NaNoWriMo Rough Draft

CHAPTER ONE

“They've promised that dreams can come true - but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams, too.”-Oscar Wilde

16 years ago I was born in Long Island, New York, the first born son of Rebecca William Pierce. My mother was only 17 at the time, not fully prepared for a baby, and my dad…. Well I don’t know anything about him. All I know is that he abandoned my mother right when he was told she was going to have his child.

My mom knew before I was born, that she couldn’t raise me. The only choice she thought she had was to put me up for adoption, and that’s exactly what she did.

I haven’t seen my birth mom since I was born. I probably won’t ever see her again.

Since then I have been from foster home, to foster home. I’m kind of a troublemaker, if I do say so myself. I would always run away from my foster homes; whether they treated me badly or not.

I thought I always wanted to be independent and live on my own. I didn’t think I needed anyone, or that anyone needed me. I was wrong.

There came a day when I finally found my perfect family. A family, that showed me what love was, and made me feel special.

My adopted father and mother, Jonathan and Amanda Ketchum, I believe were a gift from God, and the symbols of love. The only person who ever made me doubt that was my step-brother, Cain.

Being the only child, Cain was used to having all the attention on him, but since I was his adopted brother, we had to share that attention.

Sometimes he would say that his parents didn’t care about him at all anymore, and that I was the favorite child. Of course, I didn’t agree with it, but even I knew it was the truth. The Ketchum’s did give me the most attention.

Well, Cain was hurt by this, and he expressed his feelings by picking on me. At school, at home, and just anytime we were together. He was the only one who could turn my dream of having a perfect family, into a nightmare. In the beginning, I ignored it, but one day I couldn’t help but to say something back…

It was on my 15th birthday. My parents had gotten me a chocolate cake, my favorite. Everything was fine, until Cain pushed my head into the cake. That had triggered me.

“I HATE YOU!”, “I WISH YOU WEREN’T MY BROTHER!”, I yelled, and so much more.

“What? You can’t take a joke?”, Cain laughed, as he scooped his hand into the cake and put it in my face.

“Stop it Cain! Go to your room this instance!”, my father yelled, his face red in anger.

That’s when I said something that I’ll regret for the rest of my life…

“This is why mom and dad love me more than you! You're a disappointment!”

Oh how I wish I haven’t had said that…

Cain turned and faced at me, “What did you say?!”

My parents stood there in embarrassment, not knowing what to do next.

“You know what you turd? You're right, I am a disappointment, but aren’t you too? Both of your parents ABANDONED you. Your dad, before you were born, and your mother after. And I don’t blame them. I would do the same if I was in there place because who would want YOU as a child?”, he said with a grin on his face, but pain in his eyes.

I snapped.

I grabbed him by the throat, then and there.

“What makes you think you can say those lies in front of my face without a consequence!”, I yelled at his face, my grip on his throat tightening as I watched the life in his eyes slowly go away.

“Let go of him, son! You're going to kill him!”, yelled mom, as my dad started to pull me away.

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!”, I yelled, as my eyes turned black and my voice deepened.

The lights went out.

Everything went silent.

I turned my head.

My parents were dead.

My name is Azrael William Pierce, and this is the story of how I became my own nightmare, how I became The Nightmare.

The lights turned back on. I stood there looking at my dead parents.

Whatever happened to their bodies, well itś harsh to explain. There eyes were gone, leaving a pit of nothingness in their eye sockets. That wasn't the only thing that was black though. There skin, well it changed…. As in their skin was no pitch black, as black as the night.

I couldn't believe what had happened. Did I do this? If so, how did I do this?

Then I heard I moan in the back. It was Cain, still alive but dying slowly.

“What happened?!”, I asked the poor soul. I could now see that his skin was slowly turning black too. It was like an infection that spread across his skin.

“You happened. You killed our parents, and did this to me.”, he said with pain in his voice.

“Lies! I would never do such a thing! How could I have done this?”, I yelled, even though I knew there was a possibility that this was my fault…

“I saw it with my own eyes Azrael. You murdered them. The lights turned off and we all started suffocating. It was like the darkness turned into a gas.

“Then you started chanting some bs. I don’t even think it was english, but it down sound like some kind of cult chant.

“You dropped me on the floor, then looked at father right in the eyes while saying those words. His skin started turning black, like me, and he started screaming about how painful it was. Next it was mom, she died faster though. I think she had a panic attack.

“Then it was me.”, he explained.

In my head it made no sense, but I could tell he wasn’t lying. The anger in his eyes, that was gone. It was replaced with fear. Not from his dead parents laying near him, but from me.

“No, you’re wrong. YOU'RE WRONG! This is impossible! I can’t remember any of this! The lights went off, then they turned on and I saw my parents dead. I did NOT kill my parents”, I said, as I started to cry.

“Believe it or not. But, we both know the truth. You’re a killer. I’m no longer the nightmare, but YOU are”, Cain replied, a scream came after. I forgot that he was still dying.

“God, help me”, I muttered under my breath, tears dropping from my face like a hard rain.

“God can’t help you now. Your powers are not a gift from God, but instead from the devil. You are the devil”, Cain said.

“Shut up!”, I yelled, “Even when you’re dying, you still seem to want to get on my nerves!”

My eyes started to turn black again. I could feel the power in my veins, as I grabbed Cain again.

He stared at me, this time with no fear, but now emptiness. Anger, Fear, and now emptiness…

“Do it”, Cain said.

And that’s what I did. I killed him. I am a killer.

That all happened exactly a year ago. Now I am 16, and a lot has happened since then.

First off, I ran away. I have never been back to New York again, and never will. It’s too risky.

I adopted my brothers name. There is no longer a Azrael William Pierce. I am now Cain Alexander Ketchum, a normal teenager living a normal life.. No one know’s my true identity, and now will. It’s too risky.

I haven’t used my powers since, and never will. It’s too risky.

It seems like everything is too risky now and days, but it’s all still mandatory.

I’ve thought about finding a foster home, but they would look on my personal record and find my identity. So, I live on the streets.

I kinda hide in the shadows, not wanting to be seen, but if I ever do get caught: I’ll give myself up.

I’m ashamed of my actions, I admit to that.