Prologue

"Elysian!" a soft, motherly voice called. "Don't do this again. Don't hide from me! You have to trust me!" But Elysian ignored it with scowl; it seemed that he could never have a moment alone. He looked up into the bright face of the moon, noticing the way its rays peaked out between the clouds that trickled through the evening sky. Distant stars winked playfully through the swaying birch trees and the sound of an owl floated across the night.

It was warm; summer was in full force, spreading sweltering heat across the state in this month of August. Crickets chirped, mosquitoes buzzed; the small wood was abundant with life. The green undergrowth swayed in the light breeze, rustling.

Elysian sat at the edge of the trees on his backyard porch; he rested his arms on his lap and brushed his bare feet across the grass. It was a beautiful night, if only he could enjoy it fully. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. They didn't understand how he felt. They had no right to lecture him, to tell him how to act. How could they understand the abandonment Elysian was going through?

Elysian sighed a second time. All his life, he had been different from everyone else. How could they expect him to change now? Especially after all he had lost… Now here he was, out of high school, wondering what to do with his life. Where should he go? What should he do? He had no idea.

"Elysian!" the woman called from the Victorian house. "Elysian? I need to talk to you!"

Elysian jumped to his feet. These people just didn't understand! He wasn't just going to roll over and become what they demanded.

"Elysian!" the voice called again.

Without a second thought, Elysian sprinted into the dark of the woods. He didn't look back, he never would. This agonizing life was going to end. He would find a new place to live, somewhere he could live in freedom.

A young woman emerged from the screen door, looking into the night. Flipping on the back light, she called, "Elysian? Elysian, are you out here?" She descended the porch stairs, stumbling over Elysian's discarded shoes. She picked up a shoe and glanced around; she strained her eyes and ears for any sign of the boy. "Elysian? Come inside please."

She dropped the shoe back into the grass and paced forward across the short lawn to the darkened woods. "Elysian?"

A bush to her left rustled softly. "Elysian?" she asked, turning her body to face the noise. "Elysian is that you?" A small cat shot out from the bush, startling the young woman. She jumped out of the way with a shriek as the black cat hurtled past her feet. It scurried away and sat down at the bottom of the porch stairs. She inched closer to the cat, her eyes tracing over its black coat to its bright green eyes. The cat seemed to glare at her, its ears folded backwards; it sent a chill down her spine.

"Come here kitty! It's alright little kitty! Let me pet you, little baby." She reached down, barely brushing its ear, when it jumped at her, claws unsheathed. It spat wildly as it raked her hand, drawing blood. She wrenched her hand away with a small cry. "Oh you filthy cat!" she growled.

She turned away and rushed the stairs to the safety of the house. "Elysian, if you're out here, come inside now! I need to talk to you!" she cried, clutching at her pained hand. She glanced back at the cat before turning out the light. "Damn cat," she muttered.

The woman disappeared into the house and black cat stared after, mewling quietly. It sat still, staring for a few minutes more but, after what seemed like an eternity, the cat sauntered into the night.