The Legend of Alteria
Chapter 2
(Part 1)
Lorane sat on the windowsill in her room and read in a book thoughtfully.
Today she had woken earlier than usually which was why she still had some time
left over until school began. She turned the page. Her eyes flew over the
lines, sometimes hurdled back up to read a sentence again. She had been in a
very pensive mood the past few days, as always around this time. It was early
March, the trees outside on the street slowly put forth first buds and the last
bit of snow was melting away. In a few days the time would come, then it would
be the tenth of March, Lorane’s birthday. This year it was her fifteenth, then
it would be almost five years ago since she had come to Jenny and Markus.
Lorane knew that those two were not her real parents, Markus and Jenny had
explained her that right away back then. But her true parents Lorane could not
call into her mind, she had only been able to remember back to the moment when
Jenny had found her in front of the house door. The only thing which she had
known at this point was her name, before that was a big, dark gap. When Jenny
had asked her where she was from and why she was here, she had just looked at
her with confused eyes. Nevertheless Jenny had agreed to take care of her after
she had discussed it with Markus several times. He had first not been very
excited by the idea to take a strange girl of ten years into care but he had
gone soft after he had heard Lorane’s story and had to keep looking at Jenny’s
pleading eyes. It was not like he did not want any children, but he would have
liked to get one himself and raise it by himself. But over time he had grown to
love Lorane and to accept her as his daughter.
Lorane now closed the book and took a look at the watch on her left wrist.
Where the heck was Jeremy? He picked her up every morning so they could go to
school together. But today he
was a long time in coming although he was usually on time. Again Lorane looked
at her watch. She could not wait any longer for him, it was nearly half past
seven and in fifteen minutes the first lesson would start. She stepped up in front
of the little wooden mirror once more, which hang right next to the door and
brushed her dark red hair, which reached down to her waist, until she bound it
up to a ponytail. She grabbed for her backpack and went out through the door.
With a hug for Markus and a kiss on the cheek for Jenny, Lorane left the
house.
Outside were mild temperatures but nonetheless closed Lorane her jacket up
to the neck while she was walking down the street. Although freshly came out
from the winter holidays, she still yawned when she stood at the traffic light
but this was probably due to the fact that Lorane simply was not the person who
was of great use in the morning. Jeremy was different who almost always seemed
to be awake and attentive. The more it surprised Lorane that he had not picked
her up on time. Perhaps he’s fallen ill, she thought, which she could not
really believe since Jeremy was as good as never ill. Lorane chuckled. Maybe he
had stood up very early again and was already in school, she knew Jeremy. He
was an absolute book worm, if he could not be found anywhere, he most likely
sat in the library and brooded over a thick book.
But just as Lorane was smiling about her best friend, he came suddenly
almost out of nothing towards her from the left. She stopped and waited until
he had reached her before she greeted him.
“Hey, sleepy head.”
Jeremy stroke a few strands of his black hair back, which had fallen into
his face, then he replied Lorane’s smile. He was a good way taller than the
girl and looked down to her with a friendly expression while they continued
their way to school together with fast steps.
“Usually you’re up so early.” Lorane asked. “Why so late today?”
First Jeremy laughed then he answered:
“I still had to do something important which unfortunately took longer than
planned.”
He hoped that she would not notice, but Jeremy was not good in faking the
mood in his voice. Lorane also saw that he was nervously playing with a handle
on his bag or hastily straightening the collar of his posh white shirt.
“Are you nervous?” Lorane asked right away. “You seem strange.”
She immediately noticed that he tried to avoid her eyes but she did not
give up and looked at him until he gave her an answer. With a sigh of getting
caught he took the hands of the bag and began to gesticulate the nervousness in
his words away.
“To be honest, it has something to do with you.”
She suddenly looked at him very surprised and saw that this was somehow
uncomfortable for him. Without asking any further she waited, to see if he was
going to say something else.
“It’s your birthday in three days…” Jeremy eventually continued. “I wanted
to ask if it’s okay with you if…”
He broke off to gather himself. Lorane looked at him with big eyes and
wondered if Jeremy was really about to ask what she suspected or if he was just
trying to be funny.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about and that’s why I wanted to
ask you if we could meet shortly before that day or sometime else?”
For a short moment Lorane nearly stopped dead in her tracks. She was a
little bit confused and now did not dare to look at Jeremy directly.
“Do you mean it in that way which I’m just thinking of or…?” She did not
know exactly how she should say it.
Immediately Jeremy opened his eyes wide and started shaking his head
heavily.
“No! That’s not
what I meant!” he said hurriedly with a nervous laughter. He had hoped that it
would not come to this odd situation but with this kind of question you could
probably not avoid it. “I just wanted to talk to you about something as soon as
possible, that’s all!”
He had turned red and his voice was higher but then he put his hands with a
hasty movement into his trouser pockets and did not dare to say another word in
the next few minutes.
“It’s okay.“
Lorane calmed him and could not help but to grin. Jeremy was simply not the best with girls and something like this was
embarrassing to him even with Lorane. She shook it away gently and said: “We
can meet sometime after school.”
It was five minutes before the bell rang when Lorane and Jeremy entered the
classroom together. Although Jeremy was two years older than her (he would turn
seventeen in April) and actually a clever guy, Lorane had never asked further
questions when he had been assigned to their class. Together they sat down in
one of the middle rows and hurried to get out their folders when the bell
already rang.
Mister Viler they had all hated from the first moment on when he had
stepped into their classroom and this feeling was mutual. He was teaching since
a few days on the behalf of their form teacher. So this day should once again
start with a wonderful new torture lesson of this man. He slam shut the door
behind him and literally banged his folder onto the table which stood in front
of the blackboard. Everyone knew that there was no joking around with this man
which was why immediately every student fell silent when Mister Viler
positioned himself in front of the class.
“A good morning.” He announced without any joy in his dry voice or giving
the students a chance to wish him a happy morning as well and immediately
continued talking. “I had given you some homework over the past two days which
I would like to have on my table by the end of the lesson.”
Nobody even dared to utter an annoyed murmur or sigh which normally followed
such an announcement, instead one could hear the rustling of papers and folders
out of which some of the students already got their prepared work so they
already had them nearby. Mister Viler liked to pass the rows while the student
worked in silence to see if all pupils had done their homework.
Lorane rolled her eyes slightly after Mister Viler had ended his silent
stare into the class and reached for a piece of white chalk and started to
write on the blackboard. The beginning of another tiny written block text which
by the end of the lesson would have filled the entire board.
“That man seems to have nothing but problems at home.” Lorane turned to
Jeremy next to her as quiet as possible while they started to copy.
“Perhaps he just needs someone to unload his frustration.” Jeremy replied
in the same tone.
Lorane did not dare to laugh out loud but nodded in agreement with a small
smile. Disturbance was not tolerated by Viler.
“Jeremy, could you repeat what I just said?”
Jeremy immediately turned his head up front again, Lorane drew a breath
sharply and looked embarrassed to the ground. All students present knew what
would happen to Paul now but none of them dared to turn around to him directly.
“No, I can’t. “ Jeremy eventually answered.
“And why not? “ Viler probed and looked directly into his eyes.
“Because I wasn’t paying attention. “ Jeremy said dryly while he tried to
endure the teacher’s look as good as possible. But Viler’s eyes were like sharp
icicles which sunk into Jeremy’s head and gave him a strange feeling from the
inside.
“That’s what I thought. That also wasn’t the first time. “ Viler
replied after a short pause in which he could not help but to show a little, malicious
smile. “You’ll come up to the front after the lesson. “
And as if nothing conspicuous had happened Viler turned back to his black
board and again started to bombard it with his unrecognisable handwriting.
Every student tried to do the same but in their minds they all just looked
at Jeremy who was now slowly turning his head and once more looked over to
Lorane who spoke the words I’m sorry silently.
v
Jeremy seemed to blame Lorane for getting into trouble with Viler because
after that he only spoke rarely with her. Lorane did not exactly know if she
should be mad at him or herself because somewhere she could understand that he
was angry because she had spoken first and Viler then had noticed him while
answering. She tried not to think about it too much but because Jeremy was her
best friend this little guilty feeling hammered in the back of her mind even
the next day when she was sitting over her homework in the late afternoon
together with Jean.
“You do know that’s a bit ridiculous, don’t you?”
Lorane looked at her slightly puzzled but agreed with her by slowly nodding.
“You know that Viler is an idiot, he punishes everyone as soon as he sees
the chance for it.” Jean continued and Lorane smiled for a moment.
Jean of course was absolutely right, besides there was more important stuff
at the moment than dealing with a little friendship crisis.
“Apropos“ Lorane eventually
said. “We still have to finish Viler’s homework. It’s nearly dark, you have to
go soon.”
Jean shrugged. Her parents would call if it was too late for them and they
started to worry.
“Read the question again.” Lorane asked.
Jean searched in her folder for a second than she read aloud:
“Interpret the poem given and compare it to poem number two on the next
page.”
Both girls sighed as Jean put down her folder annoyed.
“I hate such questions.”
She immediately proclaimed out loud. „Above all with those senseless texts he
always gives us! Who knows where Viler is getting them from?”
Lorane had to agree with her. She liked literature but what Viler was
giving them for reading was always filled with very strange content. More than once it was all about bizarre
fantasy worlds and unknown creatures in those supposedly poetic texts.
“I don’t believe that the author really thought of something, it sounds far
too weird for that.” She said mockingly and Jean nodded with a smile.
But the question would not solve itself by complaining about it so the two
girls tackled the poem and wrote down all possible ideas of an interpretation
which came up in their minds.
After half an hour the two had written everything down so far what they
could think of, even though they knew that Viler would probably not be
satisfied with that. But at such questions they only did what was necessary
just for not having to bother with it much longer.
Lorane’s mobile vibrated as she put her pencil aside.
“O, what a
surprise!” she said ironically and read the message.
“What?” Jean
asked.
“Jeremy
texted me.” Lorane answered then for a short moment she looked up surprised. “He wants to meet up because of something.”
“Why’s he
not just coming here?” Jean responded while she was packing her stuff into her
bag.
“He’s still
at the library.” Lorane answered and did the same as her.
“Of course!”
Jean grinned
and Lorane could not hold it back as well. It was just too typical for Jeremy.
“Well, I have
to go anyway.” Jean now said and stood up.
She threw
her bag over her shoulders and together they went to the house door. Markus and
Jenny both had to work late this day so Lorane left them a note and took the
keys. She and Jean put on their shoes then they went outside where Jean said
good-bye and both walked off in opposite directions.
It was March
but spring was not there yet which was why by this time of day it was almost
completely dark outside. Some cars were still driving around, the workers were
coming back home from their day-shifts after the night-shift had taken over for
them.
Lorane just
turned into a side street which was leading directly to the main street where
the town’s library was. What Jeremy could possibly still want around this time
she had no idea but at least the whole thing with Viler seemed to have been
forgotten which was already something positive. She smiled about that thought
when suddenly she was pushed over from behind. With a quiet curse she landed on
the ground and immediately turned round to the culprit. But nobody was there.
“What the-?”
She stood up
and patted the dust from her trousers when a laugh echoed in the little street.
It sounded amused and was nearby but Lorane could not see anyone.
“Hallo?“
According to
her expectation no one answered her, instead the laughter became louder until
one could assume that it were several men at the same time. Lorane became
uncomfortable and turned round so she could walk away but there suddenly stood
three men, all clothed in black, right in front of her. Their faces were hidden
behind hoods so one could not really see any particular features.
“Don’t move,
little one.“ Said obviously their leader and took a few steps forward. „Nothing’s
going to happen to you.“
They came
towards her and Lorane wanted to run away but her legs were like frozen, she
was too weak to move from the spot.
The men
again began their sneering laughter while they all fixed Lorane with their
looks. She felt more with every second how the weakness threatened to overcome
her so she was about to find herself on the ground again. She sank with her knees on the asphalt and saw
how the men were closing in. Just what did they want from her?
Suddenly
someone pushed the men over from behind and ran through them towards Lorane. She
looked up and recognized Jeremy’s face who was grabbing her by the hand and
pulled her up hastily.
“Run!” he
called and both of them ran off.
Nonetheless
Lorane once more looked behind herself to the three men. The hood had glided
from one of the men’s heads and looked after the two with a furious expression.
Horrified Lorane turned her eyes back to the front and ran as fast as she
could. The man had looked at her with blood red eyes!
The pulse of
both of them was racing and they breathed heavily when Jeremy and Lorane locked
the door behind them. Lorane needed a few seconds until she could move again
only then she moved away from the door.
“Who the
hell were those guys?!” she eventually called out and began to walk up and down
in her flat flustered. Markus and Jenny were luckily not home yet, otherwise
both of them would have totally freaked out now.
“Don’t know.”
Jeremy responded who already seemed to have calmed down and observed Lorane’s
strolling.
“Good that
you were coming my way.” Lorane now said with a sigh. “Thanks.”
Jeremy waved
that away with a polite smile and did not say anything more about that.
Both of them
sat down in the living room and Lorane slowly began to calm down again. After a few minutes she asked:
“What did
you want anyway?“
Jeremy threw
a look at her.
“Was it
because of what you wanted to talk to me about?”
For a moment
Jeremy seemed to having to think about what she was talking then he waved it
aside again and said:
“Yes but
that’s probably too much at once now.”
Lorane
nodded. A moment of silence then Jeremy added:
“But we can
talk about it tomorrow. I’ll come around in the evening and we can go to the
little café at the end of the street then it’s a bit more relaxed.”
Lorane
nodded again.
“Yes, that’s
probably better. And thanks again for back then, without you I don’t know what
could have happened.”
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