haosacademy

[haosacademy]

We have our Roles (Kimmi)

This isn’t good. I’ve gone and lost them boys again, and no good can come from them being out of my sight for too long. Them boys are always itchin’ to get into some sort of trouble, and I’ll be damned if I let ‘em go too far now. After that ruckus in the morning, I can imagine Shiv ain’t so happy with them new students we got in. I need to find them before they go on and maim somebody, or worse yet, kill em’.

I searched the schoolground for ‘bout an hour before I realized it was all too calm topside, so they must be down in the cells. Hell, if they’re down there then they’ve gone and found a victim. Only need 2 guesses as to who it might be. So, I decided to take a stroll on that way and see if I can find them in the cells before they go on and do too much damage and be stuck in somethin’ them boys just can’t come back from.

The other students may fear them, but I just simply can’t afford to be. Nobody else dare works the nerve to stand up to one of these fellas, so if I’m the last line on this Earth I’m gunna stop them with all I’ve got from being simply cold killers. This stroll through the school grounds already shed some light on how the newbies feel about us. Small groups of them young freshmen littered the grounds shaking in their boots as I walk on by. It’s a damn shame they ain’t even been here a day and they already recognize our faces and fear what they don’t even know. They been here a whole 5 hours and got a lesson in the lack of morals this school holds. Students are damn bloodthirsty, and allowed to kill each other if they so please? Hell, it would damn near make anyone of us run home to our mama. Well, I suppose that is if you have one.

Dammit, Kimmi. Now is not the time to let yourself be distracted! That damn girl and her brother might be in some real danger here. I need to make sure that I get down there quick as a whip. This is the same damn antics that cause most of the students to stay in their rooms aside from schoolin’. If my memory serves me right, one of the boys in this school don’t even leave his room for classes. Boy sends a robot in his place, talk about fearing the worse, I tell ya.

After about 5 minutes of walking I made it toward the cells and I could hear the screaming before I was even within a good 10 feet of the place. That poor girls yelling and hollering wouldn’t be heard by nobody least they were lookin’ for trouble. Guess it’s time for good ol’ Quickshot to do what she does best, intervene.

As I continued my way down the stairs I winced every once in a while, at the heartbreaking sounds of the poor girl’s screams. Only thing that made the whole darn situation worse was the way there was pauses in between where them boys would just rattle on for one or two laughs before getting back to what I’m sure is the prime source of their entertainment for the night. Whole damn situation makes me sick. Damn crew getting a kick out of this poor girl’s pain.

I picked my pace up a few notches and decided I need to get this done sooner before later and she ends up dead. The stairway to the cells were long, but after a few well-placed strides I made my way down in no time at all. I was only a few corridors off from where I could hear the laughing and as it grew louder I only got a bit sicker. I wanted so badly to just walk into that room and put a throwing knife into each of their backsides, but hell they’re the only friends or kin I got in this place.

I shook away the thoughts of myself for the time being. I need to be focused on the girl, but she’s been quiet for some time now, and I don’t think they’d kill her so quick, so she must’ve passed out from the pain.

Dammit kimmi! You shoulda been there!

I screamed at myself repeatedly in my head. Leaving them alone was only gunna lead to trouble and now them boys are torturing someone. What the hell did I listen to…shit.

Speak of the damn devil. As I came upon the edge of the hallway I caught a whiff of that damn girl’s perfume like I was standing right next to her. Goddamn princess is here and that ain’t no good. I’ll just wait, till she leaves. Girl is passed out and they’ll want her awake before doing anything so I’ll wait until queenie leaves and then I won’t have to worry about doing any sort of conversing with her.

“You know I can hear what you’re thinking, so why even try to hide?” Amp whispered around the corner.

Before I even knew it, she had walked right up beside me and here I was thinking I had some private time.

“They um, they have orders to make sure she can walk out of there, alive of course.” Amp’s voice was shaky, like she was uncomfortable about something.

“Dammit queenie. You know damn well I ain’t able to read people’s thoughts like you? You got something to say go ahead and spit it out alright?” I could hear the anger in my voice, but orders just let me know she had something to do with this. Damn girl is gunna get someone killed one day with this “I need to please everyone” attitude. Damn girl ain’t do a thing to her and she’s over here overseeing her torture. There ain’t a lick of good blood left in this one is there?

“Left?” Amp looked up at me for the first time since she walked around the corner and I could see her eyes were red and puffy like she been crying her eyes out. “You said good blood left. So, you actually thought I was good before?”

As she spoke she stepped a bit closer to me and I backed up just a bit, feeling uncomfortable with the whole idea of this situation. What the hell was this girl asking about? Suddenly she stepped back and looked away again. That’s when I realized the damn girl was still reading my thoughts.

“Sorry. Just forget I said anything for now okay. I’ll talk to you some other time Quickshot.” She spoke softly again and didn’t raise her eyes to me at all as she slid around me and out the way I came.

Damn girl is too emotional for her own good.

[haosacademy]

What it Takes (Jesse Krass)

              I never asked to be this person and I never wanted to be. I know people look at me in fear instead of respect, but I just don’t care anymore. Not a single person here has ever admired my talent for what it was. They only cared about my power and what it could bring them. They all gave me whatever I wanted for their own personal gain, and for what? It brought them nothing in the end because I didn’t have anything they wanted besides the very power they praised. So now they walk quietly, beg for nothing, and speak only when spoken to.

              Besides all of this, it’s becoming more and more difficult to pretend as if this is all not weighing so heavily on me. I want to be the calm steeled queen they all want me to be, to lead the students here as best I can, but it’s causing me so much pain when all I really wanted was to sing. Now instead of cheering and applause, all I hear is screaming and crying. Even now, the voice of the punk rock poser bitch behind this steel door pierces my thoughts, and I can hear her cries for help so clearly, it’s overwhelming!

Help!

        Someone!

ANYONE!

        PLEASE!

                HELP!

              Despite the emptiness in this hallway, the noise in my head filled these corridors with echoes. All I could do to drown the noise out for even a moment was just to scream out to myself. My voice bounced off the walls, reverberating the pain I felt just as strongly as they weighed on my heart. Why did I have to be alone now? I miss the friends I had outside of these walls. Alayna, Trix, Courtney. Why weren’t they all naturals with me. I need them now more than ever. They were the only true friends I ever had.

              As I reminisced over the time I had with them, I felt the tears begin to roll down my face. I stepped backwards and pressed myself against the wall. As the tears continued to stream from my eyes, I slowly found myself sliding to the floor bursting into a full-blown sob story as more screams penetrated my thoughts through this steel prison I find myself in.

              “I just don’t get it! Why do I even feel any sympathy for her? She’s rude, and disrespectful, and…and…” Oh what did it matter trying to convince myself that I wasn’t doing something wrong. I always held one thing dear to me. The fans I gained from being Elisa. Singing in Leave Me Dead was everything to me. Now here I am, ordering someone to torture one of my fans. Someone who said I was her favorite singer. Dammit Jesse! What the hell are you doing!

              I pressed my knees against my chest and buried my head in my hands as I got lost in my thoughts. What is all this for anyways? I’ve changed the way I dress, walk, act, talk and everything that made me who I was. It’s like when people are around I can’t help but put on a show for them. This twenty-four-hour show for their sakes! No…here they come again, the tears, the pain, the hatred.

              After a little over an hour passed, the screaming finally stopped. I could hear the disciplinary committee members laughing maniacally about their exploits. It made me feel sick to my stomach. How could they be so happy? They’re so proud of what they do to people. Every single one of them simply lust for blood. Well all of them except for Quickshot that is. Somehow, she sticks with them, but I’ve never seen her go for the kill or revel in the pain she’s caused. In fact, she’s the one person who stops them when things go too far. She’s never hidden who she really was to them, yet the students not only fear her, but respect her.

              Shit, the goddamn princess is here. I’ll just wait till she leaves I guess.

              Speak of the devil and he shall appear, so they say. At the forefront of my thoughts I heard her. Quickshot, hiding around the corner simply because she noticed I was here. It shouldn’t hit me so hard, but right now, I think anything could deal me a substantial blow, but if I wanted to figure out how to stop everything that was happening with me, she was the key. If she could do it, why couldn’t I? At least, that’s what I’d like to believe. Unfortunately, I won’t know until I even try.

              I took a moment to stand up and gather myself. I could still hear the rest of the disciplinary committee laughing and talking about what else they wanted to do when she was conscious again. I felt sick once more for a moment, but I shook the feelings out of my head for the time being.

After I finally felt ready, I decided to go forward with talking to Quickshot. One way or another she would help me get better at whatever it is I’m trying to do. All I know is that I need to be better than I have been. Someone must make this school a better place, and it hasn’t been me.

[haosacademy]

Nightmares into Reality (Kasey Lauter)

     I could feel his putrid breath grazing the nape of my neck before I could see him. I remained still despite the chills running down my spine as each exhale made me feel more and more nervous of what was to come. My wrist were locked into leather braces, suspending them above my head as I lay strapped to what seemed like an operating table. Something I had only seen in horror movies, but now it was my reality and something tells me I brought Jack down right along with me.

     “You have some nerve little lady. Attacking me in front of our peers. Well, my peers at least. I’m not so sure how much longer I’ll allow you to walk these grounds after that stunt.” I could hear the voice of the one my brother and I knocked away in the gym. I did my best to glance around the room as much as I could, but I couldn’t see him. And the breath on the back of my neck was getting more frequent, as if the person standing there was getting excited.

     The sound I heard next sent such a strong chill up my spine I couldn’t help but struggle uncomfortably against my shackles. The scrape of metal against metal as if someone had begun sharpening a blade. That alone was terrifying, however I realized there were more people in the room than I thought when they each erupted in laughter at the sight of me struggling to break free.

     “This should be fun!” Him

     “Cut her filthy tongue out!” A woman

     “Make her pay!” A different man

     “She won’t do it again!” Him again

     The voices followed each other one by one in some sort of sick bloodthirsty chorus. These people were out for blood. My blood to be exact, and maybe I deserved it, but I wasn’t going to let them hurt Jack over my mistakes.

     “Oh nobody is gunna hurt your poor little twin brother you blacked out bitch. He’s already long gone. We let him go with, a warning, I suppose you could say. He won’t be looking for you at least. We made sure of that. As far as he knows, everything between you knocking Shiv off his feet,” a low growl from another corner of the room followed those words. “and him waking up in his room, never happened, but we made sure he knows the deal.”

     I knew that voice. The voice of the blonde girl singing the Leave me Dead song through the open window. The one I thought was Elisa. What was she doing here, and how did she know I was worried about Jack? I was sure I didn’t speak out loud this time. Don’t tell me the bitch can read minds!

     “Actually yeah, I can.” She spoke again as she stepped from the shadows, leaning in close to my face. “Also, had you not so rudely been late to the opening ceremony. My goddamn name is Amp! It’s not blonde bitch, and I’m not a bottle blonde or a fake! My voice sounds like Elisa, because I am Elisa.”

     Her hand came across my face before I could even see it. My cheek stung and I could feel the spot where the ring on her hand collided with my cheekbone. That was going to leave a mark.

     “So on top of getting into a fight on my first day,” I grit my teeth trying to talk through the pain that was now flaring up in my face, “I’m now being tortured by the lead singer of my favorite band. Well isn’t this day just one fairy tale after another.”

     I knew this wasn’t the time to be acting tough, but if I couldn’t figure a way to deal with this I was screwed. On top of that I couldn’t even really think of a plan, otherwise she would know it immediately. They really had me cornered.

     “You are so wrong. I’m not going to torture anyone. I don’t get along well with large amounts of blood. Just not my style. However, my friends here. They love it, and as the council president, I’ve given them permission to teach you right from wrong, as long as you walk out of here alive.” Despite her words, her smile was menacing. It was as if she thought this was her idea of being kind or caring. There was no bloodlust behind her eyes, but there was eagerness. She wanted to see me in pain, that much I could tell.

     She backed away from the table and whispered something to another person standing in the shadows beyond my vision. Once she seemed satisfied, she turned, gave me another smile and waved herself out. I heard the slam of a large metal door in the distance, and as if that were their cue, 3 people walked from the shadows and into view.

     The first was the guy who attacked us in the gymnasium. His hair was jet black and despite the fear I felt for him, he was quite attractive. His eyes were a vibrant blue, and they worked well with the way his hair feel around them, as if it too feared being right in front of those eyes that felt like they could pierce as deeply as his knives.

     The second one was a tall, slender girl with cherry blossom pink dyed hair. She had no expression on her face, and no discerning features. She was plain, except for her hair, but her eyes never left mine. She simply stared silently at me, studying me it seemed. I was more terrified of her than the others.

     Lastly, a large, muscular man stepped from the corner, but his face was covered by a mask. Not your typical horror movie butcher sort of mask either. This mask was more tailored than that. It was fit perfectly to his face and made of some smooth plastic material. It covered everything but his eyes and it was one solid deep black color. The only thing I could see besides the mask was the whites of his eyes, surrounding the haunting black circles that made up not only his pupils, but his irises as well. The image of these three could haunt any dream, turning it into an everlasting nightmare, but this was my reality.

     For fear of the three now before me, I tried once more to tug and pull against my bonds, but sadly it was a wasted effort. I was stuck, and with these three now standing over me, I knew I would never forget what happened today, but I would never forgive them either.

[haosacademy]

A Warm Welcome (Kimmi)

Buzz…buzz…buzz!

     9am once again. Ain’t it a shame. During the week, I suppose I don’t mind plenty, but havin’ to wake at this hour on the weekend is just not fair. Even a delinquent like myself could use her beauty sleep. Lord knows I would never use it though. Folks around here, they see me, they’ll run before I even get the chance to say hello.

     My years at the orphanage, they made me a bit cold I'll admit, but since I been here, I was forced to join the disciplinary committee. Made me something of a copper round these parts. Not to say I enjoy it, but keep me from just being downright bored most my days here.

     The students at this school basically govern themselves. The council sets the rules, and the disciplinary committee enforces ‘em, by whatever means necessary. The committee is only about 5 of us, but really that’s all you need around these parts. Our abilities don’t keep us from being able to find and deal with whatever needs to be dealt with, and some times that can be a lot when you’ve got a bunch of super powered freaks roaming the same stomping grounds.

     The bunch that I’ve been tied to cannot be described as anything but downright vicious. These folks is nasty to the core. Shiv, our self-appointed leader, says he enjoys the fear he puts in the hearts of the students. Grave Digger, the mean ol’ co-captain of our little terror crew, he needs it. And Stalker, the femme fatale herself, doesn't say much, but I’ve never seen the girl crack a smile least we ruffing some kid up for breaking the codes. Then there’s 8-bit. Never met em’, don’t even have a clue what he might look like, but he watches over the school like some kind of big brother for us and lets us know when and where we need to be somewhere. I don’t know if he’s as hungry for blood as the rest of these folks, but he damn sure don’t seem to give a shit what they do or how they do it. We ain’t nothing but a brute force squad and I seem to be the one good hair in the bunch.

     However, regardless of that fact, I somewhat begrudgingly say they’ve become my best friends here anyways. Not as if I had much of a choice. The other kids don't come near us if they see anyone of us out and about, so making friends outside of the council or the committee ain’t much of an easy feat for the lot of us. The committee looks out for their own though. As violent as they may be, they care for the lot of us and we protect each other like blood. Maybe once or twice with our life being threatened, but the other students just can’t hang when it comes to a real fight. Most of ‘em just lay down their arms and surrender, but a couple of these folks got some fight left in ‘em. All one and the same for us I suppose. Bless their hearts when they stand up to Shiv though. Been more than plenty I had to stop him from taking things too far. He's one for less resolution and more bloodshed. Stalker may beat you within an inch of your life, but Shiv'll take it if you let him loose.

     Today of all days is especially heinous to reel in the committee from taking things too far. Today the new students go through orientation, and Shiv loves to pick up a few stray puppies to set an example for the other students.  The disciplinary committee always comes to these things and sure enough we stand at the wings, watching over the nervous and excited green beans coming in for the year. Now I know for certain that ain’t one of ‘em aware of the school rules yet, but I can see Shiv’s eyes scanning the crowd like he’s looking for a tasty meal. The sight is revolting to say the least.

     Unfortunately, I did not get the perfect order I had so hoped would show. As the queen bee, miss Amp herself, came forward to give her “I welcome you” cliché speech, two greenies walked in mighty late and not with much in the way of subtlety.  

     I waited patiently while they ever so quietly looked for a place to sit. Hard to find two seats together I suppose. I’m not sure which if they’re brother and sister or if they’re lovers, but Shiv don’t seem to mind either way. He’s itchin for a fight and I’m the only one here that would even try and stop ‘em. and sure enough I was right. Before they could find a good seat, shiv raised a claw and urged the queen bee to halt her welcoming words so that he could give the two late comers a talking to.

     Amp didn’t take too kindly to this sort of interruption, but she seemed even more upset that someone would come to her speech late. Never seen the look she’s giving the poor greenie girl in her eyes to anyone. This might be a bit personal.

[haosacademy]

A Warm Welcome pt. 2

     Jesse Krass, or Amp as her classmates knew her, stood atop her pedestal in front of the many freshmen seated below her. Besides playing with her band, this was her favorite thing to do; Standing in front of a crowd of people and having all eyes focused on her and nobody else. In her eyes, everyone below her worshiped the ground beneath her feet and she was loved. At least that’s what everyone thought she felt like. Truthfully, she hated being looked at like some sort of queen in front of all these onlookers, and she wanted more than anything to finish up this waste of time and get back to her music. However, nothing infuriated her more than to see the same punk rock bitch from earlier walk into the hall late and completely disrupt the event.

     Unfortunately for Kasey and Jack, Amp wasn’t the only one who noticed the intrusion. To the side of the gymnasium Shiv gestured for Amp to stop her speech as he eyed the two hungrily. Kasey and Jack hadn’t noticed that the speaking had stopped and that all eyes were on them. They had finally succeeded in finding two adjacent seats and as they moved to occupy them, Shiv jumped down from the wings to confront them.

“Oy! I think you two are causing a disturbance now, don’t’ you think?” He called out to them callously.

     An eerie silence fell over the room as the rest of the committee followed him into the center of the room. Kasey and Jack took a moment to realize that it was in fact them being called out, and while Jack came to attention, Kasey simply chose to ignore the words as they were spoken.

     “I’m really sorry. My sister and I just couldn’t seem to find the gymnasium. We didn’t mean to be any trouble.” Jack apologized earnestly, but Shiv didn’t seem to care. Not that anyone would have expected him to.

     “Oh really? Well sorry mate, you’ve caused trouble. As the disciplinary committee president, I couldn’t just allow this offence to go unpunished. What kind of example with that set for the rest of ‘em?” He replied coolly as he gestured to the rest of the freshmen sitting quietly while observing this disturbing affair.

     Jack was taken aback at the callous reply to what he felt was an honest mistake, but he remained quiet so as not to cause himself or Kasey anymore trouble. Unfortunately, quiet or not, Shiv meant for there to be trouble and he was going to get the fight he had been yearning for.

     He crept towards the spot where Kasey and Jack were standing and outstretched his right arm with a daunting grin stretched across his face.

     “Now, what shall I use to discipline you today? Maybe just a staff, or a knife maybe? A blade can do wonders for rule breakers.” He laughed madly as his palm began to turn black and suddenly a silver blade began forming from the palm of his hand as if he were growing it inside of his skin. Once the blade was fully formed, it was about the length of his forearm and he swung it around with expert level precision as if he was enjoying this with every fiber of his being.

     A few scattered gasps and whispers could be heard throughout the gymnasium as students began to grasp the gravity of the situation they were made to bear witness to. Ignoring the sounds around him, Shiv continued to advance on the twins, hoping to coerce one of them into attacking first so he truly had no reason to pull any punches. Sure enough, he got his wish. Seeing Shiv approach her brother with the blade, Kasey walked out into the middle of the aisle and prepared herself to have to fight somehow. The smile on Shiv’s face grew, but behind him, Kimmi, known by the students as Quickshot, was prepared to stop Shiv from taking things too far, and she knew he would try.

     Time felt like it had slowed in the anticipation of what was to come. Finally, Shiv was an arm’s length from where Kasey now stood, and she could see his hands were shaking, not with nervousness or fear, but with pure excitement and lust for the violence he was begging for.

“Come now fresh meat, make your move. I dare you to.” He pressured.

     “Just back off.” She replied in monotone. She knew she wanted to do this. Every inch of her was burning with the desire to knock that cold grin off his face, but for once she just wanted to not go somewhere and have everyone hate her all over again.

“Don’t be scared newbie. I’m only gunna scar you a little bit.” He laughed maniacally at his own words and the disturbing chill over the room had fallen audibly.

     Students murmured words of terror and disgust, and some had even taken to using their abilities to leave the space entirely. Things were about to get ugly and they wanted no part of it. Kasey however, only seemed to get angrier, and Quickshot could see that this whole situation may end up out of her control. She quickly tried to grab one of her throwing knives from the inside of her jacket, but before she could reach them, Shiv had already made a move. Brandishing his blade, he lunged at Kasey viciously.

     Had they not been there, the disciplinary committee would not have believed what happened after Shiv attacked. It was so quick they barely saw it, but sure enough they caught a glimpse of the blinding white light, surrounding the dense black of a shadow that seemed almost alive as the twins both launched a simultaneous attack, launching Shiv back halfway to the stage where Amp stood with her mouth wide open in shock at anyone catching Shiv off guard like they had.

“I just wanted you to leave us alone. Sorry.” Kasey whispered inaudibly to all others besides Jack.

The twins turned to leave the gymnasium, sure that their attendance here wouldn’t last much longer, when things suddenly went dark and the two of the collapsed to the floor, only catching a glimpse of Stalker’s feet as they hit the ground.

[haosacademy]

Who Are We?

     Haos Academy is an institution that never quite found its place in a world led by the first-generation; The men and women born without the gift of super human abilities. Since 1942 when we first opened our doors to the students born with incredible gifts, we have focused on honing and improving our students’ control over their abilities so that they may live whatever life they choose. Many of our students leave Haos academy and join the first-generation society as equals, only using their abilities in private and personal assistance at home or in the workplace. However, there are students who use their abilities for good or evil as so many would mundanely describe their actions. We neither ask nor attempt to persuade our students to choose a path when they matriculate into our prestigious halls, only that they become the person they were always meant to be when they join us here for their 5 years of training and learning how to grow from excellent, to extraordinary.

     Upon acceptance to our academy, each student is given an identification number and tag, or code name. These tags are given to accurately represent each students’ abilities, and can change to reflect their standing as they progress in their studies. Courses, much like any collegiate level campus, range from general, to highly specialized training, dealing in combative, engineering, physical fitness, and so much more.

     The world beyond our walls knows that we exist. Some hunt us, others admire us, and many choose not to believe the truth. Now more than ever, our students face more difficult trials and tribulations than those before them, but here they will learn to overcome. For they were born excellent, but we will make them extraordinary.

[haosacademy]

Introducing Our Students

     9 a.m.…. The first bell tolls, bringing about another morning of learnin’ and good ol’ teenage fun. Well, if you could even call it fun. This place was my sure shot way to get a hang of my abilities and be able to go out into a real job with the doors the school name alone opens. Now I’ve been here for 3 years, 11 months, 16 days, and 9 hours.

     I’d like to tell y’all just how wasted I feel after all that time. I’ve yet to get the hang of these damn powers, I still have no idea who I am or why I am here. I mean sure, I know my name. That’s pretty much it though. I never met my parents or found out my last name or where I was born. The only thing I remember before being adopted was the inside of that orphanage. That musky, dark, prison they kept me in for 14 years before someone paid ‘em to send me here under the guise of adoption. Hell, I never even found out who did that. I’d love to meet ‘em one day. They saved me from that place. The only peace of mind I had in there was my abilities. It was a lot of fun to use against the bastards that harassed me. I’d hit them with anything I could shoot or throw: rubber bands, paperclips, paper balls, tape balls, you name it, I used it.

     Good ol’ Kimmi. The Hartling Orphanage delinquent, or as I’m better known here, Quickshot.

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     Okay so, my name is Jesse Krass and I’m super popular right? Well here’s the thing...I really don’t care. I don’t mean for it to sound so blunt or rude or mean, but I mean I know I’m beautiful, I know my name is super influential, and I know I have like, the greatest marks in class, but I don’t really give a damn about any of these people. I want one thing and one thing only. To play my music!

     When I get up on stage I don’t have to be Jesse Krass, daughter of the multimillionaire power clothing company moguls. When I’m on stage I get to be Elisa, my super awesome stage alter ego! I mean everyone still knows who I am, but I can tell they actually listen to my music, because some of my fans are just normies, I mean um, first-generation.

     Sadly, I can’t even play with my old band anymore. We used to be so popular too. Leave Me Dead was our name, and people loved our sound. I mean my other bandmates did pretty great for just being powerless, but nobody could compare to me when I used my abilities. Like who needs producers when you can modify the sound waves yourself right? I might just look like a pretty little dumb blonde, but this chick knows her stuff. They don’t call me Amp for nothing around here.

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     Who needs a girlfriend when you can have video games? While all these losers are out trying to date real girls, and keep getting their hearts broken or causing drama, your favorite gamer geek, 8-bit, is gunna keep saving princesses, fighting off evil wizards, and slaughtering magic beasts from the safety of his own room.

     I don’t do friends, or strangers, or interacting with IRL people in any sense for that matter. Oh, IRL stands for in real life. In other words, if you’re not on the other side of the game speaking through a microphone and I don’t have to see your face, I don’t wanna meet you or talk to you, okay? I’ve built my entire life off video games and I damn sure won’t stop now. My powers allowed me to get the most badass gaming set up you’ve ever seen and I don’t plan on wasting that potential by spending a single second with ignorant, pompous, or lewd teenagers that think they know it all.

     When I came here they promised me that I could live my life to my own style, meaning I never leave my room if I don’t have to, but I knew there was a catch. I may not have to leave my room if I choose not to, but I still have to attend class or else I get kicked out. Getting kicked out means I can’t game for 100 hours straight again over breaks, and that is not something I plan to give up. So, 10 hours a day, 6 days a week, I spend away from my room, uncomfortably so if I must say, in class, sitting as far away from the stench of other human beings as I can. I’m glad to say I haven’t made a single friend in the year I have been here and I don’t plan to make any, anytime soon.

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“You know mom and dad didn’t mean what they said right Kasey?”

“Ahh so, I wish you were never born, has a meaning I haven’t heard of before?”

“Kasey, seriously, they were just angry and said something they shouldn’t have.”

“No Jack! Screw that! They might have been angry, but they meant exactly what they said. They never wanted twins Jack, and to make it worse we’re damn near identical. To them you’re an angel and I’m the demon that ruins your good reputation by sharing your face. If I wasn’t a female we’d be identical and they probably would have tried to pass you off as both of us to save our stupid ass family name that I don’t give a shit about!”

“Kasey, you’re angry and ranting again. Remember what happened last time.”

“Gahhhh! You’re right, sorry. I’m just so tired of this crap. Our whole lives I’ve carried the dark half of this damn curse and you got the bright side of the deal. Even when we switched that one time, they blamed everything you screwed up on me! They never wanted me and now look where it’s brought us. They’ve finally sent me away.”

“They didn’t just send you away. I’m here with you, aren’t I? Not once since the beginning of our time have I left your side Kasey. It’s not like you’re alone. Our parents are…troubling, sure. It doesn’t matter though. We’ve got each other. That’s all we need to survive.”

“That’s easy for you to say. They didn’t send you away. They wanted you to stay, but for some reason you decided to come with me. If anything, they’ll just blame me for taking away their precious baby boy. I’m sure it’s my fault somehow.”

“Who cares Kasey. This is what you…what we needed. A new start. We’ve got that here. Where nobody knows about the family curse. Where nobody knows about what you and I were like when we were children. This is a fresh path for us to take. So, forget the past, let’s do what we can now. Okay?”

“I guess you’re right Jack. Well then, I guess you’re always right huh? This is… a fresh start. Haos Academy. Let’s see where this takes us.”

[haosacademy]

Welcome to Haos (Kasey)

     At first glance Haos Academy seemed like something out of a romanticized dream. And I don’t mean in the status quo boy meets girl kind of fantasy either. This place felt like an eight-year old, princess wannabe, spoiled brat puked all her fantasies onto some dream land island, and Haos academy was the result. I could barely stand the sight of it without wanting to regurgitate the lunch I scarfed down on my way here. Then again that’d be a waste of my brother’s food and even I can’t deny he’s a damn good cook.

     Being Twins with the jack of all trades is real shit sometimes though when everyone considers you the bane of their existence. I am the quintessential screw up and since I have nothing else in my life to reward myself for, I wear the moniker with shameless hubris. I learned from a young age I wasn’t going to stand around and take anyone’s crap for events that are clearly, to me and Jack at least, out of my goddamn control.

     To give you some idea of what the hell I’m even talking about I have to explain the three middle fingers life has plastered on my past. They were never things like most people experience where they gradually changed me or I just happened to settle into being that way. No, my life has been pretty much who I was the day before, and the person I became when I woke up the next morning, and man do I enjoy when those moments smacked my birth…monsters, in the face like a ton of bricks.  

     The first finger arose when I was eight and my brother and I got separated at the flea market. For any normal child, you probably just stand in one place or look around while crying and weeping for mommy and daddy until some nice lady at the store finds you and helps you by calling for them or having you look with a security guard. Well I’m no normal child as you may have already gathered.

     For a little while, I walked around, hoping that maybe my brother would find me and save me from this feeling, the feeling of being abandoned and lost, like I was being left at the supermarket on purpose. I felt like I was losing it that day, but then that’s when I cracked. Something in me changed, not gradually, not even subtly. All at once, I stopped feeling abandoned, and started realizing that I had been given an opportunity to cause some much needed, and hilarious chaos.

     Once I realized that feeling, I did what any crazy little eight-year-old girl would do. I climbed the nearest shelf, and leapt into the arms of the first stranger I saw, knocking them clean off their feet and into the display at the end of the aisle. As we crashed to the ground, the man looked horrified as the young girl that just flew into him laughed hysterically and couldn’t hide the immense joy on her face. Yes, I knew it was risky, and no, I didn’t care how much danger that man or I could have been in if he had hit something else. That was just the feeling I got, and for some reason, I felt the immense urge to follow it.

     Before that day, I had never done anything that could be labeled as reckless, but when I woke up the next day, all I wanted to do was risk my life doing outrageous stunts and daring my brother to risk his with me. From then on, whenever I decided it would be a good idea to execute a bad idea, Jack got a sharp pain in his temple and rushed to stop me. This never changed even after all these years. As a result, to this day he keeps a close eye on me like I’m some sick puppy, but unfortunately for him, the years have made me stronger and faster than he could hope to be.

     That was just the first finger. I’ll bore you with the details of the rest some other time, for now I’ve got to figure out a way to survive this damn school. My family has been piss poor our entire lives, I don’t even know how they afforded this Princess castle bullshit, but I was damn sure going to make them regret every penny.

     Jack and I decided to tour the school grounds a bit since we found out that the entrance ceremony wasn’t for another few hours, and we didn’t know where the gymnasium was anyways. He knew I wouldn’t be up for asking some uptight stranger for directions, so he figured it best to settle for not letting me roam the grounds alone. Honestly, that was probably a good call on his part.

     Even though it reeked of rich kids’ pleasure, I couldn’t help but find the scenery sort of intoxicating. I never imagined breathing in air this clean and letting it all overcome me as it was, but it was alluring to have the smell of burning oil, rotting food, and cigar smoke replaced by fresh grass, sweet smelling flowers, and a mixture of perfumes that calmed the sen…. I mean this is gross and I could really go for a cigarette right about now.

     I decided letting my mind wander to all this girly crap was going to rot my brain, so I’d rather just rot my lungs instead. I grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him into the shade beneath the windows along the wall at the back of the school and plopped down beneath an open window where I assumed nobody would be around to listen. I fetched my cigarettes from the inside of my leather jacket and Jack handed me his lighter, asking if he could catch a couple puffs from mine so he didn’t have to smoke his last one. Of course, me being the ever-loving sister told him for a dollar I’d love to share, and of course him being the agreeable older brother accepted my terms.

     For a few minutes, we sat silently, passing the cigarette back and forth as we contemplated what life at the academy would bring us. I couldn’t think of anything here that would bring me happiness. I hated meeting new people, I hated hearing stupid people speak, and I hated how everyone always likes my brother more than me. More than me, is actually the wrong way to state my situation. Everyone loves him. Everyone hates me. Always have, always will. Hell, what do I care anyways, I don’t need these snobby bastards to like me. I’ve only ever needed myself and Jack. That’ll never change.

     I finally decided it was getting too quiet for my own sanity, so it was time to try and at least strike a conversation with Jack to relieve some of this boredom. However, I never actually got to get any of the words out. Another voice caught my attention floating out from the window above our heads. A soft, sweet, and powerful voice all in one. A female’s voice. Singing a song from the room above us, a song that I recognized, but not in the same style. I knew the words, but for a moment, just a moment, I couldn’t put my finger on the name, but those words I knew all too well. I’ve only ever been trapped; why can’t I be free.

     This fire burns inside of me. It’s eating me alive. Why won’t you let me be. I’ll change my fate, just wait and see.

     I kept thinking as she continued the song. Trying to remember the original tone, the rhythm, something.

     Why am I alive? I know there’s something, left for me to find. How will I ever learn to fly if I don’t try. Sing with me of long lost freedom, how can I die, when my heart’s still beating.

     That’s when I remembered where I heard the song before. It was the last song Leave Me Dead played during their show in Silver city. I remembered every moment of that song, every note, every word, every beat of the drums. That was one of the greatest moments of my life.

     I jumped to my feet hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever was singing the song from the other room. The song felt the same as back then, when I saw Elisa singing live on that stage. The sound was different, but the emotion she sang with, that was something that couldn’t be faked. My heart began to beat out of my chest as I raised my head to peer over the window sill. Was I going to school with Elisa? Even I couldn’t be that lucky.

     Sadly, I was right. As I caught a glimpse of the figure in the other room, the only person in sight I laid my eyes on was a bottle blonde bimbo, crying and singing over a piano she was pretending to play as if she was serenading herself. I didn’t mean to think so badly of her, but how could her voice even possibly make me think Elisa was in here. There was just no possible way someone that looked like her should even know who Leave Me Dead is.

“I’m not a bottle blonde you punk rock bitch.”

     I was so caught up in my thoughts, I hadn’t realized that she had stopped singing and was looking straight at me from across the room. Had I spoken out loud? I couldn’t have. Jack would have stopped me before something bad came out of my mouth. What the hell just happened? I sat there stunned by her words as she wiped her eyes and indignantly picked up her belongings and made her way out into the hallway. Day one, opening ceremony hasn’t even begun, and I have already screwed up and made an enemy. Kasey, you’ve done it again.