So begins the very first chapter. Enjoy the show.

Present Day-

The shrill beeping sound of a morning alert stirred 17-year-old Corey Mercer from his slumber. Grumbling at the noise, he slammed his hand down hard on the annoying device to finally shut it up. Though he was still tired and not wanting to get out of bed, it was unfortunately a school day. Corey sat up in his bed, willed his eyes open and let out a labored breath. He glanced at the digital display of his alarm; it read Thursday, April 18th, 7:05 AM. Corey wished it was Saturday already; at least then he could oversleep and not worry about school.

"Corey, breakfast is ready," a female voice called out from beyond the door, which then swung open to allow a woman in her mid 40's to entered. "Time to get up, honey, before your sister eats your breakfast."

Corey groaned and tossed in bed and said, "Jesus, Mom. Can't you knock like a normal human being?"

"Alright, smart guy. Drag your lazy butt out of bed before I have your father do it." Then she shut the door without a second thought.

Again, and this time to himself, Corey groaned, "Why can't it just be Friday already?"

It was roughly 10 minutes later that Corey was fully dressed in the bathroom brushing his teeth. The mirror showed a fresh-faced teenager, maybe a few faint whiskers on fair skin that signaled the very early stages of puberty. Aside from that, his hair was short and light brown and slightly messy. This was Corey's usual look, even though his mother insisted several times that he get a haircut. Corey was far from interested in such things and preferred to remain as he appeared. As soon as he was done, Corey returned to his room to collect his school gear. He then started heading down the flight of stairs.

There were three other people in the kitchen, two at the table and the third standing by the kitchen sink. That was Corey's mother; her name was Patricia. She sported long brownish-blonde hair and wore an apron over a sporty t-shirt and jeans. Of the two individuals sitting at the table, one was an adult male in his mid 40's at least, chestnut brown hair with a hint of gray and dressed in uniform. He was most likely a public servant of some kind. The other was far younger and female, sported brownish blonde hair in a pony tail and dressed in more casual attire. The man at the table looked up from his breakfast meal to address Corey directly.

"Oh good, you're still alive." he quipped.

"Morning to you too, Dad." Corey bit back, albeit in a somewhat playful manner.

"Take it easy on him, John. He probably went to bed late last night... again." Patricia claimed.

"He was up all night playing with himself." said the younger girl, earning a scowl from Corey.

"I'm sorry, but who let the 11-year-old rug rat out of her cage?" Corey snapped, and it wasn't a comment as with his father moments earlier."

"Maggie, apology to your brother right now." John demanded.

"But why," Maggie asked, trying to act innocently. "You let Corey get away with calling me a rug rat."

"Because your father said so, young lady." Patricia quickly added.

"And, because I'm older than you." Corey said.

"Only by 6 years, dork."

"Still older than you, twerp."

With a sigh that was more amused than annoyed, John stood up from his seat and got between the bickering siblings. "Okay, okay. That's enough you two. Corey, get ready. I'll drop you off at school."

"Dad, I can get there on my bike." Corey insisted.

"Don't argue with me, son. School's on the way to the station, so let's hit the road." John insisted back.

"Listen to your father, Corey." Patricia said.

"Yeah, listen to Dad, dork." Maggie playfully added.

"Zip it, rug rat."

"C'mon, Corey. Let's hustle and get going." John, who was already halfway out the door, called out to his son.

Grabbing his backpack, Andrew replied, "I'm coming, Dad."

"Have fun at school today, honey." Patricia said, and Corey gave a crisp salute to his mother... and stuck his tongue out at his little sister for fun, to which she promptly in kind.

As soon as Corey was out the door and gone, Maggie said, "He's such a dork."

"Yeah well, they're both kind of dorks. But we still love them." Patricia claimed, to which Maggie just shrugged.

Perched on a branch of a nearby tree, the eyes of a mysterious white owl sat watching the modest home from which Corey and his father emerged. They entered a dark blue vehicle, and it soon after backed out of the driveway and onto the road. The owl continued to watch, particularly Corey. From its point of view, it could see a strange, faint shimmering aura around the young teenager. Could this boy be one of them; the one's that the mysterious bird of prey had been searching for?

It was now roughly 7:37 AM by the time Corey and his father arrived at the front entrance to Dover High School. There was already a sea of students entering, and most barely even registered the father and son's arrival. Corey looked out the window to see if he could find someone particular. He couldn't find who it was that he was searching for, but something else caught his eye. There was a white owl perched on the branch of one of the larger trees standing by the school. It seemed like it was staring at him and him specifically, almost like it was looking at its next meal. Corey didn't think much of it, but it did serve to distract him. A nudge from his father brought him out of his stupor.

"The entrance is right there, Corey." John said.

Corey came back to reality enough to reply, "You know I've got a driver's license, Dad. I could've gotten here on my own."

"I know you could've, but I don't want you on that motorcycle. You're not ready for that." John claimed.

"I bought that bike with my own money."

"That's not the point."

"Then what is the point? That you don't trust me?"

John felt the stinging words but kept his composure when he replied, "I do trust you. I just don't trust the people who sold you that bike."

"Well, it still sounds like it's me you don't trust me. Sometimes I wonder whether it's part of your job as Captain of the Dover PD or if it's something else." Corey claimed.

"Is that what you think? That my job makes it difficult to trust my own son?" John asked.

Corey instantly regretted his words, and he could almost feel the hurt in his father's eyes as they looked on him. "I didn't mean what I said, Dad. I've just been frustrated with everything lately."

John fully understood Corey's plight and grabbed his shoulder is a friendly gesture. "I know, son. Look, you get on out of here before you're late for class. We'll talk later, okay?"

Corey gave his father a nod before stepping out of the car. After a final glance, Corey started on his way to school for the day ahead. John remained for a time to watch his son heading off to school before he eventually drove away. Corey looked back again to watch the car drive off into the distance, but he couldn't shake the words he'd spoken to his father out of his head. He regretted those words and he was now he was hopeful that he could get back on good terms with his father, assuming he hadn't already burned that bridge.

Putting his mind off the moment, Corey refocused on the school. As he approached, he once again caught sight of the white owl in the tree. It was still eyeing him from afar, never moving except for its head which seemed to follow Corey's every move. Corey was starting to become uneasy about the owl even as he continued into the building. The white owl spread its wings as if it was about to take flight only to bring them back down. It kept staring at Corey until he disappeared into the building.

The morning went along at the same pace as it had in days gone by, slow and uneventful. It was 10:36 AM when Corey sat in class listening to the teacher as he was lecturing the other students on a particular subject. Corey sat nearest to the window with his head propped in the palm of his hand and his elbow on the desk. He glanced around the classroom at the other students. Some were listening diligently to the lecture while other could not have cared less. One student was even secretly sending texts on her phone.

Corey noticed another student he happened to know; Damien Winters. Damien had been Corey's best friend since childhood. He sported jet black hair that was slightly unkempt but not distracting, and he often wore mostly dark clothing that was either black or purple. Some would've thought that Damien followed the alternative, gothic lifestyle, but Corey knew his friend to be fairly approachable and outgoing. Still, many students tended to avoid Damien like the plague. Damien didn't seem to mind and kept to himself anyway, so maybe it was a case of quiet confidence on his part. He was perfectly fine with it.

Corey then glanced out the window and to his surprise, that white owl was there staring him again. This was starting to aggravate Corey to the point where he wanted to throw something at the intrusive bird. He thought better of it and tried to refocus on the class lecture, which was disturbing in itself. The white owl stayed put, barely flinching in place aside from the slightest cocking of its head. What did this woodland creature want with Corey to warrant such intrusion? Corey didn't know or care. He just wanted to get through class without causing a stir. It wasn't going to be easy.

"Hey, Corey," a low voice whispered, and Corey looked to notice Damien attempting to get his attention. "You good, man?"

Panic started to set in for Corey. He hastily replied, "Uh, yeah. I'm good."

"Excuse me, gentlemen," the teacher called out from the front of the classroom. "Is there anything you'd like to add to this lesson?"

"No, Mr. Rodriguez. We're fine." Damien replied, followed by snickers from the other students.

"Let's save the idle chatter for after class, if you would be so kind. Everyone else had best stop the chuckling." Mr. Rodriguez said.

Damien visibly cringed at being very nearly caught, Corey breathed a sigh of relief. Looking through the window once more, Andrew saw that the white owl was gone. Another relieved breath left his lungs, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to see the intrusive creature again at some point. He hoped he was wrong.

The rest of the school day went by without much issue and now the countless students began their hasty exit. Corey was in the restroom washing his face, still somewhat out of sorts with what had been happening all day. Thoughts of that strange white owl flooded his mind, which was already the last thing he needed to bother him. He wanted to get home as soon as possible and talk to his father. Things ended in less-than-ideal circumstances and he wanted to make amends. It wasn't long however that something caught Corey's immediate attention, and for once it wasn't that owl.

He noticed a mark on the back of his right hand that wasn't there before. It appeared faint at first glance and seemed to resemble a bolt of lightning. Corey assumed it was a patch of dirt or perhaps it was from a black marker, so he promptly took to washing it away. The mark remained in place, never fading out even a little bit. Corey was already annoyed by the events of the day with that white owl stalking him and now, he had a mark on his hand that wouldn't be so easily removed.

"What the hell..." Corey whispered to himself.

A voice called from outside, "Corey, you coming or what?"

"Yeah, I'm coming, Damien." Corey replied, and he quickly covered up the mark with his shirt before rushing out of the restroom.

Damien was waiting for Corey, and the two best friends claps hands followed by a brotherly embrace before starting on their way. The hallway was considerably crowded with other students eager to end the day. There was the usual assortment of characters abound, notably the typical bullies pushing around the more studious bookworms and getting away with it. Corey and Damien were quick to notice one bully they knew; Brad Hendry. He was a fairly tall kid with short brown hair and a largely unpleasant attitude. Brad was also a member of the school wrestling team, which seemed to add to his otherwise surly demeanor. Corey and Damien tended to avoid Brad, but Corey in particular wasn't intimidated by the big jock. He wasn't in a hurry to get into a fight either, so he and Damien moved on.

The duo caught sight of another student nearby; Tyler Greyson. Tyler wasn't a student who liked to stand out, but Corey and Damien knew him to be smart and good natured. Unlike Brad, Tyler caught sight of the Corey and Damien and gave them a slight wave of acknowledgement. Tyler sported a head of blonde hair that stretched down to just above the neckline and wore jeans and a jacket adorned in the school colors. By all accounts, Tyler was an easygoing student.

So distracted by the meet and greets around them, Corey and Damien were also knocked back when a bespectacled girl ran right into the former. "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't pay attention, and I was trying to get back to class to grab my books..."

"Whoa, whoa, it's fine. No harm done," Corey said with an understanding smile. "You're Serena, right? Serena Laramie."

Serena Laramie was only a couple inches shorter than Corey, with long brown hair in a ponytail and dressed more casually than most of the other girls in the school. Corey assumed that Serena was a tomboy as well as a bit of a nerd, which in isolation he found to be intriguing. There might have been a growing attraction between them, but neither was willing to say anything outside of passing gestures. Damien noticed this, but he said nothing to his credit. After an awkward silence, Haley finally opted to respond.

"Uh, yeah. I'm Serena Laramie. You're Corey Mercer, right?"

"That's right. We're not in the same class, so I guess we don't see much of each other." Corey said.

"I guess not," Serena replied, trying to hide her slight sheepishness. "I should probably go find my stuff. It was nice seeing you, Corey."

Haley soon rushed off while Corey watched her go, and he felt a nudge on his arm from Damien. "What is with that stupid grin?"

"Bro, are you blind and dumb? She was totally checking you out." Damien claimed.

Corey looked back to wherever Serena ran off to before he said, "You've got to be high on something, man. What would a tomboy like Serena Laramie see in an average guy like me?"

Damien slapped his hand onto Corey's shoulder like he was trying to break it and said, "Trust me on this, Corey. Tomboys like Serena Laramie tend to grow up to be seriously gorgeous women. The science proves it."

Corey could only look at his best friend with a dumbfounded expression. "The science proves it? Seriously?"

The boys made it outside the school, and Corey observed a vehicle waiting for him. To his surprised, his mother and sister were there, and he approached the car with Damien walking behind him. "Mom, what're you doing here? Where's Dad?"

"Your father's working late at the station, so he asked me to pick you up." Patricia explained.

"Hi, Mrs. Mercer." Damien said.

"Hello, Damien." Patricia replied.

"Hey Damien, is my big dork of a brother behaving himself?" Maggie asked.

"Zip it, twerp!" Corey said.

"Aright, c'mon, let's get home. Damien, would you like a ride?" Patricia asked.

"No, Mrs. Mercer. I can walk home from here." Damien said.

Corey wasn't surprised by Damien's refusal, but he also knew that Damien lived a good distance from the school. "You sure, Damien? It's not a big deal to drop you off at your place."

"It's cool, man. I can manage on my own." Damien insisted.

Corey seemed hesitant to leave his best friend, but he understood. A special handshake was shared between them before Damien started on his way down the up the sidewalk in the opposite direction. Corey looked on as his best friend departed until Damien was well out of sight. As soon as Damien was gone, Corey entered the passenger side of Patricia's car. Maggie, who was seated in the back, gave Corey a playful jab to which Corey produced a wry grin. Just as the car started to move, Corey saw it again.

The white owl sat once again perched upon a tree branch. It watched Corey, as it had throughout the day, unnervingly stoic and still save from shifting its head to follow his every move. Corey had no idea what he was supposed to do or how to react, but something even more peculiar happened. The mark on Corey's hand seemed to react in a subtle but noticeable way. It also appeared slightly more visible, more solid. Could the white owl and the mysterious mark be connected somehow? One thing was certain; Corey was faced with too many questions and not enough answers.

Elsewhere outside of town, beneath the surface, a layer of rock and dirt began to stir ever so slightly. Then the soil shifted and morphed and rose upward. Something was coming up from below, accompanied by a low growl. A large and burly figure emerged, groaning and growling like an animal stirring from a long slumber. Whatever it might have been, it was larger than any man or animal known. It had the torso of a human, but it also stood on hooves not unlike a bull or a moose. It seemed to possess large, horn-like protrusions on either side of its head, which resembled a nightmarish bovine mammal. The most frightening aspect were the soulless eyes, and the creature began to step forward. It was loose and now, it was on the hunt.

Author's Note: The first official chapter is in the books as we're introduced to our main protagonist and a number of principle characters. I'd love to get your feedback on it while I continue to work.