Nefarious » Theo Raeken

19

"The Dread Doctors by TR. Mccammon" Lydia read out as we walked into school.

She paused, staring at the book.

"What?" Malia asked.

"I don't know. Something about it" she said with a frown.

"Has anyone actually read it yet?" I questioned.

"Just me. And I didn't understand any of it" Malia replied.

"We should probably all read it" Lydia commented.

"Kira's working on that" Malia said as we stopped by the lockers. "Stiles says he can't find anything on the author. He thinks it's a pen name"

Lydia turned the book over and read the blurb. "In a small New England town, teenagers are taken in the night and buried alive-" she looked up at us. "Days later they emerge transformed, wreaking havoc and spreading terror, commanded by an ancient order of parascientists known only as the Dread Doctors"

I raised my eyebrows. "Sounds vaguely familiar"

"How does it end?" Lydia asked.

"It doesn't. This is supposed to be volume one" Malia said.

"Oh let me guess, there is no volume two" Lydia said sarcastically.

"I think we're living volume two"

"Then maybe the real question is- is this a novel" I started.

Lydia nodded. "Or someone's prediction"

~

"Scott!" I called out. "Yo Scotty!"

He raised his eyebrow at me and I laughed as I headed over to him. "Right, two things. So firstly, is Liam okay? I know what happened but he seems different. He won't talk to me about it at all. Has he spoken to you about it yet?"

"No not really. I think he's been talking more to Mason about it. Don't get too worried though, I'm sure he's fine"

I sighed and nodded. "Just please look after him. I don't know what to do anymore"

"Hey, he's gonna be okay. We're all gonna be okay"

"Yeah that leads me into my second topic. That book - The Dread Doctors. Malia thinks we're living volume two. Is it possible that everything that's going on, is based on this book?"

Scott shook his head. "Honestly, I don't know what I believe. But I think we might no someone who does"

"Who?"

He nodded towards the boys locker rooms. "Theo"

~

"Sorry but I'd never even heard of a kanima until a few days ago" Theo said, flipping the pages of the photocopied book "You want me to read this?"

"Well not yet. I'm still only on chapter one" Scott said.

"You guys do this a lot huh?" Theo laughed.

"Do what?" Scott frowned.

"Get involved"

"Oh, more than you'd imagine" I said.

"What about the author? I mean if he knew all about these guys shouldn't we be talking to him?" Theo asked.

"We thought about that but it's pretty much a dead end" Scott replied.

Theo flipped through the pages again, stopping on the last one. "What about this guy?"

"This book is dedicated to-" Scott paused. "Dr. Gabriel Valack"

Theo looked up at Scott. "Do you know him?"

"Yeah" Scott said. "Yeah and I know where to find him"