darthaddock

[darthaddock]

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[darthaddock]

Chapter 6: Doing Research

It was already starting to get dark. And I still had no clue where I was.

“Oh boy,” I muttered under my breath, “I am so gonna get a lecture tonight.”

Before I did leave, however, I wrote down the license plate number. Considering the condition of the car I'm surprised it was even there to begin with.

I started to jog in the general direction I came from. I knew the orphanage bordered the woods and if I could find the edge I'd be able to find my way back eventually. It getting dark in late January like this doesn't actually mean much. I'd guess the time was only about five-six pm, give or take.

I was going for about thirty minutes before I reached the back door of the orphanage. I slipped in and judging by the look of the table, I was well within when I needed to be back.

That night was another one of those sleepless nights where it just feels like five years pass every ten minutes. I've been getting a lot of those recently. I know it's probably not good for me. But how am I supposed to get anything helped or treated with a cycle of nothing but prejudice against people like me?

In the morning I wound up sleeping in once I could find some sleep. Per usual. And with everything that happened yesterday, I just felt more lost than ever. Because that driver's license and the plate number could be some of the major keys to my past I've been looking for for so long. Or they could be useless little things I found in a junkyard and started overthinking a coincidence. At least it may do someone justice, whether dead or alive.

I pulled out my phone and began to do some digging. And for context a few weeks ago a phone dealer was throwing away some older models. And I asked him if he could give me one since he wasn't going to sell them anyway. And he'd agreed to it seeing some sort of reason. It's not as fast as something like the Galar 900 or the newest Wesley models, but it gets the job done. I hardly use it anyway. I'm always asked where I got it then accused of stealing it when people see me on it.

I found a little bit, but nothing breakthrough. The plate number was registered as having been in a fatal accident. There was Dashcam footage of the crash. I watched it and kinda wished I hadn't. There was a big semi truck; dual trailers; and something happened that caused it to veer sideways and ram that car off the road. And it fell out of the shot. I suppose off a cliff or down a hill or something like that. Apparently, there were two people in the car, as shown in the footage, but no bodies were ever recovered.

The only victim identified was the person whose name was on the title for the car: Flynn Finnick. There's no middle name listed. So that's all I have to go with: two names, and a plate number. I would ask around about the names, but people know me. And if they don't, they're skeptical. They're not just going to answer me. They'll ask me questions to determine whether I should be answered or ignored. It's human nature.

I decided to try looking at the funeral home site for our general area. I found an order for a family headstone with those names. Only the order was placed almost twelve years ago. But, coming to think of it, that would have been when my parents died. Or so I've been told.

[darthaddock]

So here's a question? Are you on any other social media?

Yes, actually I am...

I'm also on Deviant Art

and on Patreon...

[darthaddock]

Chapter 5: A Forrest Encounter

‘At least that was a friday… now I have some time to process whatever that was that happened at lunch yesterday.’ I thought to myself as I walked out to the woods. Normally I'm inside during the winter as much as possible, but I needed to clear my head. The fresh air would also do me some good. In preparation to stay out longer than intended, I brought a couple blankets; some thicker than others; but they would get the job done.

I vaguely remember having seen him around the school, but given that he's in a different class than me, I paid him no mind whatsoever.

I sat down on a large rock judging that I was far enough out that I wouldn't be found. I began talking to myself and any animals that approached me. I've always been some sort of animal whisperer, they listen to me better than humans will, and they won't spill my secrets to anyone.

I was holding and talking to a rabbit that had come up to me maybe five minutes before when I heard something. It wasn't an animal you'd expect to find around here, too big and clumsy sounding. I stood up, rabbit still in my arms, and turned towards the sound.

There was nothing.

I walked over to the area to look, and all I found was disturbed leaves and a broken branch. The branch was about eye level. That could only mean one thing: I wasn't alone in that clearing.

My mind started spinning at light speeds. ‘How could anyone have found me here? I walked at least half an hour to get here. I must be crazy, there's absolutely no way.’ I nearly fell over when I went to sit back down so I could catch my breath. I'm pretty sure I dropped the rabbit by accident as well. But seeing as it was gone, I assume it was unharmed. I was breathing pretty heavily after my bold assumption that I was followed into the woods, but what else could have done that? There aren't any animals out here that could have broken that branch.

I started to calm myself down a little. “I must be going crazy. There's not anyone out here.” I reassured myself out loud.

Right after I finished calming my nerves, as if to spite me, some gross guy comes out from the tree line and just stares at me. Like I'm sorry, but that's a no from me.

“Are you-” he started

“Taken? No. Interested? Most definitely not.” I interrupted, knowing what he was going to ask. There was a long pause of stunned silence before I just got up saying, “alright that's enough social interaction for me, I'm leaving, bye.” Then I just walked off in the same direction I'd come from.

‘Was that creep watching me the whole time?’ I shivered at the thought. He literally looked like he had rolled around in a mud puddle and had never bathed in his life. That and this guy was at least forty years old. I'm not going to go out with some sick forty-year-old pervert to save my life.

That's when someone grabbed me from behind and I felt something sharp against my neck. Probably a knife of some kind. I didn't know and I certainly wasn't about to stick around to find out. By the sound of the breathing I could tell it was a guy, so I did what I think anyone else would have done in this situation: kick his crotch with enough force to knock a small tree down. He loosened his grip once the pain set in then I whirled around, socked his face, and ran.

I hit him in the nose. I know that much. I probably broke it looking back. But he would have done much worse to me. So it's more the lesser of two evils, and it was self defense.

Once I got out of the woods I just kept running. I didn't know where I was going, I just went.

I stopped to catch my breath and I found myself in a scrap yard. Where all the recently outlawed gasoline cars and crashed vehicles alike were sent to just rot away. I wandered around for a little while. There was something about these abandoned vehicles that peaked my interest.

One particularly destroyed one caught my eye because the window was down. I looked in and it looked inviting enough, save for all the debris inside from whatever accident it was involved in and the decay that followed suit.

I sat in the passenger side seat. And I was just marveling at the practically vintage cloth interior that was in nothing but ruin now. Eventually curiosity got the best of me, and I began snooping around inside to see if anything was left behind by the owners. After finding nothing I opened the glove box thinking that out of all the places this should be the one to check. I didn’t know how right I was. There was a leather purse. It looked pretty cheap, and most everything inside it was destroyed by what appeared to be water damage. But the one thing I did find in good condition was a drivers license in a wallet that had most definitely seen better days.

The name read: Scout Gertrude Finnick. Maiden name: Yerva.

To say I was in absolute shock would be a drastic understatement. This woman, not only looked like me, but shared my last name, and my middle name was her maiden name? The odds of that being a coincidence are just way too high. I pocketed the license to examine it more later. Maybe I'd be able to find more on her later. But for now, I needed to get back to the orphanage.

[darthaddock]

Chapter 4: Recounting Past Events

Date: 1/24/20–

Another sleepless night. I'm sure it isn't good for me to lack so much sleep, but what am I supposed to do about it? Oh well.

Yesterday something weird happened. And I don't mean that everyone ignored me instead of bullying me for a straight week. Because while that was weird, this probably takes the cake.

Some kid named Cole told off some bullies in the lunchroom. And as if that wasn't already brain breaking, he touched me and asked if I was okay. My entire life and NO ONE has done that or even remotely considered it for a moment.

I don't know what to think. He's nice, but he's also a bit nosy. Or that's how he came across to me anyway. But he seemed very genuine, as if he actually cared and wasn't just put up to it.

I just have no clue as to why someone would sit next to me at lunch and ruin their social reputation with everyone else. It makes no sense to me.

I may thank him someday. But I don't want to get vulnerable with him yet. I barely know him after all.

I just needed to write all this down. I'm not sure what to think of all this, but I'll work it out eventually. I always have before.

-Phoenix

[darthaddock]

Chapter 3: Doing What's Right

The lunchroom was much more crowded than I thought was possible. The school building wasn't that big compared to some of the other ones from other states. And I kinda like the fact that it's a bit more of a small community. Regardless though I got my food and sat at an empty table. It's funny, but my parents almost didn't let me go to this school because of the fact there were rumors that a random came here. I don't care. I'm probably the only person who would even consider standing up for them here. I've always been different, according to my parents anyway. They say I wasn't born with the right mindset and that I'll learn someday. Learn what exactly? I'm not sure. I like hanging out with the randoms. It may sound weird, but it's true. If my parents got wind of it they'd freak out. I come from a fairly rich family and I try to use my allowance to help the people around me. If my parents knew about it though, they'd cut me off.

I began to eat the cafeteria food, it wasn't the best. But I know there are people who would beg for this. So who am I to complain?

I glanced up when something red caught my eye near the door. I didn't know what it was then, but I would very soon. Then I heard the yelling: a couple of guys were just on top of this girl who had walked in. Seemingly for no reason whatsoever.

I was immediately up and over there in a flash prying these guys off of her.

“What kind of all time low is this,” I asked one of them, “that you would gang up on a defenseless girl? What happened to fighting like men and respect for women?”

They looked like they were floored that I had said this. I just looked at them and told them if I caught them doing it again there would be consequences for their actions. And they all say back down. I helped her up and put my hands on her shoulders. “You okay?” I asked her. She was beautiful. She had fire-red hair, and deep, blue-gray eyes. She was wearing a pair of black pants and a gray sweater that looked like it's seen better days. I don't know why, but there was something there. Something that people normally don't have. But I couldn't have told you what.

She gave me a look that to me came across as pure shock combined with some sort of death glare. Then with a very jerky motion she wrenched herself away from me and simply said “I'm fine, now leave me alone. You'll be better off that way.”

“Listen,” I replied, “I don't know why those guys attacked you, but whatever the reason be it was wrong of them.”

“Yeah? Well why don't you just ask them why, maybe they'll let you join the dog pile next time.”

“I'm not like that.” I paused, then continued by asking, “Do you have any friends?”

“Why does that concern you? And how is it not already blatantly obvious to your dumb ass that I don't have any?”

“Okay, okay, I'm sorry. But I never caught your name.”

“Phoenix.” Was the response I was given. She sounded pretty annoyed about me having asked, but I genuinely wanted to know who I'd just saved a few bruises.

“My name's Cole. And if you don't have any friends,” I continued cautiously, “then is it okay if I sit with you?”

She turned around to face me. “Will you take no for an answer?”

“No.”

She sighed, “Then there's no way I'm able to stop you without getting licked myself.” she replied. There was a hint of annoyance in her voice still, but I decided to ignore it. I've seen what putting walls up can do to people, and typically, when someone is excessively bullied, they act aggressive like this. It's not normally what they're actually like.

We sat at an otherwise empty table, and I tried a little small talk during the course of lunch to no avail. And as Phoenix got up to throw her trash away I noticed two things: scars on her wrists, and Sharpie drawings on her left arm. Stuff like skulls and fire.

I then made the mistake of commenting on how she was a great artist. She smacked me with her food tray and walked off.

‘Okay. Don't bring up the Sharpie tattoos. Got it.’ I made a mental note for next time.

[darthaddock]

Chapter 2: Morning Routine

The orphanage was just as crazy as it usually is on a school morning. And per usual, no one even bothered to try and let me know I'd slept in.

I got up, got dressed and went to the bathroom that everyone tends to avoid that's actually meant for the orphanage staff. They're courteous enough to let me use it when I need to, because if I were to enter any other bathroom someone would come in and remove me by force.

It's really just routine for me: get ready for school as fast as possible without getting in any one else's way. Unless I want to be thrown into the furnace.

I finished up there and made my way over to the staff locker room. I have a locker there because my complaints about my stuff getting stolen and or destroyed finally annoyed Mrs. Ivenhower enough for her to do something about it. She's nice enough I guess, she doesn't outright bully me like previous orphanage leaders have. And she doesn't take advantage of me. She's just stubborn about doing anything for me. I can live with it. Because even the most stubborn people crack under enough pressure.

I reached the locker and grabbed my stuff. The only thing I don't like about school is the bullying. Using the tablet they provide to do all my homework on is pretty convenient. But I still prefer a regular old-fashioned book. I have to leave out the back door in order to go anywhere, it's basically an unspoken law that I have to. It's even publicly enforced depending on where you live.

I don't have to worry about it all that much, but I still do it at the orphanage and stores because I'd rather be on the cautionary side and not go to jail. At school, that's a slightly different story. I can blend into a crowd when I need to despite having bright red hair.

The January cold hit me like a dump truck when I walked outside. Other kids may have winter coats and nice face coverings. But all I have for cold weather is a pair or two of black sweatpants and a dingy looking gray sweater. It could be worse though. I could be out on the streets sleeping under a bridge.

About halfway to school is when it happened. It's when it usually does. Jeremiah and his little partner Flitz. There's really no avoiding them half the time and running away is only going to make it longer and more painful. They know I can be an easy target, but I'm sure they've also seen me nearly flatten people's faces because they deserved it. You can bully me all you want. I won't care. But when you start to go after another random, then we've got a problem.

They walked up to me and told me that I knew what was going to happen. I told them they were correct in that assumption and to make it quick, I didn't want to be late for class. Jeremiah laughed a bit at that (probably an ignorant laugh) and they proceeded to do their thing. I won't go into detail on it, but let's just say it involved a pretty aggressive frisking. Especially around my back pockets. I know it's inappropriate, but sometimes the truth can be a little gross. I know that much to be true. They sent me off poorer by maybe a dollar and much colder than I was before. ‘At least they have the dignity to do it in an alleyway.’ I thought to myself as I walked through the school's front double doors.

I passed the front desk, where I'm pretty sure there were kids laughing at me. I ignore them when they're there though. And I got through most of the hallways easier than I normally do, somehow. I got everything out of my bag that I needed for my first hour class and walked down the hall to the door.

“703” the number read.

“Halfway through. Then you're out for the summer.” I told myself after sighing.

I opened the door and walked into the room ready for what was to come for the rest of the day.

[darthaddock]

Chapter 1: Nyx

“Seriously? You're a random?”

It's the question I get anytime I get to know someone. They always ask how I was modified, and then they ask if I'm seriously a random. It may sound weird, but just about everyone is genetically modified before they're born by their parents. IQ boost, stronger muscles, healthier skin, you name it, they got it. That's the slogan anyway, the geneticists make trillions modifying babies for families, and they'll do anything to meet the parent's demands.

Me on the other hand, I was born naturally; that is, without genetic modification. Hence me being called a random. No one knew how I might even remotely turn out so far that I know, and if I was genetically modified, I was never told anything about it. I'm also a bit of a paper geek, or that's what they'll call me. Most everything is digital nowadays, but I've always preferred the feel of a paper book.

I'm going to be honest, I don't know where I fit in if at all. I have no friends, I'm too different for that, and no one even wants to even look at me. It's like if they so much as acknowledge the fact I even exist unless they intend to bully me the world is going to immediately end. I've gotten used to it though. It actually comes pretty quick when that's the only way you've been treated since the age of ten. Sometimes I actually think little kids have something that people just lose as they grow up. But with all the dictionaries being revised almost weekly, a word to explain it may be here today and gone tomorrow just to come back the very next day with a completely different meaning than before.

I don't know why, but I've always felt drawn to disaster and chaos. There's something about watching people that I know either have or would have mocked and shunned me, panic for their lives and suffer while I sit at a safe distance. Am I a psychopath? I might be. I've never been diagnosed with anything. But I also don't have the means to go find out. Besides, even if I knew I was, there's no way I'd be able to get meds to treat it even if I had the money to. It's an unspoken portion of the American slogan: Land of the free, home of the brave, but ALWAYS exclude the randoms. What happened to the “unalienable rights endowed to us by our creator”? Oh right, I'm a random, I have minimal rights if I'm lucky.

My parents died in a car accident when I was three. And people will tell me “go get your mommy and daddy, Phoenix” knowing that full well. I've thought about running away. But where would I even run to? The orphanage is basically a maximum security prison, and it's not like things will be better if I do. It'll be the same old story I've been given for the past five years. It's not going to just change overnight. Nothing ever does, except for the dictionaries.

But that was just my life: being publicly shunned while I barely scraped along to keep myself remotely fed. I had learned early on to not trust anyone, because at the time, it could have easily been the factor that decides life or death. I never knew what fate had in store for me. But I was along for the ride whether I liked it or not.

[darthaddock]

Introduction From The Author

Being next in line to be Alpha can mean a lot of things. But what a lot of people and dragons don't realize is the amount of extra study that you have to do to be prepared to adequately lead a large nest like the Hidden World.

I've been studying the human race, as well as a lot of extra stuff about law systems worldwide, and dragon biology, among other things. But even though I'm only fifteen, I can see a lot of things that other dragons can't see in basic scenarios. The legality of actions performed, whether or not it's a good or bad scenario, etc. I've found myself in my studies, but after I met my boyfriend, John, I've been trying to find myself all over again. It's in these searches where you find your moral compass. And as I look into where human science is going I see a lot of red flags in one area in particular: editing genetic code. I've seen articles and videos about what things like PGD and CRISPER can do. But I can read between the lines and I see nothing good coming out of it if humans go as far as editing babies.

Humans already have norms and practices that I don't like very much. There's nothing I can do about that. But I hope that what you find here will serve as a warning that while knowledge is power, power can also be very dangerous and that we need to regulate boundaries on how far we can experiment into the unknown. Our DNA is so perfectly constructed that it supports large multicellular organisms such as me and you. And if we don't set boundaries on this new science, it could very well result in the destruction of the human race and/or dragons all together. Whether that destruction will be literal or social is yet to be determined by the choices we make regarding these things and the outcome of those decisions.

But we must not forget that gene editing is dangerous. And just “because we can” is no excuse. Because if I were to just go burn a building down and sit in the fire “because I can” it doesn't seem very reasonable. That's why laws and rules are in place: to regulate what we can and can't do for our own safety. If humans can't find reason in that, I don't know if I'll be able to help the human race any further. But I know that I can protect my fellow dragons from suffering the same fate I fear humans are heading for. If they want to throw their species off a cliff, so be it. They've been warned.

I don't mean to spread fear or hate towards this science. It's quite amazing, I only mean to warn everyone, human and dragon alike, about the dangers this new technology can cause and to proceed with caution.

I'm going to say this, even though I know it's been said before by a few people, but even though this is a fiction novel, fiction is a lie that tells the truth over and over. But I want readers to not judge the book by its cover or title, but to judge it by the underlying truths and the content it presents to the world. Because as Neil Gaiman put it, “If someone tells you what a story is about, they are probably right. If someone tells you that that is all a story is about, they are very definitely wrong.” I want people and dragons alike to see these things entwined with a rich, and powerful story that will be remembered for generations to come. Everyone sees and processes things differently depending on their experiences and background, so even I don't fully know everything the story is about. You may see something between it's lines I never did, and that's the beauty in books: everyone applies their life, experiences, and backgrounds to the story to create a unique and one of a kind experience that they will cherish for the rest of their lives.

~ Dart Haddock, 2024