Chapter 1

Chapter 1 (Chapter song ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes' by Siouxsie and the Banshees)

2014 “Quinn! Slow down!”

“No way! I’m beating you to mommy this time!” My feet peddle my brand new red and silver two wheeler as fast as they could go.

“Quinn! You’re gonna fall!”

My dad ran behind him. He’s teaching me to ride and I caught on quick. Way quicker than he was prepared for. I took off and in a panic, he chased me down the street.

“Hurry up, slow poke!” I look over my shoulder and smile.

I fly down the tree lined, suburban sidewalk, giggling at my dad running behind me.

“LOOK OUT!” He points frantically.

I look in front of me. My eyes widen to a big tree sitting right in my path. “Whoa!” I turn the bike handles fast, lose control and fall on my side on the sidewalk. Immediately tears fell. I wasn’t hurt. Just scared.

My dad skidded to a stop and scooped me off the walk into his arms. “You scared da crap outta me. Don’t ever do dat again!” He said sternly as he hugged me tight in his big, strong arms.

“I’m sowry.” I wailed on his shoulder.

“Here. Let me look at ya.” He pushed me back and looked me all over. “You’re not hurt?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Scared ya, huh?” He asks.

I nod with a big frown and quarter sized tears in my eyes.

“Got it. It’s OK to be scared of something, but you can’t let it ruin what you want to do. You can’t be afraid of the bike. You have to learn, next time, don’t go so fast and watch where you’re going, ok?” My dad looked at me with his smiling, brown eyes.

I place my hand on his scruffy cheek. I look into his eyes and play with black hair. He looks so much like me, but that’s why he’s my dad. “It’s too hard.” I whine. “I wanna be big like you and it be easy.” I mumble.

“Ya know dat day will come. Right? Soon you’ll be big and strong and riding the bike like a pro. Just like your old man taught ya, but right now, you need ta practice because why?...” He tilts his head to me.

“Pwatice makes…um…” I furrow my brow as I think and sniff. “Pwatice make perfect.”

“That’s my smart boy.” He tickles my belly and I giggle into his shoulder. He sets me down. “Ok. Let’s clean ya up and dry those tears. You know how Ma gets when she sees ya crying.” My dad wipe my cheeks.

“Yeah. She’s a drama queen.” I reply.

His eyes widen. “Where did ya hear dat?”

“Uncle Ben.” I shrug, I rub my runny nose with the back of my arm.

He looks at me hard. “Quinten, I told you, no listening ta Uncle Ben, ever.” He points at me.

“But…What if he tells me to brush my teef?” I innocently ask.

“Ok. If he tells you ta brush, ya brush, but if he tells ya Ma’s a drama queen, ya tell me and I’ll set him straight, got it!” He says holding my shoulder and pointing in my face.

I nod. “Got it.”

That’s was my dad. Always supportive. Always cheering me on. Always trying to set me straight. The world was my oyster and he wanted front row seats to see what I wanted to do with it. I loved him so much as a kid.

Then it was over. Just like that. It all ended that night.

“I stared the mean, old Lycan down, ya see. I told him. ‘You touch my kid. You’re getting what’s coming to ya.’ The ugly, bad guy gave me the evil stink eye. Like this.” He made a funny bad guy face. I giggle from my pillow, under my space blanket.

“What did you do?” I ask.

“The only thing I could do. I popped him in the nose.” He punched at his nose, making me laugh again.

“Then what happen?” I say with a yawn. “Did he cry?”

“Oh, he cried. He cried so much he ran away and I got ta hold my boy again.” He leaned down and wrapped his huge arms around my tiny 6 year old body. I took in the smell of his cologne and felt the strength of his hug. I wanted so much to be like my dad.

“I love you, daddy.” I say to his neck.

“I love you too, Quinney. To da moon and back.” He whispers.

He sits up. “Good night, little man. See you in the morning.” He leans down and kisses my forehead.

“Good night.” I smile and settle myself into the sheets.

He shuts off the light, closes the door and I drift off into a dreamland filled of superhero’s and space commanders.

****

Crunching. So much crunching, snapping and breaking.

The pain was something I didn’t think my little body could survive. Everything burned. Everything screamed. My skin felt like it was being sliced over and over with a glowing red blade.

My throat closed up from the blood cuddling terror that escaped my tiny lips.

The bones snapped. The skin tore and changed. My parents were off in the distance and the grinding of my skeletal structure filled my ears. The stretching of my spine caused shocks up my nervous system. The forces causing my joints to change direction, shot searing, white hot agony through all my little limbs.

I couldn’t see. My vision was hyper sensitive to even the smallest amount of light and it was like I was seeing through two sets of eyes. Every tooth on my mouth bellowed in pain. My ear drums exploded because whispers were booming noises.

The growls were so loud, I didn’t realize they were coming from my chest as I writhed on my stomach.

My stuff blew around my room from a what felt like a tornado that touched down in the middle of it.

I cried, screamed then cried out harder and harder as the wind picked up and my body rose onto my hands and knees.

Every finger snapped and started to fuse together. My eyes see my skin turn black.

“DADDY!!” I can't see anyone through the tears and utter fear. I lost my voice as I cried.

“GET THE MEDICS AND THE COUCILLORS!”

“GIDIEON, HE'S NOT?!”

“YES! HE’S SHIFTING! GO NOW!”

The sounds of Annabelle crying in fear came from the hallway as my 6 year old frame tore apart on my bedroom floor.

Do you know the real reason shifter kids go through counselling? It’s not to inform them of the facts of life. It’s not…to connect you to the animal you share your skin with. It’s for fucking pain management. They council you to prepare you for that moment your wolf is going to tear your ass off and prepare you for a pain level that’s equivalent to getting shot fifty times with silver and thrown headfirst into a lava lake.

Guess who didn’t get this counselling because he was too fucking young for it. Yeah, me. So, I handled it just about as good as I expected.

I’m flooded with a crap ton of emotions I don’t understand. This creature is trying to connect with me and as far as I’m concerned he’s the fucking monster in my closet and he just ate my ass.

My mind is ripped in two. I don’t feel real. There’s too many thoughts. I can’t think straight. I want my mom and all I can do is cry.

I don’t know how to interrupt my environment. Nothing makes sense. My dad looks different. I can’t understand a word he’s saying. My ears aren’t working. I can’t make sense of his words. He’s got my head and yelling, but it’s like his form is slipping out of phase. He’s voice is far off and sounds like he’s under water.

All I have is this urge to run away. Run away from this monster as fast as I can.

I wildly look around my room and see my bedroom window’s open. The view is in threes and glowing in and out. Coming back as one and spreading out into three windows.

I have to run away.

I turn from my dad, jump on my bed and jump out the window. I realize quickly that may have been a mistake when there’s nothing on the other side, but a two story drop to the grass.

I hit the grass and roll. I stop on my stomach and look toward my window. The entire pack house shakes in my vision.

I see my dad stick his head out and I rise to my feet. I turn and run toward the forest that surrounds us before the desert starts.

I’m running on my hands, but when I look down they're monster feet. I’m crying in my head as I run around the trees. I’m begging it to stop as I jump logs and rocks. I call for my mother as I round paths and shove my way through thick brush.

I come around another path when I’m hit from the side. A loud painful yelp came from the monster and my head and leg got hurt. I cried even harder.

I raise my head from the ground I was smashed into. I can just make out a large, big dog. Wind blows and the dog changes to my dad. He runs to me and pulls me to his chest.

He leans to my ear. “Quinn. Shift.” He whispers calmly, but his words had an affect on the monster and he went away. My body was numb. Every inch throbbed violently. My tiny, dirty fingers claw at my dad’s chest and arms. I'm crying hysterically.

“It’s OK. Quinney, I got you. Son, I got you.” He held me tight as I panicked and tried to get away.

“NO! THE MONSTER!” I cried. “HE ATE ME! MAMA!” I wail loud enough to hurt my own ears. In the dark of the forest with the moon and stars above the giant trees, I didn’t recognize my own father and all I wanted was my mother.

“QUINN!! It’s over, son! It’s alright.” He pulls me into his shoulder as I sobbed hard. “It’s over.” He breathes as he rocks me.

Hitch a loud, squeaky, shaky breath. “MAAAMMMAAA!!!”

****

I passed out hard. I didn’t wake until the sun was fully risen.

I push my blankets off and get up. I rub my eyes and walk across my room to the bathroom, stepping on a stuffed T-Rex and he roars from the floor.

My eyes are barely open as I use the toilet.

I go to the sink to wash my hands. I was just rinsing them off when I start to wake up fully.

I look at my hands and my mouth goes small. I raise my head and stare at myself. My black hair is sticking up all over, but that wasn’t my biggest concern.

I touch my face. “Holy…shit…” I stare into my eyes which were brown, but now are blue eyes with brown rings on the outside of the irises. I lean closer and rub my chin. “I’m big!”

I look down at myself. My legs are long. The floor is so far away now. My arms are big. I don’t need my stool anymore. I reach up and touch the light above my mirror. “Wow.”

I look at myself again and realize I have no clothes on.

I leave my bathroom and open my dresser. I stop the drawer half way and close it with ease. I open the drawer again. “This is easy.” I say to myself with surprise. I used to struggle with it when I was little.

I pull out a shirt and I go to put it on. I can’t even get it over my head. I drop the shirt on the floor and open my top drawer. I pull out underwear and look at it. I look down at my private part. Shaking my head, I don’t think these are fitting either. I throw them over my shoulder. Ok. I, at least, need pants. I pull out a pair and hold them to me. The legs end at my knees and the but doesn’t even cover me. I press my lips together. “I have no clothes?”

“Quinn? Baby, you awake?” My mother opens my bedroom door and I look up at her, worry coating my face, still holding my pants.

“Mama…I can’t go to school. I have no pants.” My voice cracks in a prepubescent tone as I look back down at my jeans and back up at her face.

Her jaw drops. As her eyes flick up and down me, she scrubs a hand down her face stopping on her mouth as her other arm wraps around her waist. She shakes her head, slowly. “Oh, shoot.” She mumbles.

I take another look at my pants and look at her. I press my lips together and shake my own head no, slowly.