Leo Perry and the Scrolls of the Druid

- CHAPTER ONE -

The Unaware

Mr. Jacob Perry was an ordinary man with an extraordinary secret. It was more of his wife's secret actually. Her name was Kora. Jacob, or Jake as he preferred met Kora after high school.

They began to date and grew to know each other after they met. They soon became best friends, but Jake had not known about her secret. On the night that he had bent down on one knee and asked her to marry him, she refused. She could not tell Jake the real reason and kept making excuses. Jake however saw right through these and couldn't understand her reasoning.

The truth was that she was afraid. She was afraid that if Jake knew her secret he would be disgusted. She was right. One night when Jake again asked for her hand in marriage, he finally persuaded her to tell him. He was completely taken back. He left and didn't contact her. She was different. How could he spend his life with her? Despite this he discovered that it did not matter.

He found her and once again he proposed. Shocked that Jake had gotten over her secret, Kora finally accepted the proposal. They were married the following spring.

Jake now had to find a good, steady job instead of being between them as he so often was. He had had so many that he didn't know where to start. With a little bit of training he managed to get a job as an executive of a large department store.

This did not happen until after Kora had announced that she was pregnant. This had distressed Jake to the extent that he was just going to give up. His financial problems were bad enough with just him and his wife. Now he would have a child to support. Not that a child was a bad thing, it would bring new joy to their lives, but he wanted to provide a good home for the baby. So he went out and he got his job at the department store.

However, just then Mr. Jacob Perry was not thinking of his financial problems. He was worried. He was afraid for his wife and his child. He passed spotless green doors and tacky paintings of nonexistent landscapes. As he ran, he remembered the night before.

* * *

He had gone to bed with his wife, just as any regular evening. It took a while for sleep to take him, but that also was normal.

Every night before he went to sleep, he would think about his yet to be born child. What would they be like? Would they be a girl or a boy? What would they look like? What would they be like when they grew older? His mind would race with questions as he drifted off to sleep.

That night was different then any other night though. After Jake fell asleep, he dreamed of his mother. He remembered the time that she told him that his father died before he was born. His father had been a construction worker in the city, working up high on the skyscrapers. One day he slipped and he fell to his death. Jake would never know him.

Jake woke with a start. He stared into the darkness. It had been a long time since he'd last dreamed about his parents. It was not long before Jake was once again asleep.

'Jake! Jake!' cried Kora. Jake woke again. He could hear his wife beside him , moaning in agony.

'What's wrong? Are you alright?' he asked his wife with concern.

'The baby,' she started, 'There's something wrong with the baby... the baby is coming!'

Jake was afraid. He was afraid for his wife and his child. Kora's due date was not for another month. What was happening now? I wasn't right. How could it be? Jake could do nothing but worry.

He gathered his wife's things as fast as he could. He loaded them into his car, got his wife into it, and drove to the hospital as quickly as possible

He rushed her straight into the maternity ward. The doctors took them in right away. They knew something was wrong. Kora was in excruciating pain, and the doctors need to investigate. They asked Jake to wait outside.

As he sat outside in the waiting room, he began to think about his child. Would he lose him or her? Would he not know his own child, just as he had never known his father? He remembered seeing pictures of his father. He had been tall, with short brown hair. Jake had not grown as tall as his father had been and he had got his much darker, brown hair from his mother.

'...he slipped in the rain and fell. He tried to catch himself but it was too late,' said Jake's mother.

'What?' Jake woke once again. He was in the hospital waiting room. He must have fallen asleep, he realized when he looked at the nearest clock. It was now nine 'o clock. Jake had been asleep for hours.

'Can I see my wife?' he asked a passing nurse.

'Of course,' she said kindly, 'Right through those doors and the first room on the left,' she pointed.

He went through the hospital doors to find himself in a long corridor. His wife he did indeed, find in the first room to his left. She was sleeping when he entered. He sat down in a chair beside his wife's bed, not wanting to disturb her. She was so beautiful in her rest that he didn't even notice the nurse walk in.

'She needs her rest now. She'll most likely sleep all day. You should come back this evening,' the nurse told him.

'Can you tell me what happened?' Jake asked.

'We don't know to tell you the truth,' said the nurse, 'She was suffering from unexplainable pains, but in an ultrasound the baby was perfectly fine. Dr. Radclaw's never seen anything like it.'

'The baby's fine though, right?' asked Jake anxiously.

'Yes, the baby's alright. You should let her rest and come back later," she repeated, 'She should be able to go home this evening.'

'Oh, thank you,' Jake said as the nurse left the room. A few minutes later he left the room as well. He was going to phone Kora's sister, Julia. Julia shared Kora's secret. Normally someone with that secret wouldn't have been reached by telephone. Julia however, could be reached by telephone for the simple reason that Kora has a telephone. Julia had always been there for Kora when they were growing up. Jake had even become somewhat friends with Julia after he married Kora.

When he found a pay-phone, he dialed the number. He explained to his shocked sister-in-law the happenings of the previous night. He explained that he needed to go to work so that he could get paid and support his family. She was not happy that he would be leaving her sister. He needed to go to work though, but he wanted someone to be at the hospital for Kora. Julia agreed to get to the hospital as fast as possible.

After he got off the phone with Julia, Jake called his work. He explained to his boss about the night before and told him that was why he was late that morning. He said he would be there as soon as he could be.

When Julia arrived Jake showed her to Kora's room. He explained what the nurse had told him earlier.

'She just needs rest. The nurse told me that I shouldn't wake her, he said. He leaned forward to his wife and kissed her on the forehead. He gave Julia his number at work and with that he left the hospital for home.

After stopping vat home to change, Jake finally arrived at his work. Bradbury's was one of the largest department stores in town. When Jake got to the top floor of the building, he headed straight for his desk, on which was a large stack of paperwork. On top of the pile of papers there was a note from Jake's boss with instructions. Jake got started on his work.

So Jake worked at his desk. He sorted through the paperwork. He went through paper after paper after paper. He had to stay a bit later than usual as he had to finish his work.

It was dark outside and Jake was about to fall asleep once again. Suddenly a loud ringing filled the empty room. It was coming from the phone on Jake's desk. He answered it.

Julia was on the other end. Kora was once more experiencing her pains and the doctors were investigating again. Jake needed to get to the hospital straight away.

When Jake arrives at the hospital is when this story joins him. He was running down the hospital corridor, passing the spotless green doors and tacky pictures of non-existent landscapes. He ran for his wife and his yet to be born child.

As he reached the same waiting room that he had fallen asleep in the night before, Julia came rushing towards him.

'I don't know what happened,' she cried, 'She slept all afternoon. She had just finished her diner and we were talking ,when she just started screaming in pain.'

'Where's the doctor?' Jake asked.

'They're all in there with her. They won't let me in!' she replied. As if on cue, just as Jake headed for the doors that Julia had pointed at, Dr. Radclaw came out.

'Mr Perry! Good,' she said sounding exhausted.

'Where's my wife? Is she alright?' he asked anxiously.

'We're doing all we can for her. We've never seen anything like this before. We think we're going to have to deliver the baby,' said Dr. Radclaw.

'What? She's not due for a month yet!' Jake said in shock.

'I know, but this won't stop until that baby is born.'

'Alright, I trust you doctor,' he said calmly.

'Thank you,' the doctor turned and walked back through the doors.

Jake went back and sat down beside Julia. He explained to her what the doctor had told him.

'Isn't it strange that strange,' he said, 'They keep saying that. That they've never seen anything like this, and they can't figure out what's happening.'

'Yes, that is strange,' Julia agreed. Jake could see that she was feeling un certain about something.

'Is there something else I need to know?'

'No, of course not. I've told you all I know,' but Jake could still that Julia looked uncertain.

As they sat there together, conversing casually, Jake yet again felt himself being taken by sleep. The current events had sure exhausted him. He wanted to stay awake so that he didn't to miss anything concerning his wife. After a few minutes, he could hold his eyelids open no more.

Jake was standing on the corner of a busy street. Rain was pouring down all around him. The sky was dark with clouds and a chilling breeze blew around him.

'It had been raining that day,' said a voice. Jake looked around. The busy street was now empty. There were no people, no cars. He could not find the source of the voice.

'He tried to catch himself, but it was too late.'

Jake heard a yell above him. He looked up and saw a dark shape against the sky. Jake closed his eyes.

CRASH! Jake felt the world come shattering down around him . He opened his eyes. A man was lying in front of him. He was a tall man with light hair. He seemed to be sleeping.

'Your father died that day,' Jake's mother's voice rang in his head.

'Jake.'

'What?'

'Jake, I do have something to tell you,' it was Julia. She still had that strange uncertain look about her.

'What?' Jake repeated as he came back from slumber.

'Kora doesn't want you to know. She thinks you'll just worry more,' she said.

'What is it?' Jake asked fully awake, 'I need to know. Julia, please tell me!' he cried.

'Alright, I will but you have to promise to stay calm, alright?'

'Yes! Yes!' he cried anxiously.

'Alright, it all started about a year ago. Kora was working on an assignment. She was to go undercover and act as a member of a rising cult. They had reason to believe that this cult was responsible for many crimes. Kora was going to do a report on the cult. Everyone that it was a fad. It would pass.

'Well, when she infiltrated the cult she discovered that the leader was a man who the others called Malocarr. He spoke of a man named Voldemort. He said he was Voldemort's heir. Kora knew nothing about either of these men. She could learn no more either as Malocarr hid his face at all times.

'Then she made a mistake, and she was caught. Malocarr brought her in front of the mass of followers. He cursed her, after which he told her what the curse would do. When she expected to have her first born child, she would die, or the baby in her place.

'Kora,' said Julia hesitantly, seeing the shocked look on Jake's face, 'luckily signaled and the Ministry came and caught most of Malocarr's followers. Only a handful escaped. Among these was Malocarr himself and he hasn't been heard from since.

'Kora didn't think much of curse at first. She had never heard of anything like it before. She didn't think it would work. She's started worrying now. These pains... she thinks she's going to die. She's begun to doubt herself. She's starting to believe what Malocarr said will happen. That's all I know,' she added quietly.

'W-Why didn't I know? Why didn't she tell me?' Jake asked in shock. He was going to lose his wife, or his child. Both thoughts were unbearable.

'It was confidential. She wasn't allowed to tell. She only just told me today when she started to worry,' Julia said with tears in her eyes.

My dreams, thought Jake this is what they mean. They mean I'm going to lose someone important to me, just like I lost my father. Jake knew that getting himself involved with his wife's "kind" was a bad idea. He had never really got along with any of her family. He could talk to Julia but only to her. He loved Kora so much though, that these differences just didn't matter.

'So either my wife, or my new child, is about to die?'

'I'm so sorry Jake,' Julia sputtered through sobs, 'I just can't believe it. My little sister, or her baby is going to die and we can't do anything about it!' Jake broke down. He couldn't hold back any longer. The tears rolled down his cheeks.

The two people sat there together for a long time. They were silent, but learned so much from each other in the process. Their friendship deepened and a bond grew between them. After years of differences, they could finally understand each other. Jake looked past her family's secret, the secret that would cause the death of his wife or child.

'Mr Perry,' a voice said sometime later. It was Dr. Radclaw, 'Would you like to see your new son?'

'M-My new son?' Jake was confused.

'Yes, we had to deliver the baby, remember? The delivery went fine. You have a beautiful baby boy. Your wife told us that you've agreed on Leo. He's sleeping in the nursery,' the doctor said.

'Yes, I'd like to see him,' Jake said with a smile. He hadn't smiled for a while now. He followed Dr. Radclaw into a room with five babies in little beds. The doctor indicated a bed by the far wall. Jake stepped forward to take his first look at his son.

There lay a tiny baby covered in yellow blankets. He had a tiny tuft of hair on the top of his head that was the same color as his father's. His tiny eyes were a bright blue, acquired from neither of his parents.

'He's beautiful,' Julia had followed Jake into the nursery.

'He's a very healthy baby, considering the condition that his mother is in,' said Dr. Radclaw.

'How is my wife?' Jake asked gazing at his tiny son.

'I'm afraid she's not doing to well. Even after the baby was born the pain continued and even grew worse.'

'And there's nothing you can do at all?'

'I'm sorry, Mr. Perry,' Dr. Radclaw said with a sympathetic tone.

'Muggles!' Jake heard Julia mutter under her breath. She sounded disgusted.

'They're doing all they can!' Jake rounded on her.

'I know. I'm sorry, I just feel so useless.'

'I know how you feel. I feel the same way,' Jake said.

'You might want to visit her now,' the doctor said. They followed her out of the room and down the hallway. They came up to a light blue door.

'Only one of you should go in at a time.'

'I'll go first,' Julia said, 'If that's alright with you.' she added to Jake.

Yes, of course,' he replied. Julia disappeared through the door.

'You can sit here and wait,' the doctor indicated a chair outside the door.

'Thank-,' Jake said as he sat down and watched as the doctor walked away. He sat and waited. He was still very tired, but he was determined that he wouldn't fall asleep now. He waited to see his wife, maybe for the last time. Thinking about her was insufferable. He turned his thoughts to his Leo, his son. He could see the dark brown hair and the bright blue eyes staring innocently at him.

'I have a son,' he said to himself.

Suddenly the light blue door opened and Julia came out. She stood there with tears streaming down her cheeks and couldn't bring herself to speak. Jake stood up and sat her in the chair.

'Sh-She wants t-to see you n-now,' she sputtered.

Jake walked through the door. His legs were stiff from sitting for so long.

The room was painted white and one bed lay against one wall, surrounded by medical equipment. Jake's wife was on the bed covered by a heavy blanket. He could hear her moaning in pain, as he walked towards the bed.

He reached to touch her forehead. It was very hot, as if she had a very serious fever.

'Kora...I-I don't know what to say,' he said, putting his hand at his side, tears in his eye. She tried to speak but could only moan louder.

'Julia t-told me about the-the curse,' he said beginning to sob, 'We have...a beautiful b-baby boy,' he tried to calm her. Kora could only moan once more. 'We'll raise him good,' Jake reassured her. Kora could only shake her head. They both knew what was going to happen.

'I-I love you,' Jake said, beginning to cry once more. Again Kora moaned in pain.

Jake sat in a chair beside her bed for what seemed like hours. He held his wife's hand. His presence seemed to ease her pain. Kora slowly fell asleep. Jake couldn't sleep he could only sit there in his chair and take in his wife's beauty.

After a while, Kora began to stir. She began to moan once more. The moaning was getting worse. Jake thought of getting a doctor or a nurse, but he knew that they could do nothing. He could do nothing else but squeeze his wife's hand tighter and pray.

A while later the moaning began to subside. Jake could fell his wife's grip on his hand weakening.

'Kora, stay with me,' he cried, but his wife was slipping away. There was no more moaning. An eerie silence filled the room. Kora closed her eyes and Jake squeezed her hand harder. Finally he felt his wife's hand go limp, as he watched as her life was drained from her body. He could only sit, staring in disbelief, in tears.

He sat for what seemed like an eternity. He decided that he'd better go tell Julia and Dr. Radclaw. He turned to leave.

'I love you,' he heard from behind him. He turned in time to see his wife, Kora close her eyes for the last time. The her body became rigid in death and he could look upon her no more.

He left the room and found Julia asleep outside the door. Tears poured down his cheeks. He kept walking. He found that he had walked back to the nursery. He walked in the door and went to see his son.

He looked into those blue eyes. He would never know his mother. Jake had never known his father. He would make sure nothing ever happened to his son. He would make sure he would never know of the secret that his mother had. The secret that had caused her death. He looked into the mysteriously blue eyes. He looked into his son's eyes. Leo Perry was the unaware.