Thomas

## Thomas by Ashton Allen

Tyler sat at his desk petrified by the teacher's lackluster speech and allowed his eyes to gaze apon his peers. Juli Bernits looked as beautiful as ever, she had always been beautiful but not that she was a junior in high school it just made her image all the more real. After almost getting caught glazing over her breast his eyes darted to Johnny Topples, The staple for the school joke he was nicknamed THE TOPPLER for being able to "topple mountains" with his "rippling biceps" although nothing really stood out about him other than his sterotypical stupidity.

Moving on Tylers eyes gazed apon the school recluse... Thomas. Nothing per say was "wrong" with Thomas but he was a little odd, he answered question when caled on him, did great in class, and was even a impressivly strong person, despite his small frame he was nimble and could pack a punch that could make even the "mighty" toppler cry on the ground for his mother. The strange thing about Thomas other than the fact that he didn't talk, almost at all, was how he looked at you.

Expressionless... his face was void of any emotion in fact the only person I ever saw get anything out of him was the other "outsider" Valory, Valory Huddson. Of course Tyler didn't think she was an outsider and neither did he about Thomas, he just believed that they were they kind of people who belonged somewhere else, that this enviorment wasn't designed for people of their distinction.

Although Tyler had always been mature he had to, he dad wasn't exactly a father figure and his mother was exhausted just standing up after her day. He had to take charge and become the parents they couldn't be. The bell rang strinking the end of eighth period, and as Thomas and Valory left in unison, Tyler stopped for a second to rethink his actions... but to no avail for he proceeded with chasing the two to catch up with them.

Valory could remember the first moment she met Thomas, he was sweeping his drive way and looked oh so cute doing so. Valory was attracted to Thomas yes, but it was oh so much more. He was a mystery, no one had ever known him and she wanted to be the first, and when she witnessed him remove his shirt to reveal, rippled muscles atop a scrawny,slightly pale figure... she couldn't help but blush. Hiding her shame immediatly using her Geometry book as a sheild she attempted to progress forward. Peeking over her indeffiant ward of protection, she noticed Thomas hadn't even noticed her. Feeling like an idiot she said her first words to Thomas.

"HI!" In a burst of undying anxiety she relinquished all feelings into a one syllable word. feeling startled Thomas looked at her with shock and surprise, with the same expresonless face but this time... it had the faintest of expression, curiousty? Maybe, all Valory new was she was blushing and quivering but she had spoken to him so she would not stop until she was successful with a conversation.

"Hi T-Thomas..I wanted to talk to you f-for a little bit, is that o-o-ok with you"?

Thomas for... possible the first time since he was a child smiled, it was faint, weak, and died after he began to listen to her words, but her nerviousness and overall cute fumbling of words brought out a smile in him, hmm Thomas did think she was cute, not like the sluts who plauged his school, and every school in the country now-a-days but more innocent cute.

Innocence... Thomas was devoid of any of that for a long time now, not even this cute girl could bring that out... for it was long since dead. Thomas simple nodded giving permission for her to proceed with her conversation.

"Welll, Thomas I know we don't talk much, or at all... BUT I just wanted to get to know you, because... haha well I really don't have a reason..b-but-

Thomas interupted her fumblings with the most faintest of answers. You could hear Thomas clearly everytime he spoke but it was the same as his facial expressions devoid of any activity.

"You don't want to get to know me."

Feeling horribly crushed Valory was about to leave Thomas to his work when she was stopped.

"H-Hey... Whats your name?"

Valory leaped at teh chace, he wanted her name meaning he was interested in her, that was more than what most people got out of Thomas, most peole would have let him continue his work without further persuasion, and that would be okay with them, but not Valory she was becoming intrigued in him, his story, his life. So she simply smiled stated her name with a tilt of her head and continued walking.

"... Valory huh... I will remember you... Valory."

Thomas always loved to walk with Valory she was a girl who knew her boundries and didn't try to over step them, in an essence she was probably afraid of Thomas like all the other kids at school were, but I think that may have been why she was attracted to him. He was a mystery to her and she wanted to know ever aspect of his being. They had only been friend for a few short months and yet Thomas knew she wanted more; but, with the life Thomas had he didn't know he could give it to her. Thomas did like Valory she was the one girl who could get him to express him self other than his sister, that was invaulable to Thomas.

Lots of woman liked Thomas, despite his odd behavior, for he was a attractive person but he turned down everyone due to the fact that they couldn't get past his mental boundries. Valory though had that urge and that cute fumbling behavior taht Thomas couldn't resist. In a lot of ways she was like his sister, maybe that is why Thomas was so easily intregued by her? Their walks consisted of little or no talking but neither party cared, they had their sways and motions to define how they felt, about each other and what was going on in each of their lives.

After they would part ways, after seemingly akward goodbyes Thomas would go inside to greet the one man that confide him back into his cage of emotionless misery... his father. However this time around half way between their walk home they both heard a sound that probably changed the outcome of their entire lives.

A man... no a student calling to them, beckonging them to stop, it was faint but grew louder and more raspiery has he approached them. The voice was identifed as Tyler Bounds a student in their class.

Tyler approached Thomas and Valory in a desprite attepmt to see how these two worked, Tyler honestly didn't know why he was their or why he even wanted to become friends with them. It may have been to the fact that they were missing a piece a undifying hole that need to be filled with a estiute man like Tyler.

"HEY THERE!!!" Tyler shouted despit being only about thirteen feet away from them.

Thomas stood there blankly but Valory working as a translater for both of them gladly, yet uncertainly, greeted Tyler

"Hey Tyler, h-hows it going... is there s-something you need?"

"Huh? No nothing perticular to be honest I don't know what I am doing here haha, but I wanted to get to know you two? If that is alright I know most people ease into friendship but I didn't think that was the case with you two so I thought I would barrle in haha.."

Thomas may have been able to make this man his friend, for he did get an emotional rise out of him, but unlike Valory, instead of infatuation and possible love..Thomas was **furious** at Tyler. Not that he had done anything to Thomas but it was this thing that Thomas liked to avoid people who were happy all the time while the world around was terrible yet they saw it as something magical. Well it couldn't fool Thomas, he had seen beyond the one sided mirror of their reality and saw what the world was really like... suffering after suffering again and again the cycle would annoying repeat itself and the **only** solice Thomas could find was in Valory and he was trying to deprive Thomas of that little time he had with her.

"... Fine." Stern but polite Thomas actions were help cloaking his intentions of anger and lust... a lust that Thomas could never unshake.

After an half an hour of Tyler's pointless banter Thomas found his way home looked at Valory nodded, slightly glared at Tyler and continued the long desecent to his front door.

As Thomas entered his house he could smell the booze emiting from his father who was passed out on his recliner, Thomas saw the knife he was using to cut his steak on the table...

It would have been so easy to pull off such a simple manuever as to cutting his father's throat, Thomas's mother wasn't around anymore his father had gotten into an arguement with her, claiming she would kill herself in a passionate arguement, to only prove her point, however the gun's trigger had being press and Thomas's mother was lost... and he witnessed it. That tramatic event turned Thomas into the reclusive man he was today, with the occasional homicidal intention he would subdue it and sleep... but lately Thomas couldn't sleep, and one day he knew he would stop sleeping unless the urge was statisfied with a sacrifice. but Thomas for the first time was in love, was it love? Or merely the illusion of love. Whatever it was, Thomas felt it to be true and real, she was a lifeline, and if the rope were to be cut Thomas would be left in his own madness. So began the hours of ceiling gazing Thomas did everynight...

Tomorrow... would be Thomas's breaking point and it would be the day... that people

Would die.

Valory woke up today feeling essepically pretty today, today was the day she would tell Thomas how she felt about him and she knew he would feel the same way. It was that level of undying confidence Valory had obtained with the few short months she had known Thomas yet she was certain she loved him. She gathered her things and opened her door to greet a smiling Thomas... which was odd, he was smiling.

"Good morning." Thomas exclaimed with the a more noticable than usual excitement.

"Uh, hey Thomas! You gonna walk me to school?" Coming off a little flirtatious her confidence was really affecting her attitude was really shining in her voice.

"Why yes I am actually. Is that alright with you?" Thomas was asking Valory quite a few questions infact he was more talkative than when they walked for an hour.

"OF COURSE!" Valory accidently shouted at Thomas... this made him laugh, which is the first time Valory had even heard it, it was a cute laugh that made her blush in a instant unlike before they first meet Thomas took note and just gave her a smile.

A akward walk to school filled with emotions they reached their destination of the school. After parting ways Thomas saw time fly in front of him, he was excited probably for the first time since... well ever. Thomas was going to tell Valory how he felt and maybe he could become normal, run away with her and possible not have the urges anymore... Thomas had a long day ahead of him.

After school all students left except for Thomas, Tyler and Valory... and the entire football team. They had junior tests and had all been out that day. The football team for the game, Tyler taking pictures of his job, and Valory and Thomas had gone into town for the first time together. Hours passed and Thomas, Tyler and Valory were the last to finish. Upon leaving the class and entering the school hub area... they were ambushed... by the football team.

"Whats up freaks!"

"Ya'll come on, we want to show you something."

(whistling)

The jocks pushed them along to a small shead counciled behind the school and quite a bit back into the woods... abandoned... it was pefect.

Thomas had broken the quaterbacks arm a year before losing the championship for the school, thats when everyone really feared Thomas the day he bent that 6'5" tall man's arm into a impossible position... he could never use it again. Now they were getting their revenge by "ruffing" Thomas up with their own special methods lead pipes, bats and even a few sludge hammers.

"Let us go this isn't right" Valory exclaimed "Ya I agree with Valor" - "NO ONE CARES WHAT YOU THINK" The jock silenced Tyler immediatly and gazed upon Valory with hungry eyes.

He slapped her with a unimagineable amount of force exclaiming "SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU DUMB BITCH!"

Thomas had been calm until that moment, every urge Thomas had surpressed was revived with more force than ever. Thomas lost his humanity for the nest twenty-five minutes and remained quite as tehy entered the shed.

Tyler watched as one man parted from the group and held Valory so she couldn't escape while he and Thomas would face uncertain doom However, as the door closed Thomas unleashed his demons.

Ripping his binding with little effort at all grabbed his escorts head and ripped it from the very foundation of his body, with impossible strength, he then sprang so fast Tyler barely could keep up with him. The foolish jock still terrified at what he witnessed Thomas do, swung the lead pipe at him, grabbing the pipe before it could even gain speed Thomas ripped it from his hands and impailed him in the head with lightning fast reflexes. One withdrew a large knife from his sports jacket, the poor fools were just suppling a monster with weapons, he took the knife and in five brutal swiped decapitated 4 members of the team, that last one took some effort but his head came off as well. Finally it was Thomas, the toppler, and Tyler; but, Thomas was stil raring to go he lunged forward as if he was the air itself but only to be intercepted by his sludge hammer. Thomas appeard to be down but in a swip move, grabbed the knife that had been knocked out of his hand and ran it through him multiple times.

Thomas... was laughing menically and he didn't stop even long after the lump of flesh that used to be a line back was long dead... The man who had been watching Valory charged in shortly after.

"WHAT IN THE FU-" Thomas threw the sludge hammer carelessly and with such percision and force it crushed that poor soul's head against the wall like a watermelon.

Thomas... was victorious...

"... Hey Thomas" Tyler spoke, "... t-t-thanks f-for that."

Thomas looked at Tyler for about fifteen seconds before a evil smile crept along his face.

"I NEVER LIKED YOU"

"THOMAS... NO!!!" Thomas broke a discarged pipe, stil containing most of the jocks face on it, and began to rip Tyler into shreeds of flesh and organs..Thomas put his carving tool down and sat there... motionless and waited... just waited.

Valory had heard horrible things while she was out there in the cold... she crept inside and when she opened the door she was terrified.

Scattered remains, blood soaked walls, heads, hearts, stomachs and anything else in the human body coated the room she entered and in the middle was a blood soaked Thomas and he began to speak.

"Valroy..."

"Yeah?"

"I love you... did I keep you safe."

Valory was scarred not fo Thomas infact... she oddly loved Thomas more now, her psychie had fractured just like Thomas and she ran to him kissed him on the mouth and said.

"I love you too... of course you kept me safe, can you always keep me safe?"

"Of course... of cour-"

Thomas for the first time in a long time... he slept and slept and slept, Valory drove them away and as she was driving looked at Thomas and knew... When he awoke... he would be hungry for more.