Partials

1: The new kid

I have to sleep with a gun now.

Its just a way to make me feel safe I guess. I know being locked inside my house is safe enough, but I can't help but feel like the Partials will find a way to get me. Since my mother was killed, my dad tried everything to stop me suffering the same fate. So he created a school. The PFE, 'The Partial Fighting Agency". When the Partials came around four years ago, everyone was terrified, the human population was dropping rapidly as Partials kidnapped people and they were presumed dead. People were living in fear, mainly because they didn't know how to fight back. That's where my dad came in. The PFE teaches people of all ages all we know about Partials. Which isn't much. The school mainly covers what they are, what they do, what they look like and most importantly, how to fight back with anything you can find. Guns, furniture, knives, swords, throwing knives and hand to hand combat. I remember the first time one attacked me. It was awful. It was the early hours of the morning, I was taking out the garbage and it emerged from the neighbours garden across the road. It's ugly face staring at me, it mouth open, making the screeching the noise it makes when its just about to strike, (a noise that almost all people can identify now) it ran across the road with ridiculous speed, and tackled me to the ground. Partials are bloody strong, but I just managed to fight it off with my hands by jabbing my nail into its ugly eyes. Something I knew only because of my training. I've fought with a lot of them now. More than anyone my age. Im pretty good at it, not having any friends gives me more time to practice my combat. I choose not to have any friends since my best, and only friend, Shanelle was taken. I don't want to get close to anyone. They all seem to go away as soon as I get close to them. I only push people away now.

I sat in class doodling in my schoolbook. It was a Tuesday so we had theory. We focus on the main aspects of partials. The class is really repetitive as nobody knows much about them, and every time we have a new student, we back track and cover the basics. It was the early days of winter so the weather was rainy and cold. I was wrapped in what felt like a million layers of clothing. The teacher began talking "good morning class. As most of you have probably noticed we have a new student so we will spend today recapping on the basics of a Partial" a series of groans filled the room. There hasn't been a new kid here for awhile now as basically every kid in the city went to this school. It's less students than you probably think, the city is a quarter as small as it used to be now. I looked up from my drawing to where the teacher was gesturing. There was a boy who looked not much older than me standing in the doorway awkwardly. He was wearing our standard school uniform, comfortable clothing that's easy to move around in for when we practise combat. He had dark eyes and ebony black hair with a fringe covering his entire forehead and most of his left eye. I wondered briefly if he could see past his hair. "This is Sin. Sin, go take a seat next to Raven." The teacher pointed at the only spare desk, the one next to me. He walked over to me. At first glance I thought he would be timid and shy but now studying the way he walked with long strides and his chin held high I realised he was bolder than I originally thought. He pulled out the chair and sat down on it. He pushed his bag under his desk. He glanced over at me and I realised I had been staring at him. I quickly flicked back down to my open book to see my really bad drawing. I flushed a light shade of pink and snapped the book shut hoping he hadn't seen it. I saw him looking at me out the corner of my eye. He was smiling slightly. Oh god please stop looking at me I was acting so strange. I don't know what had gotten over me, I'm usually so calm. The teacher started talking again and Sin turned his head to her. Oh thank god. "Ok, so lets start basic. What's a Partial?" David's hand shot up almost right away. The teacher pointed to him.

"A skeleton like being that steals us humans in our sleep and takes us to their lairs."

"And where are the Partials lairs?"

"Nobody knows."

"Excellent. Ok, now," the teacher turned on the projector with a click of the remote she was holding, and a image of a Partial appeared on the screen. A human looking figure but a lot thinner and more bony with almost burnt looking decaying skin "where are the Partials main weak spots." David's hand rose "yes David?"

"The eyes are the only weakness for hand to hand combat and it won't kill the Partial only fend it off, but if you have access to a gun, knife or any other weapon you can kill the partial by destroying the heart or brain."

"Good." She circled these spots on the picture of the Partial on the screen. "Ok when do Partials commonly come out of their lairs to search for prey?" David's hand flew up again. Not that it surprised me at all, he's the main contributor in the class. A bit of a try hard in my opinion, but that's just me.

"Mainly at night. Its very rare to spot one during the day." Something inside of me cracked. I had once seen a Partial during the day. I forced myself to tone out, I didn't want to dig back any more memories. Also, I didn't exactly need the recap, with dad being the boss of the PFE I have ended up knowing more than I probably should about Partials with only being seventeen. I guess its good I know so much. It has made me wiser. More aware. I mean, its kept me alive so far. I wonder how long Sin will last. New students never last more than a week, a month at the most.

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Authors note- Hope you are enjoying the story so far. It's a little slow right now, just covering the basics. Please don't forget to vote and comment.

Hope you have a good day :)