Chapter 1:

Jim Lake Jr. sat with his back against a cold, hard, brick wall in a dim alleyway. His night had been going fine, he and his friends were walking home after a well-deserved cheeseburger and shake from their favorite diner in town. The night hadn't been too cold and no clouds had speckled the sky. And yet even the most seemingly perfect night turned out to be a wolf in sheep's skin. He had been the first to hear the low, nearly inaudible growl coming from the dark shadows. And when the legendary war hammer was drawn and the epic portal staff righted, and when the bright glow of daylight blessed the land, there had been chaos. Crawling goblins, all green skin and glowing eyes, leapt from the shadows with bared claws and ferocious snarls. They had trained against goblins, trained against their quick movements and their lack of self-preservation, trained against their daftness and their tricks. But they were not prepared for the hoard that attacked them. They usually attacked in large yet manageable sizes except now it appeared the whole species showed up. When one fell in a flash of light or oozed under the weight of the hammer, another ten bounded up to fell their foes. So they ran as if their life depended on it, because it did. In the nick of time, Claire had summoned an ominous swirling portal to transport them back to Troll Market, the mass inches from the three troll hunters heels. However, two went through and the last was thrown to the ground as a dead hand and a glowing-eyed beast rammed himself full-force into the Troll hunter. Jim was alone against Angor Rot, his second most feared enemy, only coming after Gunmar. Which left Jim in the here and now, hiding and fearing for his life. His heart raced as he held his sword with the grip of death. There were no footfalls, no labored breaths, except for his own. Suddenly he leapt, his heart pounding, as his phone vibrated in his pocket. The pocket was a new addition but he was glad it was there because maybe Claire was calling. But his face fell as he turned the screen on and saw his mother's face staring up at him. He inwardly groaned. He couldn't miss this call, he had already ignored the last four. And it seemed his hiding spot was pretty good for the time being. He tapped the green accept button and put the phone against his ear.

"Jim Lake Jr., this is the fifth time I've called and your only picking up now! I've been worried sick! Why haven't you answered? And don't give me the same excuse you gave me last time."

"I'm sorry, mom. No, this time Toby and I had the volume up too loud and I forgot to put the ringer on. It won't happen again. But we just won another round, if that count's for anything." Jim gave a half-hearted smile.

"No, it doesn't. And why are you whispering?" Before Jim could answer, a voice called in the dark, cold and clear.

"It doesn't work like this, Troll Hunter. You can't hide from me. You will meet death tonight. I can taste your fear, Troll Hunter. And I've already tasted your blood."

Jim shivered.

"Jim? Jim, what's going on? Who's that?"

"Mom, I can't talk right now, I- aaahhhggg!" A hand melted out of the darkness and wrapped around his throat, effectively throwing Jim against the far wall, his phone falling from his hand.

"You cannot escape this time, Jim Lake Jr. I already stand over your body."

"Jim? Jim! Honey, are you there? Jim, what's going on?" Barbara's voice could be heard, though slightly muffled. A low, terrifying chuckle escaped the tall mummy's throat.

"I wouldn't count on that, Angor Rot." Jim's voice did not waver, but his body shook as if winter had come early. Another low chuckle.

"Then why can I do this?" The sword of daylight clattered to the ground as a pain-filled scream wrenched the air. Blood pooled beneath the boy's limp body. "I would watch your death, Troll Hunter, but I am called elsewhere. I've never stabbed a human before, but the poison's effect should work the same. You will die a slow and painful death. Goodbye, Jim Lake Jr. I had always known you were the weakest Troll Hunter ever chosen, and I have proved it today." A merciless laugh and then the monster was gone.

"Jim! Please! Answer me! Please! Where are you? Where are you?" Barbara wept on the other side of the phone. Everything had sounded so real. Did she just listen to her baby boy die? She continued to listen to the silence, tears streamed down her face. Somehow she had sunken to the floor, and she braced her hand on the cold surface, steadying herself. There was shuffling footsteps on the other end until Barbara heard the unmistakable voices of… Toby and Claire?

"Jim? Oh my God, Jim! Jim, are you alright!" Claire's sounded afraid, panicked.

"Come on, buddy, wake up! Jim!" Toby let loose a sob.

"Hah! I feel a pulse and he's still breathing. We need to get him to Blinky now!"

There were scrapes and grunting before "Ah! Oof! Oh, look, it's Jim's phone!"

"Not now, Toby. Help me! There's too much blood. Come-"

"Ohhhhh, hiiiiii Mrs. Lake, uh Jim can't talk to you right now. Uh, the video game over here is getting really intense. Um, got to go! See ya!" Then suddenly the call ended.

"Jim?" She whispered at her phone. She continued to stare. This wasn't real. This was just a really, really bad nightmare. She was going to wake up any moment now. Any moment. She screamed. She did not wake up. This was real and she just listened to her son's death.