Hello everyone!
First time here, and writing anything longer than 12k words, I decide to crank up the difficulty and go directly for English!
So, if you see anything maddening, I'll be open to criticism 😉
Have a good read, and see you soon.
__________
In a little village, near an abandoned mansion, stood a boy, black haired and brown eyed. He usually passes time while playing with his pet dog, when not busy helping his parents with their farm. In his eyes, there is nothing noteworthy in his life, with one exception only. There is a girl, a few years older than he is, that lives outside the village with her eccentric father. He doesn't know why, as he doesn't understand very well how beauty can attract unwanted attention, but she's always sought by the master hunter of their village. All he knows is that, unlike most other grown ups, she knows how to read and loves it as he never sees her without a book when she comes to his home to say hi.
Today follows the rule, and while he is out playing after his day helping, the boy sees her and stands up cheerfully.
— Big sis! Hello! Gibbs knows how to play dead, look !
Before he can turn to the dog, a crystalline laugh can be heard from his friend.
— Dorian, calm down, I won't disappear you know ? Hello Gibbs.
Still excited, the boy stops when she talks, looking back at her eternally smiling face, before going back to his demonstration. With a lone word, the dog fell on the floor and let its tongue out, which made both humans share a laugh.
— You're a good trainer, Dorian, I can see that, but please go easy on the poor Gibbs, he is easily tired now you know ?
Despite the chastising words, her tone stays leveled and warm.
— Can you tell me where your parents are ?
— Yes! Yes! Mom's inside ! You'll tell me a story right ?
— Of course, of course.
Hearing this, the dog stands up immediately, he too loves hearing the tall human female talk long with the little one. She has a soothing voice. The boy then ran to the house, with his pet and the girl following at a relaxed pace.
— Mom ! Mom ! Big sis is here ! She'll tell us stories !
The girl can't contain a chuckle hearing this. How innocent can this child be? She comes every time to buy food for her house, the stories are only a side benefit for this good family. They're of the few that never harass her for rejecting the hunter's advances after all, so she can as well do this little thing for them. Later, a full basket in the arm and a genuine smile on her face, she goes back to her home as the boy sleeps on the floor, having fallen during the story as usual.
As the time flows, without much changes, Gibbs goes more and more lethargic, much to Dorian's dismay, as he can't understand that his best friend grows old. One day, as he tries to play with the dog, this one lays itself on the floor calmly and closes his eyes. The boy, unaware, grabs his ball, a gift from the kind sister, and throw it near Gibbs.
— Fetch!
Nothing.
— Gibbs ! Fetch!
The dog stays still.
— Gibbs ? Gibbs ! What happen ? You tired ?
Without any reaction from his calls, Dorian goes to his dog, grabs the ball and push it gently on Gibbs' maw, but there is no reaction.
— Gibbs ?
Understanding that his friend is really tired, Dorian puts back the toy and hugs the dog, only to freeze after that. He doesn't feel. He does not feel the perspiration, nor the pulse of his lifelong friend. Finally, the truth appears.
— No… No, No ! Gibbs ! You can't leave me ! Please no ! Stay !
During his desperate plea, Dorian can feel something moving within him. He doesn't know what, he doesn't care about it, all he can think of is the loss of his dear friend. He knows, after all, what death is, he saw his parents kill some cattle, he heard about it in his big sis' stories, but… Never, he would never have thought that it could happen to Gibbs, so close to him.
Suddenly, as he cries, he sees something moving. The dog's shadows undulate softly before taking shape, Gibbs' shape, and separating from the corpse. Then Dorian feels it. He feels the connection with this… Thing. It will obey him, always. While the boy fails to come to terms with this new knowledge, the shadow grabs the ball in its maw and gives it to him, showing that it kept its living memories.
Some moments after that, the boy understands that his dog obeyed, that he stayed because Dorian told him so. He instinctively understands that, now, he can ask other to do the same, as long as there is a corpse.
— Dorian ! Gibbs ! Time to eat !
— Quick ! Hide !
He remembered, when his dad called, the stories from his sis. The dead should stay dead, and only bad guys in stories forbid them to go to God. The dread that swallows him pushes him to hide his ability from his parents, and he is quite relieved to see that the shadow dives into his own and 'melt' inside it. That night, the family meal is quiet, Gibbs' death took a toll on everyone's spirit, but at different levels. Dorian quietly vows to ask his kind sis about it, ready to face her fear or disgust.
Two days later, Dorian sit alone on the side of the road. He stares silently at the village in the distance until he finally can see a human silhouette approaching. At this time, on this day, it can only be her. He stands, slowly, and takes some steps to her before stopping.
*She… She'll hate me. She will never want to talk to me again. I'll disgust her...*
Minutes later, the girl stops in front of him, looking perplexed at his unusual behavior until she takes into account the absent.
*So, he finally died. Poor boy has to have it rough now.*
— Hello Dorian. How… Is…
For she read uncountable stories, they never prepared her for this task. How to ask a naive little boy how he is after this unbearable loss. After some tense moments, fidgeting, Dorian looks up at her.
— Big sis… I… I'm not a bad guy… I…
She blinks a few times, taken aback by the sudden talk.
— I have… A… A question for you… Can you… Follow me ?
After a nod, the child silently walks in the forest, out of view from everyone else, and she follows. The girl would like to know what he wants to ask, but she knows best than ask him before he is ready. His hesitation before makes it clear that something is wrong, way more than the death of his dog.
In a clearing, Dorian turns back to her and takes a deep breath.
— Big sis Belle… I… Those bad guys in the stories… They… Isn't there some good ones with the… The dead power ?
She freezes, unable to understand. No, she doesn't want to understand, but she can't flee now.
— Dorian… They… It's only stories… They… They don't exist… But…
Looking intently at him, while she thinks about how best to explain her thought, she can't help but see a small smile appear on his face.
— If there is such a power, the power itself isn't bad, nor good. It all depends on the person with it, you understand ?
With a nod, Dorian comes and hugs his dependable big sis, still smiling as this is the first time that he knows something that she don't.
— Big sis… You're wrong… They exist.
He takes a few steps back, looking at her with confidence. She told him that the power itself isn't bad, so she won't hate him, he's sure of it.
— We exist.
With a thought, he compels Gibbs' shadow to get out. Belle can't help herself, she feels goosebumps all over her body at his words. Then, when the boy's shadow moves she gulps loudly before freezing once again as the dog appear.
— G… Gibbs ?
After this incredulous question, Belle becomes thoughtful, surprising Dorian. He, of course, had full confidence in her, in the fact that she wouldn't hate him, since he couldn't imagine that fear could make one do absurd things nor the influence of some reputations such as the one linked to necromancy, but he would never have thought that she would begin to think immediately.
— Dorian. Did you show this to your parents ? No… You didn't. They wouldn't understand. You did good.
Validated by her words, Dorian smiles more, all tension lifted from his body. He knew that she would know best, after all.
— For now, no. From now on, you'll never talk about it, it will be our secret, do you agree ?
— Yes big sis !
With a soft smile, Belle shuffles his hair.
— Thanks. I'll have some research to do about it, so… I may come less often for now, sorry.
— I understand big sis, thank you so much.
*Thank you so much for not hating me.*
With those words, they begin to go to the boy's house. Since then, and for the next few years, Belle came less and less often, until she never came back. Each time, she would seem more distant, more cold to everyone in the family. They thought until the end that it was because of Gaston's relentless pursuit, which never ceased but instead intensified.