Chapter 1
Once there was a Ten year-old boy named Andrew who had nothing but his family. He loved his family very much. Now he or his family never had very much. They wore wolf skin as clothes, they lived in a cave that was off any map in the world, they also had to hunt for their food and fight off predators like wolves, bears, wolverines, and badgers, and before winter they had to store up a lot of food because it is really hard to hunt in the snow and it is hard to keep warm, so he was living the hard life. Then one summer day he got up and he was really happy because he and his dad were going fishing and while they were walking his dad said, “Andrew, can you promise me something?”. Andrew was confused so he said, “What dad, what do you want me to promise?”. Andrew’s dad continued saying, “Not saying something will, but” he sighed in worry and fear and then continued by saying, “do you promise to take care of your little brother, Lukas?”. Andrew saw the worried and fearful and sad look in his dad’s eyes, so without hesitation he said, “Yes dad, I will promise to take care of Lukas, No Matter what.” Andrew’s dad seemed to calm down a little, but Andrew was more confused than ever. Why would his dad make him promise something like that, and what was with the look in his eyes like he saw a ghost or he saw the future. Andrew then knew something was wrong so he decided to make a plan after he got back from fishing. Now when they got to the fishing spot something that Andrew would have never imagined happened, his father looked at the water and immediately said that they should go, and as Andrew moved, a shadowy figure came out of the water and almost killed him and his dad. Now Andrew knew something was up, so when he and his dad got home he decided to sneak out of the cave to spy on his parents while they were talking around the fire and he heard them discussing about the shadow monsters and someone named James Darkness. Now he had so many questions like who is James Darkness, the thing that attacked, was it a shadow monster?So Andrew decided the next morning Andrew volunteered to pick berries as an excuse to get his thoughts straight and he was so lost in his thoughts that he ran into someone and he looked weird. He had a weird mist around him with a dark cloak on him so Andrew wasn’t able to see face. Then Andrew’s fear grew so big that without a second thought he ran to his parents and he followed and when he got home the man disappeared. He told his parents and in a split second they looked at him in deep fear, so he asked, “What’s wrong?” in a shaky voice. His parents said that nothing was wrong, so he thought that they were right, so he went to his corner of the cave, but he could never unsee the monster, his parents’ faces, or that weird man chasing him.
Then early in the morning his father woke him up and said, “Time for your training.” Training? Training for what? And why so early, now even more questions were in Andrew’s head. After a little while they made it to a clearing of trees. Then Andrew’s Dad said, “Andrew this is our training area, before the birds chirp or the rooster crows I expect to see you here if not you will be punished. Is that understood?” he said in a loud controlling voice. Andrew answered, “yes”. Then Andrew’s dad had him running laps and doing push-ups and sit-ups all day. When they were done Andrew was so tired and sore, but then Andrews dad said, “Now I am going to teach you how to fight but just because I am your father I am not going to go easy on you, like my parents always said fight or die and I know you don’t want to die so your going to fight.” Andrew answered, “yes sir.” trying to make it seem like he is up for anything when in reality he wanted to go back to bed. The fighting lessons were even harder than everything else and when he got home it was lunchtime and he was bruised, tired, and so confused but he didn’t let the confusion stop him from going to his corner and falling asleep, he was so tired that he didn’t think about eating so he skipped lunch. The one thing keeping him from crying is the fact his little brother was there and he didn’t want to set a bad example but as soon as it was dinnertime he decided to go to his parents when Lukas was asleep and ask what the heck is going on. So as soon as Lukas was asleep he went to his parents but when he discovered they were awake he decided to wait and listen to what they said but what he heard was unbearable, they said that James Darkness found them and he wants Andrew. “He wants me, why!?” Andrew said quietly to himself. Then he heard his parents say that they were running out of time and James Darkness is already preparing to attack. After that Andrew went back to his corner trying not to make noise or cry because he felt like the world’s fate was on his shoulders and that this would never happen if he just paid attention to where he was going or just not go to pick berries, that night Andrew couldn’t sleep. The next morning he got up earlier than expected and waited for his father. That day he worked twice as hard to be ready for anything but he even asked his father to train him even harder. His dad agreed and after the training was over he ran back home and then he felt like he still wasn’t ready so he asked his dad if they could train even longer, his father agreed to it. Andrew thought that he could never have enough training because if what he saw wasn’t all of it then what is all of it? Andrew had so many questions but he never asked them. A few weeks went by and he trained everyday even on the weekends so he thought everything was fine until he saw that weird shadowy man again but this time he had his hood down and Andrew saw an evil grin on his face and looked directly at him. Then Andrew called for his parents and when they came out with Lukas some shadows pushed cave in then Andrew’s parents put Lukas next Andrew preparing to fight but James Darkness had the shadows go and capture the parents and then James Darkness said in a low creepy voice, “Come save your parents Andrew” and then James Darkness started to laugh and then he disappeared, Andrew knew there was only one thing he could do which was to go save his parents but two questions was still in his mind how would he save his parents and why didn’t he take me or Lukas. So until Andrew could think of a plan he took Lukas and one of his dad’s spears and sword and ran off to another cave or anywhere that James Darkness couldn’t follow, soon Andrew found a city that looked abandoned, so Andrew decided that Lukas and him should stay there for a couple of days. Andrew found a little hut in the city and told Lukas to stay there and if something goes wrong run to find me. Then Andrew went hunting and when he came back he and Lukas ate like they haven’t eaten in days which in fact they haven’t . Soon Lukas went to sleep but Andrew couldn’t sleep at all because he could never unsee or unhear what he saw or heard. Andrew was so sad and scared that he actually broke down in tears, he couldn’t and didn’t want to imagine what James Darkness was doing to his parents. Just the thought made him feel weak. Andrew was trying not to wake or worry Lukas. So Andrew promised himself that he will save his parents but have to keep Lukas safe because right now Lukas is holding him together and giving him hope, but Andrew knew he couldn’t run forever but he was just a little boy that is scared and confused. What could he do? Then he felt like all the training he had was useless and he felt defenseless. The next morning Andrew took Lukas and they walked around the city and each time they moved he had a bad feeling until he had enough. He told Lukas to run as fast as he could while following him and as they were running Andrew heard something in the grass so he told Lukas to stay behind him. Lukas did as he said and then a shadow monster jumped out and as fast as he could he grabbed his spear and killed the beast. At that moment Andrew picked up Lukas and found a cave to hide him in and while Lukas was hiding Andrew stood guard and made sure they weren’t followed.
