The Wanderers

Chapter 1

"It's just a myth Vi, an urban legend." said Matt from across the lunch table.

"Yeah it's not even real." mumbled Lea next to me.

I'm not sure how it came up in conversation, but it did; the town's oldest folk tale, the one about invisible people roaming around earth, dawning death over humans. Everyone calls them the Wanderers, but I don't believe the alleged myth. I believe that there is reason for everything, that there is an outlined way of how things happen. Death doesn't just out of the blue strike someone full force or deteriorate a person without an intellectual cause. There is a purpose behind everything.

"I know it's not real, but why is everyone all of a sudden talking about it then?" I question as I stab my fork into my salad. Matt shifts his eyes onto me.

"The legend says that every five years, five new people become Wanderers. Ya know, to replace the old ones." says Matt, smiling ear to ear like he is amused with the horrific ghost story. I drop my fork onto my plate; the giddiness in his voice is nauseating.

"This is so stupid Matt, why are we wasting our breath talking about this if it isnt even true?" snapped Lea, becoming increasingly irascible with the conversation. Lea is pale white with long, straight blonde hair and subtle blue eyes. Despite her placid face, she develops blushed cheeks whenever she is irritable or nervous; I think i'm the only one who makes note of it. Lea is normally quiet and keeps to herself, and even though she is kind of a hermit, she is still my best friend. I like the beauty in her simplicity.

"What else is there to talk about? The history test today?" says Matt sarcastically, resulting in a shade of deep red casted over Lea's cheeks. But all she does is glare at him, enough for Matt to zip his lips and look down in a shameful fashion. Matt is a little taller than Lea and I and even though his know-it-all attitude is one of his fallouts, he has potential to be cute. Messy brown hair with hazel eyes and muscles is on any girl's hot list, but Matt's downfall is that he isn't popular; none of us are.

I know about the myth as much as anyone, but I wasn't aware of the new initiate part, so instead of biting my lip and holding back my curiosity for Lea's sake, I open my mouth. "So say if this was true, when exactly will five new people become Wanderers?" I fixate my eyes on Matt, trying to refrain from seeing the fury on Lea's face. Matt blocks out Lea's disapproval too and perks up, jumping in his seat.

"There ya go Violet! See Lea, this conversation isn't a waste of time, it's interesting!" squeals Matt with excitement. Like an inch of mystery gives him this unmistakable high; Lea clearly doesn't feel the same. She pushes her lunch tray into Matt hard enough to catch us both off guard and storms into the hallway. Matt's smile evaporates off his face and confusion consumes us both.

"What was that all about...?" says Matt as he pushes the hair in his face back and cleans up the mess Lea left us with from her lunch.

"I...I have no idea." I stutter, unable to find a reason for the occurrence. Why would she react like this? The question jostles in my head as I become more and more annoyed that I can't figure out any factors. It's unlike Lea to show such empowering emotions. Not only verbally, but her physical defiance is what has Matt and I frozen; jaws dropped. I'll make sure I find out later.

"Well anyway" says Matt cautiously, like Lea is still in our presence, "apparently this Saturday will mark five years since the last Taking."

I cringe at the term "Taking". It's such a simple word but the context is gruesome. I've only heard someone discuss the Taking one other time, and it was brief with missing gaps of information. I remember asking questions and frowning when they were disregarded. Like finding out more is exactly what they don't want. I'm still trying to figure out exactly who they are.