The bell rang loudly through the halls, signaling the end of another grueling school day. Slamming his locker shut behind him, Derick Jeter slung his backpack over his shoulder and filed toward the front of the building with the rest of the students. Moving with the mass of bodies, he pushed his way through the glass doors, emerging into the brisk autumn air.

"Hey, Derick!" Stepping onto the pavement, his attention was quickly drawn by one of his friends, waving him down from the side of the building. Putting a hustle in his movement, Derick started toward them on the sidewalk, jogging lightly.

Hey, guys." Greeted Derick, folding his arms to defend against the light breeze blowing past them. "What's up?"

Carrie was the first to speak. "We were thinking about going to grab a slice in town, wanna tag along?" she asked, a strand of her red hair falling in her face.

Derick shook his head. "Sorry, my mom is busy with work, so she needs me to pick up my brother."

Alvin chuckled lightly. "Man, you two get along so great, I'm so envious; all I and my brother do is argue like there's no tomorrow, we can't agree on a single thing. If petty sibling rivalry was a game in the Olympics, we'd take gold for sure." he smiled. "What you two have, it's really something special."

Derick smiled back. "Yeah, I can't remember a time we've ever been at odds with each other, I guess we're pretty lucky."

"Hey," Carrie began. "Did you hear about that big commotion on the other side of town, about the animal attack?"

Derick adopted an inquisitive look on his face, before nodding lightly. "Yeah, yeah I think I recall seeing something about that?" Just the previous day, the whole town was pulled into a frenzy when a strange creature was spotted at a local farm. Nobody was able to get a good look at it, so it wasn't identified. But not far from where it was seen, a pig was found dead; now it wasn't the hog being deceased that freaked people out, but rather, the way it had been killed. The pig was found away from all the others, shriveled up like a raisin, and all dried out.

"We were just talking about it," she said. "The whole thing was really unsettling. I really hope they catch this thing before it strikes again - I pray that it doesn't attack anybody before then," she added as an afterthought, a concerned look in her eyes.

Derick shook his head, dismissing the idea to his friend. "I don't think we have to worry about that, that kind of thing never happens in this town," he said with reassurance. "I'm sure they'll catch whatever it is with no fuss."

Carrie shrugged her shoulders. "If you say so."

"Well, I better be off now, need to pick up my brother still. Catch you guys later," he waved to them as he stepped off the sidewalk and into the parking lot.

Taking his keys out of his pocket, he approached an old, rusty truck and undid the lock. Getting in the driver's seat, he put the key in the ignition and turned, listening to the vehicle sputter violently before finally erupting to life. Pulling out of his space, he slowly followed the road off the school grounds, taking care to give nearby students a wide berth.

Taking to the street, Derick began making his way to his brother's school. The drive through town was uneventful, but then again, so was everything here in Glacier Creek. Don't get him wrong, he loved this place, and it would always be his home, but nothing ever happened here. It was a sleepy town, the kind that most people have never heard of, and would just as soon forget existed. To put it bluntly, Glacier Creek didn't matter to the world in the grand scheme of things - it was unimportant, and overlooked.

Pulling up to the East Glacier Creek middle school, Derick parked his car out front. For the next few minutes, he waited there calmly, watching as all the students filed out of the building just as the older kids had done back at the high school. As time went on, however, he became confused when his brother didn't come out. It got to the point where, after seeing no sign of his sibling having yet exited the building, he decided to get out and see what was taking him.

Shutting the car door behind him, Derick turned towards the school and made his way towards the sidewalk. Fighting his way through a tide of children on their way home, the teen pushed through the large glass doors that led into the educational facility. Walking down the halls, he found them to be mostly empty, with the majority of the students having left, leaving behind only the teachers and a few kids. Derick started asking around about the whereabouts of his brother, and if anyone had seen him. Eventually, someone pointed him in the direction of the school playground, mentioning how some bullies had been picking on him. Not liking the sound of that at all, he quickly went to see how his little brother was holding up.

Stepping out of the school, Derick immediately spotted him alone on the playground. He was sitting on the swing, staring down at his feet as he slumped over in dejection. Hating seeing his brother like this, Derick quickly made his way over, in a bid to cheer him up.

"Hey Toby, how're you doing?" he asked as he approached, a smile plastered on his face.

"Lousy," Toby replied, barely bothering to look up as he continued to wallow about on the swing. The chains creaked eerily as he swung back and forth, giving off a sound that would fit perfectly in a horror movie.

"Yeah, I heard. Are those bullies giving you a hard time again?"

Toby sniffed, using his sweater sleeve to wipe away the snot leaking from his nose. "A kid named Lily dropped her lunch on the floor, and I didn't want her to go hungry so I split mine with her. Then this bully, Eric Bartholomew sees it and starts saying that I'm too nice and that it makes me an easy target.

Derick shook his head in disbelief at what he was hearing. "Hey, look at me," he said, putting a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't let that bully get to you, you're one of the most kind-hearted people I've ever met. There is nothing wrong with being nice, it's a quality that there unfortunately just isn't enough of in this world - never let anyone tell you otherwise."

A soft smile began to creep onto Toby's face. "Thanks, I needed that," he replied gratefully, gazing up at his brother with those brown eyes. He wiped away the tears that had been streaming from said eyes. All at once, Toby's demeanor began to improve considerably. It was as if his face had been a painting, and with a few simple brushstrokes, turned a sad image into a joyful one.

"Come on, " Derick said, patting his brother lightly on the back. "Let's get going."

"Okay, I'm coming," said Toby in response. He was about to stand up when something suddenly stopped him.

"Toby?" Derick asked in concern. "Is everything okay?"

His brother had grown deathly silent, not moving an inch as he stood there like a statue. His hands clung to the swing's chains tightly, as if they were a lifeline. His face had become pale and pasty, all the color had drained from his features, and his eyes were stiff and unmoving. Following his gaze, Derick found Toby staring at the nearby treeline at the edge of the property.

"Toby!" Derick tried again, being more forceful this time as he shook his brother. "Toby, listen to me!"

Toby finally seemed to snap out of whatever had held him in such a trance, looking panicked as he came back to the waking world.

"Toby, what's wrong?"

"Oh uh, nothing," he said evenly. "I just thought I saw something is all, it's fine." Despite him saying this, Derick couldn't help but get the feeling that his brother wasn't being entirely honest with him.

Walking side by side, the two made their way back through the school and out into the parking lot. The front of the building was now crowded with kids as students got onto buses, or were picked up by their parents or guardians. Stepping up to his truck, Derick opened the door for Toby to climb in, before closing it shut behind him and making his way over to the driver's seat. He fastened his seat belt and made sure his brother was secure as well, before starting up the engine.

Before Derick had a chance to pull out, he was suddenly stopped when a girl knocked at his window. She was dressed in what appeared to be designer clothing, a faux leopard-print scarf flapping lightly in the breeze. In the back, Toby let out a nervous gasp as he tried to make himself as small as possible.

Rolling down the window, Derick was greeted by a warm smile from the girl, as well as subtle hints of perfume.

"Hello." The girl said sweetly. "The school is hosting a bakesale later this weekend," she said, offering him a flyer. "It's a fundraiser to stop deforestation and help grow awareness of the damage society is having on the world's ecosystem. Would you be interested in attending?"

Derick took the flyer from her grasp, giving a little thoughtful nod. "Hmm, well see."

"We hope to see you there, every person who pitches in, is the closer we get to reaching our goal." she glanced at the backseat of the car, and her eyes lit up like fireworks when she spotted his brother. "Oh, hi Toby," she waved.

Toby nervously raised his hand and gave a shaky wave of his own. "H-hi Rachel," he replied meekly, his cheeks turning cherry red.

"Well, you take care now, I still have work to do. See you later Toby." The girl apparently named Rachel waved again as she walked away.

Derick looked at his brother quizzically, a curious look on his face. "Who was that?" he asked, indicating the well-dressed girl as he watched her approach more people with flyers.

"That's Rachel Mayweather," Toby answered. "Her mother is head of the school committee, so she helps out with all kinds of projects."

"You like her, don't you?" Derick asked with an inquisitive look in his eye. "I saw the way you looked at her, you could hardly keep a straight face."

He smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. She's really pretty, she's sweet, and...I like the way her hair smells," he added with embarrassment.

Derick whistled. "Wow, my brother, a player, I never thought I'd see the day."

"Ugg, stop." Groaned out Toby with a laugh.

"Okay, okay," he laughed along. "So, have you tried talking to her?" he asked as he backed out of his space.

"I mean, I've tried," he said. "But any time I do I end up getting really nervous, and I can't think straight. It always seems fine at first, but whenever she gives me her attention, I always clam up; my palms get sweaty, my breath catches in my throat, and my tongue feels like it's made of lead."

Derick nodded his head in understanding. "Yep, talking to girls will do that to ya, trust me I should know."

"Does it get any easier?"

"Well, it depends on who you're talking to, if you're a jock, or a suave ladies' man, then getting the girls is no problem at all; but if you're like me...then forget it," he finished in a joking manner as he roasted himself. However, looking back in the mirror told him his attempt at humor, hadn't had the effect he wanted as he watched his brother slump downwards in dejection.

"Hey, look," he began, in an attempt to cheer Toby up again. 'If you really like this girl, then you just need to go up and talk to her. Don't worry about clamming up, or striking out; just be brave, and don't show any fear. Here, do this for me," he began. "Next time you see her, just walk up and say, hi Rachel, how're you doing? Okay, just start off small - baby steps, okay man, baby steps."

"Alright, I'll try," Toby conceded.

After that, the two sat in silence for a while, the only sound being that of the car as it drove down the road. Eventually, Toby broke the quiet. "Derick?" he began hesitantly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," his brother replied, breaking his eyes from the road to cast him a quick glance.

"Have you ever felt like... you're being watched?"

Derick shrugged. "Sure, all the time: when I'm in PE, whenever I'm asked by the teacher to come up to the desk, those nightmares where you come to school in your underwear..."

"Not like that!" Toby interrupted shaking his head. He looked out the window, at the treelines as they sped by outside. "Like, someone is spying on you, watching you with ill intentions."

A concerned look appeared on Derick's face. "Toby, is everything okay?" he asked. "Have the bullies at school been threatening you?"

Toby shook his head again. "No, it's just..." he sighed. "For the past couple of days, I've been feeling as if I'm being watched, like someone's there, just in the shadows keeping an eye on me. That's why I froze up back at the school, I thought I sensed them watching me again.

After hearing what his brother had to say, Derick started chewing his lip as he nodded his head. "Yeah. You know what I think is going on, I think you're just stressed. All this talk about animal sightings has the whole town on edge, everything's fine okay, there's nothing to worry about," Derick finished, trying to give his brother some comfort.

Toby continued to look worried, however, Derick's words appeared to have no effect."

"Hey," Derick tried again, meeting his brother's eyes through the mirror. "Everything's going to be alight, understand me?"

"Okay," Toby said, at last, shifting his gaze to stare out the window as the world rushed by. While not entirely sure he was convinced, Derick decided to leave it alone for now, and focus on his driving.

A little while later, Derick pulled onto their street. Approaching a typical suburban home, he entered their driveway and parked, turning off the engine before stepping out of the car. Closing the car door, Derick was joined by his brother as they made their way toward the house.

Leaves from the nearby trees had fallen all over the driveway and lawn, creating a satisfying crunch when they were stepped on. Walking up to the porch, Derick pulled out his house key and proceeded to unlock the door.

"Hey, there's a package." Exclaimed Toby as he walked up to a table just off to the side, upon which lay a small parcel. "I bet it's the comic I ordered," he postulated as he looked it over.

"What, you mean the Transformers-My Little Pony one?" he asked as he stepped inside the house, Toby right behind him.

"Yeah."

"Great! I've been wanting to check that out! Now, all we need is a crossover where Deadpool meets Pinkie Pie," he kissed his fingers, miming fancy high-class chefs. "Once that happens, I can die happy."

Taking off their sweaters, the two made themselves at home, relaxing, watching TV, playing video games, you name it. Derick had made the two of them sandwiches, placing the food on some plates. Over in the living room, Toby had put on The Avengers for them to watch. Taking the edibles, Derick went and joined his brother by the TV, setting the food down on the coffee table.

But however, just as Derick was about to sit down and watch the movie, he could all but swear he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye from the backyard.

Curious as to what he saw, Derick decided to check it out. Moving toward where he saw the movement, he stepped up to the back door and stared through the clear glass.

"Derick, is everything okay?" Toby asked with concern.

Derick put out a hand to stop his brother from moving. "Stay here, I'll be right back," he told his brother as he unlocked the door and stepped outside. Entering the cold autumn air once again, Derick stood on the porch as he scanned the backyard. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, just the same area he'd known all his life. Probably just a bird, or a squirrel, he surmised, nothing to worry about...

...Something moved in the bushes, something furry dashing in his vision. It moved too fast for him to make out what it was, but there had definitely been something there. Nearing the shrubs, he cautiously approached where he saw the creature. He felt his heart beating in his chest as he got closer, preparing for just about anything, he nervously grabbed the foliage and ripped it away to reveal....nothing.

Well, almost nothing that was.

While there luckily wasn't some kind of wild animal lurking in the bushes, what he did find was sort of odd. Right where he had spotted the creature, were odd patches of dead grass and shrubs, which he found pretty abnormal. Now, this wasn't the natural result of plants losing their leaves when fall hit, no this was different. The vegetation here was all decayed and rotting, while stuff around the strange patches still had life. Plus, there was a weird smell in the air, Derick couldn't place what it was, but it was foul, like raw meat that had been left out in the sun.

Derick didn't know what to make of what he'd just found, it was strange and unnatural, and he didn't like it.

"Derick, is everything okay out there?" he heard Toby call from inside the house.

"Yeah, everything's fine!" he called back, turning his attention away from the scene in front of him.

"Well, hurry on inside then, I wanna start the movie!"

"Okay, I'm coming!" he gave the bushes one last, peculiar glance, before turning around and making his way inside.

From the safety of the woods, the being watched as the older human retreated back within its dwelling. It had been watching them for some time, and now that it had the information it'd been sent for, it was time to head back.

Turning away from the human's home, the being ran through the woods, away from the nearby settlements. Their lungs panted for air, as their hooves pounded against the ground, drumming with every step. After sprinting for some time, the being soon found itself in a small clearing, where others of its kind waited for it.

"Well, what did ya find?" Asked one of the others. "Is it him?"

The being nodded its head. "He is, I've been studying him, watching him. He is definitely the one, of this I'm sure." The being replied in absolute certainty.

"Then we'll need to let them know." Said another of the group, their well-groomed mane billowing softly in the breeze. "They'll want to begin the ritual as soon as possible."

With that, the group began to set off, dispersing to tell their superiors what they'd learned here. However, one of them didn't follow and stayed rooted to the spot where they were.

"Aren't ya coming?" Asked the first one.

"I'll be along soon." The being replied. "I'm just going to grab a bite to eat first."

"Alright, don't take too long then, a'h'm sure they'll want to see ya."

Giving a simple nod, the being separated from the others, leaving them behind as they ran back through the woods, in the direction of what the locals called Glacier Creek.

By the time the being had reached the small town, the sun had sunk below the horizon, bathing them in darkness. The reduced level of light would make it easier to sneak around undetected. The being cautiously stepped out onto the streets of the town, while activity from the locals had decreased around this time, there were still some of them lingering around.
They stuck to the shadows, stepping silently and keeping from drawing attention.

When a large vehicle started lumbering by on the road, the being knew it needed to take cover and quickly dove into a nearby alleyway. They waited until the automotive had passed before they allowed themselves to relax.

As they stood there, they felt their hunger grow ever more powerful, demanding to be sated. And that's when they heard it, a sharp clatter deeper in the alley, as bottles and other things clattered to the hard ground. Turning their attention to the noise, they found the source to be a heavily drunken man, stumbling around in a daze.

As the being stood there, they couldn't help but feel their mouth water as they stared at the man. They could feel the energy flowing through his veins, pumping through his entire body.

It would be theirs.

As the man finally caught sight of the entity, he stopped in his tracks and seemed to regain some sense of clarity. He stared at what was in front of him dumbfounded, trying to understand what he was seeing. "What the fu-"

The man didn't get a chance to finish that thought, for before he knew what was happening, the being pounced.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Author's Note

Just a little something I came up with recently. Let me know your thoughts.