The Antiserum Novels: Antiserum, the Rising, Venom

By Patricia Carrigan

“In her debut books The Antiserum Novels, author Patricia Carrigan creates interesting and relatable characters that Stephenie Meyer would be proud of, in an intertwining tale of vampires that spans centuries. The Antiserum Novels is a sexy, fun, and fast-paced series that goes from the innocent teenage drama of high school to a timeless tale of love, lust, and loss. Take the time to sink your teeth into these books – you won’t regret it!”
— E.S.Brown, author of VAMPOCALYPSE and
CODENAME: SCARLETT

In this world, there are people who are born as Genetic Vampires, and those who are turned into what is known as a Bitten Vampire. Unfortunately for Jocelyn, she didn’t know that either of those existed until she Shifted. Now, she’s faced with even bigger problems than getting through high school and college like a normal person - she can read minds, one of the oldest vampires in history is trying to track her down, she can’t stop herself from wanting blood, even when her body doesn’t need it. Worse, a rogue group of Bitten Vampires are trying to end the race of Genetic Vampires all together, and her heart won’t stop getting in the way. All she wants to do is focus on her next meal, but it can’t be that easy right?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Nov 26, 2020
• ISBN: 9781698704425

Patricia Carrigan

Patricia Carrigan is a young woman who resides in California where she works as a retail manager and a dance teacher. She found her love for writing as a pastime in the summer of 2010, producing Part I of the Antiserum Novels at the age of 16. From there she continued her writing for Part II, The Rising. After many years of having to put writing on hold, she is beyond happy to finally release Part III, Venom!

Book preview

THE

ANTISERUM

NOVELS

ANTISERUM, THE RISING, VENOM

PATRICIA CARRIGAN

©

Copyright 2020 Patricia Carrigan.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by

any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or

otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0441-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0443-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6987-0442-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020922860

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in

this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views

expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such

images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Trafford rev. 11/25/2020

22970.png www.trafford.com

North America & international

toll-free: 844-688-6899 (USA & Canada)

fax: [phone]

Contents

Antiserum

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

The Rising

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Venom

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Acknowledgements

"Blood used to taste salty and metallic, but now, I could

feel all his emotions with every swallow. It was heated

with his fear but refreshing with his surprise which gave

it a sweet taste that was so irrepressibly addictive that it

caused me to bite down harder. I shuddered as his blood

extinguished the constant burning that seared my throat

and began to slowly fill the emptiness in my stomach.

Under my grip, the man’s body slowly

began to go limp." – Jocelyn Bairen

The%20Antiserum%20Novels%20Final-1.jpg

Chapter One

L ife isn’t as crazy as it seems… but for me, it could be. Living with so many different clashing personalities and attitudes can be quite confusing for a person… or a… something else? You see, I’m not like very many people, very little in fact.

I have an identical twin sister, her real name is Jessica, but I just call her J.B. Most people think it just stands for her full name, Jessica Bairen, but to me, it just stands for Jail Bait. She always had a very indescribable way of getting guys three to four years older than herself to date her. It’s amazing, but it’s not like I’d ever say that. Pitiful, I know, but something about me can’t stand the fact that she can’t stick to guys her age.

Regardless, I also have an older sister, Missy, and she’s beautiful. She and Dad are the only brown-eyed brown haired people in the family, and it’s definitely gratifying to her. It gives her the ability to be completely different and stand out in the crowd – something I, once upon a time, wished I could do just as easily.

My mom and dad are quite easily my heroes. J.B. and I have inherited our honey blonde hair and bright-blue eyes from Mom, and my wavy hair from Dad. In their own ways they’re pretty opposite from each other. Mom, is very relaxed, hangs out, and checks on everyone when she can, and Dad, is very fun and pretty business forward when it comes to discussing things. I never got into much trouble, that was left for both of my sisters. Missy had annoying relationships and J.B. would sneak out to see people. I didn’t see the allure of breaking rules if it was just going to make things difficult. In turn, I was looked pretty fondly on as a ‘good daughter’ and I liked it that way.

Oh! I almost forgot to mention… I love blood…

Really. I live for it. Just thinking about it right now makes my skin shiver with excitement, making it cool and warm at the same time. Of course, being a vampire with an addiction does that to you. I try to get it as often as I can without my family knowing. If they find out that I frequently go out and feed on someone – anyone – to satisfy my addiction, then they’d have Vasile inject me with that stuff again.

I know that it may all sound a bit confusing at the moment… how about I start from the beginning? The beginning of my Shift.

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My phone’s alarm startled me from a deep sleep. I turned it off in annoyance and stared at the time.

5:30 a.m.

I groaned and shuffled quietly to the bathroom for an awakening shower. The hot water singed right through the thick blanket of sleep that had swallowed me up me in my dreams, all of which I couldn’t remember. After I had gotten dressed and ready for school I picked up my phone to text my friend.

Nikki, you and I have to talk. I muttered to myself as I typed on my phone.

Nikki is a good friend but she hasn’t really been receiving all of my trust lately. It happens from time to time, so I guess I really shouldn’t worry so much anymore. But, I still do.

Ding!

I checked my phone.

Hey! What’s up? Everything alright?

I typed a quick reply. It was killing me not to be able to know what she said to Caesar after our hockey game.

Caesar.

He’s the guy that I’ve been crushing on for about two weeks. He’s taller than me – about four inches over my five-foot three, super cute, and a great athlete on top of all of that.

I had decided that I wanted to see if I could get his number but I couldn’t bring myself to go up and ask for myself, so I thought it best to send Nikki in my place. Afterward, though, I started hearing other stories. Boy, drama is never fun.

Ding!

I asked him if he had a phone, he said yeah and then he asked why, and so I said that one of my friends thinks you’re cute. He smiled, and then said which one? I pointed you out and said you should give her your number. Then he said no. I asked again and also said why not? But all he said was not now…

Ouch… A thought whispered in my head. I stared at the message just imagining her bubbling with details. Was it all true? Most likely yes… damn it.

Ding!

Another message. I GOT A BOYFRIEND!

I sighed and typed a short reply. Rub it in why don’t you. I said to myself.

Nikki was always changing the subject or trying to change the flow of a bad conversation. It was like she knew that it was going to go wrong in the long run. But, honestly, who could mind?

J.B. came skipping down the hallway just then. Hey, Missy’s driving us to school today. She said swiftly just before turning down the stairway to the kitchen. It could have been as if she had sent me a subliminal message, because even though she didn’t ask, I knew that I had to be the one to wake Missy up now.

I rolled my eyes and walked back to the other end of the hall toward Missy’s room.

It was warm, quiet, and dark as a cave, as usual.

Psssssssttttt… Missssssyy… wake up. I hissed.

Missy stirred and inhaled deeply though her nose while she stretched out. I took that as one of those I’m up gestures and left the room.

J.B. was sitting in the kitchen` waiting for our driver when I came downstairs.

Did you wake her up? she asked.

I nodded.

A few short moments went by until J.B. caught me off guard by laughing. I jumped and looked at her questioningly.

She looked up, phone in hand, she then spoke excitedly, I get to see Riley on Thursday! she lightly squealed. I even asked him, here’s what I said, her phone was suddenly shoved in front of my face as she began scrolling and reading out loud.

I said, Am I going to see you on Thursday? with a smiley face. Not just any smiley face. A special one. She glanced at my face for a second and continued, Then he said, Of course with a smiley face!

She then pouted her bottom lip. But then I fell asleep on him… again.

I giggled. You know, I started, you might want to say goodnight beforehand so that he doesn’t end up waiting for a never-coming text.

J.B. smiled. I know, but I still get to see him. He’s eighteen, you know?

I rolled my eyes and started to rummage through the snack cupboard.

Of course I knew that. That’s what the name J.B. is for. Duh! I mostly knew that because, one, I’ve seen him before, and trust me, it shows. And, two, she’s said it at least every day since last Thursday.

The ceiling of pantry started to creak as Missy made her way down the stairs. Here we go, I sighed and thought to myself, another boring day of my life.

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Nikki started speed walking down the hallway as soon as she saw my twin and I. Oh my god! You guys! she yelled. The whole hall echoed in her outburst. She doesn’t have very much control over how loud she is when she’s in a certain mood. Usually it comes back to bite her.

I looked up from the locker and jumped up and down, squealing in fake enthusiasm. What? What? What?

Her brown eyes were wide with, from what it looked like, wonder, or maybe it could have been amazement… with a pinch of horror. I was still deciding on what it was when she closed the few yards between us. Her shoulder-length brunette hair swung into her face as she came to a stop abruptly.

J.B. stood quietly for a moment, observing every aspect of Nikki’s facial expressions, until she found what she was looking for.

Oh my god! What happened?! I want to know! J.B. gasped, heavy on the curiosity.

Michael had a wet dream about me!

An unexpected gasp wrenched away from my lips while J.B. giggled.

Nikki’s nose wrinkled in an I-can’t-believe-it-either manner and nodded quickly.

J.B.’s face was turning a light shade of pink as she muffled her laughter.

Nikki’s eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. I know! she breathed, and he even described it to me! Sort of.

I felt my eyebrows pull together. I don’t think I want to know. I said, partly to myself.

Confusion shadowed her face. Well all he said was the place, and what we were doing.

Do we really need to know this? I grabbed Nikki’s arm. I mean it’s yours and Michael’s business not–

J.B. immediately smacked my hand. Tell us! she rushed. I grimaced as she said us, please, like I wanted to hear my best friend’s boyfriend’s wet dream… I shook my head in annoyance.

Nikki giggled. Well… she hesitated as if she was rethinking if she wanted to say it or not, we were in the back room at the hockey rink, and we were making out. She paused. "That’s all he said other than that it was very, very intense." She glanced from J.B.’s ecstatic face to mine.

That was pretty underwhelming. I thought to myself as I gave her a tight-lipped smile.

I could tell she was looking for a way to change the conversation so decided to be the first to break the silence. That’s it? I asked.

J.B. elbowed me in the side, but smiled at Nikki. Hey! At least you know he’s dreaming of you! She laughed again, Even if that’s all the action you get.

Nikki laughed in slight embarrassment and partly at herself, possibly doubting her ability to tell her boyfriend’s dirty little secret. Yeah, I guess that’s true. She said quietly and then shook her head as she perked back up. You guys ready for another day of school? she asked.

J.B. shrugged as I shook my head.

Too bad because it’s time for it to start. She said with a smirk and the bell rang as if on cue.

I groaned.

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All of my classes went by pretty fast. That is, all except for Ms. Shoebill’s English class. I actually have two classes with this woman and they just seem to drag on. My first class of the day with her is Dance, and if it weren’t for the extra P.E. credits and my friends, I would have been dropped out of there in no time.

Sadie, my other best friend, pulled her fiery-red mermaid hair over one of her shoulders and giggled mercilessly as she sat out for the whole period and watched as Nikki and I doe-see-stupid-doed around the entirety of the Multi-Purpose room.

Even though she was a grade above us, she enjoyed our time. At least, I liked to think she did. She was a smidge distant when it came to her personal life and was always so watchful of us – Nikki, my twin, and I. It was like she was keeping an eye out for us all, except I never knew why she did so. She was a good friend to have.

As the night began to fall, I was restless. Even my sleep was filled with dreams that hammered me. And, although they weren’t loud, they were subliminally screaming at me to make their point.

In this particular dream, I was just sitting on the bleachers next to Nikki, when I heard her say, "Michael is so adorable when he’s practicing… that’s my man." Her voice was thick with possessiveness. When I turned to see her face, there was no sign that told me she was just speaking a few moments ago so clearly.

I tossed and turned all night before I was startled awake by my alarm. And, just like that, another day had come and gone like nothing happened at all.

I groaned and threw my pillow over my face – wishing for more time to sleep.

Chapter Two

I really didn’t want to get up. But, the need to go to school with freshly cleaned hair is always enough to pull me out of the deepest slumber and quit hitting the snooze button.

Oddly enough, it felt like I was running late. Maybe that’s because J.B. wasn’t up and was still asleep with a cold? Yup, that’s most likely it.

She was always the one hurrying me up in the morning, and now that she’s in bed, I could go at my own pace. It’s kind of relaxing.

I finished with my hair and grabbed my hoodie. Now, all I really needed were my shoes and I could get out of here.

I looked at the end of my bed. Nope.

Letting out a sigh of annoyance, I went to check downstairs.

Where are they? I thought to myself.

Suddenly stopping in my tracks, I remembered where they were and mentally kicked myself with my sock-covered feet. They were still in my school locker. I switched them out for my moccasins after P.E. and hadn’t thought to bring them home.

I shrugged to myself. It looks like I’m going to school in my socks. I thought with a hint of a smile tugging up at the corners of my mouth.

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I walked into the school hall way to see Nikki sitting by my locker. Once she heard me, her head turned and looked me over. After a few seconds, her eyebrows furrowed, which made me immediately self-conscious.

What? I asked as I crossed my arms tightly in front of me.

Where are your shoes? Her eyebrows smoothed out gently and I relaxed a little.

I smiled and pointed to my locker behind her.

Oh. She mouthed and then shuffled to the side.

Hey, Joss? I heard her ask then.

I began putting in the combination to my lock, What is it, Nikki? I replied calmly.

What is what? Nikki suddenly looked very confused.

I was very sure my face mirrored her own as we stared at each other for a minute.

Didn’t you say my name? I asked finally.

Um… no. Her eyebrows pulled together so tight that it started to look like a thinly plucked caterpillar trying to re-connect itself to its other half. "But I was just thinking about asking you a question when you started talking."

I quickly re-gathered my thoughts and shook my head. Sorry. I thought you already said my name. I stared into my locker and then side-glanced back down toward Nikki. Whatever. I scoffed. What was it that you were going to ask?

Uh – oh! Oh yeah, where’s J.B.? She asked, staring at me with big brown eyes and I wondered if she was as confused as I was.

I waved my hand like it was no big deal about J.B.’s absence.

She’s sick. I answered, We think it’s just a twenty-four-hour flu.

Nikki laughed, and I joined in lightly. Or she wants to be as well as she can when she goes to see Riley tomorrow at practice. She added with another chuckle.

Our conversation faded into silence as I slid down the lockers to sit next to Nikki. The buzzing of other conversations in the hall seemed to be constant enough that we could just sit in silence without it being to awkward.

Unfortunately, the bell rang a few minutes after sitting down, forcing Nikki and I reluctantly back to our feet. We parted ways to our respective classes, but my mind didn’t exactly feel all there and for some reason I couldn’t shake the little random thoughts that kept popping up for no reason. Honestly, it was starting to feel like they weren’t even mine.

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Just as the second period bell rang I noticed there was something different about my dance class.

No teacher. Where was Ms. Shoebill?

Sadie came up to Nikki and I, as we were sitting on the stage at the front of the room.

What the hell? she said as she greeted us.

I laughed. Hey Sadie.

Nikki giggled quietly. Hey Sadie.

She plopped her bag next to ours What’s up Nikki? Sadie quickly asked. How are things with…? She stopped for a dramatic pause, Michael?

Nikki groaned. You heard about his dream didn’t you?!

I laughed, Of course she knows, you only screamed it out loud in C-hall of all places. There’s bound to be some people to talk about it.

Nikki groaned again and put her face in her hands.

Sadie laughed and decided to change the subject. So, she started as she searched the room, Where’s Ms. Shoebill?

Nikki shrugged.

I murmured, I don’t know…. Maybe she finally grew a pair of wings and flew away.

I immediately regretted that I had said it as loud as I did. I’m really not a mean person in most cases but for some reason, Ms. Shoebill really gets under my skin. A nearby group who were whispering amongst themselves looked up and started laughing at my remark. Nikki’s jaw dropped and stared almost slightly past me. But Sadie was just sitting there with an ear-to-ear grin.

Wow Joss…. She giggled. Say that loud enough?

I laughed nervously, as my face flushed slightly. Sorry. I guess I wasn’t really thinking about how loud it was.

Sadie’s smile seemed slightly tense, as she shook her head and sat down next to me.

I could have sworn the room was buzzing in conversation before I said that.

Just then, many comments of, ‘who’s that’ and ‘wow he’s HOT’ started slipping out.

And that’s when someone caught my eye. A tall, tan, black haired man, I guess okay-looking, came up to our class who was all perched on the stage… Get it? Perched? And my teacher looks like a bird? I congratulated myself at my wit.

I choked back my laugh at my little mental pun.

Hubba-hubba…. Nikki sighed. I started to laugh, but she just looked at me with a slightly confused expression. What? she asked.

I laughed again, That’s a pretty interesting choice of words to describe what you think of the substitute teacher. I replied.

She laughed with a hint of confusion. "What exactly did I say?"

I made air quotes for emphasis, ’Hubba-hubba.’

Um… Joss, I didn’t say that. I bet someone else did. But I swear I was only thinking it. She laughed as she gave me an are-you-going-crazy look.

Oh sorry. I quickly replied as I tried to cover up how crazy I must have sounded. I guess I heard someone else and thought it was you.

Alright, I’m going to take roll call, Our substitute teacher said in a smooth voice, Now if you guys just say ‘here’ when I say your name that would be great. He looked down at the attendance sheet and started quickly calling out the names.

What do you think his name is? I said to Sadie quietly.

I heard a sigh, Mr. Wonderful….

Sadie glanced up from her phone and silently laughed. Ay, Miss Dreamer. She said to Nikki, you just got a boyfriend who you happen to really like. Remember?

Nikki blushed but still smiled, Oh yeah! Right! she whispered excitedly as she clicked a button to light up her phone’s background that had been changed to a somewhat flattering picture of Michael.

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As I have said before, the day proceeded to go by very slowly. And as it turns out, Mr. Wonderful was also my English sub as well. In turn, we all ended up watching a movie that we found in Ms. Shoebill’s desk. All we managed to find was Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, which started to make me think that Ms. Shoebill might be taking her whole bird potential to a totally new level.

Honestly, all of my time was spent drawing on the arm of my classmate, Dylan. He fell asleep as soon as I started. It amazed me how I could feel his pulse jump through the pen I was using. Fortunately, I caught myself before I started rubbing his wrist where I could even see the skin move in this dim light. I rubbed my eyes and shook my head. I furiously refused to wrap my mind around what I would have done if given the chance.

I was so happy to get back home once school ended. I quickly changed to some old sweatpants and laid down.

I didn’t exactly know why, but I was feeling so unusually tired – probably from last night and not being able to sleep properly? Even if it wasn’t the reason, it was what I was going with as an answer. I stayed flat on my back and tried to rethink on my day – something I do regularly to relax myself. Most of the time I’m just deciding what details I should keep to myself. For instance, possibly hearing voices in my head.

I groaned loudly and threw a pillow over my face, trying to concentrate on relaxing my body again.

I woke up hours later to my cellphone beeping. It was Nikki, Hey, I can’t go to practice tomorrow! My parents are making me go to that silly school awards thing instead. She typed.

Aw. I muttered and typed back a reply to her, letting her know that I’d fill her in on anything she would miss.

I yawned and stretched until I couldn’t put off my homework any longer. Doing homework this late always bugged me, but there are just things that just have to be done, even if that means keeping my friends thoughts to myself.

Chapter Three

I wish I could have at least one decent night of sleep. Every time I got to sleep I would end up having weird flashes of different dreams. The only one that I really remember was a flash of me skating at the hockey rink, except it wasn’t from my eyes… it was from someone else’s view?

Confusing? Just a bit. I don’t know what my dreams mean but I do know that they refused to make any sense or let me sleep.

Just as another flicker was bubbling to my mind, my alarm sounded off. I groggily got up from another sleepless slumber. Quickly my original routine started.

I shuffled out of my room and into the restroom trying to ignore my already growling stomach. I stopped, leaning on the counter in front of the mirror while I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I blinked twice to focus my vision. But when I opened my eyes I saw the reflection of the cupboards that should have behind me. I put my hand on the mirror but my reflection refused to show.

I yelped and jumped backwards, tripping over my other foot, slamming me into the bathroom door and onto the floor.

This is what it’s like? I thought to myself frantically; wide eyed. This is what it’s like to go completely bonkers?

J.B. ran down the hallway just as I sat up against the wall.

What are you trying to do? Wake everyone up? she whispered harshly.

I grabbed her arm and pulled her down to my level and stared her in the eyes, Could you see yourself in the mirror? I whispered frantically.

Uh…yeah? She said sarcastically.

Well I can’t.

J.B.’s eyes tightened. Do you really think we have time for this? Now get up. She grabbed my forearm. I tugged back but she was persistent.

She stood next to me in front of the mirror while I stood with my eyes tightly closed, afraid of what may or may not be in the mirror.

J.B. gasped. Oh my god.

Aha! I knew I wasn’t crazy! I thought to myself as I jumped up and down, I know! You can’t see me can you! I told—

J.B. smacked my arm, No, I could see you just fine, you just messed up my hair.

I opened my eyes to my own reflection. Okay, never mind. I laughed nervously, I’m just kidding around. I scoffed.

I waved my hand like I was swatting a fly away, as J.B. stared at me, I met her gaze and inhaled deeply. Yeeeaaaaahhhh… I said as I exhaled and escaped back to my room. Please, please, Lord… I need more sleep if this is what’s going to happen. I sent out a silent prayer and rubbed my face.

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J.B. and I put our books into our lockers and grabbed our lunch money.

Finally! Lunch time! J.B. exclaimed just as Nikki came trudging down the hallway.

J.B.! She yelled.

My sister bounced around in a circle and landed facing Nikki. What?! she laughed.

Nikki continued, You missed it! We had a really cute sub yesterday. But he didn’t have a name so I just called him Mr. Wonderful. She chuckled to herself. But the whole time, Sadie was just saying, ‘Wow, I’m glad that J.B. isn’t here or she’d be ALL up on that!’ She finished as she snapped her fingers in a Z-formation.

J.B. smiled widely. She secretly liked that she was thought of in any way while she was absent.

I was lost in my thoughts when Nikki took J.B. and I by the arm and drug us to the corner of the hall way. Nikki’s face suddenly went from being excited, to almost downright serious.

She looked around quickly just to make sure no one was eavesdropping then spoke just as fast, You guys, I really am starting to think that I’m going crazy. Because, you know how I daydream a lot? Like, a lot, a lot? She didn’t leave room to reply and kept talking. A lot of these daydreams have been becoming some majorly freaky Deja-vu for me. She finally paused. Her eyes were wide with worry as J.B. and I hurried to understand what she said.

That means… what you’re trying to say is… My sister looked up and flashed a dazzling smile, Heeyy Billy! she giggled as he waved back and scuttled off.

She looked back at our annoyed faces and replied, What? Oh! Oh yeah… what you’re trying to say is that you’re having premonitions?

Nikki blinked in confusion. What’s premonitions? She choked out.

J.B. rolled her eyes. See the future.

Oh! Yeah that’s it! she exclaimed. Like, Jocelyn?

I snapped back to what I hoped was reality. Could this all be really happening? Or was she really just wanting attention?

I shook my head, I’m sorry, yes?

Remember the other morning when you thought you heard me ask a question but I didn’t and you could have sworn that you heard me? She rambled.

Yeah. I said plainly. Trust me, I do. I thought to myself. Well I saw that coming, like, days before when I was in my Spanish class! Nikki quietly explained.

Wow. I mouthed. That’s all I could do… so much for a normal and boring day at school.

J.B. stared like she was the most confused person in the world. Wait! She exclaimed, What am I thinking right… NOW! She pointed at me.

I stared at her and rolled my eyes, but curiosity killed the Jocelyn, and I tried anyways. I silently concentrated on her… or tried until it sounded like someone was screaming at me. To my surprise it was J.B.’s voice. She was saying – well, technically she was thinking, Oh my god! Can you read minds?! What the hell is going on?! Is it in the water?

I sighed and looked down, You think I could read minds? And you want to know what the hell is going on, not just with me, but with Nikki too? I guessed. And, I added with a chuckle. You want to know if it’s in the water.

Nikki’s and especially J.B.’s jaws dropped immediately. I proceeded to roll my eyes again and deliberate. Oh. Come. On! I gestured to J.B. It’s practically written all over your face. And on top of that, I’ve never seen anyone glare at their water bottle like you just did.

As much as I tried to cover up my, maybe, new-found ability, they weren’t budging on believing my counter-act. But this time it was Sadie’s voice that cut in from behind me. And you got all of THAT from just one look?

I jumped at the sound of her voice.

Busted.

Chapter Four

J .B., Nikki, and I, all jumped and spun around. Sadie chuckled to herself quietly.

Her gaze seemed slightly dangerous but the look on her face was nothing but perfectly composed. Don’t worry. Just meet me after school today at my house, close to three thirty preferably. I’ll explain it all to you then.

My eyebrows furrowed. Her voice didn’t seem to fit her natural teenage self; it was almost as if it was aged — fitting a whole other person entirely. And then, without another word she left.

This wasn’t normal at all.

J.B. suddenly claimed my attention. Did you read her mind? She breathed, Did you know what she was talking about?

Nikki’s deep brown eyes widened with her own curiosity almost mirroring J.B.’s. Hey don’t look at me like I know everything. I hissed. I’m just trying to figure this out myself!

Their expressions changed into looks that were slightly more considerate.

I sighed, Okay, let’s just go to her house after school and see if we all can figure what this is about.

They nodded. And it better be worth it… I continued. We’re missing hockey for this.

J.B. whimpered. She wanted to see Riley.

Nikki’s eyes went wide. But I have to go to that award thing!

I tried to think quickly. Just tell your parents that you have a big project due and you need to work on it at Sadie’s house?

Hopefully that works. I thought to myself. Now, let’s go eat.

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Sadie opened the door to her house. It creaked slightly with an eerie sound making shivers run up and down my spine. She smiled, Right on time…. Her face fell into a smirk, Sort of. She shrugged, stepping aside, waving her arm inward as a gesture to go into her house. Velcum to my crypt. She said in her best Dracula accent.

My eyes adjusted quickly to the dark lighting of her living room. A mini grand piano stood off to the side of the entry way, managing to be lit by one of the two half ceiling windows. I slid my fingers over the ivory keys as I walked by. The shag carpet whispered quietly with each step I took.

If you would just follow me, maybe I could start explaining things. Sadie’s calm voice was almost directly behind me, making me jump slightly.

Sadie stepped in front of me and led the way to her family’s study that was down the hall and settled on the edge of an oversized black leather chair. Nikki and I settled crisscross on the floor in front of her like a couple of kids waiting for a story. J.B. joined us a few seconds after rolling over the couch and plopping onto the carpet with a giggle.

I feel like its story time. Nikki murmured under her breath.

Do you play the piano? J.B. asked loudly.

Oh, noooo… Sadie raised her hands slightly, I see it more as a decoration.

I cleared my throat. Okay, I’m not sure how much these two, I pointed to Nikki and J.B., are curious about this whole situation — or I do know… I paused, Or I could know… I trailed off and threw my arms in the air, letting them drop with a slap! on my thighs. Oh my god, I just confused myself so bad. I still wasn’t about to fully accept that I could hear people’s thoughts, but if there was a slight possibility that Sadie did have the answers to all this crazy, then I was more than willing to listen.

Nikki and J.B. stifled their laughter. I shot them a quick glare.

Sadie spoke then, Don’t worry you guys. You’ll all be in control soon enough. She smiled. Then she gestured toward Nikki and I. "Jocelyn, Nikki, I’ve been watching your own Shifts since your sixteenth birthdays. But even then I wasn’t sure about anything until I heard you all talking in the hallway, that’s when I decided that it was time.

Now, what I couldn’t tell you at school was that you all are part of what is known as The Genetic Race. She paused to gauge our faces and then continued, Most of us in The Genetic Race don’t really know why we’re given such abilities, and mostly why at this age? Sixteen! Sweet Sixteen! She put her hands up in faux angst and brought them back down. And guess what? Now you have to try not to freak out and find out what the hell is going on with you. She laughed sarcastically, But, lucky for you guys, you have me for guidance. She concluded with a smile.

Nikki and I sat, mouths agape, but J.B. whimpered. WAIT! Why aren’t I part of the oh-so-secret-eerie- extraordinary-awesome-worldly thing?! she exclaimed with air quotes.

Sadie’s eyes widened sympathetically, quickly thinking of an explanation, Well sometimes you go through some emotional dilemma or metal trauma of some kind. That’s what happened with me! And now look at what I can do. She pointed to an empty soda can on the coffee table in front of her, and with a flick of her wrist, it flung across the room where it smacked into the wall, splattering the last few drops of soda that was in it.

J.B., Nikki, and I sat there on the floor, shocked, trying to decide if this was all real or not.

I was sure I was feeling light headed.

And, She added, I also have a high tolerance to drugs and alcohol; all the fun, but totally in control at the same time. She smiled.

I was still at a loss. It felt like she wasn’t giving us all of the details and I wasn’t sure if I was going to pry for them now, or later.

Nikki was the first to speak. But you said that something happened to you. What was it?

Quickly, I smacked Nikki’s arm. That might be a sensitive subject! I hissed.

You would know! she hissed back. That’s true, I suppose I could know if I tried. But there’s nothing I could quite concentrate on except for the annoying buzzing that now seems to be living in my mind. But what if I tried concentrating on the noise? Where was it coming from?

Aw man…. I really want to know what happened with Sadie!

Oh my god. Was it Nikki’s thoughts?

I gasped quietly as I stared off into space, deep in thought.

Was the buzzing really in my head? And is it even really buzzing? They’re voices.

Thoughts.

And, honestly, it creeped me out a little.

I concentrated a little harder, I could hear J.B.’s curiosity which popped quickly to different questions. I could also hear Sadie’s calm thoughts just piecing together what she wanted to tell us, but just when I was just getting a better grasp of her thoughts, it seemed like I had hit a brick wall. I shook my head and tried honing in on another voice. It seemed distant, but I pushed to concentrate it a little harder — it was Sadie’s older brother. He was talking on his phone, down the hall in his room to some girl he was interested in.

It was incredible how much I could hear! He was very careful with whatever he would say, contemplating what the other person on the line would say and answering carefully. I was wondering how far I could hear when Sadie’s voice broke my dazed trance.

Actually, it’s okay I could talk about my situation now, its fine, I promise. She reassured. Noticeably, the buzzing increased in the direction Sadie was sitting.

My mind felt like it had so much more room for all these extra thoughts. I focused on the intensified voice and, as if I had opened a folder on a computer monitor, a vivid picture shimmered brightly into view.

It was a party, but the room was dimmed, there were tons of people dancing and lounging around. Solo cups were in everyone’s hands. As Sadie started talking the picture moved, bringing it to life. "I just turned sixteen - my friends surprised me, of course, with a party at one of their houses. It was in one of their garages with dim lighting but it was perfect for anyone who wanted to buy or sell any drugs.

Nothing ever really came to mind that this was a bad idea – I was pretty reckless then. She continued as a picture of Sadie dancing around with her own party cup in hand came into my mind. Shortly, some of her fiends came up and asked her if she was interested in doing something with them as they pointed to the door leading outside. I couldn’t quite make it out but I had an idea of what it was. She set her drink down on the table that was pushed up against the far wall and followed her friends quickly. Sadie barely glanced back at her cup before the door closed behind her.

Did someone touch her cup?

I was only outside for a few moments… or so I thought. My friends and I were smoking and passing it to one another so it may have been longer. It’s all a little unclear still. She admitted with a shrug.

"As soon as I came back in I made my way over to my drink. I didn’t think to waste it and get another one. For a quick moment, I did have the thought to just forget it. But I ignored it, thinking I was around people I could trust. Needless to say, someone thought it would be a wonderful idea to put some hallucinogens in my cup while I was outside. She paused, giving us all a quick glance. Anyway, going against that feeling, I continued on with my party."

Sadie’s memory danced around and sped up in my mind oddly, making me feel dizzy and she continued. "I started to feel, extremely happy… I couldn’t place my finger on what exactly was making it so, but everything was so bright. So colorful. Too colorful. Random objects wiggled and danced in time with the music that played and I just thought it was because I was pretty cross-faded from smoking and drinking as much as I did.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. She sighed, My stomach was uncomfortably tight, my head was unfocused. The corners of the room stretched deeper and darker, like lost pits of hell. Sadie shook her head. "It’s very hard to explain, but those pits were horrifying and I kept feeling like I was going to fall toward them with the amount of people that were bumping around me.

"Paranoia started to set in, they – my friends were trying to get me into those pits! I was starting to get really upset; mad even. Every touch from someone made me flinch away. They laughed at me when I mentioned the wiggling cups… I just wanted it all to stop. Sadie shifted her weight. And that’s when it happened. My best friend had gotten to the party late and came running up to me for a hug. She was moving too fast…

I had only put my arms up to make her stop, but instead, she went flying across the room and smashed into the wall. The memory of her friend flying across the room and hitting the wall was enough to make me back out of her thoughts momentarily.

Sadie’s eyes were glazed over like she was now remembering her night clearly. Then, all of the symptoms I had went away… She snapped her fingers, making Nikki, J.B., and I flinch, just like that. She said. And that’s when I realized what I had done… I nearly killed my best friend and it was a complete freak accident. I ran over to see if she was okay, but there was so much blood… the smell was overwhelming. Sadie unwillingly remembered lingering over her friend’s passed out body. She was so quiet…

Sadie shook her head and her memories faded. I screamed for help and as soon as someone was there, I left, and I ran as far away from there as I could. I don’t even think I stopped crying until I got home. I spent a week locked in my room, just discovering what I now know and what I could do. I began learning to control it – all of it. She explained.

A clock across the room began to chime and her eyes darted over to it. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to cut the story time since my parents are going to be coming home soon and I’m still grounded so I guess now would be a good time for you guys to get going. Oh, and before I forget to warn you – it’s best to keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual. She smiled and wiggled her fingers superstitiously as she led us to the front door.

We all said our ‘goodbyes’ and left for home. Thankfully, leaving us all enough time for actual studying and some rest for tomorrow’s hockey game. Nikki and J.B. continued on with their work easily as the night went on but I couldn’t get myself to just accept that Sadie was completely honest with us.

I kept thinking she was withholding information. For instance, why was she so fixated on her friend’s blood… the way she mentioned it – no. The way she remembered it left gooseflesh on my arms. What else was she keeping from us?

Chapter Five

I walked quietly at the park up the street from my house. The sun had already gone down, leaving me with a dark overcast that didn’t even let the moon shine through. The only light I had was from the two streetlights at either side of the park.

I made my way onto the grass from the gravel pathway. It was slightly satisfying to feel it crunch lightly under my feet as some frost tried to form. A shiver came over my shoulders. It was unusually cold; making me feel uneasy and tense. I grabbed the chain of one of the swings I had been walking toward.

Rust flakes fluttered down from the links and landed on the patch of dirt under the seat - worn away with every sweep of someone’s foot over time.

The sound of a stick snapping sounded off a way behind me. I looked over my shoulder in the direction it came from but found nothing. I sighed to myself and sat back on the planked seat of the swing. The rusted chains scratched at my palms as I gripped them.

A small breeze whirled my hair around my face just as another sound caught my attention. I turned to look behind me.