FATED TO THE PROPHECY

DAMIEN'S POV The basketball bounced around as I attempted to dribble past one of my trainees before I shot a two pointer and it entered in. The others cheered as we heard a whistle, signalling the end of the first training session. "That's a great one. Everyone has really improved," Coach Dennis said as we all went to the bench, using our towels to clean up and drinking from our bottles. "Hey Damien," Coach Dennis called as he walked to me. "I really appreciate what you've been doing," he said and I nodded avoiding his face. "You still haven't gotten off this shyness?" He said laughing and I smiled at him. Coach Dennis was my coach right from my first year in highschool till I graduated a few years ago. I hadn't gone to college yet because I was not financially buoyant, so I had to stay back a few years and within this years, Coach Dennis had asked me to come sit in as the junior basketball coach of my alma mater, Fiery Phoenix High School. Shyness and timidity were two siblings that I had battled with all through my stay in highschool. Coach Dennis, being a coach as well as a friend had been there to help me through the team. Even though I wasn't the best in the team. "Thank you for agreeing to help out," he said and I nodded again. "Thank you for calling me in to help," I replied calmly after mopping the sweat off my face and putting on my glasses again, before draping the towel over my head. We heard music playing and turned at the same time to see my nemesis, Chris Goodman and his minions, Bunny Edwards and Rashid Evans. They were the sons of the big cheese of Republik City, and always exploited every opportunity to show that. Coming late for a training session and playing music with a huge music box? That's totally them. That's the way they behaved. Always trying to show that they were above the law. "And that's supposed to be the act of people who are late for training?" I said before I could shut my mouth. I clasped my palm over my mouth but it was too late. "And who is that?" Chris said, pretending not to see me as she searched around. Everyone laughed, and it wasn't something I wasn't used to. Chris and his friends had taken it upon themselves to ridicule me and make life unbearable for me. Unfortunately for me, they were inches taller than I was. Barely towering 6 ft, Chris, Bunny and Rashid were 6'4 ft, 6'3 ft and 6'3 ft respectively. I didn't even want to go into muscular frame because I was far from that. "I didn't see no one, I don't know if you do," Chris said and the others searched too but shook their heads. "Enough of the drama already, please can we begin what wer are here for?" Coach Dennis said and I heaved a sigh of relief, but I could see in the eyes of Chris that he was not done yet. This brought fear to my heart. About two hours later, we were done with training for the day, I checked my phone and I was 7:45 pm. I had to stay back and pack up the balls and arrange everything as was my duty as the junior basketball coach. At the back of my mind, fear had settled in, I knew that Chris and his minions were waiting for me to beat me– as usual. I was really scared but then there was nothing I could do to change it, even if I desperately yearned for a change. I packed up and strapped my bag over my shoulder, I didn't plug in my earphones because I had to be alert and prepare for whatever was coming. Everyone had left by the time I was done, so I half ran to the parking lot outside. But before I could get to my car, I felt a fist hit me right in my side, I felt my spirit leave me and I staggered and fell to a car. "You think you can make mockery of me, Dammy," Chris said as he came out from beside my car. The lot was dark and no one could see what was going on, so I was left alone here and the only thing on my mind was to survive. "You shouldn't have said anything, don't you think?" Bunny said and I nodded, slowly putting my phone and my glasses back into my bag because I didn't want it to get damaged from the beating I anticipated. A punch to my gut got me hunched as I staggered backwards but Rashid held me up again. Another punch. And another punch. And another punch. And another punch. I bent with my hands on my knees to support my frame. Trying to breathe seemed more difficult than a marathon to me at this point. Coupled with the fact that I had myopia, the punches and stolen twenty percent out of the remaining atom of sight that I had, so everything was blurrier than ever. What had I done to deserve this? I had asked myself this question a million times but the only answer I could come up with was– I was a weakling. That was all it took for me to be a victim. "This should serve as a warning," Chris said as he walked past me and kicked my butt, making me fall to the ground. They all laughed at me as I picked myself up and struggled to enter into my car. Locking it securely, I fought back a tear that threatened to drop, before turning on the ignition and speeding off into the night– after wearing my glasses again. ______________________________ The sun had set and I stretched on the bed. My belly still hurt and I remembered the evening before. I couldn't even eat when I got back because it felt like fire was in my stomach. I had to just lay on the bed in pain until sleep came. Getting up, I walked to the kitchen and made myself a cup of coffee. The television was on, meaning I didn't turn it off, and from the kitchen, I could hear the Republik City news anchor speaking on the REPUBLIK CITY CONTROL COUNCIL. "...there has been major developments in the control council, as many new laws have been passed with the hope of regulating the aforementioned issues that have been plaguing the city." I brushed the news aside and sipped from my cup, the hotness didn't help the pain I felt in my belly, but the sensation of the coffee refreshed me. "The Issue #47 of the Metal Birds," I remembered and rushed out of the house with my coffee in my hand. My favourite basketball team, Metal Birds were running a magazine for all their subscribers and it was delivered to our doorsteps every week. Mine was supposed to have arrived. I rushed to the mailbox– yes, I am old-school. And collected my magazine with a huge smile on my face. Living on the outskirts of Republik City gave me the privacy I craved, but it could be scary at times, especially when I was living next to the woods. The only neighbor I had had moved out about a year ago and I was left alone. I turned to my left and saw the house, a house that I had made lot of memories in– Myself and Sabrina. She was a high schooler like myself, and we had explored each other back in that house, in her room and even in her parent's bedroom. She had been a bad influence on me, as she had taught me all of these things that I never had saw myself doing. Back then, she had tried bringing out of my shy shell, and it seemed like it was working until her parents got transfered after our graduation and they had to go with them. It had broken me, and made me leave back for my shell once more. I tore my eyes off the building and it worn off paints, but as I turned to look at the woods again, I saw a figure run across, but I couldn't make out what it was since I wasn't on my glasses. What I thought I saw gave me an eerie feeling and fear crept in, so I rushed into the house and locked the door. "...and recently there has been rumours, or rather, news of werewolf sightings in the city. The Republik City Control Council have been working tirelessly on this to affirm if this is true or not. But still, they deemed it fit to allow it come to the masses so that we all can report if we see anything strange around us. Remember the werewolves mean no good for humans, it's in your best interest to report them to the authorities so we can save human lives," the reporter said and I turned to the television. My heart started racing as I saw a video on the television that showed something similar to what I had just witnessed in the woods. A werewolf.