Prologue
Ensnaring Forest
I stumbled into my room. Flopping dramatically onto my bed, and startling my dog, I muttered about how unfair life was. “He thinks he can boss me around. Well if he knows what I did at night, he’d have a heart attack.” I snickered, picturing his shocked face in my head. And to top it all, my dad wonders why I don’t like him.
I rolled my eyes at Dawn, my dog, and told her, “Well of course I like you, you yell at me all the time and I just love it.”
She just opened an eye and waged her tail.
“Yes, I love you. You are also the best listeners in the family, probably ‘cause you can’t talk back.” I conned to her.
Opening the other eye, and giving me a look that said’ Yes I can, they just can’t hear Me.’, and came over to me.
Changing her look to a one of begging, I relented and scratched her belly. “You do know that I spoil you, right?” I laughed, redoubling my efforts.
Letting out a contented sigh, Dawn rolled over on her back and just totally relaxed.
Smiling, I leaned over and turned on my music. Letting out a contented sigh of my own and the deep pulsing music washed the stress from my body. Relishing those few seconds of my music before…. “TURN THAT DOWN! Young Lady!” my dad yelled breaking the fragile place I had just made.
“What a big surprise, he finely spoke. “ I whispered to Dawn, and then turned it down. I glanced at the clock, 4:59pm, to early to sneak out. “Come on girl, let’s go raid the kitchen.” I said getting up. My room is the farthest from the kitchen, both a gift and a curse. One, my dad hats to move more than he has to and rarely comes to my room. Two, it was a long walk to the kitchen.
I tried to walk unobserved past his door, but he yelled “Get me some chips.”
“I’m deaf, so you need to yell it louder, it’s not like I’m right by your door.” I muttered to Dawn.
She looked up at me at waged her tail in agreement.
Chapter One
The Capture
I throw my history homework into my shoulder bag, and looked at the clock for the hundredth time. It was 11:26pm, “Finely.” I groaned, getting up and tiptoeing to the wall closest to his room. I listened, for his snores reached all the way across the street, I know from experience.
Good, he was asleep, time to go out and have fun. “Let’s go girl.” I whispered, slipping into a pair of black shirt and pants.
Dawn brushed agents my leg, bending down, I grabbed a small black pull over from the ground and put it on her.
“You look beautiful.” I muttered, turning and putting on a pair of jet-black shoes. “Are you now, ready to go?” I asked, moving to the widow, and removing the screen.
In reply, Dawn ran up and jumped out the window, landing softly on the ground below.
“Good girl.” And I dropped the seven feet to the ground after her. Freezing for a second, I looked around, seeing if anyone saw are heard me. When that can up empty, I closed my eyes and listened, still hearing nothing, I relaxed. This night was like another, rising from my crouch, and giving Dawn the signal to do the same.
“Where do you want to go this time?” I asked her.
Darting off to Nicks’ house, Dawn looked back at me, seeing if it was alright.
“Good choice.” I smiled, “He’ll want to do something dangerous tonight.” I added, jogging after her.
“Find Nick.” I commanded her when I caught up.
Walking away with her nose on the ground, Dawn turned and, hopefully, was following Nicks’ trail.
“Good girl.” I whispered walking so even the wind couldn’t hear me.
When a tall, slender boy appeared, Dawn shot off like an arrow, heading strait for him.
Walking up to his side, I looked up and said “Hi Nick, can I come along tonight?”
“You sure you’re up for it?” he asked, trying to keep at strait face, but failing miserably.
“Are you?” I countered, letting him know that I wanted to have dangerous fun tonight.
“Totally, you want to break it to the amusement park, or…?” he let the question hang.
I thought for a second, and then smiled “Let’s go to the railroad tracks and hop on a train and back off, a full minute after. Then rob a store.”
“Your wish is my command.” He laughed, walking to the railroad tracks.
I just smiled and clicked my tongue to let Dawn know that she can explore. “So…, how are things at home for you?” I asked, running up to Nick.
“Do you want all of it, or the conduced version of it?” He muttered, kicking a stone out of his path.
Just then Dawn let out an ear splitting howl. I glanced at Nick, “RUN!” I screamed, “Someone found us, see you later.”I added in a whisper, and sprinted away. “Follow Nick.” I commanded Dawn, as she started to lope towards me, and when I spoke, she veered her course to Nicks’ side.
“Agree.” He yelled at me, knowing what I meant when I told Dawn to stay with him.
“Completely.” I added in a whisper, before I disappeared into the woods. Glancing back before I did. What I saw froze me. A group of men had sounded him and Dawn.
Looking at me, Nick yelled “Hide, then Find.”, and code for both me and Dawn.
“I’m sorry!” I yelled back, and then I looked at Dawn and added “Hide, then Find.”
Glancing at both of us, Dawn sprinted away and strait into a net.
I slowly curled my hands into fists. They shouldn’t have touched my brother or dog. “I will make them pay.” I vowed no one to hear me. Then I screamed into the sky “You will pay!” and looked at Nick for the last time.
“Run.” He screamed back at me, “Run for now, then come back.” He finished, slumping from a blow from one of the men.
“I will.” Then I turned and ran, my tears blurring my, and making it almost impossible to maneuver in the thick under-growth of the forest. Stopping, I tired to slow my breathing, but…. I had just lost my brother and dog, I don’t think I can.
Suddenly I froze, I heard “She went this way, come on, we have to find her, boss will have our hides’ if we don’t.”
I felt anger course through my veins, and I know I couldn’t let them go. But I also know that I had to go, I couldn’t let them capture me. Letting out a frustrated groan, I turned and silently slipped away.
“Did you hear…..” the men’s’ voice faded as I walk away.
Then I felt something, I don’t know what it was, but suddenly I could hear my brother. “What the hell?” I muttered stopping and closing my eyes.
“Can she hear you now?” an old women’s voice asked, impatience lacing it.
“I think so, Night please say you can hear me?” Nick asked.
“Um…, I think so, can you hear me?” I gasped, and then concern swept me away. “Is Dawn there? What did they do to her? What did they do to you? Where are-“
“Calm down and one question at a time.” Nick interrupted. “Yes she is, I don’t know, and nothing yet.” He finished. “Yes she can hear me, do you want to tell her anything?” he added to, I think, the old women.
“Yup, tell her not to let those Night Forest swing get close to her.” the old women answered.
“Did you hear that?” Nick asked.
“Totally, and who are the ‘Dark Forest swing’?” I asked, completely oblivious to my surroundings.
“RUN! They foun-“Nick started to say, but was cut off.
Jumping back to reality, I looked around and listened for all I was worth, and it was apparently a lot. I heard a twig snap some ware behind me, but I held my ground, even when my instincts screamed to run away. Shifting slowly down and around, I stared at the forest where I think the sound can. Nothing, then I felt something come at me from behind, and I bolted.
“How could you let her get away!” a deep male voice yelled.
“Shut up! She can hear you!” a high, almost girly, voice countered him.
“I don’t care! You let her go! Boss will be angrier at you! He won’t care that she can hear me now!” the deep-voice-man continued.
“Sure, sure.” The girly-man muttered, “Let’s just find her.” He added, and then they fell silent.
“You will have more to worry about when I find my brother and my dog.” I promised, moving to the edge of the woods. Reaching my street, I glance down the road, and seeing nothing, I sprinted across the road, nothing more than a cloud’s shadow passing over. Reaching my window, I muttered “Up-“and stopped. Taking a deep breath, and telling myself that Dawn was gone. I silently climbed into my room and replaced the screen.
“I wonder if dad will notice that she’s gone.” I murmured, walking to my bed and sitting down on it in a daze. I just couldn’t take it anymore, and I started to cry. Reaching over and grabbing a pillow, I stuffed my face into it, stifling my snobs. “She’s gone, really gone. How can they take her from me?” I whimpered, agony tearing up my insides.
I laid down on my side and curled up in the fetal piston, trying to lessen the pain. Sometime between screaming at myself and imaging way to get them back I fell asleep.
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“Get UP! Night! You’re late for school!” he yelled at my, banging on my door.
“Okay, okay, I’m up.” I yelled back, sinking into my comforter, deciding weather to go to class of not.
“And you better show up for class! I just got off the phone with your principal!” he added, leaving.
“Wow, I so scared.” I muttered, getting out of my bed and going in front of my full length mirror. I grimaced at what I saw. My panicked running through the woods last night had its consequence. My hair had bits of twigs and leaves stuck in a muddy mess on top of my head. And my arms were all scratched up.
“Well that’ll teach me, right Da-“I started, turning around and remembering that she and Nick were gone.
Shacking my head, I went to my dresser and got my hair brush and a change of clothes. Bundling them up, I opened my door and went into the bathroom. Closing the door and locking it, I set my stuff down on the counter and turned on the shower. Shimmering out of my clothes, I stepped into the shower and washed my hair. Turning the water off, getting out and putting on my baggy pants and hoddy, I dried out my hair.
Looking at the mirror, I decided that I was going to skip class. The teachers would ask too many questions. Unlocking the door, and opening it, I went back to my room and got my bag, one that looked identical to my school bag. “Goodbye dad.” I called sliding open the sliding glace door and leaving.
I headed around the house, my brown hair blowing in front of my eyes from the wind. I moved to the forest and retraced my way through the night. When I got to the place where they almost got me, I scouted around looking for any sigh that they were there. About ninety degrees from where I was before I turned, I found a set of track leading up to me and it was joined with a second pair. It looked like they were shoving each other around. When they stopped, both of them walked north.
Info on the Main Characters
Night (me):
I'm a wild girl who loves to have fun at night, the only time my dad can't control me. I had just found out that I had a brother, Nick, and then he was taken along with my dog.
Nick:
He is my brother, we were separated at birth, twins, and I've just found him. He, too, is a wild child who loves to have fun at night.
Dawn:
Dawn is my dog, she is highly train, by me, and can do almost anything I tell her to do, but you have to use the right words in the right order.
