Jake's elbow gave way, slamming his cheek against the desk. 

Righting himself, he realised that he was still hunched over the chair, still with his laptop open on the same blank tab, and still no closer to finding out the truth behind his father's disappearance. He'd scoured every newspaper, every battered journal that had been stolen from his mother's study. None of them had been helpful. He'd tried everything over the past year. Absolutely everything. Why wasn't everything ever enough? 

Moving the mouse sleepily across the screen, Jake peered at the articles spread out along his bed. They were fifteen years old now, nearly sixteen, but he'd been convinced that at least one of them had to have more information about the disappearance. Or at least any information. He'd read the articles a thousand times since he'd looted them ten months ago, but they'd told him nothing he didn't already know. He wasn't sure why he'd felt that tonight would be any different. But that hadn't stopped him trying. He took a long slurp from his can of coke. His father's name had been Thomas Green. He'd disappeared a little while before Jake was born, leaving his mother with just enough money to get buy. Why he'd vanished? His mother wouldn't tell him or perhaps she didn't know, so he'd decided to find out on his own. After blinking the sleep from his eyes, he sighed and closed the tab. Every night it was the same: there was no Thomas Green. There was a Thomas Decken and a Thomas Bradley, but no Thomas Green. 

Reaching for a notepad, Jake angrily scribbled out the names of the websites he'd visited and the theories he'd concocted. His father hadn't disappeared – his name didn't seem to exist - and yet he'd vanished without a trace. When he'd dare to ask questions last year, his mother had told him his father had gone travelling, then suddenly switched to saying he'd left because he'd cheated on her with someone else. Funnily enough, he'd never believed her. He was about to have one more flick through the newspaper articles, when something stopped him. Some taught string pulled at his mind, told him to give up, like it was trying to keep him from making a mistake. After peering at his phone, which told him it was the wrong side of four in the morning, he slumped. It was time to stop. He could always have a look tomorrow night, if the new house had Wi-Fi. He sure hoped it had Wi-Fi. It was bad enough his mother had chosen to move right before he had to go back to school, let alone the new house was just south of nowhere. For all he knew, compared to their two-bedroom in Manchester, it was probably some run-down church. He grinned. He could get bitten by a Vampire and then he wouldn't have to do his mock exams. There, educational problem solved. 

Standing up, he placed his computer onto the carpet by its case, then picked up the articles. There was no point in torturing himself like this, he realized. His mind steered him towards the metal bin at the foot of his bed and, with a heavy heart, he let the papers fall. There was no point trying to find the man who'd walked out of his life altogether.

People who vanish usually don't want to be found, his mother had said. Now he understood. He might want to find his father, but his dad sure didn't want to find him. To be fair, she had said 'usually'.

"Nice eye-bags" said his mother as he slid into the kitchen. Jake gave himself a once-over in the mirror: messy hair, eyes so black he looked like he'd been punched and a pale face that rivalled even Dracula's.

"Cheers," he replied, running a hand through his brown curls. He didn't have time to straighten them today. He'd nearly slept through his alarm because of his early morning research, trying and failing to be Sherlock Holmes. He had a football match this morning and he sure wasn't going to miss it. The boys had said Melanie was going to be there.

"You off out?" his mum asked.

"Yeah. Max and I are playing Danny's lot. We're going to lose though," he grumbled. His mum smiled and the look in her eyes made him stop. He couldn't remember the last time she'd smiled like that. He sidled around the dining table and smiled, trying to unlock the teenager that had somehow died within him.

"What're you after this time?"

"You know, your strict motherly tone would work better if you weren't smiling," Jake pointed out. His mother shot him a glare, but even then, her eyes sparkled. Emma Green struggled to be angry at anyone, especially him. Even her boss – the chairman of the insensitive academics' club – couldn't rile her. It was almost as if she was in a trance.

"Seriously, Jake," she said. He pulled up a chair, searching his mother's face for the tell-tale signs. He'd watched those binge-able crime dramas, he knew when a suspect was lying. Or holding back. She had to know something. Anything that he could use to calm the buzzing in his skull that tried to convince that he wasn't happy in this life. Casually, he asked,

"Did Dad spend a lot of time away?" It had seemed like an innocent question. After all, his mother should've grown used to his prying by now. Emma turned around, her eyes soft, but there was something within them that hadn't been there before.

"Yes, I". She paused, as if she was trying to scrape the words from her lips. "I remember him going out sometimes. Mostly on business..." She trailed off and it was at that moment that Jake realized his mistake.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I wasn't thinking". The light returned to his mum's eyes and she sniffed.

"Yes, you were. Now, more than ever..." she trailed off again and soon after the kettle boiled.

Well, Jake thought. That conversation's officially over. Won't be trying that again. He slid off the chair, walking to the banister to grab his coat. Emma threw him the house keys and he caught them, shoved them in his pocket.

"Oh Jake?" his mum called as he was just about to open the front door. He ducked his head around the doorway to the kitchen and she laughed slightly.

"I just wanted to tell you..." she broke off, a sudden frown creasing her face. As if she wanted to tell him something. "Be careful out there. Won't you?" Jake smirked.

"I'll be fine," he said. "Nothing ever happens to me anyway". He dropped her one last smile and stepped out into the sun.

Over the years, Jake had managed to build up a vague idea of what his father had been like. His mum had referred to him as a charmer, said she hadn't had her 'filter' on when he'd singled her out at a nightclub. She also said he'd been good-hearted. A listener. She said he'd been the only one to get her to go to church. Or perhaps she'd lied to make him feel better. No good-hearted man would walk out on their family. His theory of a disappearance was becoming less likely by the second. Jake sighed, kicking an empty can onto the road. Some part of him wanted to give up, wanted to stop chasing the ghost of his dad. But he couldn't. Suddenly, a chill whistled up his spine, a shadow of doubt snaking across his back. He was being followed. Jake risked a quick glance behind him but saw nothing except his neighbours' neat gardens and driveways. His mother didn't like to have a 'robot-garden' as she called it. Instead she made do with a failing vegetable patch and an unruly batch of Succulents.

"At least my plants are spontaneous," she'd grumbled every Sunday when the other home-owners were out amongst the flowers. Personally, Jake was glad she didn't really care that much about how things looked. It was more than he could say for himself. He peered over his shoulder but couldn't shake the feeling that someone – something – was watching him. Waiting—

"Jake!" He half-jumped, half-turned, regaining his composure just in time to see Max and his younger brother Percy running up to him from the top of their drive.

"Thought you were supposed to be packing," Max remarked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well," Jake sighed. "I'm not exactly in a rush to get to Crazyville". Before Max could respond, Percy cut in.

"Did Maxine tell you Melanie was going to be here today? Don't screw this up, man," he begged. Max rolled his eyes, pinning his little brother under his arm.

"I told you to stop calling me that," he said. Jake chuckled.

"I thought you liked 'Maxine', Maxine" he said. 'Maxine' promptly punched him on the shoulder. With that the three of them started making their way to the park. Usually, Jake would've chosen to stay in talking to Max through their X-box profiles, but today, Melanie was coming to their match. Melanie. Jake checked his hair in a nearby window and suddenly wished he'd taken the time to straighten it.

"Stop messing," Percy said honestly. "You look fine".

"Yeah," Max joined in. Jake mumbled a half-hearted 'shut up' and walked on. Melanie's laughing face danced around his mind. Her whitened smile, thick hair and care-free nature. Every time she entered a room at school, his tongue glued itself to the roof of his mouth.

"So, whereabouts are you moving? Come on, you haven't told us anything. Dale said it was some sort of cultist hotspot". Max shot him a smirk.

"Well, he would say that wouldn't he". His friend fell silent, and they both listened as Percy started brainstorming tactics for beating Danny's team. They knew better than to say anything. Danny's lot were the worst. When Jake had first moved to Cheadle Hulme School, Max had warned him about the group of boys and girls lurking like pantomime villains around the school gates. He'd especially warned him about Danny.

"Think of every playground bully you've ever met multiplied by ten. That doesn't even come close to what he's like," he'd told him. Jake had had a brilliant first week trying to ignore that information. Now though, as they trekked towards the gravel road leading to the park, he realised he didn't care. He hadn't cared about a lot lately. The match was just a friendly and all he wanted was a quiet life. To do his exams and move on. Maybe do some travelling. He quite liked the sound of New York for some reason, though he could never figure out what that reason was.

"Hey guys. Don't look now..." Percy pointed uncontrollably, forcing his older brother to wince.

"I swear he's stuffed pillows down his shirt. Or bricks. God, he's huge!" Jake looked around and saw who Max was referring to. Danny was standing on the pitch, spitting onto the grass like he had a 'professional jerk' sign hanging around his neck. His arms were thicker than the goalposts.

"Crap. We're dead," Percy mumbled. Jake ignored him, searching the small gaggle of post-year 10 rejects for Melanie. She was sitting on the park bench, dressed in a grey mushroom top and jeans that had seemingly been attacked by a tiger. Her hair was plaited down one side, while her make up seemed to give her an extra layer of skin.

"She looks like she doesn't want to be here," said Max. He walked over to Jasper, Oliver and Dale – the rest of their team. Jake followed. His trainers soaked up the dew from the grass. It was the same pitch he'd played on for years, the same perpetually rusty goalposts. Maybe moving to a new house was the right thing to do.

"We thought you were being whisked off to Transylvania," Jasper remarked as he saw him.

"No, no. I'm at least bite free for one more day" Jake confirmed, slightly angrily. It was only two hours away in the car. It wasn't like he was emigrating. Max jerked his head in the direction of Danny's team.

"You guys finished with your sweet little catch-up or...?" Jasper and the others fell silent.

"Pick a ref!" Danny called from the other side of the pitch. Max shoved Percy forward, so hard he almost stumbled.

"There. Happy?" he asked. Danny smiled, pointing for Percy to stand by the pitch side. Percy scuttled over and one of the girls who'd been hovering around near Melanie stood up and walked over to stand next to him. Jake recognised her from the girls' football team; she was a cut-throat referee.

"Ready?" Max yelled to Danny. Danny moved his head. The match began. Immediately, Jake moved into position, flanking Max from the left side, while Jasper took the right. Dale headed into the goal. Danny meanwhile, already had possession of the ball and he dribbled it up the pitch like a madman.

It's way too early for this, Jake grumbled, but shot forward anyway. He didn't have a boxer's build like Danny, but he was toned and lean, with just enough muscle to look appealing. His green eyes stood out against his pale skin like twin gel pens. Danny saw him approach, then spun the ball around his legs, leaving him flailing and angry. And the further Danny got up the pitch, then angrier Jake became. His eyes flickered over to Melanie, who was watching him—no. She was watching Danny. Of course. Why was he even surprised? As Danny shoved his bulk towards the goal, Jake tried to tackle him, but Max pulled him back. Barely a second later, Danny had pivoted his entire body weight into Dale, knocking him clean and forcing the ball straight into the goal. From the bench, Melanie smiled. She didn't clap. She just checked her foundation in the little mirror she carried and waited for something else to happen. Some part of him knew how she felt. He shook his head. When did he become so old?

"A little slow there, Green," Danny drawled. Jake fought the urge to punch him in his smug face. As Dale brushed off his shorts and moved back into position, Max shot a glare in Danny's general direction. Then he turned to Jake.

"Don't listen you to him, your form is great. Don't worry about it," he said. From the pitch side, Percy told both teams to reform their positions. Jake moved once again to flank Max as the left-wing attacker.

"How's your mum? You know, with the move and everything," he asked. Jake looked up, breathing hard.

"Fine. She's acting a bit...I don't know. Flustered, maybe. I guess it's all the stress. Trying to find a new job on short notice".

"Do you know what school you're going to?" Jasper pitched in. "Vamp Camp?"

"Very funny," he groaned, just as Percy gave the whistle for the match to resume. As Jake's eyes once again fell to Melanie, he saw that she was still watching Danny, occasionally laughing with her friends. They were on the Netball team together, but he'd seen Mel hanging around the Sports Notice Board, staring at the Rugby sign-up sheet. She'd met his gaze, shook her head. He hadn't told anyone.

"We are so going to lose," Jasper said, and Max swore. But Jake said nothing. He just clenched and unclenched his fists, a strange feeling blotting out his common sense. It as if his blood was rising, trying to break through his skin. At the far end of the pitch, Danny shot him a grin. He glared. Almost at once, he ran forward, heading into position to receive the ball from Max. Only he never did. Danny had already moved towards his friend and shoved him to the floor. So much for the match being a friendly. As he sped away with the ball, his team cheered, while Jasper called for Percy to make it a foul. Percy was too busy standing at the side looking shocked. Melanie meanwhile, was still smiling. Still staring at Danny. Something in Jake snapped. Pulled back and let go. The world around him seemed to fade to a negative, while the sound of his heart bulged to a drumbeat. Anger flooded his veins. No, not anger. The power of the anger. Pure energy. Every little thing Danny had done to him and his friends seemed to flare up until the memories became a supernova in his mind. Time slowed and suddenly, he felt his body move. Really move. His senses had dulled, and his legs had turned to jelly, but he moved. He shot forward, uncaring whether Melanie could see him or whether Danny knew he was coming. Time meant nothing here, wherever he was. Frankly, he didn't seem to care. As he caught up with the blur of football boots, he stared, a perverse feeling of satisfaction overwhelming him as he snatched the ball away. The movement was so swift, so silent, that Danny didn't even realise he'd lost his edge until he'd ran head first into the goal without the ball. Jake's smile widened, and he eased forward and yet time seemed to stand still. As if it was waiting for him to score. He realised how happy he was to oblige. To his right, he saw that Melanie's eyes were now on him. Percy stood next to her, gaping like a fish. Jake kept his eyes on the ball. He forgot about Melanie and his mock exams and the move and he just...just embraced the power. The energy. He laughed as he drove the ball down to the far end of the pitch, ignoring Jasper's plea to pass it on. He just ran. Or maybe he was flying – it was too difficult to tell. As he skidded in the mud, the world threw itself back into motion, and that was when he let the ball fly. The sound of it cracking against the metal goal was heavenly. The sound of it breaking through the metal and rolling out the other side wasn't so great. It was as if the noise had been amplified, until he could hear each particle splitting as the ball rushed through. Biting back a wince, Jake slowed to a halt. That was when the cheering started.

"What the hell was that?" cried Danny. Jake hid a final smirk as he watched the bulk try to salvage his ego.

"He's like one of the frickin' X-men," Dale said. From the bench, Melanie gave a whoop of joy, but Jake shrugged the sound away, ignoring her. He felt light headed, as if he was walking on air.

"Hey," Percy said as he ran over. His shoes were two sizes too big, making his footsteps earthquakes. Jake winced. "That. Was. So. Cool! Danny's face was priceless. Totally priceless!" He paused, peering closer.

"Are you okay? You look a bit...pale". Shortly after,

"Is that blood?" Instantly, Jake looked down, and watched as a dark bead of blood fell from his nose and landed on the grass. He could almost hear the sound it made as it connected with the soil.

"Mm' fine," he managed. All of a sudden, he found himself sitting down. Percy glanced at him worriedly.

"You don't look so good," he said. Jake wiped his face, pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the blood flow.

"I said I'm fine". His face broke out into a broad grin. "And I believe that's a draw". It wasn't long before Jasper rushed over, then Dale, all saying he was 'the man of the match'. Melanie came over, but she was holding Danny's hand.

"Hey, Green," Danny began. Jake looked up.

"Not bad". He didn't bother to reply. He just sat there and listened to his friends praising him and smiled at the sound of his ego inflating the more they spoke. But even through all of that, the only thing he could focus on was Max. Or rather Max's absence. As he turned his head a fraction, he noticed that his friend was standing a little way down the pitch, away from the crowd. Staring at him. Not with a shocked stare like his brother, or a worried stare or even a proud stare. Just an empty one. A cold one and it chilled him to the bone.

They played on for hours, each game sloppier than the last. Jake spent the entire time wondering why his legs wouldn't work properly. In the end, he resorted to sitting down on a bench with some of the girls. The others had invaded the matches to show the boys how it was really done. Jake hated to admit it, but they were a lot better. Melanie sat next to him, telling him about how she'd been crushing on Danny for months.

"Then he asked me out and I couldn't help it," she beamed. "I said yes".

Shocker. I would never have guessed, Jake thought, rubbing his temples in pain. At least his nosebleed had stopped. It was one thing to get blood on his favourite football shirt, but now he felt like his head was going to split open. He wouldn't put it past his head to try. As the final match ended, Jake forcibly unfolded himself from the bench.

"Do you want to go the chippy?" Danny asked them. Melanie walked over to him and giggled.

"You are coming, right Green?" Jake turned and shook his head.

"I gotta go. My," he paused, searching for an answer. "My girlfriend's expecting me to call her tonight before I move".

"What? This can't be the last we see of you" Percy chimed in. Jake noticed how he didn't bother to point out that he didn't have a girlfriend.

"I'll Skype you or something when I get there," he promised, then took off down the park road. His body was heavy, like it was covered in Clingfilm and his feet felt as if they were capped with steel. He was just about to cross the road, when Max ran out of the park entrance towards him. Jake gave an inward groan. This was the last thing he needed right now.

"Jake," he called out.

"I'm sorry, Max is it?" Max, for a moment, looked taken aback.

"What's that supposed to mean? What's up?" he said, holding his arms out in front of him. Jake nearly choked in surprise.

"What's up? How about your super creepy staring contest back at the match, let's start with that. Or maybe the part when you didn't talk to me for hours on end. That was super," he snapped.

"Okay, I'm sorry Jake. But, but jeez. You broke a goal man, a metal goal. Metal. That's...not normal". Jake stared at him. He was right. That wasn't normal. That wasn't normal at all.

"Look, Jake," Max started. "You were acting really weird today"—

"As opposed to you making crazy eyes at me, I think I was acting pretty sane thanks very much. Anyway," he growled. "Shouldn't you be heading up the chippy with your normal friends? I'm sure they're missing your wonderful conversation".

"Jake, don't be like that..."

"Like what? You've clearly decided I'm a freak. Not quite good enough for you. I mean, come on. That goal was rusty, it could've broken at any time." He was breathing hard now, his hair damp with sweat. His collar bones twitched. They stood in silence for a while. A car drove past, then two, then three. A woman walking her dog politely asked them to move out of her way.

"At least you'll have a better chance fitting in at Crazyville," Max said and they both started grinning.

"Thanks," Jake chuckled.

"But seriously though, be careful out there". He made a choking sound, holding his hands around his throat. Jake rolled his eyes.

"God, you sound like my mum" he said. Max shrugged.

"Just don't fall into any crypts or strange basements. I don't fancy joining the cast of Buffy The Vampire Slayer trying to save you". He turned around, started to jog towards the park.

"See you later," Jake said.

"Good luck out there" Max replied and this time he sounded like he meant it. Now that he was alone, Jake began to make his way across the road, his head in a tumble of odd thoughts and pain. As he walked past a window, he noticed that a spot of blood was just drying on his nose. Hastily, he wiped it away. His mum worried about him enough and she'd been acting strange lately. Well, stranger than usual. First it was forgetting the bills until two days before the deadline, then it was forgetting to put on her seatbelt, even though he knew she was never a careless driver. It was almost as if she was trying to forget. Or trying to remember something at the expense of everything else. Behind him, the wind whistled. He turned, half expecting to see a hooded figure sitting on a garden wall behind him. But as he looked, there was nothing there. He rubbed his hands over his eyes and looked again. Still nothing.

Some migraine, he thought and continued his trek down the pavement. Out on the pitch, he'd lost track of time, but at least it wasn't dark. Jake smoothed down his hair, flicking mud from his curls. He still couldn't figure out what had happened back there. As he tried to remember the feeling, that energy pulsing through him, he could sense his nose starting to bleed again and he angrily held his shirt up to his face. Behind him, something brushed against his shoulders. He stumbled, swerving around to see... Nothing. Like before, there was nothing there. Just the branch of a tree and— and a shadow. It wasn't his. It couldn't've been his. His shadow didn't strike the ground, his shadow wasn't jagged. He was Jake Green and he slotted quite nicely into the world. This shadow did not. Rapidly, he blinked, and it was gone. Jake started to pick up the pace, forgetting about his nosebleed and running down the road until he could see his mother's car parked in the driveway. He slid in through the front gate, turning back just in time to see... The shadow was there. Right there. Sitting on the neighbour's car bonnet without a care in the world. With a crash, the front door opened.

"Jake? Are you alright? You're bleeding". His mum rushed out of the door, scrutinizing his muddy clothes and the blood on his face.

"Told you we were going to lose the match," he muttered softly. Mum laughed, grabbed a tissue out of her pocket and handed it to him. It was coarse on his skin.

"I told you to take up cycling. Much safer," she said, leading him inside.

"I don't know". He grinned lazily. "I feel like the chafing isn't worth the risk".

"Jake!" Mum scolded, but she was smiling too. No point worrying her.

"Anyway, have you packed yet? We're leaving tomorrow morning remember. Every room of the house in is boxes except yours," she said.

"How could I forget? I'd better start packing my garlic and stakes".

"I'd be more worried about the kids in that new school," Mum pointed out.

"Isn't that what I said?" Mum shot him a glare, but the corners of her mouth said otherwise. He limped past her, trying to hide the wince as his vision tightened and his muscles screamed.

"I'm gonna go have a shower," he decided and trudged up the stairs. Whatever had happened to him, he needed to think about it. Understand it. As he reached the bathroom, he peered out of the window to see if the shadow was still there. When he saw nothing, he let out a sigh. Exam stress. Definitely. He stepped into the shower and felt the nosebleed and the shadow fade away.