Nextgen Kids: The New Era

The Horrorverse, Part 12: Nobody's Hero

We got an intense chapter today. Play "Auras" from Hunter X Hunter.

Chapter 12: Nobody's Hero

Year 2008

I was born with a rare skin condition. Ever since I was young, I looked like a scarecrow.

An 8-year-old John C. Fright was at the playground. One bully grabbed him while another threw birdseed on his face, then he opened a cage and released two crows as they pecked him mercilessly.

It was a dark era for children. A time of hatred and discrimination. And yet, there was one pure heart among this sea of darkness.

A soccerball came flying and struck the bully holding John, knocking him out. The boy was able to shoo the crows away as he looked up at his savior: he was a charming boy of 19, with black hair, pants, and a brown sweater.

He was my brother... Joe Fright. He always looked to me with kindness, and was the only one who gave me hope.

"Don't let them get to you, John." Joe said as he was driving his brother home. "Kids like them just don't understand that some people are different from others. But some day, they'll understand."

But I had other beacons of hope. Other sources of entertainment. That came in the form of newspapers and YouTube videos. There was a group that was quite popular.

John was reading a newspaper titled, The Kids Next Door Strike Again: Turnip Farm Destroyed! It had a picture of the old Sector V. "Hey, Joe, are the Kids Next Door really as bad as the adults say?"

"To be honest, I don't think they are. I heard that turnip farm was using dangerous steroids. A kind that makes plants grow like you wouldn't believe and even attack you. You never hear about the Kids Next Door attacking police stations or stealing babies from hospitals, though. I feel like they're... unrecognized heroes."

"Do you think...you think I could be one?"

"Well, if you wanna be, go ahead and ask 'em." Joe smiled. "There's a giant tree a few blocks down."

Alas, I was afraid to go close to it. Afraid to approach them because of my appearance. Yet, I would always look at that tree with hope. Believing it may just be the gateway to new adventures and new friends. John Fright gazed at Sector Q's treehouse with a smile.

Little did I know that the KND had a dark side. And I was staring right at it. It was only a few days after when I learned the truth. The day I learned what true fear is.

Joe was driving his brother home from school on a sunny and pleasant day. They heard a siren, and Joe looked back to see a cop. "Oh, come on! I was going one mile over the speed limit." Joe begrudgingly pulled the car over. He rolled the window down as the cop approached them. He was slightly obese and his expression was nasty.

"Sir, do you know why I pulled you over?"

"I was speeding?"

"Yes. Any faster and you could've run someone-"

"Yeah, yeah. Look, just take a look at my license so I can..." As Joe reached into his pocket, the cop took a glance at John. The sight of his face made the cop startled for a moment, and when he looked down at Joe's hand in his pocket, that brief spark of fear got the best of him.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" In a split second, the cop grabbed his gun and shot Joe dead.

"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" John quickly kicked open the door and bolted up the street.