CHAPTER FOUR--Worse Than Death

Tobias finished the test around three o'clock that morning. Food and drink was available to him in the principal's personal refrigerator, and he was allowed to use his personal bathroom as well. The test was long and incredibly hard, and although Tobias easily knew most of the answers, he deliberately did less than average.

He resented the fact that he wasn't allowed to leave or to have any contact with anyone until around three o'clock the next day. What would he do in the small office until that time came? The principal had books, but not many. No telephone, no Internet, nothing interesting.

That night when he slept (on the principal's personal couch) he awoke before dawn to faint noises outside the door. He turned sleepily over on the couch and stood, pawing the last remnants of sleep from his eyes. Aerotsierma, cat formed, stretched and yawned on the floor, whispering, "What is it, Tobias?"

Tobias inched silently toward the door, murmuring, "I don't know, Aero . . . I can't reach their minds yet…"

But at last he could hear the voices from outside the door. It was Principal Grey and Professor O'Brian, conversing with a third voice that Tobias didn't know.

"The results of the test were wired through. He did very poorly."

"He had to have faked it. That child is a genius, a prodigy; you must believe me!"

"Don't be a fool, O'Brian. There's no denying what he is now that the test results have come."

"No! I can't believe that. It just can't be true!"

"When he was writing the answer to that equation, weren't you right outside the door?"

"I was for a while. . .I was talking to Ms. Matthews for at least a half an hour. . ."

"Then couldn't the boy's mind have reached yours through that distance?"

"I guess so, but still. . ."

"If he really does have the Forthsight, then he may be able to put up quite a fight. Do you have your weapon, Breyman?"

"Of course I do, Grey. I'm not a fool."

Tobias didn't even have time to panic before the door burst open and he found himself staring down the barrel of Breyman's sniper rifle. The young boy let out a gasp of fear and shock, but he did have an advantage over his present adversaries.

He had the Forthsight.

He focused his mind with all his might in an effort to disrupt Breyman's thoughts. He was only ten, therefore he wasn't very trained in the ways of Forthsight, but he did have enough experience to plant a thought in the man's mind that didn't belong there. The thought was meant to confuse him more than harm him. It was a simple thought that made him question why he wanted to capture Tobias.

Breyman faltered for just a moment. But a moment was enough for the quick-footed Tobias; he skidded past the three men and bolted down a dark hallway of Highpoint Advanced Academy, Aerotsierma winging overhead as a kestrel.

But soon Breyman snapped out of it and his wolf dæmon snarled savagely, launching after the boy. But Tobias was faster than Breyman, and soon the Sniper's dæmon was straining too much against their link, and so slowed.

Tobias ran as fast as he could in no particular direction, his heart beating frantically in his chest, cursing himself silently for the fool he had been. Utter, utter fool! He was suddenly overcome by complete self-loathing; he choked on the sobs of rage that rose in his throat as he ran.

But terror soon overcame the anger, and he ran onward, hearing Grey shout now far behind him, "Get him, dammit!" and O'Brian crying, "No! It isn't true! Run, Tobias, they'll kill you, they'll--aaarrrggghh!"

Tobias almost slowed at the professor's painful cry, but he mustn't let them catch him! He could hear the wolf behind him, not too far now, snarling and slavering as she drew nearer.

But he had another advantage as well. His dæmon could still change, and theirs could not. Aerotsierma heard his panicked thoughts and immediately transformed into a Bengal tiger. She fell from the air and hit the ground on all fours, snarling into the face of the wolf.

Breyman's dæmon whimpered as a huge claw-filled tiger paw caught her throat. Breyman cried out and stumbled, but the wolf tore open Aerotsierma's shoulder with wicked canine teeth. A terrific dæmon fight ensued, with Aerotsierma changing flick-flick-flick, from her most powerful forms, tiger-lion-rhino-leopard, flick-flick-flick.

And she was winning. Breyman's dæmon slumped to the floor, bloodied, and Breyman collapsed on the floor next to her, sobbing from the pain that wrenched his soul. But Aero wasn't unhurt either. Tobias stumbled several times, still running all-out, having long since strained the link when his own dæmon was fighting. But now she flew back to him and nestled into his arms as an ermine once more.

Far behind him, he heard Grey scream, "Get up, Breyman, damn it!" accompanied by several thuds as the principal kicked the Sniper in the side. Gasping, he sat up, holding his dæmon, roaring at Grey, "Fuck off!"

So then Grey snatched his gun and took off after Tobias down the dark halls.

But O'Brian had gotten to his feet somehow and was racing along after the Principal, screaming, "I quit, Grey! How can you do this? What the hell is happening? Tobias! Grey, damn you! You can take your system and shove it up your--"

But as he threw himself at the principal, the crazed man spun around and fired the rifle at his former underling. O'Brian's lynx dæmon was in a mid-air leap towards Grey's owl when she vanished.

Breathing heavily, Grey limped back to Breyman, who was just getting to his feet. He shoved the rifle back into his hands, breathing into his face, "You get that boy."

Breyman snarled after him, "I’m not afraid of you, Grey. I don't give a damn if I fail a bastard like you. It's Sidney Dune who I work for, and it's he and only he that I'm afraid of failing to."

With that, he took off once more after Tobias.

Tobias could run no more. His mind was in a crazed, delirious state, and only his Forthsight kept him from being caught by Breyman, because he could read his mind and know where he was going next. But after what seemed to be hours of mindless chasing, Tobias became completely exhausted (using the Forthsight for sustained periods of time is very tiring) and at last forgot to probe his chaser's mind. Before he knew it, he rounded a corner and came face to face with a snarling black wolf.

Breyman grabbed him by the back of the neck and grinned as he raised the gun. Tobias whimpered once, then everything went black.

*

The next few days for Tobias were nothing but a blur. Drifting half out of consciousness and half in, painful thoughts plagued his mind night and day as he strove to awaken completely. Breyman had hit him in the head extremely hard with the butt of his gun, giving him a near concussion. Once when Tobias was awake, though deliriously so, he saw the fear stricken faces of his parents and little sister. Great grief and self-loathing enveloped him, as he knew it was his fault and only his fault for his family's capture.

Rule number one when he was a young child had been to never, ever reveal that he had the Forthsight. If he did, it would mean death. Or possibly worse. Tobias could never imagine what was worse than death.

So he cursed himself night and day as he lay in a tiny cell with his family, hovering in and out of consciousness. He barely remembered the day when he was dragged from his cell to have his number carved into his forehead by the sword of the Tyrant. He never even saw his face, nor did he remember any pain. It was all hazy and foggy to him.

All he remembered were days and nights of pain and darkness, crying forlornly on his cell floor, his forehead bleeding, sobbing into the hay that served as bedding. I'm sorry, he'd say over and over again, pleading for forgiveness from his family, from God. Please, I'm sorry, I never meant for this to happen. It's all my fault. Please. I'm sorry.

Tobias's parents didn't blame him at all. In fact, his father told him that his boss at work was on the verge of finding out from him as well. It would've been inevitable that someone discovered the secret.

But Tobias knew deep within his soul that it was all his fault, and he'd never forgive himself. This shame, he thought, this horrible grief is worse than death.

*

When Tobias awoke, his eyes were dry. His dæmon uncurled on the hay and licked his face as he sat up, squinting at the sun that shone through a small hole in the barn roof.

"Morning already, Aero?" he said, stretching, giving no hint of the horrors he had been forced to relive inside his own fevered mind.

"Tobias, don't hide it from me. You've been dreaming again. I know you have. I can feel your dreams sometimes."

Tobias closed his eyes. "Every night, Aero. I don't know why. Is it my guilt? I know it's my fault that my family is dead. Why am I forced to relive the moments of my past that I'd most like to forget? We're free now. The first time we've been free in four years. Why is this happening? Why? I can't stand it. . ."

As Tobias prepared to leave again, he thought. How naïve I was back then when I thought that the grief and guilt I felt was worse than death. How horribly, terribly naïve.

Being with your sister inside her own mind while she is killed is worse than death. Watching your mother as she screams for mercy even as her blood streams down her neck, writhing in the ultimate agony. Seeing your father fight them until he can stand no more, so full of bullet holes he is, and not being able to do anything at all. And worst of all, knowing that every drop of blood, every scream of pain, all of it, is your fault.

That is worse than death.

Chapter Five --->

Return to Fanfic/Fanart Home

Return Home