Excerpt: <nothing yet>

Late that night, after dinner, Geoff lay awake in his loft, waiting for his parents to go to sleep. After he heard their bed creak, he gave them several more minutes, listening for the long steady breathing of sleep. When he heard it, he crept down the ladder. He spent a few minutes gathering items and bundling them into a carryable package, then he snuck down the stairs into the store, and went outside, being very careful not to let the door jingle the bell mounted over it.
Geoff stole through the empty, dark streets and made his way to the town square, where he saw the dark shape of Xavier, slumped in the stocks, yet still holding himself up with his legs. The whole square was dimly lit by a half-moon in the clear sky, and Xavier looked in Geoff’s direction as he approached.
“Don’t be afraid, it’s—“
“Geoff, what are you doing here?” Xavier asked. “You shouldn’t have come.”
“I feel bad about—“ Geoff tried.
“You shouldn’t come at night, it’s dangerous,” Xavier said.
“S’not so dang’rous,” Geoff said. “Nobody’s out this late.” He was only a couple of steps away. “I brought some food, and water, and –“ he was on the platform, and stopped dead in his tracks, for the man who looked up at him from the stocks was only superficially the same man he’d brought soup to in the dungeon.
Xavier’s skin, where Geoff could see it, glowed a faint white in the moonlight, and strange swirls, designs, sigils and whorls -- glowing a ghostly, luminescent blue-white – traced their way delicately over Xavier’s face, neck, arms, hands – everywhere that Geoff could see. Xavier’s eyes had no irises, but were empty pools of black, depthless, bottomless, and Geoff jerked when they blinked. When Xavier spoke, Geoff saw that two of his top teeth were longer, sharper, pointier…almost like cat’s teeth.
“What…” Geoff could say nothing else.
“I told you you shouldn’t have come, young Geoff,” he said – his voice was a hiss, a trill, a guttural grunt, somehow his voice was everything, yet devoid of everything human at the same time, and was slickly, oily-smooth. It entranced Geoff and made his stomach turn over at the same time. “Now you see the real me, and the reason I am imprisoned simply for who I am.”
“But…” Geoff stammered. He flailed for some sort of reason in his head, briefly at least, then gave up and decided to just accept the situation. “But, you’re bleeding,” he said firmly. Geoff set down his bundle at Xavier’s feet and opened it. He pulled out a winesack and a cloth, and poured water from one onto the other. He set down the sack and hesitated.
“If I come closer, are ye….going t’hurt me?” he asked. There was an uncomfortably long pause, during which Geoff could feel water from the cloth trickling up his arm, cold and strangely reassuring.
“No. I will not hurt you, Geoff. I swear this.”
Geoff advanced the last step and reached out gingerly with the cloth, not knowing what to expect. He dabbed at the smaller cuts on Xavier’s head, sponging away the dirt, blood and bits of rotten vegetables.
“I’m so sorry,” he said.
“What have you to be sorry for,” Xavier hissed.
“That I joined th’other boys.” He wiped dirt from Xavier’s neck. “I’m sorry that I threw at you. I shouldn’t have.” He dabbed under Xavier’s eye where the flap of skin hung, and Xavier winced.
“You were maintaining your status with your friends,” he said. “I understand young boys. I used to be one, long ago, remember.” Geoff put away the now-soiled cloth, finished with his ministrations.
“Y’must be hungry,” Geoff said. He held up a piece of bread that he’d brought.
“I am hungry. Famished, actually,” Xavier said, while fixing Geoff with a piercing look. “But that water would be more appreciated.” Geoff put the bread back in the pack and held the skin for Xavier to have a drink. “Thank you, boy,” he said. Geoff started to reach for the food, but Xavier stopped him. “No no, no need for that,” he said. “I will be just fine until I am back in my cell, and they bring me my daily soup. Go now. Go back to your bed, Geoff, and sleep well.” He again pierced Geoff with his gaze. “And don’t look back as you go.”
Geoff gathered up his bundle and started off.
“I just—“
“Go. Don’t look back.” Geoff complied. He returned to his home, and snuck back in without waking either of his parents. He climbed back into his loft, and was asleep nearly as soon as his head hit the pillow.