The first part of my in-progress Skulduggery story

I was in the house, in my room like always, listening to some of my favorite White Stripes songs when there was a terrible scream. That was it- my life turned around by one sound. If Dad hadn't have screamed then I'd never have gone down to see what it was, and I'd never have seen his murderer- a tall, dark man with twinkling eyes and a terrible expression of hatred on his face. He held a gun at my Dad's bleeding head and all I could do was scream and run away. I'd never seen a gun before. We lived in a part of the world where there's no sorcerers or magic for miles and we were just living peacefully when he was just... there, with a gun to my head. My heart was absolutely pounding and my thoughts were racing. Black tears were streaming down my pale face. My own Dad! Now gone forever. I should have ran for the door but I wasn't thinking straight. I remembered how hard it was for Dad to catch me while we played tag in the house together if I ran up the staircase...

So that's where I went, straight to my room up the staircase and he was right behind me. Terror was stealing my breath and I almost tripped but then slammed the door. White Stripes classics were still blazing down the CD player at me. I felt him tap the door while I pushed against it and my heart lept. He was inches away and all that stood between us was a small wooden door. What if he was an Elemental and could take the door and me apart just by pushing at nothing?
          "I want you to do me a favour..." he began but then there was a crash and Kip was there, beyond the door. The first time I saw him, I saw a handsome hero come to rescue me. He looked about seventeen, which is how old I am, and I could only watch from the now open doorway as the favour asking man wiped blood from his mouth. "Darkos. Again."he growled. "It's always you!"
          "That's because I can stop you" Kip's opponent's voice was smoother than anything, and always seemed to be calm. He never got out of breath and the blood down his throat didn't seem to bother him. Kip's voice was colder, harsher, and got straight to the point.
          "Pah!" The favour-asking man spat on my carpet. I was going to yell but this wasn't the time. "You haven't stopped me yet"
          "That's because I never get round to it." he smiled slightly and I found myself staring at his perfect lips. "You talk too much" With a frustraited growl and a glare, the favour asking man lept and Kip waved his dagger. Shadows formed a sort of wall that enveloped the man, crushing him beneath it and pinning him. Kip turned to me and didn't say a word. He just grabbed my wrist and we were hurtling through the window, the shadows guiding us down. There were two reasons I didn't want to let go. The favour asking man was the second one.
         Angelista Skaa was there with a fireball in hand, hurling it at the favour asking man. The favour asking man dodged by spinning in midair then dropped heavily to the ground, scuttling away. On the drive to Kip's, they introduced themselves and the favour asking man, who turned out to be Karx Epo. They didn't tell me where we were going or why they had helped or what exactly they wanted with me when I asked, but Angelista told me thy may be watching. Yeah, helpful.

I was in the house, in my room like always, listening to some of my favorite White Stripes songs when there was a terrible scream. That was it- my life turned around by one sound. If Dad hadn't have screamed then I'd never have gone down to see what it was, and I'd never have seen his murderer- a tall, dark man with twinkling eyes and a terrible expression of hatred on his face. He held a gun at my Dad's bleeding head and all I could do was scream and run away. I'd never seen a gun before. We lived in a part of the world where there's no sorcerers or magic for miles and we were just living peacefully when he was just... there, with a gun to my head. My heart was absolutely pounding and my thoughts were racing. Black tears were streaming down my pale face. My own Dad! Now gone forever. I should have ran for the door but I wasn't thinking straight. I remembered how hard it was for Dad to catch me while we played tag in the house together if I ran up the staircase...

So that's where I went, straight to my room up the staircase and he was right behind me. Terror was stealing my breath and I almost tripped but then slammed the door. White Stripes classics were still blazing down the CD player at me. I felt him tap the door while I pushed against it and my heart lept. He was inches away and all that stood between us was a small wooden door. What if he was an Elemental and could take the door and me apart just by pushing at nothing?
          "I want you to do me a favour..." he began but then there was a crash and Kip was there, beyond the door. The first time I saw him, I saw a handsome hero come to rescue me. He looked about seventeen, which is how old I am, and I could only watch from the now open doorway as the favour asking man wiped blood from his mouth. "Darkos. Again."he growled. "It's always you!"
          "That's because I can stop you" Kip's opponent's voice was smoother than anything, and always seemed to be calm. He never got out of breath and the blood down his throat didn't seem to bother him. Kip's voice was colder, harsher, and got straight to the point.
          "Pah!" The favour-asking man spat on my carpet. I was going to yell but this wasn't the time. "You haven't stopped me yet"
          "That's because I never get round to it." he smiled slightly and I found myself staring at his perfect lips. "You talk too much" With a frustraited growl and a glare, the favour asking man lept and Kip waved his dagger. Shadows formed a sort of wall that enveloped the man, crushing him beneath it and pinning him. Kip turned to me and didn't say a word. He just grabbed my wrist and we were hurtling through the window, the shadows guiding us down. There were two reasons I didn't want to let go. The favour asking man was the second one.
         Angelista Skaa was there with a fireball in hand, hurling it at the favour asking man. The favour asking man dodged by spinning in midair then dropped heavily to the ground, scuttling away. On the drive to Kip's, they introduced themselves and the favour asking man, who turned out to be Karx Epo. They didn't tell me where we were going or why they had helped or what exactly they wanted with me when I asked, but Angelista told me thy may be watching. Yeah, helpful.



For more, go to:

http://kaliamist.blogspot.com/2011/09/making-new-friends.html

part 3:

http://kaliamist.blogspot.com/2011/09/sanctuary.html

part 4:

http://kaliamist.blogspot.com/2011/09/jail.html

part 5:

http://kaliamist.blogspot.com/2011/09/vladican-drab.html

part 6:

http://kaliamist.blogspot.com/2011/09/practise-makes-perfect.html

part 7:

http://kaliamist.blogspot.com/2011/09/time-of-rest.html

part 8:

http://kaliamist.blogspot.com/2011/09/angelistas-secrets.html