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    Chapter one,
    The Boy with Wings.

    In the little town of Willow Creek, the trees have left their spring glow and now burn with the fiery leaves of autumn. The sky is so vast and the clouds seem so close you could touch them. The surrounding land is full of forest that is lit with the colors of the sun. Not everybody in Willow Creek can see the beauty of neither the earth nor anything else that once was.
    As this town grows, the streets and buildings will consume the land. The little areas of life left leave little traces that "they" were here. Now "they" live among us.
    "They" are fae. "They" are fairies.
    Jeanne Reed is a very plain girl. That is what at least I have always been told my whole entire life. I am Jeanne, yes; I never have been told that I was pretty, cool, or even smart. I guess I am nothing at all. I just moved to Willow Creek to live with grandmother.
    My mother sent me to live here actually. She thought it'd be best if I had some time "alone." Alone she says, like she'd know what it's like to be alone. My mother wouldn't ever feel lonely since she has always had company. Men, they always look like a bunch of hungry dogs begging for a treat when they're around my mom. The worse part is that she doesn't even mind. A beautiful woman with an ugly child.
    It's actually a pretty small town this Willow Creek, that is growing rapidly. And you know what small towns mean? Everybody knows everybody, which means there are rumors. People here say my grandmother is a senile hag who lost reality. Personally it did bother me at first, but she has kind of gone a bit haywire since Grandpa passed away. I don't blame her, living alone in that big old house, all alone. Sheesh I would go insane too.
    It's kind of hard living in the big city for such a long time then going to a little town in the middle nowhere. I guess it's not that bad when you don't have friends in the first place.
    I dragged my Hello kitty suitcase to the front steps of the house. It's an old-fashioned Victorian style house that seems to be falling apart, there's ivy and weeds growing everywhere. The windows are broken even some of the porch is missing and god knows what happened to the garden. When I tried opening the front door it was a bit jammed. Shoving my way through I managed to stumble into the shelf with the old nick-knacks my grandmother collects. Just before they fell I caught them and myself. Now I'm just covered in loads of dust and cobwebs.
    "Grandma! I'm home! It's me Jeanne!" waiting for a response, out of the living room I hear a reply. It's not a voice of a little old lady at all. It's a man's voice.
    "Mrs. Foreman is sleeping." A boy steps out with a cup of tea, " She just had her afternoon tea."
    I couldn't really respond… He was my age maybe a bit older, but he was absolutely too gorgeous to be real.
    "Umm… and you are?" I nervously muttered.
    "Lucas Faye, your grandmother let me live here after your grandfather passed away." He brushed his jet-black hair behind his right ear, "I am deeply sorry if I had made you feel uncomfortable. Your grandmother was going to inform your mother to tell you that there was a man living under the same roof."
    "No, no it's okay I'm totally fine!" I was actually totally not fine. To be living with a man that I barely even knew who was so handsome. My cheeks were flushed and I was freaking out.
    He smiled and laughed, "Come sit, have some tea."
    We sat on the old floral couch that my grandmother has had since I was a child. I brushed my hands along the old furniture. He poured a cup of tea for me and set it on the oak coffee table.
    " How old are you?" he asked.
    "I'm going to be sixteen next month." I nervously said.
    He glanced and me with his deep teal eyes, as if he knew something I didn't. "Sixteen…eh?" Then he smiled again. " I am eighteen years old."
    "D- do you go to Willow Creek High school?" If he did maybe I wouldn't be such a loner at school.
    "No, I was home schooled. Why do you ask?" he looked at me curiously.
    "No reason." I turned my head.
    Of course my hopes and dreams of getting friends seem so close but always just crash and burn.
    "Jeanne, right?" he said in a kind soft tone.
    "Y-Yes," I jumped.
    He chuckled, "Well it was a pleasure to meet a such a beautiful girl like you. Now then I must be on my way I have many errands to complete."
    I nodded and blushed, "Thank you." I quietly sipped my tea as he put on his jacket and walked out the front door.
    It tasted very bitter.

    School starts at 7:30 am and end at 3:00 pm. Today is the first day of school. The hallways are filled with teens all of types. There have already been cliques formed so I am a late bloomer, an outcast. Its annoying having people stare at you and those who ignore my presence make me feel even worse. The hallways were small and the lockers were cramped. One of the cheerleader girls, Amanda or Alyssa, her name was something like that approached me.
    "Hey new you the kid?" she laughs.
    "Umm." What should I say? Why is she even talking to me?
    "Can't you answer? Sheesh we ain't gonna bite cha'." She smiled then her group of friends or more like the jocks she's got leashes on close in on me.
    "Yeah…I'm the new kid." I softly answered.
    Her and her dogs smile with a questionable reason why. She turns back to me and asked me another question.
    " You're Jeanne, right? Jeanne Reed. The granddaughter of Mrs. Forman?"
    "Yeah what if I am?" I slightly raise my eyebrow.
    "I was wondering if you'd like to go to a party."
    I know these type of people they're distrustful. They have this hollow in their eyes.
    "No thank you." I tried to walk away from them.
    She stops me.
    " Are you sure? There's gonna be a lot of kids, I'll introduce you to some."
    I was falling into temptation. How long has it been since I last been to a party? How long has it been since I last been a normal teenager?
    "Where and when?" I asked.
    She smiles.
    " Down at the Webber Lake house at 8:00."

    I'll finally be going to a party and maybe meeting some new friends. I was so excited I couldn't wait for class to end. I didn't think the classes were long anyways, It's a small school and classes seemed to fly by. By the end of the day I was on my way home practically running. I need to find something to wear. I arrive home to see my grandma sweeping the porch.
    "Grandma?"
    She tilted her head.
    "Oh, hello Jeannie." She smiled. "How was school?"
    She moves so shakily in her fuzzy pink slippers.
    "Grandma, do you mind if I go to a party?" I asked.
    " Go ahead, baby."
    Grandma was always the type who would never say no. She continued to ramble.
    " I remember back in my days I was a pretty young girl too. In them wild parties I meet your grandfather."
    She continued to sweep.
    " So you don't mind?" I wanted to make sure.
    I didn't want to leave my grandma alone.
    " I'm sure Lucas will come home and make dinner." She laughed, "He is such a nice boy."
    " Okay grandma if you say so."
    I ran up to my room to look for some clothes to wear to the party. Tearing my stuff out of the suitcase. I tried on all my clothes before I chose one I liked. I chose to wear a black ruffled skirt and red casual shirt. It was already 7:30; I knew I'd be late if I didn't go now. I ran downstairs to put on my shoes.
    " Grandma! I'm going now I be back soon!" I had to remind her that I'd be home again. I think sometimes she feels like I'd leave and never come back.
    " Okay Jeannie, be careful of them Imps and Goblins. They've been about lately."
    My grandma always seemed to have these things with fairies; she used to tell me stories when I was a kid about all kinds of things, from fairies and pixies to goblins and trolls. I don't remember all that much about being a kid but my memories with my grandma never seemed to fade away.
    I cut a few blocks to the Webber Lake House, only to cross the Evening Meadow Park. It was very cold and windy. The leaves swept the fields in orange and gold. The trees rustled and moaned. I really should have brought a jacket. Behind me was the forest, when I was little I used to call it the Witches Den. It was always creepy to go in there; it always felt as if someone was watching you. You know, the eerie feeling you get when someone's eyes just burn your skin from across the room. And there was something with the trees. Those trees would seem to move all on their own and their leaves dance with the wind in such a mysterious way. I never really liked playing in the forest I would only go when I had someone with me.
    To Webber Lake the party location, I see a bunch of trucks and cars in front of a huge cabin house, it's a senior party I bet. That must have been the lake house. I walk in to find swarms of teens just dancing, talking, and making out, of course. There were lights hung everywhere and all the couches were taken. I felt like I was in a cramped beehive. Of course then Alyssa or Amanda… Amy? Something like that came to greet me. She was the, "Queen Bee."
    "Hey Jenny!" she giggled.
    Her breath smelled like make out breath spray, too much in fact.
    "It's Jeanne." I corrected.
    Behind her was a handsome blonde guy with green eyes. He probably was one of her dogs' err- jocks.
    " This is my friend Cole Harlan. He's a football player. He thought you were cute and wanted me to introduce you." She smiled.
    " Hi." I softly said.
    He slightly laughed and smiled at me.
    " No worries, you don't have to be so shy." He put his arm around my shoulders and gently walked us to the porch. " You'll like Willow Creek."
    "Um… It's a nice place I guess…" It was very awkward to be in this situation.
    " Where are you from?" he asked.
    " I'm from Seattle. Why?" my eyes tried to avert his.
    " A city girl eh?" he chuckled. " So have you ever had a boyfriend."
    He reached his hand around my waist.
    " What?!" I flinched and pushed his hand away.
    " You must have. Being in such a big place you're used to these kinds of things." He whispered in my ear. His breath reeked of alcohol.
    He thought since I was new here I would have been desperate for a boyfriend so he tried to pursue me for an easy meal. I should have known this was bound to happen. It has before, and yet I was stupid enough to fall for it again. Why do I even trust anybody at all?
    "No! Get away!" I pushed him.
    He was too heavy leaning against me. His hands were tugging my skirt.
    " I said NO!" I yelled. Then I kicked him in the groin.
    He fell over and laid in a fetal position and whimpered like an injured dog. Serves him right for being a wild dog that can't listen. Now I regained control and took a deep breath and tried to fix my torn skirt.

    I stomped away. I walked as fast as I could away from the cabin away from every one. One of the reasons why it's kind of better to be alone is so you can't get hurt. I thought maybe the people here would be different, but I was wrong. I am always wrong. I passed the large oak trees and the thorny bushes to lay the in soft fields of Evening Meadow. I wanted to be alone. I just lay there, looking at the night sky. The moon was so close it looked like a huge bowl of milk, as for the stars they sparkled like no other light in the world. Tears started to fill the brim of my eyes. I tried to hold it in and tried to ignore my feelings building up. They began to fall. There was no point in catching tears since I've already caught so many. I wipe my eyes, smearing my mascara. I stood up to brush my knees and started walk home. My hair, clothes, and now face were a mess. At this point I wasn't really sad or depressed, just numb. In the silence of my shallow life I listened to the rustling trees and walked slowly.
    From the silence, there was a sound of a soft voice. I decided out of curiosity to follow the voice into the Witches Den. There I see a boy and not just any boy. It was Lucas. From his lips he began to speak.
    "Fall upon the forest decay"
    "The lovelies of human prey"
    "That the maidens' pass day by day"
    "The goblins come to play."
    The leaves all swirl around in front of him and I could hear a groan of a beast. And out of the bone chilling wind I see a hideous creature. Thin and boney with arms longer than its waist, and the hands were dragging on floor with long sharp nails the skin was a grey tone. Its teeth were all jagged and its eyes were colorless and it spoke to Lucas with a sinister.
    "You boy," it growled. " What do you intend to do?"
    Lucas glared at it.
    " I am Lucas, my master passes through here often and I would like her to come home in one piece." He demanded. " And it seems to be that you goblins have been up to no good lately."
    " You side with those humans who destroy our lands."
    The goblin growled and flashed its teeth as if it were some sort of giant rabid dog.
    "Those humans got what they deserved."
    " I thought you would say that. So I am prepared to kill you,"
    Lucas raised his left arm.
    " YOU DARE TO BETRAY YOUR OWN KIND!" The goblin roared.
    Lucas smiled and tilted his head.
    " I am only doing what I must."
    The goblin sprinted towards him and slashed his long nails at him. Lucas dodged and jumped into the air as if he was flying. He slid onto a branch and waited for another attack. The beast roared once again and hurdled towards him tearing down the tree. Lucas still in the air had an illuminated glow on his back. Wings.
    There were dark wings on his back that was reflecting off the moonlight. He swooped down at the goblin. They clashed, I could hear bones snap and then there was silence. Blood was splattered and Lucas didn't seem to mind it, for he himself was covered in blood.
    I was terrified. My legs were shaking and I was paralyzed. My spine was about to jump out of my skin. The thought of this gentleman I met not too long ago who lives under the same roof as me, being some sort of monster. I thought I must be in some sort of strange nightmare out of a picture book or something. I could hear his footsteps coming towards me and I held my breath with each step.
    But his gentle voice somehow made me less scared.
    "Jeanne…It is safe to come out now." He softly said. " I will not hurt you."
    I moved forward out of the tree, he stood before me in bloodstained clothes.
    " Lucas…" Those words left my lips with a tremble.
    His soft hands hung around my shoulders and he hugged me.
    "What are you?" I asked.
    His blue and green eyes illuminated.
    " I am a fae. I am a fairy," he answered.
    I was losing my grip of reality. I felt dizzy and my head was spinning. I heard his faint words…
    "I missed you so much."
    I closed my eyes and began to dream of a very familiar warmth.

    To be continued…