Cryptid Hunting Association

Operation 1.1: Welcome to C.H.A.

Ten years ago

Sitting at a table covered in paint, crayon markings, paper, and paint brushes, one of the children at the table spoke up, "You guys wanna know what I want to do one day?"

Without looking up from his own project, the second child replied. "Sleep?"

"No!" said the child as he stood up and puts his hands on his hips; "I want to hunt some monsters."

He sounded so sure and proud of himself as he waited for his two friends to say something. The other boy didn't say a word, he simply continued to paint the cup in front of him. The third person at the table, a young girl, just stared up at the standing boy. "B-but why? Monsters are scary and would hurt you."

Shaking his head, the boy smiled at his friend. "Not to me, I ain't scared of them one bit." Carefully, he began to climb on top of the table, careful of the materials on the surface. "It'll be the monsters who are going to be scared of me!"

"Avery, please stop standing on the table."

"Oh, sorry Ms. Weston."

. . .

Unzipping a blue lunch bag, Avery pulled out its contents: a ham and cheese sandwich, apple slices, chips, and a water bottle. With all of his items sitting in front of him, he went for the apple slices and began to carefully take one out of the baggie. As he started to eat the apple slice, he watched his two friends who began to talk about their day.

"I still can't believe that I got number five wrong on the test," said the girl who poked her burrito with her finger, not too interested in her food obviously. "I did everything that we were told to do, I did every single step, but I still got it wrong and I just don't understand how or why."

The guy beside her just shrugged his shoulders as he popped a carrot into his mouth. "You made a mistake, Ivy, it happens to the best of us."

"I get that, but I just don't understand how I got that question wrong..."

At that point, Avery went back to tuning the two, and everyone around them, out. It just wasn't worth it anymore. Every day, they would have the same conversation and do the same thing. Wake up, go to school, complain about school during lunch, leave school, go to any of their clubs, practices, or homes, and then have their families ask them about school. It was annoying, it was boring. And he hated boring things, he couldn't stand the idea of continuing with this life.

Before he knew it, he had finished his last apple slice once noticing that he didn't pull another one out. Sighing, Avery reached for his bag chips. His two friends continued talking, not paying him any mind. So he sighed again, but still no reaction. Taking a deep breath this time, the brunette sighed deeply, this time louder and more obnoxious than before. The sigh did not only catch the attention of his friends, but also those nearby.

Stopping mid-sentence, the other male stared at Avery, quirking up an eyebrow. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes, because the two of you were ignoring me."

"Sorry that we weren't giving your daily dose of attention, princess. Now tell us, what's going on with you?"

Avery just glared at the other. "You know Hugo if you weren't my point five bro, I would've decked your ass." the other simply let out a puff of air at that, but said nothing else. "And I don't know dude, I'm just so fucking bored and tired."

"Of?" Asked Ivy.

"School, whatever I'm doing, life, I don't know!" Avery dropped his head on the table, not caring about the pain in his head. "I just want to do something that could change up things, ya know? I don't want to be bored and live in this routined like lifestyle."