Prologue
"A silly, stupid jury," grumbled Detective Adlai Remington as he drove home from the Camden County Courthouse. "How could they let that man go free? Idiots! All a matter of race, I tell you. If he'd been white they'd have strung him up." He continued muttering to himself as he shifted gears and turned down the freeway. He could see a black Ford up ahead, going slightly over the speed limit. Remington rolled his eyes, as he could see the passengers – a young white woman and black man, nearly hanging on top of one another. "Back when I was younger," he muttered. He thought back, again, to the trial he had testified at today – an African-American man was accused of robbing two white men. A predominately African-American jury, and an acquittal! In Remington's mind there was a direct correlation. "Silly, stupid people here in Camden County."
His eyes flicking with a quick thought of vengeance, he smacked the button to turn on the lights to his police car. He would pull the black Ford over. He was sure they were doing something unseemly there – well, besides the obvious unseemly things that were probably already going on and already had gone on! The Ford slowed down and pulled over, as Remington flipped open his car and, placing his holster on his hip, made his way towards the Ford.
"Excuse me, Officer," said the man inside the car. Slowly standing up, Remington could see him more clearly now – he was about twenty, and was wearing a College of New Jersey T-shirt. Remington sneered. That silly, stupid jury.
"I'd advise you to get yourself back in that car," Remington snapped, raising his gun in anger. "Before you get yourself shot."
"But Officer!" protested the woman, edging her head forward, "We weren't doing anything." There was a pause. "You don't have any right to pull us over."
I have every right to pull you over, hissed Remington in his mind.
"Let me search the car," he snapped, "You clearly look suspicious."
The woman turned to him and looked him squarely in the eye. Seemingly reading his mind, she slowly intoned, "Do not be deceived by appearances."
"Let me search the car!" snapped Remington. The woman reached into her pocket… Remington reached to pull his trigger. But before he could, the woman's weapon was revealed – a silvery wand. She shook it once, and Remington could feel his body change. He screamed in confusion and horror as he watched fur sprout through the pores of his skin.
"You think," said the woman, "That you can tell someone's motivations by their appearance. That's not true. I give you an ultimatum." Reaching down to the floor of the car, she plucked a rose from under the dashboard. "If you cannot find someone to love you, and you love them in return – regardless of your appearance or hers, then you will remain like this forever. You have six years. Think carefully."
As soon as the woman was finished speaking, she clapped her hands, and the entire car, including the occupants, had vanished. Remington was left to make the journey back to his lonely Wildwood Crest house alone – and to think about what this would mean for his entire life. However, even before he returned to his home, he realized he could never resume life in this state. He knew that his uncle had left him an old dilapidated house in his will. Remington had never had any desire to see the house, and he wished to simply sell it as quickly as possible. But now, it seemed to be a shining light of resource. He walked back into his car, pulled the deed out of the dashboard, and looked at it.
The outskirts of Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Adlai Remington would never be seen in Wildwood Crest again.