Phases

Prologue



Snow covered the ground, muffling most of the sound around us; all that was heard was the rustling of the trees in the wind and the light sound of panting as we made our way through the tangle of branches that lay gently on the thin layer of ice that the sun had created. The moon cast dappled shadows on the snow, creating false images in our wake, tricking the eye if you weren’t careful enough. The world had a majestic beauty out in the woods, like the cities and other people didn’t exist, it was only us, only the trees and the snow and our breath.



Upon a hill, ahead in a clearing, you could see the most beautiful sight of all, a lone wolf, full coat of black and gray, baying at the moon. It was the sight that you would put on a postcard to describe a place, and in that moment, it was all you needed to describe the entire world. The wolf stood and looked our way, and smiled, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth while he panted, steam rising from the heat of his breath. And time stood still while he watched us, begging us to come and play with him, out in the world here, in this universe of grayscale beauty.



My body surged to life, suddenly the night was no longer playing tricks on me, but guiding me along, showing me the way through the woods as I whipped through the trees. I could feel the wind beat across my face as I dodged branches and leapt over roots, like the forest itself was telling me where everything was. It was a freedom the few ever let them selves experience, and of those that do, every one of them knows the weight of the moment, the kinship to nature, that this experience was bringing about.



Night progressed, brining way to false dawn, and the end of our adventure. The wolf lay down in the snow, his body heat creating a burrow for him, his breath coming in short pants from the long expedition of the dark. I settled myself against a tree near by; unable to take my eyes off the beautiful creature, before laying my head down and letting sleep take me. It was an experience unparallel, but one I knew would come again.





Chapter 1



Summer was murder in the city; the heat came off the pavement in waves, giving the streets an underwater look. Despite the heat, we congregated in the Loop, a strip of shops and restaurants that dominated almost four blocks of Delmar Boulevard in University City. In the summer the shops are over crowded with tourists and high school and college students, biding their time before the school year starts again.



It was too hot to spend much time on the sidewalk, which boasted the St. Louis Walk of Fame, but inside Ben and Jerry’s it was nice and cool, one of the two ice cream parlors on the Loop. The tiny tables where really only meant for two or three people at the most, but we managed to fit six of us around one while we indulged in kid sized scoops of ice cream before braving the scorching weather again. My boyfriend Mark, sat quietly in his seat, with me sideways across his lap to save room, or at least that was how I was justifying it. Jen stole my idea with her boyfriend Eric; reducing the number of chairs at the table from six, which would have very much overwhelmed the tiny table, to four.



“So, Morgan, when are we going to start conditioning for Volleyball this year?” Hailey was almost bouncing out of her seat. She had recently been promoted to the Varsity Volleyball squad, because of her status as a senior.



“I’m talking to the Y in Richmond Heights about using their gym, as soon as I hear back from them we can start conditioning. Coach said not to start any actual game play until we had two weeks of solid conditioning.” I could feel my face break out into a huge grin, I was the captain of the Clayton Girl’s Volleyball team, a position that I had been looking up to since I was a freshman. When I made the varsity squad my sophomore year, I knew I would do anything I could to make captain before I graduated.



“Well, give us a heads up as soon as you know, cause I’ll have to tell work when I need to take off.” The four of us on the squad nodded our heads in recognition. Most of us didn’t really need to get summer jobs, but we all felt it was good experience, and as new seniors we wanted to appear as responsible to colleges as we could.



“Now that we’re done with volleyball talk, can we get out of here; I want to check out the game store down the street.” Mark looked around me to Eric, trying to find male solidarity in the vote for the video game store. Eric only shrugged.



“You guys go ahead; us girls are going to check out what’s new at Hot Pink.” I hopped off of Marks lap and held my hand out to Jen. We marched out of the ice cream shop, dumping our empty cups in the trash as we went.



The heat hit like a punch in the stomach as the four of us piled out through the door, into the street. The soupy air was hard to breath after the air conditioning, but we forged on down the street. Hot Pink was a small clothing shop that sold some of the trendier cloths on the Loop, at least the more tasteful trendy clothes. It was our favorite because it always had good fashion, and the prices, though a bit high weren’t out of reach for a top or two, and their sales were fantastic.



The one block walk to the store was almost unbearable. My sweat stuck my skirt to my legs as I walked.



“Is it me, or is it hotter than usual this year?” I pulled my damp shirt off my skin.



“It’s hotter then ever this year.” Jen picked up her ponytail from where in lay against her back, trying in vain to get a tiny bit of wind across her neck.



“I can’t wait till winter.” Amy, who was the youngest of the group, just starting her junior year, looked the closest to dieing of the heat. Her face was bright red, which matched her more red then orange hair almost perfectly. She fanned herself with her hand, but didn’t look like she was getting any relief from the action.



“Yeah, but as soon as winter comes we will all forget how hot it is in the summer, and wish for summer again.” Jen said, and I could only agree with her.



We all looked at each other and chorused the old St. Louis addage, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity,” then fell into a fit of giggles as Hailey pushed the shop door open and the cool air rushed into our faces, each of us sighing in relief.



***



It was no cooler when I made my way home, but Mom had lent me the car, with an air conditioner that must have a portal to the arctic built in, because the air that came out of it felt like ice crystals on my skin. After several hours in the heat, the crystals felt like heaven to me. I dropped the girls off at home and Mark was fiddling with the radio, trying to find a station that wasn’t playing either rap or commercials.

“Man, you would think in a city as big as St. Louis there would at least be one decent thing on the radio.”

“You would think.” I gave the radio a brief glance. He finally settled on listening to the commercials on the Point, hoping that something decent would start playing soon.



“So, what are we doing tonight?” He turned to me. I watched him from the corner of my eye, trying to pay attention and watch the road at the same time.



“Is that your way of asking me on a date for this evening?” I chided. Mark and I had been dating for so long, that he no longer felt like he needed to ask me out.



“Okay, Morgan, would you like to go out with me tonight?” I could almost feel him rolling his eyes at me.



“Well of course we’re going out tonight; I got tickets to the movies for eight o’clock.” I grinned at his exasperated sigh.



“Then why did you make me ask?”



“To see if you would.”



“Something is very wrong with you.”



He gave me a wicked smile, making me wish I could stop the car and kiss him, or punch him in the arm, one of the two.



“And that’s why you love me.”



“Only part of the reason,” he said. “Mostly it’s because you’re just so pretty.”



“Dork,” it took everything I could not to turn and look at him. He had asked me out in our freshman year, and I had been more then a little surprised. He wasn’t one of the jocks, and he seemed to be a bit of a loner, with his black clothes and his standoffish vibe, but when he asked I said yes I thought we would never have anything in common, but, its been over three years, and we haven’t found anything major yet that we can’t at least compromise on.



“You love it.” He gave me a small pinch on the arm and went back to watching the trees go by outside the window, while Coldplay whined about clocks on the radio.



***



The movie was more than forgettable, but had enough action to keep our attention for at least the duration of the film itself. I overstuffed myself on twizzlers and popcorn, and convinced Mark that he wanted to drive home. The radio was off and the night made the car feel peaceful and warm. Mark was silent in the driver’s seat and I closed my eyes and took in the serenity of summer night. It hadn’t even started to really cool down yet, but inside the car it was perfect. Mark had a way of finessing the air conditioner to the right temperature. Much better than I could no matter what I did. I was enjoying the spoils of having him in the car.



He pulled up in front of his house, a nice-sized two story, in one of the prettier Clayton neighborhoods, a mere five minutes from my house. The sprinkler in the front lawn seemed to be perpetually at work, but the grass never achieved that real green everyone strived for.



Mark unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned into me, putting his hand along the side of my face, letting the heat from his hand warm my cheek, where the cold air of the car had chilled it. I closed my eyes feeling the soft brush of his nose against mine before our lips met in a soft chaste kiss. I leaned in closer, not to deepen the kiss, but to take in his scent, pure and clean, and like home.



“Goodnight,” he whispered against my lips, and then slipped out of the car, while I watched him make his way up the walkway, and disappeared through the front door; I took my place in the driver’s seat.



***



The house was quiet, which was unusual at this time on a Saturday. I took a chance and went into the kitchen, looking for a Vitamin Water, or possibly an actual piece of fruit. In my house, fruit was rare, since my mom ate more then anyone else I had ever come across and that usually lead to an empty fruit bowl pretty soon after she got home from the grocery. I grabbed the only apple in the fruit bowl, and tossed it in the air, catching it, before I noticed my dad sitting at the kitchen table, watching me.



“Dad, what are you doing up?” It was nearly eleven o’clock, and my parents didn’t usually make it past nine, ten at the latest



“We need to have a family meeting, Sweetie. Why don’t you shower and change. We’ll meet in the living room in half an hour.” He stood and patted me on the shoulder, walking out of the kitchen.