The Supernatural

Rain slammed against the windows of Blackthorne High School as thunder exploded across the dark sky above the small town of Ravenshade, Oregon. The entire school felt cold, almost haunted, like the building itself was alive and breathing.

Students rushed through the hallways laughing, yelling, shoving each other, pretending the storm outside was normal.

It wasn't.

Something bad was coming.

Ethan Graves sat alone at the back of his history class, hood over his head, black headphones hanging around his neck. His sharp gray eyes stared at the rain outside while his fingers tapped nervously against the desk.

Heartbeat.

Heartbeat.

Heartbeat.

Too many.

He could hear every damn heartbeat in the classroom.

Every whisper.

Every breath.

A girl in the front row chewing gum.

A teacher scratching his beard.

A freshman crying in the bathroom three rooms away.

Ethan clenched his fists hard.

"Yo, Ethan."

Jake Moreno dropped into the seat beside him with a loud grin. The human teenager looked way too happy for a Monday morning.

"You look like a depressed serial killer again."

Ethan rolled his eyes.

"And you look like a homeless raccoon."

"Damn right."

Jake leaned back proudly.

His backpack clanked loudly.

Metal weapons.

Knives.

Homemade explosives.

Silver bullets.

Illegal stuff.

A lot of illegal stuff.

Ethan sighed.

"One day you're gonna get expelled."

Jake smirked.

"One day you're gonna stop being emo Dracula Wolverine."

Before Ethan could answer, the classroom door suddenly opened.

The entire room went quiet.

A girl walked in.

Pale skin.

Long black hair.

Dark red lips.

Black leather jacket over a school uniform.

Her eyes were glowing crimson for half a second before returning to normal.

Ethan froze.

The smell hit him instantly.

Blood.

Vampire.

Pureblood vampire.

The teacher awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Class, this is Selena Cross. She's a transfer student from New York."

Selena scanned the room with cold eyes until they landed directly on Ethan.

Her expression changed slightly.

Shock.

Recognition.

Fear.

Interesting.

Jake slowly looked between them.

"Oh shit," he whispered. "You two got sexual tension already."

Ethan kicked Jake under the desk.

"Ow, asshole."

Selena walked toward the empty seat beside Ethan.

Of course.

Of fucking course.

She sat down gracefully.

The room immediately started whispering.

"She's hot."

"Bro, she's scary."

"I think she'd stab me."

"Worth it."

Selena ignored everyone.

Then she looked at Ethan.

"You smell weird."

Ethan blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"Like wolf and blood mixed together."

Jake nearly choked trying not to laugh.

"Oh my God. Bro got roasted by the goth vampire girl."

Ethan glared at him.

Selena narrowed her eyes at Ethan.

"What are you?"

Ethan looked away.

"None of your business."

For a moment, the air between them became tense.

Dangerous.

Predatory.

Like two monsters recognizing each other.

Then the school bell rang loudly.

Everyone got up.

Jake grabbed Ethan's shoulder.

"Cafeteria. Now. Before I die from starvation."

As they walked through the crowded hallway, Ethan could still feel Selena watching him.

Every instinct in his body screamed at him to stay away from her.

Which obviously meant his dumb teenage brain suddenly found her attractive.

Fantastic.

Outside the cafeteria windows, the storm grew worse.

The sky looked almost black now.

A blood red lightning bolt flashed across the clouds.

Several students gasped.

Ryan Cole nearly dropped his lunch tray.

"THAT'S NOT NORMAL!" he shouted dramatically.

Nobody listened to him.

Jake stuffed fries into his mouth.

"Dude's been saying the world's ending since middle school."

Ryan sprinted toward their table holding several books.

"No, seriously. Weird supernatural activity spikes during blood moon storms."

Jake blinked.

"You saying that because you're crazy or because you're a nerd?"

"Both."

Ethan suddenly stiffened.

His enhanced hearing picked up something outside.

Growling.

Wet footsteps.

Heavy breathing.

Not human.

His eyes widened.

Then every light in the cafeteria shut off.

Students screamed.

The room became pitch black.

Thunder BOOMED outside.

Then came the sound.

SMASH.

The cafeteria windows exploded inward.

Glass flew everywhere as massive hairy creatures crashed into the room.

Werewolves.

But not normal werewolves.

These things looked twisted.

Mutated.

Their glowing eyes were pitch black.

Dark veins crawled across their bodies.

Students panicked instantly.

People screamed and ran in every direction.

One creature grabbed a football player and threw him across the cafeteria like a ragdoll.

Jake stood up instantly.

"Oh hell no."

He pulled a silver knife from his backpack.

Ethan grabbed him.

"Jake, don't!"

Too late.

Jake charged the werewolf screaming like a maniac.

"COME HERE YOU UGLY BITCH!"

The creature roared and lunged at him.

Then suddenly it flew sideways.

SLAM.

Selena stood nearby, eyes glowing red.

The werewolf smashed through a lunch table.

Jake stared.

"...Okay that's hot."

Another creature leaped toward a group of terrified students.

Ethan moved instantly.

Faster than human eyes could follow.

BOOM.

He punched the werewolf midair so hard its body crashed through a concrete wall.

The cafeteria went silent.

Everyone stared at Ethan.

His glowing silver eyes.

His claws.

The veins crawling across his skin.

Sophia Miller pointed at him in horror.

"What the fuck ARE you?!"

Ethan breathed heavily.

His monster side was waking up.

Hungry.

Violent.

A werewolf tackled him through another table.

Ethan roared angrily and grabbed the creature by the throat.

CRACK.

Its neck snapped instantly.

Students screamed louder.

Jake looked impressed.

"Dude... remind me never to piss you off."

More monsters flooded into the cafeteria.

At least twenty now.

Selena hissed.

"This isn't random."

Lily Hart suddenly appeared near the entrance.

Nobody even noticed her arrive.

Her glowing blue eyes scanned the room calmly.

Then she raised her hand.

A giant magical barrier sealed the cafeteria doors.

Everyone froze.

Lily sighed softly.

"Great. The demons found the school faster than expected."

Jake blinked.

"The WHAT found the WHAT?"

One monster lunged toward Lily.

Without looking at it, she snapped her fingers.

WHOOSH.

Blue fire exploded across the creature's body.

The entire cafeteria stared at her.

Jake slowly pointed.

"Okay. Nope. Nope. Fuck this school."

Suddenly the ceiling exploded.

A figure dropped down surrounded by flames.

Mason Ryder.

Black hoodie.

Chains wrapped around his fists.

Fire burning in his eyes.

He looked around at the chaos.

"Damn," he said casually. "I leave for one day and this place turns into a horror movie."

One mutated werewolf attacked him from behind.

Mason grabbed its face.

HELLFIRE exploded from his palm.

The creature burned alive screaming.

The students lost their minds.

Some fainted.

Others cried.

Emma Carter recorded everything on her phone while shaking violently.

"This is either the greatest news story ever or I'm about to die."

Ethan looked around desperately.

Everything was spiraling out of control.

Monsters.

Magic.

Fire.

Blood.

Screaming teenagers.

Then he smelled it.

A new scent.

Ancient.

Rotting.

Powerful.

The cafeteria lights flickered red.

All the monsters suddenly stopped moving.

Silence filled the room.

Even the storm outside went quiet.

Then a deep voice echoed through the darkness.

"Interesting."

Black smoke slowly formed near the broken windows.

A tall man stepped out from the shadows wearing a long black coat.

Pale skin.

Red eyes.

An unnatural smile.

Victor Draven.

Selena immediately went pale.

"No..." she whispered.

Victor looked directly at Ethan.

The vampire lord smiled wider.

"So the hybrid child is finally awake."

Ethan felt fear for the first time in years.

Victor slowly walked forward.

The floor beneath him literally died wherever he stepped.

Plants withered.

Metal rusted.

Air darkened.

Students backed away in terror.

Victor looked amused.

"You have your mother's eyes."

Ethan froze.

"What?"

Victor chuckled softly.

"Oh... your father never told you the truth?"

Before Ethan could answer, Selena suddenly stood in front of him protectively.

"Don't listen to him."

Victor looked disappointed.

"Still protecting people who would kill you if they knew what you truly are."

Ethan clenched his fists.

"What the hell do you want?"

Victor's red eyes glowed brighter.

"You."

Suddenly all the mutated monsters attacked at once.

Chaos exploded again.

Ethan transformed partially, claws extending as he slammed into the creatures.

Selena moved like a blur through the darkness.

Mason's hellfire blasted across the cafeteria.

Lily created magical shields around terrified students.

Jake screamed while throwing silver explosives everywhere.

"This is officially the worst Monday ever!"

Victor simply watched.

Smiling.

Like he was testing them.

Then Ethan saw something horrifying.

One monster grabbed Sophia Miller by the throat.

She screamed desperately.

Without thinking, Ethan unleashed his full strength.

His body transformed violently.

Bones cracked.

Fangs extended.

Silver and crimson eyes glowed together.

Dark fur spread across parts of his body.

A terrifying hybrid beast.

Everyone stared in horror.

Even the monsters hesitated.

Ethan roared so loudly the cafeteria windows shattered again.

Then he attacked.

Fast.

Savage.

Brutal.

Blood covered the floor.

The creatures were ripped apart within seconds.

Silence followed.

Ethan stood in the middle of the destruction breathing heavily.

Blood dripping from his claws.

Students looked terrified of him now.

Not grateful.

Not amazed.

Afraid.

Victor smiled proudly.

"Beautiful."

Ethan looked at the horrified faces around him.

His classmates.

His friends.

They looked at him like he was a monster.

Maybe they were right.

Then Victor disappeared into black smoke.

But his final words echoed throughout the ruined cafeteria.

"The Blood Moon has begun, Ethan Graves. Soon the entire world will know your name."