Chapter 1: Going to college

It was a warm and clear summer night, with a gentle breeze, the tree branches were only swayed gently. The moon was bright and full, glowing silvery white; the two-story house you looked on was small, and it wasn't as impressive as the others, but it certainly was the oldest one in town. The dark shingles were fairly new, since the current owners had decided a renovation was in order. The house stood on a brick foundation, while the wooden walls were painted white. The roof held an attic, and one large, stained-glass window was open to the moonlight. The stained glass window was so beautiful, you only needed to look at it to feel the history radiating from it the small town looked almost forgotten; if anyone even bother to look on a map you would never find it. If anyone bothered to look up at the roof, they could see a young man sitting on the balcony; perfectly perched like a soldier guarding his unit. His eyes glowed brightly in the light of the full moon.

His name was Fred Hunter as you looked at him just by the moonlight, he's a tall, lean-looking young man with light brown hair. His eyes, though, were different from most people's, as they often changed color with his moods; they usually settled on a mix of brown and blue, similar to a wolf's eyes, and – sometimes – if the light hit them the right way, they glowed amber. Fred had a dark bronze farmer's tan from working outside on his cousin's farm every summer he visited. If he had lived in California, he would probably have enjoyed surfing. He enjoyed sports, racing and fighting – the bigger, harder and faster, the more he liked it. On his left wrist, his watch hands turned midnight. Fred was always restless on the night of a full moon, and she attacked him with her beauty. But tonight, he was even more restless than usual: tomorrow he would leave home for the first time in his life to go to college. Fred was enjoying the full moon, and the way he seemed to calm while staring at the pockmarked surface. He never under stood why it was one of the few things that calmed him down, but it did. He was obsessed with the moon, as if she called him for something… more. Fred stared at the moon, trying to force secrets from her. he kept looking towered it when suddenly something familiar caught his eye's In the distance, but not far from home, he saw his high school. It looked forlorn and small from here, and it felt like only yesterday he walked onto the stage and received his diploma from the principle. It didn't matter that it had happened two weeks ago. He thought back to all the wild things that he had done fondly, from the beginning of his freshman year, right through to the end of his senior year. The pranks and parties, fights and flirtations would probably go down in school history…. He sighed from all the good memories knowing that they were over and that he won't experience them anymore but hay at least he had them and he is going to make new one's at college oh yes college tomorrow he would leave home for the first time in his life to go to college. After a few minutes looking at the school in his small town he looked at the moon which he so enjoyed it, and the way he seemed to calm while staring at the pockmarked surface. He never under stood why it was one of the few things that calmed him down, but it did. He was obsessed with the moon, as if she called him for something… more. After ten minutes turned to half an hour, Fred finally stood from his eyes; he knew that he would need some sleep before the long trip to Avonn's College in Nashville, Tennessee. Fred turned and padded to the open window. He made sure it was open whenever he was out on the roof: he hated sleeping on the roof, and had been caught in the cold a few times when he was younger. It was embarrassing for him to ask his parents for help, and then maybe breaking the window to get it open when it was jammed. Once inside, he closed the window and looked around his medium size room with black wall paint he had requested when he started high school. On one wall, there were three swords for show, one in each of his favorite colors – dark green, black and white. He quietly moved about the room: everyone else was sleeping at this hour. He set the alarm clock on his desk for eight o'clock: he wanted an early start his eyes were covered in dark circles that was his sign of the last few days of lack of sleep from the partying and the celebrating. there he began to get as much in the short eight hours but it would be enough as he could stay awake for day's on end and all he could need if he wanted to was just a single hour of sleep even if it was dangerous. Just as he was about to fall into his very slumber he said to himself "tomorrow is a new day."

What Fred didn't – couldn't – know, was that outside the front of his house, a man had been watching Fred as he entered his room. His face was obscured by ebony, broad-rim hat, and was dressed in a matching long, leather overcoat. If the street light hadn't been set to switch on at night, no-one would have seen this stranger. Not even the dogs wanted to bark at him, whimpering at his presence and running away with their tails tucked at his glance. The light started flickering, on and off, on and off, like it was about to die. Strangest, though, was that the light had been changed just that morning…. The light blinked once more, fighting desperately to still shine, and the mysterious stranger was gone. The light sighed back into existence. there the dogs calm down and enter into their respective homes. The following morning, Fred woke to a horrible screeching noise. It was the alarm clock when it hit eight o'clock. "Damn clock," he grunted, rolling out of bed to turn it off. Sometimes, he just wanted to throw it out the window, but knew he never would. He padded over to the bathroom, and as he got to the door, he saw it was closed. Not wanting to be rude, he knocked and grinned at the grouchy, feminine voice screaming, "Stay out! I'm not fully dressed!" That was Jess, his step-sister, and Fred knew from experience that she would be in there for at least over an hour getting ready, even if she wasn't going anywhere. She was also going to college. Not wanting to waste time, he decided to use the guest bathroom under the stairs. Finishing his morning routine, he went back to his room to get dressed. A pair of stylishly ripped jeans that he used for working or free time one of his favorite t-shirts and a Dodge hat that he had gotten a while back. he gave a sigh as he as he was in his clothing and not in his boxers he may have been use to wearing boxers with his step family but it was on some day's unconferble that and he needed to get the last of his boxes in the demon his car and get going.

Fred made his way outside, and was picking up one of the boxes filled with his possessions to put inside his car – The Demon. The Demon was a 1971 Dodge Demon; the car itself was painted a dark green, and while on the bottom edges it was bright, neon green. If anyone was lucky enough to get a good look under the hood of Fred's precious baby, they would see a 426 hemi engine. Fred and his foster father, Dakota, had worked on the Demon for five whole years, and it was probably one of the very few things that they ever agreed on in their entire lives. When you turned it on it could scare anything with its roaring engine. It could make women go wild when they road it sometimes they were too scared to even go in it after they hear it come in but Fred being a persuasive one. His own mother used to say when he was little, "you could talk your way out of jail if you needed too. But if i found out you did go I'll whoop you." I t always made him laugh god he missed her.

As he moved to get the rest of his boxes into the trunk of the Demon he saw her he couldn't help but was standing by the front door, her back to him. She looked like she was going to pick up a box that was too heavy for her, and as she bent over to struggle with the box, Fred felt a mischievous grin spread over his face. What better time to pull one of his age-old pranks on his sister? He silently stalked up behind her, raising his right hand slowly till it was in the perfect position. Just as she got the strength to raise the box, Fred swung his hand as fast as he could Jess shrieked as his hand made contact with her butt. She jumped away from him as Fred laughed, almost tripping over the box in shock. When she turned around, she slammed her fist into her brother's stomach as hard as she could. A fire burned in her light hazel eyes, shooting daggers from her eyes in fury. "What the hell, Fred!" she screamed. "Why did you do that? It really hurt, you ass! I hope we don't have to see each other for a long time once we're in college!"

Fred barely heard what she was saying past his pleasure at the prank. "I'd say I'm – ha ha ha – sorry – ha ha – but I can't – ha ha ha ha – resist you just – ah ha – make it too easy! Hahahahahahaha!" he doubled over laughing, wiping tears away, trying to calm down. Jess crossed her hands and huffed, her face red. Fred stared incredulously at his extremely pissed sister and said, "Jess, you need a new sense of humor, because yours just ran away from you." He then picked the box she was struggling with easily. Fred wondered to himself why she couldn't just pick it up herself. The box felt like it was box full of foam. He went straight over to trunk of his sister's cherry-red 2010 Chevy Camaro. Even though her step-father hated Chevy and felt that they were evil sending jobs away from hard workers. but when he asked her what she wanted for her birthday she looked at him with the biggest puppy eyes you could imagined and acted as sweet as honey. He just caved in It was Jess's most prized possession, and she had gotten it no more than six months ago for her birthday as a gift from their father for her eighteenth birthday. Jess didn't even try to pick up the boxes after that, rather watching from the safety of the wall beside the front door. The Chevy's trunk was a lot smaller than most other car's; and it didn't look like it would even fit this last box. But Fred had to try, so he pushed and shoved it in. He finally decided to jump on the box and it actually it stuck in there. He slammed the trunk shut."Hey! Be careful with my car, you pain!"

Right there that second her phone rang, some has been boy-band's song that she still liked it as her ringtone, holding up her first finger. Fred heaved an exasperated sigh. Five minutes in girl-language meant more along the lines of five hours. Jess was fairly pretty as step-sisters went, with long raven hair that flowed gently over her shoulders, and her blue eyes were as bright as a clear summer sky. Her body, Fred supposed, was perfect since she had the perfect hourglass frame. The most amazing thing about her was that she could eat as much as she wanted to and not gain a single pound, unless she really tried to. Her face could make a man blind, or so his friends said, but beside the hot body, she owned an intelligent mind. Jess had what any woman would kill to have. His sister could be anything she wanted to be – a model, or even a science. Jess walk back over to Fred as she closed her phone. "Fred, it was John. His car broke down and can't be fixed for some time. He needs to join you in the Demon and go with you. I said it was ok with you, got it?"
Fred rolled his eyes, wishing that she would have discussed this, or even better, that John had called him instead. Sometimes there was something about john that confused him about how he acted but that was him and Fred wouldn't change him another way. Jess stepped into her car and waved good-bye playing one of her playlist songs she couldn't go one day without as she drove away from their home going from zero to fifty-four in thirty second's which Was slow to him. Fred was almost done with his packing: all he needed was to get a few more things and he would be on his way. Heading to the front door for the last time in a while, he heard a loud, strong bark coming from behind him. Fred turned around, wondering whose dog this was. He saw a mighty dog with golden-brown fur, liquid brown eyes and a slightly bent tail standing near the passenger side of his car. It was his faithful old dog, Buddy. He was a rare breed to find, being a Rhodesian ridgeback. Fred had rescued Buddy when he was still a puppy and a skin-and-bone one with burn marks on his ears. They had become the best of friends when he had taken Buddy home, and the dog never left his side at all, if he could help it. Buddy looked at Fred with those large, almost-puppy eyes as if to say: Fred please takes me with you. it hurt him that he wasn't able too.

Sorry boy; you can't come with me. And don't give me those eyes; you know they get me," Fred took Buddy by the collar and walked him into the house, knowing it would be a long time before they saw each other again. He released the dog inside the house, and Buddy bounded over onto the green leather couch, and laid his head on the armrest. Normally, Fred would go after him and make him get off the couch, but decided to leave him alone today;

he was leaving, after all. Then Fred saw his foster parents: his foster mother was sitting at the dining room table, drinking a steaming cup of coffee with some French vanilla cream stirred into it. Looking at her, and her rich red hair with flyaway in her eyes, her hair was obviously wild, and no matter what she did she was just not able to tame it. Her eyes were just like Jess's; pure blue like the sky, and her name was Tiffany but everyone would call her Tiff. Fred called out a greeting to her, but all she did was wave at him. Probably because she was barely able to talk in the morning without her second cup of coffee, and by the looks of it, this was only her first. She was unnerving to be around sometimes; if Tiff looked at someone, it seemed like she was looking into the very soul of a person. I was because of her that Fred was even a part of this family: when he was much younger, his parents died in an unexpected car crash, and neither of his grandparents wanted to adopt him – granted, one side was already dead and the other thought he was worse than the plague. But Fred's luck changed one day. He was in a middle of a fight with three child welfare agents, when Tiff came over and helped him out. After a while, she decided to adopt him, and Jess became his sister over time he felt her as his mother they may not be related by blood but it was as if she had given birth to him; he still remembered his birth mother a bit, but Tiff was kind and loving with a heart of gold. Padding over to the living room, he saw the sixty-inch TV that was playing last night's recorded football game. Sitting in a leather chair, was his foster father Dakota. Dakota was a mechanic, so he was a strong, burly man from working on cars and a few other types of machines. He was completely bald from a freak accident in the shop. Dakota had never liked Fred that much; it was strange and Fred just never understood why. It felt like he was only there because of Tiff, sometimes: she was the only one who could keep him fairly calm. Dakota was something more like a coin that was being flipped: one minute he could be a nice guy the next he was as mean as a rattle snake being kicked in the air Now Dakota on the other hand was different he had this disliking of Fred like he was keeping some big secret that no one would ever know even if someone tortured him into telling he would probably spit in their eyes.

Fred walked over to the last box and picked it up; it was filled with some of his random stuff. He looked over at his foster father, who looked up at him and said, "See you whenever, kid."

"So long, Dakota." Fred called over his shoulder as he put the box into the Demon. Fred got into his car, and took a few moments to appreciate how the seat had molded to fit him perfectly. He placed the key in the ignition and started it up, turned the radio on and listened as it played some country song. He shifted the car into reverse, and left the place knowing it would be a long time till he would see it again, and drove away to collect John.

John's house wasn't that far away; it was pretty much down the road from Fred. He could have walked down there, and often had before he got his license. Slightly run down and messed up on the side but it was still a homely place. Fred parked in front of the house, appreciating the rumbling purr of the engine before switching it off, and walking to the front door. This house was beautiful; almost one hundred years old, judging by the style. Fred could faintly hear children laughing and playing at the other houses in the street. THUMP THUMP TUMP THUMP! He pounded on the door impatiently. He was just about to knock again, fist raised, but the door swung open, revealing John standing on the other side. His eyes were crossed, staring at Fred's closed fist an inch from his own nose which was curved from a accident that happen when they were little when he fell off the old oak tree in the back yard. But Fred was very impressed; his best friend hadn't even flinched: not one little bit.

People didn't expect much from John when they saw him; the eighteen year-old was quite a bit rounder than most, and his hair hung over his eyes, which were grey like a stormy sky. He wasn't into anything fashion wise only what ever felt conferrable. The clothes he wore weren't necessarily loose-fitting, but what he wore looked strange on him. Whenever Fred offered to help him with getting clothes, John would say that it wasn't because he was poor or anything, he just didn't have a sense of fashion, even if it was standing right in front of him. But, that never stopped him; he just kept what he felt was comfortable to him. John wasn't very active, but it didn't make him some weakling: he could be an even match against Fred but he just wasn't into fighting and usually only did it when he had no choose. Fred looked at his friend and saw that he was only holding a single box in his arms, nothing else. "Is that all you have? You do realize we aren't coming back." Fred asked. Annoyance glittered in John's eyes as he answered Fred's question. "This is all my stuff; I sold the rest of it to get my stuff for college and other stuff I needed."

They walked in to the Demon and they buckled up and John asked Fred: "When do I get to drive the Demon?" Fred snorted, chuckling wryly. John caught the look on his friend's face, and it said: "not going to happen at all. Ever." Fred might trust John in sorting things, but when it came to driving the demon… well it wasn't going to happen. John always had this… issue of crashing into things. Fred replied with: "Remember what you did to that 69' Mustang i had helped you repaired and investing three grand into when we first found it. No-one could put it back together again."

John narrowed his eyes at Fred. "You're never going to let me forget that, are you?" "Never in your life

They were almost out of this small town they were one of the very few people to really leave nobody truly left the town normally when your born in this small town and lived your pretty much her forever but sometimes there are the few that leave and never return but it rarely happened. When John decided to go and touch the radio to change the station to some station other than the country in some guy named after coins. A big mistake on his part, as Fred smacked his hand and told him that if he touched the radio again, it would be the last thing John would ever do or in simpler wards "driver picks the station passenger deals with it."

To them time was slow but they kept moving from minute seemed like hours. The road became dark and lifeless as they droves down it john in the passenger side seemed to passed out from the confer the Demon rode down the smooth road like he always did one of his small problems that caused him to crash but Fred he still had large dark circles over his eyes. He looked onto that dark road then for a second looked over at john who was sleeping peaceful. He thought as he drove "God I'm so tired, how long I have been driving for five, six hours?" There as Fred looked into the darkness there was no street light and the only way he could see where he was going was from his head light's that shine bright in the darkness. he was right now quiet the music of so not to disturb the person next to him which drove Fred the midst of boredom wanting something to listen to as he drove but he wasn't going to stop he felt like he was half way there and wouldn't stop till he made it. But it didn't seem to be working and he felt like he was going to sleep but he slapped himself as hard as he could not knocking him out it felt like it wasn't going to work but he kept himself busy. he drove faster letting the windows down having the cold air hit him which kept him awake. it wasn't long till he saw the light of some gas station. he decided he wasn't going to crash the demon he put it in parked pushed the seat back and feel into a short sleep telling himself "Just a few minute then I'll get back on the road." There he fell asleep with nothing but the darkness in his mind.