(A/N – okay people, I'm not going to put A/N's all throughout the book, just here to tell you constructive criticism is welcome, but be nice since this is my first fanfic! Okay. That's it. R&R!)

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Sweat pours down my face, and is mixed with the blood from the scratches made by each branch that whips past my face as I run. It stings, but that's not my main problem. My feet are pounding on the ground at the exact same speed as my heartbeat, which at the moment, is pretty fast. My hand is tightly clasped around the hand of my sister, only six years old. Her deep blue eyes are filled with worry, and tear tracks streak through the dirt and grime on her face. I feel like we've been running for ages, yet the beast behind us doesn't seem to tire. I feel a tug on my arm and watch as my sister trips over a tree root and falls. I hear a loud crunch from my sister's leg, but another sound scares me more. A roar. The beast is catching up.
"Neriah! Get up!" I scream, my eyes filling with tears for the millionth time in the past hour. Blood runs down her leg and I know she won't get up in time, even if she could. No! I scream and am so scared I nearly run away. But I know I could never leave my six year old sister there. I stand up to face the beast that will arrive any second. A loud thundering announces its arrival and I recline as I get my first proper look at it. It has black fur, stained red/brown with what looks like blood. Its face is that of a wolf, except a little more humane. It could easily be mistaken for a wolf, if it wasn't for the size of the beast, and the fact this one ran on its hind legs. I'm beginning to think it's a werewolf, except there isn't a full moon tonight. I stare into its horrible yellow eyes; a picture I know will be lodged in my brain forever. The beast hesitates as it sees me standing there, arms on hips, death glare spread wide across my face but it still moves in for the kill. It wants my sister – and I want to know why. But it's too late. The monster is bending over my sister, completely obstructing her from my view.

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I scream and sit up in bed. Sweat is pouring down my face and my heart is beating just as fast as it was in the dream. I breathe heavily, my chest rising and falling like a trampoline.

Well, that dream was new. Weird, too. Neriah enters my room, teddy bear in one hand, and she's sucking her thumb. She looks worried.

"Ditty? You okay?" she asks. Neriah's five, and the sweetest girl I could ever imagine. I love her to bits, and would do anything for her.

"Yeah, I'm fine Neriah, don't worry about me." She smiles, and I hug her. I yawn. "I'm going to have a shower okay? Why don't you put on some clean clothes and wait for me in your room?" Neriah nods, and runs off to her room.

I have a shower, my mind thinking over the dream. I can't make sense of it. I'm only thirteen, and Neriah is five. But in the dream we were older – I'm sure of it. And what was the wolf thing following us? I've never encountered anything like that – only in a book.

I spend 15 long minutes having a nice hot shower and shampoo my hair twice without realising it. By the time I'm done I've come to the conclusion that I read too much and need to find some new TV shows.

After getting dressed, I walk into Neriah's room and do her hair. I style her long, hip-length black hair into two plaits down each side that make her look like an angel, but then again she looks like one anyway.

I glance at the clock. 7:15am.
"Come on Neriah, let's have some breakfast before Daddy drops us off at school." I said. Neriah and I are both starting the same school, a massive one that holds what seems like millions of pupils (It has classes all the way from Nursery to Year 11) and we're both in the same building for registration.

We walk in when Dad has dropped us off, and instantly Neriah is wrapped up in people wanting to meet her. I smile at how friendly five and six year olds are, and instantly wish that people of my own age would act the same way.

After registration, I walk into first lesson and suddenly three separate wolf whistles are called into the air. I roll my eyes at the three boys leaning back in their chairs, chewing gum. It's obvious they're supposed to be the 'bad boys' of the class, but they don't impress me or amuse me.

I move on. A teacher hands me an exercise book and says "Find a spare seat and copy down the title and the date," her eyes flick over a register in front of her. "…Ditzy?"

I nod.

The only spare seat is next to a boy with dark hair, dark eyes, and light skin. He's a total hunk. He looks a bit gothic, but I can tell his hair colour is natural, so I don't judge him – yet.

I bend down over my exercise book, writing the date and title in my neat script.

I feel someone watching me and my pen stops as I look up to see the boy next to me watching me. He quickly looks away. I bend down again, leaning on my arm to hide my smile.

I write for half of the lesson and when Miss Potts (I found out the name earlier) hands me a test and tells me it's to see what level I'm working at, I quickly complete it. I walk up to her desk, and she lowers her half moon glasses and stares out the top.

"Yes?" she asks in a tone, obviously meaning she doesn't want to be disturbed.

"I've…um…finished my test." I say, quite intimidated now. Her eyebrows raise until they almost disappear behind her fringe.
"Already?" she asks. "You still have three quarters of your test time left! Have you checked it?"

"Yes, Miss." I say and she holds out her hand for my test. I go sit in my seat and start catching up on the textbook work the class has been doing while I was doing my test.

Next thing I know, a hand slaps down the test on my table.
"All correct. Well done. See me after this lesson." I'm a bit shocked, but I am pleased with my test score. I glance across at the handsome hunk, and find him watching me again.

"Stop it." I grumble, but he doesn't take any notice. He keeps on staring.

"Full marks? Did you cheat?" he asks, totally serious.

"No!" I say horrified. I look into his eyes which I now realise are a deep shade of green and instantly regret it as a blush creeps over my cheeks.

"Wow." He says, and that's it. That's all I say to him for the whole lesson.

At the end of the lesson I walk up to the teacher's desk.
"You wanted to see me, Miss?" I ask.

"Yes, Miss Stewart. This was a very high level test! Your marks are outstanding. Even our top student got six questions wrong! I am forced to ask; did you cheat?"

"No!" I say. "I didn't even know I had a test today!" Miss Potts considers this, and realises it's completely true, and there's no way I could've cheated.

"Okay, Miss Stewart. Pass your book here please." I do so, and her eyes trace over my days work, and she seems to have made a decision. "This is exceptional work. You have got further with the tasks set than the rest of the students in this class, and you had less time than them! I will be setting some challenges a little harder than this tomorrow and I will see how you cope. That's it. You may go to second lesson now."

By break time I've made a few new friends; Jessica, Lucy and Skye. They're gossiping about some fight that apparently happened yesterday. Jessica, noticing I'm left out, nudges the others and nods towards me. They get the hint and turn the conversation onto me.

"So, braniac, seen any cute boys yet?" Lucy asks, moving a bit closer to be, her blonde hair blowing in the wind.

I smile.
"Well, there is this one boy…"