"Mr. Moon, there is nothing you need to worry about. Hitchfield Academy has provided a good education for teenagers for over 75 years. I'm quite positive you'll enjoy it."

I pressed my nose against the window and closed my eyes. My heartbeat was unsteady and worry was scribbled onto my scrunched brow. After years of going from home to home, I was finally settling down...at a private school. The previous Foster homes passed me along like an old toy at a yard sale. And the cycle continued. New house, new family, new school, new life. I fuck up, and family sends me back. The continuous cycle for 6 solid years.

It's easy to fuck up when your parents are unprepared idiots. Yes, I am the product of one too many beers and an empty pickup truck. And then the parents realize 'oh, we can't raise a kid. we need the money for drugs and alcohol to block out reality.' And there I was, an 11 year old boy, kicked to the curb like a pile of trash.

"Mr. Moon?"

"Hmm?" I sat up and rubbed the oily smudge on the window off with my sweatshirt sleeve.

"I asked if you felt alright, you seem dazed."

"I'm fine, Ms. Lowel."

Ah yes, Victoria Lowel. A shy, collected woman. Her face pale face was bare to show her light freckles pampering her face like little kisses. The untamed red hair was neatly tuck in a tight, clean bun under her black feathered hat. And her crisp England accent cut through the heavy air like sunlight peaking through clouds on a rainy day.

Victoria was one of the house keepers at Hitchfield and had been sent to get me early this morning. She would sigh and tell long stories about her childhood and create awkward silence by pausing frequently, and she would follow with a "yes, well..."

"We're almost there Mr. Moon. I can see the rough sometimes when we turn around curves."

I smiled and leaned back, looking out at the forest surrounding the road. Live Oaks over hung creating a dark canopy that blocked out but only a few streaks of sunlight peaking through the cracks between the branches.

Victoria squealed and pressed her nail against the glass and tapped.

"There it is Mr. Moon! Oh, isn't it marvelous!"

I looked over the seat and gaped at the building in front if me. Its 3 story brick structor stood tall on the flat pavement with vines intertwining against the pipes that stood against it's side wall.

"Wow..."

"Oh Mr. Moon. This is your new school! Where you will go Monday through Thursday until 3:00 p.m. Now, we'll drive around to your house and get you settled. Please note Mr. Moon, you will be staying in the smallest house. Normally there would be around 8-10 students within a housing unit, but you will have 6 fellow students in yours."

"So me and 6 other boys?" I asked running my fingers up and down my sweatshirt strings.

Victoria laughed before shaking her head.

"No, no. There are 3 boys and 3 girls."

"Online it said boys and girls were separated."

"That's only for our freshmen and sophomores, Mr. Moon. You are a senior, which means the sexes are combined to learn how to dwell among each other."

"Oh, got it."

The car came to a halt in front of a 2 story building built with the same brick as the first.

"Ahhh, here we are Mr. Moon! Lets go inside and let you meet your house mates!"

I opened the car door and struggled to get my bag unstuck from the doorframe.

"Here," said a voice from behind. I turned around to face another sporting a burgundy jacket with the schools emblem on the left breast pocket.

I scratched the back of my neck.

"Uh...thanks man."

"Hey, don't mention it. I'm Brock by the way. And this here is my sister Bridget."

The smaller blonde girl waved two fingers before fiddling with the pencil sticking out of her binder.

"I'm Austin. I'm kinda new."

Brock chuckled before handing me my bag and wiping his hands on his dress pants.

"I can tell. Well, I guess I'll see you around. Nice meeting you." Brock and Bridget waved before walking toward the school where other students began to walk.

"Mr. Moon? Are you coming." Victoria said, sticking her head outside the house unit's door.

I picked up my bag and walked toward the door.

"Woah..."

My eyes scanned every inch of hallway. To the right, the spiral stair case framed the giant bookshelf and perhaps the coffee table. To the left, a door labeled 'Kitchen and Dining', and straight ahead lied a long hallway with several door framed in the wall.

"Mr. Moon, I would like you to meet you house unit leader, Ms. Dawson."

The stairs creaked as a pair a oxfords appeared along with 2 legs, a nice pair of hips, and a face. A pretty face. A pretty face framed by curly, brown hair and rosy cheek bones. And piercing brown orbs drilling into mine.

"Hi, I'm Ally Dawson. Welcome to House Unit number 12. And you must be Austin Moon. A pleasure to meet you." She smiled and held out her hand.

"Um yeah, the pleasures all mine." I stuttered out, shaking the girls hand.

"Why don't you follow me."

She led me down the hallway and came to the first door. We stepped inside to the office looking room.

"Have a seat while I go through some rules."

I sat and watched her shuffle through papers behind the desk in the filing cabinets. She licked his fingers and shuffled. Licked and shuffled. Licked a shuffled.

"Here," she slid several papers and a handbook across the desk.

"Like I said, I'm Ally Dawson and I'm your leader. You also have 5 other house mates. Mr. Wade, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Dean, Ms. De La Rosa, and Ms. Turner. But you can introduce yourself at dinner. Speaking of dinner, your meal schedule is included on page 18 of the student handbook. Breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m, lunch will be served in the cafeteria at the meal hall at 12:00, and dinner will be served at 7:00 every night. If you are over 10 minutes late to dinner, you will have to miss that meal. Snacks are always available, but we would like you to keep your eating that doesn't evolve around your 3 meals to a minimum."

I flipped through my handbook and read over the meal schedule following up what Ally had said.

"Now, concerning your living needs. You and the other boys will be sleeping downstairs in your own bedrooms. You get a a bed, a desk, and a closet for hanging your uniforms and weekend clothing. The only reason you should ever go upstairs is incase of an emergency. Otherwise, we advise all males to stay in downstairs. Upstairs is where the females stay, including myself and 2 other girls. Although, we all share a co-ed bathroom downstairs down the hallway."

"What...so we can't interact? I thought living in a house together is supposed to help you connect with different sexes."

"Well, yes. Thats what our study and living room are for. We normally all hang here or in the student union across the lawn."

"And the student union is..."

"The student union is a place where all students gather to have a snack, hang out, study, or just interact with our surrounding peers. There is a pool table and snack bar."

I flipped through my note book and found myself staring at a page with a picture of an outside field.

"Whats that?" I asked pointing to the shot of several kids playing with a softball.

"Thats for our outdoor games and classes. If you signed up for a Physical Education elective or decide to join the other students in a game of soccer or baseball, you would come here. Lets see your schedule"

She skimmed over the paper folded neatly next to a pencil basket.

"Wonderful! We have a similar schedule. We both have AP English, French, and History. Oh, and we have Physical Education as our first elective. And we both have General Music...you're into music?"

I scratched the back of my neck.

"Yeah, I've been playing for as long as I can remember."

"Uh yeah...me too."

She cleared her throat before reaching under her desk to retrieve a phone and laptop.

"Here."

"Are these mine? But I don't think I can afford th-"

"They come with your scholarship. The school provides you with you technology. And everything else. All you need to give is your self, and work as hard as you can."

She smiled and folded her hands on the table. It gave me a chance to look at her. Like...really look at her.

Her hair was neatly combed and curled with a stiffened look of some cheap hairspray. I saw the faded blonde tips that were neatly trimmed, hung down past her small shoulders. The crows feet under her cappuccino orbs hid under the slightly dark circles, hooding her eyes. And her wide and bright smile met her high cheek bones.

"Now, I think we've covered everything you need to know for right now. Classes start at 9:00 a.m. We normally give new students the rest of the week to get settled in. But if you come to class tomorrow, I can help you around?"

I let a smile tug on my lips to match hers.

"Yeah...I'd like that."

"Wonderful!" She clasped her hands together with a quiet smack and rose from her seat. Why don't you get settled in while dinner is being prepared. I'll come get you in about on hour so you can meet some of your roommates."

"Cool, thanks Ally."

"No problem. Thats what house leaders do."

She opened the door and began to walk out. But she turned around to face me.

"And Austin..."

"Yeah?"

Her cheeks turned pink as she looked down at her oxfords.

"I'm really glad your here. I think you'll enjoy it here."

And she let the door close behind her.

And I was alone. I was running. My breathe was short as I tryed to scream, but I couldn't. And I tripped.

"No...NO!"

Ally?

She was screaming bloody murder.

"Ally!"

I looked, scanned. Nothing.

Branches crunched under a heavy foot.

A shadow. A giant, dark, humanly shadow.

It came closer...closer.

I squinted my eyes.

"Who are you?!"

It laughed.

It was wicked.

Bad

Baad

Baaaaaad.

"Leave me alone!"

BANG!

"Austin? Are you awake? It's time for dinner."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. It was Ally's voice...and she wasn't screaming. Good.

I was laying in my bed. My clothes were scattered on the floor. But I was safe. Good.

Ally peaked through the door and smiled. Good.

"Are you ready? Your new house mates are waiting to meet you."

"Yeah, I'm starving."