Welcome to the world of fantasy with Freshman Media Communications major, River. Each week they will immerse you in a new world with anecdote that will transport you somewhere you've never been!
I Couldn’t Protect Him
By: River Porter
Character- Ghost/Valdis Vespertine
Valdis has the abilities of a ghost, hence her name. She was tricked into being a villain but became a hero after finding out. This is the story of how she became an anti-hero. The Advis is a villain organization. Content Warning: Child Death
Journal Entry #26 of Being a Hero
The Advis does this thing yearly. For months they train kids to have them join, the kids who are the weakest, they kill, saying ‘They know too much.’ They were children.
I’ve been a hero for a year & half. My training hero is Eminence. He is a part of the hero organization, Elements. They are heroes with elemental powers, except two of them. Last year I saw what the Advis did to those kids, and what they did to their families. So many tears and denial, I had to take some time off because of it. “It doesn't get better, but it could get worse.”
Eminence told me that. It was just after I told the first family about their child's death. This year, it will be their last time they slaughter a child.
1 week ago
Today is the day The Advis does their yearly killing and we are going to try and stop it. We say try because the time is always unclear, all we know is that it’s at night.
I look across the street, at the building, 12 stories tall, that The Advis use, preparing myself for the battle I’m about to fight. I hear footsteps behind me.
“You good, Ghost?” Eminence asked. I nodded, standing up ready to go. I could tell he had a worried look on his face. He knew how much last year affected me.
“Let’s get them,” I told him. He walked up behind me, and tapped my shoulder. I started to float over to the building, there were cheers of joy, like a party. I almost cried, thinking that if we were too late, they might never cheer again.
I made it to the roof, and headed inside through the windows two floors down. I looked around at the faces of many kids with X’s on their faces. A face I recognized had a big X on her face. A classmate’s older sister, Star. Five years ago she was 15 years old, she would have been 20 by now. She gave my little brother, Ody, his favorite pair of shoes ever, she made them herself.
I wiped my tears away and creaked the door open, no one. I walked out carefully, quietly. I followed the sounds of the cheers, they were getting louder. I turned down the volume of my hearing aid and continued. I found the room the cheers were coming from and slowly opened the door.
A small room, with cameras, of the party, in a completely different room. Boards on the walls that have a purpose of holding weapons, empty. I start to panic. I radio to the others.
“Guys! It’s about to happen! I think I’m in the security room but all of the weapons are gone! And they just walked into the room! Is there a room big enough for a party? They might be there,” I told them frantically. Some of them have been doing this for 15 years, they knew every visible part of the building.
“Yeah, 6th floor. At the end of the hallway to the right. Elevators don’t work unless they fixed them this year, but take the staircase. Easiest way down is to jump down the flights. Might hurt your leg but is the quickest way possible,” One of the members, Breeze said. “Got it. Heading down now,”
I got out of the room and ran to the staircase. I jumped down each flight like Breeze told me. They really need to find a more efficient way to do this cause I wasn’t trained for this yet.
I got to the sixth floor, turned right and headed down the hallway. I hear footsteps behind me. “Hey Ghost!” Eminence said behind me.
“Hey!” I said back. Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunshots came from the end of the hall. Eminence tapped my shoulder and made me go to the door faster. Once I got there, I kicked the door open. Members of the Advis were escorting the surviving kids out of the room. Once they saw me they did it faster.
“They’re leaving the building!” I radioed to the others. “Got it!” They responded.
“Ghost! See if any kids are still alive!” Eminence told me. “I’ll chase after them!” I redirected myself to the kids lying on the floor. They had hope that some of them were alive. But the past says it’s impossible.
Quickly I checked every kid's pulse.
No pulse. No pulse. No pulse. No pulse. I got to the last kid, far away in the corner. His shoes looked familiar.
I froze. It was Ody, my little brother. “Ody…” I walked over to him. He was wearing the shoes Star made him.
“Valdis. I’m scared,” He forced the words out his mouth, he was losing blood fast. I rushed over to him and put pressure on the wound.
“I know. I’m here, just breathe, Ody. Take some breaths,” I said, frantically. Despite all the pressure I put on the wound, he was still bleeding a lot. Was there an exit wound?
“I’m sorry Valdis. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” He kept repeating himself.
“Shhhhh. Don’t be sorry. Just focus on staying alive right now,” I put my hand on the back of the wound, no exit. Why was he still bleeding? His breaths were scattered and slow.
“Valdis, tell them I love them, and that I’m sorry. I thought I was strong enough,” Tears fell down his face, his voice calm.
“You are strong enough. Which is why you’re going to fight. We fight. Please Ody you can’t give up. Please,” I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I put more pressure on the wound.
“Valdis. Look at me please,” I looked at him, eyes red and somber. “I’ll be fine. You’ll still look after me. The others can look after me. We’ve grown a bond with each other. I’m in good hands. Let me go,” He took his last breath. I started hyperventilating. Tears strolled down my face, anger and sadness flooded my mind. I had to let it out.
The others walked into the room just as I set fire to the walls around us. The echoes of screaming filled their ears, confusion in their mind. Eminence got closer, and he understood why. Why I was in pain and agony.
His hands on my shoulders and a voice of calm brought me back to reality. I wanted them gone. I was tired of playing nice, following rules, seeming perfect after being naive. I will make them feel the pain they made me feel.
I couldn’t protect my brother like I had promised. The Advis doesn't seem to care about what they did, but I will make them.
For Ody, Star, & all the other kids that fell victim to their cruelty.
To Be Continued
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