Special

Special

"Stop, you're scaring us!" little Amy Benson screamed. Dennis Bishop was whimpering behind her, sitting in his own urine, vomit, blood, sweat, and tears. He was shivering. His eyes darted about uncontrollably. They were full moons in his face, but saw nothing. His skin almost shone, even in the darkness of the cave. A stranger might have thought the dim, white light in the space was radiating from him, but further scrutiny would reveal its true source. Dancing around another boy's trousers were flames, uncontained and shining like fresh fallen snow, but less kindly.

A laugh to freeze the blood issued from this older boy's mouth. The laugh sparked a flashing glint in his eyes.

"Tom, stop! You hurt him!" Amy Benson was pleading at Tom's feet now, but she had clearly said the wrong thing. Tom spat on her, and she recoiled.

"Unless, you intend on ending up like him, I suggest you shut up! He'll be fine once I finish."

"What are you doing?"

"Experimenting."

Tom pulled a blue ribbon from Amy's hair. He put it into his pocket with Dennis' Yo-Yo.

"Tom, Mrs. Cole is going to come looking for us soon," Amy squeaked out.

Tom ignored her, pulling out a cloth, which he unfolded carefully, revealing a baby bluebird, its neck broken and feathers sullied.

"Come here!"

Amy's expression of terror vanished. She unfolded herself from the floor, and walked towards young Tom Marvolo Riddle.

"Bring me some of Dennis' blood!"

Amy walked over to where the toddler form of Dennis Bishop lay passed out, and she scooped up some of the blood, pooled around his ear. She brought it to Tom, still staring blankly ahead.

"Here, take this, and prick yourself. Draw blood."

Amy jerked, but no other reaction was betrayed on her face as she pricked herself.

Tom immediately mixed the two children's blood, the bird's, and his own in a cavity in the floor. The stink filled the area surrounding the children like a fog. He poured dirt over the spot and sat in front of it, letting the flames dance over it before extinguishing them with the scrap of cloth that had held the bird. He crossed his ankles and sunk to the ground in front of the mixture. He closed his eyes and appeared to be concentrating. Amy, having watched the "experiment," passed out on the ground. Ten minutes later, the ground began to quake like a person on fire, trying to rid themselves of the objectionable garment, but soon the shaking stopped, and the ground swallowed the mixture as if resigned to its fate. Tom smiled and stood tall. Apparently, he had achieved what he came for. he buried the cloth scraps and turned his attention to the other children.

"Get up!"

Both children snapped awake. Tom concentrated for several long moments on Dennis Bishop, willing the filth to leave him. Tom turned his concentration to Amy.

"Neither of you will remember what has happened hear today. You will forget!"

Pleased with his work and feeling satisfied, Tom led the children back to Mrs. Cole and the rest of the students.

"Tom! We've been searching for you! Oh good! Amy, Dennis, come here!" Mrs. Cole noticed that both children seemed pale.

"Tom! What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"Tom, Tom, why are you such a bully?"

"I'm not a bully!" Tom roared. "I'm special!" Tom let a satisfied smirk settle on his face and walked off.