Crimzon: Well, here's the next chapter. For the first few chapters, I'm going to introduce the characters and how they end up in the school and all and once that's done then time will speed up to where the series ended lol. Please enjoy and review and all that jazz. I OWN NOTHING, ONLY PLOT AND OCS!

madin456:No, it wasn't Max who was talking. It was one of the OCs. Thanks for the review and I'm glad you like that freakishly short chapter!

Chapter One: Before the Nightmare

~Clair's POV~

"Clair! Hey!"

I heard a voice calling me, but I didn't want to respond. Too tired for that. I don't really understand why, but I haven't been getting much sleep lately.

"Claaiiirrr!"

Oh gosh, this voice was so irritating. It didn't take me long to figure out who it was.

"It's lunch so, for the love of God, shut your yap and let me sleep!" I snapped. I didn't realize how loud my voice was until I saw that most of the people on the lunch room were watching me with questioning looks. Instead saying anything snarky like I usually would, I just sighed and looked up at my annoying friend.

"Hah, grouchy today, aren't we?" she chuckled. I ignored her comment as I sat up straight and stretched my arms up in the air, a long yawn escaped my mouth.

"I'm just tired. You know how I get when I'm tired," I said with another yawn. Through blurry eyes, I snuck a look at my phone. Only five minutes left of lunch, huh? Well, damn.

"Yeah, yeah, you get crazy cranky. So, like I was trying to tell you, wanna hang out today after school?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Kaitlyn, but you know I have to pick up my little brother after school. Then I have to go home and start dinner and then do what I can with homework," I explained. In all honesty, she's my best friend and all but she knows that I'm never free during the week. She understands the reason to it, but she always seems to have some disappointed look on her face that makes me feel guilty.

"Fine, fine, but at least keep your weekend free, okay?"

"I'll try, but no promises."

As I say that, the bell started ringing and without another word, we made our way to class. Kaitlyn is my best friend and she understands that I try to hang out when I can, but it doesn't make her feel any less annoyed. After school ends, I pick up my little brother at the elementary school. Once I get home, I have to make sure he does his homework while I clean for a bit. Then I start on dinner so that way it's done by the time my dad comes home from work. After dinner, I have enough free time left to get started on homework. Only time I have free-if I'm lucky-is on the weekends.

Now, you're probably wondering why I have such an amazing social life (note the sarcasm). Well, my mother passed away a couple of years ago and since then, I've taken on all the house hold chores. It's not like it's a big thing and I don't mind at all, but my dad always has that look of guilt on his face when he comes home and sees the house is spotless.

Well, I basically tuned out the rest of the day. Just had two classes to deal with and since I had a free sixth period, I left earlier than most students and drove on over to the elementary school. As I drove into the school parking lot and parked the car, I turned off the engine and waited for Jake to get out of class.

While I waited, I thought back to the weird dreams I've been having. Those dreams are probably the cause of my lack of sleep. In them, I'm running through a thick forest and I'm wearing these hospital scrubs. I was running from something, but I never see what it was. I was scared that whatever was running would catch me. As I ran, I came upon a cliff and without even looking back to see what was chasing me, I threw myself off the cliff and that's when I'd wake up. I've been having that same dream for over a week now and it's really starting to worry me.

"Hey sis! Open the door!"

I opened my eyes and noticed my little brother banging on the car door. How long has he been there? I quickly unlocked the passenger side door.

"Jeez, sis. I've been waiting there for five minutes!" he complained.

"Sorry, sorry," I chuckled as I started the engine. "So, how was school?" I asked. I noticed the little bugger change the station on the radio.

"It was ok," he mumbled. He then smiled when he found his station. He started bobbing his head to the music when it ended and the comercial started. He was about to go and change the station again when something they said stopped him.

"Due to the sudden rise of kidnappings in the area, the mayor has announced a city-wide curfew-" I changed the station before she could continue with the news.

"I guess the police finally decided that those kids weren't runaways," I stated. I looked down at Jacob and noticed the solemn expression. "What's wrong?"

"My friend Justin wasn't in school today," he said.

"Maybe he's just sick?"

"No, he's been gone all week . . . I think he may be one of those-"

"He might just be sick, Jake. Don't worry. If you want, I can take you by his house tomorrow and visit, ok?"

He looked up at me with big hazel eyes and smiled.

"You're the best, sis."

"You bet I am."

~Later that Night~

After cleaning, I got started on dinner. It was already six in the afternoon and the sun was just setting behind the nearby mountains. I felt a pang of worry at that moment. My dad should have been home by now.

Being the daughter of a cop was . . . tough. Everyday, I worry about him when he's at work. When he gets home and late and forgets to call, I start crying like a baby. I've even had nightmares where one rainy day, I answer the door and find a couple of cops standing there with solemn expressions. Before they could even get a word out, I start screaming.

Ever since mom died, my fear grew . . . I don't think I would be able to keep myself together, but I'd have to. I'd have to be strong for both me and my little brother. It's when I heard my phone ringing that I felt a wave of relief.

"Hey, Dad. I'm assuming you're going to be home late again?" I answered.

"Yeah, sorry. I need the overtime."

"I know. Hey, I'm making beef stroganoff, your favorite!"

"Great! Thanks baby girl. I'll try to be home as soon as I can, alright?"

"Ok dad."

"So, did Jacob do his homework?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm helping him with his math."

"But, you're not good at math."

"I think I can handle fifth grade math, dad."

"I'm sure you can," he chuckled. "Alright well, make sure he gets into bed on time and that he finishes his homework."

"Will do, da-" I was cut off when I saw a shadow run across my backyard. That shadow had the shape of a person.

"Clair?"

"Uh, sorry. I thought I saw something," I lied. "Be careful on your way home, ok?"

"Yeah, bye," he said, sounding hesitant after my earlier comment.

"Bye."

I quickly shoved the phone back into my pocket and finished cooking dinner. it was almost done anyway. I was about to go outside and investigate when Jacob walked into the kitchen.

"Hey sis? Can you explain how to do this again?" He asked as he walked over with his math text and notebook.

"Uh, hold on a second. Let me check something first. Uh, go up to your room and wait there, alright?" He gave me a confused look but only shrugged his shoulders and went to his room. With that handled, I walked to the front room and sneaked a pick through the closed blinds. What I saw made my adrenaline start running. This isn't a very crowded street so the fact that I saw a couple of huge black vans and a couple of smaller cars parked out front. I saw a few shadows standing by those cars and let me tell you, this guys were not being subtle.

I thought back to all those times that dad would tell us what to do should there ever be some sort of emergency. Anything from injury to some natural disaster . . . I'm thinking that this situation is somewhere in-between. Taking in a deep breath, I made my way to my brother's room as calmly as possible. If this were truly an emergency, then I had to act as carefully as possible. They can't know that I'm on to them.

"Hey sis, everything ok?" I quietly walked onto my little brother's room and then opened the closet door. Dad always had us pack an emergency back pack and leave it somewhere where we can get it easily. I set down the bag next to the door.

"Jake, I need you to grab my bag and dad's and put them in the car. Here are the keys," I said as quietly and calmly as possible. The car was parked in the garage so as long as he's quiet, they wont notice him. "Get into the car and hide in the back seat. Do not make a sound, you hear me?" He didn't say anything, only nod. I started walking down the hall when I heard Jacob call out, "Careful."

I walked back into the kitchen, trying to act as normal as possible. All the while, I could hear my brother walking through the door that leads into the garage and close it. Yeah, subtle enough. I took out my cell phone and dialed my dad's number. The moment he answered, I didn't get a chance to say anything because that's when the lights went out and the windows in the room started to shatter. At this moment, I just reacted. I saw a shadow walk up to me, but before it had a chance to do anything, I threw a punch which I felt connect with his face. Someone then came up from behind me and put me in a choke-hold. Trying to keep myself as calm as possible, I threw my leg back and kicked him in the shin which loosened his grip on me. I used his loss of balance to my advantage and flipped him onto the floor. Seeing an opening, I ran out of the kitchen and made my way into the garage. It all happened in a flash because right before I got to the garage door, this huge shadow stood in front of me and shoved me into a nearby wall. I felt the wind get knocked out of me on impact. I hit the wall so hard that I couldn't even breath for a second.

When I looked up at the figure, I felt everything turn cold. This thing was not human. It looked like some guy on steroids . . . but he was covered in fur and his face . . . looked like it belonged to that of a monster.

"W-What-"

"Sis, what's happening?" I noticed Jacob had walked into the room.

"Jacob get away!" I yelled.

"So, that's where you were hiding," chuckled the beast. He reached for my little brother with a clawed hand. On reflex, I jumped up and grabbed my brother, shielding him. I was waiting for something to hit or scratch me, but there was no pain. Instead, I heard loud popping sounds, like fireworks. I opened my eyes and turned around to see that the beast was on the floor and standing only a few feet behind him was . . .

"Dad!" yelled Jacob.

"Kids, get in the car, now!"

"But, dad-" I didn't let Jacob finish what he was saying. I picked him up and rushed into the garage and threw him in the backseat. I knew better than to argue with dad when he shouted an order. As I started the car, waiting for the garage door to open, I mumbled a silent prayer.

"Please, keep him safe."

~Ten Minutes Later~

I honestly didn't know where I was driving to. Just that I needed to get out of that area. I drove onto a trail that led up into the mountains. I remember we had an old cabin up there for when we would go camping. It's been a while since we've last been there.

"Hey, sis?" I heard my brother's hoarse voice from behind me. "Will dad be ok?" he asked.

"Of course he'll be fine. Don't worry," I said, trying to reassure him. I don't think it was working.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Remember that cabin?"

"Kinda."

"Dad told me that should anything happen, and we got separated, to always go to that cabin."

"So, dad's going to meet us there?" he asked.

"Yeah," I stated. But, why did I feel like I'm lying? Like something is going to happen.

"Sis?"

"Hmm?"

"Those people, could they be the ones who are kidnapping all those kids?" he asked.

"I-I don't know."

"What if they were trying to-"

"Jacob, I won't let them take you away. I'm your big sister and I promise to always protect you."

The rest of the car ride to the cabin was quiet, but I could see my little brother in the rear-view mirror, smiling.

~At the Cabin~

The moment we walked in the door, a huge puff of dust blew in our faces. It's been years since we've last been here. Since mom died, we stopped coming here. Dad started working extra hours just to support us and I started doing all the cleaning and cooking. Just walking through that door brought back so many memories. I looked down at Jacob and noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Poor kid is probably exhausted. With what happened back at home, he's probably too much in shock to bother being afraid.

"Hey, you still hungry? We never got to have dinner." He looked up at me with such a tired expression that he didn't even answer. "Yeah, you just want to sleep now, huh?"

I looked over to the couches that surrounded the fireplace. We had put white sheets over them to protect them from dust. I walked over and feet down the packs on wine while I threw aside the sheet of the other couch. A cloud of dust hovered above the rejected sheet for a moment before fading away. I then walked over to the hall closet and took out a couple of quilts.

"With that happened, I think it'll be safer for us to just sleep down here." I walked over with the quilts and noticed the look of worry on my little brother's face. "At least until dad gets here," I quickly said, trying to reassure him. I don't think it worked very well. His expression remained the same. Even though he smiled a little, I knew that he was worried and scared. I didn't blame him. I was probably just as scared as him. I couldn't really figure out the level of my fear right now. I was too confused about the whole situation to think about fear. But enough of that. I know that at this very moment, I have to act as calmly as possible . . . for Jacob's sake.

I sat down on the couch next to Jake and cacooned myself in the quilt. I then felt him lay his head on my shoulder.

"Hey, sis?"

"Hmm?"

"What's going to happen to us?" I looked down at him and frowned. I thought about lying, say that everything would be okay, but Jacob is a bright kid. Nothing gets by him.

"I don't know, kiddo," I sighed. "But I do know this," I said, "I promise to protect you no matter what. You're my little brother and I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

That wasn't a lie.

~The Next Morning~

I woke up to a dull light, peeping through the blinds. For a moment, I wasn't sure where I was or what had happened the night before, but it all came back to me in a flash. I looked down and noticed Jacob wasn't on the couch with me. That's when I felt the adrenaline start to rush through me. I jumped up from the spot and ran to the front room. That's when I saw Jacob standing by the window.

"Jake?"

"Dad's outside."

I suddenly felt hope, but when I saw how my brother didn't have a smile on his face, I felt my blood run cold.

"What's wrong?" I asked, not really sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

"There are people outside with dad ... And dad looks hurt." I knew from his tone of voice that he was trying to keep calm, show that he can act grown up, but that facade wasn't working on me. Mustering up my courage, I walked over to the front door and placed hand on the handle. Before turning it, I looked over at my brother.

"I want you to get out through the back door. Run into the forest and don't you dare turn back. I'll go after you as soon as I can, alright?"

"But, sis-"

"Listen to me," I said, my voice growing more stern. "Go. Now." I turned away at that moment because I'm sure that looking at him now would make me change my mind. he turned and started making his way to the back door. Not once did he stop.

I took this moment to take a quick peek through the blinds and noticed multiple black cars parked out front, most likely the same ones from before. Just in front of those cars was my dad. He was kneeling on the ground, his face bloody and bruised. I noticed a man standing next to him. He was in a white lab coat and the grin plastered on his face sent chills down my spine. He had a beard that styled into a point and he had one of those old time villain moustaches. Other than that, he was completely bald. I noticed a pair of thin rimmed glasses that made his eyes hard to see whenever they caught a glare from the light. I then noticed a megaphone in the guy's hand.

He seemed to just stand there, smiling. I then saw the two dark figures standing behind the lab coat guy. I felt another chill go down my spine when I realised that they were the monsters that attacked my home. I then noticed the guy being the megaphone up to his face.

"We know you're here. Please step outside," He stated. I took a deep breath and opened the door. I walked out, wary of the body guards standing behind him. "My, you have grown into such a beautiful young lady."

"Who are you?" I questioned, but he only continued to smile away. I looked at my dad, "Dad? What's going on?"

"There's no time to explain. Just get out of here," he ordered.

"Even in this situation, you are still unable to tell her the truth. How interesting," chuckled the stranger. "John, why don't you follow orders? It'll make thing so much simpler for you." That's when I heard my dad start chuckling.

"I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees," he stated. I remembered that quote from somewhere, but before I could even think about the meaning, I noticed my after smiling at me. His expression almost looked sad. "Take care of your brother, Clair. I'm sorry I couldn't take care of the both of you." I felt tears stinging my eyes, wondering why he was talking like this.

"I see, you have chosen to be disobedient," he stated. I felt another cold chill rush down my spine at just the tone of his voice. At this moment, all I could focus on was the smile on my father's face. Even when the strange guy was talking, my dad didn't even glance in his direction. "Well, I believe that your contract is just about done, don't you agree?" He stated, not really making it seem like a question. I then saw him bring up his free hand up into his lab coat, reaching into a pocket and then pulled out something metal. It took me a second for my eyes to adjust so I could see what he now had in his hand. It was a gun.

"W-What are-" I could barely form the words. I looked back at my dad and his smile never faded. He slowly raised the gun up to my father's head. "S-Stop . . ." My voice faded.

It was at this point that I couldn't look away, couldn't run at him and stop him, couldn't even make a sound. Just then, my dad said five little words that suddenly made the adrenaline start up again and I just bolted back into the cabin and out the back door, running after Jacob. He had said, "Take care of your brother."

Those were his last words to me. It was as I was running in the forest that I heard the distinct echo of a gun shot.

I ran through the forest, fighting passed the tears. Right now, my first priority was to find Jacob and get him away from here. I know, I seemed weird for still being able to think clearly after basically witnessing my own father's murder. I just . . . I don't know how to explain. I just had this feeling to just let my instincts take over. There was plenty of time to mourn later.

"Jacob!" I shouted. I felt myself tiring out much quicker than I had expected. I was short on breath and I felt like my legs were about to give out from under me. I was just about to fall when I came upon a clearing and just a little passed that was a cliff.

"Clair!" I heard Jacob's voice shout from behind a tree near me. I turned and saw him and a smile appeared on my face, until I saw the figure standing behind him with a big hairy claw on his shoulder.

"Let him go!" I yelled.

"Now, now, young Clair. There is no need for you to yell," the stranger stated calmly. I looked at him in anger and I didn't even realize that I had started running towards him. I'm not really sure of what had happened next, but I found myself on the ground at his feet, clutching my arm. One of his monsters and jumped in front of me and slashed my arm, leaving a large wound that was bleeding heavily. I could feel my vision begin to blur as the pain started to become stronger than the adrenaline. "Worry not, that can easily be fixed, but that only depends on you, my dear." I ignored him and only stared down at the ground. The whole time, I could hear Jacob screaming my name, but the sudden high pitch sound ringing in my ears started tuning him out. "Now, which will it be?" He started as he pulled out his gun. I looked at him with blurry eyes, "Life?" He asked. he then pointed the gun at me with a smile, "Or death?"

I couldn't answer. Instead, I tried to gain control over the pain and keep myself from fainting.

"Well, you were the first choice, but if you're going to be difficult, then I guess your brother will do," he said. I didn't know what he was talking about. but at that moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion as he placed his finger on the trigger and started to put pressure on it. It's then that I heard Jacob yelling my name again, but he sounded closer than before. Using what little energy I had left, I looked over and saw that he had gotten away from that monster and ran in my direction. My eyes widened at the realization of what was happening, but I couldn't find my voice to tell him to stop, to turn and run away. It's at that moment that the stranger pulled the trigger, but I never felt anything. All I felt was the strong pain coming from my right arm and the loud echo that came from the gun. I looked back up and that's when my world just fell apart. I felt my brother's small body fall on me and all I could do was support him from hitting the ground. I could still feel him breathing, but his wound was substantial. I tried holding him up with my free arm, but I hardly had the strength.

"J-Jacob?" I stuttered. I couldn't keep my voice steady.

"S-Sis?" I could hardly hear his voice. "Y-You always . . . helped me when . . . I needed it," he gasped in pain. "I just wanted to protect you . . ."

"Jacob?" I mumbled. He didn't answer. I shook him gently, but still, there was no response.

I couldn't find my voice so I could scream. I couldn't move so I could attack the man who killed my father and brother. I felt everything just fading away from me until all there was left was darkness. I'm not really sure what was happening to me. Maybe I was dying? I don't really know. I just wanted to fade away . . . away from the pain.

Crimzon: I'm sorry guys, I tried. Yeah, yeah, this chapter probably wasn't that good, but i just got so irritated with it that I just wanted to get it done so that way I could go on to where they are in the School. So please bear with me on this and look forward to the next chapter. Please review!