Chapter One

Although it was nearly half a century ago, I still remember that day more vividly than any other. I was sixteen and rebellious at the time, so it didn't surprise anyone when I was not in my room that night. Every time I snuck out of my second story bedroom window, I was careful to remain undiscovered. At least while I was in the act of sneaking out. Once I returned home, my mother was always to worried to scold me. It was early October, and it was already getting cold at night, easily forty degrees at the moment. I was walking down the familiar streets of the town I was born and raised in, Grand Junction, Colorado. My mind wandered as I cut through the middle of Hawthorne park and onto Fifth Street where I stopped. Cars were driving slowly down the street playing music, the drivers yelling conversations to each other. The sound brought me out of my daze, so I looked around and continued walking back toward my friend Rea's house. That's when it happened, out of nowhere, I heard a fierce growling and I was suddenly on the ground. My first reaction was that I had startled a dog in the alley next to me, but then I saw the deep red eyes piercing my being. Frightened, I tried to pull myself to my feet, but realized that I couldn't move. There was a warm spot on my forearm, wet and getting bigger. Whatever that thing was it had drawn blood. Then, my arm started to burn like it was in a furnace, and I blacked out. The only thing I could think of when I awoke, was a burning thirst deep in my throat.