Chapter 23: Chapter Twenty Three, A Day With August

Something wasn’t right. 

 

He could feel it in his chest. In his bones. The familiar looming darkness…but when had he last tasted it? It haunted him…strangled him…

 

“Wake up!!” 

 

August opened his eyes. 

 

His home was destroyed around him, razed by the same calamity that kept the sky as gray as slate and the earth below them in a constant state of quivering. Orange embers floated eerily through the air, mingled with the smell of sulfur and smoke. 

 

He looked into the eyes of who woke him. 

 

“M-Mom…” 

 

BOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!! 

 

They both flinched as a building next to their home exploded, showering what was left of their roof in debris and ash. The earth shook violently. If she wasn’t already so accustomed to this, his mom might’ve fallen. But she had been through such things before. 

 

“M-Mom, what’s going on??” 

 

She looked behind her, a strand on frazzled hair falling in front of her eyes. He understood exactly what she meant when she uttered the two words: “He’s back.”

 

August looked out the ash-caked window, able to make out dozens of people running away from the havoc. Tattered voices and shrill exclamaitons from sirens and screams echoed through the air. An ominous foreboding rested on his chest. August knew. 

 

Doom was finally upon them. 

 

“Mom!” he cried, standing and grasping her arm. “Mom, we have to go! Let’s get out of here!” 

 

Instead of listening, she glanced back at the door with a look of uncertainty. She faced her child, running a hand through his hair and studying him as if it would be her last time doing so. 

 

“You go,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I’ll catch up to you.”

 

Another rumble of the earth forced them to steady each other. August regained his footing.

 

“Why??” he cried. 

 

“Because, I…there’s something I have to do.” More screams filled the sky, louder and closer than before. A loud bang outside their window jolted them to action. 

 

“Mom, let’s just go!! We have to—”

 

“Go!” she yelled, grabbing his shoulder. She looked him in the eyes. August saw they shined with fear and determination. “Now.” 

 

He had no choice. 

 

Looking back at her one more time, he bolted out the front door and ran away from the house, not looking back. 

 

Inside, she took a deep breath and straighted her back. “Long time no see,” she said. 

 

He was inside the house, staring her down. A dark energy permeated around him, casting the room in a chill. 

 

She turned around to face him. Something deep inside her twinged; an old familiar feeling of loss. Loss for what was.  

 

“You get uglier every time I see you,” she said, holding back the waiver in her voice. He stood silently, filing the room with his corruption. Horrible as he was, she would not be forced into fearing him. Not him. 

 

“What happened to you,” she said, tears falling from her lashes as she blinked. “How did you become this-this monster you are!!” She looked into his dark, empty eyes. “What happened to the man I loved? What happened to the boy I fell in love with when I was a child? When we were children?”

 

She succumbed to her crying, aching to break through to any humanity he had left. “I just miss you. I miss the old you. You…you have to be in there, somewhere!” 

 

She continued to cry. Like a shadow, he stood there apathetically. He smiled. 

 

“You mourn for someone who no longer exists,” he grinned, fed by her tears. “I killed him myself. Tore him from existence. But hold your tears—you’ll meet him shortly.”

 

She choked back her tears indignantly. “I don’t care anymore,” she spat. “Take me. Kill me. I won’t let you have any power over me anymore. You took away one of the only people I hold dear in this life—a man who actually did good in the world. You snuffed him out like a candle flame, leaving so many in darkness. Do you realize how many are in anguish over his loss? Without him…there is no hope. And I won’t be pained to live in a world without hope.” 

 

He laughed, towering over her. “Woman, your stupidity surpasses you.” He expected her to cower in fear, but she only stood, facing him impassively. The shadows around him grew and danced violently. 

 

“YOU AND YOUR FEELINGS ARE WORTHLESS, AND YOUR WORDS ACCOUNT TO NOTHING. SOLACE IN THE FACT THAT THE ONE YOU MOURN SO HEAVILY FOR WILL SOON REJOICE IN SEEING YOU ONCE AGAIN!!!”

 

August slowed to a stop and looked back at his house. 

 

BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!!!

 

“MOOMMMMM!!!!!” 

 

The house erupted, shaking the earth so fiercely it threw him to the ground. He rose and burst towards the house, ash and flames clouding the air in a thick smoke. He squinted through it, calling out for her shrilly. 

 

“MOM!! MOMMM!!!”

 

“A-A-August…” 

 

He turned his head at the sound of her voice. He made out her silhouette, stumbling and coughing through the smoke. 

 

“I-I’m…I-I’m here…”

 

“Mom!!” He ran towards her, embracing her in a tight hug. Flames smoldered on the debris around them, and the smell of charcoal and singed hair filled his nose. 

 

He pulled back and looked at her. She didn’t look the same. Her clothes hair were burnt, singed past recognition and coated in greasy smoke. Most of her skin was gone, left in small patches of crisped tissue while the rest of her body remained open and bare, doused in ash and seared beyond the point of bleeding. What was left of her face ran ragged, as skin hung in shreds from exposed cavities of cooked flesh and fresh bone. 

 

August choked back his tears, holding to his Mom’s face. “M-Mom, wh-what happened??”  

 

“Th-there’s…no time for that…” she said, looking at him. One of her eyes was seared shut, while the other bled. She stumbled to her knees. 

 

“Mom!!” he cried, catching her. 

 

“L-look…” She struggled to speak, most of her lips being burned away. Her and her son held each other. “Go back,” she said. “Go back…g…g-get…Ol…iver…” 

 

Her other eye closed, and her headly gently fell to August’s chest. 

 

“M…mom…?” A single tear rolled down his cheek. He held her scalded body close to his, hugging her tightly. “N-no, not you Mom,” he sobbed. 

 

The world burned silently around him, echoing the cries of it’s many other victims distantly. But the world had already ended for August. 

 

“Why you?” he whispered softly, tears running down his face. His tears quickly turned to rage. “WHY YOU!????!???”

 

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

 

August’s eyes shot open as he clicked off the alarm clock, only moving his arm. He lay motionless in the early morning darkness, breathing rapidly. His body shook as the memory slowly faded to the back of his mind once again. He tried to calm his breathing. 

 

That nightmare again…fuck… 

 

He sat up and got out of bed, taking his journal. He opened it, and began documenting his morning as it progressed. 

 

6:30 am | Daily Workout

  Today’s Workout:

   ~1,000 push ups

   ~1,000 sit ups

   ~100 laps

7:00 am | Shower

7:15 am | Eat

7:30 am | Leave for school 

 

August walked to school, keeping his head down. I wonder what today will bring me? he thought. He walked inside the school building and made his way to class. When he opened the door, the sound echoed in the silence. No one was there. 

 

“I have the class to myself…” 

 

He was drawn to the window, watching the other kids slowly pour into the school gates. Kids were everywhere—on the grass, under trees, hanging around benches…

 

“This world is so beautiful…I wish my home was like this.”

 

“Hey, August?”

 

He turned, startled at the sound of another voice. “Huh? Oh, N-Naomi…”

 

She smiled awkwardly, struggling to carry a tall stack of papers. “Hi. Um, you think you can help me with these?” 

 

“Oh, y-yeah.” He walked over briskly, taking the top half of the stack. 

 

“Come on, follow me,” she said. The two of them carried the papers to the office, setting them on the counter. The woman sitting there smiled. 

 

“Thank you, Naomi!!”

 

“No problem, ma’am,” she smiled back. “Thanks for the help, August.”

 

“Um, o-of course…” 

 

“Hey!” she said, “You wanna come say hi to Oliver with me?”

 

His eyes darkened. “No, I don’t,” he said, walking away coldly. How can I say hi to that monster!?? he thought bitterly. Why is she so attached to him?! Fuck, I can’t wait until the day I finally end this… 

 

He walked back to class—now finding it full of students—and sat down at his seat. 

 

BING BONG 

 

Oliver, May, and Marilyn walked into the classroom together. 

 

“Hey Oliver, doesn’t it feel like we’re missing something?”

 

He looked at Marilyn. “...yeah, actually. But I don’t know what.”

 

* * * * *

 

Maxine woke up in the dark, laying alone in Oliver’s bed. She looked around.

 

“U-um, is anyone here?”

 

* * * * *

 

“Eh, it’s probably not important,” Oliver said. They all sat in their seats, and August glanced up. His grip tightened, nearly snapping his pencil in half. 

 

There he is!! 

 

“Okay class, everyone to their seats,” the teacher said, walking in. 

 

As class went on, August kept a close eye on Oliver. Watching him. Studying him. He had his journal out, documenting everything he saw. 

 

He’s just taken his phone out, 30 minutes into class. I wonder what he might do. 

 

He watched Oliver type something and look to Marilyn. Marilyn glanced up from her own phone and nodded. August turned back to Oliver. 

 

He’s opening a new app on his phone. It’s…ah, it’s a game. Isn’t this a school?? Why are they playing games here??? 

 

Oliver laughed, looking back at Marilyn’s shocked face. “HA, YOU SUCK!!” he yelled. 

 

“I DO NOT!!!” she screamed back. “YOU JUST CHEATED!!” 

 

You are reading story Half Demon, Even Demon Can Be Heroes at novel35.com

Of course the monster cheated.

 

LATER

 

At lunch, August sat alone at a table. He looked around aimlessly, resting his hand on his palm. 

 

“Uggghhh, there’s nothing to do here,” he muttered. “Fuck, I might as well kill Oliver now and go back home…but no. I want to see him fall where it all started.” The thought taunted him. “Yes. I’ll just wait a little while longer…but what am I supposed to do in the meantime??”

 

August sat in rumination, contemplating back to why he was here to begin with. All he’s been doing is hanging out with Marilyn, May, Aunt, and Mom…huh, who would’ve thought Aunt would be so different…she’s a brat, just like her sons!! His mind went back to Oliver. All of his friendships…they’re just like what I’ve heard from his friends…they all say such positive things…it doesn’t make sense…so, what happened to Oliver? How did he…why did he…?

 

August sighed. 

 

I never got to meet him myself, but I’ve heard so much about him throughout my life…but I can’t take anyone’s word for it—I have to see it for myself! And even if he was a good friend, his face will forever be stained with my hatred for him…and nothing will ever change that. 

 

August’s thought’s were interrupted as he saw May walk past his table. He instantly sprang up. “H-hey, May, wait!”

 

She stopped, looking back skittishly. “Y-yeah…?”

 

He looked in her eyes. She was still May…but not the one he knew. “Can I ask you something?”

 

She looked around, making sure he was talking to her. “U-um, sure…” 

 

They both stood for a moment. “You can sit down,” he eventually said. 

 

“Oh, right…” 

 

They both sat down at the table, sitting across from each other.

 

“I know you’ve been living with Oliver,” August said. 

 

“Um…yeah…?”

 

He leaned forward. “How is it?”

 

She didn’t hesitate to answer. “Oh. Well, I like it a lot. Living with Oliver is lot’s of fun! The place is pretty small, but it’s home for me. I cook and clean for him, and Oliver really seems to like my cooking, actually—I’m so glad I learned how to cook from my Mom!! She’s the best!” She smiled to herself. 

 

Shit, she was just as in love with him even when she was a kid…August thought. He still couldn’t let it go, though. “Has Oliver ever done anything to make you mad?”

 

May thought about it. “Oliver? No…even though I think I’ve done a lot of things to make him mad…” Her mind flashed back to all the uncomfortable situations she put him in; especially the most recent one. “I…can’t really say…” 

 

She still couldn’t believe she stared at him like that—how stupid could she be?? 

 

But, how could she resist? Thinking back to that day…of course she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him…she couldn’t even think about it without—

 

August noticed her drooling, staring off into nothing. “U-uh…”

 

Meanwhile, Marilyn walked by. She did a double take as she saw May sitting with August, and grabbed her arm tightly. May snapped out of her trance. 

 

“May, let’s go!” She yanked her up from the seat.

 

“Huh? Wh-why?” 

 

“Because fuck him!” She gave August a dirty look and spat in his direction. 

 

He shot up indignatly. That stupid bitch!! He followed them as she pulle May away. “What the hell did I do?!” he screamed. 

 

She spun back around, eyes lit with fire. “You know exactly what you did, you bitch! Keep following us, and Oliver will fuck you up!!” 

 

“Huh. That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” he spat through gritted teeth. She stormed off as he followed them, the three of them walking towards an unprepared Oliver. 

 

“That fucking bitch!” Marilyn muttered to May. “I thought he’d at least be scared!!” 

 

May followed, coarsely pulled by Marilyn across the cafeteria and struggling to keep up. “U-um, Marilyn? Why are we doing this, anyway?”

 

“Because I hate him!!” May had never heard her so blisteringly furious before. It startled her. “I can’t fucking stand him, and I want him dead!!”

 

“I…think that’s a little much, Marilyn.”

 

“Yeah? Well you can shut the fuck up, for all I care.” She turned back towards the table. “Let’s see what Oliver thinks of this.”

 

Oliver looked up to see the three of them storming towards him. 

 

“OLIVER,” Marilyn screamed as she got closer. She pointed back at August. “Fuck him up.”

 

“What? Why??” Oliver asked, looking between the three of them.

 

“Because!! He’s, u-um, well he’s following us!!” 

 

August didn’t stop, though. He sped right past Marilyn, picking up speed, and shoved Oliver off his seat. He fell on his back on the linoleum floor. 

 

“OH SHIT!!!” said a kid nearby. 

 

“Come on, Oliver—you gonna let him do you like that??” one of his friends asked. 

 

Oliver stood up, and the kids around him prepared for a fight. He looked August dead in the eye. 

 

“What exactly did I do that made you so mad at me?” he asked. Their wasn’t a hint of goading in his voice; he was genuinely asking. 

 

But that’s not how August saw it. 

 

He stared back at Oliver. His mind flashed back to that night. 

 

“M-Mom…W-WHHHHYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!” 

 

He socked Oliver across the face. 

 

“YOU FUCKING MONSTER!!! FUCK YOU!!!” 

 

“Sh-shit,” Oliver muttered, standing up. August tried to hit him again, but this time Oliver dodged in time. He grabbed his hand. “Dude, you gotta calm down!!” he yelled

 

“Let me GOOO!!!!!!” He broke his hand free and hit Oliver again, knocking him to the floor. Marilyn ran up to them, pushing August away. 

 

“IF YOU WANT HIM, YOU’VE GOTTA GO THROUGH ME FIRST!!!” she screamed. 

 

He froze. Another memory played through his head. 

 

“If you want him,” an older Marilyn said, “you’ve gotta go through me first!”

 

“Fuck, Marilyn…you never changed…” he said. August remembered a time when she defended him with that same passion and loyalty. Tears started to fall from his eyes.

 

“F-fuck, I-I’m the monster.” August turned, leaving the fight. They watched on as he walked away. 

 

“Yeah, you better run, pussy!!” Marilyn yelled. She crouched down next to Oliver. “Y-you okay?” she asked. 

 

Oliver sat, bewildered by the whole thing. Fuck, Marilyn…why did you insert yourself like that?”

 

“Because you’re my friend, and I care about you. Now that I actually have a true friend, I’m going to be there for you whenever I can.”

 

They looked each other in the eyes, only broken by Oliver’s laugh. “Shit…he fucked me up!!” Marilyn didn’t share his laughter. 

 

May watched from the side. Oliver had to do something for August to hate him that much… While the two of them were distracted, May stepped away and followed August. 

 

She stayed a good distance away, following him as he walked to the back of the school. He caught something out of the corner of his eye, and saw a huge hole indented in the wall. “Why the fuck…?” But he didn’t have the energy to care. He sat down, resting the back of his head on the wall. 

 

“Um, A-August?”

 

He looked over. “May?”

 

“Is everything okay?” she asked. 

 

He scoffed. “Why do you say that?”

 

She pointed. “Y-you’re crying.”

 

He wiped his face. “I just got dirt in my eye.”

 

“...you sure?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Well…okay…” 

 

They were silent for a moment. All was quiet around them. May looked back at a bush, noticing the flowers on it. “August?” she asked. “Why don’t you like Oliver?” 

 

He looked up at her. “I…I…” he sighed. “I can’t really say it…” He didn’t know how to bring himself to tell her. Everything was so complicated now. 

 

She didn’t understand, though. “Oliver is a great guy,” she said, “and…I’m not just saying that because I love him…”

 

His eyes shot up at her. 

 

“...I’m saying that because he’s helped me a lot…” his Mom finished. 

 

He gaped. “Those words…” he muttered. “They’re the same words my mother said, when I was a kid.” His hands started to shake. 

 

“Why is it him??” he raved. “I’m fucking trapped!! Trapped between how things are, and how they become! I hear so much good about him, from everybody—I don’t even know what to think anymore!!!! Even my own Mother talked so fondly of him, but it was at his hand that she died!!” May took a step back, unsure of what was happening, but frightened nonetheless.  

 

He had a crazed look in his eye as he stood up, grabbing May’s shoulders. “I’ve seen it first hand,” he said. “Oliver is going to become the monster that destroys this world.”

 

She stepped back out of his shaky grasp, wide eyed and confused. 

 

He continued, addressing no one in particular. “Marilyn…May…Mom…Aunt…I have to do what my Mom told me to!! I have to kill Oliver no matter what!! I don’t care if you all hate me, after—I need to fix my world!!” 

 

“A-August…?” May asked. 

 

He brushed past her. “I’m done waiting! Oliver, your time has come!!!” 

 

He took out his notebook. Today is the last day, he wrote furiously. The end of the monster is here. My people are waiting for me to come back with his head…my people need me to win…

 

I have to win, no matter what. Even if I die trying

 

He closed the book, knowing he’d never need to open it again. 

Marilyn looked up and saw August storming up to Oliver. “Shit, here he comes again,” she said. She stood up. “What?? You didn’t have enough!??” 

 

He pushed Marilyn to the floor, and she let out a shocked scream. 

 

“Shit…” Oliver said, standing up slowly. He could see the absolute rage in August’s eyes. 

 

“What did I even do!??” 

End of chapter 23

 

“Heyy this is Marilyn, August suckes, Oliver is going to kick his ass in the next chapter!!!!!”

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