Chapter One

My first monster attack happened two years after my father died. I hardly remember him, just his blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The same eyes I see when I look in the mirror and the only thing I have left to remember him by.

In the years between his death and the attack, I lived in a dingy orphanage surviving on the pity of others. I had nowhere else to go, I never knew my mom, and my dad's family was estranged, so much so that they didn't think twice about giving me up. I was meaningless, a waste of space.

At the time, I didn't care, they were strangers in my eyes. I felt I would be better off with children my age. Evidently, they agreed and so I was packed up and sent to the closest orphanage, the Maine Children's Institute. The orphanage felt more like a sweatshop than a home. Growing up, my time was spent cleaning or working in the kitchens. What free time I did have was spent avoiding the strict matrons and their endless list of chores. The worst evil, however, were The Supervisors. The elite among the children, those who were in charge of distributing the clothes and toys the orphanage received. Hoarders, the lot of them, they kept most of the nicer things for themselves, and gave everyone their castoffs. They also did less work, instead, they would watch us, and if we failed to do a satisfactory job, they punished us for it. I once saw a child no more than five get severely injured as a result of their punishment. The poor boy was unable to walk properly for months after.

After two years at the orphanage, I met my first monster. I was six and terrified beyond belief. I was unable to sleep that night, I was restless and kept turning and twisting in my bed. Just as I closed my eyes my blanket was ripped away from me. I jolted upwards reaching for it only to see it in the hand of a smirking Supervisor.

I remember his voice, gravelly and deep, completely at odds with his fourteen-year-old physique. He taunted me and waved my blanket just beyond my reach. I remember pleading to have my blanket back, it was winter, and the building was quite drafty, I would never be able to sleep without it.

Eventually, I had enough, I was tired and irritated and completely fed up with the bully in front of me. I stood and reached my hand forward so I could grab my blanket back, only to look on in shock as a beam of bright silver something shot out of my hand and hit the boy in the chest, knocking him off his feet and into the wall behind him.

I stared at my hand in shock and fear, oblivious to what I had done. My shock only grew as I watched as the Supervisor stood, completely unharmed. What he said next led me to where I am today, the words will be forever ingrained in my memory. He laughed and said, "I knew there was something off with you, I could smell it. A half-blood." He sneered, and then his eyes started to glow a bright fiery orange, and then his hands, then before long his entire body was burned away and replaced by flames.

I remember screaming.

The rest is a blur, I scrambled backwards in order to escape the fire that spread from the Supervisors form. I ran, as fast as I possibly could out of that room, and down the stairs, screaming all the while, calling for the others to wake up so they too could escape the deadly flames.

Shorty thereafter the halls were full of bodies, screaming children and babies, teens and matrons grabbing the ones too young to walk or run. I was lost in a sea of bodies and was unable to see the exit, trapped between running legs. Looking back, being in such close proximity to so many people is likely what saved my life, disturbing the monsters senses and rendering them useless.

Eventually we had made it outside, covered in smoke and grime, without food, water, or clean clothes, but we were alive.

We walked for what felt hours until we reached the town. When we got there we were checked over by doctors and shipped off to another orphanage. This one was bigger, and seemed better than the Maine Children's Institute. There were no endless chores, no Supervisors, everyone was treated equally and given the childhood we never had time for.

It was heaven on Earth. But, some of us are not meant for heaven.

I thought about what the fire-boy had said. I was different, off.

And it's my fault the fire started and killed so many innocent children.

...

I ran away shortly after that. I couldn't stand by and cause harm to anyone else so I grabbed one of the matron's laundry bags and filled it with food, warm clothes, a water bottle, and a blanket. I even managed to snag a box of matches from the kitchens.

The food didn't even last a month.

The matches ran out shortly after that.

I spent weeks travelling across the state, never staying in one spot. Monsters chased me several times but I quickly learned that they were unable to find me in crowded places. I was always within minutes of large shopping centres or parks. Winter was ending and everything was wet and dreary, a light drizzle had settled down on the town. I walked into Wolfe's Neck Woods Park and sought cover under a large oak tree.

Not far from where I stood was a beautiful girl. She looks to be in her late teens and was very pretty, I couldn't help but stare. What caught my eye the most, however, was her skin, it was a pale green colour, nothing the likes of which I have ever seen.

Not even a minute later she appeared in front of me. She looked down at where I had hidden myself, nestled against the large oak, and smiled.

She began talking to me, I can still recall every word, "Hello, can I help you?" Her voice was melodic, unnaturally beautiful.

I blushed and looked down, "Sorry, ma'am. I was curious about your skin, I've never seen anyone with green skin before. I meant no offence."

"You can see that can you? What's your name?"

"Cassandra, ma'am."

"Hello Cassandra, I'm Oak. Did you know that your name means prophetess in Greek?" she knelt before me and lifted my chin so she could look at my face.

"No ma'am, I don't speak Greek. What is a prophetess?" I blushed again, embarrassed that I didn't know what she was talking about.

"Someone who can see the future. They are very rare. Can you see the future Cassandra?"

"No ma'am, just monsters. They always chase me, some even try to eat me. They give me nightmares." I glanced around, worried that a monster might come into the park.

She had hugged me to her chest and placed a kiss on my head, "No child should live on the run, terrified by what might be lurking around the corner. Will you stay with Cassandra? I'll always keep you safe."

"Do you promise? You can't break a promise." I looked up at her hopeful, I was tired of my new life and tired of monsters. I just wanted to be safe and live my life.

"Pinky promise," she held out her pinky finger and we shook. I lunged forward and wrapped my hands around her neck and started to cry. "It's okay, let it all out. You're safe now, nothing will ever hurt you again."