Freshman Hunt: A Nightmare Academy Novella

By Anthony Avina

Fear rises amongst the supernatural students at Nightmare Academy.

After surviving the first couple months of her undercover assignment at the school, vampire teen Francesca Lucas finds herself fighting a war on two fronts. On one side stands her mission, working for the resistance against the evil supernatural leader King Dalca by infiltrating the Nightmare Academy and learning it's secrets. On the other stands the handsome warlock who has captured her heart, Jasper. He is powerful, kind and makes her feel alive for the first time in decades. Yet fears cloud Francesca's mind, as memories of her last love Alan being taken from her still warn her against any happiness.

As she struggles with these internal battles, a new threat arrives at the school. An ancient being of myth and legend makes his presence known. It's All Hallows Eve at the school, and this legend has come to hunt. When Francesca's roommate Faith is pressured into taking part in the Freshman Hunt, a rite of passage given by the Dean's vampire daughter as a means of thinning the herd, Francesca must run into the path of danger once more. In order to save her friend from certain death, Francesca must risk everything to stop this immortal threat. With her mission, her love for Jasper and her life on the line, will Francesca be able to stop this monster from unleashing untold horrors? Find out when the horn blares and the time comes for the... Freshman Hunt!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anthony Avina
• Release date: Aug 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463998281

Anthony Avina

Anthony Avina, (Born March 1990), is an author, a journalist, and blogger. Born in Southern California, he has battled through injuries, disabilities, moves back and forth across the country, and more, yet still maintains a creative voice that he hopes to use not only to entertain but to inspire hope in even the darkest situations.He writes short stories and novels in the horror genre, and is also a seasoned journalist for the online magazine, On Request Magazine as well as the website TheGamer. Having grown up reading the books of Dean Koontz and Stephen King, they inspired him to write new and exciting stories that delved into the minds of richly developed characters. He constantly tries to write stories that have never been told before, and to paint a picture in your mind while you are reading the book, as if you could see every scene of the book as if it were a movie you were watching. His stories will get your imaginations working, and will also show that in spite of the most despairing and horrific situations, hope is never out of reach. He is always writing, and so there will never be a shortage of new stories for your reading pleasure.

Book preview

Anthony Avina

Freshman Hunt

A Nightmare Academy Novella

Copyright © Anthony Avina, 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Anthony Avina asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

Anthony Avina has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

First edition

Cover art by Mike Wehner

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

Find out more at reedsy.com

I dedicate this to my incredible sister Aly. You are the strongest most amazing person I know. You are truly one of my best friends, and I am lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for always being there for me even in the darkest times.

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.

H. P. Lovecraft

The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love.

The Hubert H. Humphrey

Feminism is the ability to choose what you want to do.

Nancy Reagan

Contents

Acknowledgement

Prelude: A Brush With Death

Fitting In (24 Hours Earlier)

Guest Speaker

Peer Pressure

A Test Of Faith

A Dangerous Mission

The Hunt Begins...

Darkest Days

Samhain

A Fire Within

Clarity

Epilogue

Author's Note

Nightmare Academy #3 Sneak Peak...

About the Author

Acknowledgement

I want to thank the incredible Mike Wehner, who reached out to me and kindly offered to design the cover to this book. His artwork is truly amazing and an inspiration. You should check out his amazing work at http://www.mikewehner.com.

I also want to thank the incredible team of beta readers who gave me insight into this series thus far, and the amazing friends and readers i’ve met online who have not only encouraged me but helped me to see the ins and outs of the YA genre.

Thank you to my amazing family, who has stuck with me through all of my trials and tribulations over the years. Life is never easy, and i’ve definitely hit roadblocks galore not only in my normal daily life but in this publishing world I find myself in. Thank you for your consistent support, kindness, encouragement and love. It means the absolute world to me, and I love you with all my heart.

Finally thank you to the readers who have kindly taken a chance on this up and coming author and purchased my book. You are truly an amazing readership and it’s because of you and your support that I write these books. This series is a passion project of mine, and i look forward to taking you all along for the journey as we delve into the vast world of Nightmare Wars and it’s related stories, including Nightmare Academy. Enjoy this book and don’t forget to follow me online and sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date on all the latest news.

1

Prelude: A Brush With Death

The faintest tinge of light began to creep over the cloudy skies above Raven. It was a brisk October morning, (Halloween to be exact), and the middle aged woman stepped out of the diner where she worked as a chef with a smile on her face. She didn’t know why she was smiling. It had been a typical night, cooking hot and greasy meals for hungry travelers and truck drivers as they drove along the coast. The same loudmouth truckers with a string of opinions a mile long shouted his views throughout the restaurant. The late night parties that led to hungry college kids seeking out fuel for consumption filled the restaurant as normal. She saw the same tired and bored faces of the cashier and waitresses that she saw each day. Nothing stood out from the ordinary, and yet joy filled Raven’s heart.

Robin Raven Barber lived in a small apartment in Ocean Park, CA, near her favorite place in the world, Santa Monica. She’d been working at Al’s 24-hour diner for four years, although she’d spent over twenty years working as a chef. She’d spent years cooking and serving