Chapter 1: The Orphaned Boy

Skalqua, 2018

                  The apartment, although it was heated, felt cold to its sole inhabitant. Said sole inhabitant was a young man, Sky Adams, age seventeen years old. He buried himself deeper into his sleeping bag, trying to avoid reality. As he was about to return to his slumber, his alarm clock rang loudly. Without a groan, he slammed his hand down onto off button before begrudgingly getting out of bed.

                  Sky yawned and stretched his arms as he walked towards the bathroom. After doing his morning business and taking a shower, he changed into a pair of faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt. As he was leaving the bathroom, he caught sight of his appearance in the mirror. His black hair was a mess as if it were a bird’s nest with dyed blue tips.

                  But it was his eyes that most people would stop and gawk at. His eyes were each a different color—heterochromia was the term. His right eye was a light silver-blue hue and was almost transparent. His left eye was a deep blue that would appear violet under certain lighting. Sky hated his eyes. They made him stand out, made him look like a freak, made him an abomination. When he was younger, he wasn’t bothered much by it because he had his fathers’ love and support. Though they were not biologically related to each other, they loved each other just as any real family. But now, they were both dead. Nobody in the world of the living liked his eyes, including Sky himself.

                 Sky shook his head and exited the bathroom before he could slam his fist against the glass. He didn’t want to have to deal with repairing the mirror nor did he want to need to bandage his hand when the shards of glass cut into it. He rummaged through his drawer and grabbed his pack of colored contact lenses, quickly putting in a pair of dark brown ones. At a first glance, nobody would realize he was wearing colored contacts and would think that they were his natural eyes.

                  He glanced at his clock and decided that he had enough time to cook and eat breakfast before heading to school. Even if he was late to class, it’s not like it mattered to him. Who would the school call? His parents were dead and he lived alone. He had no need for a legal guardian since he would be eighteen soon. He already had a job so he the means to pay rent for the moment.

                  After he finished his meal of three strips of bacon, a slice of spam, and a sunny side egg, he picked up his backpack and left. The journey to school was uneventful as was any other day. He arrived to class and sat down in his seat a few seconds before the bell rang. This was his routine in order to avoid a gang of bullies that deemed him an easy target.

…

                  Three classes later, it was lunch time. That was when the gang of bullies he had avoided in the morning decided to go after him in the bathroom. Sky ignored all of their jeers and insults and attempted to leave the room, only to be harshly shoved back in.

                  At first, Sky dodged all of the incoming attacks. This resulted in the bullies grabbing hold of him to keep him still. Fists made contact with Sky’s face and stomach. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, refusing to cry out in pain. That was what the bullies wanted him to do. However, they had no idea what his past was like.

Sky snapped.

                  He broke free of their grips and a barrage of attacks rained down upon them. No, he wasn’t just punching and kicking like a normal person. He was using all of his available weapons. He used his nails as if they were claws and scratched deep enough to draw blood. He bit down hard with his teeth until he felt a metallic liquid touch his tongue.

                  By the time the teachers and security guards arrived, the bullies were all groaning in pain on the floor while Sky stood victorious in the center.

…

                  A few students in the hallway had witnessed how Sky had been forcibly shoved back into the bathroom. Despite it being considered self-defense, Sky was suspended for three days while the bullies each received a week of suspension. It didn’t really affect Sky because three days of no school meant more hours to work at his job which meant that he would also make more money.

                  What was Sky’s job, you might be wondering? Sky worked as a cashier at a small convenience store near his apartment. It was nothing special or extravagant, just the typical, simple job. He would restock the shelves as well as work the cash register to allow people to check out and pay for their items. There was always one other coworker with him. They never really conversed outside of work-related topics but neither really cared. As long as the job was done correctly and efficiently, then they would get paid.

                  Later that night, Sky arrived home. The day had been pretty uneventful except for his fight against the bullies. At least he didn’t have to worry about them for a few days. Even if they decide to go after him in school once more, the results would still be the same. He would win the fight. His life before being adopted by his fathers had been filled with violence so he knew many tactics to defeat an enemy.

                  As Sky was about to dig into his meal of instant ramen, his phone started ringing. ‘I paid the rent, the utility bills, and my phone bill,’ He thought as he grabbed his device from his pocket. ‘Nobody should be calling me,’ He furrowed his brows together. ‘A FaceTime call?’

So this was a weird story concept that a friend and I came up with about two years ago. Skalqua is the name of the city that Sky lives in.