Dark Matter (Unknown Origins Book 1)

Episode 1

Sounds of chaos echoes everywhere; glasses breaking, women, children, and even full-grown men could be heard running for their lives as endless screams chases after them.

Suddenly, light lits up an empty warehouse dimly as a door opens up.

A lady gradually walks in, seemingly undisturbed by the chaos happening all around her. She is clothed in black with dark long hair, and a hood hung over her face.

** “Don't be scared.” ** she said

** “I'm really not the one you should be afraid of” **

The sounds of agony spike, until it gradually calms.

She slowly raises her head, revealing pitch-black scars that covered her eyes from her forehead down to her chin.

** “Your time is not yet due. But you should learn how to fly while it hasn't yet reached.” **

Bending her head to allow the hood to cover up her face, she stands still and lets the dim light reflect her shadowy body.

** " We were all once students, attending classes, camps and just having fun. Just like you”**

** " This is a story of love, a story of betrayal, a story of ignorance and fate— a race against time.” **

Massive waves of black dust are seen moving upwards through the top windows of the warehouse.

** " I hope you learn that there are things money can't solve. Hold the ones you love dear .“ **

Part of her body gradually begins to fade into black dust.

** "Maybe there was a way all this would be avoided, maybe there wasn't. I hope your turn doesn't come one day.” ** she said with a sad expression as her face faded lastly.

The dust circles around the warehouse for a few moments, before disappearing into the ground.

_____

Jason, a sixteen-year-old boy walks back home as always in deep thought. Tomorrow is another school camping trip that though necessary, will take several months before he will come back home. A cool wind blew past his ear as the scent of damp sand hits his nose. How he loved it, especially because it reminds him of the home he left years ago.

Pushing his thoughts away, he approached the door to the duplex his uncle built, where he now lived in. Swinging it open, warmer air greeted him as he landed on a sofa breathing heavily with the relief that he was away from society, the main reason why he didn't want to relocate to a new country.

The house was quiet strangely in the evening because his uncle was surprisingly sleeping, and his aunt was still at work. Back home he was never used to this quiet because of his siblings and the neighborhood where generators for electricity were a constant noise. Finally, he now had electricity constantly along with fresh water, but he was still not happy. Perhaps, it's because he barely adapts to new surroundings and talkless of a new race that was extremely rare in his home country Nigeria.

After the delicious dinner, Jason carried himself upstairs to his unkempt room where he shoved his clothes into the closet, leaving only his shorts on.

Falling on his bed, he rested his head on the warm pillow and soon went fast asleep.

The next day, Jason made his way to school after breakfast, and was soon on a bus with other students getting ready for the journey ahead. Observing his surroundings, as usual, his eyes soon caught sight of an angel standing in front of the array of silver-blue suits as she enters the bus.

He could feel his heart ache as he begs for her to seat beside him in the bus in his mind. Her beautiful dark hair, her dark brown eyes, her warm enticing eyes– literally everything about her left his mouth gaping, including her fabulous name, May.

As she goes to her sit a few seats in front of him, his hopes and dreams instantly crashed. She caught his eyes the very first day she welcomed him to class but of course, wherever there's a beautiful princess, there's always an ugly Dragon that keeps a close eye on her. Mike, the bane of his life. The white jerk has always bullied Jason from the very first day he started school, and to make things worse he is ALWAYS with May even right beside her on the bus, but he could never understand why.

Soon the bus arrived at its destination, “The Asteria Woods” where the beautiful camp site was situated. After the long, boring rooming arrangements, the place was enough for each student to have a room for themselves.

Jason after packing went outside the camp, enjoying the nature which he loved dearly.

He is dressed in a black PE (the uniform assigned to the students while in the camp; blue, black, pink, and red) and goes to sit down on a tree's enormous root tying up his shoelace and dusting his trousers. Having been anxious about his personal appearance since he was a toddler, Jason had always seeked to be accepted by everyone even though he felt so different from everyone else.

Smiling in contentment at his well tied shoe lace, he raised his head and suddenly thought that his eyes were deceiving him.

He looked left and right, but there wasn't anyone else but him. May was coming at his direction. He froze instantly as she came closer. Her black P.E fits her so perfectly that she took his breath away.

“Hey, Jason! “ She said and smiled.

“H-hi” he replied, a thousand love songs played in his head when her pretty voice reached his ears.

“We are going strolling, would you like to…ugh” May stopped as Jason just stared at her with his mouth gaping.

**awkward what is wrong with this him** May thought, itching her head awkwardly. It was as if he always looked lost whenever she tries to talk to him

“Ugh… go on.” he finally muttered, reminding himself to breath.

“ So, would you like to jo …?”

“Yes!” he replied, standing up immediately and held her hands, keeping his eyes fixed on hers.

“Oh!” May gasped in surprised.

“ Huh!” Jason exclaims looking down at his hands, and lets go of her immediately “ I''m so sorry” he muttered, backing off

“ Uh... No it's_it's fine ” she stuttered “ We're waiting” May giggled before walking away

Jason stood up and followed her,

** Is this really happening? I'm I really strolling with May Anderson?** his mind screamed in excitement

Butt before he could remember to think about what she meant by “we” it was too late. Mike, who was in blue didn't look happy as he leaned on a tree and his dark blue eyes proved it.

Jason stopped moving for a moment.

** MIKE!!**

He could barely believe his eyes. Why did she think that this would be a good idea. But even so, he couldn't resist the opportunity to stroll with her and he just kept moving with them.

Mike walked silently, waiting patiently for May to move few blocks away from him and Jason.

When the chance struck Mike pushed Jason to a tree at May's blindspot. Being a year older and more built than he was, it was quite easy for to intimidate him.

“Hey jerk!” Mike grinned.

“let me be Mike!”

“Listen, I don't want to see you close to her again…” punching Jason supposedly, so his words will hit deeper “I'm going to make sure you regret it all your life, you imbecile! This is the last warning!” he threatened.

“ What the hell is that!?” May exclaims as she got to a spot in the forest unaware of what Mike was doing.

“ Guys check this...” she stops on noticing that they weren't beside her.

Moving back, she finds Mike holding up Jason behind a tree.

“ Mike! What are you doing?” she asks?

“ Nothing! Just making some things clear.” Mike replied, letting go of Jason.

“ Let him be...urgh!” she exclaimed. She couldn't understand why he suggested that they stroll with Jason even though he knew that they don't get along well.

“ Come check this out! There's something weird going on here.” She said wearinly.

“ What's up!” Mike asks, running to her.

**imbecile me! I'm not even that ugly* Jason thought as he rubs off the blood from his bruised lips. He was right, his face looked quite innocent and adorable. As he was about to leave, Jason glanced at where May was pointing.

A few meters away was pitch-black sand surrounded by trees. It seemed to be moving in a concentric circle.

“ Any idea on wheat we're looking at?” May asked in amazement.

“I don't know, hey jer… sorry Jason, go check it out, "Mike said right when Jason was about to turn away.

“ No, it could be dangerous" he replied

“What? It's just sand, are you scared? “ May teased.

And that was it. Jason could not just turn away while his crush calls him a coward.

*I'm not a coward * he thought as he went towards the sand even though his mind kept warning him not to.

On seeing that Jason was about to do something incredibly stupid, Mike turned May's attention to the forest.

Jason turned when he was right in the middle and said:

“It's nothing, just sa…” he paused, interrupted as he felt something grab his feet.

May, who was not expecting him to walk right into him, screamed in horror at the sight of an arm pulling his leg.

Jason looked down as several black, sandy hands grabbed him from the sand and pulled him to his grave. May rushed to help him, but Mike grabbed her by the shoulder.

“Are you insane?” he asks, not expecting her to try to save him as he struggled to keep her from joining him. Eventually, he managed to convince her to run, which she did out of fear.

“Help me !! He…” Jason tries to mutter one last time as the hands covered his face and his body was submerged in sand. His last sight was of the bully and his crush running away.