The Chosen - 1. It Started in Sunshine

[Chapter 1]

Smoke was everywhere. It made the air gray and its thick scent clung to the back of my mouth. Coughing, I looked around the carnage before me. Bodies, mutated and twisted, and completely inhuman littered the ground. Pools of thick black blood coated the monstrous forms and made my stomach turn. My ears pricked as a name was called. I spun around as a figure stumbled through the haze of smoke toward me. I could almost see his face...

And then that's when I woke up.

My alarm clock blaring some old tune screamed annoyingly loud in my ear. I slapped my hand down on the clock cutting it off and accidentally knocking it off the dresser in the process. I sighed and collapsed back onto the bed. The softness of the pillow and sheets tried to lure me back into dreamland, but I fought the temptation. And it was a hard temptation to fight.

I was officially losing my mind. This was the eight time I had the same dream in the last two weeks. The images of the dream ran through my mind on a loop - the blood, the bodies everywhere. I couldn't hold back a shudder.

I ran a shaking hand through my hair. It came away wet with sweat. Maybe I should stop watching so much Syfy channel before bed. All that Stargate had to be doing some kind of irreversible psychological damage. Without warning, the alarm clock turned back on and louder than before. What the fork!

"You bastard," I muttered, diving from the bed intending to take out this piece of shit with extreme prejudice.

Fifteen minutes later, I was in the bathroom looking at my reflection in the mirror. My skin was tanned thanks to spending the past few weeks getting in a soccer game with some friends. My eyes were a bright blue that people often commented on. I personally would rather have hazel eyes, but that was just me. Yawning, I ran some hair goop through my blond hair and brushed it forward with only my bangs spiking up in front. I have worn the same hairstyle since the eighth grade. In the past two years, I have upgraded in allowance, car, and curfew but not my hair, my hair was unchangeable. Why change what works in my opinion.

I put on red polo and some faded blue jeans. White Nike's with black swooshes complimented my shirt. Grabbing my backpack, I bounded the stairs two at a time. I threw my bag near the front door and walked into the kitchen. The windows were open throwing golden oblongs of sunshine on the tiled floor. Still yawning I went to the fridge and opened it up, grabbing the milk and snatching a box of cereal from the countertop then I plopped down at the kitchen table.

"Well hello to you, too."

I looked up and grinned at my mom. She raised one eyebrow at me and shook her head, blonde hair sweeping across her shoulders with the movement. I gave her my best innocent look. It was really good too. I have been told it was worth at least an eight out of ten. Her blue eyes, identical to mine, glared at me but with no real heat. She never really got mad. Being a single mom and taking care of two kids made us appreciate each other that much more. We were no Brady Bunch that was for sure, but we got along just fine with only the three of us.

"Good morning, mom."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "Morning, Chad. You have almost an hour until you have to be at school. That means you can slow down a little bit you know."

I shook my head. "Can't, Mom. I told Kevin I would pick him up this morning."

She went to switch channels to the small TV on the island top. The screen blinked replaced by a typical desk and anchorman attributed to any local news.

"And in today's top news story. Last night another animal attack, that has left two dead, took place in Preston Park. Authorities have still been unable to ascertain what type of creature is on the loose. Experts think it may be a wolf but the state of the bodies and markers determine that it's a creature much large than a wolf. The police have issued a ten o'clock curfew effective as of today until the animal that is roaming free is captured and-"

The TV clicked off and I blinked breaking away from my trance. "Mom," I whined.

She shot me a stern look. "You don't need to see that, Chad,"

The kitchen door swung open and in strolled Satan. Well, let's not go that far. Morgan wasn't Satan. Maybe a minion. My little sister, with her pale blonde hair and bright blue eyes, was like a miniature version of our mother. Dressed in a white mini skirt, green halter, and too much make-up that it should be illegal, Morgan looked like a hooker at the point. I grinned at her as she strutted into the kitchen, stiletto heels clicking against the floor. I took a look at mom and could see her eyes narrow, and her jaw tighten. Oh yeah, she was definitely pissed. This was going to be fun.

"And Slutty Malibu Barbie makes her runway appearance," I said, imitating an announcer and doing a drum roll on the table.

Morgan looked at me, her gaze holding nothing but contempt. "Don't you have a rock to crawl under, fag?"

"Morgan Lilliana Summers!" shouted Mom, her voice carrying and echoing through the kitchen. I smirked at my sister. She was in for it now. "I’ve told you time and again never to call your brother that! You’re already on thin ice with that outfit, young lady. Now go to your room and change."

"Mooom!" Morgan pouted and stomped her foot, quite childishly.

Mom shot her look that said no arguing. "March!" she said sternly, pointing to the door.

Her heels made a racket as she stomped from the kitchen. I secretly hoped they would break, but alas, you can't always get what you wished for. There was no love lost between Morgan and me. When push came to shove, we would have each other's backs and I pity those that hurt one of us. But that didn't stop us from not liking each other very much.

Two teenagers under one roof is never a peaceful place. Add to that fact one teenager, me, is gay and the other teenager doesn't understand it, then you have a recipe for drama. It was like a never-ending season of The Real World in our house sometimes. I tried my hardest to make Morgan understand how my being gay made me do different than any other guy, but she just didn't understand why I would choose to live my life like this. It just didn't make sense to her. Mom was fine with it. Claimed she knew since I was six and I kissed He-Man on the television then promised that I would marry him.

"Hey now," said Mom. "You're going to be late if you don't leave soon."

I nodded and emptied my bowl into the sink. "I'll see you later, I won't be home until late. I have a meeting after school for student council. They want to start another fundraiser or something."

Mom laughed. "Your school is always trying to get money out of people. Drive safe, honey."

I smiled. "Always."

I headed out of the kitchen, crossed the living room, and grabbing my backpack off the floor I left out the front door. My red Chevrolet Blazer was parked next to mom's Jeep Cherokee. Climbing into the driver’s seat I started the car and backed out of the driveway. The five-minute drive to Kevin's house was spent with me mumbling along to a song on the radio. I pulled up in front of his house honked the horn and waited.

Kevin Montero had been my best friend since elementary school. He was half Chinese and half Dutch. The combination had given him permanently tanned skin, honey brown eyes, and long dark hair that just barely brushed his shoulders. He was pretty rather than handsome. With broad shoulders and a muscular body, he made up for his prettiness with a very masculine attitude and body. I loved Kevin like a brother. Although I could see he was gorgeous, I just couldn't see myself being into him.

That would be like incest. Gross.

"You took your sweet time getting here, bitch," Kevin said, buckling his seatbelt. No hi, no good morning. Ah, how I love our friendship. We could always skip the pleasantries.

I laughed as I pulled away from the curb. "Your lucky I didn't leave your ass. I had to stop by the store and pick up those tampons you wanted."

He blinked and frowned. "Dude, you know my period's not for another week. Dammit, I thought you knew me!"

I gave him a look. "Okay, I'm done. The period talk is getting a little TMI."

"Good," he agreed. "I was beginning to think so too."

Kevin turned on the radio to some talk show. We listened to the stale jokes of the radio jockeys and groaned every time they said a lame line. I parked the car in the student lot of the school. Ah, Centennial High. How I love yet hate thee. The school was three stories high and still looked brand new despite being open for nearly thirty years. The sun was still low in the sky and the air was thick with that early morning smell of dew. The bell rang and I swore loudly.

"We’re so going to be late again," I said needlessly, as we sprinted toward the building along with probably a dozen other students.

The seniors just strolled along behind the crowd, not caring if they were late, seeing as this was their last year. I felt a pang of envy. Seniors had it so good sometimes. While being a sophomore had its perks, we were still pretty low on the hierarchal ladder at Centennial High. I slapped Kevin a five and promised to meet him for lunch. We didn't have any classes together this semester and lunch was the only time we saw each other. His first period was Health. A widely known blow off course. My first period was English. Joy.

I waved at a few of my friends and sat in my usual seat by the window overlooking the east side parking lot. I was glad my real friends weren't in this class. I wasn't in the mood for talking right now. I felt so tired. The yawn practically built up in my throat threatening to escape in a loud show, but I kept in. Ms. Bradley entered the room and immediately the talking stopped.

"Good morning. I hope everyone did the assigned reading last night. Anybody care to share? Anybody? Come on guys this is an AP class you have to do better than this..."

Her words began to fade in and out as my eyelids got heavier and heavier. I couldn't resist placing my head down on my desk and closing my eyes. Sleep hovered just on the edge of my consciousness. Only Ms. Bradley's constant drone kept sleep from whisking me away totally into oblivion. I bit back a groan hearing my name called on. What was with teachers calling on those they knew weren't paying attention. Was seeing a student humiliated like some kind of sick turn on?

Now that I thought about it I could totally see Ms. Bradley getting off on a student’s torment.

Raising my head I met Mrs. Bradley's eyes and recited the poem word for word. "O solitude! if I must with thee dwell, let it not be among the jumbled heap of murky buildings; climb with me the steep - nature's observatory - whence the dell, Its flowery slopes, its river's crystal swell, may seem a span; let me thy vigils keep—”

"Okay, Chad, you made your point. You did the reading," Ms. Bradley cut me off.

She gave me a half smile that I met with one of my own. It pays sometimes to have an eidetic memory. If I studied something long enough eventually it just stuck. It was a pretty sweet skill to have when it came for tests.

"What is your interpretation of the poem?" She asked me.

I shrugged. "I'd rather live in nature and enjoy the beauty than live in this bitch of a modern world."

She rolled her eyes and pivoted into a lecture about mountains and the serenity of nature compared to the bustle of today's world. My eyes strayed to the window. It was going to be a long day.

And it was indeed. Classes passed by in slow motion. My mind was never fully involved in any subject. Thoughts of the dream and what could be wrong kept swirling through my head. Who could I talk to about this without sounding completely out of my mind? I was just begging to be fitted for one of those white straight jackets. I could just picture myself with drool running down my chin, bumping against the padded walls of an asylum. That was a promising image. Sarcasm aplenty there.

Even lunch with Kevin didn't break me from my mood. Though I did feel better after watching Kevin make a fool of himself trying to cheer me up. The bell signaling the end of last period was heard with relief. I thought this day was never going to end.

I was tempted to just skip the student council meeting after school but I knew that wouldn't go over well. So reluctantly I dragged my way to the multi-purpose room that we used for meetings. I plopped down in the back and tried my best to look interested but I might as well not have been there for all the attention I was paying.

"Chad, you’re in charge of donations. Spencers in the mall is always ready to give us stuff," said Allen, the council president.

I snapped to attention at my name. All heads turned my way and I tried hard not to flush at the attention. Okay, so not paying attention was definitely a no in the future. Allen pushed his glasses up with one finger, making the action look cool rather than nerdy. After all, he was the first-string quarterback and varsity basketball captain at school. A real all-American. He was cool personified at Centennial High.

"Could you go by today and talk to the manager and see what they’d like to donate for us to sell at the fundraiser?"

Hell no. Well, at least that's what I wanted to say. Instead, I smiled and nodded. "Sure. I'll go right after the meeting."

I actually paid attention to the rest of the meeting. Screw this getting volunteered for stuff crap. I should have asked if they were going to reimburse me for gas but I figured that would get me a couple of stares, so I kept it to myself.

When the meeting ended I made a quick jaunt down 183 South and exited Legacy Boulevard. Centennial, California was a huge city and had six malls. Three really nice ones and three really not so nice ones. Luckily, I lived only twenty minutes away from one of the really nice ones.

The mall was so huge that the parking lots actually had alphabetical designations, otherwise, you would just wander around beeping your car alarm hoping the 'chirp, chirp' sound was yours. Okay, I told myself as I parked in the J lot. I need to be in and out of here. No side trips to the Urban Outfitters or H&M. What could I say? I had a thing for clothes.

It was pretty full for it being almost seven. Teenagers not old enough to drive hung in groups, spotting members of the opposite sex and doing the eye flirting, complete with giggles and blushing faces. When you’re not old enough to drive the mall was the cool place to hang out in the Centennial.

I could remember me and Kevin doing the exact same thing a couple of years ago. Except I was eyeing all the guys and Kevin had every girl within radius flocking to him. Kevin knew I was gay and had no problem with it. His response when I told him last year was, "Sweet, thanks for telling me. More girls for me".

Allen was right about Spencers. The manager was nice and very accommodating. I left with lots of different little goodies and products. I did my part for the fundraiser. I better not hear any bitching later about me slacking off. I sipped on my cheery coke and leaned against the wall to check my phone for any messages.

I tossed my cup and almost screamed as I felt a hand on my arm. I turned around and looked up. I was all of 5'9 and the man holding my arm was taller than that, more than six feet tall with dark slicked back black hair. He was tanned deep golden brown of someone of Mediterranean descent. His light green eyes bored into mine with an intensity that scared the fuck out of me. I jerked my arm from his grasp.

"Can I help you with something?" I snapped, taking a step back. He took a step forward and I took two more steps back. Wait, when did this become a Paula Abdul video?

"You’re Chad Summers am I correct?" asked the man, his voice accented with a British inflection.

I nodded, slowly, staring. This dude was starting to creep me out. His staring was a little too intense. He was wearing a very sharp brown suit, cut so it fit his form perfectly. It spoke of good tailor ship. It was not something bought off the rack. Psycho killers were rich too, the suit was not about to fool me. If this guy flipped I was all ready to kick him in the nuts and run like hell.

"Yeah," I replied, still tense, ready for anything.

The man smiled. It actually made him seem, well nice. Screw that though. My guard was still definitely up. The man cleared his throat. He looked a little sheepish as he extended his hand.

"Sorry about that," he said sincerely. "I didn't mean to grab you. I was afraid I wouldn't catch up to you. Is there somewhere we could go and talk?"

I nodded. "Sure." I didn't go anywhere. "Here is pretty good right."

His eyebrows rose up into his hairline. I wanted to smile but that would throw off my whole badass vibe. "Yes, yes, here is fine I suppose. I would like to ask you something." He stepped closer. Not too close but enough so that what he whispered next was loud enough for only me to hear. "Have you been having any unusual dreams lately?"

"The fuck," I blurted out, staring at him with wide eyes and trembling hands. I shoved my hands into my pockets so he wouldn't notice. Tip number one: never let the crazy psycho see you crack. "How do you know about that? I haven't told anybody...wait..." I smiled, trailing off. "Am I getting Punk'd? That old show's being revived again, right? Wow." I twirled around looking for a camera. "Ashton! Come out, you crazy bastard!"

I got a few startled looks. Well, a lot of startled looks. It was safe to say that I was not getting Punk'd.

The man shook his head. He looked at me seriously. "This is not a prank. I ask you this because it is important. You have been dreaming of things that seem unreal. Demons, monsters, battles fought with you in them yet not you."

I swallowed. How did he know? I cleared my throat. It took a couple of tries for my voice to work. "How?"

"This is not the place," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Look, my name is Nathaniel Ruiz. Come to my place and I'll explain everything to you."

Warning bells immediately blared in my head. Of course. It all made sense now. I narrowed my eyes at Nathaniel Ruiz. "Fuck that, you damn pedophile. You almost had me too, but you creepy old guys always give yourselves away in the end. Get out of my face or I will scream rape so loudly that you will be hearing it echo in your head two years from now."

"Chad, please," he began, but I already turned and started walking away.

I half ran, half walked until I got around a corner then I was in a full-blown sprint. Survival instincts kicked in and I was out of the mall and in my Blazer, driving down Legacy doing 70mph in less than ten minutes.

The sun had long gone down by now as it was past eight o'clock. Mom's car was still missing when I pulled into the driveway. The lights were on in the house so that meant Morgan was home. I unlocked the front door and entered the house. The living room was to the immediate right as soon as you walked into the foyer. The couch faced away from the door and the flat screen took up residence on the wall facing the entryway. Morgan turned around shooting me a disinterested look.

"Where have you been?" She asked.

I opened my mouth to answer but she turned back toward the TV. I rolled my eyes. That's what I thought, not even kind of interested. I jogged up the stairs and walked down the hall to my room. I sat on my bed and just looked around. My eyes flicked to the TV, the posters covering the walls, my desk, dresser and closet. I just had to make sure I was home. I can't believe that I was close to a likely kidnapper. That Chester the Molester almost had me going.

I saw through him at the end but something wasn't adding up. How did he know about my dreams? I shook my head. Fuck it. I was tired of thinking about dreams. I got up and flicked on the TV letting the mind numbing evening line-up wash over me.

I glanced out of the window again. Mom's car was still not in the driveway. Hmm... She must really be working late tonight at the office. It was already past ten.

I stretched my arms while heading toward the bathroom to brush my teeth. I would have eaten something but was still full from eating at the food court at the mall. I washed out the product from my hair while I was at it. When wet it was a darker blond than its normal gold color. I brushed it into a neat style and walked back toward my room.

"Crap!" I swore when my toe caught on the doorjamb. Hopping into my room I grabbed the door for balance and closed it, all the while hopping on one leg holding my foot to inspect my toe. No blood so that was a plus.

I stopped moving when a weird feeling something shot up my spine. I peered around the room carefully, but nothing jumped out at me. That was the oddest feeling. I felt almost like an electric shock but milder. I turned around to open the door and retreat downstairs.

That's when I met a familiar pair of green eyes and I screamed. Nathaniel Ruiz stood in front of my door staring at me with that intense gaze. He held his hands out and my hand came flying out on instinct. I slapped Nathaniel with enough force to send him stumbling back. I dived backward, rolling over my bed to distance myself. I grabbed the baseball bat leaning in front of my window. I raised it up and got into a stance that would make Mark McGuire proud.

My heart was pounding in overtime. I think I was close to going into cardiac arrest. "Alright, you son of a bitch!" I growled through clenched teeth. "What the fuck are you doing in here?"

My eyes flicked to my dresser where my cell phone was resting on the charger. Double damn it all to hell. Okay, I could beat his head in and then grab my phone and call the cops. I gave myself a mental pat on the back proud of my plan. My hands gripped the bat tightly. I was ready to go Joaquin Phoenix in Signs and "Swing away, Merrill" on this guy's ass.

"Let me explain!" Nathaniel said hastily, holding up his hands. "I mean you no harm."

"Fuck that!" I shouted and raised the bat to get momentum.

Nathaniel swiftly held out his hand and whispered a word underneath his breath. The bat was suddenly jerked from my grip by an unseen force and it soared through the air, landing perfectly in Nathaniel's outstretched hand.

What the fuck!

I felt dizzy and nauseated. Leaning against the wall, I stared at him in shock. Nathaniel twirled the bat in his hand and laid it on the ground. He swept a hand down his suit jacket smoothing out the wrinkles.

"Now will you listen to what I have to tell you?" he asked patiently, eyes twinkling.

I nodded dumbly. Something weird was going on here and damn my curiosity I had to find out what. And if this motherfucker tried something I was hauling ass out the window. It didn't even matter that my room was on the second floor. Something inside me was telling me to hear him out. A sense, almost like a feeling deep in my gut.

"How did you do that?" My voice sounded too scared to my own ears. So much for being all manly.

His face turned serious, a grave look that showed how crucial this situation was. "People in this world, not all, but some are gifted in ways that are beyond human. Legends call them psychics, mystics, witches... I’m a wizard. I was able to get into your room and take away your bat using magic."

I didn't know what the hell he did but magic? Please. "Well fuck me, I have Harry Potter in my bedroom. What does that have to do with me, Houdini?"

Nathaniel sighed. "Let me tell you a story. The Earth is older than people think. Contrary to popular belief it didn't start out as a paradise. Demons, vampires, werewolves, monsters from your darkest dreams ruled this world. For eons they were supreme in their might and humanity were the bugs at their feet. A time came when four warriors, chosen by They Above All, drove back the creatures into a dimension neighboring this one. Using their very lives they sealed off the barrier, and it has been so for millennia." He shook his head, frustration coloring his voice now. "Over time cracks formed in the barrier and the monsters of old started to reappear."

I snorted. This guy was seriously losing it. "Okay, so let me get this straight. All the stories above vampires like Dracula and ghosts haunting people, demons possessing kids...Those are 'creatures' that escaped through the barrier back into this world."

"Yes," Nathaniel replied, looking pleased. Not at all catching the sarcasm lacing my voice. "The dimension they live in is called the Ever After. Some fairy tales have a basis in truth. The original authors were seers who foresaw the events happening not in this world. The stories should read, 'They lived happily in Ever After'. Not 'they lived happily ever after'. They didn't understand their talents and thought their visions were merely their imaginations, not real events."

I was getting really tired of listening to his nonsense. I would rather listen to Star Jones talk about her wedding on The View than this crap. "Again, what does this have to do with me?"

"The barrier is not just starting to crack its beginning to crumble. Swells of monsters are entering the world at an untold number each day. Soon the barrier will fall completely. When that happens Hell will again be on Earth." Nathaniel looked at me and I shuddered at his intense gaze. "The world needs the Chosen to answer the call and return to fight for humanity."

Oh no. I was starting to get a weird feeling. I think I know where he was going with this. "You’re not saying I'm one of these chosen people, are you?"

Nathaniel nodded. "Called on by forces beyond this world the Chosen have been reborn to take up the fight and finish the battle once and for all. You’re one of the reincarnated Chosen. You were once the champion of magic. It’s up to us to hold back the dark forces while we search out the other three Chosen."

I needed to sit down. I slid down the wall and landed on the floor on my ass. I shook my head to clear the swirling thoughts. It sounded completely crazy but why did I feel like he was telling the truth. Something inside me tugged at his story. It was like his words were at the tip of my tongue as he told it like I knew all of it long ago. The dreams flashed behind my eyes. Oh God, the battles with the smoke and the inhuman bodies littering the battlefield suddenly made more sense.

"But I don't know any magic. I don't know how to fight," I said in a small voice, more to myself than to him. "This isn't right. No. No. No. No."

Nathaniel approached and I looked up at him. I was pretty sure I looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

He extended his finger to me and said patiently, "You were never meant to awaken so early but the need has arisen and the Chosen are required. The reincarnation bound your powers but I can break it." Nathaniel looked me in the eye. "Will you let me break the binding?"

I swallowed and nodded jerkily. I felt numb. But my gut was telling me this was right.

Nathaniel kneeled before me on the ground. I must have looked like a fool staring at him, confused and unsure, sitting on the floor with my back against the wall. His index finger touched my brow and those superficial thoughts were swept away by a rush of warmth. It started at my head and engulfed my whole body like a blanket. I could almost hear a distant click in my mind as it felt like something within had been unleashed. Energy or power surged through every fiber of my being filling me with a renewed vigor. I felt whole. Alive. Complete.

I rose to my feet and clenched my hands. I stared down at my fists in awe then looked at Nathaniel and he nodded with a knowing smile. I bit my lower lip.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

He pointed toward the TV that was playing the evening news. I turned toward the screen and listened.

The news anchor shuffled the papers gathered on the desk before him. "The curfew went into effect tonight and authorities are urging all citizens not to journey outdoors until the creature that has killed eight people so far is captured. While the victims resemble wolf attacks, the bite markings are far too large and viscious-"

"They’re right," Nathaniel said grimly. "It’s no mere wolf doing this."

I was already putting two and two together. "Werewolf," I said quietly.

"Yes, and it’s up to us to stop it."

"Am I supposed to change into some fighting clothes or something? I think I have some Adidas track pants..."

Nathaniel smiled and shook his head "Not exactly. Reach inside yourself and touch your power and you’ll change into the armor of your warrior form."

I had no idea what that meant but I would try. Creepy Nathaniel was right about everything else.

I closed my eyes and focused on the new energy flowing through me. I could almost see it in my mind's eye a glowing orb floating in a sea of blue light. I touched it and gasped. Something shifted inside. My skin tingled and I let out a gasp as I opened my eyes. I stepped toward the mirror and looked at myself. The clothes I had been wearing were gone.

I now wore a black leather suit that was padded. Something told me it functioned like light armor, protecting against flame and other attacks. I squinted my eyes. The outfit looked suspiciously like the outfits the X-Men wore in the movies. Except I was sure that none of them had a black cloak draped over their shoulders. It clasped below my neck with a silver pendant engraved with a five-pointed star.

"You see," Nathaniel smiled. "You’re indeed one of the Chosen. The champion of magic."

I knew he was right. A name entered my mind. "In this...form," I said softly, remembering. "I was called Warlock."

That was evidently the right thing to say because Nathaniel smiled wider. "Let's go take care of this werewolf, Warlock."

Nathaniel opened my window and he simply leaped. I stared as he landed on the ground below as graceful as a cat. I took a deep breath letting go all the tension in my body. Time to go kick some werewolf ass. Suddenly, I stopped. Wait. Champion of magic?

What the hell?

How was I supposed to kill a werewolf? I don't know any forking magic?!