Shadow Of The Wood

Chapter 1

                             Ransom's POV

Smelling the fresh morning woodland wind rushing through the cockpit of an old 1967 Chevy Impala, a hand gently grips the volume to turn up the music. Playing the beginning of Never Too Late from Three Days Grace, rushing down the beaten-up road of Skyway, the driver of the car tapped the steering wheel in rhythm with the song. Tone-deaf, he sings along trying to mimic the notes. "I will not leave alone, everything I own. To make you feel like it's not too late, it's never too late." The kid bobs his head right when the bass kicks, rocking away. Ransom cries along with the singer but stopping so he can focus on the road. Ransom is 17 years old with an undercut and bangs (like Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan). With brown hair that's almost black, at the tips and under bangs is red striped while hanging down

When up into a ponytail which he calls a Viking Braid, it's almost all red at the top of his head. He has golden-brown eyes with a tint of green in them and tan-ish skin. Glancing at the side of the road he sees a quaint old house before seeing another one, then another. It is 7:45 a.m. in the town of Paraglia Oregon, United States. It is in the middle of nowhere, deep in the mountains. It takes an hour to get out of the forest, but an hour and a half to get to any city in the valley. The young olive-toned man is heading to his new high school, Pine Ridge High, on his first day of school. He moved into town after summer to his friend's ranch to get away from family in California.

The ranch is called Meadow Creek Ranch, it is 3 miles away from town. There is barely any service until you're in town. Ransom slows down at once when he sees the traffic lights. Gradually stopping, he looks across the street. He sees a Pharmacy to the left, with a Post Office across the street from it. After a few minutes of waiting the light turns green, so he turns to the right into a neighborhood. There are houses all around him now. Letting out a sigh, he drives a mile down the street before seeing traffic with a crosswalk lady letting some teenagers cross. He grips the volume again to turn down the music a little as he's passing slowly and into the entrance of the school. It is a little windy road with thick trees, before approaching a large opened gate beyond. "What the.." Ransom looks at it in confusion; normally, if schools have fencing or gates, then they wouldn't be around the parking lot too. However, he just brushes it off, thinking it's to protect the school from mountain lions or bears.

After pulling up into a parking spot, he sighs as he turns off the engine before glancing down at his phone. It reads 7:49 am. Ransom grabs his backpack with his phone and keys in his other hand, as he opens the door. With a swift move, he shoves the phone into his front jeans pocket. He sticks his key into the keyhole in the door and twists it smoothly to lock it. His golden warm eyes scan the deep red Chevy Impala before smiling softly, happy that he has something to say he is free. However, he is anxious about this whole thing, but he confidently turns around and starts walking into the school. Ransom puts the key away before shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his red leathered jacket and pulls his arms closer to him. It is October, but he didn't think it would get this cold. It isn't too cold, just enough to make your skin shiver.

Walking down the dusty parking lot he wiggles his nose softly. Smelling the dust in the air is enough to make him sneeze. "Ugh..." He mutters softly and holds his hand up to his nose while looking around. The parking lot is a dirt road, but it has some pavement here and there, only in the parking spots. However, the dust from the cars passing die down when he reaches the school grounds. Brushing his dark brown hair away from his eyes, he walks to a building in front of the school.  A sign reads "Main Office." Ransoms heads in. Inside it is a small office, but it has what it needs: the nursing office, principal's office, meeting rooms, and the teacher's lounge. The office was also decorated for the next holiday, Halloween. So, there is a haunted house cuckoo clock on the wall. There are also some other things on the wall, like fake webs, bats, black cats, the basic classics for the holiday.

Immediately after he enters, one of the people that work there welcomes him; it is an elderly lady with a warm smile, "Hello there, sir, how may we help you?" Ransom walks up to the front main desk as the lady does the same on the other side. "Hi, um... I was transferred here and I'm here to get my schedule," he answers while she points at the check-in list. "Okay dear, can you sign in and give me your name, please?" Ransom grabs a pen from a pen holder and presses the tip onto the lined paper, then answers the lady's question.

"Ransom Adderstone.."

"Oh, Adderstone? You're the boy from California." The lady smiles with a twinkle in her eyes as he nods softly and smiles back at her kindly. "Now why will you transfer here?" Ransom watches her eyes with interest until he remembers that he moved into the middle of nowhere in the woods from model heaven. "Oh... um, family problems," Ransom says rather hesitantly and the lady glances at him. "Oh really? I'm sorry you're having problems," she says softly with sympathy, before walking back to her desk to get his schedule. Ransom inhales through his nose for a sigh, but stops suddenly; he smells something delicious in the office. However, it isn't in sight, so he closes his eyes and inhales again. When he does, he can practically see the scent wafting through the air.

Therefore, letting one of his sixth senses out, his instincts unintentionally lets his sense of hearing the tune in. The clicking of the cuckoo clock's gears grow louder and louder, and little creeks and cracks from the old building get louder, too. Ransom focuses on the scent harder, listening to anything around it as well. "Smells like breakfast tacos..." He mutters softly to himself before snapping out of it with a loud "Hello? Adderstone?" The staff lady waves her hand a little at the teen, making him flutter his eyes open. "Ah-- yes? I'm sorry." He chuckles softly, before looking down at her other hand that is holding the schedule, "Oh! Thank you," "You're welcome, now if you have any questions, then please don't be shy and come up to the Main Office for help okay?" She smiles again before a sudden loud ring of the school bell sounds off. "Oh, that's the first bell. Don't be late for the second bell, have a nice day!" As she is talking, Ransom grabs the schedule is before heading out. "Okay, thank you!" He then bolts out the door into the school.