Eyriebridge Central High School was more or less a typical high school with typical cliques up until The Event that was due to shake the school and its surrounding town to its foundation. The school was mostly two stories, with a wing to the back delegated for the sports related classes, including a large weight room and thriving outdoor field for the teams to use. Next to the weight room was a nurse's office, in case any of the athletes - who were one of two ways this school had of getting into the news prior - got injured.
The football team was the major sports team in this almost typically western United States school.
Varsity was led by the red haired, well muscled 18 year old Terrence "Terry" Denning, known around campus as "Muscles" due to his tremendous build. Even though he was quarterback, he maintained a size of 225 lbs, and still ran like few others were capable of. His ginger, wavy hair was always styled back with a bit of gel. He was known around campus for being a bit pushy when he saw something he considered wrong, prone to snap reactions, but a very nice guy otherwise - especially to his girlfriends. Though there were some rumors circulating about Terry doing "gay for pay" in order to pay his dues, among other things, it was generally said these were just ugly rumors.
His second in command generally was Brad Callum, known around campus for mostly the exact opposite reason of Terry. Dark haired, blue eyed Brad was brawny and pushy - he had a foul temper at the best of times, and, even though he usually regretted it afterwards, had a quick fuse. Brad stood about as tall as the six foot five inch Terry, and was wider by far. Brad was quite a stocky man - and one possible origin of his infamous temper laid in the rumor that before he moved up the strings, Brad had been a very, very handsome young man. And then Coach Jones Bronsen had him gain a lot of weight to become the best linebacker in the team - and Brad went for it, but didn't take to it well.
The other way for the school to make it in the news prior to the incident was the debate team.
This was the rare academy that allowed its nerds to be as famous and well regarded as the jocks. Leading the debate team was Drew Hallington, son of a far traveled British family. Having dirty blond hair and light blue eyes behind blocky glasses, Drew usually wore dress shirts and baggy jeans, which didn't do much to show the fact he wasn't built like a typical nerd. Underneath the clothes, Drew was muscled like a tank - owing to his other hobby, gymnastics. The rumors swirling around the school had it that Drew was a closeted bisexual, pining for Brad Callum, even as everyone knew Drew had a girlfriend already...
Drew's younger brother Steve was also on the debate team, being something of a savant - though he was not nearly as gifted physically as Drew. Steve was generally withdrawn and awkward, but occasionally showed a jealousy toward his brother's multi-talented nature, and a desire to outshine him on the debate stage. Such a thing was not yet to happen for Steve. His favored clothes were a polo, slacks, and sneakers, his hair light brown and his eyes more toward grayish blue.
Such are just a few of the dramatis personae in the school.
And now, to proceed to The Event. The Incident as it were. Something happened in the school and town's water supply. Perhaps some hitherto unknown substance flooded the water supply, and the filtering services failed to remove it. Perhaps there was some kind of sudden magical effect, brought on by some distant event in the town's past with a vaguely worded enough prophecy to suddenly bring this down upon the present day occupants.
Or maybe this was a run wild test of some government made drug or device. Maybe the people in town might never know of why it happened or where the event originated from. But what would become clear in time was the effect it would have. Everyone who drank the town water or engaged in sexual activity with someone who drank the water would see themselves slowly growing older. Never more than two or three years a day. Almost as if a consolation prize, those who grew so older would become healthier, fitter as time passed by.
Some would stop at their mid-fifties. Others might well continue beyond. Could it be tied to the amount of the water they consumed? Or could it be something else?
Whatever the case, Eyriebridge High would never exactly want for fame and attention ever again.
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"Come on Brad, let's head home." Terry said as he balanced up against the wall in the weight room. He knew why Brad was being so stubborn today. But he just found it kind of exasperating. He understood being kind of competitive. Terry was a jock. Competition was in his blood by now. But being this obsessive about a single lift?
"I am not going home till I beat your one rep max on bench press." Brad said with a shake of his head. The stocky young man shrugged and started stretching again, trying for 400 lbs 1 rep max yet again. He didn't even see Terry roll his eyes.
Both young men paused briefly to take a drink of water they brought in from home. It was getting to be hot out these days and neither of them were dumb enough to hit the gym without a full jug of water. Local water - ensuring their place in what was to come. Brad started to strain as he lifted the weight, eager to try and beat Terry's lift. Like hell he was gonna be surrendering like that. Brad Callum NEVER surrendered...!
He was very wobbly as he worked with the weight, feeling it bearing down on him. Muscle pushing up against 400 lbs, Brad tried to make his last ditch effort to really push the weight. "Fuck fuck fuck...!"
Drew and Steve stopped by the weight room on their way home, themselves carrying empty water bottles. Drew looked in and said, "He's STILL going? Damn, man. Uhh, you go Brad!"
"He just doesn't know when to quit!" Terry responded with a smirk and drank down a little bit more water as he observed.