Imagine Dragons and Other Monsters

Chapter 1

*****Wayne's POV*****

I stare around at my new room. Moving boxes are stacked around, unpacked. I know I need to unpack but it seems kind of stupid considering I'll probably move again in a few months. I just want one school to finish high school at, although that will probably never happen.

I know moving is a necessary evil but it still frustrates me. I can't stay in this room any longer staring at boxes. I leave the house and get on my bike. I'm just going to ride around the town a bit to get my bearings.

I drive down a road not really paying attention until I noticed that there aren't any houses around anymore. I stop riding and look around trying to see any evidence of civilisation.

Nothing.

I suddenly feel a chill although I doubt it has to do with the temperature. I turn my bike around and get ready to ride away when something hits me from the side.

I feel excruciating pain on my left side and look up through tearful eyes. I can only see a large, dark shape hurl through the trees away from me.

After I lie there for a few minutes I decide it is best to get up. I struggle to my feet and take a look at my side. The pain has subsided dramatically.

I stare at the wound and notice it looks like a bite mark. Like magic it begins to close. A few seconds later it's gone. Did I imagine getting it or did I just heal.

I couldn't have imagined it, there is a giant tear in my shirt and some blood on my side. But the bite is gone.

I don't want to stay out here any longer and ride back home. I avoid my parents, not in the mood to explain my wrecked shirt and run up stairs. Once in my room I get changed and settled into bed. No point in worrying and being too tired to function on my first day of school.

***The next morning***

I walk onto the school grounds nervous. Everyone here knows each other. It's bad enough starting on the first day of the year but midway through the semester is particularly traumatising. And I would know, I've been to enough schools.

I go to the office and get my timetable. I finally found my first class and knock on the door. The teacher walks over and opens it.

"You must be the new student," He says "I'm Mr. Hurrold, although everyone just calls me Mr. H. Now, introduce yourself to the class."

I fight to find my voice. "Um... I'm Wayne Sermon..."

I hear a few people snicker at my nervousness and I fight down a blush.

"Good, you can sit next to Dan Reynolds." Mr. H says "Reynolds raise your hand."

Dan raises his hand and I walk over to him. I sit in the seat next to him, trying to ignore the whispers from the other students about me.

"Hey, I'm Dan, though I guess Mr. H already told you that." Dan said smiling. I smile back nervously.

"I'm Wayne." I mutter despite the fact he would have already heard my embarrassing introduction.

Class started and I forced myself to not groan at the fact I knew none of this. My other school hadn't begun on Egyptian history and it seemed this school was halfway through it. I found my eyes had begun to wander and I snuck a glance at Dan's notebook. Instead of taking notes he was writing what looked like lyrics and as far as I could see they were really good.

I looked away and tried to pay attention to the lesson.

Suddenly a scream echoed from the field outside. The whole class got up to look out the windows at the screaming student.

They were pointing at a thing on the ground at the edge of the woods. I realised with a start that it was a body and the red that surrounded it was blood. I could see it clear as day and despite the fact that it was close enough everyone could see it easily enough I could see the wound, which shouldn't be possible from this distance.

Dan's eyes widen and he reaches behind him to grab the arm of another classmate and looks at him. I see out of the corner of my eye the classmate seems to be having a silent conversation with Dan. Dan nods and swallows hard, looking at the body again.

One thought is on loop in the back of my mind.

So much for quiet.