, peaking out fearfully, and then? Someone stepped out, a light in his hand, casting him in shadows but almost blinding us, and, naturally, he saw us, dimmed the light and came forward.

He wore a black cloak with a green hood and green marks on the arms and bottom of the cloak. His trousers matched and underneath he wore what looked like a black waistcoat with red buttons, allowing his belly to show. "Hello." Was all he said. His face was hidden and his voice very quiet, but with a distinct accent. English.
"Are you a wizard?" I asked as I got up. He hesitated before nodding. "Uh...we need a hand. We were looking for help, because our bus broke down and we couldn't call for repairs or anything and-"
The wizard held up his hand. "I'll help." He muttered grumpily, walking forward. I swear the trees moved before him. Excited, we hurried after him.

There was something about this wizard. "Are you The Conjurer?" Ches asked.
"I hear that damned name wherever I go." The wizard muttered. "It's always there, always  following me."
We shrugged, and then he reached the sharp incline leading to the road. Sighing, the wizard levitated us up to the bus and set to work. People gathered around to watch, and he conjured up hot chocolate for people and spoke to them very sparsely. There was something about him that reminded me of someone, and it started hurting. I thought, and looked, and I got annoyed that I couldn't see his face. People were talking in hushed voices. They were all saying it was the Conjurer. They said he had the right voice, the right build, the right clothes...and admittedly he smelled like a homeless person. He got up, job done, and went to the edge of the road, and I went over, grabbing his arm. "Who are you?"
"I'm...no-one..."
"You remind me of someone."
"I get that a lot."
"You're The Conjurer."
"And that's all you need to know."
I tried to force him to turn. "I need to see your face."
"Go away!"
"Let me see!" I grabbed his other arm, and then he slipped over the edge of the road, and down the embankment we rolled.

I was on top, groaning. My leg hurt awfully. I tried to pick myself up and fell off the wizard with a cry of pain, lying beside him. I looked at his face, which was now uncovered, and I gasped. He was pale, with large teeth that protruded from his mouth, a button nose, freckles and red hair, pinned up at the back. I went to touch him, to check if he was okay, but his eyes flew open and he grabbed my wrist. "I told you to go away!"
"Kyle!" He sat up and I hugged him.
"You're injured..."
I looked at my leg. "It's nothing."
"Let me help." He reached to my leg, hissing in pain.
"You're injured too..."
"It'll be fine in a moment. Just let me help."
Reluctantly, I let him at my leg, and he healed me. Meanwhile, I heard someone approach down the embankment. Looking over, I saw Ches.
"Kyle?" He exclaimed. "You're The Conjurer?"
Kyle stood, nodding. "I guess so. Now go home."
I grabbed his arm. "Kyle, we're not just going to go away. You're our friend."
"We haven't spoken for years, Fanboy."
He turned and walked away, and we grabbed his arms.
"Let go." He growled.
"Kyle, come home. We miss you."
Ches frowned. "We don't live in Galaxy Hills any more."
"Yeah, but what about the elf and the book?"
"Kyle, I'd love to make a movie of The Conjurer."
"And?"
"Will you sell me your story?"
"Chester!" I scolded. "Don't be mean. Kyyyyyyle, please come back to civilisation."
"I don't belong with you." He muttered before half-collapsing. We gasped and tried to support him.
"Are you okay?"
"Fine."
"I thought you were going to faint." Ches replied, sounding scared.
"I haven't eaten much today." He answered, trying to get his arms free again. "Please, leave me alone."
"What do you mean you don't belong with us?" I asked, getting a little high strung.
"I killed someone, Toby. I have to make up for it. I can't make up for it."
I guess we both started bursting out with the same old babble.
Come on
We miss you
Everyone misses you
Necronomicon misses you
Scrivey misses you
You're living in squalor here
You need to come home
Please come home
Let us help
Will you sell me your story?
Please come home
Kyle, come home
Kyle?
Kyle, will you come home?
Please, Kyle
Kyle!
"STOP!"

With that one bellowed scream, a huge, burning light burst out from him. We were all knocked to the ground with the force, and amusingly Kyle's hair pin went flying out, so his hair fell past his shoulders. It was full of tangles and dirt and parasites, and let me tell you Kyle's seventeen years of rough living had certainly taken their toll on his hygiene. His grime aside, we were all down and on the muddy ground, picking ourselves up, and Ches was the first to notice it. The huge cloud. Black, it was, with a yellow light, and around the light was teeth. It slowly descended upon us. Kyle glared.
"I told you two ninnies to leave me alone and now look what's happened!"
"What's happened?" Asked Ches.
"I'm not sure, but you can bet it isn't good!"

And it wasn't. The cloud thing hit the ground with such force we were all thrown up off the cracking ground. We landed painfully and the thing laughed.
"NOTHiNg aWAkENS THE DEMONS Of thE EartH WithOUT FACinG THe conseQueNCes!"
Screamed the voice. It sounded warped and terrifying, and then a pink beam appeared as we once more got to our feet, myself and Ches stood together and Kyle a little way off.
"GOODbYE weLPs!"
The blast rocketed towards us and we clung to each other, ducking our heads down and whimpering. There was a thump as the blast hit something, and we barely heard Kyle's scream over the rushing wind or the zing of the lazer. A strong wind passed over us and when we looked up, the thing was gone. Kyle was behind us now, having been slammed into some trees by the blast. He had gotten in the way on purpose, taken the blast for us. I ran to him and cradled him. "Kyle? Kyle, wake up! You have to wake up!" Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. I held his head against my chest, feeling like I might cry. "Come on, Kyle, wake up!" I had lost him before, and it was painful enough knowing he had run away. I couldn't take him dying before me, especially not if he had died trying to protect me. It was all my fault.

Then he groaned and coughed. I gasped. "Kyle?"
He pushed away, staggering to his feet. "I have to stop that thing."
"You?" I stood and grabbed his arm. "You're not going after that thing."
"I have to."
"No!" I pulled him into a hug. "Kyle, I lost you before, but I am not losing my friend again!"
He hesitated at this, then shook his head and wiped the blood from his mouth. "Tobias, I caused this. It is my fault, and I have to fix it."
"It's all our faults! Me and Ches made you lose control!"
"If you come with me, you'll get killed! I will not let that happen!" He walked on, but after a few steps, he collapsed. We both went to him.
"Kyle, if you go up against that thing alone, you'll die. You almost just did."
"I'm wounded. It will heal. If you took that blast you'd be dead."
I shook my head. "You're powerful but weak. You need rest."
"We don't have the time."
"At least eat something so you have the strength to fight this thing!"
He looked at me then with these really sad eyes and nodded.

Half an hour later we were at a restaurant, sat outside with breakfast. Kyle had pinned his hair back up into the low bun and his manner reminded me of a dog, the way he was stuffing his face.
"Well, you really are hungry..." I muttered, picking at my own food uncertainly. He held up his middle finger in response.
"Okay you two, we need a plan." He stated, putting his hood back up.
Ches put his hand up. "Ooh, ooh, me! Me and Toby distract that thing and you sneak up and kill it!"
Kyle glared at him. "That's a dumb idea. Besides, that thing had no eyes, who knows the scope of vision it has?"
He fell silent and we all sort of gave this collective sigh.
"Uh...is there something you can summon to defeat this thing? Does sunlight kill it?"
"I hardly know what it is. It certainly isn't a vampire though." We sat and thought a while longer, then I spoke.
"We woke it up, so can it go back to sleep?"
Kyle smiled. I hadn't seen him smile since the party. It was a wonderful sight. "It's an idea. I know some sleeping spells, and, um, you two...stay out of the way."
"But-"
"You'll get hurt."
"So will you if you don't accept our help."
He dipped his head before nodding. "I'll study a sleep spell, you two get us there. You have money, for public transport. I can work out where it is. In the...12th precinct..."
"Is that part of your magic?" I asked excitedly.
"No, I'm just very used to these streets, and I think where that cloud is from what I can see-"
We turned and gasped.

We piled ourselves into a taxi and drove there. All the while, Kyle muttered under his breath. I think he was whispering for the taxi to hurry up. We got out and, well, there was this huge cloud of evil and it was laughing.
"Okay." Kyle muttered. "The plan. Stay out of the way."
We nodded uncertainly as he stood, throwing his arms up as magical power flowed through him, and just as he was about to strike, a huge blast of pink from the cloud slammed him through a shop window. Shocked, we ran forward, and me, being me, threw something at it. It sort of swooped down upon me, and then I couldn't breathe, and I was choking, and then...

it went away. I opened my eyes, still coughing. I was on my butt, and I was face to face with Kyle. Actually, he was so close our noses were almost touching, so I sort of yelped and scrambled back.
"Are you okay?" He asked, frowning in concern.
"I'm fine...where's the thing?"
Kyle held up a jar. Inside was a small, swirling cloud. "I locked it up. Do you want it?"
"You keep it." I insisted, holding up my hand.
He laughed. "Of course. You'd probably break it anyway." He stood, smiling at me. A smile, a genuine smile that I adored. I smiled back and stood, and I couldn't hold it back.
"Come back with me!"
The smile faded. "Toby, I have my own home."
"With no electricity, food or plumbing. You need better." I grabbed his arm and he shook his head.
"I have nowhere else to go, and I'm not mooching off you."
There was a silence before Ches spoke. "What about your old house?
"What about it?"
I nodded. "Hey, yeah, your Elf said he wouldn't let it be taken. We should try checking."
He really looked reluctant. "Okay..."

Peaking through the letter box, I saw naught but a layer of dust. Scrivener elf, along with anyone else to exist, had not touched this place for a long time. Kyle's stuff was still there where it had been the day he went missing. "It's obvious no-one lives here." I muttered.
Kyle nodded and unlocked the door before stepping in, mouth opening slightly in shock. "It's just how I left it..." He dropped his bag on the dusty carpet and opened the door to the bathroom, taking a deep breath. "I haven't washed for years. It's vile. I missed having a bathroom. Finally, hygiene." He began washing his hands, scrubbing hard enough to rub his knuckles red raw and I just watched the dirt slowly slide away. He flicked his finger as he walked out the room again and his bag zipped open, books all going to their place and clothes all flying off to the washing machine in the kitchen. "You said earlier, about Scrivener Elf and Necronomicon." He called for them, raising his wand, and the elf appeared in the corner of the room, consulting a book and pouring ingredients into a pestle. Kyle snatched the book off him. "I told you not to try and find me. And you're using my retainer? I'm sure there are better things with my DNA on them."
"You're back." The elf was holding his nose to guard against the unholy stench coming from his former master.
"I guess so."
"Not hiding any more?"
"I think I'm safe whether I'm wanted still or not." He got up and walked to the bookshelf. "Honestly, I call this book so many times but he never answers." He pulled the Necronomicon off the shelf and flicked through a few pages. He heard the book awaken and closed it again, smiling slightly I stood away, choosing not to listen to their conversation, but I got the gist of it. As they greeted one another and Kyle told his old friends of his ventures through the world of fear and misery, I saw tears in his eyes, and I couldn't help but come over to him. "Kyle?" I asked uncertainly, "are you okay?"
He nodded. "I'm better than okay. I'm fine, thanks."
And again, I couldn't help myself. I could easily blame it on the stress of today and the fact that despite the power he possessed, he seemed to fragile and of course I hadn't seen him for 17 years...so yeah, I just pulled him into this huge hug, and he, well, he let me. Actually, he hugged me back. It was wonderful. Me and Ches could switch phone numbers and the three of us could be back in touch again and...and I'd have my old friends back.