Zenith Interviews Harry Potter Fangirls

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I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows and interviewed some fangirls while I was there. Watch to see what we had to say about the past, present, and future of Harry Potter.

Zenithwillrule: An Introduction

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Welcome, everyone, to the Media Meltdown, where I review and analyze the media available on todays market. Grab your fedora and get ready for some fun.
This is an introduction video for me and the show. Enjoy!

Unveil The Shadow: Chapter 4: The Shadow Unveiled

Chapter 4

The Shadow Unveiled

It seems what's left of my human side
Is slowly changing in me
Looking at my own reflection
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes
There is no turning back now
You've woken up the demon in me

-Disturbed

Lightning rippled across the sky. The car flipped over and over.

Fire danced around Elliot, laughing at his predicament. A cold cruel laugh, riddling him with despair. Voices spoke in the distance.

“Any last words, Dante.”

“I have nothing more to say. Please, just kill me.”

“Heheheh. With pleasure.”

A tear rolled gently down Elliot's cheek. Slowly, everything faded to black.

~

 “Good morning, Elliot.”

Elliot opened his eyes, blinking in the sudden light. Slowly, the room came into focus. He was laying on the floor of Haney's classroom. Smiling back at him was Principle Marlin.

“How are you feeling,” Marlin asked, chewing on the end of his cigar.

Elliot got up and brushed himself off.

“I'm... fine,” said Elliot slowly. “What happened? Where's Haney?”

“Behind you,” Marlin said calmly.

Elliot turned around and saw Haney laying in a heap on the floor. Memories flashed before Elliot's eyes.

Candles snuffed out one by one. An intense hatred flooding from within. Skin glowing brighter than the sun. Haney, knocked off his feet by the pulse of a quasar.

“H-how,” said Elliot, his whole body trembling. “How did this happen?”

Marlin smiled at him, still chewing his cigar. “I'm afraid I can't answer that, Elliot. I arrived here mere moments before you woke up. I was hoping you could enlighten me.”

Elliot continued to stare at Haney's limp body.

“Shouldn't we get him to a hospital,” Elliot asked.

Marlin walked over and checked Haney's pulse. “His heart rate is slow but he'll live. I'll drive him to the hospital, though, just to make sure.” He turned around and looked at Elliot. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“Yeah...”

“Go home and get some rest. We'll continue this on Monday, when Harold is conscious.”

Elliot walked out of Haney's classroom, his mind racing.

~

 Back in his room, Elliot stared at himself in the mirror. He was shaking uncontrollably.

What the hell is happening to me?

On Elliot's right shoulder, his sun tattoo was glowing.

~

 “Lord Zenith, the boy has revealed his location.”

“Excellent. It is time to make our move. Go, Seitzer. You know what to do.”

“Yes, Lord Zenith. Elliot Davis is as good as dead.”

~

A cold, cruel laugh riddling him with despair. Fire all around. No way out.

~

 Elliot awoke with a start. His alarm clock was going off, giving him a headache.

Damn it. I completely forgot.

Elliot had to work today.

Damn it!

Elliot stumbled out of bed and walked to the mirror. He had huge bags under his eyes. He hadn't gotten much sleep that night.

Elliot changed into his uniform and rushed out the door.

~

 Mega Burger. A fast food chain helping America increase in obesity.

“Elliot, I need two Ultra Mega Double Burgers right away,” Mike shouted.

Mike was the Sunday manager. He was a pretty cool guy but he got really strict when it was busy. Today was no exception.

“I'm working on it, Mike,” Elliot said, working as fast as he could to keep up with the insane amount of orders.

“God damn it, Elliot,” Joel said. “Hurry up will you. These people aren't gonna wait forever.”

Joel was the assistant manger. A middle-aged man; he had been working at Mega Burger for four years now. Underneath his spiky, jet-black hair sat his small pointy nose. He was very tall for a man of his age, dwarfing even Elliot. He was quite skinny but still very muscular.

Joel was always angry. In the three years he had worked for Mega Burger, Elliot had never seen Joel in a good mood. Elliot chose to ignore him most of the time.

“Thanks, Joel. I love you too.

It was going to be a long day.

~

  “Elliot, you can clock out. You’ve done enough work for one night.”

“Thanks Mike, I’m exhausted. I’ll see you later.”

As he walked out the door and into the dimly lit parking lot, Elliot shivered. There was a chill in the air that, no matter how many layers of clothes you had on, somehow, found a vulnerable spot on you and drove at that one spot until you were numb and malcontent. Elliot walked to his car, unlocked the door, and hurried inside. He revved up the engine and dialed up the heat to full blast. There was something in the air that made him feel uneasy.

Elliot pulled out of the parking lot and drove down Crepuscule Lane: a twisting track surrounded by dozens of oak and elm trees. The sky was black. The clouds concealed the moon behind their dense, billowy, walls of cotton. As he traveled down this dark, winding lane, a high-pitched screech approached from the shadows.

Suddenly, the clouds shifted and the moon was revealed, shining a beam of light onto the winding road before him. Out of the darkness a silhouette loomed. It resembled a gigantic hawk, its hulking figure shadowed by the surrounding trees and the absence of street lamps. Its outstretched wings took up both lanes of the road.

Acting on instinct, Elliot slammed on the brakes. He turned the wheel as hard as he could and drove in the opposite direction. The beast chased after him, still uttering its guttural shriek. Its speed was incredible. In five seconds it had caught up with the car.

Elliot had two options. He could keep trying to outrun this monstrous creature (That wasn't an option, though. The beast was simply too fast) or he could find a way to fight it. He chose the second option.

Elliot looked at the road ahead of him. There was a sharp turn coming up ahead.

Perfect.

Elliot reached into the back seat of his car, picked up his enormous math book, and placed it on the gas pedal. He tore off his seatbelt, wrenched open the door, and jumped out of the car.

As Elliot fell to the cold pavement, his car flew faster and faster down the road, the beast still clinging to the back of it. Ignoring the turn ahead, the car hurtled off of the pavement and slammed into a thick oak tree. As the engine collided with the oak, flames erupted from within and engulfed the car. The fire quickly spread to the gas tank.

The explosion was huge. Pieces of Elliot's car flew in all directions, littering the side of the road. Then there was silence.

Slowly, Elliot walked over to the charred remains of his car. The beast was dead. Burned to cinders. Elliot breathed a sigh of relief.

~

Hidden in the shadows, a lone figure stood, watching Elliot with a grin on his face. He was very tall; around six feet; and lanky, his arms long and slender. He had a short mop of jet black hair, which shadowed his bright red eyes delicately. He leaned casually against the nearest tree and continued to observe his quarry. He had an air of boredom about him, as if he wished for a task more worthy of his status.

So this is the ‘chosen one’. He's a pretty lucky guy. I'd thought the Falke would kill him for sure. It doesn't matter, though. He'll be dead soon.

He cupped his right hand and a fireball appeared inside it. He tossed it up in the air and caught it a few times.

“Goodbye, Elliot,” he said with a grin.

~

Elliot gazed at the destruction around him. His car was a wreck. Pieces of it lay strewn across the ground, which was charred black from the explosion.

As Elliot continued to stare at the wreckage, a wall of fire arose before him. The roaring embers pierced through the night sky. Elliot turned around in a circle. He was surrounded on all sides by a crackling wall of death. The flames laughed at him, dooming him to destruction.

The flames closed in on him slowly. Elliot knew there was no way out.

Surrounded by flames. No way out.

Damn it! How did I survive the first time.

Adrenaline pumped through his veins. His heart began to beat faster.

I'm not gonna die here. I'm not gonna die here.

~

There's no way he can survive that. Fire consumes all. Nothing survives its sweet embrace. Time to report this to Lord Zenith.

~

On Elliot's right shoulder, the sun tattoo began to glow.

Gazing at the flames in terror, Elliot noticed something strange. The flames seemed to be losing their intensity. Their hatred seemed to be dying down. At the same time, Elliot felt a fire within him. The same fire he had felt yesterday.

But it was different from before. It was stronger. There was more hatred... far more power than before. He couldn't contain it. His skin glowed as bright as the sun. The sweat on his skin began to sizzle and evaporate. His pupils had disappeared completely, leaving nothing but the whites of his eyes. Then, Elliot lost control.

A wave pulsed from Elliot. It was far, far larger this time. The wave extended in all directions, snuffing out the fire like a candle. Elliot stood there for second, swaying slightly, and then he collapsed to the cold earth.

What the hell is happening to me!?

Slowly, everything faded to black.

Unveil The Shadow: Chapter 3: A Dream Within A Dream

Chapter 3

A Dream Within A Dream

I believe in everything until it's disproved.

So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons.

It all exists, even if it's in your mind.

Who's to say that dreams and nightmares

aren't as real as the here and now?

-John Lennon

 “What is it, Victor,” Haney snapped. “You interrupted my detention.”

“Harold,” said Kain, gazing at Haney with questioning eyes. “What are you planning?”

“What the devil are you talking about,” said Haney, even more angrily.

“You know exactly what I'm talking about, Harold,” Kain said slowly. “I know your secret. Now, tell me what it is you're planning.”

“You're trying my patience, Victor. I have not the slightest idea what you're prattling on about.”

“Stop playing dumb, Harold-”

All of a sudden, Kain was interrupted by the sound of fifteen light bulbs exploding. They both rushed back to Haney's classroom. Haney opened the door and a sliver of light crept into the room. Haney and Kain stared awestruck at the scene before them. Shards of glass covered the floor, Shawna sat cowering in the corner, and Elliot was beating every inch of Felix that he could find.

“What the hell is going on here!!” they shouted in unison.

~

 “Excuse me, Harold,” Principal Marlin said as he looked from Haney to Elliot and back again. “Can you tell me that one more time? What happened?”

Principle Marlin was a very interesting person. Although he couldn't have been a day over forty, his hair was bright white. He was very portly and his plaid-striped tweed jacket accentuated the bulge of his stomach. His pants, which were made of the same material, were rolled up at the bottom, showcasing a pair of Argyle socks. Underneath his thick, bristly mustache, he chewed on a thick Cuban cigar.

Elliot respected Marlin a lot. He was a cool guy.

“Like I told you, Bob,” sneered Haney. “Mister Davis thought it would be funny to destroy all of the lights in my classroom-”

“I told you already,” Elliot shouted, “I didn't do it-”

“And who did, Mister Davis?” Haney asked, grinning his malicious grin. “Miss Carsh was cowering in terror and as for Mister Logan,” Haney chuckled softly, “he was a little preoccupied.”

Elliot glared at Haney.

How can he pin this on me? I don't know what freaking happened!

“From what I gather,” Haney continued, “Mister Davis has a grudge against Mister Logan. It seems that, while I was having a private conversation with Victor, Mister Davis took out the lights and proceeded to pummel Mister Logan in the confusion.”

“Harold,” said Marlin, who looked very puzzled, “this is a teenager we're talking about. I find it hard to believe that he would set up such an elaborate plan-”

“Bob-”

“Let me finish, Harold,” said Marlin, still chewing on the cigar. “As I was saying, I doubt Elliot would set up such an elaborate plan because of a grudge. Personally, I blame the school's circuitry. This isn't the first time a light bulb has randomly exploded. I've been telling the school board that we need to rewire the circuits but everyone just wants new books.”

“So you're just going to let Mister Davis off the hook,” said Haney, looking as if Christmas had just been canceled.

“I'm going to let Elliot off with a warning.”

“What!” Elliot and Haney said at the same time.

A warning? I thought I'd be expelled for sure.

“Bob,” said Haney, “Elliot has severely injured Mister Logan and disrupted the sanctity of my detention! Surely, you'll do more than give him a warning.”

“Harold, I've dealt with Felix before. He's not bright. He picks a fight with everyone he meets. I'm not going to punish Elliot just because he gave Felix what he deserved. Felix will live. However, I don't want you to make a habit of fighting, Elliot. I'll give you a warning this time. Next time I won't be so lenient.”

“B-b-but,” Haney stuttered, his face red with anger.

“It's over, Harold,” said Marlin.

“Very well,” said Haney and he stormed out of Marlin's office.

Elliot turned and started to leave.

“Elliot,” Marlin said. “Can you close the door for a sec. There's something I have to tell you.”

Elliot closed the door and walked over to Marlin's desk.

“Yes?”

“Forget what I said about fighting, kid. I just said that to shut Harold up. You need to control that temper of yours, though. Can't keep replacing those light bulbs now can we, eh?”

“I'm sorry,” said Elliot, very confused. “I'm not sure I follow.”

“You'll understand in time, kid. You can go now. Have a good night.”

Elliot left Marlin's office, confused and extremely tired.

What a crazy day!

~

Lightning rippled through the air. A car rolled over and over like a gigantic deadly washing machine. Flames emerged all around, engulfing everything. A silhouette laughed in the distance.

~

  Elliot awoke with a start, terror written across his face. He was covered in cold sweat from head to toe.

He’d had that dream again. Four years and it still hadn’t gone away. He tried his best to fall asleep again but it was no use. After half an hour, he stopped trying and just lay there, thinking about his dream.

Seconds later, his thoughts were disrupted by a loud rap on his window. Elliot walked to the window and looked outside. There was someone out there. He opened the window and poked out his head.

“Pssst. Elliot,” the person whispered, “do you have a minute?”

“Will?” Elliot said. “Is that you?”

“Keep your voice down man,” said Will. “Do you want your ‘rents to hear ya?”

“What is it, Will?” Elliot whispered. “It’s two in the morning.”

“I have to show you something.” He looked around nervously. “Can you sneak out? It’ll just be a second.”

“Can’t this wait til’ the sun comes up, dude?”

“C’mon, Elliot. Give me five minutes. This is important.”

“Fine. Five minutes. That’s all.”

Elliot went into his closet and grabbed a sweatshirt. Slipping it on, he climbed out of his window and slid down the drainpipe. He met up with Will in the backyard.

“This better be good man,” Elliot said dazedly.

“Trust me, you’re gonna like this.”

They started walking. Down the street, through the park, and into the woods near Mega Burger.

“I thought you said this was gonna take five minutes, Will,” Elliot grumbled. “We’ve been walking for half an hour.”

“It’s just a little further. Just a little further.”

They plodded on deeper and deeper into the forest. Elliot had long since lost his bearings. He started to grow aware of just how dark and threatening the forest was. After an hour of walking, Will stopped in his tracks.

“So, what do you wanna show me, Will?” Elliot asked.

“This,” Will said as he pulled out a pistol from inside his plaid tweed jacket. It glistened in the bright light of the full moon.

“What are you doing, Will? Are you insane?”

“You are mistaken Mister Davis,” Will smirked. “If only you had paid attention.”

Right before his eyes, Will began to change. It was a lot like watching water rippling in a gale. His skeletal structure began to warp, grow, and twist. His nose grew crooked and malformed. His hair slicked back and turned gray. One moment later and Haney was standing there, his evil grin plastered across his face.

Elliot stared at him in horror. His voice escaped him.

W-what the hell is going on? Am I dreaming?

“H-haney?” Elliot finally stammered. “B-but you.. I... What the hell!”

“Don’t worry, Mister Davis. It’ll all be over soon.” He laughed: a laugh so cruel that Elliot’s hairs stood on end.

Haney raised the gun, took careful aim, and pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang through the clearing.

~

 Elliot woke up violently.

What the hell? Was all that a dream?

He looked at the clock. It was three in the morning.

Elliot got out of bed and looked in the mirror. If he didn’t know any better, he would say that the person staring back at him was somebody else. He was extremely pale and had an expression of abject terror on his face.

~

 Elliot stood outside the door to Haney's classroom filled with apprehension. He had a bad feeling about what was going to happen in detention today. He opened the door and his heart sank. The classroom was completely empty. It would be just the two of them today.

The broken lights had been taped up since yesterday. Candles had been placed on every desk in the room, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The broken glass had been swept up and sat in a pile in a corner.

Elliot walked into the room and took a seat at the front of the class. It would be no use trying to hide in the back. He would have to face Haney.

“Welcome back, Mister Davis,” a cold drawl said behind him. “It's such a pleasure to see you again.”

Elliot said nothing.

Just ignore him Elliot. If you ignore him then this will be a lot easier.

“You know, Mister Davis,” Haney continued, walking up and down the aisles of desks, “that was quite the stunt you pulled yesterday. I'm very curious how you manged to destroy fifteen lights at the same time. Would you care to enlighten me?”

Just ignore him Elliot. Don't let him get under your skin. Don't let him get under your skin.

Haney walked up to Elliot and stared him right in the eye.

“How did you do it, Mister Davis? Did you use a slingshot? Explosives? What did you use, Mister Davis?”

Just ignore him. Don't let him get under your skin. Just ignore him. Don't..

“Or maybe you used something else, Mister Davis. Tell me, Mister Davis, do you have some sort of special ability that you aren't telling us about?”

Ignore him. Ignore him. Ignore him. Ignore him.

“Mister Davis, we could do this the easy way or the hard way. The choice is yours.”

Ignore. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.

Haney went back to pacing the aisles.

“I see, Mister Davis. You are a hard nut to crack. Your parents were the same way.”

Ignore. Ignore.

“Stubborn as hell, those too. They just didn't know when to quit.”

Ignore.

But it was too late. Elliot had snapped. Anger was flaring up within him like never before. It blazed like an eternal flame from within him. It consumed him.

One by one, the candles in the room were snuffed out.

At the center of the room, something was happening to Elliot. His hairs were standing on end one by one. His skin began to glow white and emanate heat. His pupils had vanished, leaving only the whites of his eyes. It was as if the fire inside him had escaped his body and taken over.

Elliot stood up and took two steps towards Haney.

“No, Haney,” said Elliot, “you don't know when to quit.”

And then a wave pulsed from Elliot, as light pulses from a Quasar. Haney was knocked off of his feet and landed in a heap on the ground. Elliot stood there for a second in a daze, the light fading from him. Then, he fell to the floor, unconscious.

Unveil The Shadow: Chapter 2 The Swan And The Snake

 Chapter 2

The Swan and The Snake

I got a problem with the snakes that are crawlin'

Through my area when the darkness has fallen

And mommy told me that they like to bite

They stab you in the back, no shame, that's right

- Papa Roach

 At the end of the long school day, Elliot hopped back in his car, turned up the radio, and drove home. He got started on his homework immediately. Will was right about the difficulty of the homework. Haney had given them a five page essay on why “supernomials” are essential to “didastic” trigonometry. Kain had assigned a four hundred page book to be read by tomorrow. It looked like he would have to pull another all-nighter.

~

 Another school day had come. Another school day had gone, leaving Elliot with a feeling of hatred towards the teachers he had to deal with. But the day wasn't over and he would soon have to deal with something much worse than school: detention.

If it was any normal detention it wouldn't be so bad but this wasn't normal detention. This was Haney's personal hell and he ruled with an iron fist.

Elliot walked into Haney's classroom and took a seat at the back of the room. This would be a lot easier if he was far away from Haney.

“Elliot,” said a voice to his left, “didn't expect to see you in detention.”

Elliot turned to see who it was.

Shawna Carsh?

Shawna Carsh. A goddess if there ever was one. Her beautiful blue eyes shone in the light of the classroom. Underneath her flowing black hair, which spilled delicately over her shoulders, she wore a red tank top. Her long slender legs extended from the blue pair of shorts she was wearing. Her smile was warm and sincere.

Shawna? What are you doing in detention?

“Shawna? What are you in for?”

“Oh, you know,” she said nonchalantly, “got caught doing my makeup in class. Apparently that's a sin now. What'd you do?”

“Robbed a bank,” said Elliot calmly. “I tried to stash the money in my desk but Haney caught me. Wish he'd let me keep it.”

They both laughed at this.

“Seriously, though,” she said. “What'd you do?”

“Nothing serious,” said Elliot. “I was falling asleep in class. It's Haney's fault really. If he wasn't so boring I'd be able to stay awake.”

Shawna smiled. “So, Elliot. I was wondering-”

All of a sudden the classroom door burst open and a corpulent cretin sauntered inside.

Felix Logan. Ugh. This day just gets better and better.

Felix Logan was the biggest idiot at James Woods. He had repeated the tenth grade five years in a row and it looked like he'd be staying back again this year. Felix was fat. Not just fat, he was practically obese. From his incredibly short crew cut down to his stubbly toes, there was hardly any muscle on him. Elliot was amazed how someone so fat could bully others so well.

Despite all logic, Felix had managed to become the biggest bully at James Woods, both figuratively and literally. He sauntered around like he ran the school: beating up people he didn't like and stealing their lunch money. Felix didn't need an excuse to be in detention today. He belonged here.

“Well look who we have here,” Felix said, spotting Elliot. “What are you doing here, dorkenstein? Shouldn't you be out playing with your dolls or something?”

“Shut up, Lardo,” said Elliot, wishing he were somewhere else. “Why don't you go-”

“Silence,” said a cold voice behind them.

Sneaky Bastard.

Haney had arrived.

“Mister Logan,” Haney continued, “sit down or I shall have you expelled.”

Logan sat down in a seat next to Elliot. Haney began to walk up and down the rows of desks, glaring at each of them in turn.

“Detention has begun. There will be no talking, moving, sleeping, eating, yelling, or fun during this detention. If you do any of the following, I will make you stay an additional hour. Is this clear?”

Nobody said a word. Haney walked over to his desk and sat there, staring at them like a hawk. After a few moments, the awkward silence was broken by a knock at the door. Haney walked over and opened it. Mr. Kain was on the other side.

“What is it,” Haney snapped.

“I need a word with you,” said Kain, “privately.”

“Can't this wait, Victor. I'm in the middle of-”

“No, Harold,” Kain interrupted. “This is urgent.”

“Fine,” Haney sighed. “I'll give you five minutes. Not a second more.” He turned and faced us. “If anything happens while I'm gone, I'll give you a punishment so horrible you'll wish you were expelled.”

He walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

As soon as the door was closed, Felix got up and strutted around the room.

“What the hell are you doing,” Shawna asked. “You're going to get us all in trouble.”

“Lighten up, babe,” said Felix, a stupid grin on his face. “Rules were meant to be broken.”

“Shut up, Lardo,” Elliot said. “You are such an idiot.”

“Why don't you make me,” Felix said, walking right up to Elliot.

“You're not worth it,” said Elliot nonchalantly.

“Just stop, Felix,” said Shawna. “What are you trying to prove.”

“I'm proving that dorkenstein here is a coward. He's too afraid to fight me.”

“I just told you, idiot,” Elliot said, getting angry, “you're not worth fighting.”

“You're just a coward,” Felix smirked. “Why don't you go home and cry to your mommy? Oh that's right, you can't.” Felix cackled in glee.

He had gone too far.

“WHO...THE HELL...ARE YOU...TO...TALK ABOUT..MY MOTHER!!!” he shouted as he punched Felix in his smug face.

Overhead, the lights exploded one by one, raining down shards of glass. As darkness fell over the three teenagers, Elliot continued to punch Felix, his rage exploding as fiercely as the lights above.

Suddenly, the classroom door opened and Haney rushed in. Sweat was glistening on his forehead. Kain was right behind him.

“What the hell is going on here!!” they shouted in unison.

Unveil The Shadow: Chapter 1 The Kiss Of Dawn

Chapter 1

The Kiss Of Dawn

Keep you in the dark, you know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark and so it all begins
- Foo Fighters

 The storm was incredible. The rain pounded on the windshield and the roof of the car like bullets. The windshield wipers were on full blast, furiously trying to make the road visible.

Lightning flashed every few seconds, illuminating patches of the road that escaped the range of the car’s headlights. Thunder rippled through the air, shaking the car each time.

Inside the car, the storm seemed more bearable. Safer. The fury that raged outside could not penetrate the car’s warm, cozy sanctuary. Then, the world turned upside down.

Without warning, the car flew off the pavement, rolling over and over on its side. The windows shattered, shards of glass flying everywhere, as the doors were smashed in and the roof collapsed. It was like being inside a gigantic, deadly, washing machine. Finally, the spinning stopped.

Elliot was upside-down, chained in place by his seatbelt. As the blood rushed to his head, he started to lose consciousness. He saw flames all around him, encasing him in stifling heat.

Before he blacked out, Elliot thought he saw the shadow of a man beyond the inferno, laughing maniacally.

~

“Elliot Davis! If you don’t wake up right now, you’ll be late for school.”

The sharp tone of his grandmother cut through the nightmare he had been having.

“Ugh,” Elliot groaned. “Five more minutes Nana.”

“You said that five minutes ago. Get up now or I’m sending Big D in here.”

“I’m up, I’m up,” Elliot said groggily, sitting up in his bed. “I’ll be down in ten minutes.”

“You better be,” his grandmother said as she opened the door to his bedroom. “Ten minutes. That’s all the time I’m giving you.” She walked through the door and closed it behind her.

Elliot had been living with his grandparents since he was thirteen. It had taken four years but he had finally gotten used to living with them.

Elliot crawled out of bed and stretched. Peeling off his pajamas, he walked over to a tall mirror in the corner of the room. Staring back at him within the confines of the looking glass was the image of a tall, lanky teenager. He had long, shaggy black hair and brilliant hazel eyes. On his right shoulder he bore a tattoo of a sun. The sun had a smirking face with red eyes and intricate patterns of yellow and orange sun rays. Below the sun, in fiery orange letters, the word Helios was written. His broad shoulders made up for his low muscle tone.

He walked over to his dresser and picked out his clothes for the day. After throwing on a pair of baggy black jeans and a t-shirt, he ran downstairs. He gobbled down a bowl of cereal, brushed his teeth in the downstairs bathroom, and waved goodbye to his grandparents. Elliot sprinted out the front door and ran to his midnight blue, Jeep Cherokee.

~

James Woods High School. Like most high schools, neither the students nor the faculty liked going there. It was a pretty normal place: brick walls, eccentric teachers, and inedible meals. It was the kind of school that nobody really cared about.

Elliot darted through his homeroom door and got to his seat just before the bell rang.

“Hey, Elliot,” said a freckled, sandy-haired boy who was sitting right next to him, “what’s up?”

“Ugh,” he yawned, “tiredness, Will.”

Will Masse had been his best friend for ages. They had gone through some tough times together and Will had never let him down. “I was up all night doing Haney’s homework. I don’t think my hand will ever be the same again.”

Mr. Haney was their math teacher. There was something about Haney that didn’t seem quite right to Elliot. Maybe it was his crooked nose, that looked as if had been broken many times before, or maybe it was his greasy gray hair, but there was definitely something odd about Haney.

Haney was thin; almost unhealthily so. He looked so frail that a slight breeze could blow him over. However, looks can be deceiving, and it would be a mistake to think of Haney as weak. There must have been pure evil embedded in his skin because, despite all logic, Haney was the strongest and meanest teacher at James Woods. You didn't want to get on Haney's bad side.

“Tell me about it?” Will said. “Isn’t he the worst teacher ever?”

“Totally,” Elliot said, “Lee sneezed during one of Haney’s tests and the scrooge gave him a zero. What’s his deal, dude?”

“Not sure man but I hope he takes a chill pill before midterms. My ‘rents will have a cow if my grades don’t pick up.”

“Well,” Elliot laughed, “maybe you should pay attention in class instead of flirting with the ladies all day.”

“You’re one to talk,” said Will.

“What are you on about,” asked Elliot, confused.

“Shawna. You’ve been staring at her for the last five minutes, man.”

“No I haven’t,” Elliot said, hastily looking away from Shawna.

“Man, you’re totally into her,” said Will, a huge grin plastered across his face. “C’mon, ask her out. What do you have to lose?”

“My pride. Will, what if she says no?”

“What if she says yes? Trust me man, you’ll never know unless you ask. Just think about it.”

~

Haney’s class was torture. For fifty minutes, he would drone on and on about complex mathematical equations, some of which Elliot was sure didn’t exist.

“Today,” Haney began, “I will be teaching you about nominal fluctuations in a three dimensional subspace.”

It was enough to bore anyone to sleep. Still tired from last night’s homework, Elliot was quickly lulled into a daze. He placed his head down upon the desk, numbers dancing before his eyes.

“Mister Davis,” Haney said slowly, a cold intensity behind his words, “I do not tolerate sleeping in my classroom. If I have to warn you one more time, I will send you to the Principal’s office.”

Elliot picked his head up and stared at Haney with disgust. Despite Haney's formal behavior, he usually dressed in casual attire. Today he wore a plain white t-shirt and a pair of baggy blue jeans. Haney was quite the walking contradiction.

“If you don’t want me to sleep in your class,” said Elliot, “try giving less homework. That way I can get some sleep beforehand.”

“Mister Davis,” said Haney, even more coldly, “you seem to be under the impression that I care about your well-being. Personally, I couldn't care less if you get sleep at all. You will do your homework and be attentive during class or you will fail. Is that understood?”

Haney grinned malevolently.

“You piece of shit,” Elliot said, anger rising within him like a wildfire.

Above him, the lights began to flicker on and off.

“How can you treat people this way? Do you only care about your stupid subject?”

“Dude,” Will whispered, “what are you doing? Haney gets nasty when he’s mad.”

Elliot was too angry to care.

“Well, well,” Haney sneered. “Lazy, vulgar, and insubordinate. I would expect nothing less from a Davis. Something simply must be done about that temper of yours. What do you think I should do, Mister Davis?”

“You could bore me to death,” Elliot said through clenched teeth. “That would teach me a lesson.”

The whole class laughed at this. Haney continued to grin devilishly. Elliot knew that he had gone too far. Nothing good ever happened when Haney smiled like that.

“Very entertaining, Mister Davis. Very entertaining indeed.”

Elliot didn't have a good feeling about this. There was a strange gleam in Haney's eye that Elliot didn't like.

“In fact,” Haney continued, “we could use some of that entertainment, in detention.”

“Detention!” groaned Elliot. “C'mon Haney-”

“Friday detention. Don't be late, Mister Davis.”

The discussion was over. Haney resumed his increasingly dull lecture on tri-dimensional trigonometry.

~

A few hours later, Elliot sat down at his usual lunch table. He was soon joined by Will and their friend Deanne Collins.

“Can you believe the homework we got today?” Will asked. “I’ll be eighty before I finish it all.”

“I know. I couldn’t even follow Kain’s history lecture,” said Deanne. “I mean, what the hell does Hitler have to do with the War On Terror? If you ask me, he’s making all that crap up.”

“I just wish I knew what the teachers have against us,” said Elliot. “Haney was riding me all morning.” Elliot furrowed his brow and imitated Haney’s cold drawl. “Mister Davis, you lazy bastard. You sleep in my class one more time and I'll have you deported.”

The whole table laughed.

“Nice one, dude” said Will, “you sounded just like him.”

“Yes,” said a cold drawl behind them, “very impressive, Mister Davis. Quite lifelike, in fact.”

Everyone at the table jumped. Haney was looming right behind them, smirking vindictively.

“You are quite the entertainer today,” Haney continued. “I've grown quite attached to this humor of yours, Mister Davis. In fact, I think one night of detention isn't enough to fully appreciate those jokes of yours. I guess you'll just have to come in on Saturday as well. Don't be late, Mister Davis.”

Haney sauntered off to the teacher’s table, cackling maniacally. As soon as Haney was out of earshot, Elliot shouted in indignation.

“Man! I can’t stand him! One of these days he’s gonna get what’s coming to him.” 

Unveil The Shadow: Chapter 0 Trepidation

Unveil the Shadow

By

David

DeGregorio

Dedicated to the memory

of Timothy Packhem

Friend, Classmate, Companion

They painted up your secrets
With the lies they told to you
And the least they ever gave you
Was the most you ever knew
And I wonder where these dreams go
When the world gets in your way
What's the point in all this screaming
No one's listening anyway

-Goo Goo Dolls

Chapter 0

Trepidation

We hunt you down without mercy

Hunt you down all nightmare long

Feel us breathe upon your face

Feel us shift, every move we trace

-Metallica

Run, Elliot. Quickly!

Isak’s words echoed in Elliot’s head as he sprinted as fast as he could through the dense forest. The sounds of footsteps and heavy breathing were drawing nearer and nearer. A stitch was beginning to form in his side. His breath came in sharp gasps. Elliot couldn’t keep this up for much longer: it was going to catch him.

He stopped and turned, gasping for breath, and stared at his pursuer. He had reached the end of the line; he could run no longer. It charged at him, sword drawn. Clutching his side, he tried to retreat, backing up as fast as he could. However, in his haste to escape, he tripped over a root that protruded from the ground.

I’m gonna die.

He looked up at that beast, into those cold, merciless eyes. It stood over him. Its arms, which were of differing lengths, were each attached, close to the shoulder, with what looked like stitches. Its right arm- the longer one- clutched a rapier. Extremely pale, the arm glowed in the dim light of the forest. Its left arm, a dark brown color, hung limply at its side. Both of its legs were attached in the same fashion.

Where its face should have been, different skins and facial features had been stitched together, forming a sort of mask. Its tongue extended from its mouth, stained red with blood, convulsing rapidly. Both of its eyes rolled madly inside their sockets, bereft of humanity.

Elliot quivered as he peered down the long thin blade of the rapier cast toward him. There was blood on the weapon: dark, red blood, dripping, glistening, on the end of the blade…