SCARES
Star City Association Ruled by Eerie Spirits
Written for your enjoyment by Korgra646
~Prelude~
Emma opens her eyes, and finds herself staring at the gray ceiling. Her alarm is shouting at her, practically begging her to hit the snooze button. Slapping the machine, the noise stops, and she is alone. The thought haunts her mind: you're eighteen, and today is the first of January. Quickly changing her gaze to her nightstand, she sees the too familiar remote to her small television set. Step one: watch the 8:00 news. Her mother told her to follow the steps, and she didn't want to risk the venomous bite her mother threatened her with, for her mother was a serpent class. Taking the remote with little effort, she turns on the TV to see a countdown clock. The clock let her know that the news would start in thirty seconds, and all the eighteen-year-olds would be watching along with her. She positioned herself more comfortably on her bed, so she might actually pay attention to the news without falling asleep. The countdown dropped ever so slowly, until she saw the face of the familiar blonde news woman, about to tell her that her whole life was going to change.
"Welcome to the 8:00 news, this is Madelyn Sparks, about to tell all you lucky teens how to start your first day. Since the rule of Fernando II, we have followed the same ritual of life. Every eighteen year old, on January 1st, must report to the Grand Hall. You will all be transported by a bus to the Star City Association Ruled by Eerie Spirits, or SCARES. You will not be allowed to return home for another four years. Once there, your true identity will be chosen at random from multiple classes, such as vampire, werewolf, shapeshifter, etc.. You will live as this class for the rest of your life. Remember, all classes can easily be disguised as humans whenever they want. If you are found at home by anyone in authority after today, you will be sent to court and put on trial. Everyone in SCARES will be properly cared for. Every student receives three meals a day with optional dessert, schooling four days a week, and a room with a roommate. As you might know, we had to cut the "one person per room" rule because of the human attack two years ago. All the roommates have been selected already, so there is no arguing or changing rooms. This is Madelyn Sparks signing off, wishing you good luck, and happy haunting."
Emma remembers the happy haunting joke from two years ago. When humans attacked the school, they only did very little damage because of the classes living there. The classes had scared them away and made a game of it, hence the title, "happy haunting." Now all the students were expected to be able to defend the school and their town. She got up and started getting dressed in the outfit she had laid out the day before. Blue jeans and a red t-shirt never hurt anyone. Just because this is the first day of school doesn't mean she has to put on a lace dress and trip over herself in heels. Throwing on her white flats, she started step two: packing the last of her things. Trying to remember some rules from her mom, she could only remember one: don't call them monsters, they are classes. Remembering when she was little, she once called her mother and her mother's friends monsters. Her mother gave her the bite of her life, telling her to never call them monsters, for one day she would become one. Emma looked at her upper arm, seeing the tiny scar which had healed greatly since that day. Finished packing, she says a small goodbye to the room which she had spent all her life in. Time for step three: leaving.
Emma dashes through the hallway into the dimly lit kitchen. Her serpent mom stands there with a disapproving look on her face. She knows her mom is worried about her forgetting everything she was ever taught. Before Emma can even grab her second bag, her mom grabs her arm and looks into her eyes with what feel like daggers. "Emma, you know how important this day is," she spat out the words as though they were the one thing keeping Emma from going insane. "Yes Mother." She grabs an apple and seems to eat the whole thing in five seconds, tossing the core into the nearby bin. Her mother, still looking at her with fierce eyes says, "Emma, did you bring the book you wanted?" Emma still only replied with, "Yes Mother." She sprints out the door only to come back standing in the door frame. Her mother is really aggravated at her now. "Emma, your bag?" Emma droops over to the small counter where her other bag laid. Carefully slugging it over her shoulder she groaned, "Yes Mother." She then starts out the door once more, starting the first day of her entire life.
