Nick's Guide to Surviving High School

P R O L O G U E

O N E  Y E A R A G O

"Mom? Mom, where are you?" I called out timidly in the dark house. I was so tired, but I had heard a loud noise in the house. It made my stomach turn, as if I'd just eaten something rotten. Mom was home with me while Dad was away on a business trip, as usual. I had been sleeping, but the noise woke me up.

"Mom, what was that? Are you alright? Where are you?" I was beginning to become urgent, dread filling my gut when I didn't get a response. My heart thumped rapidly in my chest as I traveled around the dim house looking for my mom. I hated the dark. I entered the kitchen, turning on the light. My eyes found it in a mess before they landed on a big heap in the middle of the floor.

My eyes widened as a broken sob escaped my lips. I rushed towards Mom, seeing that she was on her side, her body looking unnatural. I turned her over onto her back and another sob shook me as her eyes looked at me. She looked so dead, but I knew she wasn't because of the way her lashes fluttered and the deep gasps she was taking. "M-mom?" I breathed out in between my sobs.

I barely even noticed that I was covered in her blood, and it was pooling all around us. I couldn't see where the blood was coming from, it was everywhere. Mom tried to say something but it turned into a strangled groan, blood spilling from her lips as she reached out to me. I took her hand, heavy cries escaping me as I looked down at the mangled body of my mother.

She was so pale, and her grip was loosening on me as she started to lose her battle with death.

"Well, well, what have we here? Another snack, just for me? Mommy dearest wasn't my type, anyway"

I turned towards the new voice, my brows furrowed as my gaze caught the man, if I could even call it that, leaning against the doorway. I whimpered, clutching my mother's hand as she weakly clenched back. The man, thing, made its way over to me slowly.

Mom coughed shakily, turning my attention back to her as she glared at the man-thing walking towards us. "D-don't you t-touch h-him, y-yo-yo-you fi-filthy th-thing," Mom let out through deep gasps of breath. I huddled closer to her, scared for our lives as the thing paid no attention to her, walking closer and baring his teeth at us.

My eyes widened as a scream left my throat at the sight of long, sharp teeth hanging from his mouth. The thing was on me in a flash, gripping my shoulders as it ripped me from my mother, throwing me into the nearest wall. I winced, a pained gasp leaving me as I clutched my shoulder. It hurt. Bad.

I faintly heard my mom scream before it abruptly stopped. I went to look at her but found my view obstructed as the thing moved to be in front of me. "Well, you smell downright delicious, baby. Maybe I should just keep you for myself. Whattaya say, huh?" I shook my head ferociously, tears streaming down my face as I trembled against the wall. My eyes darted around, trying to find a way to escape but it was too blurry.

"What a shame. I would've liked to keep you," the thing husked as it came closer to me. I tried to scream again but it was caught in my throat as the thing advanced on me. It had just gotten a hold of my wrists when a searing pain shot through my body. I opened my mouth in a silent scream, my eyes catching his blood-red ones before all consciousness left my body.