Chapter One:

"Athena.....Athena!..... Athena Avery Moore!" my beautiful mother called again, and again. I had fallen asleep under the juniper tree. The lovely vivid color green and rays of light shining through could make you stare at if for hours. I constantly laid under that tree, as if it were my other home. I lived on the outskirts of the city Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. I was an only child for the most of my childhood.

My mother called me into eat, but I had fallen asleep under the tree once again. She seemed pretty angry at me for the most part. "Athena what did I tell you about sleeping under the tree without a jacket?" "I will get sick and get nemigitus again" My mother chuckled and said "It is pronounced meningitis" she picked me up and carried me through the back screen door. "Mommy?" "yes darling?" "What is meningitis?...Is it like cancer?" "Cancer? Where did you hear about cancer you are only five baby" "daddy says grammy had it and that's why God had to take her" "Oh honey.....it is not like cancer it just makes your skin around your head bigger, and hurts your brain" "will I die from it?" "No you're here with us now aren't you sweetheart?" "yes I am mommy I love You!" "I love you too" my mother hugged me tightly after that conversation, and I swore I seen a tear on her cheek. I could of been mistaken. I walked upstairs to use the bathroom and my mom yelled up to turn the tub on. Then I knew it was bathtime. I picked out my own pjs to wear to bed. My favorite pink yellow and brown vertical striped pants and matching shirt. My mom helped wash my long brown silky hair, and soon it was dinner time.

"Athena once you get dressed daddy has a surprise for you down stairs!" "really just for me?" "yes just for you". I remember I got dressed so fast that night and ran down stairs. I ran into my living room where dad painted it yellow, because I told him yellow is a happy color like our family. Our grandma bought us a brown shaggy rug I loved feeling. And I loved the dark blue couches. Our tv at least hung a foot away from the curtains with white lace and flower patterns. I looked at my dad who was in his "man chair" he called it. He had a box, what looked like a shoe box. My dad with a big smile said "since you've been a good girl we bought you this when you were at daycare" I opened up the box and they were yellow rain-boots nothing to fancy. I remembered that I wanted them so bad last time I went to the mall. "Mymy you look cute in them baby." "Now put them by the back door and you can wear them tomorrow and play outside as long as you wear your red play jacket" my dad and mom both told me. I nodded and ran to the back door in excitement and placed them by the back screen door and sat at the dinner table; because my mom set the table earlier as I got dressed.

It was mac and cheese with cut up hotdogs in it, personally me and my dad's favorite. I destroyed my dinner before I left I asked my mom "mom can I have a baby brother?" my parents looked at each other and they said "I will believe we are due for another baby." "So I can have a baby brother?" I said all happy. Then my mother added " or sister it all depends what god says we can have" "well I want a brother so I don't have to share my clothes with another girl." "what if we told you god said we can already have a baby Athena?" my dad asked me holding my tiny hand. "That will be super cool. I would love him, feed him, dress him, but change his stinky diapers that's your job daddy." "well god said he or she will be here in nine months but in five months we can see if it a boy or a girl."my mom said smiling. "Well it better be a boy I don't want another girl here!" My parents laughed and said it was time for bed.

I walked upstairs and left my lovely boots down by the back door. I crawled in my pink princess bed. My pink fluffy princess blanket with sleeping beauty on it. I had a butterfly net hung over by bed. My father tuck me in read me a book that night. I remember it was a full moon and was pouring down rain. I loved the sound of rain against the roof of the house.

This very night my life changed to the mythical and impossible some would thing. That night I couldn't sleep I heard a wolf howl, I scream for my parents it seemed as if they were in a coma. Oh I screamed louder the rain would down harder. The wind was very furious that night it blew the tree in our front yard into my window. Making a big clashing sound, my parents came rushing in. My mother with a white nightgown and her purple silk robe. My father in boxers running toward me. He picked me up I could of swore seeing a huge animal looking right at me through the gaping hole in my wall. That night we slept down stairs together huddled up like birds in the nest.

Morning finally arised and the pink rays shined through the windows and curtains hitting the wall. The neighbor O'l man Dan woke up us by knocked on our door. My mother answered it with her puffy curly hair unbrushed. "Hello O'l man Dan may I help?" "I've noticed the tree through windows of Athena's room came to make sure you guys are alright" "Yes thank you checking up on use, we are all fine seemed that a lighting strike hit the tree" "Yea it must have with that awful storm, but if you need it I have old wood and nails and to help ya fix it up no charge." "That will be great I will inform John and tell him" "time to get the lady up for work, I will stop by later madam" "Sure thing I will prepare dinner for you and the misses". O'l man Dan was a great close friend to us. My father helped him with financial issues when his daughter was diagnosed with stage four cancer. My father even helped him with funeral costs for his daughter Abigail. We both always helped each other. "Mommy may I play outside?''I asked tugging her. "Yes but I am making breakfast I will call and bink the porch light twice. Don't go to far in the woods too muddy". I ran fast to the back door and slipped on my red jacket and new yellow rain-boots and rain outside.

The air was crisp and a cold wind hit my face. It was the beginning of fall my favorite season. I ran around the juniper tree. I heard a woof as if came from a dog. I figured it must of been O'l man Dan's dog maxi. I went to go and search. I stopped when I started to hear a growling. I stopped and looked around I found myself stranded and far from home and deep in the overgrown dying woods. The vibe I felt was danger I began to panic and freak out. My heart raced my eyes constantly scanning the area for something. I heard footsteps something like an animal. I turned around to be face to face to a wolf. I giant white wolf. His eyes were golden, and he looked angry. The wolf towered over me. I screamed so loud felt as if my throat was ripped out from me. I ran and screamed even louder. My dad screamed back for me. "Wild wolf!" I screamed repeatedly. I heard my dad yell "stay where you are I'm coming" he came running in his sweatpants baggy coat and shotgun. I screamed louder as the wolf approached me. I ran away further from my dad. I ran so fast I didn't look what was on the ground. I tripped over a huge rock causing me to fall and hit my head. I turned over and gave up felt a pile of bricks hit me I looked up at the leafs in the tree. The wolf gave me a growl and put his paws on me and bit me. It lunged at my neck and shoulder. I felt his teeth seep into my fragile white porcelain skin. I cried loud and punching the wolf causing him to bite harder. I grabbed a rock and striked the wolf's head hard. I pushed him off and got enough energy to get up and run leaving a huge trail of blood behind me. I felt dizzy and the site was a blur. I seen my dad running faster to me. The wolf came running after me as well. I limped away in pain. Both coming for me I rolled over into the stream where I rolled again an again hitting my head. I hit my head on a rock in the stream then I remember the water forcing its way into my tiny lungs. I felt men pulled me up out of the water. It was a hazy memory, my father performed CPR and O'l man Dan was there.

I spit up blood I was very weak. My dad ran with me in his arms I remember bouncing up and down and blood coming out my mouth and my yellow rain boots fell off as I went into a seizure. My tiny body was moving so crazily and my eyes rolled back. My mother was already in our red rusted truck ready to floor the gas. My blood went everywhere in the truck my father completely covered. My father kept lightly smacking me so I wouldn't give way to the other side. My father ran in with me screaming "Help Help my daughter has been attacked by a wild dog!". My mother came running after crying she collapsed to my fathers knees.

From what I remembered that is what my parents and O'l man Dan told me, but they seemed to leave something or even seem to cover a hidden secret about that night.

I woke up 2 months later knowing and very little and remembering very little. My parents were not in the room. I was scared and felt so alone. The doctor came and was surprised. "Hi, Athena I am Doctor Smithlok I have been treating you while you were here. Your parents are here outside waiting for you. You must be thirsty I will bring you a juice and your parents." he smiled and walked out the door with his clipboard still shocked. I heard "Praise the good lord jesus!" my parent came running in. My parents both crying with joyful tears. "Oh darling we were afraid you would not make it"my mom said hugging me. She combed my hair and smiled at me. My father was on the other side looking into my eyes. He grabbed my mom and pointed and they both noticed that they were both a emerald gold color. They called the doctor to ask and he said "it could be a change from the color some people wake up speaking a different language or even forget to function. She is very lucky she lost a lot of blood and the bite marks where so close to her main arderity in her neck. And the water damage done to her lungs seemed to completely of healed up. I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. The tests came out find she's heavy and ready to go home today. Hopefully and she goes great through therapy for her shoulder and arm. I'm going to bring back paperwork and agent for therapy for you all and you should be able to go home if everything is okay in her noggin" my parents couldn't believe it. I was okay I would be okay. I never knew how and the hell I recovered that quickly they must of used magic.

Around 3 o'clock in the afternoon I was able to leave the hospital I had a foam helmet and and a cast and huge bandages across my back and shoulder. Turned out when I fell in the stream my arm broke in half and popped out of its socket. My parents bought a new car a suv a gray one it had that nice new car shine to it. When we get it my parents said "we had to move to a new house so you could start school darling." I looked at them with excitement. "Oh really? I'm I going to have a friend neighbor? A boy or a girl" I asked and they replied chuckling "yes there is a little boy named Eddy LongThorn next door I am sure you two would make the best of friends. Also remember about you asking for a little sibling?" "Oh yes mamma I want a brother!" " well we went to the doctors and ge said he you can have a little brother and he will be here around where school starts for you in 3 months" my mom replied with a huge smile. I guess I haven't noticed my mother was bigger.

We drove to the city and I thought we would be crowded but they was an area where there are houses lined up. Like a town it was little and I loved it cause that's where I met my best friend Eddy LongThrone.

part two:

My new house was huge. The light green caught my eye. But there was a little boy who was white and red hair, that's what caught my eye. The red headed boy was jumping up and down like a cat on catnip. It was quit funny you could see his excitement in his eyes. I saw his parents head down from there porch. "Excuse me Hi I am your neighbor Ellen and this is my husband William" they said shaking my parents hands. "Nice to meet you I am Jesse and this is John my husband and this is our little one Athena. " my parents replied pulling me forward. "We have a little one as well he starts school in 3 weeks his name is Edison...EDDY COME HERE MEET OUR NEIGHBORS DARLING". His hair jumped up and down when he ran down the porch's steps. He hand two cars in his hand and he had chocolate ice cream stains around his mouth. "HI IM EDISON LONGTHORNE but I go by Eddy." He said with a huge smile and looked at me and said "can you be my best friend? I brought some toys! Do you wanna play." Of course I said yes. We played in my front yard by the bushes. Ellen and William helped my parents move in. After they decided to invite us over for dinner.

"Don't mind me asking but what happened to your little girl?" "There was a wild dog in the woods by our house and she was out side I was in the kitchen and John heard her scream he ran out with our old pal with a shotgun. And he shot the dog." "Oh my god. Is everything okay?" "Yea she suffers from a head pain and a broken arm and some wounds are still healing she was in a coma in two months." "Oh oh my Jesus if you guys ever need help just knock I am a arthur and do my work here and William doesn't go to work till 8am." "Thank you so much that's why we moved out her so she would start school and seems they make the bestest friend them two" my mom said while chuckling putting plates on the table.

Ellen made us mash potatoes with steak and green peas. It was a peaceful night. Everyone laughed and came together and was happy. The mash potatoes were so good it practically melted away with creamy buttery deliciousness in your mouth. The steak and peas mixed together with A1 steak sauce tasted like heaven on earth, after all it was my first meal that wasn't cheap fake hospital cafeteria food. I ate so much I believed I gained a pound or two after dinner. It wasn't a school night but they stayed and chatted so Eddy and I could play.

We played in the living room together and played with cars because that's what was his favorite toys were and I haven't had really any. We played for hours it felt but sadly something turned the skies peaceful to unsettling. I had a gut feeling that I was being watched. I looked out the window, and saw a black wild huge dog I thought it was a wolf. It was starting me and it's eyes changed color to an emerald golden green and so did mine. We didn't stop staring at each other it was as if we were in different dimensions calling for each other. I felt complete and that I was apart of that wolf. Then I started to get into a trance and started walking off blanked eyed and no expression, like I was a walking body without any soul. Then I walked into the dinner room. Everyone was staring at me trying to my attention. I was still the trance and suddenly I said "Jeremiah TomHeart" and fainted.

I woke up in the hospital bed with wires everywhere. Eddy was in the chair next to me with my parents. I was so confused of what happened and why was I here again. "Mommy what happened?" I asked my mom who was happy to see me. "You fainted my dear you just had low sugar levels you needed a candy bar or something. We will be home shortly but Eddy insisted to come to make sure you were. Matter of fact he brought you something" she chuckled. Then she handed me a teddy bear that was pink and a black bow and black eyes it was an adorable teddy bear. I hugged it and smiled so big my old teddy bear had gotten lost. I nudged Eddy and woke him up he was really excited and screaming "BESTFRIEND" and hugged me tight. "I don't want the darkness to take you like it did my older brother" he said almost crying. His black glasses were falling off his face and I fixed them and said "the darkness won't take me because I have god". I seen my parents stare at us in amazement with about our conversation we just held at five.

"Promise me you won't leave me alone ever? You're my best friend! I can't lose you!" Eddy said crying. "I won't I promise I've always wanted to have a brother". I said then I watched my mother fall and scream in pain. She was bleeding a lot I was shocked. I started to scream with her. My dad ran out screaming for a nurse and a nurse and a doctor came running for my mom and a brought a wheelchair. My dad told the LongThrone's the incident and they came running to watch over me as they helped my mom. I cried so much and Ellen came over to ask why I was crying. "Honey everything will be okay. I promise". " b-b-but my brother my little brother mommy said he will be here in 3 months and god put him in her tummy to grow." "I know everything will be okay babygirl". "Okay promise?" "Yes I promise".

I fell asleep with Ellen's arms. Then my dad came in about an hour after. My dad lied next to me and explained to me that what happened to my baby brother. He explained that my baby brother wasn't ready for this world yet and he would come later when he is ready. And that god had to come and get him raise him to be ready for this world. Surprising I didn't cry about it I took it well and said "it's okay daddy Eddy can be my brother for now till my other brother comes" "Okay as long as you're happy". My dad talked to the doctor and he said I was okay to leave. That I was ready to go home. William offered to take me home so he could stay with my mom in recovery. My father agreed and kissed me on my forehead before they drove into the dark night.

I felt the darkness consume me as a whole. I become one with the dark. The woods were thick and grown in just like the ones by my old home. I loved it I felt at home when I looked at the woods, but my parents forbid me of going in there without them because of the incident. I still wonder why my parents say it was a wild dog when they know it was a wild wolf. A giant wolf with black and white fur with emerald eyes that glowed.

I slept over the LongThorne's that night. Eddy and I played all night and bonded. My first real friend besides my imaginary friends my mother calls them. We ate Mac and cheese with hotdogs my favorite and orange juice. I slept soundlessly that night and forgot about what had happened and I was stress free.

I woke up in my princess bed in my new painted white room. I seen my favorite stuff animal under my arms a pink beat up bear with pink fluffy dots around him. A patch on his knees and neck where the seeming ripped. My mom walked in with breakfast in bed. I smiled with a great smile. I was really hungry. I partially inhaled my food. Soft fluffy pancakes with syrup and crispy bacon with water was the best in the mornings. Soon I know I won't get it as much when I start school next week. My mom pulled out a yearbook an old one. She said "you yelled Jeremiah TomHeart before you fainted yesterday and it's funny cause I knew a Jeremiah TomHeart myself." She flipped open to the page 47 to a picture of a young man with jet black hair curved around into his face a strong jawline and he look in shape he had crystal blue eyes and he had a smirk on his face. "That is Jeremiah TomHeart he was a close friend of mine I wanted to date him so many times. But he said I wasn't the right one he was looking for Mrs. Right". I asked what happened to him, and responded very scared like "he ummm disappeared like went missing no one found him" "You think he is still alive?" "I want to believe but it hurts to know how we ended our friendship, so I pretended that he died when it hurts". "Why does it hurt mom?" "Cause he was my best friend like you and Eddy and we got into a fight when I met your father and got pregnant with you and he just disappeared after that...". She gave a look as if she just lied to me and didn't tell me the real story. "Are you sure ?" I asked again. "I'll tell you when you get older and when you will understand". I understood and didn't really ask her about it again.

My parents took me to the mall to get new clothes and I could of choose any new necklace I wanted or shoes. I even choose where we ate for dinner. We ate at my favorite pizza place the pizza slices were huge and delicious. I got all my school shopping done, and was excited to start school with Eddy.

My school outfit was a pink princess shirt with baby blue sleeves and blue jeans with Black and white shoes that matched Eddy's shoes. We happened to be in the same kindergarten class that year. We sat on the bus ride there together, the way to school was somewhat long and felt like we went through the whole city some parts I have never seen before.

The school day was okay I didn't know what to expect from school it seemed boring to me. I made new friends there and my teacher seemed mean. Mrs. Kelly was a tall thin women with a narrow nose and hazel eyes and wore her blonde hair in a bun. Nevertheless I got through the day. I came home to my father and mother watching tv and eating take out from the Chinese restaurant down the street. They greeted me with a huge hug. And asked me so many questions.

I slept soundlessly that night, but I felt I was being watched...