Chapter one

A year later.

Miranda Lewis stepped out of her home in black rain boots, a knee-length black skirt, and a vibrant red turtleneck sweater, prepared for the aftermath of the previous night's rainfall. Her once-braided, curly afro was now free-flowing, giving her a striking resemblance to Hayley Law.

Surrounded by trees, her house nestled deep within the woods. It would take her approximately seven minutes to walk to the main road where she would wait for the school bus, all while listening to her favorite radio station through her earbuds - a station that perhaps the whole town enjoyed as well.

"Good morning Ashgrove! This is your radio host speaking, hoping you're all doing well on this cool and wet Monday. I don't know about you, but I love mornings like these when all you want to do is snuggle up in bed with your cosy duvet and catch a few extra winks. If you're lucky enough to be at home right now, enjoy it for me, will you?" The host chuckled, masking a hint of envy in her voice.

"Welcome to 81.9 GistFM, I'm Aaaa-manda, and we're ready to delve into something spooky today. Though Halloween isn't here yet, we'll be discussing the supernatural, including Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts, and even Witches. If young ones are tuned in, you might want to switch off the radio. But first, let's get down to business - do you believe in these supernatural entities?

Miranda halted.

"Do you believe that creatures such as vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and witches exist and walk among us? Growing up, my late grandmother would share stories about how Ashgrove was once a den of supernatural activity. If you've lived in this town for a while, you've likely heard similar tales. But do you think these stories are true?"

They are true. Miranda thought.

"Please call me. let me know what your answer is. If you prefer sending your answer through text then feel free to do so and I'll read it out loud."

After listening to a caller who didn't believe in the stories passed down from their ancestors, considering them to be stories meant to scare teens from organizing parties in the woods at night, which was a futile attempt, Miranda walked towards the main road and crossed over to the other side, where she waited for her school bus.

Amanda thanked the first caller before promptly answering the next one. "Please tell me your name and location," she requested, only to receive a mysterious response from the caller, "They exist," he said, declining to disclose his identity to the listeners

“Okay, but please tell us your …”

"I believe they exist," The caller's deep, gravelly voice interrupted her. "I believe they are among us. The stories being told are true. Strange things have been happening in this town lately that no one can explain. They have returned. Ashgrove was once their home, and they are back. We must find them and, as our ancestors did, eradicate every last one..."

After hanging up on the caller, Amanda says, "Woo? Sir, I think you're taking this a little too seriously." She then suggests, "Let's take a short break, and when we return, I'll be happy to take more calls."

Miranda switched off the radio on her phone as soon as a song she didn't like started playing. It wasn't the first time she had heard someone talk about eradicating supernatural beings; there were even hunters and organizations that specialized in hunting different kinds of supernaturals. "As long as you keep a low profile, Mimi, and don't draw attention to yourself," she remembered her uncle's words, "you and I will be safe."

But something else the caller said troubled her; the man was right about unexplainable occurrences happening in the town. Strange deaths and accidents, a few people claiming to have encountered something odd in the forest or feeling like they were being followed by something they could not see. She hoped the situation wouldn't get more serious than this, as that would be troublesome for her and her uncle.

Miranda shook her head, determined to push the matter out of her mind. She knew the situation was out of her control, she prayed she wouldn't have to experience any of those strange occurrences. After all, it was her first day back at school following the summer break, and she didn't want anything to dampen her spirits.

Next to the pathway leading to her home stood a stone fence guarding the house of the town's sheriff, Sheriff Anderson. It was the only fenced property in the neighbourhood, not by choice but rather a feature that came with the house when he purchased it.

She couldn't help but wonder if he was present inside. Not the Sheriff himself, but his son, Zikki Anderson.

During the summer break, she had been too busy working at her Uncle's café, leaving little time to think about anyone not to talk of Zikki. Although they were not friends and had not spoken since she moved to the town two years ago, she would always offer a friendly smile and wave if she saw him around. However, as she stood in front of his home now, she found herself wondering how he had spent the summer and if he had undergone any physical changes.

How much had he grown since she last saw him? Or how much had he changed?

She could feel her cheek heating up as images of Zikki crossed her mind. But her thoughts were interrupted by the blaring horn of a black Mustang just a few feet away. She recognized the car and the boys inside but knew the honking wasn't directed at her, but towards the boy living inside the stone fence. 

The honking came from the car of Ashgrove-High's most popular football players, causing her discomfort as the driver honked his horn once more. Finally, Zikki emerged from his home.

He looked exactly how she had imagined him to be - tall and attractive. As the football star emerged from his fortress, the boys began to make strange noises.

Zikki noticed Miranda and smiled as he made his way towards the front passenger's side of the car. Just as he was about to enter, their eyes meet and Miranda, feeling a little embarrassed, waved at him with a smile. Thankfully, Zikki returned the gesture before getting into the car.

As he settled into his friend's car, Zikki felt a sharp discomfort shoot up his leg. He clenched his teeth and fought the urge to groan, not wanting to draw attention to himself. "You okay, bro?" asked Chris, the driver, noticing the redness on Zikki's face. "Yeah, I'm okay," Zikki replied, relieved as the pain began to subside. "You sure?" Chris pressed, concern etched on his face. Zikki simply nodded.

"Nah, I don't think so. Is it because of her?"

Zikki turned to Chris, his expression confused. "Because of who?" Zikki asked.

"That girl," Chris replied, gesturing towards Miranda, who was waiting for the school bus.

"Yeah, she was looking at you weirdly, bro," one of the guys at the back interjected.

Zikki looked frustrated. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Do you like her?" Chris asked, a sly grin on his face.

"She's just my neighbour guys, and no, I don't like her in that way," Zikki said firmly, hoping to dispel any misunderstandings.

"Okay, okay," Chris said, his expression still mischievous. "We'll leave it at that."

Zikki sighed "Good. Let's focus on getting to school on time, okay?"

"Got it," Chris said, his tone more serious now as he shifted the gear to drive. "No more distractions."

With that, they set off towards school. As they approached a large puddle of water in front of Miranda, Chris suddenly accelerated, causing the passengers to lurch backwards in their seats. Zikki shot him a warning glance. "Chris, don't be stupid."

Chris grinned. "Relax, bro. It's just a little water."

Miranda was caught off guard as the car whizzed past, drenching her with a deluge of muddy water, grit, and pebbles. "You asshole!" Zikki clenched his fist, ready to strike Chris.

"Relax, bro," Chris replied, turning his head away from the incoming attack. "I had no idea it was such a big puddle." 

"That's a lie," Zikki retorted. 

"Calm down, bro. He said he didn't know," the guys at the back interjected, unsurprising Zikki. They always had Chris's back, and he wondered how he became friends with them. Zikki turned to face Chris. "That was messed up," he said, finally letting go of his tense muscles. "Not cool at all."

Miranda stood there, her heart pounding with fury as she watched the car disappear from view. She balled her hand into a tight fist, feeling the anger boiling inside her. 

How dare they treat her like this? If it had been any other witch, their parents would have found their mutilated bodies hanging from trees in the forest.

She tried to calm herself, to regain control, but the fury refused to subside. All she had wanted was a peaceful start to her first day of returning to school. Was that too much to ask? 

Despite her gentle nature, Miranda was not one to let incedents like this slide. She was going to retaliate, no matter what. As the school bus pulled up behind her, her eyes returned to their usual calm state. But inside, a burning fire continued to rage, waiting for the opportunity to be unleashed.