Chapter 1: Shallow Bay
The sun rose over the sleepy town of Shallow bay. Fishermen worked the docks preparing for their day out at sea. The cool fall breeze brushed the cheeks of those working this early in the morning. "Looks like it's gonna be a nice cool day today, I guess summer really is over." one of the fishermen muttered to himself. The man watched the calm waters around his boat with a smile on his face. This was his heaven. Shallow Bay had been a bustling fishing Mecca some 50 years ago, now it's just a run down old fishing town...with a lot of history. "Alright it's time to head out" the man said untying the moor leaving the town behind.
Leaving the Docks if you take two lefts, a right and another left; this will lead you to West st. One of the oldest streets in Shallow bay. Many of the homes on this street are three to four hundred years old. The street itself was the prime spot for the Captains of fishing boats,and the more important people to shallow bay back in its heyday. Four houses on the left you'll find 226 West Street The Morrell Residence where our Protagonist Benjamin Morell Lives with his three Sisters, one Brother and his mother. This is where our story begins.
"He's late again…" A teenage girl stood in front of 226 West St. Her reddish brown hair swayed slightly in the breeze, she stared at the house to the left impatiently. She began to tap her foot while looking at her watch. The teenage girl's name is Fiona Asher, she lives in the house on the other side of 226. A boy came running out of the house she was staring at " I'm Sorry Fi!!" the boy with short blonde hair said, jogging up to her. "You know Max you are almost as bad as Ben…" she Glared at him, piercing him with her brown eyes. "I'm sorry I woke up late.." Max said apologetically. "It's fine, But you know Max, keeping girls waiting is a very bad habit. And there is no way you'll get popular with girls with an attitude like that." Fiona teased. Max's cheeks went beet red "Wh-what do you mean I-Im not into dating right now! There are more important things like Studying and getting into college. I mean look at you! You're mean and not very ladylike! Plus if you keep your grades the way they are there is no way you'll get a boyfriend or get into…" Max was stopped by Fiona, who grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "What did you say, you little shit?!" Fiona stood a good six inches taller than poor Max. She clenched her fist and was prepared to give him a good beating for his comments. But Luckily for Max, the door to 226 West Street opened up.
"Hey, can you two quit being so damn loud. It's too early in the morning to deal with your banter. We could hear you from inside.. Luckily you didn't wake up Peter and Patricia" a teenage boy with black hair walked through the entrance. The boy's name is Benjamin Morell or Ben as his friends called him. Ben, Max and Fiona were childhood friends, growing up on the same street they played together and got into all kinds of trouble growing up. "Sorry Ben,'' they both said simultaneously. "Ok now that you two are done with your Shitty Rom-Com skit, can we go?" Ben asked with a sigh. Fiona glared daggers at Ben "What do you mean by that?! There is no Rom-Com skit going on here, Max is being an insensitive jerk!!" She protested. "Hey Fi, do you think you could let me go now?" Max practically begged. She still had him by the collar. The female let out a long sigh. "Fine I'll let you off the hook this time…" She grumbled letting poor Max go. "OK you two love birds done now?" Ben asked, half teasing. The duo nodded, deciding not to argue anymore.
The group walked over to the side of the house where Ben's car was. The car was a 30 or 40 year old Muscle Car. Painted in a flat black primer, the car looked like it had seen better days. Ben opened the driver side door of the two-door vehicle and let Fiona in first. Max proceeded to enter via the passenger side. "So where's Robin?" Fiona asked, looking behind the car. Ben pumped the gas three times before turning the ignition. After the first couple cranks of the engine the old beast fired up with a roar. The loud exhaust rumbled for a moment before settling to its appropriate idle. Ben smirked a bit at this, he really loved his old beat up car. "Earth to Ben, hey I asked you a question!" Fiona knocked on his head repeating her question. "Uh sorry...Robin left earlier, she has student council stuff to do before school…" he finally replied. Robin was Ben's younger sister by two years, and the ideal student compared to her elder brother. She became the Student Council Secretary at the beginning of the year. It is rumored that the President hand-picked her and originally wanted Robin for Vice President. But she turned down the offer, taking her current position instead. Fiona sighed "Oh well poor Max. I guess you won't see too much of Robin thanks to the Student Council hehe." She teased. "I-I don't know what you mean.." Max replied flustered. It was commonly known in the group that Max and Robin had a thing for each other, but it was one of those unspoken things. Fiona wasn't sure if it was because Max and Ben are best friends and he was afraid he wouldn't approve of their relationship, or if it was something else entirely. But in her mind, they needed to get the ball rolling and just start dating already. Ben ignored the banter and backed his car out of the driveway and sped off down the street. The two continued their comedy skit while Ben turned the radio up in hopes of drowning out the banter.
The V-8 engine roared down the street as they entered the town center. Ben began to fish his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He had been a smoker since middle school, but he tried to hide his bad habit from his family, so he only smoked at school or in his car. But as the trio came to a stop-light a police car pulled up beside them. Ben placed his pack on the seat so the officer could not see. Ben was only seventeen and not legally allowed to purchase cigarettes. The officer rolled down his window "Hey kids, staying out of trouble I hope." the officer smiled at the trio. Fiona rolled down the small back window. "Hey dad! Of course we are." Fiona said with a bit of a pout. Officer Asher was of course Fiona's father and one of the nicer officers in town. "Ok good! Oh hey Ben, try to keep it to a dull roar through town ok?" He teased Ben about his old beater all the time. But he knew Ben wasn't one of those teenagers who race their cars across town. "Sure thing Mr. Asher" he said, waving as the light turned green. The trio sped off down the street and Ben finally pulled out his cigarette and lit the end. He took a long haul off of it. "Hey that was close dude, you should probably quit before you get caught again" Max scolded him. Ben rolled his eyes dismissing his friend's concern. He spent the rest of the drive dodging potholes. He was trying not to cause any more damage to his car than necessary. The last thing he needed was another trip to Leroy's Garage for tires...again. That to him was more important than the lecture Max was trying to give him.
Ben and the others arrived at the school fifteen minutes before the bell. Good timing considering this morning comedy skit and distractions from earlier. Shallow Bay High is a small high school, with a smaller than normal student body. So small that this year they allowed juniors with their driver's license to park in senior parking. This was due to the unusually low number of seniors this year. Ben got his license earlier than most kids his age, this was due to his want for freedom and the ability to get out of his house when he wanted to. It didn't help that he was a year older than most of his class, at the age of 16 you were allowed to get your permit and 17 your license. Most people his age waited till they were 18 and out of highschool to get their licenses. The old muscle car pulled into the parking area and rolled slowly as Ben looked for a spot. As usual the other students watched Ben and the others. "Why the hell are they always looking at us like that?" Fiona asked, annoyed. "Probably because they think our Ben here is a delinquent and public enemy number one" Max joked.
Max wasn't too far off the mark, Ben had been seen as a trouble maker since Freshman year. He was picked on a lot in middle school because of his appearance. He was born with what's called, Heterochromia Iridum. In short he was born with two different colored eyes, one Blue and the other Hazel. He was called a freak and bullied because of this. Well, until one day he couldn't take it anymore and began to fight back. This caused him to get into a few fights in middle school and high school. Ben decided that if he was going to be called a freak, he would become one. He wore all black all the time, mainly wearing some kind of rock or metal band's t-shirt. He had pierced his ears and left eyebrow back in middle school, but had since taken them out. Only the scars from the holes remained. He also smoked cigarettes, listened to Heavy Metal or Rock constantly, and was big into books about the occult. And he didn't get along with any of the more popular kids in school, sometimes picking fights when they annoyed him. So this is why he was labeled as a delinquent. Hanging out with Max and Fiona didn't help his reputation. Max was known as the biggest nerd in highschool and was picked on too. This caused Ben to get into fights with anyone who made fun of Max. Fiona was labeled as "The Man Hater" Over the years a few unlucky souls had confessed their love for her, only to be met with a crushing rejection. She sometimes laid in a few insults just to rub salt in the wound. Fiona was a gorgeous young woman, so this wasn't a surprise that she would have a few men chasing her. But because of the rejections and manner she carried herself, rumors began about her sexuality. The trio were definitely the biggest misfits in the Junior Class. But despite the label they were given, the three of them were in the top 20 students in their school. Ben and Max would trade second and third place in all exams, while Fiona would bring up the rear in the mid teens. This of course caused even more animosity from the other students.
Ben and the others found their parking spot and got out of the vehicle. Ben could feel the stares from the other students still, but he ignored it. Just another day at his school he thought. He put out his cigarette on the ground, nonchalantly, causing the glares to worsen. The trio made their way into the building and up to the third floor to their homeroom. Their teacher Mr. Morrison stood outside the room and greeted the trio. "Good morning, You three have a good weekend?" he asked kindly. The trio replied with a "Yes Mr. Morrison!" before making their way into the classroom. Ben made his way to the back of the class, and took his seat near the window. A girl in black noticed his arrival and looked up from her desk half asleep. "Hey Ben, did you pick up the Distorted's new album?" the girl in the seat next to him asked " Morning Jes ,Yea It's pretty good so far but, not as good as the last one" Ben replied casually. Jes was a fellow misfit in their school. This was probably due to the fact that her mom Selene Shepard , was their history teacher. Ms. Shepard was popular with the students because of kindness and the way she taught her students with passion. Her father Leroy owned the aforementioned garage in town. Jes and her two other sisters, Kitty and Savy were in the same class as Ben and the others. Most people would assume that they are triplets but that was not the case. It's a complicated story for another time. The sisters got along well with the group and would meet up with them after school every once in a while.
Kitty was writing in her notebook unaware of the danger that was coming. Fiona dove on her from behind. "Goodmorning my Kitty Kitty!" she yelled out hugging her. "Hey Fi, knock it off you are hurting me!!" she pleaded. "Well she sure is energetic this morning…" Savy said watching Kitty get harassed by Fiona. She sighed, deciding not to help her sister. She figured that it would cause more of a ruckus. Max took his seat next to Savy. "Yea, you know Fiona.." he said laughing a bit at the scene. "Oh good morning Max" Savy said, noticing Max finally. Max replied with a Goodmorning and waited for homeroom to begin. Unlike Ben, Max wasn't very good at making small talk with the opposite sex. He tried not to be awkward about it, but sometimes it backfired. But that's another tale for later. After a few moments the bell rang and their teacher entered the room, putting a stop to the ruckus.
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"Ok as you all may know we are in the 'Recession' period of magic in our world… This is an event that happens every two-hundred years. When the mana that flows through the earth is at its lowest. Meaning that individuals who have an affinity are less common in our Era. Can anyone tell me why that is?" The teacher Ms. Shepard stood in the front of the class with her arms crossed. One of the students raised their hands. "It's because mana isn't as commonly used so babies aren't being exposed to it naturally." the student replied. Ms. Shepard smiled gently, "Correct! Now mana is invisible for the most part and can flow through us without us even knowing it. Depending on the body's reaction to this determines whether or not you will have an affinity for it. That is how it is determined if you will become a Mage or Magus." She began to write some notes on the chalkboard. Ben looked out the window spacing out. He was listening to the lecture and processing her words but his mind was still elsewhere. The mention of the word "Mage and Magus" reminded him of the man who saved him all those years ago. 'Who was he?' he thought to himself drifting further away from reality and into a daydream.
His daydream was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash and an object hitting him in the head. "Benjamin, are you paying attention?!!" his teacher glared at him from the front of the class. He came back to reality quickly. "Um sorry Ms. Shepard it won't happen again…" Ben sat up straight and rubbed the chalk off of his forehead. It was a common occurrence for Ms. Shepard to throw chalk at Ben, so this didn't faze him at all. The class laughed a bit as Ms Shepard stood there and pouted at Ben. But before she could continue her scolding, the bell rang for lunch. "Saved by the bell huh?" Jes said jokingly as she got up from her desk. Ben sighed and gathered up his things.
The school's cafeteria was bustling with Sophomores and Juniors sitting down and enjoying their lunch. Most of them sat with their own Cliques, all depending if you were into sports or academics. And then there was the 'Misfits' who didn't fit into one Clique or the other. Ben took his usual table with Max and Fiona. " I need a cigarette…" he mumbled to himself. Fiona sighed at his comment and went back to eating her food. Max as usual was doing some kind of studying while eating. Ben looked at his food with a grimace. "I wish we could have better food than this slop" He muttered again. "Oh hey Guys, can I sit here too? '' a female underclassman with black hair approached their table. Ben looked up at the student then sighed "Robin you don't have to ask every time, you know damn well you can. Stop being so polite." The Underclassmen was Robin, Ben's younger sister. "I know Ben, but it's common courtesy. You should use your manners more, you know?" she said, scolding her brother. Robin had different colored eyes, identical to her brother. But unlike Ben she was seen as cute and special for having them. This made her kind of popular, although she did not like the attention. Robin kept very few friends, mainly hanging out with her brother and his friends. The siblings were close despite appearances. She brushed aside her shoulder length black hair and took the seat next to Max. Robin and Max met each other's eyes for just a moment and greeted each other, then looked away with a blush. 'Seriously just confess to each other already' Ben thought, holding his head in aggravation.
The four sat and talked for a bit during lunch. " So how's the student council? Our President Ami is quite the babe isn't she?" Fiona asked with a smirk. "It's going pretty well. Ami is such a kind person and easy to work with...but I don't know what you mean by babe" Robin answered, a bit annoyed by the question. Ami Witcher was the Student body President and one of the most beautiful girls in the school. Most of the male students either had a crush on her or had written her love letters. She was kind of the school's idol. But no matter how many tried, she always rejected them with kindness and grace. She always had an air of maturity to her that made the other girls either idolize her or despise her. Ami was also top of their school academically as well, which is one of the many reasons she beat out Roy Pearson in the election. Roy was another very popular student at the school, and the person who Ben hated the most. But we will get to that later on.
As if summoned, the aforementioned Ami walked up to the table. Her long platinum blonde hair swayed behind her as she walked, her gorgeous blue eyes fixated on a particular boy dressed in black. "Hello Everyone" she said, standing before them. "Speak of the Devil!!" Fiona Blurted out in shock. "Fiona!!" Robin scolded her. "Oh, were you guys talking about me? Hehe" Ami giggled occasionally looking over at Ben "Yeah, just talking about the student council" Fiona replied quickly. It seemed that she was a bit embarrassed by her outburst. "Anyways Ami, What's up do you need me for something?" Robin asked, trying to change the subject. Ami smiled and replied "Oh no, I'm actually here to speak with your Brother. May I have a seat?" Ben looked up at her a bit confused. "Um sure, it's a free country" he replied, acting uninterested in the situation. As Ami sat next to Ben he could feel the glares from the other students on the back of his head. `Great, now I have even more Heat with my Classmates' he thought, annoyed with the situation.
Ami Looked over at Ben with a smile. She could tell he was annoyed by the stares from the other students. "Hello Ben, I don't think we have been properly introduced. It's nice to finally talk to you. It's kinda funny we have been in the same school since middle school, but never once have we had a conversation." she said with a giggle " Yeah I guess it's kinda weird… Anyways How can I help you, Miss Prez?" he asked her, a bit curious about her motives. He didn't understand why she wanted to talk to him. After all, he is public enemy number one according to the rest of the student body. "Well I wanted to ask you to join the student council, you see a few members are not able to stay with us due to their club activities or other reasons that I would rather not discuss at the moment. So could you join us please?" Ami asked casually. This was a big shock to the whole table. All four blurted out "Wait, what?!?" Ami Laughed at their response, "Wow I guess it's a shock to you guys" Ben looked at her even more confused. "Why me.. No offense but I'm not exactly the ideal person for this.." Robin also chimed in, "Yea Ami, I don't think he would be a good fit. My brother doesn't have a whole lot of fans at school...and I don't know if you can tell but he's really not a people person..."
Ami sat back in her chair and began to explain. "Well you see, I saw the last school wide exams. Ben came in Second behind me, also according to the principal, he is not in a club, or affiliated with any sports. So I think by his grades and from what you have told me of him I think he would be a good fit Robin. I mean you do talk him up as someone who can solve problems quickly and on the fly. We need someone like him to be honest. And as far as not being a people person...well It's a hurdle I'd be glad to help him with personally." she smirked a bit at the last part. Fiona gave her a strange look.'What is up with this chick?' She thought to herself. Robin shook her head and pointed at Max, "Why don't we ask Max then, he's a genius! And he's also not in a club" Ami looked over at Max tilting her head. "So this is THE Max? No, sorry I don't think he would be a good fit. You probably wouldn't be able to get much work done" Ami said, winking at Robin. Both Max and Robin blushed 'Wow, even the president knows' Ben thought, laughing a bit.
Ben sighed and spoke up. " Miss President…" but he was cut off by Ami. "No, No, No, please call me Ami" she said to Ben. Her eyes were focused on him, almost looking him over. Kind of like a lioness looking at its prey. Alarms started going off in Ben's head 'This girl is dangerous'. Ben looked away from her gaze for a moment and replied "Um, sorry Ami. I'm gonna pass. I'm sorry, I know it's a good opportunity...but I think it would hurt the reputation of the student council more than help." He replied sincerely looking into her eyes. Ami pouted a bit then sighed. "I don't agree with your reason but I'll respect your answer...for now. But I will find a way to show you how wrong you are. But in the meantime, if you change your mind, you can find me in the Student council room before school, during lunch and after school." she said. As she stood up, she looked a bit sad. Ben felt kinda bad but he ignored her comment and just replied "Sure thing" waving her off. Fiona turned to Ben and said, "I thought she was gonna try to eat you or something...what is her deal?" Ben shrugged "Don't be weird Fi, and I have no clue" Robin sighed "well I have a feeling that won't be the last time you'll see her, she's persistent." Max looked over to Robin "what do you mean?" Ben was hoping this was the first and last time, but what he did not know at the time was how persistent she really was.
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Over the next few days Ami routinely came to visit the group during lunch break. And every time it was the same spiel and routine. She would ask Ben to join and he would turn her down. At first he wanted to yell at her but he knew that would only make things worse for him in the long run. So he decided to be as polite as possible. But Ami didn't know when to give up. "See, I told you she is persistent…" Robin chimed in as they made their way home for the day. Ben looked drained, after lunch everyday the glares he received were getting worse throughout the day. He didn't know how much more he could take. Robin continued as they got in Ben's car "She did almost the same thing to me at the beginning of the year. Every Morning after the elections I would run into her. She would ask me to become Vice President, I would politely decline. But she would be there the next day, and the next day after that. I would even go a different way to class and she would still find me. Eventually I just sat down with her and gave her my reasons and we came to a compromise." After she finished her story Ben let out a massive sigh of frustration. "You know Robin, she sounds more like a stalker…" Fiona said with a bit of aggravation in her voice. "Yea kind of...but she really means well and she's just super dedicated to her work." Robin replied, a hint of hesitation coloring her voice.
A Few Days Later…
Ben walked down the hall in the afternoon preparing to head home for the day. Robin had student council work today and Max left early to go to a tutoring session. So he went to look for Fiona. He didn't want to leave without at least offering her a ride home. "Oh, Ben, fancy meeting you here." he heard a voice from behind him. It was Ami. "Yea I was just heading home." Ben said while continuing to walk down the hall. She quickly caught up to him and walked alongside him. " I see, I'm taking a quick break myself. I needed to get some fresh air." Ami said casually. "You really work hard, don't you?" Ben asked casually. "I guess you could say so." she replied. Ben gave up on finding Fiona and decided to just head home before Ami could ask him again. But she still walked next to him making small talk. Ben only replied with either short answers or one word answers. Despite this, she kept walking with him. It seemed that they shared the same destination after all… or she was still waiting for an opportunity to ask him. The duo walked out of the front door of the school. Ben fished out his pack of cigarettes and casually pulled one out. "Umm Ben, what are you doing?" Ami asked, glaring at him. "Having a smoke on the way to my car." he said nonchalantly "You know we are still on school property?" She asked, confused. "Yup" he answered, lighting the end of the cigarette. "You really are a handful aren't you?" Ami asked with a sigh. "I Guess so" he replied with a smirk.
Off in the distance Ben could see a few guys near his car. "Great, now I gotta deal with morons..." he muttered. Ami looked at him confused before realizing what he was talking about. Three male students stood around his car, and in the middle was Fiona. "You guys need to piss off!" he could hear Fiona raise her voice at the males. Ben sighed and put out his cigarette. "What a waste…" he said looking at the half finished cigarette on the ground. "Hey Prez.." he began to say "it's Ami..Remember?" she cut him off and smiled. "Fine sorry...Ami. you might want to stand back, this might get ugly." he said walking towards the students. Ami just stopped in her tracks confused and watched him walk towards the commotion. "Hey Morons, Get away from my car." he said, annoyed. The taller of the three looked over at him. "Get lost Ben, this is between us and this fine piece of ass here." Fiona glared daggers at them. "Oi! I'm here too, you know!! Hey Ben, a little help here? Shit for brains here doesn't know the meaning of NO." Ben just sighed walking past them and to Fiona. "Next time just wait for me.." he said to her before turning towards the group. "Ok Dipshits, you have till the count of three to clear out ... .One" he began to count. The apparent ring leader of the group laughed at him. "Ok tough guy, what are you going to do, fight all of us? You're outnumbered." unbenounced to this group Ben was trained in Mixed Martial Arts. He had spent a lot of time over the years training so he wouldn't be weak again or allow anyone close to him to get hurt. Ben sighed, ignoring the comment . "Two.." The other two moved close to him laughing as well. He quickly surveyed the situation and quickly calculated a plan of attack in his head. He could hear his Sensei''s voice in his head. "Fight Smart" he smirked now.
"...Three…" Ben said before lunging forward. The first male took a swing at him, and Ben used his momentum to grab the assailant's wrist. Ben hip tossed him on to the ground with a flash. The first man hit the ground with a loud thud, the back of his head hitting the pavement with a dull thud. Ben, still holding his opponent's wrist, twisted it, eliciting an agonizing screech from the student. The second male charged him, only to meet a similar fate. The second male landed on top of the other, but this time was given a boot to the face for his troubles. Blood gushed out of his nose on impact. "If you can't go directly for the leader, incapacitate the Majority quickly. to make it a one on one fight. Make your attacks vicious, this may make the leader run or act irrationally " he heard the voice again in his head. Ben turned to the final male and walked over to him slowly. "You can run if you want to." Ben said with a sickening smile. The male steeled his resolve and charged him, but to no avail. Ben's fist made contact with the male's jaw before he knew what happened. The male could feel a few of his teeth get knocked loose before losing consciousness. Ami and a few teachers ran over as the final male hit the pavement. "What happened here? Did you start this Ben? You are always causing trouble!" one of the teachers spat at him in disgust. He was a tall older man with graying black hair that was slicked back. He adjusted his glasses at Ben and continued "you really are a rabid Animal and have no place at this school do you? Mr. Morrell '' Ben just shrugged not replying ,while Ami and Fiona glared at the teacher, Mr.Van Eyessen. He was one of the teachers at the school that most of the Jocks and popular kids loved. But the less favorable kids such as Ben and his friends hated him. He was always treating them like second class citizens, and always tried to make examples out of them. There had been many incidents with Ben over the last few years that were blown out of proportion by the teacher. This had caused so much grief that his parents had to file a formal complaint with the Superintendent of schools. But that only caused more backlash towards Ben. After a bit of arguing between the teacher and the girls, the Principal finally made his way over with a few EMT's and Fiona's Father in tow.
After a while Ami and Fiona Explained the situation. Ben just sat on the trunk of his car smoking a cigarette. At this point he couldn't care less, he knew regardless of how it happened he would get suspended for fighting. So in his mind he might as well get in trouble for smoking too. "Hmm I see" the Principal said looking at Ben. he let out an exasperated sigh and made it way over to Ben. "Really Ben, smoking…" the principal asked Ben just shrugged "So what's my punishment for what happened?" Ben asked, taking a drag. "Well these students are going to be suspended for their actions. It seems like you were defending Ms. Asher according to Ami. So we SHOULD suspend you for fighting...But I think what I'm gonna do instead…" Ben cut him off "I am not joining the Student Council…" Ben said, putting the cigarette out. The principal looked at him, confused by his statement. "No that's not what I was gonna say...where did you get that idea… Anyways I'm going to give you a week to join a club. You need to do something more productive with your life." Ben sighed again "Just suspend me please I'm all set" the principal furrowed his brow. "No, that's not how it works. Ben, if you don't prove that you can be an upstanding student here, you will be expelled at the next district meeting. The only way we can avoid that is by proving you take school seriously. This was your last strike with us. I'm sorry but you have no choice in the matter if you want to graduate." Ben looked at him exhausted. "Well I don't feel like joining an existing club, so could I start my own Club?" The Principal thought for a moment. "Yes, as long as you can get four members by the end of the month." Ben nodded, "I'm pretty sure I can manage that, it's a Deal then." Ben extended his hand, and the two shook hands to seal the deal.
After everyone cleared out Ami walked up to Ben "You were brave back there, but what were you thinking? You could have gotten really hurt! You should be a bit more careful next time! I mean you were pretty badass there but still no excuse..The last thing I want to see is you leave me..I mean the school." she scolding him "Yea Yea I'll be more careful" Ben said, waving her off. This just made the girl pout at him. She looked down at his hand and noticed how bruised his knuckles were. "at least go home and ice that" she said, pointing to his hand. He sighed and just replied "Yes Ma'am " Ami sighed "OK well I'll see you around " she said and waved goodbye. Fiona made her way over to him, practically diving on him. She hugged him tightly "Thanks Ben…" Ben smiled at her and hugged her back "Anytime Fi"
Ben and Fiona jumped in his car and headed home. "So what are you gonna do about that club stipulation?" Fiona asked. Ben just smiled "Well I got an idea, that I know Max will be on board for." She looked at her friend and returned the smile. "Well whatever it is count me in too" Ben nodded in approval "Awesome thank you. Looks like the Occult Investigation and Research Club only needs one more member then!" Fiona jumped in her seat. "Wait, that's what the club is going to be about?! Oh no…" Fiona wasn't very fond of anything to do with the supernatural. Known as the 'chicken' of the group, she would avoid horror movies like the plague. Ben gave her a sideways glance. "Are you still on board chicken little?" He teased her. She glared at him "Yes of course I am! You know that I am not a little kid anymore right?!" She shouted at him. "Yea we will see about that…'' he joked. They continued this back and forth banter till they arrived back at Ben's house. "Alright I'll see you tomorrow Ben! Oh and…" Fiona leaned in and gave him a peck on his cheek. "Thanks again…" she said, winking.
Later that night Ben called Max and explained everything that had happened after school. Max sounded pretty angry about the incident, but when Ben explained about the club Max seemed to get overly excited about the prospect of an Occult Research Club. Since the incident Max and Ben both became obsessed with the occult and supernatural. Instead of letting the incident affect them negatively, they used that energy to figure out what happened that day. Which led them down a rabbit hole of literature and urban legends on these subjects. Max especially became quite fluent in the subjects and tended to obsess over anything he could find. After their lengthy discussion,Ben took a stroll down the street to clear his head. A lot has happened over these last few weeks. "No matter where I wander off to, I always end up back here…" Ben had somehow arrived at the remains of the house that tormented him for all these years. The place had burned down during the incident, all that remained was just a burnt husk of a building. Ben lit a cigarette and stared at the remains. He stood there silently, remembering every detail of what transpired that night. After he finished his cigarette he tossed it into the remains. Unbeknownst to Ben he wasn't the only one there, a Male Figure watched Ben leave the destroyed property. "Well Ben my boy... It looks like things are going to start getting interesting around here... I cannot wait to see how this all plays out." It spoke softly and smiled, before disappearing into the night.
Elsewhere…
Ami returned to the place that she refers to as her "Temporary living space". It was the home she shared with her Grandparents and younger sister. The home was darkly lit, dusty, and not very well maintained. Her grandparents were not the nicest people in the world, occasionally taking out their bitterness on the girls. Their mother succumbed to her alcohol and drug addiction five years ago. Their father had to live out of state due to his job; he would visit them about once a month. In Ami's mind her father was trying the best he could under the circumstances. She held no resentment towards him, unlike her little sister. Unfortunately for her, the grandparents would throw blame at the sisters for their mother's demise. Ami had enough of their bitterness and decided to start saving up to get a place for her and her younger sister. "When I'm 18 I'll get us out of here." She would often say to herself.
Ami always put on a brave face and a smile when she was at school. But the truth was she was in constant pain, and depressed. Her pain wasn't of a physical nature but more on an emotional level. She took her grandparent's words to heart more often than not. Some days she would lock herself in her room and blame herself for everything that had happened. Ami sighed as she closed the door to her room. "Well I'm back...hopefully they didn't hear me come in… I can't deal with either of them tonight." She placed her things down and prepared for bed.
The day's events ran through her mind, she smiled, getting giddy. "I actually got to walk and chat with him alone." She smiled, blushing a bit. "But I gotta say he's a bit more reckless than I thought… and the cigarette smoking...that has got to go." She picked up a box she had hidden in her closet, and sat on her bed with it. Opening the lid the female took out sealed envelopes that were tied together with a string. She smiled gently at them. "Maybe someday I'll get the courage." she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. There was a sudden knock on her door "Ami? Are you home?" The question came from a younger woman's voice that Ami recognised immediately. "Yes, come in!" she said half startled. Quickly she said the box under her pillow while the owner of the voice entered the room. The young girl stopped and looked over the scene catching Ami in the act. "You know you're not very sneaky, big Sis" the girl sighed. "Yea I guess you're right Char" Ami giggled. This was Ami's younger sister Charlotte, she looked to be Ami's twin but with very short hair and a bit on the slender side. She was in middle school and unlike her big sister was a bit of a trouble maker. "Anyway the Geezers left you some food…please eat." Charlotte said, handing her a covered plate. "Oh thanks, I'll take care of the dishes after" Ami said while taking the plate. Charlotte just nodded and left the room "goodnight" she said, closing the door behind her. Ami sat there and ate her food a bit surprised that they had left her some dinner. Normally she would have to fend for herself. She continued eating the cold leftovers and starting to work on her homework.
After finishing up her homework and taking a nice hot shower Ami decided to call it a night. She looked around the room one last time before putting out the lights. She was nervously staring at an old rocking chair. The chair sat in the corner of her room. She would keep her bag and coat on it when she was home. She was very weary of the old piece of furniture, and for good reason. Ami shut off her lights and slipped into a deep sleep.
Later that night…
The moon shone into the bedroom window of Ami's room. Everything was in complete silence, the only noise that could be heard was Ami's soft breathing as she slept soundly. But the poor girl wouldn't be asleep much longer. With a loud creak the old rocking chair began to move. The noise it made as it placed pressure one the old floor boards would wake the dead. Ami's Eyes opened immediately 'Not again…' she thought to herself. Her eyes moved slowly towards the rocking chair, then she froze at the sight that was before her. A woman in black slowly rocked in the chair, on her face a wicked smile, her eyes shining red fixated on where Ami lay.
Ami closed her eyes quickly trying to ignore the figure in the chair. This had not been the first time this creature had manifested in her room. "Ami my dear child…" the woman spoke with a hiss in her voice. "Can't face your own mother now? It's a shame...what a pathetic waste of a girl" the woman said in a sinister tone. Ami continued to ignore the creature who claimed to be her departed mother. She reached for her necklace and held on to it tightly. Ami began to whisper something, something that she knew would drive this creature away. She thought back to many years ago when she was given this special jewelry. She whispered the chant she was taught to use with the necklace. "And all will be right again when dark gives way to light." She muttered as her surroundings were enveloped in light. "Silly girl… you'll never get rid of me…" The figure said before disappearing into the light. Ami sat up in her bed covered in sweat. "I can't keep doing this…" she said, starting to sob. Ami spent the rest of the night sitting with her knees to her chest. She kept her eye on the chair till the morning light came through her window again.
Ben woke in a cold sweat yet again. "A light!" He practically yelled. He looked around his dark room, the only light was the moon peeking through his curtains. "It was a dream…" Ben said, wiping the sweat from his brow. A light had chased him in his dream. But he couldn't explain why he was running from the light. 'Why am I trying to dissect a dream?' He thought to himself. Ben got up from his bed and went over to his dresser drawer, pulling out a small wooden box. Opening the lid he removed its contents. A simple silver necklace with a strange pendant attached. Ben looked at it for a moment before putting it on. For some strange reason he felt the desire to wear it again. "It has been a few years since I wore this," he said, putting the necklace on. He looked at himself in the mirror for a moment before returning to bed. He lay in bed going over the events of the last few years in his head before finally passing out.