Counting Our Stars • Tyler Joseph •

Chapter 1

• Claire •

Turning the pages of her history book, Claire skimmed through the text briefly. Her midterm exam was in a few days and she couldn't focus. Frustrated, she slammed the book closed and pushed it to the side before she climbed off of her bed. She opened her bedroom door, the familiar squeal of the hinges as she pushed it farther open. She rolled her eyes at the noise and mentally scolded her father for not fixing the old creaky door as soon as their family had moved in. Two months ago to be exact. The Hutchersons had moved from sunny Orlando, Florida to Columbus, Ohio. It wasn't so bad but she had only started her first year at Ohio State University in August. She hadn't quite gotten the chance to experience the wonders of Columbus so that's what she was going to do instead of cramming her head full of rambling facts about the Civil War.

She slipped on her jacket and shoes while pulling her medium length brown hair into a messy bun. She could honestly care less about what people thought about her appearance. She wasn't looking to impress anyone here so why should it matter what she wore outside of her home and school? She walked down the hallway and stopped short in the doorway of the kitchen once she saw her parents sitting at the table, looking through boxes of items they still had to find places for. "Hey, I'm going out to explore the city. I'll be back by five." She said, a cheerful smile on her face. "Well be safe and call us if you need us." Her father told her, not looking up from the box of old glassware he was looking through. Claire silently left the house and checked her jacket pockets to be sure she had her house key and phone. When she confirmed that they were both in her pockets, she decided on which route she was going to take to reach the city and then began to walk towards the bus stop a few blocks from her house.

She walked aimlessly down the sidewalk, head swiveling from one side to the other, trying to take in every sight and sound of the downtown area. She pulled her jacket closer around her to block out the wind. It was already getting late and the sun was beginning to set. She stopped by a local Chinese restaurant to grab some dinner to take home later. After leaving the restaurant, she decided to head further away from the city.

Claire soon got off the bus to a more rustic and secluded part of town. She paused to look at a antique book store when a shout caught her attention. She knew she shouldn't go looking for trouble but the person seemed in trouble. She began to follow the trail of pleading until she could hear clear voices..

"p-Please! I don't wanna die! I have two sons!" the man cried in utter panic. Someone, in total shadow, held a man flat against a brick wall. "oh, I Wong kill you." The person said matter-of-factly before leaning close to the other man. Claire watched in frozen horror as the man's eyes began to flutter close and he slowly slumped to the ground. She took a shaky step back and tripped over a concrete step. A sharp, angry hiss came from the attacker and his head whipped around to spot Claire. His face was faintly lit by a nearby street lamp and she could see a dark liquid staining the man's face and dripping onto his clothes. "You shouldn't be here." the man said coyly, dropping his prey and took a step towards her.

Before Claire could turn and run, a blast of wind behind her ruffled her clothes and a hand grabbed her arm. "leave, now." a gentle voice said from behind her. She turned her head to see who the person was but all she caught a glimpse of was a pair of dark eyes. "You were never here , forget what you've seen and go home." the man said. Clair could only stare into the man's eyes with a blank look before she moved away from the scene and started returning home, in a total trance.

**Author's Note:** Hello! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my new book! I need to ask a favor, could someone create a cover image for the book please?? You'll get full credit of course! I'm thinking one with the moon, stars and work a dark/mysterious photo of Tyler Joseph in there too? Thank you!