There were no classes today, but Mr. Vero still met Namu during their usual time slot, only because Namu had begged him to. He had wanted to know what had gone on with Molly after that phone call in the middle of the night. Molly was lucky that Koz had given Namu one of his many phones that he linked his old number and information to in case Namu saw another one of those creatures. He didn’t want to think about what might have happened if he hadn’t.

Mr. Vero had just finished telling Namu what had happened with Molly.

Namu could not believe that the mini-troll who had tried to take over Molly’s body was the same one he had seen in his hallway talking to that first year who had ended up saving all the students. He felt lightheaded, trying to piece everything together, including the fact that particular mini-troll had been the reason why Molly had come to the school in the first place. And how another mini-troll named Kren, who had picked up Molly this morning, had signed her up at this school to protect her.

But Molly had not been protected. Namu had seen the mini-troll named Trennly. He had seen him in his hallway and had ignored him.

“But how did Molly stop the mini-troll from taking her over?” Namu asked. He was dying to know how she had survived that. The last time they had practiced together felt like ages ago, and she had just given up.

“She said it was something that you taught her.”

Something he taught her? Did it have to do with that metal she said had helped her before? But Namu had loosened his grip on her when they had practiced together that day. He had tried not to completely take her over.

He would have to ask her exactly how she had done it when she returned from wherever Kren had taken her.

“Why would a mini-troll want Molly anyway? He isn’t a lost spirit without a body.”

“Maybe he is, in some ways.”

It still seemed odd to him. Unless maybe this troll’s soul was damaged like Namu’s was. But how would taking over a body fix anything? Wouldn’t the old soul fit right inside the new body? Nothing would change. Unless the troll just wanted a new body. But why?

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The thought made Namu worry for Molly even more. She had been through so much in a short time. How did she deal with it all?

“That boy,” Mr. Vero said, “The one that was the metal statue in the hallway with the creatures…. He’s going to need you. I talked to him. His name is Terrance. He’s pretty traumatized.”

“I don’t blame him.”

Mr. Vero’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh, really?”

Namu paused. He wasn’t sure why he had sparked Mr. Vero’s interest. “Yeah.”

Mr. Vero said his following few words slower, “He’s already having a hard time reconnecting with his friends.”

“Anyone would after that. Does he have any holes?”

Mr. Vero nodded and added, “I found that last creature and sent it back.”

“Good.” Namu felt horrible that he had caused the one thing he had been trying to prevent to an innocent boy who had done nothing. “I’ll talk to him and do whatever I can.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it. I did not tell him about your past situation. I’m leaving that to you. But I’m sure it will help him to know that he’s not alone. You both just need time to heal.”

More like time to start all over, but that wasn’t possible unless he threw away his old soul and became a newer soul like Molly was. But if he did that, would he even still be him?

“Is it possible to just throw away your soul?”

Mr. Vero stared at him, startled, his blue eyes more serious than they usually were, “Why would you want to do that?”

“To start all over.”

“I think you mean to heal. You want to heal, Namu. Not throw yourself away. You have a lot going for you.”

Namu couldn’t think of anything that he had going for him.

Sighing, Mr. Vero patted Namu on the shoulder. “Why don’t we approach your situation differently? Think about this boy that everything has just happened to. You don’t expect him to return to the way things were before, right? It’s nearly impossible. He has changed. The events have changed him. So, instead of expecting him to regrow his soul and get back to normal, wouldn’t it be better to expect him to come to terms with his new life, meditate while reflecting on his new self, and let those holes fill in slowly, making new pieces of himself? Newer parts of his soul that he’s missing?”

What was Mr. Vero saying? That it was possible, instead of forcing growth, to let it happen through acceptance? That one could heal by coming to terms with the fact that everything had changed? For some reason, when Namu thought of himself having to do that, he didn’t want to. But when he thought about the boy named Terrance, he didn’t want him to suffer the way Namu had when trying to force things back to how they were before. Namu had learned that was impossible. It was a lost cause to return back to your old self when something traumatic had taken pieces of you.

But it didn’t mean that those pieces couldn’t be reborn and become something new. Something stronger. Could Namu cure himself that way? By building pieces of himself back up from this new beginning? This new foundation? By acceptance?

Would he be more willing to do that for himself now that he had someone else to guide?