Prologue

    The spring flowers were especially colorful that year.  Many took that as a sign that change was right around the corner, but others believed that it meant the birth of another "creature".  These "creatures" were given many different names; Animals, Demons, Aliens, Creatures, etc..  But the worst and most offensive was Beasts. 

    Early history states that these "creatures" are humans with the abnormal ability to change into animals.  Tribes of these special humans were spread all around the globe, but they lived in peace with each other.  Then the humans, who believed they were superior to the "creatures", came along and ran these creatures off their lands.  Then they built cities and roads 

and cars. Schools were created where children were taught to hate and fear the "creatures". Armies constructed weapons to defend against any of their attacks and soldiers were told to kill and "creature" that came into sight.  A new world was formed which was named Anoteros, the Greek word for "superior" or "higher".  This world was ruled under the Council of Anoteros, a group of representatives from all over the world, joined in one purpose: to kill every last Beast on the face of the Earth.

    The Council of Anoteros made sure that the "creatures" were kept away from society and were pleased to hear that their numbers dwindled.

    This was the world that little Faye Spring was born into, but she didn't care because it was the way everyone thought so she suspected that she should as well . . . until the unexpected event that changed her life forever.

                                      Chapter 1: Faye

    Faye Spring didn't much care for fancy updos and flowery dresses, but she wore what her father told her to.

    "Papa!" she yelled from her room in the two-story house, "I do not look good in this dress!"

    "Nonsense," yelled Mr. Jackie Spring. "You will wear what the head school-mistress desires.  And she wants you in that dress!"

    "Just because you are thinking of making her our new mother doesn't mean I like her or value her opinion!" Faye said back.

    "Just wear the dress, Faye, and maybe I'll take you and your brothers out to ice-cream!"

    That was good enough so Faye slipped on the tight pink dress covered in flowers.  She stepped out of her room as one of her brothers was coming up the stairs. 

    Now one very interesting thing about Faye was that she was the only girl in her family.  Her mother had died once she was six, making her the only girl in her family.  

    First, there was her father, Jackie Spring (39), then the next oldest, Taylor (21), then Jackie Jr. (19), Abraham (17), Faye (16), Bennett (14), Jay (12), and finally, the youngest, Ian (10). 

    It was a lot, and sometimes people thought Faye made them all up, but they were all real. 

    Now, the one coming up the stairs was Bennet.  He took one look at her 

and gave a smile which meant he was holding back a laugh. "Did Dad choose your outfit again?" he asked.

    "That's none of your business," Faye snapped, smiling to herself.  Having six brothers may sometimes be seen as a downside, but it had taught Faye a lot of things about boys, and it had made her stronger and tougher.  Plus she had her own room while they had to share two.

    She pushed past Bennett and ran down the stairs into their kitchen.  Her father looked her over and smiled, "See, Faye, you shall be the best-looking girl there!"

    Faye rolled her eyes as she grabbed a piece of toast from a plate.

    "Hey!" yelled Abraham as he walked in. "That was mine!"

    "Sorry, Baby Ham," Faye said.

    Abraham gave her an angry look, but not because of the name.  In fact, he was quite used to it by now.  Once Faye had been two she had had trouble learning his name.  So, instead of "Abraham" she came up with "Baby Ham" which had stuck.

    "I never eat your toast," Abraham said, cutting out another slice of bread and putting it in the toaster. "You have no reason to treat me like you do."

    "Uhh . . . right." Faye said as another brother came in.  It was Jackie Jr. who they called JJ.  He always wore large gray sweatshirts and gray sweatpants so he looked like a koala most of the time.  

    He slouched into the kitchen, not saying anything.  Faye guessed that he had his earbuds in so he couldn't hear them.  They all stood around in silence as they ate their breakfast until two more boys came tumbling into 

the room.  Jay and Ian pushed each other until they both fell onto the floor.  

    "No you're going to be the chicken!" they kept yelling at each other.

    Jackie Spring ran in and pulled the two boys off the ground saying, "Hey, hey, what's this about?"

    "Jay's sayin' I gotta be the chicken!" Ian yelled, making Jackie cover his ears. 

    "Now," said Jackie. "Calm down, Ian.  I thought you were both being chickens?"

    "No!" said Jay. "I am being a wolf!"

    "No! I was the wolf!"

    "Guys!" Faye yelled. "If you two keep arguing then Papa's gonna' make you both the rats!" 

    Jay and Ian both stared at her, then they stuck out their tongues and Abraham started laughing crazily.  Jackie began reprimanding his boys as  Faye gave Abraham a dirty look.  Just then, the doorbell rang and JJ went to look out the window.

    "Ugh," he sighed. "Faye, Cameron's here."

    Abraham scowled as he followed Faye to the door. "Go away," she said, pushing him back. "What's your problem?"

    "Nothing," he said simply, opening the door. "Hello Cam!"

    Cameron, a tall, blonde boy with a large nose scattered with freckles, stepped back once he saw Abraham.

    Faye wrestled Abraham out of the way and faced Cameron, "Sorry," she said. "He still hasn't gotten over what you did."

    A few months ago, Abraham and Cameron had been best friends, which is how Faye had gotten to know him.  But recently, Cameron had taken one of Abraham's most prized possessions, his Mew Pokemon card.  Technically, Cameron had won it fair and square in a stupid bet Abraham had made, but Abraham still didn't see it that way.  So they had stopped being friends.  Then Cameron and Faye became friends and Abraham had been spying on them at the highschool ever since.

    "Yeah," Cameron said. "I noticed."

    "He's a little creepy once he's angry," Faye agreed. "Anyway, you wanna walk to the parade after school?"

    "Sure, oh, you look nice."

    "Thanks, but this is mostly Papa's doing," Faye said, taking in Cameron's

outfit which looked like a soldier slash bush. " . . . Nice costume as well."

    "Oh, thanks," said Cameron. "I am a Chaser!"

    "Oh, is that why you're dressed like a bush?"

    "Yeah, 'cause they hide out in them, waiting to strike any Beast that comes by! Pew, pew!  Zap, zap!"

    "Try acting like a seventeen-year-old for once!" Abraham called form behind Faye.

    Cameron frowned. "Anyway, you wanna' walk to school?"

    "Sure. Let me just quick go make sure that everything's okay with Papa."

    Faye ran back inside and found that Jackie had calmed Ian and Jay, saying they would both be amazing chickens. "Hey, I'm gonna go to school with Cam," she called to him and he nodded as Abraham looked sulky.

    "Okay," she said, bounding back to Cameron. "Let's go."

    She grabbed her school bag and slipped on some tight black shoes.  Then she and cameron began the thirty-minute walk to their school which was located in the big city of New Skielie.  As they walked, Cameron and Faye talked about the parade after school which was the parade celebrating the defeat of the Beasts.

    "I can't believe that we have had peace for more than a thousand years," Cameron said. "And the Beasts have never been less of a threat than they are now!"

    "Yeah, they must be so scared," Faye said, smiling. 

    "Or just gone.  I watched a show last night where this guy explained how the Beasts' numbers were dwindling, and sightings are becoming more and

more rare."

    "So maybe we will be rid of them once and for all?" asked Faye.

    "Maybe . . ."

                          Chapter 2: Skielie High School

    Faye and Cameron soon reached the large High School of New Skielie.  As usual, all the teenagers were standing by their lockers, never daring to mess around.  Cameron and faye walked through the soundless halls, every eye watching them intently.  Ms. Chastier, the head school-mistress, A.K.A. Mr. Spring's girlfriend, walked swiftly down the hall to meet Faye and Cameron.  Her smile was tight, but the rule for Parade Day was no detention, cleaning, or any punishments whatsoever, because every citizen of every city all across the globe had to be present at the parade.  

    "Welcome, tardy children," said Ms. Chastier. "Please stand by your lockers."

    Faye and Cameron exchanged happy looks as they went to their lockers. Ms. Chastier walked along the hall and, spotting a boy with his phone hidden behind a book, snatched it out of his hands.  There were no punishments, but there was also no technology allowed.  You see, the government was very serious with its education system.  They wanted to train up children who were fierce and willing to kill and Beast that comes their way.  So, from grade one, they taught the children their way.  

    Gym was all about defending yourself from a Beast.  All Science was developing ways to destroy them.  History was learning how superior they were compared to the Beasts.  And the rest of the subjects were normal school subjects, but always giving hints at how dangerous, dumb, and normal Beasts were.  

    Ms. Chastier cleared her throat and said, "I would like to welcome you all today and remind you that after your lessons we are all going straight to Town Square where the Parade will be held.  And, I am excited to announce that the Mayor got a few Chasers to visit every school in New Skielie and tell all the children about what they do.  The Chaser visiting Skielie High School has been working for the government for ten years.  You will call him Mr. Taloeh, and will treat him with the utmost respect. Understand?"

    All of the teenagers nodded and then began conversing in low tones, expressing their excitement about the visitor.

    Ms. Chastier banged a long stick on a locker, calling them all to attention again. "Now," she said, "before we all go to our classes, let's recite the 

Pledge of Anoteros."

    She tapped her stick three times.  On the third tap every voice in the school said in unison,

"We are the future of Anteros; the future Chasers of our nation.

The time has come for change, so this is our proclamation:

Every Beast shall die; animal and creature alike,

We are the superior people, and as fast as lightning we'll strike.

Listen Beasts around the Earth to our proclamation

We are the future of Anteros; the future Chasers of our nation."

    Ms. Chastier gave a silent applause and then waved the teenagers off to their classes.  Faye and Cameron had different classes, but promised to 

meet back during lunch.

    "I just hope Abraham doesn't give me his angry glare all throughout History," Cameron said as they were about to go. "It's hard enough focusing."

    Faye smiled and patted him on the back, "If he does then tell me and I'll tell him not to."

    "No, I can defend myself, thank you. See you later Faye."

    Faye walked off, toward her Science class, the Pledge of Anoteros still ringing in her head.

    Like promised, Cameron and Faye met up at lunch.  Faye spotted Abraham staring at them over a book labeled, "The History of the Deadly

    Beasts".  He saw her watching him and turned to his friend, as if she hadn't seen him.

    Cameron sat down next to her, also noticing Abraham. "Man," he said. "Can't he just leave us alone?"

    "I know," said Faye. "Imagine sharing a house with him.  He barely even talks to me, unless I steal one of his pokemon cards or eat his toast."

    "So. Ms. Chastier said that Mr. Taloeh will be speaking in the auditorium, so all of the school can hear him at once.  Are you excited to hear what he's gonna say?"

    "I excited to see what he says about your Chaser costume," Faye said with a giggle.

    Across the cafeteria, she heard Abraham copy her giggle, and she stared

back at him and mouth "really?".  He gave his famous stupid face of innocence and she turned back to Cameron.  "He is such a jerk!"

    "Well, brothers are always jerks to their sisters," Cameron said.

    "Are you a jerk to Liliana?"

    "No, because she's five. But you and Abraham are only one year apart.  Plus he still doesn't like it that you hang out with me and stand up for me.  I just can't believe he still thinks I stole his Mew."

    "Well, let's talk about more interesting things, and not about seventeen year old garbage."

    So they talked all throughout lunch, enduring all of Abraham's jokes and faces.  Until he snapped a picture of them, because you were allowed to have your phones during lunch hours, and posted it saying "The Future 

Couple of Skielie High School".  Everyone who had their phones with them read it and began laughing.  Cameron pulled out his, to see what was up and, as he read what Abraham had posted, he choked on his peanut butter sandwich.  Faye took the phone from him and her face turned to color of her dress.  That was it. 

    She got up and stomped over to Abraham.  His back was facing her so she slapped him over the head yelling, "What's the matter with you, you sicko?  What is your problem anyway!"

    Abraham, his face aglow with pride and annoyance said, "Nothing is the matter with me.  It's just, you and Cam looked pretty cute together sitting and talking like 'besties'."

    Faye fumed as Abraham got up, smirking like a monkey.  The teenagers