Shadowstalker (Prologue - Chapter 1)

[RaiRass_Rosato]

Here is the prologue of my newly revived book: Shadowstalker.

Prologue

The room was completely dark, the shadows consuming him. He turned every direction, seeing nothing but the endless black void at every turn. Slowly he took a step forward, the floor creaking underfoot. As he continued to move forward, he heard something behind him. A skittering sound, and suddenly something brushed against his ankle.
The boy flinched and rolled forward, haphazardly regaining his balance afterward. He listened carefully for the sound again, but heard nothing. His hand slid into his pocket and pulled out a knife, which he whipped out in a swift flick. Just as he did this, a hissing noise could be heard from above him. A quick glance upward and his eyes caught sight of two glowing red dots on the ceiling. Moving red dots. The same skittering sound as before, and they were out of sight within seconds.
There was silence for several moments, when a dim light appeared in front of the boy. The outline of what appeared to be a lit doorway was merely twenty odd feet in front of him. He moved forward warily, turning to look behind him with each step, both ears attentive. As he inched nearer to the door, his movements seemed to become slower and more exhausting. About three feet in front of the doorway, he collapsed, his arms thrown out above his head, knife barely glinting in the dim glow.
Sounds of tiny footsteps and hissing could be heard continuously behind him. The boy strained his neck to see what the source was. To his dismay, a swarm of ten or possibly even more red dots were closing in on him. It was then that he realized what they were: Red eyes. The creatures scuttled closer to him at an alarming rate, and he was unable to do more than roll himself onto his back.
A loud screeching sound echoed throughout the abyss as a pair of eyes leaped into the air and landed sharply onto his chest, claws digging into his ribs. He struggled with his exhaustion to maneuver his arm just enough to plunge the knife downward towards the creature. It jumped to the side just as he did, the blade going into his chest. His mouth fell agape as he stabbed himself and the creatures amassed upon his helpless body.

The shaking thunderclap outside of Alex's window startled him awake. He looked over at the clock, which read three in the morning. He gave a groan of distaste and rolled back over. His eyes met directly with the red pair in front of him. The last sound he heard was the hissing of the beast; the final one he made was a helpless gasp as it clasped its jaws onto his bare throat.  

[RaiRass_Rosato]

Chapter 1 – Settling Dusk
( The Previous Day)

Alex eyed his clock lazily through his sleep induced haze. With a grunt he recognized it read to be 6:30 am. His wrist flailed over to the snooze button to silence the blaring yet muffled siren emanating from it. Just as he got comfortable again, a loud rap rang out against his door.
“Alex!? I know you didn't just hit the snooze button!” His sister, Samantha, was dutifully ensuring he woke up as usual. He grunted a retort. “What's that? You're getting up and getting ready for school? That sounds great. Now hurry up; Mom has dinner ready downstairs!”
“Well that sowns ashwum...” Alex mumbled in an attempt to respond. A very loud sigh could be heard from the other side of the door, followed soon by footsteps padding down the stairs. Slowly he slumped out of bed and got dressed for the school day before heading downstairs.
“Breakfast on the table, honey!” his mother echoed out cheerily as he plodded down the last few steps. He looked at the meal she had prepared for him on the table, then glanced at the clock on the wall. He had about five minutes to eat a whole breakfast meal and still catch the bus. That wasn't going to happen. After a moment of staring at his food, his sister couldn't help but bug him like usual.
“You gonna eat your food, or are you going to just stare at it and hope it jumps into your mouth?” she asked him sarcastically.
“Well, the way I see it, there's absolutely no way I could eat all of that before the bus gets here in five minutes. It's just not possible.” he replied, a hint of cynicism in his voice.
“It doesn't help that you sat there and stared at it after taking twenty minutes to get downstairs in the first place. You could have at least eaten a biscuit.”
“I still can. And I will.” Alex grabbed a biscuit from the basket in the middle of the table and darted to the doorway, slinging his book bag over his shoulder as he went out. He tottered out to the bus, his sister somehow tailing close behind, just as it pulled in. He took a chomp of his biscuit, jumped on the bus, and threw the rest of it away.
“How can you just waste mom's food like that?” Sam inquired, distaste lining her voice.
“What are you talking about? It's not wasting it if something eats it, and I'm pretty sure those flies probably don't mind.” He snickered at his own remark as he walked to the back of the bus, taking a seat in solitude.

About an hour later the bus arrived at the school, just in time for it to begin.
“Another day of learning!” Samantha exclaimed as she stepped off the bus.
“Another eight hours of sleep!” Alex sarcastically replied as he got off after her.
“I can't tell if you're being serious, or if you're just goofing around.” she tilted her head in curiosity as he began walking in the opposite direction to class.
“Who knows? Depends on who's here and who's not, I guess!” He entered the school double doors only to be pounced.
“ALEX!!!” Diane screamed as she jumped on him, clinging in an extended hug.
“Whoa! What's with this, Diane? We just saw each other yesterday.” he picked her up off of him and set her to the side, continuing to walk down the hall.
“Yes, we did just see each other yesterday, but today is the dance!”
“Dance? What about it?”
“Don't kid around, Alex! You said you'd go with me!” she punched him playfully on the arm.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. How could I forget, eh? You've only been reminding me about it all week.” he rubbed his arm's bruise from repeated daily hits.
“Aren't you excited, Alex?”
“Yeah, I am, but... I mean, come on. I'm not a very good dancer.”
“Who cares!? It's about the atmosphere and having a good time, Alex!”
“Well, yeah, but it still doesn't make much sense to me to go to a 'dance' if I can't even dance.” Alex continued on.
“I'm sure you'll have a blast when it comes! But, I gotta head to class now. See you at lunch, Alex!” Diane dashed away into her nearby classroom, Alex dutifully pacing off to Algebra.

Alex took a seat in the back corner as per usual, and laid his head on the desk waiting for the tardy bell to ring. He quickly shot his head up as Cindy Dawkins entered the room, however. She walked over to the teacher and handed her a couple of papers, talking inaudibly. Alex stared incredulously at Cindy until she turned around and glanced at him back. He swiftly placed his head back on the desk as she walked back out of the classroom.
“Alex Maird.” He lifted his head off of the desk as the teacher called his name. “Come here for a second, please.” He got out of the desk and walked wearily towards her.
“Yes, Mrs. Swanson?” Alex said, confused.
“Where's your homework that you were supposed to turn in yesterday?”
“Oh, yeah, that... I kind of forgot to do that. Sorry.”
“Alex, this is the fifth assignment in a row now that you've 'forgotten'. It has to end now. If you don't turn in today's assignment, I'm going to call your mother in for a conference.” Alex looked down at the ground.
“Okay, Mrs. Swanson. I'll get it done.” he replied.
“Okay. You may return to your seat.” He sat back down as the bell rang and the other students pulled out their textbooks. Reluctantly, he followed their lead.

“Here you go, Mrs. Swanson.” Alex said as he handed in the assignment to her.
“Thank you, Alex.” Mrs. Swanson replied as he walked out of the classroom. He exited the door to see James Thor waiting for him.
“Heya, Alex!” James exclaimed.
“Uhh... Hey, James. Any particular reason you're, uh, talking to me instead of your friends?”
“What are you talking about? I'm taking your sister to the dance tonight! We're basically friends already!”
“Well, I barely know you man. I'd consider you an acquaintance. It's cool that you're going to the dance with Sam and all, but we don't really hang out.”
“Well, why don't we hang out? How about I sit with you at lunch for a bit? I'm sure we'll get along great!” James insisted.
“Okay, sure. You're being awful enthusiastic about everything, though. It's kind of freaking me out.” Alex said as he walked to his next class.
“Well, I'm just psyched for the dance tonight.”
“Glad one of us is.” Alex mumbled.
“What?”
“Nothing. I gotta get to class. Talk to you at lunch.” He slipped into his next classroom.
“Oh. Okay. See you there, then.”

A few hours later, the bell rang for lunch period. Alex poked his head out of the English class door and glanced down the hall both ways, checking for any sign of Diane or James. Neither of them were in sight. He stepped out of the class and began to head for the lunchroom when he heard his name screamed from behind him. Diane was running up to him from around the corner.
“Aleeeeeex!” She yelled. “Wait up a sec!” He sighed to himself and stopped. She finally caught up to him a moment later. “What's your rush, man? Are you hungry or something?” She joked around with him.
“Actually, yeah. I'm starving. I'm so hungry, in fact...” he stopped short.
“What?”
“I think I'm gonna head off campus and grab a meal.”
“Well, mind if I tag along?” she asked him.
“I don't really have enough money on me right now to pay for us both.” he answered.
“It's okay. I have my own money.” she smiled at him.
“Okay then.”
“Is there another reason you're going to lunch off-campus?”
“Well, there might be.” he replied.
“Come on, what is it?” 'It's you!' he wanted to say.
“Well, James is wanting to sit with me, and I don't really want to talk to him right now. All he'd talk about is my sister.”
“Oh, okay.” They began to walk towards the exit when Alex stumbled. “Whoa, are you okay?”
“I think so. I'm not really feeling good, though.” he lied.
“You'll be able to come to the dance tonight, though, right?”
“Probably. I think I'll feel better by then.”
“Alright, then. Well, I think I'll just let you go eat, then, and I'll stay here. I don't want to get sick, too.”
“Okay. I'll see you later, then.”

A few more hours passed by and the end bell rang. Alex once more poked his head out into the hall to scout.
“What are you doing, weirdo?” Sam asked him as she pushed him out the door.
“Just checking to see if certain people are out here.”
“Why are you doing that?”
“Well, let's just say that I don't necessarily want to talk to them and/or see them, okay?” Alex replied.
“Did you just say and/or?” Sam asked.
“Yeah... What about it? That is probably the least important thing I said to your question.”
“I know, but it's just weird.”
“What!?”
“Just go! We're gonna miss the bus if you don't hurry!” she pushed him along.
“Alright, alright. I'm going.” He pulled her arm away from his back and walked to the bus. He swung himself up onto the bus and went to the back seat again. Moments after he sat down, his phone vibrated in his pocket.
“Hello?” he answered the phone.
“Hey, Alex! It's Diane. I'm just checking to see if you're feeling okay enough to go to the dance.”
“Oh, well, I don't know. I'm still feeling pretty bad, and I'm getting a pretty bad headache.” Sam turned around and scowled at him as he said that. “Maybe, but I'm not sure. It's not for a few more hours, so I'll let you know later, okay?”
“Oh, okay. Well, I hope you feel better soon, even if you don't get to come.” There was obvious disappointment in her voice. Alex closed his phone and stuck it back in his pocket.
“Boy, you're sure going to have a headache when I get done with you, Alex!” Sam scolded him as she walked back to his seat.
“Say what now?” he looked up at her, bewildered.
“I know what you're doing, Alex!” she glared at him, sitting next to him.
“What are you talking about?”
“You're lying to Diane so you don't have to go to the dance tonight!” He stared at her for a moment, thinking of something to say.
“What are you talking about!?” he repeated.
“You should be ashamed of yourself! She really likes you, you know! If you didn't go, why did you tell her you would!?”
“I... I...”
“You what!? You're not like this, Alex! You're better than this!” she screamed at him.
“You know what!? What if I just don't want to go because I'm nervous!?”
“I don't c-” She stopped herself. “Wait, what?”
“I... I'm nervous, okay? I don't want to go there and make a fool of myself.”
“You're nervous about making a fool of yourself in front of Diane?” 'Well, not her, per se.' he thought to himself.
“Yeah. Yeah, I am.”
“Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. I won't let you look too stupid, okay?” She got up and walked back up to her seat to talk to her friend.
'Why couldn't Cindy have asked me?' Alex thought as he stared out the window, sighing. 'Oh well... I guess I'll go tonight.'



The actual dance is so significant that it's the next chapter... You'll have to wait to see it!