Myths and fairy tales, stories told to children that keep them up at night, beliefs that have been ruled out as nothing but pure fantasy and fabrication, are all being questioned in this present day. It happened twenty years ago, a global phenomenon that shook the earth and changed our way of life drastically. Werewolves, vampires, fairies, and other identified and unidentified supernatural creatures were exposed to the world in the span of two months, throwing the world into serious chaos.
New laws were being implemented, global curfews were sanctioned during the full moon in each time zone of the world to deal with the werewolves, development of synthetic blood substitutes for vampires to consume as an alternative to human blood, and a global strike force was commissioned called the AMU, short for Anti Mystical Unit. Their job was to track down and contain hostile supernatural creatures and then the global registration act was sanctioned.
The global registration act was a worldwide exercise where everyone on Earth was asked to register their details and undergo testing, the most sought-after question was everyone's species. The United Nations stopped the hunting of registered supernatural creatures, promising them basic human rights and the means to ensure their survival. However, there would always be others who refused peace. Many other supernatural creatures refused to be registered, claiming that it isn't right to tame mystical creatures and force them to be something they aren't, they are still being hunted down by the AMU to this very day.
Five years after the emergence of supernatural creatures, a terrorist group calling themselves "The Circle of Preservation" emerged. The Circle's self-proclaimed intent was solely to see the extinction of all supernatural creatures, even though they were linked to various mass murders all over the world. They placed hundreds of pathogen bombs across all the continents of the world and blew them up, claiming that their scientists had studied the genetic makeup of the supernatural creatures and found a way to kill the supernatural creatures without harming humans. They made their intent known to the world few hours to the detonation, all attempt from the governments of the world to stop the planned attack proved futile, and it happened, the sequel to the big bang. People described it as fireworks going off all over the world. Few days later reports started coming in from all over the world, werewolves, vampires, goblins all dropping dead, few weeks later positive reports started coming in that other supernatural creatures who were on their deathbed still trying to fight for their lives started to recover, a fair majority survived, becoming immune to the deadly pathogens that sought to end them. However, the pathogen bombs did more than kill supernatural creatures, it also had an unforeseen effect on humans.
Scientists while trying to discover the effects the pathogens had on both humans and supernatural creatures discovered that it mutated the human physiology. They said it wasn't a danger to anyone and assured the public that the situation was under control. A scientist whose identify remains undisclosed to this very day while studying the mutations had a theory that they were dormant genes and that is why we weren't seeing the effects of the change in physiology. That scientist created a chemical solution known today as BEF-X, short for Bio Enhancing Formula X. Once injected to the body activates the dormant mutated genes and as a result, the individual injected begins to exhibit special abilities for approximately seven days, and that was how the super soldiers were born. Many countries saw this as an anomaly that should be destroyed because the world was already going through enough chaos and certainly doesn't need super humans to be thrown in the mix while other countries saw this as an opportunity to strengthen their military. The details of what happened behind the scenes are a mystery but after all the political debates and drama, the United States unveiled a six man team injected with the BEF-X and calling them the face of the military, a few other countries did the same.
So much chaos, super soldiers, mystic creatures, the Circle of Preservation, are they all connected?
Could there possibly be an unknown truth hidden from the world that could explain everything? Or is it all just a plethora of coincidence?
"What'd you guys think?" I said looking away from the paper in my hand.
"I think you don't need to go all Sherlock Holmes on your history report" Karen replied with a smirk on her face.
"She's not wrong you know, the assignment was to write a brief history report on the supernatural event that happened twenty years ago, not putting together conspiracy theories that there's a larger meaning to all of it" Chris said casually folding his arms.
"And besides I'm a werewolf" Karen cut in. "If there was some connection between the creatures of the nights and our beloved super soldier team I think I would know"
Chris and I looked at each other and replied in unison "Would you though?"
Karen snapped "I'm the supernatural one in this group, I think I would know"
Chris rolled his eyes "Oh please, you're more human than we are, I can't believe you guys made me miss the basketball game to listen to Fred talk about conspiracy theories and Miss Wolf talk about how mystical she is"
Karen was already full with rage that her fangs were starting to show.
"No, no, no. we aren't doing this tonight" I voiced as I jumped to my feet, interrupting the reply Karen was about to dish out to Chris. "This is the first week of sophomore year and we are already swamped with homework, I for one am really tired, the last thing I need is to be stuck in an argument between you guys. We're through with our history report so…. Bye"
"Kicking us out of your house huh, thanks for being such a good host" Chris said as he strapped his bag pack.
"You don't need to thank me, I know you wouldn't miss the opportunity to do the same thing to me the next time I come over to your house"
"See you at school tomorrow" Karen said, still giving Chris a death stare as they both walked towards the door.
"Goodnight Kids" Amelia voiced out.
"Goodnight Mrs. Powell" They both replied as I closed the door behind them.
"Nice to see high school didn't change you or your friends"
"Correction mum, high school didn't change them, I on the other hand am a whole lot mature. Mature enough to get a car now that I have my learner's permit" I responded with a generous smile.
"Right" Amelia replied with a smirk. "But honestly how's school? If you are experiencing any changes you know you can talk to me right?"
"Yes mom I know, if I had a dollar for every time you've asked me if I've experienced any changes, I'd be rich, and by the way puberty only happens once"
"Haha very funny, well you can't blame a mum for worrying"
"I'm fine mum I promise" I said with a comforting smile.
"Alright off to bed, you got to be up bright and early tomorrow"
My name is Fredrick Powell, but people mostly call me Fred. I'm a 16 year old sophomore who lives in the state of Vermont, in a town called Stowe. Stowe is a beautiful town overlooked by Mount Mansfield, the highest peak in the region, known for its trails and ski slopes. The mountain, with its towering, snow-capped summit, serves as a majestic backdrop to the town's quaint charm. The dense forest at the mountain's base is filled with towering trees. In spring and summer, their leaves create a lush green canopy. Come fall, the foliage transforms into a stunning mix of red, orange, and yellow. This beautiful town also has beautiful parks, recreational centers and a little river passing through the town called 'little river', how original. I live with my parents, Daniel Powell and Amelia Powell, and I have two good friends, I believe you have already met them, Karen Brown and Chris Palmer.
Karen's a werewolf who just shifted last month for the first time and is still trying to get a handle on her newfound abilities. Then there's Chris my wingman, an exceptional student, wickedly brilliant, and always impulsive. Life couldn't be better, surrounded by friends and family, a normal life, or so I thought.
"Fred you're going to be late, hurry up" Amelia yelled.
"Coming mum" I replied from the upstairs bathroom with my tooth brush in my mouth.
I finished up, hurried down the stairs and sat at the dining room.
"Good morning mum, good morning dad".
"Good morning sweetie" Mum replied.
Dad looked up from the newspaper in his hands "hope you slept well?"
"I slept like an American bullfrog in the winter" I replied while shoving a pancake in my mouth.
"Gross, don't talk about frogs when eating" Amelia replied with a soft tap on my head.
Dad gave a small laugh and returned his eyes to the newspaper.
"Chris is here" Amelia said looking out the window.
"Bye mom, dad".
"Bye sweetie, be careful, take care of yourself" Mum replied.
"Try to stay out of trouble" Dad yelled.
"You guys worry too much" I answered.
For as long as I can remember, my parents have always been worried about me, they make a big fuss over the littlest of accidents like I was an egg that could break easily, I almost thought I might have a terminal illness they weren't telling me about, but after years of them being like that you get used to it.
We arrived at the school parking lot and started to make our way to the hallway.
"Hey!" Karen called out as she approached us. "Have you guys heard about last night's game?"
Chris gave her his undivided attention "No we haven't, tell me we won"
"Dude! We got schooled, score was 82-38"
Chris gave a hurt expression while I laughed.
"I know you've got your own issues with Bobby but usually when the team loses, it's supposed to have a sad impact on the school spirit but I can tell where you stand" Karen said.
"C'mon Karen it's not like that, Bobby Stowe is their captain, you can't blame me for having a laugh" I responded.
Chris looked at me in awe "I still can't believe you and Bobby were friends"
"Me either" I answered. "But the real question should be why the sudden interest in basketball Chris?"
Karen gave an expression realizing I was right as we both looked at Chris awaiting his response.
"Geez, I placed a bet. It's no big deal"
"You bet on Bobby?" Karen laughed as we headed to the hallway "Speaking of Bobby, wherever you go and whatever you do, stay away from him. He's venting his anger on everyone"
Chris sighed "Typical Bobby"
Bobby Stowe, former friend, high school sophomore, captain of the basketball team, not to mention the son of Mayor Darien Stowe. In case you didn't notice, their last name is the same with the name of the town. Apparently the Stowe's ancestors were the founders of the town and you know what they say about spoilt rich kids. Bob Stowe let his family's wealth go to his head and treats everyone like trash – well, almost everyone, a bully still got friends right? But what I disliked about him most is how much hate he has for supernaturals.
The bell rang and we made our way to class, we found vacant seats at the middle section of the classroom, I sat beside Karen while Chris sat in the seat directly behind us.
"Good morning students" Mr. Park said as he opened a book from his desk "Today we are going to be discussing electric fields. Turn your physics textbook to page 138…"
Chris leaned forward and whispered "Hey guys, I totally forgot to tell you, I've been working on something that's going to blow your minds"
Karen used a mocking tone "Is it your alien theory again?"
"When you say it like that you make it sound goofy, it's called proof of other life in the universe" Chris responded. "And no that's not what I want to show you guys, just come over after school"
"I can't, I'm meeting up with my mom after school" I said.
"I can't either" Karen responded. "My parents want to have some sort of werewolf-hormones talk with me after school"
"You okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine, you know how my parents are. They like to make embarrassing situations of everything"
Chris chipped in "Like when they gave you the birds and bees talk in the school parking lot"
Karen covered her face with both palms "Ugh! Don't remind me. I'm glad no one paid attention and I regret telling you guys about it"
Chris and I chuckled.
"It appears we're disturbing some students. Do you need the classroom to yourselves?" Mr. Park voiced, diverting the attention of the class on us.
"We're sorry Mr. Park" Chris replied, changing his posture to sit properly.
Mr. Park is my favorite teacher and a family friend, we've known each other since my family moved to Stowe, he visits every Christmas with a turkey pot pie, he helps me out from time to time when I have a problem and he gives excellent advice.
After school we all got into Chris' car and were headed home.
"I heard there's a birthday party at Joe's diner later today, you guys coming?" Chris asked.
"Who's party?" Karen inquired.
"I didn't ask, but everyone's invited"
"I'll be there" Karen said "I'm very sure after the conversation with my parents I'm going to need a distraction"
"I guess I'll be there too" I replied.
Later that evening I arrived at Joe's Diner and spotted Chris sitting on the trunk of his car.
"Hey man! Is Karen here yet"? I voiced as I approached Chris.
"Not yet, she said she'd be running late"
We went into the diner to join the party, Joe's diner was the hangout spot for high school students, it was what you'd expect from any regular diner, different booths for sitting with a table at the center of each booth, and a counter lined with comfy stools. The place was already bubbling, students dancing and chatting in cliques.
After about an hour I heard a voice behind me "Hey! What'd I miss?"
"Karen! I started to think you wouldn't make it. Well you didn't miss much, Chris is drunk and someone just threw up in the punch, so you definitely shouldn't drink that" I replied and handed her a canned beverage.
"They're serving alcohol? What if the cops show up?"
"They're not serving alcohol, Bobby and his friends brought something to add a little kick to their drinks, Chris said something about how we need to start acting like adults and the next thing I know he's drunk"
Karen looked at a passed out Chris on the counter "How can he be so smart yet so stupid. What if his mom sees him like this? I sincerely hope she takes his beloved car keys"
"Fortunately for him, his mom has a night shift at the hospital, so hopefully he'll be able to get away with it. I'm going to take Chris to the parking lot, force a bottle of water down his throat, get him to sober up and take him home"
"Okay, I'll just hang around for a while, say hi to some people"
"I guess I'll see ya" I placed Chris' arm around my shoulder. "Let's go Chris"
"No, I still want to drink some punch" Chris muttered in his drunken state.
"If you're not careful, I'll give you an actual punch" I said.
Karen gave a gentle smile and tapped Chris on his curly dark brown hair as she walked away. I dragged Chris through the door and was headed to Chris' car when someone called out from behind.
"Powell"
It was Bobby, exiting the diner and casually approaching me
"Hey Bob, how you doing?" I turned around with a look on my face that said 'not again'.
"We lost the game yesterday" Bob said.
"I heard, it's a real bummer. All the team needs is a little more training, dedication and hard work" I replied, swiftly trying to end the conversation.
"Don't give me that Fred, the team sucks and everyone knows it. We need real jocks out there and I know you're one hell of a jock" Bob put his palms in the pocket of his Leatherman jacket "You and I used to be inseparable, together we could give the team a chance"
"I'm still considering other options, I mean basketball doesn't really feel like my thing and I'm sure the team will be just fine with or without me"
Bobby always had a bit of a temper, he took his hands out of his Leatherman jacket and tightened his fists "Oh I get it, you're above it all, so why bother with the team"
"That's not what I meant Bob and you know it, I'm going home" I turned away from Bob with Chris' arm still wrapped around my shoulder.
"Cool your jets Fred" Bob said "You know there was a time when you and I were a team, I miss my friend"
I sighed "We've had this conversation before and I'll still tell you exactly what I told you then, we have a mountain of problems but apologize to Karen for the hateful werewolf talk and we can start from there"
"She's a werewolf" Bob barked. "They exist to hurt us. It's been proven in every incident we discovered they were a part of, they're dangerous even if they've been exposed to the world"
"I guess you're not apologizing then, goodnight Bobby" I said and headed for the car.
"First thing Monday morning, you're going to meet the coach and ask to sign up for tryouts" Bob yelled.
I leaned Chris against the car and turned again to face Bob.
"Last time I checked I don't take orders from you"
Bob raised his voice "You will, my family practically owns this town, your parents work for my Dad"
The rage in me had reached its boiling point, this was the kind of argument that ended our friendship, all of a sudden he started being offensive to the supernatural students in school and just wouldn't let anyone forget how his family owns everyone. I tried to be the bigger person and just walk away, but Bob yelled out again.
"Do what you do best, walk away"
I stopped walking, I felt a sudden jolt in me, it was like my heart was racing a thousand times per minute. I suddenly found it hard to breathe, it took some seconds before I could regain myself when suddenly, all the cars headlights started flickering, car alarms were going off like there was a sudden electrical surge tearing through every electronic device in the area. I turned to look at Bob, he was already running towards the diner for safe cover. I stood there confused staring at the flickering lights of the billboard I looked at Chris and found him staring at me with a terrified look on his face. He muttered something but I couldn't hear due to the noise from the car alarms.
The lights on the diners billboards blew out, the car alarms were still going off when people started exiting the diner to see what was causing the commotion. I stood there, ignoring the crowd forming behind me. I felt my heartbeat slowing down and just like that, the flickering headlights and blaring alarms stopped.
"What happened?" a voice coming from the diner's entry asked.
"Must've been some kind of electrical surge" Bob replied.
I grabbed Chris, got into the car and drove off leaving the crowd that had formed outside the diner.
Chris said something in a low tone.
"What'd you say" I asked.
"Your eyes were glowing" Chris said.
"That's it, when we reach legal age I'm definitely not your drinking buddy" I replied. "Let's get you home"