A Misfit

The Trial

Point of View:

Tyler Baile

Run, run, and run. Run where? Blood, so much blood, but whose blood? Fire and smoke, I can’t breathe. What fire, and where? “This makes no sense!” I screamed as the whispers consumed me. “Where do I run? Where is the fire? Why can’t you breathe?” “Because,” a ghostly whisper crept into my mind, “we’re dead.” I jumped up and ran, but where to? I slipped and tripped over the edge of the abyss.  

“Ah!” I cried out as my body descended further into the darkness and abyss. Images were shown on the walls and very horrid scenes played out as I passed them by. A man exploded while another mourns him. A boy is burning a girl with his touch. A woman’s scream is put on repeat. “Run!” A man yells.  

I landed hard on the bottom of this horrid place and I was in total darkness. “Where am I?” My voice quivered out.  

“Everywhere and nowhere,” The ghostly whisper said.  

“I want to go home,” I cried like a little five year old.  

“You are home.” In the darkness a candle light flickered in the distance. The flame of the candle danced in a nonexistent breeze. I stood up and walked to the flickering light. Clearly it was dying out by the way the flames moved. I reached out to touch the little flame hoping to feel the familiar burning sensation.  

“Huh,” I whispered as I touched the flame, “you feel alive, like you have a heartbeat.” I removed my hand and looked away from the flame to the candle stick and was amazed by the yellow and silver swirls in it. I smiled as my hand traced them and felt a steady beat. I grasped a hold of the candle and jumped as I felt something else on the other end of it. There were five cylinders rough, and different sizes; I looked beyond the candle to see a person standing there holding the candle.  

“Hello,” I whispered to the stone cold man, “sir?” His eyes opened and recognition flooded through me.  

“Hello munchkin,” He said smiling showing his monstrous face in the flame. The abyss’s walls lit up with the same horrifying image. Me, I was in a pool of blood. He threw down the candle and lunged at me.  

“GET OFF OF ME!” I screamed as tears rolled down my face. I kicked and screamed as he wrapped his hands around my throat. “HELP SOMEONE! GET OFF OF ME!” I continued to scream at my assailant. The flame died out and I kicked and batted at the man even harder.  

“Tyler.” 

“Get off.” 

“Tyler!” 

“Help me!” 

“TYLER!” 

“GET OFF! HELP ME!” I screamed as I jumped up and started blindly beating the air.  

“SNAP OUT OF IT!” Anastasia yelled as she slapped me across the face. I dropped to the floor and gasped for breath.   

“What the hell just happened?” Daniel Robinson asked from behind me. I started to shake as I looked up and around the area. It was quite small and it was cramped full of familiar strangers.  

“Tyler? It’s Anastasia you are okay it’s gone,” She said calmly in my ear before helping me up.  

“Jesus, he looks stark white and he’s trembling,” Daniel said walking me to a seat. “That must have been some nightmare,” Daniel continued as he got me a blanket.  

“Anastasia check his memories,” Cyrus ordered as he looked back at me. 

“I’ve tried he won’t let me,” She replied as she stared him down.  

“Ah, you just haven’t tried enough. Pfft I will show you how easy this will be,” Cyrus said as he looked into my eyes. I stared back and glared back at him with a look of defiance.  

“You will have to work harder than that dearest Cyrus,” I said as I broke his gaze leaving him to gasp for what little air he needed.  

“Oh a challenge,” Cyrus said walking back to me staring more intently at me. I stared back and smiled as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. 

“So, how’s it going,” I asked smugly. 

“How is that possible?”  

“Simple, I just don’t like people in my head freak show,” I said as I got up in his face. Cyrus backed down and returned to his seat.  

“Attention passengers in 25 minutes and we will be landing in New York City. Please fasten your seat belts as we begin our descent,” The captain said. Anastasia came back and sat with me until the plane ride ended. 

“So how long was I out?”  

“The entire trip,” Anastasia whispered. After a moment of silence she turned to me and asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”  

“Kind of I just want to make sense of it all first,” I whispered as the plane dipped down. “You ready to face our music?”  

“Possibly,” Anastasia said with a half-smile. I was happy for Anastasia because after everything she did she has immunity. The Grand Council couldn’t touch her even if they wanted to. I on the other hand was another story. I am an underage witch and I killed another witch, and I’m an orphan. I could get the death sentence and no one would even care or know.  “Tyler, what if you get the death sentence?”  

“I’ll live through it,” I smiled. 

“No you won’t, when I lived in my coven I had to witness the death sentences. You won’t escape it,” Anastasia said grimly. 

“I keep forgetting sometimes how old you really are,” I muttered with a smile.  

“Attention passengers we have arrived at our destination,” The pilot said. With that Robinson grabbed me by the arm and placed not only hand cuffs but rope and chains on.  

“What no smartass remark?” Robinson asked. I just hung my head in defeat and sighed. “Whoa, this is serious,” Robinson said quietly.  

“Dan,” Anastasia said quietly and touched his arm. He looked to her and it was silent in the cabin.  

“Okay Officer Robinson time to bring this one in. Anastasia you have immunity so you are free to go,” Cyrus said with a smile.  

“I’d rather stay to see this hearing,” She replied. I smiled sadly at her one last time before Robinson led me off the plane. I was temporarily blinded by the afternoon sun but I managed. I held my head high as reporters for the supernatural turbine snapped pictures of me, Robinson and Cyrus. I was then promptly put into another heavy tinted car alone this time with no body guard except Cyrus and Robinson. There was an awkward silence in the car without me bantering with anyone and I almost cared about it.  

“Well a whole ten minutes you haven’t spoken a single word, Tyler,” Daniel said sounding almost sad.  

“Perhaps he has finally seen there is no escape for what he has done,” Cyrus said as if I wasn’t there.  

“Perhaps,” Daniel said. The silence returned and the car ride to where ever resumed. 

“When is my sentencing?” I asked quietly.  

“What was that?” Robinson asked moving closer to hear.  

“I said when is my sentencing?”  

“In fifteen minutes,” He replied just as quietly.  

“Thanks lover boy,” I said with half a smiled. The car stopped and Cyrus was first to step out of the vehicle followed by Robinson and me. I gulped quietly as we ascended the large stone steps to the House of Punishment. I held my head high as the large oak doors opened and as we walked in not once did I falter.  

“I will go announce our arrival to the council,” Cyrus said just before leaving us out in the hall. I sat on the wooden bench allowing myself to feel defeated just this once.  

“Tyler, I have to ask you something in the event I never see you again,” Robinson said to me as he sat down.  

“Yes?” I asked not moving a muscle.  

“Why do you call me lover boy?” he asked seriously. I busted out laughing so hard. “What is so funny?” 

“I am about to walk into that room and be handed the death sentence and you are asking me why I call you lover boy? You gotta admit that is a pretty crappy good bye sentiment,” I said as I wiped tears from my eyes. 

“Yea I guess you are right,” Robinson said as he burst into laughter as well. 

“Well to answer your question, remember when we first met in St. Paul Minnesota?” I asked him. 

“Yea it was when the Grand Council assigned your case to me,” He said thinking back. 

“Remember when I asked you who you were? You said that you would never tell me your name. So then I asked what I call you then. You told me to call you lover boy.” I said with a smile. 

“Oh my god you still remembered that? That was like what five months ago?”  

“Six and of course I remembered,” I said in between laughs.  We laughed for a few more moments before that awkward silence crept back into our lives. I looked up when Cyrus opened the doors and I smiled one last time at Daniel Robinson. “See you on the other side, lover boy.” 

“You too, kiddo,” Daniel said to me before I entered the gloomy chamber. Cyrus walked ahead of me into the chamber and I slowly walked behind. Our feet echoed loudly in the darkened area. Cyrus stepped aside and swept his arm out to the hall and my heart cried out for a savior. I counted to three before walking to the chair in the spotlight.  

“One…Two…Three,” I whispered. My footsteps were like that of a pirate’s who walked up to the swinging gallows. I sat as best as I could in the small wooden chair and looked up to the nine members of the council.  

“Tyler Baile, you have been summoned here almost nine months ago. What took you so long dear boy?” The man in the middle asked me. I opened my mouth to reply only to be interrupted. “You are being charged with possession of a wand, possession of a hand gun, attempted murder of an officer, murder of an officer, terrorism, treason, massive murder of magical creatures and underage witch craft usage. How do you plead?” I was silent for many moments before taking a deep and shaky breath.  

“Guilty.” I heard Cyrus make a choking sound of shock. What did he expect me to lie? “Yes your honor I did the things you have accused me of. Though did you stop to think why they occurred, I wonder that every day of my existence? Almost nine months ago I woke up in an alley in Paris, covered in blood. Whose blood, I don’t know. But I know this, every day since then I have been on the run for my life. People I don’t know have come at me with guns, knives, wands and you expect me to just roll over? I don’t think so. The reason, your honor that I haven’t come to our meeting is for these two reasons. The first is my parents are dead and I don’t even remember it because I have amnesia, and I believe you to be the murders. The second reason is because the men who had those weapons were your men. So for the dear love of god, you tell me why I did the things I did to avoided this meeting?” A lone tear slid down my right cheek as I looked at each and every one of them. The woman on the end stood up.  

“You honor,” She said politely. 

“The council recognizes council member Alicia Sung,” The man in the middle said. She nodded respectively to her fellow member before turning to me.  

“Tyler Baile, what you don’t know about those men is that they were there to protect you.” 

“Bullshit!” Anastasia said in the crowd. I turned uncomfortably in my chair to see her.  

“Excuse me?” Alicia said outraged.  

“Your honor,” Anastasia said standing up. 

“The council recognizes Anastasia Chevoff of the Domia coven” 

“Yea thanks,” She said as she walked down to the floor next to me. “For eight months and three week and two days Tyler was on the run and I was with him every step of the way. I protected him when no one could. I was the one who saved him from the alley in Paris. From who did I save him from you all are wondering. This news, believe it or not, will shock the council and the court at who the assailant was. Hugo Boone, a former member of the council. It is my understanding from the situation earlier before the attack Boone may have been demoted from his post but was still acting under the council,” The crowd gasped in shock, “so Alicia tell me again why the men were after us and don’t you dare lie to me,” Anastasia said as her eyes turned blood red.  

“I was simply saying that the guardians of the council sent the men out to retrieve Mr. Baile,” Alicia said coldly.  

“No your exact words were they were there to protect him. If that is the case why did they attack him? I believe it was August 19 2013 around 7:30 pm in this very city that he and I were attacked getting off the plane from Paris. I remember it vividly; Tyler was picking up his suitcase when a woman with brown hair, blue eyes, O negative blood type, and approximately thirty- four years old tried to stab him just below his right kidney. He indeed does have a scar to prove this statement. I believe the woman’s name was Victoria Wills, does the council deny that she was not on the list to protect Tyler Baile?” Anastasia asked them. Dumbfounded at this they stared at her with confused and nervous looks. I just stared at her with amazement.  

“Going back through our records we have a woman by that description and name in our file but she has been missing for quite some time,” Alicia fumbled.  

“Of course she is missing, you know why? I sank my teeth into her very neck and tossed her into the landfill. The court knows that when vampires turn they receive a special power like invisibility or transformation. Mine is mind reading and a quick search of Miss Alicia Sung’s mind says she knows about everything I am saying and more. From looking into hers she is going to push for the death sentence, and oh my Miss Sung that is a hurtful thing to want to say to me,” Anastasia finished with a coy smile.  

“This is a complete outrage! Miss Chevoff is simply making things up. Why would I want to hide anything more or less harm one insignificant seventeen-year old?” Alicia Sung said.  

“Then why spend all this time to trying to bring me here?” I asked causing all eyes to turn on me.  

“For the simple reason of this,” The man in the middle said, “we know what happened that night in Paris. Your parents and you came to us to seek shelter from an organization known as United Creatures. That organization was planning on using your father’s powers to help over throw the council. We were making preparations for your safety when they attacked in the middle of the night killing your mother and father. It is them that killed your parents not us,” The man said. 

“If that is the case then why am I in handcuffs, rope and chains?” I asked them. 

“As you have shown time and time again it is hard to bring you here. Remove them.” Cyrus made a sound of disgust and made is way over to me. He unlocked the chains, cut the rope and removed the hand cuffs. I swiftly turned around and punched him square in the face. 

“That was for thinking I’d lie,” I said to him as he fell. Anastasia fought to hide her smile as I turned back to the council.  

“I believe it is time for sentencing,” Alicia said grimly. 

“Yes I believe it is so,” I said staring her down.  

“Votes on whether he is guilty,” The man in the middle said.  

“Guilty,” Alicia said smugly.  

“Guilty,” said the man next to her. 

“Not guilty,” Said the next man. 

“Guilty,” said another. 

“Not Guilty,” The man in the middle said. I smiled at that one. 

“Not guilt,” said the next man in line. 

“Not guilty,” said the next. 

“Not guilty,” said the last man. 

“Not guilty,” said the only other woman. 

“It is six against three, Tyler Baile you have been pardoned on all charges on one condition,” I rolled my eyes and let the man continue, “you are to stay at Casanoff School for the Magically Inclined until you have reached the age of eighteen,” The man finished. 

“School? You mean like High school?” I asked them. 

“It’s that or death,” the man in the middle said.  

“School it is, on one condition I ask of you,” I said. 

“We shall see,” Alicia said. 

“No you will do or I will shove my fist so far up your anal cavity and work you like a puppet,” I said as the air around me crackled with energy.  

“What is it that you wish?”  

“That Anastasia stay on with me until I finish high school as my personal body guard. That is my offer you question it then I’ll collect your freaking head,” I said.  

“It is up to Miss Chevoff,” The head man said.  

“Anastasia what do you think?”  

“I think you should collect their heads, I would love to see it,” Anastasia said looking at Alicia with her blood stare.  

“Not that offer, the one where you go to Casanoff with Mr. Baile, but you will have to pose as a student and we will provide blood to you as well.” 

“I am in.”  

“Yay!” I wrapped my arms around her tightly and she hugged me back.   

“When do we leave for Casanoff School for the magically gifted?” Anastasia asked the council.  

“Tonight, you will be heading down to Leadville, Colorado,” Alicia announced with strong distaste.  

“You wanna go honey?” Anastasia asked her. 

“This meeting is adjourned. Enjoy Casanoff.” The council said before leaving the room. Anastasia ran out of there into the waiting hall where I was earlier to meet up with Alicia Sung.  

“Anastasia wait up,” I said chasing after her. 

“Sung, you got an issue with me?” Anastasia asked getting up in her face. 

“Don’t even go there little youngling.” Alicia said looking away from us. 

“You are just upset he chose me over you,” Anastasia said to her. 

“You want a piece of me?” Alicia yelled at her. 

“No, I want the whole thing!” Anastasia spat out. 

“Bite me Ginger,” Alicia said getting in Anastasia’s face. 

“Don’t mind if I do!” 

“Incartium!” I yelled as I placed my hands in between them. Anastasia skidded back several feet while Alicia tumbled back.  

“Did you just assault me?” Alicia screamed.  

“Sung that is quite enough,” The same man who was running the meeting said.  

“Sorry, Grand Master Bellatoria,” Alicia Sung said before hustling away. 

“Sorry about her and no she won’t press charges, Tyler. You are quite brave to get in the middle of two vampires. Others have tried and well let’s just say I’m surprised the stains are gone. I am Grand Master Ian Bellatoria. I was a close friend to your parents and I am making it my duty to escort you two to Casanoff,” He said to me.  

“Thank you,” I said as the three of us left New York for Colorado.