Unfamiliar Territory [Book One]

Chapter One | The Fog and the Dog

I remember the fog - thick, cloudy, and cold. I remember an early morning, the sun creeping over the trees nearly foresting my neighborhood.

I wish I could forget the dark shape sitting across the road, opposite of me.

It appeared as I made my walk to my first day of school. I thought it might have been a fire hydrant or some discarded piece of furniture. It was so still, I did not consider it to be anything alive.

That was why I stopped moving when I saw it was a dog.

A German Shepherd, to be specific. Distinct with its powerful frame and dark browns and blacks. The sight of it - alone in this darkened and quiet street - was unnerving enough.

What made it worse was that it was watching me.

I didn't know it at first. It took a moment of us staring at each other, studying each other. When I moved, it continued to follow me with its eyes. And, as I walked past it, the dog turned its head. Its big black eyes bore straight into mine.

As more distance was put between us, I almost lost sight of it in the fog. I turned away but could still feel its eyes needling into the back of my head. My insides squirmed and twisted and a rising sensation of unease pushed through me until I couldn't stand it any longer. I shot a glance behind me.

And the German Shepherd smiled. No teeth - just a wide, unsettling smile. Our eyes met one final time and he winked at me before vanishing into the fog.

I didn't hear the sounds of a chase but I refused to look behind me again, or slow my pace, until I started running into other people. They were other students making their trek to school - a good distance from where I lived. A few odd stares were shot my way. I tried to hide my face with the hood of my jacket as I caught my breath.

Not the best first impression.

The fog had trailed me to school. Everyone talked about how abnormally thick it was. By the middle of the day no one could see anything beyond the school grounds, it was like the school was isolated from the rest of the world.

Throughout class I would look out the window, thinking I would see it smiling up at me from the mist. But it was never there.

I was sitting by the window in one of my classes, watching out for the dog, when two quick, firm taps against my shoulder caught my attention.

I jumped in my seat, spun around, and saw a boy with dark brown eyes and one of those winter hats with the two ear muff flaps on both sides. He sat in the desk beside mine, a mop of brown hair poking out from the hat and a wide, goofy grin on his face.

"Hi, my name's Mutt," he said.

He spoke in a quick breath. His big sneakers bounced beneath the desk. He extended a hand towards me in a quick, jerky motion, making me flinch. "What's your name?"

"Uh," I said as he caught hold of my hand and shook it.

"Nice to meet you!"

His voice was really loud. People nearby were staring and whispering. He leaned forward, still holding on to my hand.

"So, have you heard of the Dead Tea Drinkers Society, or DTDS for short?"

He talked not only loud, but fast.

"I-huh?"

"DTDS!" he repeated, his voice booming through the small, semi-quiet classroom. "It's a club I have with my friends. You should be in it with us!"