The Half and the Whole: Tori by Nicola Collings (fiction novels to read TXT) 📕

Prologue

This tale takes place in the colourful, yet complicated City of Tyrell. Colourful because of it’s wide variety of people and complicated also because of it’s wide variety of people. It’s not an ideal place to live; in fact, if you were to move to the city, then I guarantee that within a week, you’d be looking at houses in another city! People don’t move to Tyrell City. People from Tyrell City move to other places in Tyrell City because other cities in the country would probably discriminate them for their origin.

                I shall explain; within Tyrell City, there are four regions. The city itself is built in a small but steep valley and it’s houses spreading right out to the surrounding highlands, but stopping and giving way to a vast desert beyond. At the centre if the city is, the quite astutely named City Centre. This is where you’d find the typical shopping centres, the schools, train stations, monuments and tourist attractions. It’s a shame that the only thing that the City Centre is missing is tourists. This is in the centre of the valley, deep in the heart.

On one side of the valley, the gold of the grey city, is Boundary. Boundary is filled with big, modern houses built from pale bricks, wide, tarmac roads, black, neatly paved drive ways, posh cars, neat, well-kept front gardens, trees and, most importantly, Horizon House. Horizon House sits at the top of Boundary, gazing over the surrounding Valley and it houses the Mayor and the people who govern Tyrell. Boundary is where you would find the successful business men’s houses, the policemen’s homes, the most expensive schools and the people who are most well off and can afford their electricity bill, along with taxes and gifts for their children at Christmas.

The opposite side of the valley is called The Wynde. Looking at The Wynde, you would notice the tall, dark brown-bricked, historical buildings built extremely close together, the narrow, cobbled roads running up the steep hill like black veins, the black, slate rooves, some which had ancient gargoyles nestled in the corners. This is probably the most historical part of the city, the only part with the original, iconic, gothic buildings from centuries ago. It is here you would find the people who live in small, confined flats down narrow streets, people who have no real jobs but get income by other, more shady means, people who dress in a certain way, people who are looked down upon by the rest of the city. Oh yes, discrimination is a big part of life in Tyrell City! People who live on The Wynde live in a tight community, look out for themselves, concentrate on surviving, not luxury.

The last region of Tyrell City is the Outskirts. People out here are middle-class, normal, in-between people who aren’t defined by where they live. They aren’t defined by money or status but go about their daily lives, rarely involving themselves in the conflict between the prejudice and the survivors.

There is another part to the city, a part that people learn about in their history lessons and are told about in the form of legend. The city’s Underworld lies beneath The Wynde and spreads out beneath the whole of the city and some of the desert or wasteland that surrounds the city. It is only legend, not many people speak of it. Years ago, in medieval times, the king decided to ‘cleanse’ the city of the vermin. To do this, he decided to build a wall around the section of the city where the peasants lived and dwelled. Doing this, he entrapped the peasants and effectively, ordered his men to build another city on top of their city. Their city was buried deep beneath, the only hope for them were the people who knew better, who knew that one day, the kings plan would fail him; vermin would find it’s way back into society somehow. So a secret group was created, people who were part of the kings court were given keys to secret entrances to their underground city. These people who were entrusted to passages to the Vaults, which in turn, would allow passage to what the people called The Warrens. These people were called the Descendents. People in league with the descendents, were known as disciples. Together, they believed that one day, the people of the Warren would once again, rise and punish the king for his actions. Of course, the legend was soon forgotten about.

This is who we are. We are survivors, living against the harsh inner rims of society who call themselves sophisticated but are really just tyrannical beasts posing as human beings. Or so I say; I’ve yet to meet someone who isn’t form The Wynde, who actually accepts us and isn’t a complete bitch. People say, however, that a Black Parade will soon rise and take back the city. What once belonged to the myths of the Warrens and what was once held in hands of black and gold, of The Wynde and Boundary will be reclaimed. Those who claim they are gods, who drove the warriors beneath the city itself, will fall to it. And all it’s descendents.

At the top of The Wynde is Duskgate Mansion. My house. It sits at the peak of the hill, surrounded by trees; it’s huge, gothic structure reaching above the tallest pine trees. My parents are dead, so I inherited it. The mansion itself is only the tip of the iceberg, there are more chambers running deep into the earth, reaching the Vaults through the Archives and the Cellars, through it’s many rooms. The mansion itself rivals the beauty that of Horizon House, the two houses stand face to face, forever locked into each other’s sights. It holds authority; as do I. As my parents died, I and the house inherited the secret of the Descendents. I know for a fact that the rumours are true. I am a key holder. I see the future from my bedroom window.  I can see almost all of Boundary from my bedroom window. It seems a shame that so few people can witness such a beautiful sight.

But that’s just the way things work.

My name is Cynthia, and I can see The Black Parade rising in the east; we are ready.

Part 1: A Night to Remember

                Tori gazed at herself in the mirror. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the way she looked, on the contrary, she thought she looked perfectly normal... for someone who lived in The Wynde.

                The dress was black, hugged her figure giving her curves in all the right places. It wrapped itself around her body in folds of silk and shone in the light from the naked bulb. Her legs were average, not long and smooth like the girls had at school, but the shoes made up for it; black high heels with a lace pattern. It was gifts like these that she always cherished form her brother. Always cherished, yet always hidden out of the prying eyes of her aunt and uncle. She took the dress off, along with the shoes and put them back in the box beneath her bed. She then went to the bed, where a white dress lay along with white high heels.

                Putting them on, Tori sighed, sadly. The dress was perfectly fine, plain and what accounted for ‘normal’ in the society of Boundary. The shoes were fine... her long, bronze hair was fine...

                Her whole life was not fucking ‘fine’!

                Prom was in half an hour, the ball that signified her leaving the local school and moving onto somewhere else. It gave her tingles just thinking about where she could go, and what she could do! Like there was something inside her... waiting to burst free!

                There was a knock on the window. Then another... someone throwing stones?

                Tori went to the sill, looking down into the evening shadows. Opening the window, she called, “Drug?”

                Her brother came out of the shadows, clad in black, his black hair pushed over his face, his stretcher visible beneath his shiny fronds.

                “Hey! You ok up there, locked in your tower?” he asked, moving closer so Tori could see the glint of the black gun strapped to his back.

                “Not really.” Tori grimaced.

                “Look, you still up for tonight? You know what you’re gonna do?” he asked on a more serious note.

                Tori nodded. “Yeah, just a bit nervous is all.”

                “Hey, it’s ok, it’ll all go smoothly, y’know!” he smiled his cheeky smile that always caught the edges of Tori’s lips.

                “I hope you’re right. Just, make sure you don’t get caught.”

                “Then make sure Mr and Mrs Slave-driver in there don’t get you. Remember where my place is?”

                Tori nodded. This was it. She was getting out. Forever.

                “Victoria? Victoria! Who are you talking to?” yelled her aunt form somewhere in the house.

                Tori suddenly had an idea. Whirling round, she picked up the box that contained the dress and shoes her brother had given her. “Listen, Drug, take these and bring them tonight!” she held them over the edge and let them fall into his arms.

                “Sure thing, sis. See you tonight, Tori.” And with that, Drug disappeared into the darkness, as if on cue.

                Tori gazed after him, lapping up the sense of utter freedom he’d left in his wake. After tonight, she’d never have to go back to Boundary! She’d never have to be lectured by her aunt and uncle for dressing poorly, listening to Deadlight’s music. She’d take back all the confiscated wrist bands, art work, letters to her brother... her life!

                “No one!” Tori shouted from her bedroom door.

                “Well, come on down! Prom starts soon!” her aunt replied. Tori made her way, nervously down the stairs.

                Her aunt and uncle stood at the bottom, watching her in part awe, part scrutinising her for illegal objects or colours.

                “My! You look beautiful, darling.” Scoffed her aunt. Her aunt was an ugly person, wrinkles dug themselves into her face, almost painfully and it wasn’t helped by her drooping cheeks.

“Don’t you think, Steve?”  Her aunt turned to where uncle Steve was stood, a cigarette in his hand.

“Yes, very pretty.” He was never one for compliments, or conversation of any kind at all, really.

“Thank you.” Replied Tori, smiling a shy smile.

“Now, let’s get you to prom!” Her aunt motioned to the front door, where the Condor purred like a kitten. Tori followed her uncle, who was putting on driving gloves and got into the passenger seat.

The Condor rolled up outside the venue, among other flashy cars. The venue itself was decorated in lights and tinsel and banners. Tori looked up at the sign that said CLUB PHAROH, all the time only thinking about what was to come. Groups of students giggled and laughed, probably already drunk on pre drinks and atmosphere.

“Have fun, Victoria!” her uncle said, flatly before speeding away.

Tori was left to wander among the groups that thronged the street outside, heading for the entrance, where professional photographers stopped couples and groups to take pictures of them. Tori drifted past, ignoring the photo opportunity. She couldn’t think why she’d want to remember herself in this way...what use would she have for a photo of something she hated?

She drifted among the people of Boundary, the DJ pounding out music from the stage and bodies thronged on the dance floor, moving and convulsing together, like a beating heart.

Tables and chair were placed beyond, near the bar- her destination. All she had to do now was wait.

“Malibu and Coke please.” She said to the bartender, suppressing the urge to say give me a pint! Those kinds of drinks would not be served to girls in Boundary. It wasn’t the way