1 Prologue

"The beginning is the most important part of the work."

- Plato

"Wait!" says the woman who is holding me. "Where are you going?" The man at the door sighed in frustration.

"Does it really matter, Maggie?"

"Yes! Of course it does!" says the woman. "What changed? You were fine yesterday!" The man paused.

"Fine!" he says angrily. "You want me to tell you what changed? Everything was perfect until that thing showed up! There! I said it."

The man wrenched open the door and walked out into the pouring rain. The woman sets me down in my small bed, kneels down on the floor, and starts crying. What was wrong? I think. But I don't have time to think about it any more, because I'm falling asleep. But I don't want to! I want to comfort her! But it's too late.

I'm gone.