Intro to Chapter 1 (updated June 12)

         "Look at what that new chick is wearing, " a girls voice whispered behind me.

         I did a slow scan of the area to see who had made the comment. The locker-lined hallway was filled with teenagers. Small groups were forming as the time came closer for the bell to ring.

         "I'm not sure what decade she came from but it's definitely not this one," whispered a blonde eyeing me from within a circle of girls.

         What? You don’t like my jeans and peasant shirt? They were about twenty feet away from me but I could hear them perfectly. Possessing enhanced hearing would usually be deemed a great asset. At times like this it was more like a necessary evil.

         I looked up enough to notice the girls were still watching me. I gave them a little wave which was met with a look that said, 'Who do you think you are?’ Oh well. It was their loss that they refused to be more open-minded.

          I guess I won't be part of the popular crowd this time around. It's ok, I've tired of it. I shrugged my shoulders then turned to walk down the hall to my first class. Keeping up with the trends always was too much of a bother anyway.

         "Can you believe she waved?" said another girl in the group.

         I turned back slightly and gave them all a good look at the middle finger of my right hand. I didn't look back to see their reaction. I heard a couple gasps then ignored everything else. I strolled with a grin on my face the rest of the way to my class. You never know, this could be fun.

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          During my morning classes I tried to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. This proved difficult due to the fact that I had ‘learned’ these subjects multiple times. There are only so many insights into Shakespeare that you can make. Everything that was said seemed to blur together until the bell rang for lunch.

          I hesitated on whether or not to go to the cafeteria. It’s not like they’ll have anything I like to eat here. The thought of being surrounded by loud, boisterous teenagers turned me off more than the lack of food. Hanging out at my locker by myself sounded much more appealing.

          Bypassing the cafeteria wasn’t an option. The school had been designed to look like an ‘X’ from the sky. The cafeteria was situated right in the middle. It didn’t matter which wing you were in, you had to pass it at some point.

          The walls were partially glass on one side looking into the cafeteria. I took a quick glance and found that my reservations were right. The smells wafting from the huge room were enough to make me want to find the nearest washroom to vomit. Various food mixed with body odor and perfume made me vow to never go in there.

          It’s always the same. The jocks sitting with the popular girls trying to impress them with whatever wits they might possess. If that doesn’t work, and it usually doesn’t, they start flexing their muscles. That always gets their attention. Bah, horny teenagers. Surrounding their table is what is left of the student body. The nerds, misfits, and everyone else who doesn’t seem to belong appear happy when they are ignored.

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         No one would know it but I actually knew this town very well.  At least as much you can know about it as of a hundred years ago. The only things that had seemed to change were the addition of neon signs to various businesses, newer model cars and a suburb or two on the outskirts. The local factory was still the main place of employment. The economy would be devastated if anything were to happen to it.

         I wandered the streets looking at particular houses. I remembered the people who used to live there. Strangely enough a few of the faces I saw looked familiar. These people must be descendents and the houses must have been passed down. I waved and greeted those who bothered to do the same. There was no one to look like me though. My line had been stopped short.

I           took a quick glance at my hand, particularly my nails. Not bad. I still had a while before I needed to return indoors. Thankfully the sun had backed off behind some clouds giving me more time to explore. The last thing I need is anyone to catch me looking like a hag.

          My wandering led me to a trail along the river that ran itself through the town. The riverbanks were a great place to sit due to the flat rocks on both sides. They looked like stretched sets of steps rising from the water up to the guardrail. Long ago plant life had found a place to grow between the cracks of the rocks. Over time trees had grown enough to provide shade or cover.

         I climbed over the guardrail. That is definitely new since my last visit. I felt uneasy as I descended the rocky steps to the water. The closer I came to the bank the more the uneasiness lingered. My senses seemed to shut down as my mind grasped where I was. Memories surged back to me making my vision fade and my hearing dulled. It was here long ago I had met a stranger who changed the life that I knew.

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         I was concentrating on reading my book when I heard the snap of a twig. I looked to see a man standing over me. How is it that I didn't hear him approach? His penetrating eyes seemed to hold me and I could not move. Swiftly he sat beside me on the flat rock.

         "You're coming with me young one," he said in low sultry voice.

         I nodded as if in a trance. I felt his hand on my shoulder and I closed my eyes.

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         I awoke in a dark room. I was in a large bed where the windows were covered. Weak streams of light fought to come through the windows edges. My dress had been torn to expose my neck, arms and legs. The tattered shreds barely seemed to cover the rest of me. I felt fear rise in me as the realizations of what might happen next.

         My body felt numb as though I had been lying in the same position for a long time.  I looked down at myself to see blood smears on my skin. I opened my mouth to scream but it was only a whisper. I had no strength to scream let alone move. It was then that I noticed something move in the corner of the room.

         "Don't worry, I've only been snacking."

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         I heard the snap of a twig and the rustle of rocks. Oh no, not again…