Long ago the world was full of magic, half the population could use it, and those who could were revered and used their gifts for good. However, when science picked up pace and made things simpler, people gave up on magic at least that's what my big sister Ella used to tell me when she would tell me stories. I guess I should explain, my name is Tyler and I'm a 17-year-old high school senior. I live with my mom, dad, my twin brother Thomas and elder sister Ella. She's 21 and goes to the local community college. I have an older brother named Mark but he’s away in the army. My family recently moved here due to my dad's work and that means I have to start a new school today.

 

“Dear wake up, you're gonna be late for school,” my mom says, waking me up for the 3rd time since I was supposed to be awake by. 

 

I dragged myself out of my bed and threw off my blanket and quickly got dressed in the school uniform for the boys which was a pair of black pants, a short-sleeve shirt, and a striped blue and gold tie that matched the school's colors. I ran downstairs In a hurry and realized I didn’t have time to eat breakfast so I grabbed a pop-tart and ran out the door, I ran to the bus stop and saw my brother standing there waiting for the bus.

 

Despite being twins we couldn’t be more different he was more of a stereotypical male, he liked cars, sports, super confident and was kind of a fuck boy. As for me, I can’t stand sports or cars and while I do like girls I am too anxious and shy to even approach a girl, despite this we both loved gaming, it was really the only thing we agreed on. 

 

“Hey Tyler, I thought you would never make it,” Tom said smiling.

 

“Yeah I just didn’t want to get up today, I slept like a log” I replied laughing 

 

“I know what you mean but, I wanted to look my best, I plan on having a date by the end of the day,” Tom said with pride

 

“Please don’t embarrass me. I don’t want to be blamed for you stealing some dude's girlfriend again.” I pled 

 

“Relax it only happened that one time” Tom replied 

 

“Five times” I corrected 

 

“Well it wouldn’t happen if you bulked up a bit instead of being so scrawny” Tom replied teasing me and shoving me slightly.

 

“I told you I don’t like sports or working out for that matter” I replied 

 

“Then don’t complain” Tom replied.

 

The bus came shortly after and took us to school. I found an empty seat and sat down, the bus ride seemed like it took forever but once we got to the school we saw it for the first time and it was massive it looked like a castle. 

 

We got off the bus and outside the school was a girl who was waiting for them.

 

“Hiya! My name's Kara and I’ll escort you to the main office where you’ll get your schedules” she said with a smile.

 

“I’ll go anywhere with you” Tom replied practically grinning from ear to ear while I just rolled my eyes.

 

“Aren’t you just the sweetest but I have a boyfriend” Kara replied with a smile 

 

“I don’t care, about that, we can keep anything that happens between us” Tom replied.

 

“My aren’t you sleazy, but my boyfriend is the captain of the wrestling team” Kara replied.

 

“Give it up, she isn’t interested in you” I reply annoyed by Tom always doing this.

 

We walked through the halls and passed many students who looked at us as we walked passed them towards the office. 

 

“Here we are, the principle should be with you shortly,” Kara said before she walked off leaving me and Tom alone.

 

“I can’t believe you do this all the time” I complained.

 

“I can’t help that I find girls attractive” Tom replied proudly.

 

“You can you just choose not to” I replied with slight anger.

 

“Yeah you’re right, but what can I say, I’m a ladies man and they love me” Tom replied in a cocky tone.

 

“Thomas and Tyler Morgan, the principle is ready for you now,” the secretary said gesturing towards the office.

 

“Come on in, boys,” the principal said and gestured to the chairs in front of him. 

 

We sat down in the chairs and the principal introduced himself.

 

“You can call me Mr. Roberts and I am the principal of the school. I want you boys to know I run a tight ship here and I don’t want any trouble from you understand?” Mr. Roberts said sternly.

 

“You don’t have to worry about sir, my brother on the other hand,” I said, sending a glare at Tom's direction.

 

“My brothers just exaggerating sir, I am always on my best behavior” Tom replied.

 

“Let's hope that's true, now I hear you are pretty good at wrestling?” Mr. Roberts replied looking at Tom.

 

“Please, I was the best player on my team before we moved. Practically carried my old team to states every year”  Tom replied pridefully.

 

“ That's good here I’ll talk to the coach about getting you a tryout, but until then get to class.” Mr. Roberts said.

 

Tom and I exited the office and walked through the hall until it came time to part ways.

 

I entered the classroom and everyone stared at me it, felt so awkward, standing in the doorway and all eyes on me.

 

“Yes, who are you?” The teacher said with slight anger in his voice.

 

“I’m Tyler Morgan, I’m a new student,” I replied by handing him the note given to me by the principal.

 

“Very well, take a seat in an empty space, my name Mr. Thornburg,” he said.

 

I walked over to an empty seat and sat between a girl and a boy and Mr. Thornburgh continued his lesson.

 

“Hi, my name is John,” the boy next to me said, greeting me.

 

“ I’m Riley” the girl replied with a smile.

 

“Nice to meet you both” I replied.

 

“Quiet down!” Mr. Thornburgh said.

 

We stop talking and pay attention to the lesson, eventually, the bell rings and we all leave the classroom.

 

“Hey Tyler, what's your next class? John asked.

 

I look at my schedule “Looks like it's English,” I reply.

 

“Awesome you got that with me, Mrs.Evans teaches that. She's super cool” Riley said happily.

 

“ What's about after that?” John asked.

 

“ Looks like science” I reply.

 

“Neither of us has that so looks like you’re on your own” John replied.

 

Riley and I walked together to our English class and it turns out we have a lot in common, we like the same music, tv shows, and video games. English class goes by pretty quick and I make my way to the science class, as I enter the classroom a really tall guy with long black hair approaches me.

 

“Hey asshole, heard you were hitting on my girlfriend!” the guy replied.

 

“I’m sorry?” I replied confused.

 

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, just stay away from Kara!” he replied.

 

“Oh you must have me confused with my brother Thomas, we’re twins” I replied.

 

“Yeah right, like I haven’t heard that one before!” he said with slight anger in his voice.

 

“That's enough, class everyone to their seats,” the teacher said. 

 

I took a seat in the middle row and class went by pretty quickly along with the rest of the classes until lunch which I had with Riley and John, on his way there he saw Tom.

 

“Hey leave the Kara girl alone will ya? Almost got me beat up by her boyfriend.” I replied.

 

“Relax bro, you got nothing to worry about and if so I’ll back you up” Tom replied before he walked off to his next class.

 

“Hey, Tyler! How's your first day of school going?” I heard John say as he approached from behind accompanied by Riley. 

 

“Pretty good, almost got beat up by some really tall guy because of my brother,” I replied.

 

“Does this guy have long hair and is super intimidating?” Riley asked.

 

“Actually yeah that sounds about right” I replied. 

 

“Sounds like Wallace, He’s the wrestling team captain and dating one of the cutest girls in our grade” Riley replied.

 

“Come on Riley give it a rest she’s never going to date you,” John replied. 

 

“Hey I’m gay sue me,” Riley said.

 

“Relax I’m just kidding, “ John said defensively.

 

“My brother and I met her when we arrived, she showed us to the office to get our schedule,” I explained.

 

“And? She's cute right?” Riley asks with a grin.

 

“ She seemed nice, I guess” I reply shrugging my shoulders. 

 

“ What! She is amazing. How can you not agree?” Riley replied.

 

“I just don’t know her all that well and don’t like judging based on looks” I reply.

 

“That's honestly understandable,” Riley replied.

 

We continued to talk and get to know each other better, I found out that John and Riley have been friends since preschool and even tried dating in the sophomore year but it didn’t work out because around the same time Riley realized she much preferred women and has identified as a lesbian since. John is similar to Riley except that he sees Marvel as the superior franchise and Riley sees DC as superior. They talked about the numerous arguments that they got into about the topic.

 

Lunch ended and my next class was photoshop which I had with both John and Riley, as we walked to our next class I saw Tom harassing Kara again.

 

“Come on babe just one little date, I can make it worth your while.” I heard Tom say.

 

“NO! Now you are starting to annoy me, I tried being nice but you don’t stop” Kara said angrily.

 

I walked over and pulled Tom away from Kara “What the hell is wrong with you!” I said angrily.

 

“What, it's not my fault the girls here are prudes,” Tom said annoyed.

 

“You’re just an ass!” I said before walking away and continuing to Photoshop class. 

 

The rest of the day went about as smoothly as it could, after photoshop I had music and art class, and creative writing  which I enjoyed. The final bell rang and on my way out I bumped into Riley.

 

“Hey Tyler, you wanna join me in a magic history club?” she asked.

 

“That sounds pretty fun actually” I replied.

 

“Awesome just come with me and I can introduce you to everyone,” Riley said with a smile.

 

I followed her to the classroom where the club meeting was held. It was running out of the history classroom and the club was fairly small around 7 people.

 

“Hey everyone! I brought a new friend, this is Tyler.” She said gesturing to me.

 

“ Hi, all,” I say greeting the club, I vaguely recognize some of them from a few of my classes. 

 

“Hello Tyler Tyler my name is Mr. Jamison and I teach ap world history, Pleasure to meet you” The 5’9 black man in a dress shirt and dress pants said happily. 

 

“Nice to meet you too” I reply with a smile.

 

“Do you know the history of the town?” a blond girl whose name I forgot.

 

“Um, no. I can’t say that I do, I am actually new to the town.” I replied.

 

“The town dates back to the Salem witch trials and while there are no documented witch trials in the town it's believed by local legends that witches were killed here and one was even drowned in the lake. It's said that she cursed town and when her reincarnation finally returned she would have her revenge on those who wronged her.” Riley explained. 

 

The club ended and I missed the bus so I had to walk home, it's not too terrible of a walk but still, it's about a 45 minute to hour-long walk. On my walk home I had a feeling that I was being followed and when I turned around I saw that far behind me was Wallace and he had two people with him.

 

“I told you to stay away from Kara, now you’re dead, grab him!” I heard Wallace shout, causing the two people he had with him to start running towards me. In a panic I took off running not knowing where I was running too, I turned down an ally and ran right into a dead end. I tried to scale the wall but was grabbed by the two people Wallace had with him and knocked out by Wallace himself.

 

When I came to, I found myself in an old run-down building, it was dark aside from a candle that lit the room.

 

“Look who's awake,” Wallace said from a darker corner of the room.

 

“Where am I? What's going on?” I ask frantically fear building in my throat. 

 

“You’re in the old Franklin house, it been abandoned for decades, kids from school sneak in here to have sex though tonight it's being used for something a little bit different,” Wallace explained with a wiry grin.

 

“W-What are you going to do to me?”  I ask fear and anxiety rising.

 

“ get the shot,” Wallace said causing one of his friends to open a cooler and pull out a strange looking syringe.

 

“What's that? Oh god please don’t kill me” I plead.

 

“Kill you? No no no no no, where would you learn your lesson if you died. You’ll wish you were dead though. This syringe has nanobots, my dads, been working on but they are infused with magic as well specifically gender magic and water from the cursed springs.” Wallace said with an evil grin.

 

“ Why are you, doing this to me! I didn’t do anything!” I say as tears begin to obstruct my view.

 

“I told you to stay away from Kara and you didn’t, you slimy little rat! You also humiliated me in front of the whole wrestling team.” Wallace said with venom in his voice as he held me by my shirt collar. 

 

“I told you that’s not me! It’s my twin brother being a creep!” I say anger that he still doesn’t believe me.

 

“Give it up, no one is buying that bullshit story, now shut up and take the shot like a man, it's the last thing you’ll ever do as a man,” Wallace said as he walked toward me, I got up and tried to run for the exit but tripped over my shoelaces.

 

“Hold him down!” Wallace said signaling his friends to pin me to the floor.

 

Wallace walked up to me, stuck the needle into the nape of my neck and I was quickly let go, I squirmed on the floor for a bit before I got up and tried to run. I could feel the magic and the nanobots flowing through my body and changing it. I could feel my body shifting and growing in places it shouldn't. I got outside the house and collapsed on the sidewalk. The pain was excruciating and felt like I was overheating. I managed to get myself off the ground and began trying to cross the street to get help. I was in the middle of the street when I was blinded by bright lights and then nothing.