Protectors of the Human Race

Eighteen Years Later

Today was the first day in a long time Jane had something to look forward to. It was her eighteenth birthday and the last day of her senior year. As Jane walked home she thought of her plans now that school was officially over. Her best friend, Kelly, wanted to go to Briarcliffe in New York together but, Jane decided she wasn’t cut out for college. She was still going to New York with Kelly but not for college. What’s better than a waitressing job receiving minimum wage, right? Jane thought.

As she reached closer to home other thoughts of why she couldn’t wait to leave surfaced her thinking bubble. Her parents, technically foster parents, only took Jane in to make themselves look good. Fostering a child was now on the same level as helping out hurricane victims, apparently. She had been with the Cokers for a year and half now and not one single relationship had developed. Not even with their daughter, Clara, who was Jane’s age. Clara wouldn’t even give Jane a ride home. Clara often stated, ‘white trash had no place in a corvette fitted with leather seats’. Clara was obviously spoiled but, her parents were not to be told she wouldn’t give Jane a ride. Clara often blackmailed Jane by threatening to hide her marijuana stash in Jane’s room in an easily found spot.

Jane didn’t mind though. Being quiet and left alone was nice and she actually preferred it; with the exception of Kelly, of course. Jane and Kelly hit it off the moment Jane moved to Phoenix, Arizona. As the outsider, Jane, was immediately accepted by fellow loner, Kelly. Kelly insisted on doing something for Jane’s birthday today but Jane was a bit skeptic. All she wanted to do was go home and pack up her things. Her and Kelly already had an apartment scouted out and were to head out as soon as possible. Jane, obviously, was planning on arriving before Kelly, who wanted to stay with her family a while longer. Jane was okay with that because being alone was her specialty.

As Jane neared her home she felt as though she was being watched. Feeling her neck hairs prick up Jane slowly turned around. Nothing. Jane figured she was just stressed from excitement of moving tomorrow. 

She finally reached home and pushed the door in. Jane could tell from the silence that she was the only one home. Good, Jane thought, that meant she could get a head start on packing before Kelly came to pick her up. They had planned, well Kelly had, to go to their favorite pizza joint, Baletelli’s Pizzeria, for dinner. Jane made sure that was all they had planned. She didn’t want to be tired tomorrow on her first day to New York. It was to take three days on the bus. Jane ventured up to her room and began packing.

Jane looked at the clock as she heard knocking on the door. It was six o’clock. Jane had been packing for three hours and was almost done. Considering she really had no relationship with her foster parents, they were rich and her foster mom brought home a bunch of clothes from her work trips. So, packing was more of hassle then she thought. She trailed downstairs and opened the door to see a beaming Kelly.

“Happy birthday, bestie!” She yelled throwing herself onto Jane. Kelly was a hugger alright.

“Hello, there!” Jane said, smiling.

“Were you packing?” Kelly asked, noticing Jane’s sweaty condition.

Jane looked down at herself and slowly responded, “I’ll go...err… get dressed into something nicer.”

“That you will do!”

Though Baletelli’s Pizzeria wasn’t such a fancy restaurant Jane wanted to make Kelly happy so she put on a yellow semi high sun dress and brushed through her hair. She grabbed a pen and paper off her desk and wrote the parents a note. She figured it was the least she could do even though it would be late when they arrived from work. Jane headed downstairs and followed Kelly to her car. It was a hunk-a-junk jeep but it still made Jane jealous. Despite being eighteen, Jane still didn’t have her own license due moving around a lot and catching up in school.

“Alrighty, let’s go eat some awesome pizza!” And with that they were off.

It was almost eleven when Kelly dropped Jane home. They had spent fifteen minutes in the car prior due to Jane convincing Kelly she would call as much as possible on the way to New York. Jane also had to promise not to spoil any details about the apartment when she got there. The place, Jane was sure, would look the same online as in person but Kelly was determined to see for herself.

When Jane entered the house it was very dark and quiet. Her foster parents’ cars’ were in the drive but they must have gone to bed. As she entered her room she let out a silent sigh. On her bed was a big box wrapped in shiny paper. She took the card that was on top and read. It was from the Coker family. It was wishing her an eighteenth birthday and they wanted to make sure when she made her travels to New York she wouldn’t forget about them. There was also a thousand dollars stuck in the card which made Jane shake her head in pity. Of course she appreciated it but, to be able to throw away that kind of money. Then again, until Jane got a job Kelly was covering the rent. Now she would be able to help. Jane made a mental note to be extra nice in the morning. She slowly unwrapped the box and gasped at what she saw. Though she and the Coker’s weren’t close inside the box contained pictures. Pictures of her and her foster parents, Chloe and Greg and even Clara were in some of them. Guilt spread over Jane like wildfire. In the year and half she has lived with them not once did she try and get close. She erased her earlier mental note and told herself to be triple nice in the morning. Along with the pictures were more nice clothes and a gift card to a furniture store located in New York. Jane put everything back into the box and rose to open her window. The guiltiness made her sweaty.

Jane plopped back on the bed and then did she realize how overly tired her body felt. She would have to finish packing the reminder of her things tomorrow. As Jane quickly switched into her night clothes a rustling near her window caused her to jump in fright. Jane walked to the window and peered down.

“What the f!” She yelled as someone jumped through and placed there hand on her mouth. When the person spoke Jane knew it was a man.

“Are you Jane Cherry?”

Jane knew she shouldn’t speak to him and she should try to run instead.

“Are. You. Jane. Cherry? He asked again, angrily.

Jane’s body betrayed her as her head nodded. He let his hands fall and reached for his pocket. Before Jane could try and escape he pushed something onto her face. Jane blacked out immediately. Before her body hit the floor the man grabbed her. In one swift movement he jumped out the window and started running for the woods. Being seen wasn’t his worst problem considering it was too dark out. Carrying the human, on the other hand, was. With amazing speed he swept through the woods knowing they would arrive at their destination soon.