Teen Ink

Prologue

Prologue
I can feel the warm water beat down on my face as I sit under Desoto
falls in Helen, Georgia. I feel well. I feel free. Like nothing can
interrupt this rare peace. My name is Natasha Winterpike. Yes, this is an
uncommon moment were I can truly be myself. My wolf self. The water feels
warm on my fur as I put my head back into the rushing water. “I should do
this more often,” I think to myself.
Just as I shake the water from my silver-brown fur, I hear my mom shout
from our house, “Natasha! I know you’re at the falls. Come in now!”
I guess that means my little time to myself is over.
As I change back to human, I notice that it’s almost past sunset. “Wow,”
I say aloud. “How did it get so late?”
I run back to my house as fast as I can. I probably can go faster if I
phase, but I don’t want my parents to see me like this. Not yet, at least.
When I approach the florescent lit doorway, my parents look more worried
than angry. “You were at the falls, weren’t you?” my dad asks, with a sigh
of relief. I nod.
“Again?” Mom exclaims.
“I needed some time to myself,” I answer, hoping that they’ll drop the
topic. Fat chance with that!
As I come closer to the porch light, I guess they can see that I’m
dripping with water. “Natasha! You’re soaked!” my mom exclaims.
“I went swimming with Sarah,” I lie.
“That’s kind of funny,” Dad starts, “because I got a call from Sarah’s
mom today that said she couldn’t make it to the movie tomorrow, and she
asked if we can reschedule.”
After waiting a minute, Mom says, “Just, go get some dry clothes on.
Your father and I need to talk to you afterwards.”
I go into my room, passing the kitchen along the way. “This place used
to be fun. Not since… he left,” I say, as I pass my parents.
Mom sighs and tries to say something, but Dad stops her. “In a minute
Forrest,” he says.
My room is nothing fancy. A green quilt, brown walls, a tiny bathroom
connected to it.
My parents are mad, I know they are. They’re wondering why I lied. Why
did I lie? I’m such an idiot! Out of my dresser, I pull dark blue jeans and
a black hoodie. Lately I’ve been having really bad chills. I wonder if it
has anything to do with this wolf thing. I change in the bathroom and go
back into the family room where my parents wait for me on the sofa. “Sit
down,” Mom says, patting the seat beside her.
I take a seat, as Dad asks, “You’re a wolf, aren’t you?”
The question hits me hard. How did they find that out? “How did you know
that?” I whisper. “Have you been spying on me, or following me?” I have to
get some answers.
“No,” Mom answers. “We’re wolves, too.” I can’t believe it! My own
parents never told me of a part of me that I never knew existed? I mean,
when I changed, I was pretty sure that something about me was different,
but never have I thought that my parents are exactly like me.
“What else have you not told me?” I spit out. “There’s got to be more
than that. Spill.”
“You, your mother, and I,” Dad starts, “are what they call
shape-shifters. Shape-shifters can phase into wolves just by thinking about
it.”
“How many are there, and where are they?” I ask, trying to sound as calm
as I can.
“Not many of us exist, but most of them live at Isle Royale,” Mom tells
me.
“Which is why we were going to ask you if you wanted to go there to meet
the Pack... and Finn again,” Dad says, wondering what my reaction will be.
"Finn?" I can’t breathe. Finn was my best friend ever! He had moved to
Colorado 4 years ago, for a reason that I didn’t know of. We had met when
we were in Pre-K and were friends ever since. The past 4 years have been so
hard without him. I guess I partly blame my parents for letting that
happen. “How could they let us split up,” I had once thought, the day that
my family moved from Key West, Florida to Helen, Georgia.
"Mm hm," Mom nods. "He's like you. That's why he left in the first
place. He wanted to make sure that he didn't loose control of himself in
the beginning. He wanted to make sure that he didn't have a chance to hurt
you."
"Of course I want to go."
“Go pack,” Mom tells me, seeing that my expression is happy. "Finn is
going to meet you at the airport tomorrow night."
“Thank you, Mom.”
After giving my dad a hug, I go into my room and do as they say. After a
few minutes, there’s a knock on my door. “Tasha, just so you know, Isle
Royale is in Michigan. You need to dress warm and pack warm, too.”
“Okay, Mom. Got it.”
“Also, we leave to get you to the airport at 6 tomorrow night. Okay?”
“Check."