#shadowforest

Chapter 1

Some people say Shadow Forest is the home of monsters. Horrible creatures. Mutants, of a sort. We are not monsters. We are unique. We are rare. We are a species called Paranormal, and this is our story.

My name is Zander Smith. I am fifteen years old, and I am a human-animal Paranormal, a fox. I am a Protector of the forest against humans. My best friend, however, is human.

Her name is Briana O'Hara, and she is the only friend I have. She helps me hide my fox-ness, and I help her with her reports on Shadow Forest. She works at a newspaper, and she tries to preserve the Shadow Forest. The two of us work together all the time, but I was worried about us getting caught. Briana wasn't worried, but I didn't want her to get in trouble. I was going to meet her when disaster met me first....

I snuck outside my small den, and went to the edge of the forest. I was the only Protector who would go that far, so nobody was concerned. I flipped up the hood of my hoodie, and quietly darted across the street. My snout was hidden by shadow and the hood. I jumped a road barrier and walked along the road to Briana's house, where we always met. My ears twitched, picking up sound, and my nose flicked, discovering new smells.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar, and unwelcome sound filled my ears. The roar of a motorcycle came behind me, and I heard it stop, and then a shout.

"Whatcha up to, stranger?" His voice slurred.

I kept walking. I would not answer this drunk idiot.

"Hey, I'ma talkin' to ya!" he shouted, stumbling after me. I walked faster. This wasn't going to end well. I felt his hand on my shoulder, and jerked away.

"Sir, please go back to your bike and leave me alone," I said, keeping my face hidden. He shoved me to the ground, and my hood fell back. I tensed, and the man's eyes went wide with horror.

"Monster!" he cried, falling backward.

I got to my feet quickly. "Please, sir, calm down," I pleaded. "I'm not a monster."

"Monster!" he cried again, scrambling away.

This was getting worse by the second. A police siren flooded my ears, and blue and red lights filled my vision. I looked up and saw a police car, and two officers stepping out.