Stroke Of Midnight Halloween Special Part One
Okay..So Stroke Of Midnight is a fic that I will be starting very soon. I actually plan on writing it during my holiday break in December, when I am at home where there is no internet. I decided to write a one shot of this fic to see how many people actually like it and would want to see it on LJ as well as fanfiction.net and possible Archive Of Our Own (yes I do have an account there!) So I will let you read this and yes...I know I'm evil.
“Class, remember that the rough draft for the paper is due to me on later then 6pm on November 11th through my email. I want to be able to read them all over the weekend and hand the corrected ones to you as soon as possible.”
The monotone voice of Mr. Michael Templer washed over Roy as he stared at his plain, drawn on desk in his English classroom. It was nearly 2:11, the time when the bell would ring and send all the students running out of the old brick building and into the early afternoon sun. It was a crisp October day, 2:00pm on the 29th to be exact. It was the Friday before Halloween, and excitement filled the eyes of the class full of sophomores as they whispered about their plans and costumes.
But Roy’s mind was not on Halloween and the parties that he had been invited to by hordes of girls fighting for his attention. He wasn’t even going to any of the parties his classmates were chattering about nonstop, not feeling at all in a party mood. The 16-year-old sighed softly and looked out the window, seeing not the bright sunlight and trees with leaves of varying colors but a world forever cloaked in shadows and glowing eyes staring from behind every tree.
“The paper is to be 8 pages long and must include a works cited page.” Mr. Templer continued to drawl out, seeming not to notice his class’s total lack of attention. “The margins are to be no larger then one inch and the paper must be written in Times New Roman size 12 or its equivalent. It must be doubled spaced and I will check for the usual little cheats used with the adjustments of margins and spacing. Have a good weekend and be careful. Happy Halloween class. See you on Monday.”
The bell rang shrilly, signaling the end of the school day and the beginning of the weekend. Chairs squeaked loudly against the floor and the entire class ran out as if the hounds of Hell were chasing them, all the while laughing loudly and shoving each other to get out of the door first. Roy shook his head and sighed, getting his things together and placing them into his book bag before exiting the classroom, giving his teacher a nod on his way out. He didn’t notice the way his teacher looked at him as he left, a weird glint in his brown eyes. A look that almost bordered on hungry.
Roy made his way slowly down the hall, not bothering to go to his locker and drop off his books. All that was in his bag was the things needed for his English assignment, all other work done during study hall the period before English. His dark eyes, appearing black in the dull lighting of the hallway, flickered around trying to spot his friends and avoid them. He didn’t feel like spending the weekend happy and carefree, joking around and getting costumes ready in order to go to parties full of skimpily clad bodies and too loud music.
He didn’t want to have fun this Halloween, not when he knew that Ed hadn’t had a happy night in the darkness for the past nine years. Nine years of forever being hunted, chased, and watched by evil eyes that wished nothing but pain to be brought to you. “Edward…” Roy whispered, so low that it sounded like just a string of nonsense sounds. A blush, not noticeable under the florescent lights so common everywhere, graced pale cheeks devoid of facial hair.
Edward Elric, a man looking to be only 15 and yet was really 24, was a fiery blond with eyes of gold. His hair was long, a wondrous shade of sunlit gold tied back in an efficient braid with long bangs that framed a charmingly boyish face. Full red lips adorned the pretty face, looking innocent most of the time and yet turning sinful when Ed smiled wickedly. His body, lithe and slender, was dressed in the clothes that Roy had brought to him during his second visit to the land that Ed had said was called Kage Sekai.(Shadow World) The combination of black leather pants and a white dress shirt over a black muscle shirt was erotic in a way that Roy couldn’t full explain to himself, much less to anyone else.
Roy tried to block out the image of Ed smiling at him, eyes full of wonder and joy, as he described what had changed in the outside world during the nine years of his imprisonment. The dark haired teen shook his head, eyes fluttering shut momentarily before opening again. His head dropped to stare at the ground as he walked down the half deserted hallways, easily tuning out the noise of the students still lingering in the school, either heading off to after school clubs, sports, or waiting for friends to show up.
He was almost to the door when he heard the voice of his best friend Maes Hughes calling out to him happily. “Roy! Hey Roy wait up a second.” Roy stopped in the middle of the hall and turned around to face Hughes, a teen with spiky black hair and intelligent green eyes behind rectangular glasses. Roy’s eyes were tired as they stared at his approaching friend blankly.
“What’s up Hughes?” Roy asked, leaning against the wall of lockers. Hughes stopped in front of his best friend of ten years and looked at him with eyes that glittered with humor and excitement.
“Are you doing anything for Halloween on Sunday?” Hughes asked, adjusting his book bog with a casual shrug. Roy’s eyes clouded with thought for a split second, sadness and guilt making the dark orbs even darker, before giving a small nod.
“I want to get a head start on my paper for Mr. Templer today.” Roy said simply “And as for the weekend…” Here Roy took a deep breath before continuing in a voice that was just a bit sad “I just don’t feel like doing anything for Halloween this year.” Hughes frowned at that, knowing fully well that Halloween was one of Roy’s favorite holidays. However, before he could say a single word, Roy suddenly collapsed on to the floor, eyes rolling into the back of his head, and a pained gasp escaped past suddenly too pale lips.
“Roy!” Hughes cried out in a panic as he managed to break Roy‘s fall, alerting the other kids still around them. Some of them ran off, looking for teachers, while others took out cell phones to call an ambulance. As much as teenagers are given a bad reputation for not caring and not listening, the truth is that they do care and do listen. And they will take immediate action, especially when it’s one of their own or family in danger.
Hughes sank to the floor, holding a shivering Roy, who was having trouble breathing. Sweat beaded on his brow and his eyelashes fluttered as his eyes moved beneath closed lids. “Roy…Roy wake up. What’s wrong with you? Roy!”
Hughes held his friend, fear in his eyes, as the school nurse rushed to them with teachers following her, concern on their faces. Hughes was pushed aside gently by motherly hands as the elderly nurse looked at Roy, with concern and worry clouding her wise blue eyes. Hughes walked away a few feet, eyes never leaving his friend, and refusing to talk to anyone that came close to him. Soon, uniformed EMTs came rushing down the hall, pulling a stretcher. They carefully transferred Roy from the arms of Nurse Cheryl Woods to the stretcher and strapped him down, asking questions and receiving answers. They left quickly, rushing to the ambulance in order to take their young patient to the hospital where his condition would be evaluated more fully.
Maes Hughes stood there for a long while before whispering “What is wrong Roy? Why can‘t you trust me enough to tell me what is going on with you…I have known you since we were little…” The teen shook his head, deciding that those were questions that didn’t need answers at the moment. He took out a cell phone and dialed the number of Daphne Mustang, dreading telling her that her only son was being driven to the hospital.