A Helping Hand

chapter six

Wit

Smothering screams into my mom's shoulder, I cried and shivered in her embrace.

"I'm sorry!"

"I love you!"

"Please don't leave me alone! Mom! Stay here, stay with me."

I poured everything out. Everything I always wanted to tell her. Howling my grievances into her hard shoulder, I cried and cried and cried some more. And she let me. Rubbing my back with hands bigger than I thought she had, she patiently waited. She let me soak the cloth on her shoulder, which was also bigger than I remembered. She must be working out.

She pat my head, the way dad usually did. Ow. Her hand was fuckin rough. “It’s alright.” A man’s voice whispered.

...huh?

I tore myself out, and looking up, what I saw instead of my mother was some dude I’d never seen before. Grinding my knuckles into my eyelids, I tried to wake up.

Okay. I must still be dreaming.

The man I thought was my mom had long dirty blonde hair that fell to his lips in a middle part, but the middle section was pushed back. The guy gave off badboy vibes that made me feel a little inadequate to be honest. His gold hair was paired off with a couple of forest green eyes that were full of concern. His rugged face made him look like he was in his late twenties, but I could tell he was a lot younger than that, somewhere between nineteen and twenty-one. Damn, I hope I looked like him when I got older; the dude was action movie level handsome, like a young casanova. The only thing that irked me about his face was the pity I saw on it.

Shoving him off, a tried to create some distance, but my legs were having a hard time staying up. “Umm, who the fuck are you?” I asked. Oop. Damn, I shouldn’t have pushed him. Without his support my legs gave out in seconds. I fell back over, and on my way to the ground the handsome man caught me like he was the main character in some romance movie. Gross.

“Sorry about that.” He apologized and smiled. “I’m Jax.”

“Well, Jax,” I crossed my arms, trying my best to look tough, while being held in his arms. “That really doesn’t tell me much.” I huffed.

Blank faced and blinking, he was taken aback by my response for only a moment, before laughing and placing a hand over his chest.

He smirked. “Sorry, again sir.” Bowing in exaggerated greeting, he properly introduced himself. “My name, sir, is Jax." He stated, adding, "I'd tell you my family name, but my family and I have since parted ways." He gestured to the house. "Myself and two others shall be taking shelter under this roof for this coming night. My company has already been walked in.” Winking he asked, "Does this one's anwer prove satisfactory to my lord?"

Nice response. I like this guy. “It does indeed, sir Jax." I bowed in turn. "This one is properly known as Witlin, but you may refer me as Wit. For personal reasons, I shall be abstaining my own family name as well.” I love my parents, but in this world, I am my own person.

Laughing at the formal introductions, we both went for a hand shake. I mean I'm pretty sure he was going for a handshake, but maybe not. This world is weird. Caught up in the fun we were having, I totally forgot about how fucked my hand was. The hand-to-hand contact rubbed against all the scabs and blisters along the skin and I keeled over in pain. Kneeling down, I suppressed a scream into my arm.

“Mmmm—-!“

“Are you alright?!” Quick to take a knee, Jax followed me to the floor and grabbed my hands for inspection. Whatever he saw, he didn't seem pleased. His face went from worried to shocked and then froze on outage. “Damnit!” He hissed.

“I’m fine, really.” Trying to pull my hand back, I found myslef confined in his grip. Caught in his grasp, a tremor took my body. Damnit, I was shaking. Spending time with Sammy, then with Kane and Amber, I'd become a nervous wreck riddled with outstanding social anxiety. Even with Ash, being too close made me antsy.

Shaking, I waited for him to say something, or maybe just let go of my hand. For several long seconds, he stared at my hand and fumed. With his head lowered, his body began to shake, but his shook with rage. "Why?" He whispered. "He's just a kid. This shouldn't be happening." Stifling a choke, his grip around my wrist tightened. "I won't allow it."

He raised his head and green eyes met my own. "Answer my question honestly, and I'll do my best to make it happen." Excess tears spilled out of his watery eyes, sliding down his cheek and onto my hand.

“Do you want to leave?”

"..."

"Do you want to leave?" he repeated.

Did I want to leave...? Taken by surpise, I didn't know how to answer. Did I want to leave?

The last six months have been the worst of my life. I'd come to know Pain's face and he was an ugly mutherfucker. He loomed around every corner of the cottage and made himself known throughout the day, whether it be Kane, or Amber, or my daily tasks, or even the broken wood flooring I slept on in the shed. He lurked around, and poked me at my weakest. He never stopped.

I'd come to see how Hunger turned me into an unwilling cannibal. Day-by-day he made my stomach eat more and more of my own body. Coming here, already weighing less than I should, I'd become a walking skeleton, struggling to consume even more of what little fat I had. Well, I guess it wouldn't be fat it's eating anymore.

More than anything else, I'd come to know Fear best. He'd become a parasyte, gnawing at the back of my brain in every situation. He comes with me everywhere I go; anytime I go there. He pokes his head out where he doesn't belong, and at this point I don't think I'll ever shake him off.

I wiped my eyes against my dirty arm, and between sobs I whimpered a weak plea.

"I-I’d give anything to leave." I choked.

Jax gripped my shoulder and nodded his head. “Alright. I'll get you out of here.” He said, suddenly wrapping his arm under my armpit and hefting me up. I didn’t know what he was doing, but I went along with him. I didn't know him well, but I wanted to trust him. I needed to.

Taking determined steps, he guided me through the prinrows and back to the house. Seeing our destination, I jerked my arm back. “Woah, dude. What are you doing?” I questioned.

"Well, I'm going to try plan A for now." He responed, pulling me tighter into his hold. After a weak struggle, I gave up, and let him guide me. I really hope I don't get fucked over for this.

He led me up the stairs, and we charged into the house. Opening the door, everyone turned to look at us, and in turn, I looked at everone else.

Looking more confused than usual, Asher was playing with his thumbs in the corner. On the other side of the room, Amber was sitting on a chair at the table, holding a cold wet rag to her bloodied face.

Why is a little girl with a bloody face normal to me?

When we stepped through the door, Kane had just stepped out of a room with two strange men in hooded cloaks. I couldn’t see either of their faces, and one of them knocked his head against the door frame when he was coming out. Definitely strange

As soon as we stepped foot in the house, Jax brought attention to himself. “Hey!” He yelled. Kane, hearing the hubub, turned to look at Jax, and then me.

He narrowed his eyes and dug a pinky into his nose. “What?” He asked.

Holding himself with conviction, Jax pointed to me. “I want this kid.”

The finger in Kane's nose paused and his eyes widened, but after a moment of what little thought he could manage, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “Okay.” He said.

"...huh?" His answer left me stunned. Could I really leave? Just like that? Jax turned to me and gave me a glowing smile.

“But.” Kane continued, pointing at me with his defiled finger. “That one’ll be half a gold, if you want it.” He chimed, wiggling his dirty fingers my direction.

Shock made its rounds through the room, and however much that was, was oviously too much. Jax's hand around my shoulder tightened. “What do you mean?” He scoffed. “The other boy was only a hundred silver; that’s five times more!” He argued.

Picking at his nails, Kane blew snot off his finger and shrugged. “The kid can use aura.”

A collective breath sucking took the room, and all attention was on me; his one comment had brought surprise to all their faces.

“That” he continued, “is why he’s worth half a gold.”

Shit.

Turning to me in disbelief, Jax's jaw unhinged itself. “You can use aura?”

What's going on? Lost in the turn of conversation, I nodded.

Jax crammed his face into his hand and exclaimed, “Are you kidding me?!"

Placing one hand on his hip, while the other made a money motion, Kane's sneer grew larger. “Well? Do you have the money kid?” He asked Jax. Hmm. I forget how young Jax is.

Jax was flustered, but he kept trying to negotiate. “Well, not at the moment.” He scratched at the back of his head. “I’d have to go back into the city to get that kind of money.”

Kane put on a fake frown and mocked him. “Well then, I guess you can’t have it then, huh?” He drawled and clapped, walking away from the conversation. Kane didn’t care. He was happy enough creating disappointment; the man reveled in other people's misery.

He would probably delight in Jax's expression right now. I could see it on his face when he turned to me with tears in his eyes. But then what he said and what he did didn't match. “I’m sorry kid, but I can’t do anything.” He winked.

Why'd he wink? I opened my mouth to ask what the hell he was doing, but I stopped. He had placed a finger over his lips, and with another wink, he let out fake sob. "I'm so sorry kid."

Playing into the charade, I shook my head. “It-it’s alright.” I stuttered, trying my best to seem heartbroken. I didn't know what he had planned, but I hope he had something.

We were quiet for a long time, and everyone else returned to doing what they were doing before

Well...what now?

Just as I was looking confused, Jax put a hand on my shoulder. “Wit, come outside.” His voice cracked. "I want to talk to you." Curious about his scheme, I followed him outside.

We walked down the stairs. He let me lead the way, so I took him a little further out than the prin rows, into a semi-open patch of dead grass.

While we tramped through the field, I couldn't help but ask the question that had been eating away at me for the last few minutes. "What are you doing?

"What am I doing?" He asked. "I'm moving onto plan B."

"And what's that?"

He flashed me a smirk. "I'm gonna kidnap you." He winked.

Stopping on a flower, I blanked out. "...huh?"

"I'm gonna sneak you in the carriage with us tomorrow." He laughed.

"Oh." We continued to walk again. "What did we come out here for then?"

"Oh." He said. "I wanted to check out your aura." Swinging his head in my direction, he smiled. "Because if you actually know how to manipulate mana, at your age, then you'd be one of the most talented kids I've ever seen. So, when did you learn how to do it?” He asked.

I scratched the back of my head. “Well, to be honest, I just learned how to use it today.”

I told him about the fight I had with Kane that morning, and the feeling of connecting to the energy around me, which he called mana. Nodding his head along to my story, when I finished he closed his eyes.

“Pressure will make diamonds of any man who can endure it.” He recited. "I'm sorry it happened, but you're stronger because of it." He said.

As we reached the the final rows of prin plants, he turned to me. “Well then, how long have you been training to use aura? You’re not even fourteen yet.” He asked with an eyebrow raised.

I rubbed the back of my neck. I was so embarrassed, I shifted eye contact to the ground. “A few weeks.” I mumbled.

His foot stumbled, just as we reached the open field.

Yeah, lots of space here. I loved this part of the property, because it felt like a different world. Enjoying the change in scenery, I smiled back at Jax. “We’re here!”

But instead of smiling back, he looked at me cockeyed. “What did you just say?” He asked.

What? Now I’m confused. “I just said ‘we’re here’. Pay attention dude.” He shook his head. “No, before that. How long it took you to learn how to use aura.” He specified.

“Oh.” That.

My face turned a deep crimson, and I felt sweat run down my armpit. This is so embarrassing. Why’s he making me say it again. I looked at the ground and kicked a stupid pebble. “It took me a few weeks!” I huffed.

Damn, it was so easy when I really needed to do it. I bet most people learn that shit in days. God, I’m such a fucking idiot.

Hearing my response, he stopped mid-pace and stared at me; mouth open and eyes wide. “You’re a genius.” He exclaimed.

Oh...

Well, of course I am; I always knew that. I feigned embarrassment, and put my hands over my face. “Stop,” I whispered. “You’re making me blush.”

“...”

Why isn’t he saying anything?

I spread my fingers, so I could peek through the gaps, and I had to bite back a laugh. His face was priceless. “I’m just kidding, Jax.” I chuckled at his reaction. Not everyone can handle my charisma. “I thought you were gonna show me what to do.” I commented.

I gave him a few moments, and eventually he shook his head and laughed at himself. “Yeah...let’s get started.” He chuckled.

Creating an arm's worth of distance between us, he started going over what he was going to do.

“I’m gonna use my aura to touch you.” He said, raising a finger. “Now, I want you to focus on a few things while my aura’s on you: where do you feel it; how does it feel; how can you stop it?” He listed. “Then I want you to focus on the energy you felt earlier when you were fighting Kane, and use it to push mine away.”

He saw the confusion on my face, and smiled. “This is the way my father taught me, but it took me a lot more practice to finally get it.” He grinned. “Everyone can feel it, but I’ve never heard of someone learning how to manipulate it in only a few weeks.” He admired.

Running his hand on the back of his neck, it was his turn to mumble. “It took me a couple months to learn how to use it.” He admitted. “And even then, people thought I was a genius.” He chuckled.

Poor guy, I sighed. That’s so embarrassing.

He pointed at me again.

“Hey dud-“ I was about to joke with him, about how rude it was to point at someone, but he started moving his finger closer to me and I could feel something.

Whatever it was, it made me shudder. The sensation was like what it felt like being in a dark room after a horror movie: it’s dark, the room is empty, and nothing should be there, but you can feel something: a terror that makes you want to turn on the light.

As his finger closed in, so did the monster in the dark; it was like the beast was crawling toward me, but I couldn’t see it.

Sweat trickled down my back and my hair stood on end. Holy shit.

“Do you feel it yet, hotshot?” Jax smirked.

“Uhh..yea” I groaned.

“Good." He smiled. "Now focus on that feeling, and try to push it away. Don’t move your body, you have to move the energy.” He instructed.

Whew. “Okay.” I took a deep breath, and gave him the go-ahead. He brought up his finger again, and the sensation returned.

Focus.

The aura was bearing down on me like a ton of bricks, and as his finger got closer, I could feel my ears pop and my body tighten.

Alright, I need to push back. I kept my body in place, and imagined myself pushing the weight off. I could feel my energy, and I moved it to push the nergy around him back, but the weight was too much to drive off. I was just able to keep the pressure from crushing me by a fraction. It was a minor shift - but hey, it moved. Jax felt the movement too, and when he did his jaw dropped. He released his aura, and stared at me with his green eyes, open like saucers.

“Holy shit, kid.”