[BEFORE I tell you how I destroyed my school –which I'm sure is what you all really want to know— I suppose I should tell you my name? I go by my middle name, Ryan, since my first name is kind of… unusual. Anyway, before my birthday I was known as Ryan Fairchylde and, for the most parts, I was just a normal kid, at least 'til I blew up my school.
Okay, let's start this from that morning, my eighteenth birthday, a.k.a. the worst day of my life.]
Ryan was startled awake by an intense pressure building in his abdomen, and as he sat up he noticed arcs of energy coiled around his body, lashing out at random across his room. Several of his stuff were on fire, including his blanket as he touched it, causing him to scream out. The pressure in his abdomen was getting worse with each passing moment, feeling like something inside of him was about to explode.
It was then that his aunt, Stephanie Fairchylde, burst into the room, looked around, before settling on Ryan, surprise in her eyes.
"What's happening!" Ryan screamed,
Stephanie held out her hand towards him, and muttered something under her breath, there was a bright flash and everything went dark.
Ryan woke up to the tone of his alarm clock, feeling relaxed. Everything was normal so he assured himself that his burning room and glowing hands were just a bad dream, he got up and went to his bathroom. Looking in the mirror, the visage of a tall lean guy with tan skin, jet black hair and bright blue eyes was reflected back at him.
"You handsome devil," he joked as he started his morning routine.
He shaved the peach fuzz on his chin and brushed his teeth, but when he took a shower, he felt a small shock when he touched the faucet. Passing it off as just static shock, he got out of the bathroom and got dressed for school in his favorite black denim jeans, an ash gray t-shirt and a red shirt over it with sneakers.
Today was the day.
He grabbed his backpack which hung from a hook by the wall and ran down for breakfast.
[Hi, Ryan here, just a brief filler, I live with my aunt at this point because my mom and dad died when I was young, at least that's what I was told.]
As he got to the kitchen, he met two plates of his favorite breakfast foods; waffles with bacon, sausages and eggs, with baked beans, and two glasses of chilled apple juice.
As he set his bag down, he heard his aunt's voice coming from behind the door that led to the basement, [ever since I was a kid, I was forbidden from ever stepping foot in the basement. Apparently my aunt had turned it into her home office, and she never allowed me to go down there because of how sensitive her work was., Whatever her mysterious job was, it must've been really demanded because I would see her enter and leave at odd hours of the day and night.]
Ryan knocked on the door to let her know he was down, then he went to the kitchen table and sat down.
"Hey sweetie," Stephanie said when she came up, "Happy Birthday!"
She barely looked into her thirties, but Ryan was sure she was at least in her early-fifties [she didn't discuss her age, at all.] The first thing you noticed about her were her eyes, they were a cool gray color that were playful yet sharp and observant, like a hawk, and complemented her olive complexion. Her mane of dark hair fell down her shoulders in soft curls with a few strands of barely noticeable gray. There was a faded scar above her right eye, an old injury she didn't talk about. Her smile was rife with mischief, yet disarmingly bright and inviting. She had sleeve tattoos going from her shoulders to the back of her hands, and down her spine.
She placed a small box on the table in front of him, he opened it and inside was a necklace with a silver pendant with a leather chord.
"What's this?" Ryan asked curious
"It was your fathers'." Stephanie said
He looked at her, "That doesn't answer my question," He said, "Besides, normal kids get cars and stuff on their eighteenth birthday."
"Yeah, but you're not a normal kid."
[I never got why she always said that, was she saying that as a good thing or a bad thing?]
They sat down and ate breakfast in silence.
As he got up to go to school, Stephanie said, "Hey, Ryan why don't I drop you off at school."
[Yes, my aunt calls me by my middle name, Ryan. She says it's more distinguished. Also she insists I call her Stephanie, like an equal.]
"I could just take my bike to school, like usual."
"I insist, after all, it's your special day."
"I appreciate it, but it isn't that far."
"Come on, I want to do this; I have a bad feeling about today."
"You have a bad feeling about my birthday? That's encouraging."
"Please Ryan," Stephanie pleaded, "for my peace of mind."
He wanted to refuse at first then he realized that she would be taking me in her Porsche.
As they pulled out of the driveway, they saw a big moving truck, and two movers loading furniture into the next door house. A couple walked up to Ryan's side door and Stephanie rolled down the window,
"Hello neighbor, we're the Newman's, we just moved in" said the woman in an over cheery voice. Her husband seemed to be staring at Ryan. [I found that weird –not just the staring at me part, the new neighbor part. I didn't even know that house was vacant, just last week I had talked to the old residents, the Finckmans. What happened to them?]
"I thought we could come over later tonight, get to know one another." Mrs. Newman said
"Sorry, we can't." Stephanie replied, "It's my nephew, Ryan's, birthday today, we were going to go out celebrating."
"Oh it is? How old are you turning today, handsome?" Mrs. Newman said cheerfully,
"Eighteen," Stephanie answered,
"Well, Happy birthday Ryan."
Ryan nodded in acknowledgement, then, wound up the window. As they drove off, Ryan saw the movers carry a large box that looked like a cage, inside he saw glowing yellow eyes that seemed to be staring at him.
... )]≥( ...
As they drove down the road, Ryan fiddled with his present, on the back of the pendent were the initials M.R. carved into face. He recognized his dads' initials, Matthew… something. Stephanie looked at him, "You know, sometimes you remind me of your father when you get that look in your eye, it was one of the things that I really loved about him."
[Yeah, my aunt dated my dad before he married my mom, who was her twin sister. Talk about an awkward love triangle!]
"Stephanie please, you know I feel uncomfortable when you talk about my dad that way."
She laughed, "What way would that be?"
"The way you talk about you guys when you were dating." Ryan said, "At least try to keep it PG."
"I can't help it," she smirked, "we weren't very PG."
"Ugh. I may be 18 now, but that still doesn't mean I want all the gory details." Ryan recoiled, "Hey, Stephanie"
"Hmm?"
"It's just that you always tell me all these great stories of when you and my dad were dating, but you don't really talk much about him and my mom."
Stephanie visibly stiffened, "Well, you never ask much about them, from an early age you were fine not asking about them, so what brought the change?"
"Well, it's just that sometimes I hear people talking about their parents and bringing them to school, I kinda get jealous. You're great, don't get me wrong, but you're usually away on this job of yours and there are times I don't see you for weeks at a time, so there are times I actually feel lonely."
"Ryan, I know how hard it is to go without parents. When we were kids and our dad left us, it was very tough, but Julia and I pulled through together. Did you know she was the one who gave me my tattoos? She was very talented with a can of spray paint or a common fountain pen." She said with a hint of sadness, "Tell you what, this weekend why don't we go on another getaway weekend?"
He smiled, a getaway with the two of them always led to another new adventure and another great story to tell at parties.
As they got to school and Ryan got out of the car, Stephanie called after him, "Hey, try to have fun today, it's your birthday after all, in a few weeks you'll be outta high school and enjoying summer with me."
"Thanks Stephanie, I'll see you at home, bye."
She nodded and drove off, Ryan turned around and sighed, he usually took his bike to school because when he got there everyone would have already gone inside, but now he was early and everyone was loitering around.
He walked towards his locker where he kept his iPod for situations such as this. He saw a group of girls who were chatting, but when he passed by, they fell silent and all stared at him.
He got to his locker and started twisting the dial on the lock when he noticed a girl he hadn't seen before lurking around, she wore a hood but he could still see strands of pale white hair, she wore a gray jacket with black pants and boot and had a large satchel over her shoulder, she seemed to be staring at him but then someone passed between them and she was gone.
He dismissed it as a hallucination and opened his locker, then, one of the girls from the earlier group came up to him, she was a stereotype of a high school girl, blond with blue eyes and perky. She wore a red blouse, a black skirt and high heeled sandals, "Um, hey Ryan, happy birthday." She said
"Thanks...", he said, wandering how she knew it was his birthday? He really hadn't broadcast it. [That was mostly because I didn't have a lot of friends to broadcast it to.]
"Uh… It's Lynda, Lynda Mills, I'm in your English Lit Class."
"Right, Lynda, the one who wrote that awesome poem last month?"
"Yeah, so I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime. I know this place that serves great food."
"Are you asking me out on a date?" he said surprised,
She looked like she was about to cry, "Well if you don't want to, I understand, you're a busy guy."
"No wait, it's just that it's usually the guy who asks the girl out, and I've got plans this weekend, So, Lynda, do you want to go out with me next week?"
She was dumbfounded, "That sounds great. I'd love to."
"So, I'll call you?"
"Yeah, here's my number." She said as she wrote on a slip of paper and handed it to him.
"Okay, see you then." He said then the girl ran back to her group and they all started shrieking.
He looked at the girls who had started to gossip among themselves, then he felt a throbbing in the back of his skull and suddenly he could see their lips moving and then, more surprisingly, he could hear them speak as if he was right next to them, even though they were at least forty feet apart.
"Oh my god, did you just ask out Ryan Fairchylde?" one of them asked
"No," Lynda said, "He asked me out!"
"I never really noticed before, but he is kinda hot," another commented, "like really hot."
"Yeah, I saw him at the pool once, he's got a fantastic bod." Another sighed, "he must work out,"
"Yeah, it's a shame he doesn't really socialize much. I heard he has a strict home life."
"I always thought he was kind of weird though, like there's something not quite right with him." one said, "he gets along well enough with people well, but he doesn't really socialize, he doesn't really fit in with people,"
"I know what you mean, like, he doesn't really seem to have any close friends," another asked,
"Ah, he's friends with that kid, Dean Sapper," someone answered, "I've heard that they're close family friends or something,"
Lynda started talking, "Anyway, he's gonna call me next week since he already had plans for this weekend."
"It's a shame he was busy this weekend," the first girl giggled, "he just turned eighteen, and you could've been how he celebrated."
Then a familiar voice brought him back, "Happy Birthday, you freak!" said his best friend, Dean Sapper, "So how does it feel to be eighteen?"
"Pretty good, I got a date with this girl, Lynda and-"
"Hold up" Dean said surprised, "You got a date? Since when does Ryan Fairchylde go on dates?"
"Well, since I turned eighteen."
"Anyway, we still good for the movies?"
"Can't, going on a weekend getaway with my aunt. And I still have my date next week."
"This is why you don't go on dates, it's what keeps you interesting, and when you're interesting, girls come to me to ask about you, which keeps me interesting"
"Maybe you're right, but I'm still going on this date"
"Fine, I'll be seeing ya."
Ryan looked confused, "Where are you going? You just got here."
"You have a date, so I'm going to find my own date." He said then he left, then the bell rang.
Dean and Ryan's first period was biology, but as they got to the lab, a strange woman was behind the teacher's desk. She was in her mid-twenties wearing a white blouse and a black miniskirt with stockings. Her blond hair was packed into a bun and she smiled, her red eyes beaming behind her glasses. Strange tattoos were visible along her neck, peeking out of her blouse.
"Good morning class" she said, "Mr. Pecks was… unable to attend today. I'm Miss Daedly, his replacement." She wrote her name on the board, but she switched the 'e' and 'a' so instead of Miss Daedly, she wrote, Miss Deadly. Ryan didn't think anyone else noticed, or if they did, they didn't show it.
The class was supposed to be a test for the upcoming finals, but Miss Daedly gave everyone study hall as she just sat at the desk, watching.
Then, halfway through the period, three girls, two brunettes and a blonde walked into the class, "Hello, miss.", said the blonde "We're new here and we were assigned to this class."
How weird is that? A substitute teacher and three new students, this late into the semester? That wasn't just some freak coincidence, something was going on, Ryan could sense it. What made it even more suspicious was the fact that no one else seemed bothered by it.
Miss Daedly regarded them with familiarity, discreetly nodding Ryan's way.
"Welcome to class, take that empty work station there." Miss Daedly said, without even asking them to introduce themselves.
As they passed him, one of the brunettes winked at him, the other, flashed him a creepy smile and the blonde eyed him, with her purple eyes. They sat next to his table and every now and again he'd catch them staring at him, creepy.
As the period ends with the ringing bell, Ryan and Dean pack up their stuff and are exiting the class, but as they reach the door, Ryan is called back, "Mr. Fairchylde, I would like to speak with you after school." Miss Daedly says adjusting her glasses.
"Okay," Ryan nods, hoping he could leave school early before he has to see her, ['cause I've heard stories of what teachers do to kids after school –but honestly, I started a few of those stories.]
Walking down the corridor, Ryan and Dean get talking, "Did the new sub seem a little strange to you?" Ryan asks
Dean looked at him with a grin, "Dude, she was hot! She's the kind of teacher I bet every guy wishes they had."
"I don't know," Ryan said, "And what about those three new girls? I mean, how can we get three new students and a new teacher, this late in the semester?"
"Those girls were also hot!" Dean says, "And also they were checking us out. Maybe the universe is trying to send me a message. I'm going to ask one of them out after school"
"You don't even know their names."
"My friend, names are but titles given to man to tame them, such beauties as them do not need names."
"It seemed weird though, Miss Daedly and the new girls seemed like they knew each other."
"Well, all hot people have to know each other somehow. For instance; I know you."
"I'm serious Dean," Ryan said
"Relax bro, you're over thinking this." Dean said,
Ryan still wasn't convinced, but he decided to let it go, at least for now.
"I hope Mr. Tetch got replaced by another hot sub." Dean asked, but to his disdain, Mr. Tetch was still there.
As Ryan sat down, he caught a glimpse of one of the three new girls from the corner of his eye.
Don't trust them, they'll kill me. His instincts were screaming to him that they were dangerous. He didn't know why he was feeling like this or how no one else noticed, but he was not going to be caught off guard.
After the class, Ryan went about the rest of his school day, going from class to class before ending in his homeroom, where he'd stay until the final bell. Fortunately, those weird girls weren't in Ryan's homeroom, it was just him, his best friend and the usual insanity.
All day, the unease Ryan had been feeling that continued to build inside him, his senses would heighten to the point of vertigo, then suddenly drop back down to normal, and from time to time he'd receive a static shock whenever he touched metal.
While in homeroom, his senses fluctuated again, spiking to new heights, he could hear the heartbeats of the kids around him, smell the perfume the girl ahead was wearing he could feel the vibrations of the floor from the people walking up and down the hallway. He was being assaulted by all the stimuli and it was starting to hurt, so he closed his eyes and tried to drift away from all of it.
As the final bell rang, a massive cheer roared out from the collective student body. Students flooded out of their classes, joining the massive river of bodies that were flowing for the exit. As Ryan exited his homeroom, he saw the three girls coming out of another class and that nagging feeling at the back of his head came back.
He did his best to blend in with the rest if the crowd and managed to drift past them. He was so focused on blending in that when a hand tapped on his shoulder, he nearly leapt out of his skin. He turned around to find Lynda, "Hey" she said, "Are you okay? You seem a little tense."
"Um, I need to get out of here, like right now." Ryan said nervously, his head was screaming for him to get as far away as possible.
"Okay," Lynda said, "Just hang on a second."
Lynda walks into the bathroom down the hall, followed immediately by one of the new girls. A short while later, Lynda walks out, looking around.
She smiles when she sees him, "Ryan, there you are."
"Yeah, I need to go, see ya," Ryan says
"Wait," she says grabbing his arm, "Let me go with you, please?"
"Alright," Ryan said impatiently, his head was still screaming 'DANGER' "let's go,"
They approach the exit and Ryan lets out a sigh of relief, he's going to make it out. But then, he stops abruptly as he's about to cross the threshold.
He turns back to see that Lynda is holding him back, his arm anchored to hers as she held him in place. A grin stretches unnaturally across her face.
"What are you doing?" He asks trying to pull away, "Let go."
"Going somewhere, Mr. Fairchylde?" asks Miss Daedly as she appears in front of them with an evil grin on her face, "I still need to speak with you."
After the last of the student have left, the school fell deathly silent, as if not a soul was left. Ryan finds himself trapped by Lynda and Miss Daedly, then, he hears footsteps as two of the new girls came from nowhere.
"Mistress, the mundanes have been driven off, we have the school to ourselves", said the blonde
Now Ryan starts to freak out, but he can't let it show, he needs to figure out a way out of this.
Miss Daedly looked at him as she brushed his cheek with her hand, "I'd love to have my way with you, little magus, but I am getting paid handsomely to deliver you alive. Oh well, I'll just put you to sleep and—"
Before she could finish talking, a glowing red dart hits Lynda in the right eye and exploded, spattering the immediate surrounding in black gore. In the shock, Ryan is released as her body begins to crumble to ash. Ryan turns down the hall to see the girl with white hair holding what looks like a crossbow with cylindrical chambers around its main stock. She had bright golden eyes, and a deep caramel complexion, she looked at Ryan, "Well? What are you waiting for? Run!"
Ryan didn't need to be told twice, he barreled down the hall as fast as he could,
"Stop him, he cannot escape!" Miss Daedly shrieked. The other two girls ran after Ryan, their skin turning milk white and their hands now transformed into sharp monstrous claws. They closed in on him, but the white-haired girl fired more glowing bolts at them, forcing them back. Ryan and the white-haired girl ran down a corridor, trying every door, only to find them locked. Eventually, the found an open door that led down into the basement.
Ryan's heart was pounding and he was finding it hard to breathe "Wha-what, the hell, were those things?"
"They're called skinwalkers, a particularly nasty kind of shape-shifter." the white haired girl says catching her breath, "that woman appears to be their master."
"L-Lynda was one of them?" Ryan said
"No. They got to her, took her skin so they could to get to you."
"What do you mean 'took her skin'?"
"I mean the real Lynda is dead, I found what was left of her in a stall in the girls' bathroom." she said calmly.
"Wha… who are you? How do you know all this?" Ryan asked
The girl looked at him, "My name is Jasmine, I'm here to help you."
"Ryan Fairchylde," he introduced himself, extending his hand, she shook it, but flinched when she received a shock.
"Sorry, that's been happening a lot today," Ryan apologized, "some birthday I'm having,"
"I've had worse," she simply shrugged,
Suddenly, the door burst open, "We know you're in here, Reins boy?" Miss Daedly said as she slowly descended the steps.
Jasmine put her index finger to her lips, gesturing for him to be silent, and crawled the other way, in an attempt to sneak around her. She jumped up, her crossbow ready, "Hands in the air!" she yelled.
Miss Daedly raised her hands in mock surrender, "Ooh, I'm so scared!" she dropped her hands. Behind Jasmine, one of the skinwalkers had her claws around Jasmine's throat, ready to tear it open. From his vantage point, Ryan could see that the creature's eyes were now solid black and black fluid oozed from its eyes and mouth, which were covered in needle-like black teeth.
"Drop the crossbow and put your hands in the air, bitch!" it growled, a sadistic grin plastered on its stolen face.
Jasmine reluctantly let the crossbow drop to the floor and put her hands up.
"Come out Reins boy, we have your little babysitter here, if you show yourself, I might not let my pretties kill her."
"I've hear of you, crow," The skinwalker hissed into Jasmine's ear, "I would love to get into your skin, maybe that would draw him out?"
Ryan still wanted to stay hidden, but after Jasmine had saved his life, he owed her. Jasmine spoke up, "Ryan, wherever you are, don't you dare come out. Stay hidden."
"Shut up!" the skinwalker snarled with its claws digging into Jasmine's neck, drawing blood, "I'd rather not cut you up too much and ruin that fine flesh."
Ryan couldn't leave her to die, so he stepped out of his hiding spot, "Let her go!"
Jasmine hissed as she shook her head, cursing in Spanish, "¡Idiota!"
Miss Daedly clapped her hands, "What a nobleman." She looked at the skinwalker, "we have no further use for her."
"You said you wouldn't hurt her." Ryan protested.
"I said I might not." Miss Daedly said as the other skinwalker came towards Ryan.
He backed up until he reached a wall, as it got closer, and closer then, Ryan felt a sudden rush of adrenalin pulsing through his body. The pressure in his abdomen returned with a vengeance, as sparks of electricity started to crackle around him, causing the light bulbs hanging above to short out. The energy around Ryan started building and his eyes were even glowing now, a bright electric blue, as his breathing became more and more erratic. The slate sees his episode and backs away, wary.
"What's… happening…?" he struggled as his voice filled with static.
"Stop that," Miss Daedly threatened, "Calm down or she dies."
"I c-can't…" Ryan said, "It's t-too much…"
"Get him!" she ordered
The skinwalker in front of him lunged, just as he went critical, there was a blinking flash of light, then BOOM! A massive blast of energy discharged from below the school building, followed by a shock-wave that fried everything within two square blocks around the school.
... )]≥( ...
Ryan woke up some time later in the middle of ground zero, he was in a massive crater with the burnt ruins of the school pushed outwards around him. The air smelt funny, like ozone and he could see the crackle of electricity in the air as the wind blew charged particles of dust around.
He started making his way out of the disaster zone when he heard a weak groan calling out for help. He instantly feared it was Jasmine and began digging through some rubble until he saw the blonde skinwalker, half of its face had been severely burnt whilst its lower half had been crushed, with more black ooze seeping from its many wounds
"Y-y-you…" its voice cracked with pain, "He-help me."
It reaches out her good arm, begging for assistance from someone it had moments ago tried to hunt down. Ryan backed up, stumbling over a stone, he picked himself up and scampered away, only to double back and pick up the large stone he had tripped over.
"Wh-what are you…?" it demanded, as fear glinted in its eye
"This is for Lynda," Ryan sneered, "the real one,"
The then proceeded to bash the skinwalker's head in with the stone, before it burst into flames all of a sudden. The deed done, Ryan then picked his way out of the wreckage.
After he made it out of what remained of the school, he could hear the sirens blaring, he started running, not wanting to be arrested, because even if he was questioned, who would believe him?
As he walked farther away from the school, he saw the residual damage done to the area around the school, blown power lines, cars with burnt out engines, fried appliances and even electrical fires. What had happened to him? He remembered feeling this power surging through him and then it suddenly exploded out. How was this possible, humans didn't just suddenly explode lightning? He rested on a mailbox, feeling another shock just as the mailbox burst apart. He jumped back, startled and continued walking.
His senses were flaring again, and as he reached his house, the sense of danger returned, the Newmans came outside onto the front lawn of their house to meet him.
"Hey Ryan, how was school?" asked Mrs. Newman
"Fine", he lied as he continued to walk towards his front door.
"Got lots of fun plans for the weekend, huh?" Mrs. Newman said smiling
"Yeah, I'm not… really in a right mind right now." Ryan said, "I really should get inside and—"
"Why don't you come over?", Mrs. Newman asked as her husband just glared at Ryan, "your aunt isn't home from work yet."
Ryan knew that was a lie, Stephanie worked from home in the basement, except for when she went on her business trips, and from the corner of his eye he could see her Porsche in the driveway,
"No thanks," Ryan said as he backed away from them, "I'm good in my own home, but thanks anyway."
"C'mon, I insist."
"I'll have to decline; I just need to lie down for a bit."
"I'm going to say this only once." Mrs. Newman's said with a pleasant smile, "Come here now, Reins boy."
That name again, Ryan continued for the front door, then Mr. Newman started mumbling in a strange language and the cage he saw that morning materialized on the front lawn, mere feet away from them, the cage door opened and a really creepy animal hybrid slithered out; it was like a giant lizard but with a lion's mane, covered in horns and spikes with a glow coming from inside its chest.
"Let me introduce you to our pet chimera, Fluffy." Mrs. Newman said, "Fluffy, GET HIM!"