Evan shrieks in horror as the figure grabs a hold of him, getting a good look at his surprise attacker. It's.. a girl? A brunette, by the looks of it, and she looks just as frightened as he is.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. I was just trying to get your attention." She tells him.
Evan takes a second to catch his breath. He's sure his face is probably as red as his hair now. When will he ever stop being so paranoid? Now that he's looking at her, the girl looks like she couldn't hurt a fly. How did he ever think she was some monster? She was actually kind of cute, though Evan would never say that part out loud.
"Scared?" Evan finally says. "I wasn't scared. I was just trying to scare YOU." He tells the girl. A total lie, of course, anything to gain back the sense of bravado he had just lost in mere seconds.
"Really? That scream sounded pretty real to me." Okay, now she just looks smug about it. Who does this girl think she is? Only Andy could get away with a look like that.
"Alright, you got me. I was a little spooked alright? You like scaring people like that?" Evan admits.
"Of course not! In fact, I'm not really used to being the one who scares people." She says, but part of Evan wonders if she's telling the truth. "If it helps, I'm sorry. Are you a high schooler?" She asks.
"Yeah, I'm kind of a newbie. I'm Evan. My family just moved to Dark Falls. I, uh, got a little lost walking to school."
"Oh, you can follow me. I know the way. My name's Carly Beth by the way. I'm new in town too." She says.
"Carly Beth? That's.. an interesting name. Do I call you Carly or Beth?" Evan asks. It's a legitimate question.
"You can call me Carly Beth." She says, unamused, and Evan regrets the comment.
"You look kinda familiar." Carly Beth says.
Evan wonders if she's going to say what he thinks she's going to say. Had his reputation as the "crazy Monster Blood kid" come back to haunt him, all the way in Dark Falls?
"You weren't on TV, were you? Like the-"
"The Strange Report? With Derek and Margo Strange, yeah. That was me." Evan admits, embarrassed.
The Strange Report was a television show, presenting all kinds of supernatural oddities. The hosts, Derek and Margo, brought on supposed eyewitnesses to share their experiences. Evan had been one of them. It was his mother's idea, thinking maybe sharing his experiences with Monster Blood with the world could help him deal with his trauma. Instead, it only earned him more mockery at school. Most people still seemed to think the whole thing was fake, though there were rumors of other Monster Blood incidents happening in places beyond Atlanta. Eventually, the company was shut down for good.
"Oh my god, yeah, that's it. My mom used to watch that show religiously. She loved that kind of stuff, you know? Meanwhile, I'd have to hide behind the couch I was scared so bad."
"Really? You seem like the type to love scary stuff." Evan says.
"I can stomach it a lot better now than I used to. My girlfriend, Sabrina, she loves horror, but I was scared of everything as a kid, then things.. changed."
Girlfriend? Evan feels a little disappointed at the mention, but pushes the thought to the side of his head. Romance is the least of his concerns. So he just nods in response, thinking that maybe he has more in common with Carly Beth than he expected. "Hey, I usually have to close my eyes when I watch horror films." Evan confesses. He doesn't know why he tells her this, but somehow it all comes out naturally.
"Well, I'm happy you were able to meet a celebrity, but please, keep it under wraps, okay? I'm trying to forget about all that. I'd be happy to never hear the words Monster Blood again." Evan tells her, and it comes out harsher than intended.
Carly Beth pauses to look at him, a thoughtful look in her brown eyes. "I can tell whatever happened was painful for you, and I believe you. About everything. I'm trying to forget some bad things myself. I guess you could say you're not the only one with a monster in their past. We all have our own.. darkness."
This time, Evan grows curious. The words feel as reassuring as they do chilling. It wasn't often he met anyone who believed his wild stories. Not that he blamed them, but there seemed to be a darkness around Carly Beth. Evan wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it was, but he asked anyway. "Oh? And what's your monster?"
"That's my secret, Evan. Maybe I'll tell you someday. Now come on, let's get inside." Carly Beth says, before a smirk grows on her face.
Evan realizes they've finally made it. This is Dark Falls High. The building looks practically gothic. If he knew any better, he'd call it a prison. Then again, high school and prison weren't that different. The steps leading to the front door are like one large open mouth, ready to chomp down on all those who enter. Why did everything have to remind Evan of monsters? Maybe he was doomed to be this way now. Whatever the case, he and Carly Beth stepped inside for their first day in Dark Falls High. Neither of them could have expected what would happen next.
