Chronicles of Madness by Justin Nichols (book series for 12 year olds .txt) 📕

Prologue: 10 years ago
Dear reader of my Chronicle

If you’re reading this, then I'm probably the body lying next to this journal (or chronicle, as I tend to call it). In this you will read of strange things, mysteries and murderers, creatures form the darkest part of your mind, and myths and legends all throughout the course of my adventures. Never once have I wrote a lie in this chronicle so what you are about to read is very true and very, very, real. Now my name is John and I am a shifter. I will explain what that is later, and seeing how you found this, could you bring it to my dear friend Mae Clintlock. Tell her it’s John's and he is very sorry she will understand.

It was a chilly December day. You could sit in front of a fire and still be freezing. I was enjoying a day at the park with my dad, Bruce. He was mid-thirties, tall, about six foot five, lean, had sandy hair, one green eye and one blue eye, and a round nose. He was intellectual and seemed to be able to just know things. He graduated from high school at sixteen and college at twenty. His dream as a child was to be a police officer/chef. He could cook anything and shoot you from ten miles away with his pistol, guess when you where lying and know when you weren't, and carry himself with a dignity no other man could.

I was only twelve, an only child, of average height and build, and had a loose interpretation of life, or what I saw it as. I had the same sandy hair and green and blue eyes as my father did. I talked like he did and walked like him. Like any other young boy I wanted to be just like my dad. I also just knew when you where lying, which confused me, how was I to know these things at such a young age. I was probably the most stubborn kid you could ever meet which would explain why my dad and I were at the park. Also I seemed to be able to see the future, not through a crystal ball, tarot cards, or even palm reading, but through my dreams. My mom called them premonitions, whatever that meant. I always compared it to the Final Destination movies.

The events of my life where a mystery even to the countless dreams I have had over my very short but meaningful life. No one could guess what me destiny had in store for me, but I was three and did not care much. All I cared about was having a good time at the park with my dad, which I was.

My father and I had just finished playing and having a great time at the park. While we were preparing to go home when we had heard this strange noise, one that you could never forget. It sounded like a cat, dog, snake, bear, and wolf all rolled into one blood-chilling, bone trembling, hair raising noise. Dad seemed to know precisely what the cursed noise was but he wasn't saying.

"What was that dad?" I had asked.

"I don't know son but we should probably get going" he replied. He also lied to me. It was to protect me, but from what?
 
"You’re lying dad. Something is out there and your not telling me what it is." Then we heard it again just this time closer.
 
"Go home" he had yelled. "And don't turn back just run. Don't stop running until you get home tell your mother I did everything that I could and that I love her."

"Ok dad but what's going on." I had replied.

"GO. NOW!"

I ran as fast and far as I could. Once I reached my old apartment, that I had been living in at the time, I found my mother hung on the ceiling by this strange purple slimy octopus like tentacle. It looked like snail slime was oozing off the thing. I couldn’t help but stare at it with wide eyes and amazement, even though this was the thing that killed my mother. I wanted to touch it but decided not to because it might attack me. It scared me but I had to do something so I went to our neighbors. They were the only people that could help right away

I had knocked and said "It's me John. Can you open up?" I heard the latch click and out popped my best friend Mae. She was thirteen, a year older than me. She had long red hair, beautiful baby blue eyes, and always seemed to know what to do no matter the situation. She had always been there for me and saw the best in me. She was smart and athletic, the kind of girl you saw playing sports like football and hockey. People always assumed we were related from how well we knew each other and the fact we are usually found together. She had dreamed of becoming a doctor and to save people from what had happened to her father, who died in a fatal car accident.

"Hi John, what are you doing here, I thought you left with your dad."

"I did but then something came after us, and my mom is on the ceiling."

"Is she alive?" she started to cry. "Mom, John's mom is hurt," she yelled as loud as she could. Then her mom stepped out. She was no older than 33 and had the same red hair and blue eyes as Mae did, which is where she had gotten it. She went to school with my parents, as did Mae's dad, and had known them since they were Mae's age.

"Let me see" Mae's mom said as she stepped into my apartment, she instantly called the police from the landline. The police showed up and had asked where my father was, how my mother was on the ceiling and what the thing around her neck was. My only answer was that I don't know but I did tell them what my father had said before he disappeared. After the police left Mae's mother had invited me to stay with them. Mae and I were ecstatic at that, and of course I had accepted the offer that was given to me. That night I had the one of the worst nightmares of my life.

I was walking through a dark alley when all of a sudden I was immobile, not frozen neither by fear nor by a poison but by my form. I had changed from my person form into a brick which I was immediately sent flying through the air. I had changed again in mid air into a bird then I had flown back to Mae's house. I had found Mae and her mother dead, on the ceiling, just like my mother was. The truly terrifying part was that I had moved in to the park my father disappeared at. The creature was there waiting for me to do something, I did not know what, and then it changed into my father and said "You left me behind."

I had woke up crying once I had stopped, I walked over to Mae's room to make sure that it was only a dream and not a memory or worse, a premonition. She was fine, but awake, and she saw me.

"What's wrong John. Are you ok" she asked very quietly.

"Yes, just had a nightmare that’s all" I replied.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No I'm fine, goodnight Mae"

"If you're sure then ok goodnight John." She always has been more mature then her age would have let on.

Chronicle 1: The wake

I had just woken form the same reoccurring nightmare that I have been having for a week straight now. I was in a dark alley and couldn't seem to move or even breathe. Something was staring at me but I couldn't seem to identify the thing. I appeared to be behind some form of restaurant but couldn't tell if I was right. The thing had a rancid smell on its breath, like a long dead corpse. Then it lunged at something and I woke up screaming every time.

It was time for my parents' funeral and Mae was trying to help me through the day, although I had been helping her just as much as she was helping me. She had been different since seeing my mother hung on the ceiling, almost distant afraid, as if it was her mom instead of mine. I had to though, but then again it was my mother that had died, not hers, but I wasn't mad, I understood why, seeing a dead person changes that you are. Makes you feel alone, cursed like, knowing that one day it will be you in the casket. People crying over your body then you get thrown in the ground and buried, forgotten with time. People visit at first, but then you become a memory, and then no one even remembers your name, voice, or face

I had dressed in my nicest tux, Mae's mother saw to that. Mae was in her favorite black dress, even though she wanted her blue one, blue is her favorite color, and she looked beautiful in her dress. What I hadn't realized is that I was falling for Mae even though I was only twelve.

As we had begun to get in the car we had seen a strange dog that was sitting by the front door. I had walked over to touch it then am just vanished.

"Did you see that Mae? That dog just vanished out of nowhere, just poof." I had asked
Mae

"No sorry John I didn't see it maybe it will come back and I'll see it then." She replied.

"I hope it does"

After we packed into the car and drove to the funeral I took front a row seat, as it was costumed in my family, as I thought of Mae and her mother as family, sat with me on the pew. The preacher began to talk to the family and friends of my mother and father, called up the people who had wanted to speak in the funeral and played a video with pictures of my parents in high school, college, and with me with them. Everyone cried including Mae and I. After the funeral everyone just seemed to leave without even looking at each other, as if they were the only ones there. Once we reached Mae's house I explained about the dog, my nightmare, and what my dad told me. All she did was looked at me like I was crazy.

I guess I am crazy. Maybe insane because no one just sees things like I do, hears things like I do, and dreams things like I do. The people that have talked to me think it's just because of my parent’s death, a form of post traumatic stress or something of the sorts. I know what I saw and heard but I don't know why. I also feel something inside of me whenever I'm around Mae. It as I feel something toward her, something I'm supposed to, it's strange its magic it's something that I can't describe. Almost a deep emotional attachment to her, like I need her to be close to me.

Then the worst nightmare of them all hit. I was alone with Mae. About thirty, I think, and