"What was that for?" the small brunette complained, scowling at the orange dust marring her new black shirt. Nearby lies the cause of her irritation, a Cheeto that had been catapulted at her by her blonde companion. Huffing, the brunette turned her scowl to her friend. "Well?"

"You were spaced out again, Dria," the blonde complained, throwing an arm over her forehead dramatically. "We were trying to make plans for the weekend, remember? The fireworks? It's the Fourth of July celebration!"

Staring blankly at her friend, Dria's frown only deepened. How long had she been on autopilot? Absently tugging on one of her braids, she sighed. "I'm sorry, Ki. I got distracted." She tipped her head back, looking up at the evening sky, "Look at the colors of the sky tonight! The deep blues and violets laying over soft pink and vibrant tangerine! It's like the sky has decided to say screw rain, watch a real rainbow in action!" Keira nodded, looking at the starburst colors as her friend babbled. She was more than used to Dria's senseless babbling. There was something undeniably spiritual about the brunette. Everything from her Bohemian sense of dress to her Indy music lead others to associate Adriana Waters with a modern day gypsy. "I think something big is going to reveal itself to us tonight, Ki. I'd bet money on it, but I spent my last penny on these chili fries and Cheetos."

Sighing heavily, Keira nodded. The move was solemn, accepting. Whenever her friend had a feeling, she had learned, Dria was almost always right. "What do you think it is, Dria?" She asked through a mouthful of crunchy orange snacks.

"Something huge," Dria whispered, turning her wide brown orbs back to her friend for a moment. She needed her to understand how serious this feeling was. Slowly, the violet clouds rolled over the vibrant sky, creating a sinister appearance. "Something that will change everything, forever." Her reverent tone had the effect, causing Keira to shiver slightly. Her gaze found its way back to the sky as the clouds entirely over took the glorious evening glow.

"I don't understand. What's changing? How do you know?" The skin on the back of Keira's neck prickled, as if someone near-by had been staring at her. She rubbed at her neck, looking behind her. No one was there. "You're starting to scare me."

"I don't know what it is," she murmured, her gaze faltering between her friend and the emptying park. "But… it scares me, too. I've never felt something this big."

Before she could say anything, a deep roll of thunder shook the sleepy town of West Branch. The two young women exchange glances. The clouds flashed with the brilliance of a lightning bolt, and a second thunder roll promised a fast-coming storm. Within seconds, a solid downpour began pelting the girls. In a pointless attempt to avoid being drenched, Keira ran from her perch on a large rock by the riverbank, bee-lining for the shelter offered by one of the park's covered pavilions. Looking back only once she had acquired shelter from the storm, Ki frowned. Dria hadn't moved forward an inch, only standing up. Still as stone, face turned toward the sky, the dark haired girl closed her eyes, soaking in the feeling of the cold rain as it drenched her to the bone.

"Yes; tonight, everything is going to change," she murmured. "I feel the ripples in the universe." Turning her attention back to the moment, she began the slow, leisurely waltz to her friend. Together, the girls bolted for the lone white Aztec in the parking lot, seeking warmth, comfort, and the familiarity of home.

"Every great adventure begins at home," Keira declared boldly, unaware of the discomfort of her friend. As they drove the flooded back streets toward Dria's apartment, shadows had begun streaking across the brunette's vision. Ducking and weaving, just on the edge of her consciousness. There was something out there, and it wanted her to know.

"You might be right," she replied distractedly. Another shadow shot across the road in a blur so black that she wasn't sure black was an acceptable description of the color. "Did you see that?"

Keira glanced at her friend over the steering wheel. Shaking her head, she chuckled. "Sorry, Dria, I didn't take any drugs at the park. All I see are the streetlights and occasional headlights."

Effectively, Keira had earned herself a glare from her dark haired friend. "No drugs, Ki. Something's out there. Something strange," she scolded. More than anyone else, Keira Stone knew how much she detested drugs. Dria didn't mess with anything harsher than nicotine, caffeine, and the natural high of sunshine. Pulling up to her apartment, Dria nodded toward the door. "Coming in or going home?"

"Home. I've got to be to work by six a.m.," she sighed. "I'll see you after though, yeah? Maybe then we can figure out those weekend plans?"

Nodding, Dria grinned. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. See ya tomorrow afternoon," she called, charging out of the car and rushing the door of her home. Pulling the door tightly closed behind her, Dria leaned heavily against it. She was safe, if only for the moment. Shaking her head, she suddenly felt foolish. There was no reason for the paranoia. "The shadows were just exhaustion. You've been in the hot sun all day. The changes you're feeling is nothing so new. Stop psyching yourself out," she muttered, scolding herself.

Deciding that all that she was feeling was just hysteria brought from her own raving, she peeled the drenched clothes off and threw them into the washer. Instead, she opted for a pair of comfortable pajama pants and a dry tank top. Dry and warm, Dria snuggled into her comfortable couch, turning on the television. She never caught what was on, though. Sleep took her away long before she could.

Dria awoke in a cold sweat. Frantically searching in the darkness, her fear only subsided when she came to the absolute conclusion that she was alone. Lying back on the bed, she glued her eyes to the ceiling, allowing her vision to adjust to the night. The bright red numbers on the alarm clock beside her gave a faint light to the rest of the room, just enough to make out the sparse furnishings.

Everything was as it should have been, leaving her only to question one thing: how did she get to bed?

Silently, she climbed out of bed, still wearing her pajamas, and made her way down the hallway. Somehow, she had moved, by her own means or by someone who knew her home well. Slyly peering around the corner to the living room, she let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. It was empty. Nothing was disrupted, and all was as it should be. So, why did this uneasiness rest so heavily on her chest?

Unable to put her finger on the source, Dria made her way into the kitchen. Coffee at two o'clock in the morning was not the most popular choice, but it helped her think. As she waited for the pot to finish, the brunette snatched her phone off the counter top, intent on calling Keira. She'd talk her through it. A message scrolled across the screen, something from an unknown number.

You didn't look comfortable. Hopefully the move to your bed made it better. See you soon.

- Z

"Z?" Dria didn't know anyone with a "z" in their name, let alone someone who used it as their call tag. Locking the message, she found her best friend's number and waited until she picked up, all the while trying to calm the swelling panic that was trying to flood her lungs.

"It's two in the morning," Keira whined sleepily into the receiver.

"Someone was in my apartment," Dria explained, shakily. Saying it out loud made it worse, somehow. "Whoever it is has my cell number."

"What?"

"Yeah. Someone who goes by Z."

"Hold on. I'll be over in a few. Explain it all then."

In the course of five minutes Keira was at the door, letting herself in. "Okay, so lay it all out for me," she demanded, massacring a cup of coffee with as much liquid creamer as she could manage to squeeze into the cup.

Dria guided her friend through the events of her evening after they had parted ways, ending with her phone call to her friend. Pulling out her phone, she passed the device to Keira, revealing the strange text message. A dark frown made itself at home on the blonde girl's face. "This is more disturbing than I have words for," she claimed after several long moments of silence. Handing back the phone, Keira took a long drink of her coffee and stared Dria down.

Nodding, the brunette turned her gaze toward the dark windows. Just outside her apartment, a play set stood dark against the shadowed tree line. Unwilling to alarm her friend any further, she returned her focus to the conversation at hand. "Agreed. Who would just walk into my apartment and move me to my room? Who would even know where it was? It's not like I have a lot of people in or out of here, and no one knows that I keep my house unlocked. Even if it were a burglar, nothing is missing. And, since I've woken up I've had this feeling that I've been being watched, even before I knew that it wasn't sleepwalking," Dria babbled, rubbing her forehead with tense force. "Is that insane?"

Patting her friend's arm, Keira shook her head. "No, you're not insane. You're scared."

Just then, from the corner of her eye, Dria caught sight of one of the shadows, but this time, it wasn't really moving. Blood red irises locked into chocolate brown. They looked sentient, like the owner of those eyes understood the entire conversation it had just bore witness to, and it was pleased. Slowly, the red-eyed shadow crept fully into view, displaying its large form. It was the shape of a wolf, but much larger. To describe it as black was an understatement. It was absolute darkness embodied in a single creature. Its eyes blazed as if lit from behind by burning coals. Somehow, there were red streaks perfectly and symmetrically laced across the wolf's fur, just barely visible.

It was beautiful and terrifying, all in the same breath. And somehow, Dria had forgotten that Keira was even there. Despite her friend prattling along, the only thing she could even comprehend was the massive beast stalking toward her from the other side of the living room. The only thing she understood was the stare down between them, and the certain knowledge that her friend wouldn't be able the see the creature when it got closer.

She was frozen. Keira was still talking, something about how bad it could have been. Dria could only focus on was how bad it might be if the wolf decided to attack. Giving what could be interpreted as a grin, the wolf sat. It was barely two feet from the brunette, watching her with an unblinking stare.

"Think you're crazy yet?" a deep, yet quiet voice asked.

Frowning, Dria surveyed the room. The only other person was Keira, and she had begun to nod off- actually rambling herself to sleep. Boldly looking the wolf in the eye, she tilted her head slightly. "You?"

He nodded. "Who else? She's finally gone quiet enough to get a word in." His shoulders lifted and fell, as if the wolf were laughing.

"Why can't Keira see you? Why can I?" Her voice was nearly inaudible, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes caused her vision to blur. She was terrified.

"You're special. Different, Dria. We have awaited your awakening for a very long time."

Shaking her head, Dria frowned more severely. "I'm no more special than anyone else." And in her mind, she was correct. "Who are you? What do you mean "we?" What do you want from me?"

He flashed his teeth once again in that almost-grin at the hints of panic in her voice as she questioned him, bowing his head. "I am known by my kin as Zeke. I was sent to find you, and to bring you home."

Hey there, so this is something I have been working on for a while. I would really appreciate some feedback on it. The sooner I get something, the sooner I will upload the next chapter.