The Apprentice - Prologue

         The sun was shining when Malcolm awoke to his mother shaking him awake. Sitting up on his cot he looked into her face. His mother was standing over him, a beautiful woman. Malcolm cocked his head inquisitively, rubbing sleep from his eyes. His mother usually let him sleep, Something about today was different; something special.

         “The other boys want to play with you, why don’t you go join them,” his mother responded before he could ask.

         “They don’t like me, the only reason the want me to play is so they have a scapegoat in all of their games,” Malcolm responded bitterly.

         His mother looked disappointed, she would like nothing more than for him to get along with the other boys, to make more friends. He was somewhat of an outcast in the village, there but not noticed. Except for when the other boys needed someone to make fun of or, on the bad days, beat. Resigning himself to at least try to make his mother happy, he got up and began to dress himself. Malcolm was headed out the door when his mother stopped him, and kissed him on the forehead.

         Outside it was a nice day, the sun was high and the sound of leaves blowing in the breeze was abundant. The other boys were waiting for him outside of his families home. They immediately headed toward him, laughing in his direction. There were four of them; Jori, Raz, Kip, and  George. Jori, the largest of the boys led the pack.

         “Come out to play with us, have you?” Jori sneered as the pack reached Malcolm.

         “We have a new game to play in the forest, we need you to play it,” chimed in Kip.          
         “I guess I'll play,” Said Malcolm, skeptical.

         Jori grabbed him by the arm and the boys began heading for the forest, and they all laughed and joked. The boys led him deeper and deeper into the forest and soon Malcolm started to regret his decision. Soon they were too deep for any of the adults to help him if something went bad, and by the look on George's face, is exactly what the boys wanted. They boys were all wielding thick sticks now.

         “The game is called monsters and heroes, your the monster, were the heroes. Better run monster!” Jori sneered and emphasized his point by whacking Malcolm in the side of the head with the stick, hard.

         Malcolm began to run as fast as he could. Running through the trees he dodged left and right, he could hear Jori and the other boys laughing behind him. He continued to run, trying to get away from the other boys. The branches of the trees whipped him in the face as he ran, and sweat was running into his eyes. Reaching up to wipe it away his hand came back red, Jori had hit him harder than he'd thought.          

         He was soon out of breath and his sides felt as if they were going to split open, but he kept running. He ran as fast as he could, but that wasn’t fast enough. Soon Jori caught up with him and hit him in the back with the stick. Malcolm lost his footing and fell, and Jori was quickly upon him. He was helpless, but that did not stop the boy, who kept hitting him where ever he could, the face, his legs and body. Malcolm felt helplessness and fear growing in himself. In going to die, here in the forest. I’m going to die, he kept thinking.

         As the beating continued, and those feelings started to change. They grew until they overflowed, their was a blue flash and then jori flew off of Malcolm and landed in the dirt. Malcolm instinctivley took the opportunity to pick up the stick. Stick in hand, he ran over to Jori as the boy was getting up, he looked confused and scared. Malcolm jumped on him and  started to beat the startled boy back down, without hesitation or thought.

The boy was soon crying for help, but Malcolm did not stop. He was concentrating all his strength into the rise and fall of the stick, beating him about the head. Soon the cries stopped, yet Malcolm did not. The other boys found them and were stunned. Malcolm, breathing heavy and covered in the other boys blood, finally was finished with the boy's still body.

         “Y-you killed him, you really are a monster,” Kip said, horrified.

         “You're going to be in-,” but Raz was cut off by a bolt of lighting that stuck a tree next to him, and the boys all ran.

         Malcolm sat there, stunned at what he had done. Looking at the boys lifeless eyes, he tried to comprehend what had just happened. That’s when a figured appeared out of the trees a little ways away.
It was a man, he had long blonde hair, tied behind him, and piercing eyes, almost white in color. The man approached Malcolm, smiling happily and clapping a slow clap.

         “You show potential, young one,” Said the man, “Come with me and I shall teach you many things.”

         He could not go back to the village, he would be killed. His mother would be devastated, but it was better than watching your son be hanged. So he followed the man. He did not have much choice.