Into the Darkness Second Draft

Prologue

Doug rushed through the middle school's courtyard, his school bag banging on his back, late as usual. He yanked open the hall door and waded into the sea of humanity, human sweat, and perfume. His ears were assaulted by the cacophony of laughter, lockers slamming, homework being discussed, and sports scores from his fellow students.

He weaved his way through the crowded corridor, but for every step he took, someone else bumped into him, or knocked him backward, or hit him with their backpack. "Excuse me," he said, trying to push his way to his locker on the bottom row.

Jakob, a football in one hand, and his girlfriend, Tiphanie, smacking her gum and hanging on his other, barely gave Doug a glance as he spun the dial on his own locker. The door squeaked open an inch, before it smacked into the jock's leg, and when Doug tried to open it further, Jakob kicked his leg back, slamming the locker shut and barely missed smashing Doug's fingers in it. Jakob pushed Tiphanie to the side and hauled Doug up by his shirt. "Did you finish the English?" he demanded, thumping Doug in the chest with his football for emphasis .

"Uh yeah," Doug choked, wishing Tiphanie would share some of her gum with her boyfriend so his breath wouldn't smell quite so putrid.

"Well?" Jakob asked, letting go of Doug's shirt collar and holding out his hand.

"It was reading," Doug sighed, shaking his head.

"And?" Jakob shook his open hand.

"And there is nothing to turn in."

"Oh," Jakob took a step backward, long enough for Tiphanie to latch onto him again, before he surged forward, getting back in Doug's face. "What were we supposed to read?"

"Um, Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book,' you know, like we've been talking about for, I don't know, three weeks now?"

"Uh yeah, of course. What's it about?"

The minute warning bell sounded, distracting the jock long enough for Doug to slip from Jakob's clutches. Rushing toward his English class, Doug made it just in time to be pulled back out of the door by Jakob, who entered the classroom before him.

"Doug, you're late," Mr. Baker said from behind his desk.

"Sorry, Mr. Baker." Head down, Doug slunk through the class, and stumbled over Jakob's outstretched foot. Ignoring the laughs from the other students. Doug made his way to his seat. "I would've-" He began, but the teacher interrupted him.

"Okay students, let's get started."