Chapter One
To Those Who Hunt Monsters
It would have to be a bright and beautiful sunny day, Jane thought irritably. The clear blue sky and the warm summer sunshine were totally at odds with the young woman's foul mood. Why of all days, when all of England was usually covered in fog and mist and rain, did the worst day of Jane's life have to be clear and perfect? Where was the dreary damp fog that the island was known for? Where were the grey skies and the cold rain? Seriously would it kill God for a little mist? A few raindrops? A tornado or two?
She sighed. She was being unfair. It really wasn't the weather's fault that her day was so awful. As she walked down the London street she wondered how her life could have gone so wrong. She was sure that today was going to be the day. The great day. The day when all her dreams would come true.
But it wasn't to be. She looked down at the letter that she had just picked up from the post office. Tears formed again in her eyes as she looked down at the words that were slowly breaking her heart.
Dear Ms Drew,
We regret to inform you that you do not meet our admissions qualifications for our College of Medicine at this time.
The letter when on from there but Jane couldn't decipher the words through the tears in her eyes. Regret. They regret. Sure. They hadn't spent the last four years of their lives studying to be placed in the top ten percent of their class. They hadn't had to give up their social lives to pass countless tests and projects. When other girls her age were dressing up for dances and dates, Jane had been dutifully studying away in preparation of her future.
And it had all been for nothing.
Jane sat on the side of a fountain. Her legs just didn't have the strength to carry her all the way back to her flat. When she had first read those horrid words anger, frustration, pain, and yes, maybe even a little hatred for those unseen faces that had decided her fate so callously swam through her. The force of her emotions gave her the momentary strength needed to walk the five miles that she had without rest, but as they drained away all Jane could feel was despair.
She watched for a bit as children took advantage of the hot sun and cool water of the fountain. The scene should have been peaceful, but instead the dark hole that had been growing inside her since she first held the letter left her feeling none of the joy that the bright summer day should had imparted.
Look at them, she thought. They have their whole lives ahead of them. And what do I have? What has my life amounted to? Everything that I wanted, everything that I've worked so hard for… it's gone. I have nothing. I am nothing. Nothing.
Despair ate away at her leaving her feeling cold and empty. A shell filled with nothing but worthlessness and darkness.
So deep into her darkness was she that even when she stood up and started to walk listlessly through the bright street she didn't see the figure standing in the shadows. Watching her, following her.
As the figure moved from his view-point in an effort to keep the girl in sight a shaft of sunlight fell across his hair, making the sandy-blond strands shimmer for a moment.
Jane made her way slowly to her flat, seeing almost nothing, and feeling the same way. But she did feel tired. So tired. She trudged up the steps, closed the drapes across the window, and fell into her bed, letting the oblivion of sleep claim her.
Outside her window the figure stepped back into the shadows, feeling the darkness that had overcome the girl. Feeling it, and smiled.
Author's Note: Just to let y'all know, this is not the whole first chapter. I'm posting this now for the simple fact that I want to know if y'all really want to read this story. Selfish, I know, but there it is. By the way, there is going to be a lot of angst in this story, and I'm working on bringing back the original Six with some plausibility… not just "because I said they should remember so they will." It's also kinda heavy on philosophy and psychology, but not the mumbo-jumbo technical jargon stuff. Its' just, I like to give reasons for why the characters say and do what they do. I think it's pretty good, but I want to see if y'all agree so far. Please let me know if you're going to keep reading. Reviews will be printed, put on my wall, and worshipped. Well, not really, but I will thank you! So please, let me know what you think, for good or bad!
Thank you!
Rachel