Venatori Parents Suck

Dylan didn’t bother apologizing he was walking around me and looking at Sam who was clinging to my hand. I smiled at Emma’s parents. “My name is Nox Sétanta. I’ve been dreaming about your children.”

The women gasped apparently they knew of the dreams. “We might want to sit down and talk.” I said

Emma’s father took my hand. “Tim. And this is my wife Darla. What’s this about?”

“You might want to sit down.” I said and waved my hand to the couch sitting across the room. There were enough seats for the four of them to sit down comfortably so I sat on the floor so I wasn’t imposing. I was about to tell them that someone had been abusing the children, but I had no proof of it.

Both Emma and Sam sat with me much to their parents disapproval. I took a deep breath to calm my fear and my anger. Both were still making me jittery and I was glad to be sitting down. “18 years ago I came to the Venatori because I sparked. My teacher was Garrett Spencer. And he has the ability to make me see things that aren’t there – to feel things that aren’t real. When I graduated into regular classes he tried to hurt me again, and I sparked. He said it was an accident, I suppose hoping it was another year I could spend with him. But it wasn’t an accident. I knew what I was doing. I lit him on fire on purpose because I wasn’t going to let him hurt me again.”

Sam clung to my arm and Emma was still wrapped around me and her hands squeezed tighter. The both knew I said the truth, they had gone through it. “But that next year I started having dreams, almost immediately after I stopped seeing Garrett. I saw the same things he did to me in my head, except now I was hurting myself with my own ability. I can open my psychiatric records to you if you don’t believe me.”

Darla cried out, “Why should we believe some crazy?”

I ignored her and continued with a sigh. “While I was out with Dylan last month, shortly after Dylan told me Sam was having nightmares and had scars on his back like I have on mine I had a dream. I dreamt of 5 other kids other than myself who Garrett was sending the same nightmare too. A pair of glowing eyes, mine are red, but change colors if I’m scared about something else. The eyes get closer and that’s when the hooded figure starts sprouting tentacles of the elements and they lash across my back. I can’t scream. I can’t move. Doing either only makes it worse. When the hooded figure is in front of me with those glowing red eyes he removes the hood exposing who is really there. But I never get to see the face clearly.”

“You could just be reciting what the kids have been telling you. It’s almost word for word.” Sam’s mom said, I think her name was Lisa.

“I wish that were the case, but this is the first time I’ve met either Sam or Emma. That was the dream I’ve had every night for the past 18 years. I have it every night unless I feel completely safe. Every morning for the past 18 years I have drawn the images I saw. I have 18 years worth of sketches set aside that I can have brought up to my apartment if you really want to see them.”

I hugged the two kids to me. And spoke to Sam, “Why don’t you show Emma your room?” The both held tighter. I reached in my back pocket and pulled out my wallet, and two cards and handed one to each kid. “I want to show them what I recorded. But I don’t want you to see it again, to live it again. Okay? This is my card. My personal number is on it. You can call me anytime. Night or day if you are scared alright?”

Sam and Emma both took the cards and looked at it. “Can you go play?” Sam offered Emma his hand and she took it, and the two six year olds went off down the hall.

I took out my phone. “There has never been proof that Garrett was the one doing. The footage in the fire-starter rooms just shows what you’d expect to see. The big difference between what he did with me, and the other kids was my tapes only show me with my hands on the wall and nothing else. Because he was in my head doing the rest.” I played the video of Emma. Her hands were against the wall and nothing else until I pounded on the door.

When the lash of air landed on the back of Emma the parents eyes went wide. His small confession was lost on them as they watched him. Dylan looked at me over my phone. “Why didn’t you kill him?”

I chuckled. “Do you know me at all?”

“He hurt you. He hurt Sam. He hurt Emma and all you do is threaten him.”

I shook my head. “That’s not all I’m going to do.”

All four parents stood up and towered over me. Lisa pointed a the door. “Get the fuck out. You don’t care about our kids. Just your reputation.”

I sighed. Venatori sucked! I nodded, “Fine. But don’t let Garrett near them again.”

Tim frowned, “Like we needed you to tell us that.”

I was at the door and I turned around with a smirk on my face and opened the door for a speedy escape. “Well maybe if you had listened to your kids instead of thinking they made shit up they wouldn’t have needed me to save them.” I stepped out of the room and slammed the door behind me.