How To Be Human (Book One)

Ch. 00

"𝘛𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭." - 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘯é 𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘸.

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Throughout the years, there's been this constant feeling gnawing at me, as if a shadow is always edging closer. A darkness that's always looming. I've tried to embrace the darkness. It's like I'm on a perpetual tightrope, never quite sure what's genuine and what's not, and I couldn't shake it. But then, one fateful night, everything changed and my entire existence shifted in an instant.

- ▪ -

On the outskirts of a small close-knit, cut off town called Blackwood Falls, stood a charming friendly neighborhood house for a family of three, two stories with a porch wrapping around it. Nothing but deep, dark, green forests for miles by its surroundings. Under the watchful gaze of a full moon, Sounds of a horror movie soundtrack could be heard. Midnight owls call in the distance. Trees swaying away with the late night breeze, the beginning of fall.

In the humble home, a mother and a daughter sat on the couch in their living room arguing over a movie. Adaira Thomas, a vibrant eight-year-old with stormy gray eyes and a cascade of dark chestnut hair, sat transfixed before the television screen in the living room of her childhood home. It was movie night, and Adaira was determined to select the perfect film for the occasion. It was movie night, Adaira's turn to pick something to watch. The past few times they watched what her parents picked out the movie. Adaira was picky and wanted the right movie for the right night. Lorraine Thomas, an exact replica of Adaira but with light brown hair and hazel-green eyes, watched her daughter with amusement.

"Ooh! Ooh! This one, this one! Mom I want to watch this one!" Adaira called out.

Lorraine looked at the screen her brow furrowed when she noticed what type of movie Adaira had picked out. It wasn't anything normal for an eight year old. It was a horror movie. "Oh no, honey, you'll be up all night with that one," she cautioned.

Lorraine tried to warn her daughter as much she could but failed as Adaira had her heart set on the movie Annabelle. "Awh, come on, Mom! Please! All the other options are boring. You said it was my turn to pick tonight," she pleaded. Just as Lorraine hesitated to respond, Johnathan Thomas, Adaira's father, entered the room, his careless demeanor evident as he balanced a large bowl of popcorn in his hands.

"What's poppin', everyone? Popcorn, anyone?" he chimed in, his enthusiasm infectious.

Adaira and Lorraine turned to see John. Then Adaira seized the opportunity, pleading her case to her father. "Dad can we please watch this movie! Mom won't let me pick! All the others look boring." she begged.

Johnathan, with his dark brown hair and a mischievous glint in his eyes that mirrored Adaira's, "Well, let's have a look shall we' He says, then he plops down on the couch a bit carelessly, bits of popcorn fly out as he does he glanced at the movie selection on the screen.

"Ugh, John, please! I just swept the floors today." Lorraine complained.

John cringed a bit, "Oops, my bad."

Adaira pointed the remote at the screen as soon as her father was comfortable. "It's this one dad! I want to watch this one." Adaira begged again.