CHAPTER 1:
Chase never much liked where he lived. It was a desolate wasteland that surrounded his house. The brown grass was dry all year round from an unseen and unfelt heat and you always got the dodgiest looking people coming up the lanes that surrounded his wooden box of a house. He was sure once he’d even seen someone with a suspicious package that very much resembled drugs. The truth was, he lived in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of a remote and distant town that most people forgot the name of, or forgot even existed. It was called Goldwestor and hardly anybody had even heard of it, let alone bothered to remember it. So, some mindless beings saw it fit to do their sub-standard deals down the minor country lanes that encompassed his house. There was also no civilisation around for mere miles, and no one dared to approach his home because of the made-up stories they’d heard about the neighbouring areas. Only fools ended up wandering around the lanes near his house that were practically a labyrinth to anyone who didn’t know them, but of course, they never returned after they’d got back to the safety of Goldwestor town centre. Luckily for Chase, he knew the whole place like the back of his hand; he’d spent his childhood exploring every nook and cranny to the place, and it had turned out well so far seeing as he hadn’t run into the dodgy blokes just yet. It was this he thought about as he settled down on the windowsill and reflected on his deserted surroundings.
Chase Valiant was sixteen years old and, like most teenage boys, he had a rocky relationship with his father. They didn’t exactly see eye to eye on many things, some may say they had nothing in common, which was partially true, but one big thing they did have in common was their stubbornness and it was that, that seemed to get Chase into the most trouble with him. Chase had long-ish blonde hair that flicked out messily at odd angles. His eyes were of a pale, yet vigorous blue and he was around average height for most boys his age. Chase’s best friend was called Kai Mathews and, aesthetically, he was completely different. Brown was the colour of his shorter, but still fairly messy hair and he had dark eyes the colour of a black nightfall, spritzed with autumn leaves. He was slightly taller than Chase, and he made sure he never forgot it too. In fact, Kai was due over any minute now.
DING! The doorbell positively squealed as it welcomed in its next suitor. As Chase opened the door, Kai stood there in his usual preferred attire of jeans, an animated t-shirt and converse.
“Hey, come in” Chase said as he welcomed him in “and take off your shoes this time” he reminded him; his parents were hot on keeping the place spotless and he still hadn’t lived down last time Kai forgot to take off his shoes.
“No need” Kai grinned back and Chase got the unnatural, but all too familiar feeling that Kai was up to one of his stupid ideas again.
“What is it this time?” he sighed exasperatedly
“I thought it might be nice to go for a walk” Kai mumbled, which basically meant there was more to it than that.
“Why would we do that?”
“Look, Chase, I’m gonna cut the crap here okay? As long as you promise to come with me”
“Why would I do that?” Chase knew he sounded a tad hysterical, but he was getting tired of Kai’s games, and quite frankly, he wasn’t in the mood for it.
“Well, basically, you know that animal smuggling ring that I’ve been telling you about?”
“Yes” Chase sounded as if he was talking to a five year old as he muttered this, but he knew all too well about the supposed ‘animal smuggling ring’. Kai had been banging on about it for weeks now, but he quite honestly didn’t believe that kind of a thing could be going on here. Drug dealing yes, but he was pretty sure he’d notice if someone was smuggling in some dirty great beast into Goldwestor.
“Well, it’s just that I heard from a close source that something big and scary was smuggled in this week, and the guy who smuggled it is selling it on to a poacher, so that he can sell it to a trader who will make a big profit out of it. I hear they’re getting paid loads!”
“Don’t talk bullshit Kai, who told you this?”
“Meruses Gurn” he murmured
“Who?”
“Mrs Green! Okay I know you don’t trust her judgement and I know you think she’s a crazy old lady, but hear me out?”
“I don’t think she’s a crazy old lady! I know she is, just last week she tried to claim that her house was under extraterrestrial attack! You think I believe that woman? I’d rather rot in hell than...”
“Please just come with me this once, you never have to again, I promise, just come now and I’ll never bother you again... If I’m right”
“You believe in it that much?”
“Yes!”
“Uhh fine, where are we going?”
“Well, she said it was meant to be happening up one of these lanes, near a forest walk I think”
“Okay, lead the way... actually on second thoughts, I will, I still haven’t recovered from the last time you got us lost”
They departed from the house and strolled off down one of the obscure country lanes that even the dealers didn’t wander down, but if Kai was correct (although Chase highly doubted it) this would be the perfect place to smuggle exotic, not to mention highly illegal, pets. What they were about to try and find was probably highly dangerous and also very terrifying, but Chase didn’t think for one moment it could be true, but as him and Kai turned a narrow corner up to the forest, he found out how wrong he really was.
