The Druid
By: Dark Shadow
(© 2006 by the author)

The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed without the author's consent. Comments are appreciated at...


Chapter 3
Lilac

I found an empty seat on the bus that didn't look too sticky. Duct tape seemed to be the predominant color for the majority of the seats with the slight intrusion of the ugliest of dark greens. The seats had been carved up, written on, and taped several times over the years. I leaned my head against the window and watched the road blaze past in a blur of gravel and concrete. Each bump sent my head tapping against the window like Morris Code. Glancing up to the scenery of empty cornfields, I noticed we were getting closer to my house. I released the barrier from around myself. The emotions from the other passengers were dulled. There was something about the ride home on the bus that seemed to pull us into half-sleep.
 
I stood and hefted my book bag over my shoulder as the bus came to a jerky stop that nearly threw me off my feet. This was the only bus I had ever ridden and I was beginning to wonder how they held together. I wasn't as happy to be home as I normally would be. Part of my home was missing, the uncles. At least Shadow would be there to greet me.
 
I walked up our long driveway and unlocked the side door. Shadow must have heard the bus pulling up and driving away, because she was waiting for the door to open and began jumping against my legs. I held the door open and ruffled her curly hair as she shot out to take care of her business. She wandered around the yard before finding her favorite spots and then trotted back to the door.
 
"Hey, Shadow!" I said with an excited edge, and crouched down.
 
Shadow jumped up into my arms and gave me a couple of quick dog kisses as I stood. Juggling the book bag and her, and trying to open the door again wasn't easy, but I managed and entered the house. I sat Shadow down onto the floor and kicked off my shoes.
 
My stomach was giving me the hints of nausea, and I felt a little weak, I needed to eat. Either that, or Doris really had poisoned me. I chuckled at the thought. I think I'll give her a plant tomorrow, maybe something pretty.

"Well, Shadow, how about a grilled cheese?" I asked. She jumped and bounced against my thigh, knowing anything said in front of the refrigerator meant food for her. I pulled out some cheese, margarine, and bread from on top of the refrigerator. I clanged through the pots and pans in the cabinet below, finally finding the flat square skillet.. I started the stove and it lit with a thwoop. I placed the skillet above the low flame and buttered the bread.

The bread sizzled against the pan as I lay the four slices in place. I threw on the cheese and knew it would only be a couple more minutes before it was ready. I poured me a glass of milk in the meantime. I closed my eyes and pushed my gratitude out to the world that gave me these things.

I turned off the burner and carefully flipped melted cheese and toasted bread together. I grabbed two glass plates from the cupboard above me and scooped a sandwich onto each. The cheese was starting to ooze from around the edges. It looked and smelled buttery sweet. I'd have taken a bite right away, but knew the cheese was too much like molten tar. I cut Shadow's sandwich into little pieces and separated the bite-sized chunks so that they would cool faster. I placed our sandwiches and my milk at the table and finally sat down. I placed Shadow's plate on the floor and she proceeded to wolf down her sandwich.

The day had felt like too much effort. I've never had to be on constant watch of myself to such degree in the past. I don't know how these kids did it, day after day. It was so much easier to openly admire a thing of beauty, whether it was plant, animal, or person. I hated guarding my every word and having to think to such depth before speaking.

The students at my new school seemed to fight their individuality desperately, and the school seemed to perpetuate the problem. The smart kids, the jocks, the cheerleaders, all fell into pre-packaged categories created by the school itself. Then there was the army of darkness. The 'Goth' and 'Emo' clans, that seemed to rage against that conformity. Then again, these darkly dressed and painted people were a group of followers too. They were almost as cookie cutter as the rest of them.

A few of us were on the fringe. We just didn't seem to fit in with any of them. Brian was one, and now so was I. I know there are others, but when people try so hard not to stand out, I hate to speak to them and prove they've failed. It didn't seem to me that high school was intended to make individuals.

I had almost finished my milk and grilled cheese when I felt Shadow's stare. She knew I'd give her my last bite. I always did. She had trained me well. I washed down a bite with the remainder of my milk before putting the last corner of my sandwich on her plate. I never fed her from my hand. It just seemed demeaning to me. I doubted she would care. After all, she licked her own butt, and my hands had to be cleaner.

"All gone," I said showing her my empty hands.

I grabbed our plates and rinsed them in the sink and headed to my garden.

'I wonder what kind of flower or plant Doris might like.' I pondered the question in my head while my eyes centered on a small and upcoming lilac shrub I had been working with. Yes, I think Doris is a lilac lady. How would I get it on the bus, and into the school undetected? Looks like tomorrow I'd be walking. It was only about three miles. Gods know I've walked further than that before. I wanted this plant to be special though. Doris was definitely unique, her plant should be too.

I busied myself with the watering can, adding different amounts of water to the many herbs and plants in my garden. Some of my garden plants are medicinal, some for cooking, and some for the works of magick and ritual. Each had its purpose and I was grateful for them.

"So, Lilac, will you be special?" I asked.

"Will you share your beauty and fragrance with Doris?" I questioned, placing my hands on the sides of the black plastic pot. The six or seven bunches of flowers opened and seemed to sigh as they showed me their purple beauty and gave of their tantalizing aroma. The small lilac shrub had grown almost three inches as wood and leaves twisted toward the sky. New flower buds formed, threatening to burst open with their lovely scent. I had my answer.

I could see the sun setting through the windows that enclosed my garden. The red and orange stretched across the leaves and flowers of my many plants, reminding me it would soon be time for bed. Tomorrow I would have to rise early for my trek into town.

I walked through the door leading outside. I needed to speak with my uncles.

I took a few steps into our front yard. The fall winds pushed at me in gusts and the smell of earth and crisp leaves danced through the air. The moon was waxing and gave the fields below a deep blue glow.

I sent my whisper across the winds, "There is another Druid here."

Moments passed and the wind brought my feathery reply, "We know."

They knew? Why hadn't they mentioned it before? Why wasn't he trained?

I felt an icy shiver climb up the back of my arms bristling the fine hairs. It crept up the back of my neck and across my scalp. A feeling of dread flooded through me, and the air had suddenly become colder. Steamy puffs of air came from my mouth, making small clouds from my quickened breath. A chorus of a thousand whispers pushed a warning through the growing darkness.

I took a slow step back toward the house and into the weak light that stretched through the porch's windows. Opaque shadows seemed to devour the moonlight and sound as it crept toward me. They writhed across the ground like large black snakes, moving closer as they stretched through the enfolding darkness.

Shadow's barks and growls sounded like they were a mile away as the whirling black mass seemed to press in on the weak light from the porch window. There were hundreds of Shades. These angry spirits should not have been able to pass the wards. My uncles and I had created the protective barriers months ago.

I stretched out my left arm and lifted it toward the surrounding night. "Lugh, lend me your light," I whispered.

A flash of brilliant blinding white light erupted from my palm like burning magnesium. The racing black silhouettes stopped instantly and shattered against the light. An angry howl broke across the wind like a painful moan as blackened Shades cowered back to the Otherworld. The shadows receded, and I was left again in the dark blue light of the moon. Only the rustle of wind-swept leaves, and the song of insects remained.

My fear and confusion had diminished the wards of our land. The veil to the Otherworld was weakening, and I would have to strengthen the wards come morning. The night held many beautiful and terrifying things. Many creatures long since forgotten by man still lurked in the shadows. Normally we Druid did not interfere, but soon we would again be called to battle. In all things, there must be balance. The Shade's attack was another reminder that the 'Year of Fire' was upon us.

"Well done," the uncles whispered to me across the wind.

"You could have warned me," I whispered back a little indignantly.

"The land warned you, you did not need us," came their breathy whispered reply.

A few moments passed as the wind pressed against my skin with cold silken fingers.

"I'm going to train him," I whispered.

"It is forbidden!" came the harsh whisper and gust of cool wind.

"You can return and stop me, or leave me to my ways," I whispered.

The wind heaved a long sigh, "So be it," they answered.

I shrugged away the last of my fear and turned my back against the night. I went back into the house and locked the door behind me. I took some dried sage that I had hung a couple of weeks earlier, down from the ceiling, and lit it to purify and protect us. I made my way from room to room, drawing the runes of protection in the air. Shadow followed along, watching the strange ritual she had seen countless times before. I had come full circle through the house and finally finished the cleansing. I snuffed out the burning tips into the mortar on my work bench, and drew a line along the base of the front door. No evil would cross this line.

Morning would be coming quickly, and I needed to shower and sleep. I scrubbed down under the jets of water in the upstairs shower. The ringlets of water traveled down my body like little rivers of heat. Before long I was done and my mop of shoulder length brown hair would, as usual, greet me in the morning with chaos. Going to bed with wet hair had become a habit, and the morning battle to put it into place would begin. I suppose I could just sleep in my filth each night, and then wash in the morning, but that just didn't seem right to me.

I awoke before the dawn with Shadow curled into the curve of my body. She radiated heat like smoldering coals. I hated to leave the warmth of my bed, but I had a lot to do. I reluctantly climbed out of bed and pulled on the clothes that I had set out the night before. I wet my hair to beat down the unruly brown curls. How my haired defied gravity in the morning always amazed me. It stuck up and out in every conceivable direction except for the one I wanted.

I ran a comb through my unruly brown hair and went down stairs. I started the coffee and the furnace and Shadow finally followed. She wasn't an early riser. The cold seemed to bring us both to the brink as we relieved ourselves outside against the frost-tipped grass. The morning air was crisp and clean, as I renewed the wards in the corners of our land. Magick rode across the soil and sun tipped plants as they leaned in the breeze, waving hello. I gave Shadow a farewell hug before placing her in the house. I grabbed the small lilac bush and my book bag and started my hike toward school.

The lilac blooms seemed to curl in on themselves for warmth against the cool morning air as I listened to the crunch of gravel and dirt beneath my feet. I finally arrived at the school. It seemed desolate and unwelcoming. I walked through the entrance into the lobby where only a few students stood. They didn't seem to pay me any attention as I carried the plant before me to the cafeteria.

I placed it on top of the long silver grey metal table that was Doris' work space. I watched as the blooms opened their purple stars sharing their beauty and sweet scent. I hoped she would like it. I left a note on a scrap of paper.

"Doris, thank you for the salad. PS… No meat. The salad kid."

I made my getaway, and prepared for my first class of the day. I unloaded the books into the bottom of my locker, and gathered my Zoology materials. I found a quiet corner in the school lobby and reviewed the chapter I should have read the night before. I had covered this material years ago and made short work of it.

The school slowly clamored to life around me as more and more students arrived. I chose not to hide behind my emotional barrier today. I needed to adapt, and that wasn't going to happen if I didn't allow myself to feel. The pressure of mixed emotions smothered me as I struggled against their weight. Taking a deep breath, I calmed my mind and concentrated. I wanted to feel but not so strongly, and with control. I felt the rush of feelings diminish as if somehow muted. The emotions were still there, but less intense than before. I opened my eyes when I felt him sit beside me.

"How'd you get here so early?" Brian asked as his brow furrowed and creased just above his slightly upturned nose.

"I walked this morning. I had something to do," I said looking into his green eyes.

"Walked!" he said, looking at me like I had committed some mortal sin.

"Yeah, it's only about three miles. It didn't take long," I said.

He was so adorable with his cherub face and thin pale frame. A warm ache started in the center of my chest and crawled up my cheeks in a flush as I diverted my eyes.

A blast of hate scorched my skin and I rose, seeing Jerid walking through the door into the main lobby. Hate and fear coursed through him in a mix like oil and water, one always above the other. I walked toward him and watched as his friends gathered around him. They were braced to attack and defend, and I could feel their hearts beating faster with every step I took. I stopped ten feet in front of them.

"What the fuck do you want," Jerid spat. His left eye had a dark grey and purple bruise that looked like it was trying to climb across his long narrow nose.

"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry about yesterday. I don't want to fight you," I said.

"Oh, you're not half as sorry as you're going to be," he hissed.

Anger flared behind me and I took a quick side stop. I saw a fist sail past me with a body in tow. The forward momentum without me to stop the blow, sent the dark haired attacker stumbling into Jerid, landing on the floor.

"I don't want to continue this, but I will defend myself. I'm sorry about yesterday. I just wanted to apologize," I said, heaving a sigh.

I hadn't noticed, but it seemed as though time had stopped as everyone in the room stood staring at us. I turned and walked back to where Brian was standing. I felt another burst of rage behind me as one of them was preparing to tackle me from behind. He was gathering his nerve like a cat preparing to pounce.

"Don't!" I said in an even tone as I spun around and pointed at the dark haired muscular jock named Kevin. "It would be a shame for you to miss football season because of an injury. I hear the team needs you," I said and turned back to Brian.

"Ready for class?" I asked.

Brian stood staring at me. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"I can teach you if you want," I answered, hoping this might be my chance to get to know him better.

"Really?" he said. His blond eyebrows arched like he almost didn't believe it to be true.

"Sure, if the offer of a ride is still open, we can go to my house after school," I said.

"You'll really teach me how to do that?" he asked again, narrowing his green eyes in disbelief.

I chuckled and nodded. I smiled and started walking to class. The bell sounded seconds later and the stench of formaldehyde burned my nose as I walked through the door to zoology class.

Behind the thirty or so desks sat the lab area. Four long metal tables stretched from one side of the room to the other. Each table had four stations with a sink and gas spigot. The counter tops were lined with small trays at each station with a dead frog in each. The frogs were in sealed bags, but the chemicals seemed to find a way through the plastic. I fought the urge to throw up.

I felt a slight push from behind. "You're blocking the door," Brian whispered to me.

I went to my desk and sat, occasionally glancing back at the amphibian morgue that lay behind me. It was distracting, and I couldn't believe that they would have us do anything so savage as carve them up. I had heard about dissecting animals, but with all of the books and photos available, there didn't seem any logical reason why we would have to repeat this insanity.

The second bell sounded as Mr. Franks entered, closing the door behind him. I could feel my anger building. Someone had killed these frogs for the sole purpose of chopping them into small pieces. I could barely control my outrage. I could understand killing for food, but not for this. I stared daggers at the man. I searched his feelings and there was not even the smallest ounce of remorse.

"Butcher," I hissed as a violent gust of wind beat against the windows.

I felt Brian's stare before he spoke. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

Hearing his voice soothed me as I fought to control my anger. There was absolutely no way I was going to cut up a frog, or any other creature, for the misguided sake of education. What use is it to know where the liver is located in a frog? Would we be performing some kind of transplant surgery later in the year to save some ailing amphibian?

'Kermit the Frog Saved by Ground Breaking Surgery at Local High School'
I don't think so.

"Someone killed all of these frogs," I snapped at him in a whisper.

"Yeah," he drug out the word like a question.

"Everyone, get a lab partner, and find an empty lab station," Mr. Frank said as I watched his graying brown mustache move with the words.

"Be my lab partner?" Brian asked.

"Huh? Oh, sure," I said after the words finally filter through to my brain.

Brian rose from his desk and I followed him to the back. I stood next to him, staring at the frog in its plastic coffin.

"Please grab a pair of rubber gloves from the boxes in front of you. Do not handle the frog without them. Formaldehyde is poisonous," Mr. Frank instructed.

I watched as Brian's small pale hands reached into the box and handed me a pair of the latex gloves. I slipped them on.

"Okay class, in the bottom right hand drawer you will find a scalpel and pins. The scalpels are sharp, and WILL cut you. Please be careful," he said.

"Take your frog out of the package and place pins in the arms and legs of the frog on your mounting tray," he continued.

Brian fished around in the drawer, pulling out the pins and cardboard capped scalpel.

"Please don't," I whispered to him while looking into his confused green eyes.

I took the frog out of the bag, turned on the faucet, and rinsed it under the cool water.

"Ty, don't rinse off the frog. The formaldehyde preserves it," he paused.

"This lab will not be finished until Wednesday of next week," he said louder as I ignored him.

I continued rinsing the rancid chemicals off the frog. Its body was stiff and long since dead.

"How did these frogs die, Mr. Franks?" I snapped angrily.

He flinched with the impact of my words and started walking toward me.

"They usually come from breeding facilities. They reach a certain stage of growth and are gassed," he explained as he continued walking toward me.

I shut off the water and carried the frog with me toward the door.

"Where do you think you're going Mr. Charleson?" he said as anger began to creep into his voice.

"I'm going to bury it," I answered, reaching the door.

It looked like a chase was developing as Mr. Franks began walking quickly toward me.

"Don't try to stop me, Mr. Franks," I said loudly, seeing him stop and stare from only a few feet away.

"You will fail if you don't complete the lab, Mr. Charleson," he growled at me.

"Did you plan to eat this frog, Mr. Franks?" I asked, feeling my eyelids press together in an uncontrollable glare.

"Of course not, you're being ridiculous. Return to your lab station," he said, raising his voice.

"We do not kill what we do not eat. We do not desecrate the bodies of the dead," I said just as loudly in response.

"Get back to your station right now, or you will be serving detention for the rest of the year," Mr. Franks yelled. The veins in his forehead were beginning to bulge and his face had turned a deep crimson.

"Fuck You," I said in an even tone. I turned and walked out the door.

I don't know which made me angrier; that I was expected to crucify and disembowel this frog, or that Mr. Kard had placed me in this class knowing how I would react. I let my anger slip away. I heard Mr. Frank's footsteps echoing against the tile floor behind me as I walked down the hall.

"Care to explain to me what the hell this is all about?" he barked.

"What you are doing is against everything I believe, and a blasphemy against nature. The pictures in our textbooks are enough to learn the anatomy. I won't do it," I answered.

"Then why did you sign up for this class?" he asked, letting a little bit of his anger show through.

"I didn't, Mr. Kard put me in your class. He knows my family, and how we feel about this. He and I have already had one confrontation," I answered, exiting the school through the front doors of the main lobby.

"So I heard," he said quietly following me outside.

"The test is based on real frogs. You won't pass if you learn it from pictures in a book," he said.

"Why not?" I asked. A few moments passed before he spoke while I kneeled in front of the bushes.

I took a flat blunt rock and used it to start digging a whole.

"So, you don't care if your lab partner fails?" Mr. Franks asked.

"It isn't that I want Brian to fail. You seem to think it is impossible to learn without gutting an innocent animal, but I was taught this material years ago. What you are doing here is wrong. If it were humans instead of frogs, you'd agree with no question. A life is a life." I answered.

I pushed some of what I was feeling through him. It was the only way I could make him truly understand. Mr. Franks shuddered as the waves of emotion flooded his body.

I placed the frog into its grave. "Macha, welcome this creature into your arms," I whispered while covering it with the loose dirt.

Giving the fresh grave a light pat, I stood and brushed the grass and small bits of soil from my pants.

"If Brian and I complete our homework and pass the tests, will you still fail us for not having chopped up a frog?" I asked, looking into his brown eyes.

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds a bit silly," he answered. "Let's get back to class. I'll think about it. You and Brian may sit at your desks and review the chapter.

The frog's funeral had been quick, but it seemed that there was some hope that Brian and I might pass this class without the gore. I followed Mr. Franks back to the classroom and sat in my desk.

"Brian, you may return to your desk," Mr. Franks announced.

Mr. Franks droned on through class while Brian and I sat reviewing the chapter.

"You're pretty serious about that vegetarian stuff aren't you," Brian whispered.

"It's more than that Brian. I'll explain it at my house after school," I said, trying to let the topic die for the moment.

The bell finally sounded and sent us to our next torment. Gym class was relatively painless and passed with its usual frigid outdoor torture for a game of flag football. I wasn't de-pantsed or decapitated so I considered the class period a success. Showering hadn't been any less uncomfortable but I hoped that that would change with time.

The bell rang and Brian and I were already in line for lunch. I caught the scent of lilac and what might be dead cow, as we moved closer to the beginning of the lunch assembly line. Doris was at the helm as usual.

I watched her squash greasy scrambled meat of questionable origin onto a bun and almost gagged, seeing the brown swamp she had taken it from. I watched her knuckles whiten as she clutched the slotted spoon.

"Lunch?" Doris barked at me.

"Yes, please. Salad," I answered, trying to hide a small grin.

Doris' eyes pinched shut and she pitched the slotted spoon forward in the trough of meat soup, striking the side with a metallic 'clunk'.

The space between the server table and the worktable behind her was barely large enough to contain her rotund shape. She seemed to hover in place as she spun around and returned with a bowl filled with salad and cheese. She slammed in onto my tray, sending a small spray of cheese and green into my tray's slots, but most of it remained in the bowl.

"Thank you, Doris," I said.

"You're welcome," she snapped, "Now get moving, you're holding up the damn line." I noticed her quick glance to the top of the serving line. A large hood with heat lamps and a sneeze guard was topped with a small but lovely lilac bush.

Brian spun around, "Did she just say you're welcome?!" he rasped, staring at me wide eyed. I saw him divert his eyes quickly and turned to see Doris shooting a look that could peel paint.

"Lunch!" she barked, causing Angela to jump and squeak as she stepped in front of Doris.

"Could I get a salad, too?" Angela asked, saccharin sweet.

"How about I bash your skull in with this salad spoon?" she growled, slopping a fresh stain of loose meat onto a bun and slamming it onto Angela's tray.

Yep… the very room lit up with the angelic radiance of Doris. Kind of like being locked in a room with a rabid Pit Bull while wearing a meat jockstrap.

Brian and I made our way to our corner table as usual. It was a desolate area of the lunchroom, and I was glad for the mild isolation.

"I can't believe Doris said that. I don't think I'd eat that dude," he said, pointing at my salad.

"Yeah, she was pretty rude to Angela wasn't she," I replied.

"No man, that's normal. I don't think I've EVER heard her say 'You're Welcome'," Brian rambled. "Maybe if someone was choking she might say it. She almost smiled!"

"Eat your dead animal, Brian," I replied.

I finished my salad and stood up to take my tray to the window that fed to the dishwashing area.

"I'll be right back," I told Brian.

I placed my tray in the window and walked over to where Doris was busy at work on her table again.

"Lots of light, and water once a week," I said to Doris' back.

She grunted something that might have been a word, but I didn't recognize it.

"The lilac needs lots of light and to be watered once a week," I repeated myself.

I saw her body rise and fall with a sigh as she spun in place to face me.

"It'll be dead in a week," she grumbled, staring back at me.

"Do you suppose we could have a tray of shredded lettuce and a small container of cheese so that people don't have to bother you with making the salads? It might be less work for you," I spoke the words faster than I should have. I couldn't help myself; she's scary.

I saw her eyes move across the metal counter top and land on the now clean slotted metal spoon. A violent surge coursed through her and disappeared almost as quickly.

"Have a good afternoon, Doris," I said and left. I was in too close a range of that spoon and it would probably be best not to tempt her for long. I could feel her softening though, and that in itself, seemed to anger her.

I walked back toward Brian. He had already deposited his food tray and watched me walk away from Doris unscathed, yet again.

"One of these days, you're going to disappear, and we'll be eating meat surprise," he said as we walked to our lockers.

English lit went along as we discussed the previous reading of Hamlet. Mrs. Carlson, who we all called Vic, was a nice teacher, and I enjoyed her class. She had that hippy middle aged spread, but was not an unattractive woman, though I thought her short cut blond hair didn't flatter her. She, like her daughters, had the air of a tomboy.

My US History class destroyed what was left of our battered attention span with page after page of note taking. Ms. Clark placed the transparencies one after another on the overhead enjoying our every groan and sleepy yawn. I could feel the satisfaction flow through her as she placed each new plastic sheet on the projector and discussed its relation to the material in our textbook.

"This is going to be on the test, blah, blah, blah," she rambled on endlessly. There should be a disclaimer on the classroom door.

Caution: This class has been known to induce a spontaneous comatose state. Do not operate heavy machinery while under the influence of this subject.

The bell finally rang as our day ended and I was starting to feel anxious about what was to come next. How was I going to explain to Brian that he was Druid without freaking him out? Looking at his perky little butt reminded me of something else I needed to keep in check as well. This wasn't going to be easy.

TBC