Gloom DRAFT (Cringey 7th grade story)

CHAPTER 17

Ix woke up to see the sun has finally set since Xora was peeking out the window. He yawned and stretched as she turned her head to look up at him.
“What are you doing?” She asked.
Ix hummed a song while opening his closet and putting his cloak on.
“Well Xora, this is the time of the day when I mysteriously disappear into the night.” He explained.
“Where do you go?” She asked.
Ix turned his head over to her.
“Well…”
Xora jumped up as she saw Ix’s hungry monstrous eyes.
“The hell?!” She yelled.

“Hey don’t say that that’s not appropriate for a girl of your age to say. What are you, six?” He nagged putting a hood to hide his face.

“I’m nine.”

“Same thing. ANYWAY As you can see by my lovely face right now I haven’t fed for a long time.”

Xora giggled at his enthusiasm.
“So what you’re hungry now is that it?”

“Precisely.” He affirmed. “So I’m going to go out on a little walk and find someone who ISNT XERA to have.”

“That’s sort of Dishonest and twisted.”

“Says the little girl who tried to murder someone. You know you come straight out of a horror movie kid.” Ix replied.

Xora rolled her eyes. How ironic that she’s getting this from a vampire…
“Its not like I want to do such things.” She sighed. “Anyway have fun eating then.”

Ix glanced at her curiously repeating her words in his head, but his thoughts were interrupted as he heard her stomach growl.

“…You haven’t ate yet have you?” He questioned.

“Like it matters.” She groaned.

Ix stood quietly and sighed.

“I…ugh…fine…”

Xora rose her eyebrow at Ix.

“what…?”

“Don’t thank me, now come along.” He spoke.

“Your letting me come with you?”

“Look you’re a kid and if you don’t eat something now you’ll end up like…Xera…exactly. You don’t want that. In the future only creeps like Doohm like you and you’ll go crazy. So take my word on it.”

“…is that a yes?”

“Just don’t try anything.”

“…Okay whatever gets me out of this room.”

Ix rolled his eyes and opened the window. Xora walked next to him curiously, he then grabbed her and jumped out.
As he landed on the ground and let her go she froze in shock. Ix started walking along the road from the forest and into the town.
“Hurry up already.” He sighed.
She looked up at him and began to follow.

***

Once they arrived in the town central, Xora looked around at the cars and the stoplights in fascination.

“This place is lovely!” She smiled.

“This place is pathetic.” He corrected.

Xora looked up at him.
“Why is that?”

“It’s too….normal…” Ix explained. “Everyone here lives the same life and see the same type of things and places everyday of their lives. And these towns, cities, where the living breathe nothing but toxic air…I enjoy more old style towns or villages. Not as many people, not so much noise…typically your world from what I hear most of Gloom is like that is that right?”

Xora paused in thought of her home.
“Yeah…but it is nice to see something different than what your used too…”

“True.” Ix agreed.

As they began to walk near some crowds Ix began to whisper.

“Xora, I would like it if you don’t call me Ix now alright?” He requested.

“Why?”

“Just…don’t…Make up some name to replace it if you want to say something alright?”

“Okay. How are you these days steve?” She giggled.

“Ok fine…call me steve then…” He mumbled.

They walked pass the crowd. Ix easily got through but Xora had a bit more trouble from her small height. She kept getting pushed farther from her guide. At that moment she realized she lost Ix in the crowd. She looked around her standing there, trying to focus. Then she ran towards the only person walking in a cloak. By then Ix looked from the corner of his eye to realize Xora has disappeared.

“Xora?” He called out quietly thinking that she took this moment as advantage to run off. He turned his head to the side to suddenly feel someone holding his lower arm tightly. Ix froze startled as he stared at this hug Xora was giving his arm. He stared as she kept looking around at all the people.

“People were pushing me.” She spoke.

Ix’s eyes gazed down at her quietly.

“Well…”He sighed.

Ix pulled his arm away from Xora. She stared at him as he gave out his hand for her to hold on to. She held his hand as he guided her through the crowd.

“Come along…” He muttered.
***

Meanwhile Xera is found in her room staring at her reflection in the mirror. She sighs at her paranoia as she keeps wondering if something will happen as she stares into the mirror.
I’m destroying my own mind…she thought to herself.
She froze suddenly feeling long fingers from two hands ready to grab her. She turns around in haste and shock to see it is only Ry who is standing feets away from her.

“Are you okay Xera?” He asked.

She hid her face away from him while turning away.

“I’m alright thank you…” She mumbled.

Ry smiled.
“Even I know that’s not true.” He said with a small giggle.

Xera turned her head back at him.

“What’s wrong?” He asked.

She hid her face again.

“I see monsters…” She laughed helplessly. “I’m crazy aren’t I?”

Ry smiled. “Not at all.”

Her eyes returned to him.

“What?”

“Your not crazy.” Ry grinned. “I see them too…”

Xera eyed the boy curiously. What does he mean…

“You know…” He continued. “When I start seeing things that scare me…sometimes it would help if I drew them. Then I wouldn’t be so scared when they come back…and after some time, they would go away.”

“…Does it really work?” She inquired.

“It did for me.” Ry affirmed “Here let me show you…”

Ry walked up to Xera and grabbed her hand making her leave her room and into the living room library. There was a small chest near a few tall bookcases. He opened it to find a small black sketchbook. Ry grabbed it and walked to the table. As they both sat down at the table Ry moved the sketchbook towards Xera and she slowly opened the book.
Xera passed through the pages seeing all of these things that have been haunting Ry all his life. There were sketches of long fingers curling open a door, sketches of his bedroom turning into a bog with hands and bogmen crawling out and climbing up trying to sink his bed into the dark water with Ry in it as well. There were also sketches of a ghostly woman with a bun, somehow resembling him. And near the last blank pages a very interesting monster was found. Xera felt a chill staring at a sketch of Ix that even now Ry looked away from. Xera looked at him worriedly.

“Sadly some monsters stay no matter how much you draw them…” Ry shivered.

Xera stared at Ry who quietly got out of his chair and began to walk away. Xera closed the sketchbook.

“Ry…”

Ry turned back around as she smiled dolefully.

“Thank you for letting me see your drawings…” She said handing out the book. “And I must say…You have the skills of an artist…”

Ry smiled grabbing his book.
“You should try it. There’s paper in that chest if you want to.” He informed.

Xera nodded. “I will.”

Ry grinned. “Get better soon Xera…”
He then disappeared leaving her as she got some paper and a pen and began to draw.
A good while after she had already done four sketches, she hid them quickly after being startled by Doohm.

“Hello.” Doohm greeted.

“Ah!” She muttered quickly hiding the sketches and turning to him. “Hello…”

“What are you up to?” He questioned.

“Nothing interesting.” She answered.

“I see.”

Doohm walked around near the window. She looked at him curiously standing there watching the night sky.

“Its nice out.” He mentioned. “You see the sky so clearly.”

“Oh do you?”

Doohm nodded.

“Want to walk outside with me?”

She froze recalling of the last time she was here taking a walk with Ix that night Xyver appeared.

“Xera?” He repeated.

She jumped out of her flashback.

“Sure I’ll go.”

Doohm smiled. They left the manor and began to walk outside into the night near the garden where there were less trees in the way of the sky. Doohm stopped there and looked at Xera.

“Is everything alright?” He questioned. “You seem nervous.”

“I am a little bit…” She confessed.

“It’s alright. Don’t worry. You’re safe with me. Here, let me show you something…”

“What is it?”

Doohm walked up on a hill and sat down on the grass looking up at the sky. She stared at the back of his head and then up at the sky.

“Oh my….” She said watching amazed at what the sky had to offer tonight.
She walked over and sat next to him. Doohm pointed at the night sky, that was slowly getting filled with stars and the glow of a soon to be full moon and the most amazing view of an aurora borealis to top it off.
“Look…” He said with a lightened voice.
Xera stared off into the sky seeing the northern lights glow lightly of green.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.” Xera smiled with the glow of the lights in her dark eyes. “Its…wonderful…”

“It’s alright.” Doohm smiled.

“They remind me of curtains. Curtains flowing and glowing of green into the night sky!”

“They do look like curtains.” Doohm laughed.

They stared up at the sky in silence.

“Doohm…” Xera broke the silence.

“Yes?”

“…What is Gloom?”

Doohm sat quietly then looking away from her.

“I won’t hide anymore, I guess I’ll just tell you.” He confessed.

Doohm stared up as he paused to think up his words.

“Its…a place.”

Xera thought for a moment…If gloom is a place…then what she found in the journal of Ix’s sister would mean…

“I think Evelynn went there…”

Doohm eyed her in confusion.

“You mean Ry’s sister?”

Xera nodded.

“She spoke of it in her journal…”

Doohm questioned on when and how all this happened.

“Tell me more about it…” Xera requested.

He looked at her once more her eyes fascinated with the subject. He took a deep breath and continued.

“Well….Nobody knows how to get there so it’s surprising to hear what you just said…its said to take on the illusion form of a blue moon and its where…outer beings come from….”

Xera stared at Doohm.

“Outer beings?”

“By that I mean the types that we call “demons” or “monsters” Meaning people like me, Ix, or Dera, we get our…talents thanks to the ancestors that created them in gloom and came to earth where we were born.”

Xera gazed at Doohm some more.

“But you’re not a monster…”

“I’m still different therefore anyone here could call me a monster freely.”

There came another pause.

“How did you become an angel…” She inquired.

Doohm paused.

“I don’t remember very well…only in small images. Mother saved me with a wish…Then when she died…that night I spent alone…I felt my first anger along with an extreme pain. As I cried, I grew wings, stabbing outside of my body…I was terrified and in panic. Until Dev came to calm me down…”

Doohm looked down his hair hiding his eye and his hands slightly shaking.

“I screamed along with my bleeding…all I wanted was to be in my mothers arms again….and my pain would have gone away…”

There came the moment of silence as Doohm fought to hold back his emotions.

“I don’t think you’re a monster…” Xera admitted

“You don’t see…” He shook still hiding his eyes. “Nobody does…”

Xera thought of his words. Then he continued.

“There lives this monster in me. Nobody knows…I hold it back but I know it’s there. I’m an emotional wreck, though nobody really sees it. I hide how I feel most of the time. But sometimes my silence can be so unbearable so I put it out on myself when nobody pays attention. I isolate myself when im angry and emotions take over on me. But when I do isolate myself all I really want is for someone to talk to honestly. Though that never happens…So I kill off my emotions…I can’t speak my mind very well anymore…”

Xera stared at him as he began to shake some more.

“I can’t show how I feel about my parents without getting carried away by emotions…”

Doohm shed a small tear.

“I can’t show how I feel about my friends who’ve been there for me…without overreacting…”

After a small gap of silence, he cried softly.
“I can’t even show the girl I’m mad about how I feel about her without getting carried away…and how I feel about her hurting herself so much…I can’t control myself at all when I think of it…”

Doohm sat quietly blushing with a few tears. He clenched his fits then quickly hid his face away in embarrassment.

“I…I’m sorry…”

Xera thought to herself. “Doohm locks himself up all the time…and hes taking this moment to trust me and open up…he really is strong at heart…”

Xera smiled soflty, leaned over at him and held him as he froze starring at her with his tears.

“It’s alright…” She comforted him. “You don’t need to hide anything Doohm.”

Doohm was quiet in response. But as Xera let go of him she felt his hand on hers. She glanced at him who was blushing but then turned his head at her and rose a smile.

“Thank you Xera.”

Xera quietly smiled back and began to hold his hand as well. She then turned her head to the sky once more at the moment of a shooting star flying across the sky.

“Make a wish!” Xora cheered.

Doohm stared up at the stars quietly thinking. Xera then looked back at him.
“What did you wish for?” She asked him.

Doohm glanced at her quietly. She began to bring up a questioned expression as his head slowly came closer to hers and his hand appeared on the back of her head. He kissed her softly then stopped.
“That.” He answered.
Xera stared Dazed and blushing at what just happened.

“I guess…Wishes can come true…” She muttered with a giggle.
***
Xora stared at Ix who no longer had his monstrous eyes as he left the building she was standing outside of while she ate her chocolate bar that he previously got her. He walked up and sighed at her.

“You have a smudge of chocolate on your face….”
Xora moved her hand across her face but could succeed in taking it off. Ix sighed with a roll of his eyes and grabbed her hand using it to rub it off for her. Xora then frowned at him the same way as she took his other hand and did the same thing to his face.

“What are you doing?” He questioned.

“You have a smudge of blood on your face.” She pointed out.

Ix quickly wiped the blood off himself.
“Thanks…” He said looking around. “Alright lets go.”
They both walked back but took a shortcut where there were small stone walls at the sides of a ramp leading down to the forest. Xora ran to the wall and looked at the view of the sky.
“Aurora borealis!” She yelled happily.
Ix quietly walked from behind her and looked up at the sky.
“How…Interesting…”
“I see that all the time in Rae’ll!”
At this point Ix has been much more then curious about the world Xora comes from. He found himself rather intrigued.

“Tell me of Rae’ll, Xora.”
Xora froze
“well okay…”
Ix listened intentivly.
“Rae’ll is at the north of Gloom. More then half of it is made of Ice and snow. And the rest is stone and eath. I was born in the underealm of Rae’ll.” She explained. “The underealm is like the bottom of an Ice cliff that you can climb down into. Its pretty gloomy there as you can imagine. Nobodies around, you live in the ice and stone where you leave your candle to protect yourself as you sleep…And right next to the underealm theres the angels peek u above which is where the shrine is…”

Ix thought quietly of her odd description…hmm..Xora then paused in thought of her home and the family she has lost to the way things are, giving her a saddened expression.

“Whats wrong now huh?” Ix questioned.

“Life is hard there.” She conceded.

“Why is that?”

She froze. “Lets just go.”

They both began to walk off and down into the forest trail. Though Ix is impatient to learn more, he wouldn’t want to rush Xora as she is so well stable with him at the time.
As they walked into the forest darkness, they noticed an odd silence. No animals whatsoever. They only heard a soft echo of the night. Xora looked around with sharp eyes as Ix walked as he usually would. Xora eyed the bushes and the shadows of the trees.
“Something doesn’t seem so right here…” She whispered.

“What’s that?” Ix questioned with his normal toned voice.

“I said something doesn’t seem all right here…” She repeated.
Ix looked around quietly as they walked.

“Looks normal to me.”

At that moment from the corner of the trees and unto the road Ix saw a small body drop on the ground. It was Dark so he froze to see the fallen one’s identity. The small body slowly grabbing unto the ground began to bring itself up, with a blood drenched cloak and his curly white hair hiding his eyes, it got back up and glared at the sight of Xora and Ix.

“What is this…” He weeped in his young voice. “Some type of trap? I was only wondering…when you would come home…”

Ix froze as Ry revealed his angered eyes.

“But now I see…you were there planning something with her against Xera weren’t you…Your twisted brother, I know…”

“Ry what is the meaning of this?” Ix yelled as tears filled Ry’s eyes.

“He’s hurt.” Xora declared.
Ry glared at Her.
“Look at what you’ve done…” He cried then turning back to his brother. “And you…Ix how foolish of you…Now were all going to die in pain…”
Ry then held his eyes up and fell to the ground as he fainted.

Ix opened his mouth to speak but got interrupted by a voice he couldn’t recognise.

“How heartwarming I must say…” The voice spoke.
The voice revealed a male, adolescent yet low tone. Ix eyed the area to see where it came from. Xora though, reacted differently. As if she knew the voice itself.

“But you know…” The voice continued. “Nobody needs to die in any pain if you simply give us that girl…Xera…”

A young man stepped in behind Ry and smiled mockingly. He had dark grey hair, spiked. He had light silver eyes, and he would wear nothing but black. He was also though, very very tall, large, he was strong looking. He smiled down with his sharp canine looking teeth.

“Grey!” Xora yelled.
Ix looked at Xora and then back at the man she addressed as “Grey.” Ix easily figured what was possibly going on.
If she knows him and he also demands for Xeras life it should be easy to say they both came here from gloom for this reason associated to Xera…He thought.

Ix quickly realized he cant let Xora run off with this grey character she knows.
Xora was about to run at grey but Ix quickly grabbed her.

“Hi Xora…” Grey spoke watching Ix restrain her.

“Let me go!” Xora demanded to Ix.
“Not quite yet!” Ix spoke out. “Now are you from gloom too?” He yelled at grey who watched in disappointment.

“Tsk tsk tsk…Looks like you’ve been making friends have you Xora…That’s a shame…”
Xora looked up at him in shock.
“Its nothing like that!”

“Sure…” Grey laughed.

“What does it matter to you?” Ix interrogated.
Grey began to rub his eye.
“Well the boss doesn’t take kindly to leaked information…”

“I didn’t leak anything!” Xora yelled.

“I don’t take chances…” Grey grinned.
Ix had trouble understanding what was going on, but as grey licked his hands seeming to be claws, he understood.

“First, I plan to kill your little friend here Xora, then ill play a few games with you, and dispose of you as well. Watch closely…”

“You sick bastard!” Xora yelled. “To ever think I came here with you, the traitor!”

“Don’t test me…” He growled pleasurably.
Ix quietly let go of Xora while glaring at grey. Grey suddenly howled loudly like an angered wolf, Ix glanced at him quietly and cracked a smile.
“…I knew there was something about you I didn’t like…Another beast are you?” Ix teased.
Odd enough though Grey didn’t take anytime to transform as Dera would. Making a disadvantage since Ix is so used to knowing all of Dera’s techniques. So grey suddenly came up to Ix and clawed his face. Grey jumped over Ix pinning him to the ground and began to attack somemore. Xora ran up and kicked Grey off of Ix and into a tree. Ix stared at her in shock.

“You are one strong little kid…” He muttered in shock.

Xora ignored him and quickly came back to fighting grey. Grey pulled himself back up growling in anger. He then jumped on Xora strangling her neck and hitting her over and over unto the ground. She attempted to make him lose his grip by letting loose her wings and flapping them around. Ix then began to choke grey from behind but Grey grabbed Ix with his claws sticking into the vampire, then throwing Ix into a tree where he lied in small pain.
Ix lifted his head to the sound of Xora screaming to see that Grey was clawing her abdominal area, her blood flying everywhere.

“NO!” He yelled, running up and pushing Grey off of Xora who was choking for air.
Grey clawed into the earth stopping his fall. He then roared with more anger, but before he would run back to them he heard a voice yell:
“Whats going on here?!”
Grey turned his head towards the voice to see Dera who gasped at the view of Ry passed out on the ground. He then glared at Grey Ix and Xora. Grey rose his eyebrow intrigued.

“You look familiar…” Grey growled.

Dera jumped off the ledge he was looking down from and took a few steps closer to see Grey from up close.

“Same to you…” He replied with caution.
Grey looked into Dera’s golden eyes as Dera met his cold silver eyes, they felt a deep heartbeat. Two beast hearts beating into sync.
Suddenly Grey smiled darkly and began to laugh countlessly and madly. Dera glared as he realized that laugh is very familiar to him. Grey slowed down his laughter closed his eyes and reopened them with a sinister expression.

“Well well, if it isn’t the little pup…You’ve grown Dera….But I never expected to cross paths with you again…” He cackled.

“Don’t call me pup!” Dera barked. “I didn’t think you would leave your little safe zone back home anyway…”

“Well at least I didn’t flee like a chicken…” Grey mocked.

“Shut up!” Dera yelled. “Did you do this to Ry?!”

Grey laughed some more.
“You certainly haven’t changed Brother…Too bad for you, now I finally get to finish the loose ends between you and I…”

“Good luck. Im much stronger then before.” Dera growled.

“Prove it!” Grey bellowed.

Dera laughed angered and mockingly towards Grey’s challenge.
He then roared fiercely and began to transform into his beast self. Greys eyes widened to see his brother being capable of controlling his other side as Dera walked slowly to Grey in his monstrous beast form. How is he not out of control…Grey thought to himself…

Dera swiped his long claws towards Grey but he would quickly dodge his every attack.
While Grey and Dera were fighting Ix began to grab unto Xora to see how bad she was injured.

“Oh gods…” Ix muttered.
Xora gently pushed Ix away and coughed in pain.

“Go check on your brother.” She suggested.

Ix looked over at Ry and back at Xora.

“Your badly hurt. And hes probably just dead by now…” Ix excused.

Xora sighed starting to slowly stand up and walk towards Ry with a limp.

“Stop running away from responsibility…” She demanded.

Xora began to limp over to Ry’s body turning him over so she can see him. Ix followed and Kneeled down next to them.

“Don’t you feel any pain moving around so much in that condition?” Ix questioned.

“No…not really…well…maybe yes…but im fine.” She reassured him.

“You liar. Don’t move so much.”

Ix turned his head over to Grey and Dera who were still fighting in the background. Grey seemed to have gotten a few scratches. Not only that but he seems to have grown tired of dodging as well. Dera pushed Grey to another tree, then a pause arrived. Grey glared at Dera and began to growl uncontrollably like a wild animal. He also started to claw into the tree and breathe oddly. Huffing and panting his eyes widened as he began to cough.

“No….Nooo…..Ah…NO…” Grey began to scream. “NOOO….NOOO!!”

Greys hair grew more spiked like a wolf. He then began to violently transform into a dark grey beast. He roared as an alpha and as everyone stared he stood. A huge wold like being, giant, and then loosing control. You could tell that grey could not control his mind in other form.
Dera quickly turned his head to Ix Xora and Ry. Ix could tell by Deras eyes, now would be a good time to run.

“Come on lets go now!” Ix shouted as Dera pushed Grey into the tree and ran from grey. Grey roared and ran after Dera into the distance.
Ix picked up both Ry and Xora and began to run to the mansion.
I need to save them…