How To Be Human (Book One)

Ch. 01

Six years later...

The small town of Blackwood Falls, Washington is nothing short of the weird and unexplained.

Everything from ghosts, to unexplained flying objects to night crawlers, you name it, the towns people will tell you about it even I was drawn to the mysteries myself. Growing up in the town, I always felt there was a darkness, an unexplained veil ready to burst open as more and more unexplained things appeared throughout the days. This doubled more recently. Prior to age eight my friends and I would tell stories at girl scout camp and scare each other. I always embraced the mysteries, the unexplained until one day the darkness and the unexplained came to me.

Memories, foggy and haunting, still cling to me like cobwebs. A tranquil end of summer evening shattered in an instant, my parents gone without a trace. Despite the blur, I remember it vividly enough to fuel my drive for answers, and on the dawn of my sophomore year, instead of getting ready for school, I found myself standing before Theresa Bennett, the town's police Sheriff—my best friend's mom—ready to confront the shadows that had haunted me for years.

You might be wondering why a teenager like me would trade a cozy morning routine for a heart-to-heart with law enforcement. Most kids would kill for a fresh start to the school year, but for me, perfection was a myth. I'd tossed and turned all night, tormented by the recent string of events plaguing Blackwood Falls. Call me reckless, but I was determined to shake things up, even if it meant treading on thin ice with the sheriff.

"Thomas, what on earth are you doing here at six in the morning?" Sheriff Bennett's voice cut through the quiet, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

Mrs. Bennett had her blond hair up in a bun today and wore her brown uniform as usual. She looked nice. Even more so when she wasn't frowning at me.

"Hey, Sheriff. Mind if I bend your ear for a sec?" I flashed a nervous grin.

She arched an eyebrow, "Don't tell me it's about these animal attacks again. I told you that we have it under control."

I winced.

"Uh, yeah... about that..." I shifted uncomfortably, steeling myself for the conversation ahead.

It's not just because of the animal cases that I am here. See, while I've been busy playing detective, Blackwood Falls has been going through some serious freakiness. Animal attacks left and right, a full-on state of emergency declared. And let me tell you, it's got the whole town buzzing. My theory? It's something bigger than just a rogue bear or a rabid mountain lion, and I've got a hunch that it's connected to what happened to my mom and dad.

The news buzzed with reports of the attacks, each more gruesome than the last. Theories flew like wildfire—mountain lions, rabid bears, even wolves, though they hadn't roamed these parts in over a decade. But the most chilling part? The attacks weren't confined to the shadows of night—most recently they struck in broad daylight, three hikers found almost dead, prompting a town-wide curfew and a desperate plea for help.

The Sheriff let out a huff that was similar to a sigh. Not one of relief though.

"What is it this time, Thomas?" Sheriff Bennett asked, clearly not pleased with me bugging her so early in the morning.  I couldn't help it. I really couldn't. I was up all night, reading and watching the news reports, looking at the gruesome images. Each attack similar to the last.

I took a deep breath, readying myself for her reaction. "It's the attacks, Sheriff. I couldn't sleep last night, not with all those images flashing through my mind."

Sheriff Bennett sighed, rubbing her temples with a weary hand. "Are you seriously here to tell me what I don't already know, Adaira? I know. Believe me, I've been losing sleep over it too. But we're doing everything we can to track down whatever's responsible."