literature

Delphi High Chapter 1: Jasmine

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Night.

The air was motionless, and the trees were frozen in time.  Not a leaf swayed or fluttered, nor did a cool breeze grace the star-reaching boughs.  All was still and silent.

A large bird, almost invisible against the inky sky, streaked through the night, as quiet as the night around it. Its white head was a stark contrast to the rest of its dark body, and served as its signature marking.  It was a rare sight, indeed; a bald eagle was exceptionally uncommon in the Midwest. Normally they were found further north, along rivers and oceans scavenging for fish.

But this wasn't any ordinary eagle.

The eagle continued on its quest until it reached a house, far off the beaten path and safe from wandering eyes. The eagle glided to the front door. As it landed, a woman sharp in appearance opened the door and peered down her square glasses at the eagle.

"Welcome, Mr. Hancock," the woman said.

The eagle stretched its wings, and a brilliant blue light engulfed the creature. The light grew, and reshaped into a human figure. All at once the light vanished; where the eagle once was stood an elderly man with long, grey hair pulled back into a ponytail.  He had skin like weathered parchment, and his broad nose as well as his square chin hinting of Native American ancestry. His hard blue eyes shone with determined fire, but his gentle smile hinted of a kinder nature. 
 
"Good evening, Lisa," the man said warmly.

"It's good you came under short notice," she said. She stepped to the side, silently inviting the man inside.

"Anything for my dear colleges," he replied. This was anything but a social meeting, though. The woman had called on him most urgently. Hancock had responded instantly, and without question.

"As you know, my sister and I have recently seen a Turning," she said. They were now in the kitchen, where another woman, named Mary, was sitting.  Both woman were identical twins, and even Hancock could hardly tell them apart. "Normally we would have waited until morning to tell you about this--"

"But our Vision was intercepted," the other woman finished.

Mr. Hancock frowned. "Do you know by whom?"

"No, but we have our suspicions," Mary said. Her sister sat next to her, and they clasped their hands together. Between them was a glass mirror, lying face-up on the table. The sisters closed their eyes, and began chanting under their breath. The mirror began to shake, and glowed with a soft pale light.

"The girl's name is Jasmine Darrem," the sisters said in unison. The mirror then projected an image of a young girl, perhaps sixteen years old. Hancock furrowed his brows. "She will turn in two days."

"Do you know what she will turn into?" Hancock asked.

"No," Mary admitted. "Our Visions are limited. But we know her turning has captured the interest of a great evil."

Hancock thought as much. Without saying any names, he knew immediately which evil the women were referring to. "What does he want with her?" he asked, more to himself than the twin Oracles. "Well, now our next course of action is clear. We must find her before he does. And help her as much as we can."

The twins nodded. They then gave him the exact time and date that she would transform.

The rest was up to him.
________________________________________
The weather was absolutely beautiful. Warm, with a gentle breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. The young teenagers at the beach could not have asked for a more perfect day to soak up whatever remained of their summer vacation before school started again.

People of all ages flooded the lakeside beach, but teenagers far outnumbered all else. Some lay on the sandy beach, enjoying the sun's piercing rays. Others splashed in the cool water. A large group of teenage girls basked in the sun together, enjoying one of their final days of relaxation. Not far away, a game of beach volleyball was in play. The girls watched the athletic boys with interest, giggling to each other every so often. They wouldn't deny the boys were unbelievably attractive, especially when they were purposely showing off to them.

The game concluded.  One of the boys, named Greg, ran over to the girls.  He plopped onto the ground next to his girlfriend, a beautiful girl with golden hair, fair skin, and sparkling blue eyes. She smiled up at him and he leaned over, kissing her on her cheek.
"Like what you see?" the boy teased. The girl had to laugh. Greg was every girl's dream boyfriend; tall, tanned, and handsome.  To put it into simpler words: insanely sexy.
"Every time," she said. They sat back down on her beach towel, with the boy wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Ready to go back to school, Jasmine?" he asked.

"God, no," she groaned. "Why did you have to bring that back up? I was just beginning to forget all about that."

"Sorry to ruin your summer," he laughed, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Well as long as you're there I guess I can tolerate it," she retorted. Jasmine adjusted her position, so now she was lying on her side. She sat up, looking at the other teens running around the beach. "Oh my God, ew," she said with disgust.

"What?" Greg said, sitting up.

"Look," she said, gesturing over to the side. "It's that creepy weirdo and his dorky friends."

Where Jasmine was pointing, there was a group of three other teenagers their own age. But one in particular caught their attention. He was a tall twig of a boy with flat blond hair and a thin face. Vincent, the school's biggest nerd.  The other two—a boy with greasy black hair and acne as well as a chubby unattractive girl with dirty blond hair—were his so-called friends, Max and Kristen. Jasmine had to wonder how a skinny little stick like him could have any friends at all. He reminded her of a worm, or a slimy snake.

"I'll take care of it," Greg smiled. Jasmine shared his grin. He got up, and trotted over to them. "What's up, faggots?" Greg asked them loudly.

"Go away," Kristen said sharply. "We have as much a right to be here as you do."

"Maybe," Greg said with a twisted grin. He turned to the two boys. "So do you guys have a schedule for which days you get to do her, or do you guys flip a coin?"

All three of them jumped to their feet, livid. Although Vincent stood a few good inches above Greg, Greg was far more muscular and no doubt stronger. Kristen took Vincent's hand and gave it a tug.

"Come on, let's get out of here," she snarled. They turned, and started walking away.
"Although I do have to wonder why anyone would want to screw an ugly broad like you!" Greg shouted after them. Kristen stared back at him, jaw dropped in horror at what he had said. Vincent kept pushing her along, muttering to her to ignore them. But Jasmine knew better. No doubt she would run home crying her eyes out. The thought made her smile.

"That felt good," Greg said as he returned. For the past few years, he had made sure to absolutely torment Vincent and his group of dorks daily. Jasmine occasionally would join in on the fun, too.

Well, if there was one thing Jasmine was looking forward to when school started, it would be making their lives a living nightmare.

Greg couldn't stop smiling, apparently proud of his little prank.  "Hey, any plans later tonight?"

"Well, I was planning on spending it with this really cute guy," Jasmine said coyly.

"Oh, and have I met this guy before?" he said, playing along.

"Perhaps.  He's the sexiest thing on this side of the sun," Jasmine said.

Greg kissed her.  "Tell me more."

"He's unbelievably charming, always makes me smile, and all the girls are jealous because they can't have him.  Because he's all mine," Jasmine finished.

Greg wrapped his arms around her.  "I love it when you talk like that," he said, burying his head in her generous chest.  She squealed playfully and pushed him away.  Her attempts were half-hearted, and Greg just ended up right back on top of her, both of their bodies closely pressed to one another.

"So what do you wanna do tonight?  Movie?  Dinner?  Bowling?"

"D, all of the above," Jasmine laughed.

"And I thought you said you weren't looking forward to school," Greg pouted.
  
"Pick me up at seven," Jasmine said.  

"Yes, my lady," he said dramatically.  He pulled her to her feet, and began to pack up.  It was getting late, although the sun was still high.  Jasmine wanted to have enough time to get home and clean all the sand off of her. The entire day, she didn't venture any further than her knees into the water.   This was a lake and was full of disgusting seaweed.  No thank you.

Finished with her packing, she said good-bye to her best friends, and set off home.  She loved it here in the Midwest, with beautiful summers and fluffy, snowy winters.  There was nowhere else she could think of that had such a dramatic difference in the seasons.  But there was quite a while until winter.  Summer hadn't even ended, despite it being almost the end of August.  

The lake was a short drive from her home, which was a large, stately one-story suburban home with a tree-filled backyard.  The location was ideal; to the west was the shopping center and local high school, and to the east was the lake and enormous forest preserve.  Jasmine hadn't been to the preserve since she was a child and didn't care to go back.   

The door was locked, as expected.  Jasmine's parents were hardly ever around.  Both mother and father worked full-time jobs to provide her with everything she could ever want.  She had heard hints that her parents wanted more children but had been unable to do so.  For one, Jasmine was just fine being an only child; that's why she had friends.  She had heard enough horror stories from them about bothersome brothers and sisters enough to appreciate the silence and peace of an empty home.

She stepped into the shower and scrubbed away the sand and lotion covering her body.  Jasmine took extra time to wash her hair thoroughly and emerged feeling very refreshed.  She pulled out her favorite outfit; a light blue blouse and a matching skirt just a few shades darker than the blouse.  She clamped a silver belt around her waist and slipped on her favorite sandals.  Once her outfit was complete, she tied her long hair back so she could put on her make-up.  She kept a sharp eye on the time.  Her parents would be home soon.

Just as she finished her make-up and started doing her hair, the door creaked open and slammed shut, followed by heavy footsteps.

"Jasmine?  You home?" her father called out.

"In the bathroom," she called back.  She finished with her hair, and ran a hand through her locks to loosen any knots.  

"Is your mother home yet?" he asked.

"No," Jasmine said.  Her mother worked as a nurse in the local hospital, and she worked overtime more often than she worked her regular shift.  It was nothing new.  She stepped downstairs to greet her father with a suffocating bear hug.  He was a thin man, past his prime, with wrinkles beginning to develop around his eyes and mouth.  But he still sported a very healthy and thick head of straw-colored hair.  

"What are you all dressed up for?" he asked.  

"I'm going out with Greg tonight," she informed him.  His lips turned downward into a disapproving frown.

"I thought we were going to have a family dinner tonight," he said.  "Your mother's been planning this since Monday."

"We can have it tomorrow," Jasmine said.

"I'm going out of town tomorrow," he reminded her.

Jasmine groaned.  "Another business trip?"

"Honey, it's part of my job.  I need to travel a lot," he said.   

"How about breakfast together tomorrow, then?" Jasmine asked.  "I'll help mom cook up some omelets."

Her father sighed.   It would have to do.  "Alright, deal.  Don't be out too late and stay safe, got it?"

"Yes dad," she said, slightly annoyed.

Greg promptly arrived at Jasmine's house at seven o'clock, which surprised Jasmine. He was usually a few minutes late.  Jasmine saw him pull up, and waved frantically to him through the window before darting out the door to greet him.  He got out of his car and walked halfway between his vehicle and the front door.  

"I promise I won't be out too long," Jasmine called back to her father in an annoyed voice.

"Ok, be careful," he called after her cautiously.

Greg hooked her arm with his and marched back to his car. "Not too late, huh?"

"Ugh, just parents being annoying parents," she muttered, waving it off.  "I think it's a requirement for them to be unbelievably suffocating."

"That is an excellent observation," Greg said, opening the passenger side door to his car. She slid inside. "So where to first?"

"I am a bit hungry.  Let's grab some dinner," Jasmine said.

"Sounds good!  There's a few good movies out, so how about after grabbing some dinner we swing on over to the theater?" Greg said.

"That sounds absolutely perfect," Jasmine smiled.

"Alright, let's go!" Greg slammed his car in reverse and barreled out of the neighborhood at fifty miles an hour. Jasmine hollered in excitement as they sped along a highway, looking for somewhere to eat. They eventually settled at a local small-town restaurant and were seated fairly quickly due to the lack of business on the weekdays. Greg and Jasmine sat at a booth and the waiter handed them menus.

"Hey, I'm Nick and I'll be your waiter for the evening," he said. "Can I get you some drinks?"

"Yeah, I'll have some Coke," Greg said.

"A glass of iced tea for me, please," Jasmine said. The waiter nodded and left to get them their drinks.

"Hey, don't look now, but there's this creepy old guy at the bar checking you out," Greg whispered to her a moment later.

Jasmine didn't move from her seat, but her blood instantly froze. "Oh my God, ew, what a pedophile," she said.

"Look now, he's not staring at you," Greg muttered. Jasmine whipped around and saw a man, roughly in his seventies dressed in a brown business suit sitting at the bar. He had a square, lean face and cloudy blue eyes, and his grey-white hair was tied back into a pony tail. He was very fit and slender for his age. He had been talking to the waitress who had given him his beer, and turned. Their eyes locked, but for some strange reason, Jasmine didn't feel the least bit creeped out. He had a kind look in his eyes, and smiled politely at her. She didn't know why this man wasn't freaking her out, but she knew in the back of her mind that this man, whoever he was, could be trusted.

"Creepy freak, huh?" Greg said, dragging Jasmine from her thoughts. Jasmine turned to him.

"Yeah, what a weirdo," she muttered.

"Wanna move?"

"No. I'm not going to let our night get ruined because of him," she said. But really, she didn't want to move because the elderly gentleman intrigued her.  There was something about him Jasmine couldn't quite place her finger on.

The waiter came back a few minutes later with their drinks and took their order. They continued to chat about the usual things; celebrities, gossip, who's banging up who in their school, and so on.  Jasmine was convinced that the nerdy trio was hitting up one another and Greg fully agreed.  She then thought about spreading a rumor that Kristen was pregnant once school got started.  That'd sure be a way to start off the school year!  
Greg told Jasmine all about his band he recently started and how he was the lead guitarist and the vocalist. Jasmine was instantly impressed and Greg gave her the dates of his next performances so she could come see him. As they chatted about the band and the new songs Greg wrote, the waiter came back with their meals. For Greg, a burger with fries, and for Jasmine, a Caesar salad with light dressing.

"I'll be right back, I gotta go to the ladies' room," Jasmine said in the middle of their meal. She walked over to the restrooms, which were coincidentally right behind the bar. She would have to pass the old man to get to the bathrooms. He caught her eye again, and gave her another polite smile. Jasmine lowered her head to avoid his gaze.

She came out of the bathroom a few minutes later and the man was watching her intently. Although he did not bother her at first, she started to get a little freaked out at his intense staring. The man held out to her what appeared to be a business card to her, and reluctantly, she took it and looked it over.

"If something doesn't seem right, please, give me a call. I will be more than happy to help you," he said kindly.

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "Uh, ok . . . thanks," she muttered, and walked away. She looked at the card. It read DELPHI HIGH SCHOOL: A PLACE FOR THE UNIQUE AND EXCEPTIONAL. Jasmine rolled her eyes, but put the card in her bag anyway.

"What did the guy want from you, your virginity?" Greg joked as she sat back down.

Jasmine laughed dryly. "No, but forget him. Like you said, he's a creeper."

They finished their meals a short while later, and Greg offered to pay for the meal. Jasmine didn't object. After receiving the receipt, Greg escorted her out to his car and they went to a nearby movie theater where the latest flick was playing. This time, Jasmine paid for the tickets in return for Greg paying for the meal.

"So, which one of the latest blockbusters do you wanna see?" Jasmine asked.  "Action or cheesy romance?"

"Well, I don't want to sound forceful, but--" Greg began, but Jasmine cut him off.

"Say no more!" Jasmine said, slamming the money down on the counter.  She then ordered two tickets for the latest action flick, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In all honesty, she preferred action flicks to the cheesy romance ones.  The fact this movie had some really hot actors didn't hurt any, either.  The cashier took the money, gave them their tickets, and pointed them to their theater. They crept into the pitch-black theater together, giggling excitedly. They made it in time for the previews and took seats near the back of the theater.

Jasmine had to admit she thoroughly enjoyed the movie, although the plot was unbelievably complex.  But there was enough action and attractive actors to keep her occupied, so she had nothing to complain about.

"Oh my God, this is awesome," Jasmine whispered to Greg.

"Definitely one of the better movies this year," Greg agreed, clutching her tightly.  He kissed her cheek, and Jasmine's smile grew.  She kissed him back.  There was nothing she loved more than being in the warm embrace of her devoted boyfriend.

After the movie, they were both tired from a good meal and a satisfying movie, and Greg proceeded to drive Jasmine home. The movie was a lot longer than Jasmine thought it would be and ended up home around eleven at night.  

Jasmine leaned over and pecked Greg a kiss on his cheeks. "Tonight was fun," she said. "We should do this a lot more often."

Greg kissed her back. "Then I'll be back tomorrow," he said.

Jasmine giggled. "I'm looking forward to that." She stepped out of the car, and waved to him as he pulled away.

This was a relationship destined to last.
________________________________________

Hancock drove back to his house late at night, cruising down the empty streets. He recalled the run-in with the young girl at the restaurant earlier that night. Closing his eyes briefly, he allowed a deep breath to slowly escape his lungs.

She was going to need his help tomorrow, and he had spent the entire day planning out everything carefully.   The Oracles had given him the time, and he had the experience to handle what was to come.

He hoped that the girl was smart enough to accept his help. He sincerely did not want any harm to come to her.

He glanced at his watch, and back at the note his good friends had given him.

Twenty-two hours to go.

He was going to have to wait patiently.
Ok! So here we go! Chapter one of my polished-over version of Delphi High!

As you can see, I made a lot of changes, mainly making Jasmine more of a bitch and further developing the relationship between her, Greg, and her parents.

AND HEY LOOK IT'S VINCENT.

This'll be interesting.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Chapter 2: [link]
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Arthas972's avatar
You need to out this in a Gallery Folder :( It took me forever to find it.