Eclipse

Chapter 1

Place: Vahn's House

Time: 6:15am

I awoke suddenly with an intense licking on my face from my dog Spice, a small Chihuahua, who had now covered my face in doggie drool. Here tongue was racing. The morning ritual. Mom stood in the doorway to make sure that the dog had done its job and fully work me up. I produced a small groan which seemed enough to please her then I shoved the dog away. 

Sitting up in my bed, I recalled my nightmare. It felt so real. As I scanned my room, I felt a sense of dread, neither my katana nor my kodachi were on the rack, the light to my lizards cage was also turned on. I stiffened and slowly pulled back the covers and examined my leg only to find 3 healed gashes on my leg. 

If that was real, how are these wounds healed and why did mom not say anything. No creatures on the floor either.  Do my parents remember anything?

I slid out of bed, and scanned my room further. On my desk was my kodachi and on the floor was my katana, books were scattered all over as well. I grabbed my back pack from my desk and started grabbing my books for school. 

"Vahn! get moving or we'll be later. You're taking the garbage out this morning also. I need some help this morning and your dad's not helping at all." 

My Dad shot back " I helped! I just have to be at work at 6:30 in the morning and I'm running behind!"

Mom commented back but the rest of the conversation was no longer interesting. By this time I had gone through my closet and grabbed some clothes, long black pants that had zippers on the knees to turn them to shorts and a plain black tee-shirt. Standard goth clothing. Mom wouldn't let me complete my ensemble with chains so I had to make do with as much black as possible 

Continuing the morning routine, I made my way to the bathroom, fixed my short blonde hair with some yellow colored gel and brushed my teeth afterwards. 

A feeling of dread hit me in my stomach. Whatever happened last night was real, I have the scars to prove it. But it doesn't explain why these are just scars now and not scabbed over wounds. It doesn't explain why everyone is acting normal.  Was it some sort of half baked coverup? I felt I needed protection at school. 

I dug into my closet and grabbed a duffel bag long enough to fit my kodachi. Nothing was going to fit the Katana so I had to make do with what I could. I stuffed a towel in and some gym clothes as well to cover it up.  I finished packing my school bag with my tablet and relevant books for the day.  Lastly, I fed my lizard a few crickets for the day and left my room. 

I grabbed some food and headed through the front door with my mom, though before she could lock the door I realized I forgot my phone. Being in high school, my parents were hesitant to give me a phone but decided to allow it since my school was so far away near Downtown Dallas. It also has my music on it, greatly needed on long boring bus drives. 

As we both got into the car, I commented to her "Wow, it's really dark out here this morning and a little foggy at that."

"Yea," She responded, "It's staying darker later these days. A typical August day I guess." 

We pulled out of the drive way and started down the road. 

"Is there a chance of rain today?" I asked her.

"I don't know. I didn't listen to the news this morning. didn't sleep well and kind of have a headache this morning."

I was suspicious that this has something to do with what happened last night. If she tells me about it, I'll tell her t was just a dream and nothing more. 

"Yeah, I had a horrible dream last night." She started "But you probably don't want to hear bout it. Although, the weird thing is, as I mentioned it to your father, he said he had the same dream. He and I are going to stay home from work today, it really shook us. I'm taking you this morning so I can arrange for a substitute at work today."