13

1. September

September 13, 2019

RAMI

***

Seventeen. Seventeen dead human bodies are scattered all over West Grove. I know they say Friday the 13th is considered as Bad Luck Day, but this is just on another level of unfortunate events. As soon as I stepped a foot in the small town, I just had a feeling that something was off. The moment I've arrived, I sensed something strange. Unusual. Dark.

Why is it always me to find dead bodies?

I've been away for two months. Two damn short months of running with vampires at Europe and I come back home to dead humans. The forest trees are ornamented with strange red markings and its ground hosts the lifeless people. As for the streets, it's a completely different environment.

The forest seemed as if it is a set from a horror film. The town itself is how it was before, only there are way less people outside. No cars, not much chattering, and a little less modern looking. Zombie Robots. That's one way to describe them. The people are like offspring of robots and zombies. A mixture of two. It's creepy as hell.

I don't understand.

What in the holy matter of galaxies happened to West Grove?

***

"No. No. No. No."

Drew is gone. Lysander is gone.

Silverstein is closed down. There is not a scientist inside the building. No Doctor Maxine. No Enoch. No Drew. I checked Drew's apartment and found nothing but a tidy house decorated with Supernatural and Harry Potter merchandise and a half broken bed. Based on their faded scents, they haven't been home for at least a few weeks.

I even called Eva and Nina, hoping to get some answer but I received no response from either of the women. I ran all the way to Bellvale to check on them but they weren't home. Nina's town seemed perfectly normal as a community should be. Nothing like West Grove. Whatever went on for the past two months, it must have only occurred at West Grove.

"Spooky!" Finally, a familiar face appeared as I passed nearby West Grove Community College.

The tall, black haired boy did not stop walking, so I had to block his path from going to his bike. His brown eyes scanned me up and down before furrowing his eyebrows, confusion expressing.

"Thank Einstein, you're here." I sighed with relief. "I was wondering what happened to West Grove within the past two months? I've been at Europe with some friends and I returned to all this weirdness. Why are there buildings that are closed down? Why are there almost no one outside? Where are the cars, the loud people and the annoying children?"

Ezra fiddled with his The X-Files lanyard, backing a few inches from me. "Uh, do I know you?"

"You're funny, Spooky. I missed you." I grinned, which only sent him a few more inches back. My grin faltered as I realized Spooky looked completely serious. He genuinely doesn't recognize me. How? It's only been two months. I mean, technically, it's been more than two months since I last saw him, counting the days I've gone on an adventure with Drew to save the werewolf and fight the government. Still though. How could he not remember me? "It's me. Rami. Rami Nazari." I spoke slowly, hoping he recognizes me. "We had Physics class together."

He shook his head. "You must be mistaking me for someone else. Sorry."

He went around me and jumped on to his bicycle, leaving the campus in a rush to get away from me.

Wow.

"How could he forget me? How could anyone forget me?" I frowned, mumbling to myself.

"It's true. It is rather difficult to forget your hobbit face and your horrible fashion sense."

I didn't need to turn around to figure out who just spoke. I've listened to that voice and that same sassy tone during my entire summer. He and his clan had visited some friends in another country while I ran ahead to go home. They must have arrived just now.

"Was I talking to you, mosquito?"

Just as I predicted, the posh vampire is leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, still dressed in his usual all black suit attire. He has a small smile on his lips, but his crimson eyes aren't smiling along like always.

"What."

Something is wrong and he knows it.

He nudged his head towards the left. "Let me show you something." I narrowed my eyes at him, refusing to budge. "Come along, Nazari. You know I don't bite. Unless requested." He winked, making me scoff at him as I shuffled ahead of him.

"Ha ha, you're funny."

Nevertheless, I followed Idris as he ran passed the college campus, passed the streets and the uncomfortably quiet houses and into the forest. He stopped by one of the trees that had a red mark on its trunk. Just like when I first stepped in the forest, I caught a bittersweet scent.

"You smell it, don't you?" Idris ran his pale fingers over the red marking. "Something strange, something bittersweet. A scent that you haven't come across until now." I nodded, watching his face full of recognition with a mix of confusion and surprise. "These symbols and the scent only means one thing. It's been a long, long time since I last saw these kind of symbols." He pulled his hand back and gazed at me with uncertainty. "I'm not sure how it is possible, but it is the only logical explanation for this."

"Which is?"

"Witches."