PROLOGUE
It was like nothing that I had ever seen before. It sat low, crouched in the darkness, hidden by the bushes and the shadows of the trees. Its skin was pale, a translucent white with a network of blue veins all over. It had large bright eyes, the pupils a light beige and almost transparent as it kept glancing up at the full moon. It was completely hairless.
Except for dark loose pants, it wore no other clothing. Or shoes. Its ears were pointed much like a bat’s and its nose was squished flat against its face with large nostrils. I was amazed by the brilliant pink of its lips which was perfectly formed but curled into an ear-to-ear grin that randomly appeared every now and again. Its mouth opened and closed in silent utterances as it continued to sniff the night air all around.
I was too far away to hear anything.
Down below in the valley, they gathered. There were about six of them and one in particular—a big one—stared endlessly at the clear sky. Was it counting stars?
They walked oddly, not like how humans walked upright but on all fours, sometimes running with an extended curvature in their backs as they moved. Sharp claws replaced nails on both of their hands and feet, their arms much longer than the length of their legs. I was reminded of something supernatural, hidden, and only found for the first time.
Discovered.
My thoughts changed as the creatures shifted around, each offering sharp howls and guttural snarls as tribute to the moon goddess. Unnatural was what they were, undoubtedly.
I was curious about the big one. While the others talked in whatever kind of speech that they had, he continued to be totally aware of his surroundings. He sat like a cheetah scanning the Serengeti in search for the most vulnerable prey. His eyes reflected light like an animal’s that casts off the pale light from the heavens. While the others were engrossed in each other, he stood watch.
There was a deep urge inside of me that kept saying, leave and just go. I ignored it as best as I could and focused on the fantastic creatures down below. Here, high on the cliff with miles between us in distance and in depth, they wouldn’t be able to catch me even if they did see me. I’d be long gone.
As I sat peering, the wind changed directions and I felt a rustle from behind my ear. The wind blew past my face and down below to the great plain where they were. The big one suddenly snapped his head in my direction. Although he looked like an ant from where I sat, the grin on his face told me that he had found what he was looking for: he was looking for me.
CHAPTER ONE - A NEW START
I dreaded the days of having to get up early for school, especially since it was my first day again. It wasn’t fair that I had to continue my boring lessons since it was the middle of the last semester but life wasn’t fair. The saying used to be, “live and learn”, but it was now, “learn and live with what’s left”. My life had changed dramatically within the past few months, too much for me to believe in anything different.
I brushed my teeth, got dressed in clean clothes, did all of the normal getting-up-in-the-morning stuff, ate a bowl of cereal, and reluctantly marched out of the door, leaving the bowl in the sink to be cleaned up later. I could afford to leave a dish dirty or a half-eaten apple out of the fridge for a few hours. It was far too nice and too cold where I was to have any of the normal bugs that I didn’t like, like roaches. I pushed the thought away and locked the door behind me.
My car was the only source of comfort that I had. Bought as an early graduation present, Rose beamed as I approached the shiny piece of metal. I didn’t know much about cars, except to keep them clean, but this one screamed attention. I gently ran my fingers over the top of the hood as I made my way over to the driver’s side. She was cool to the touch.
