Mars

Andrew Wood... I met this nervous, neurotic fellow in the Fourth grade.

He was...the weird kid, honestly. While I officially met him in the Fourth grade, I knew what he was like due to his reputation around the school. And one of my most prominent memories in the First Grade involved him, a desk, a temper tantrum, and the complete compulsion to act like a cat.

He's completely obsessed with cats, or he used to be. Now, he's a fan of dolphins.

...Yes, he's weird. But he was my friend, okay?

He was picked on alot; not for his looks or any disposition he posessed, but really, his rudeness. He was really impulsive sometimes, and could also be a smartass.

Also, the curly ginger hair, glasses, and weight problem didn't actually help either, to tell the truth.

Bleh, anyways.

I met with him today on a whim, to return a game my brothers borrowed a few years back; I felt bad for never returning it, like we had almost stolen if from him.

Arriving at his front door, I noticed that it was hung ajar, and a putrid odor wandered out it from inside the house. I knocked on the door, and called for someone to come, but nothing responded. There was someone home; there were two cars in the driveway.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I walked into the house to investigate. I had no fear of getting caught, as I should have had; another disadvantage of Sowing Season. -___- What if a police car had noticed?

Though, I am somewhat grateful for the numbing my senses have been put through,...it saved my friend's life.

As soon as I took a second step into the house, I heard a scream in the hallway directly across from me ( I was in the living room, which took up 40% of the ground floor). I ran towards there, but I tripped over the small, dead body of a cat...blood leaked out of its mouth, and its belly had been torn apart, causing the organs to be spilt all over the floor...

I almost vomited, but I quickly covered my nose and looked away. I picked myself up and stumbled on a twisted ankle over to the hallway, dropping the game on the carpet.

Tumbling in, I saw Grey strangling poor Andrew. Andrew was furiously trying to scratch at Grey, but Grey just brushed the weak grasps away with his left elbow.

"Let me in, Wood. Come on...."

Andrew saw me, and frantically motioned his legs back and forth, letting me know that he wanted out.

But I shushed him, and started to walk quietly behind Grey....

and then Grey quickly turned around, letting go of Andrew, and pounced onto me.

"I KNEW YOU WOULD SHOW!!" he had said, all the while chuckling wildly.

The stench of death, and the soft, damp drips of blood spilled onto my face; the urge to vomit returned.

Andrew didn't help at all; he was too busy crying in the corner. -______-

I struggle against him, but it was all for naught; he pulled me closer, almost into a complete embrace.

"Don't worry, young one, I'm not going to ki-"

"Young one?! The fuck? Since when..."

"Gehehehehe, you naive child...I've gone through some changes. I'm Eternal now. I'm All-Mighty now. I'm winning now, Owen. And soon, you will be too. But not now. No, I want to break you first. I want to see your Demons come to life, and rip you apart. I want you to BEG for me to SAVE you!!"

"That will never happen, you bastard."

"You keep thinking that, brat. Now, we're done here. Ta-Ta for now!!"

Grey got up, and went through the doorway, and...just disappeared.

I never heard the front door open or close.

As Andrew cried in the corner, I tried standing up, but at that point in time, my ankle was in extreme pain, so I laid out on the floor, surrounded by animal fur and animal chewtoys (he had more than one cat, he had a  few dogs too, but I have no idea where they were at that time).

And I started to weep a bit too...softly, though...

Only a few tears were all I could manage,...no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't let the emotion of sadness take control...fucking Sowing Season. It won't even let me mourn my situation!!

But then, in my head, I replayed something Grey said:

"Demons come to life"

No, Grey.

No.

I'm not going to let this beat me.

I'm going to emerge victorious over you.

That's what started to get me up, and that's what drove the pain in my ankle to the back of my mind as I picked Andrew up. Not wishing for him to see the dead body of his cat, I dragged him, despite agonizing pain, to the second floor of his house.

No one appeared to be home, as they would have heared the ruckus Grey, Andrew, and I caused downstairs, so I let out a fair share of curses on my way up the stairs. When we were upstairs, I walked into a bedroom up there (I think it was Andrew's). Once there, Andrew and I collapsed onto the bed.

We sat there, sweating, and in Andrew's case, sniffling.

I waited a few minutes, and when Andrew's sobs quieted, I asked him how he felt. He didn't answer, so I asked him about the time in the Fourth Grade when we, while walking down the hallway once, saw a robed man wandering the halls too, and how the robed man disappeared when we had decided to follow it.

He said he remembered.

And then I told him everything...everything about what's happening to Portsmouth.

At first, it seemed like he was going to be like the others and agree to joining The 757. He got up, and threatened to call the police if I involved him with any of this, actually. But as I stumbled out, and reminded him about how I had defended him throughout Middle School...

well, Andrew's apart of our group now, and I'm glad.

....That's all, really.
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Oh! But, there has been a third murder of kid I knew.

Arthur Dally; British transfer student, and now, American victim. I especially remember him, due to how prideful and all high and mighty he was. Kind of an annoying asshole.

Talked too much.

Found in a local park...stoned to death, despite there being no stones for said stoning to occur. He was dumped in the park's small fountain, with stones cluttering his mouth with gravel, dirt, and now mud and dirt.

...What a way to go, that.