If you are reading this book because you don't have a choice(your mom or dad is making you read this book or you got it as a gift and don't want to be rude) then yes keep reading but if you are flicking through the pages of this very book because you think that you are like me then I suggest you leave because the more you know and realise, the more in danger you will be. Believe me you do not want to be a part of this. You will regret this as much as I did. Don't say I didn't warn you!
Hi, my name is Jason Lark and I am a 14 years old boy.
I would say my life is pretty normal full of school and other teenage problems such as acne and finding 'the love of your life'. What do you expect? Action? Drama? Adventure? Well my friend you came to the wrong book. Who do you think I am? A boy seeking trouble on a daily routine so that he avoids even looking remotely good. Nah that's not me. Just joking.
My problems started about 2 months ago when I first found out my whole life was a lie and that I had superpowers, but lets get into those juicy stuff later.
It was a warm summers say. That hot sidewalk has me dancing along a little faster, but since my destination is assured that's all good. The sun is brilliant in cornflower-blue sky, as if one perfect petal was stretched so wide around all the world. As I go I'm dreaming up new graffiti, new vibrant mosaics to bring this neighbourhood to a higher rhythm, an exuberance we were born for. That's summer. That's the time when music, art and dance flow into one another as inseparable as any true friends should be.
Distracted by this Mosaic I arrived at school late like usual .My history teacher Miss Violet didn't even care these days she just got used to the fact that I will have no carrier and a horrible future life which I totally agreed with. Back in the classroom, a gang of troublesome teenagers unwillingly wearing the school uniform could be seen performing the rebellious act of tying their burgundy jackets around their waists, against the school's policies. Taking advantage of not being under surveillance by a responsible adult, the rowdy teenagers, easily distinguishable by the burgundy wrap around their waist, pulled out their prohibited mobile phones and the sound of camera shutters clicking against each other filled the room, as they ridiculously posed for the picture using unrecognizable facial expressions. Another set of youngsters were blaring ear-splitting music whilst drumming powerfully on the unstable desks, producing a deafening cacophony that could be heard through the corridors. Paper airplanes were being manufactured with great precision at one end of the classroom and flown to the other end, hitting several annoyed children on the way and earning a good amount of foul-mouthed words in return. In the corner of the room, a set of studious youngsters wearing large circular black-rimmed glasses, snorted loudly as they laughed while wheezing constantly. Ahh what a good life I had! I sat down took my things out and passed out on the desk.
I woke up to the sound of a earthquake. Being my sleepy self I didn't take the fact that I COULD DIE into consideration but also the fact that I felt sleepier then usual but who cares so I passed out again.
I dreamt about a forest. The eerie darkness of that night would never escape my memory. I clearly remember the pitch-black curtain draped over the sky, and the twisted, warped shapes that the stars made against the blackness. The milky speckles twirled and danced along the sky in various patterns, tugging at the corners of my lips in a way that almost made me smile. It was hard to shove aside the worries corrupting my mind, but eventually, I stopped walking over the soft sand below my feet and just... stopped thinking. I was alone. Nothing from my life could touch me. Not a single thing could harm me. I stared up at the sky and studied the silver glow of the moon. She smiled down at me with love so intense it warmed my soul like a fireplace on a cold winter's night. And there I was, standing on the shore at midnight to escape my life at home, not wanting to do anything but cry. But the look that the moon gave me didn't cause the storm to go on inside of me. Instead, a hot blue fire flickered in my heart and soon started to grow, eating at all of the dark emotions in its path. My worries burned away, and the tears that were starting to form at the corners of my eyes melted down my cold face with a rush of relief.
Crying felt good, especially when they were tears that I didn't want to push away. They weren't drops of sadness, no. They were more like the feelings of joy, relief, happiness and freedom streaming away from my hurt eyes. They were temporary cleaners to wash away the pain. I stared up at the sky and continued to let my pain run away for the moment. The cold midnight waves rolled in and tickled my feet as I stood on the beach, not ever wanting to leave. But then i saw something horrifying that it instantly took the feeling of comfort I grasped onto away.
The beast lay hunched in the brooding forest on the borderline between The mountains and The lake. He was part of the latter but he was hungry for fresh meat. He was as large as a bear on it's hind legs and with jaws just as powerful, but his skin was a dull green and the claws he held at the ready looked borrowed from some prehistoric predator, they were twelve inches to the tip and sharper than a butcher's knife. He squinted his red eyes toward the dappled shade of the meadow that was surrounded by flowers and plants making me hope that I will feel somewhat safer but that wasn't the case and tensed his muscles ready to pounce. That sunlight would be murder on his delicate skin and almost unprotected retinas. Then came a sound to fill his heart with joy, it was a child, skipping and singing. A child who had not listened to it's mother's warnings about staying away from The Unknown. The boy stopped in his tracks when he saw the beast . A silence between the boy and the beast followed. This silence was impenetrable. Then the boy ran.
Night was falling, creeping towards him from all sides. The young boy scampered through the undergrowth, his little feet carrying him deeper and deeper into the trees. No matter how far he ran, nor how fast, he couldn't outrun this darkness, and he didn't know how to get home. He'd thought he was running in the right direction, had been almost certain of it when he'd begun moving, but surely he should have left the forest by now if that were true. He didn't want to risk changing direction and delving even deeper into the trees, so he maintained his path, running and running, and all the while his fear was growing in his chest.
The beast then pounced , his knife like claws ready to strike and then I woke up with cold sweat trickling down my face. Each drop making a silent and almost eerie 'splat' on the floor echoing throughout the classroom. The nightmare which I just had made me want to curl up into a ball that I wouldn't dare open and never sleep again until I was certain I wasn't being followed.
After having that nightmare going to sleep again wasn't such a good idea to me anymore so i decided I will focus just for once in History. I put my head up ready to take in all this totally useful information that I was about to get taught and I screamed . The classroom wasn't much of a classroom anymore . Black vines where covering the once vibrant coloured walls and windows. The roof was badly damaged and the floor filled with all the books and pens that once belonged to students. I slowly got up and walked to the door of the classroom. My hands were shaking and water droplets that formed in the corner of my eyes trickled down my body so fast that it looked like they wanted to escape this horror too. Then I remembered the earthquake and it all came back to me. The muffled scream of the boy that I heard during my dream wasn't part of the dream, it was the combined scream of all my classmates.
I stepped onto the dark corridor and noticed the janitor. I was about to run to him, to ask what happened and how he is still here but then I realised something. He wasn't our usual janitor he was an older and much more muscular man. The janitor walked stiffly as if still keeping time with his long lost regiment. His shoulders were drawn back, his neck muscular and his clean shave jaw quite square. He turned to me and his eyes said it all 'go'. Then the janitor started shaking violently and all his human attributions disappeared and then he turned into a beast and started chasing me.
I looked in all the rooms to check for left over people like me that I could possibly help .After 2 minutes of running away from the 'janitor', I heard a whimper coming from class 1B so I rushed there to find a injured girl and a backpack laying next to her half open .The girl stood with a hip jutted to one side, her right arm draped across her slender body, clasping the elbow opposite. Her head lolled down to one shoulder casting her bobbed hair onto the faded Prince t-shirt that was two sizes too big. It hung so low that her shorts only just peeked below the dirty hem, a fringe of denim cut-offs. Her static eyes had picked a patch of concrete with nothing to distinguish it from any other patch, it had the same cracks, the same weeds, the same grime. Her hair was as waves of pure earth, softly reflecting the light of the sun; each strand moving freely in an ocean born breeze, a compliment to her stillness. With eyes of river waters, in glossy serenity, her aura seeped into the summer air between us. And in that moment, in that fraction of time, her smile was in every God given feature. Then I realised she was trying to open the backpack to get something desperately. I ran towards her and said:
'what happened'
'I will tell you later now hurry up and give me that food out of my bag' she said
'ok' I said
The girl had a voice that was like music under a summer breeze, almost lost against the noise of the Monday morning traffic. Yet somehow it took hold of me, making me want to listen to it all the time.
I took out the food and gave it to her . she took a bite out of it and gave to me.
'Bite' she said
I was confused as to why you are so desperate for food and only take a bite. I took a bite and i felt warm and fuzzy all of the sudden. It tasted like milkshake, no it tasted like chocolate pudding and cake.
'I love this can I have the whole thing' I said
'yes if you want to crumble to dust, that's ambrosia a godly food which can kill if eaten in large quantities ' she said
After today's nasty experiences I decided not to argue and set the food on the floor and kept my mouth shut.
'who are you' I said
'Jun-' she didn't have time to reply as a huge beast was now in the doorway blocking our only exit.
'Quickly hold this' she said
It was a shield probably from the ancient times and on it Greek letters that said 'vantride' and I realised that I just read Greek without even knowing the alphabet or any Greek phrase.
'ho- 'I was about to say when she interrupted
' I told you, I will tell you later. now hold onto that shield if you don't want to die'
Upon my touch the shield opened revealing a sword sharp as a knife which sparkled in the eyes of the beast making it even more of a horrible experience for me. It was beautiful, shining in the sun as if it were fashioned from the brilliant rays themselves. The broad silvery metal was warmed, as was the rock it rested upon. In all the landscape it was the thing that drew the eye, a symbol of the kind of bravery that enables others to find their own courage, to be more than they thought themselves able to be. Yet, as the moon, it was a reflection of the sunlight, of love's own energy and the duty of protection.
In that frozen second between stand off and fighting I see his eyes flick from me to him. Our faces are unreadable, no fear, no invitational smirk. Its claws gleamed in the cool moon light. I knew that only one would walk away from this. The beast's claws was stained with blood. I shuffled to the side and awaited in attack, and, possibly, inevitable death. It charged with a mighty cry. I dodged to the side in one fluid move. The beast swiveled in my direction. His menacing eyes were a blazing red and his dark fur made the rest of his features indistinguishable. It thrust his sword forward, only to be met by my sword. Both sword met in the air with a resounding 'clang'. The beast was a cold blooded killer. Slowly, I was becoming increasingly tired. 'If I am to die, I shall fight to the last breath.' With renewed vigor, I slashed my blade back and forth. Its wound began bleeding openly. Little particles of blood started evaporating all around him and was slowly turning to grey dust. I did it, I beat him. Then all of the sudden all the grey dust on the floor came in contact with the ambrosia I have so dumbly left laying on the cold floor.
'oh no' I said
'quickly cover' said the girl holding onto the table with her dear life.
I was about to duck underneath a chair when I felt the pressure of the wind going against my throat. Then the building exploded.
I remember felling numb and being thrown out the window because of the blast and the grass reaching out to us and softening our fall. The white house burned like a bonfire set with gasoline. The orange flames were garish against the brilliant paint, the black smoke making dark columns into an otherwise perfectly blue sky. The once blue door was already burning, paint bubbled consumed in seconds by the intense heat. A window blew out sending hot shards of glass into the unkempt yard. It was an inferno that would burn itself out, putting the fire out early would only increase the length of the demolition afterwards - better to rebuild from the ashes than work with a structure too compromised to stand.
The girl landed on me and was trying to shake me back to existance. I felt numb and any movement I made, made me feel even more injured then I already was. She started talking but I heard nothing. It was all distant then I passed out.