Prologue

Early mornings were known to be quiet, peaceful, serene. The moon shines brightly, having have reached its zenith. Stars slowly fade into the background as night begins to end and the dark sky brightens as it turns to day. Nocturnal beings retreat as the rest of the world starts to stir, still savoring the last moments of peace.

Brrring! Brrring! Brrring!

"Damn it." A voice mumbled from under black and white sheets, a hand reaching out to silence the harsh ringing that was the alarm clock. "And I was having such a nice dream too." The light comforter flew off, leaving the teenage girl underneath. She stretched her limbs, still stiff from sleep. She glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand.

5:00 AM

Suppressing the urge to fall back asleep, she stepped off the bed and rolled her neck and shoulders. They were stiff, even more so than her joints. She frowned, tossing her long black hair behind her shoulders as she sized herself up in the full-length mirror that sat in the corner next to her closet. Amused at the fact that her midnight tresses vaguely resembled what was known as 'a bed head', she grabbed a brush and pulled it through her hair a couple times before grabbing a hair tie and putting it up into a ponytail, her bangs covering the. She looked down at her blush pink tank top and sleeping shorts before stripping them off for a loose t-shirt, and running sweats.

She stepped out of her apartment, locking the door behind her, and headed down the stairs, stepping into the stillness of the early morning. The air was crisp, rich with the scent of dew and sweet night air, and she began her run around the quiet town, letting the cold air envelop her.

She stopped by a park on the way back, throat dry and lungs burning as she inhaled the chilling autumn air. Throwing herself onto the bench, she shut her eyes and waited until her breath regulated once more. She cursed quietly; annoyed that she had forgotten to grab a water bottle on the way out when she heard footsteps in the distance.

Judging from the pattern and the short breaths, she guessed that someone else was running this morning as well. They grew closer for a moment, and she heard something placed on the spot next to her. The footsteps grew farther away. She opened her eyes, catching a blonde male turning a corner in the direction she had just came from, and noticed a plastic bottle sitting in front of her. She checked the contents, the clear liquid only filling up to half of the bottle. A grin worked its way onto her face as she drank her fill and jogged the rest of the way back, the grin planted firmly on her face the entire time.