I am Number Four

Pittacus Lore

TO THE PEOPLE OF EARTH:

There are mysteries in human history for which there are no apparent explanations. There are unexplained jumps in the development of human technology. No one can explain things like the lost City of Atlantis, the Loch Ness monster, the Bermuda Triangle, and, of course, crop circles and UFOs. The explanation for these, and many other of Earth’s mysteries, is that aliens have been visiting your planet, and influencing events, for as long as the planet has existed.

I am Pittacus Lore. I am from the Planet Lorien, three hundred million miles away. I am one of ten Elders who lived on our planet. I am ten thousand years old. Everyone on Lorien was gifted. We are incredibly strong, incredibly fast, and we are born with powers called legacies. Despite our powers, the Elders, responsible for the defense of our planet, failed.

Lorien has been destroyed. Our entire population was killed, except for nine children and their nine guardians. The Nine fled to earth, where we hoped they would be able to hide and grow, to develop their Legacies and one day avenge the loss of Lorien. Unfortunately, the same race that destroyed Lorien followed them to Earth. They have been hunting the children and have killed three of them. The six that are still alive have started fighting back. Our war has come to your planet, and it will either be won or lost here.

I am telling the story of Lorien, the Nine, and the war at hand so you do not allow the same thing that happened to us happen to you. I am trying to find the Nine and unite them. They may be walking past you right now, or sitting near you, or watching you as you read this. They may be in your city, your town. If they are doing what they are supposed to be doing, they are living anonymously, training, and waiting for the day when they will find each other, and me, and we will make our last stand together.

Pittacus Lore is the pseudonym for James Frey (author of "A Million Little Pieces") and Jobie Hughes.