Chapter One: The Beginning
Emmaleigh rushed to the door, throwing it open just before Tori could knock. "Hey girl, come on in!"
Tori smiled and hugged her friend, "It's so weird how you do that, ya know."
"I'm magical, duh." Emmaleigh rolled her eyes and led Tori into the kitchen. She grabbed the cookies her adopted mom, Kiley, had left out for them. Tori grabbed the ice-cold pitcher of lemonade from the fridge and they walked out onto the back porch.
Emmaleigh set the plate on the picnic table and slid into the hot tub, Tori right behind her. Emmaleigh couldn't stand the regular pool, she didn't like water that much, or the cold. One year at camp, Emmaleigh's cabin ran out of warm water. Emmaleigh reluctantly got into the shower, but when she turned it on and the cold water enveloped her, she lost the ability to inhale or exhale. Her knees had buckled and she blacked out. She woke up ten minutes later, wrapped in a towel on her bed, her counselor staring down at her. Emmaleigh vowed never to shower in cold water again.
Tori and Emmaleigh's talked for around twenty minutes, nibbling cookies and sipping plastic cups of lemonade. Finally, Tori got out, announcing she had to pee. Emmaleigh laughed at the girl's funny bluntness and got out too. She wiped herself down quickly and took a seat at the picnic table.
Ten seconds later, something in the bushes rustled. Narrowing her eyes, Emmaleigh stood up. Strange, yellow eyes peered back at her, flecked with black and green.
For four years, strange mutant creatures had attacked her. Everything from monstrous snakes to hellish Spiders. They were like things from story books, dissolving into a pile of gold dust when they were destroyed. She never told anyone about it, they would call her crazy. So she kept her battles secret.
Emmaleigh ran to their shed and thrust open the door. She climbed onto the table and reached up to the top shelf. Layered in a thin sheen of dust was her dagger.
Emmaleigh couldn't explain why, but she'd always had it. It was a mysterious thing, dull bronze with inscriptions she couldn't quite decipher. She never tried to get rid of it, but once she had left it behind at her foster parent's house, and it has reappeared in her purse at the new one.
Emmaleigh exhaled in frustration as she heard Tori come out. Cursing the lack of pockets in her swimsuit, she dropped it on the ground and went back out.
"Tori," She moaned, "I don't feel so great." She launched herself at the trash can and forced up her lunch. She heard Tori gasp.
"I'll get Kiley, she's in her office right?" Tori squeaked. Emmaleigh gave a groan that meant yes. Tori scurried away. Emmaleigh smiled to herself, both Tori and Kiley were germaphobes. They would keep their distance.
"I'm going to take Tori home, okay?" She heard Kiley say. In response, Emmaleigh heaved up her breakfast too. She heard Kiley make a noise and the front door closing.
Emmaleigh dashed for the shed and scooped up her dagger, just as low snarl reached her ears. She whirled around just as an animal pounced onto the patio.
It was like a huge dog. It was about the size of a Harley, with rippling muscles and long teeth. It's fur was an ugly mud-brown. The hell-dog sprung at her.
Crying out in surprise, she rolled away. The hell-dog landed heavily behind her. Emmaleigh's reflexes kicked in, she spun around and sent her knife soaring end-over-end at it. It lodged between the beast's shoulder blades. It gave a small whimper and dissolved into dust. Shaking, Emmaleigh picked up her dagger.
"So, you're one of us."