Ripples- Book One- Tom

[The Host]

A ripple travelled through the calm waters of Lake Indigo. It was a still day and the lake was quiet. As the ripple moved across the water's surface it grew, until the waves formed by the ripple hit the shore. Tom, a young boy staying at his grandparents cottage, did not take any notice of the waves. He was too young to realise that ripples did not normally grow that much. If he had been older, perhaps he would have noticed that the ripples did not stop being created, and that, in fact, they were becoming bigger.
Something, or one, was emerging from the depths of the lake. A shrill screech came from behind Tom, who was, at this point, building an empire in the sand. Tom whirled around and realised, to his relief, that it was a simple gull calling out into the south bay. Tom turned back to the sand kingdom and added another turret to the castle.
Had he continued to watch the bird he would have had a warning which may have saved him. The gull called out once more, and was snatched from the skies by a monstrous hand. The hand was green, which vibrantly coloured blue shells all along it. The hand opened, revealing six ugly fingers that were used to kill the gull instantly.
The ripples coming from the lake were gone, replaced by massive waves and a churning whirlpool. From the depths of Lake Indigo rose the Atuara, as it was called in legend. Five green eyes placed on a monstrous head looked out across the lake and spied the only living thing that wasn't hiding. The Atuara moved towards Tom, the water around it roaring. The enitre lake was now in movement as the Atuara made it's first movements in over one thousand years.
Tom turned just in time to see the tongue of the Atuara touch his face, and the jaws of the beast close down on his body. He didn't even scream.

Six Years Later

Tom, now a young adult, or teen as he called himself, closed his biology book and sighed. He had failed another test, and his parents would not be content. He had once again answered that the Atuara was a real animal, and that it was the oldest living creature, as well as the creator of all things in the world humans called Earth.
Because of his beliefs Tom was a loner. He was also considered 'stupid' and 'slow' by his classmates. No one in his school believed in the Atuara- anymore. Each one had believed in the beast when they had been younger, but all of them had forgotten the beast, until Tom had begun to talk about it.
Tom's parents, not much unlike his peers, also worried for him. Ever since Tom had claimed that the Atuara had taken him to its lair six years ago Tom's parenst had feared for Tom. They were sure the Atuara was a creature of myth at best, and had taken Tom to counseling. It was there that Tom had revealed scars all over his body, which  he claimed had come from the Atuara's teeth. The counselor had taken Tom from his parents for four months, and during that time Tom was forced to take many drugs and medicine that would clear his mind of the Atuara. His parenst had been sent to jail for torturing their only child, even though they were innocent. The judge had claimed that they had given Tom the scars on his body and forced him to tell a tale of the Atuara to cover up his parents abuse.
Tom's parents were released only when Tom could not be cured of the 'Atuara Phase' and they were called not guilty. Since then Tom had been restricted from using the word Atuara anywhere, but sometimes it just slipped out. LIke on biology tests, when Tom could not help but try to prove the Atuara existed. He wrote about his encounter with it six years ago, in vivid detail, only to be put down with a large red F.

-ZLS

Please comment(but not on spelling and grammar). Thoughts and Constructive Criticism are greatly appreciated. This is my first attempt at writing something since I got Writer's Block a few months ago, so this is really rough and needs a lot of work or dialogue and description.

[The Host]

Six Years Ago

When Tom awoke he had no memory of being attacked by the Atuara. He had no idea who he was or where he was, or even what he was doing in that place. It was only when the Atuara showed itself to Tom that he regained all of his memories.
The blood... the teeth... the crushed bones... drowning... watching... dying...
Tom gasped at the awesome power that was the Atuara. He then looked up to the sea beast and stared at it's eyes, daring it to make the first move. The Atuara, however, did not react. Tom stood for hours, willing the beast to move, talk or react. But as it was with the legendary Atuara, no one beat it- at anything.
"Why did you bring me here, where ever here is?" mumbled Tom. The Atuara didn't move or react immediately. Tom sighed and turned around and began to walk away from the beast but was stopped by a scale covered arm.
"You are here for a reason. I cannot, at this time, reveal to you the reason you are here, but only you can be here at this time in my presence."

Present Day

As Tom walked home that day he watched the sky and wondered if the Atuara had siblings or relatives, or even similar species with supremacy over the air or land. He punched himself for thinking such things. He punched himself for failing a test because of the Atuara. He punched himself for the fact that he lived in constant fear and worship of the Atuara. He eventually became so sore from punching himself that he fell to the ground and cried.