The world that we live in is full of mysterious things. Things we do not, and some times cannot, understand. Things we never thought were real or could ever be possible. Even things we wish did not exist. Those who are oblivious of what really goes on around them, should hope that they never discover the truth. You should too, because once everything is made known to you, everything will change and nothing will be same ever again. For better or worse…no one knows for sure. I still do not.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning, when my life began to change forever.

My name is Erin Alice Cooper. I am fifteen years old with long white hair and deep blue eyes. Along with my mother, father, and older brother, I live in a remote location in Alaska. We had moved here when I was too young to remember our old home, Louisiana. Since we live alone in these woods, we hunt for our food then cook it over a fire, collect our own water from the river, and make our own clothes.

I was educated along with my brother, Jason, by our parents throughout our lives in Alaska. We were taught foreign languages, religions, cultures, many styles of art, multiple fighting styles, and how to survive alone in any terrain. Although I wondered why we were being thought these skills, I never questioned our parents and continued to learn more.

Jason on the other hand, did. When he would ask our parents why they were training us, they gave him the same answer each time, "You will learn the truth the day you leave home and venture into the world to make your future." This answer angered him, for it was not enough of a reason. So he went to leave without warning in the middle of the night when I was ten and he was sixteen.

We shared the same room at the time, and I was awoken by the sound of him opening our creaky bedroom door. I tried to stop him, begging him not to leave, telling him as hot tears slid down my cheeks that I would miss him. He hugged me close, telling me he loved me and would miss me too as he wiped away my tears.

"I promise you, Erin, that I shall come back for you one day," he said before leaving.

I cried all night, sitting outside on the front steps, hoping that my brother would change him mind and come home. But he never did. Mother, father, and I mourned the loss of Jason for a week and three day. Then, we slowly got back to our daily routines, and, in time, adapted to his missing presence each day.

Now, five years later, I still hope for the day my brother will return home. I know that it is hopeless to keep this hope alive after five years, but that is all one can do, hope. But until the day comes when he returns, all I can do is continue my studies and train as hard as I can each day until I leave home to make my future.

Right now I am in my room, reading more about telepathy and how to control it. Even though I knew that it wasn't possible for a person to control the movement of objects with his or her mind or to communicate through brain waves, it was interesting to learn about. It would be cool if I had that, it would make my chores easier for sure.

My attention was suddenly taken from my studies when heard the snap of a branch outside of my window. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as goose bumps ran across my arms. What I saw looking in at me through my open window made my heart stop. Crouching on a thick tree branch in front of my window was a large dark figure with familiar, vibrant green eyes that seemed to look through me into my very soul.

Carried on a soft, cold breeze through the darkness was a menacing growl. The branch the dark figure stood on swayed as it was came closer to the window. I stood, showing no fear or emotion, ready to fight for my life against whatever this creature was. Seconds crawled by like hours as it crept closer and closer and I stood ready for it to leap through and attack.

Then, just as it was about to come in, it howled then leaped off the branch and out of sight. I ran to the window and stuck my head out, looking for the dark figure, but could not catch a single glimpse of it. There was dead silence for a minute before a howl disrupted it, coming from down stairs. Alarmed, I hurried from my room and down the staircase, which lead into the living room where my mother and father was still having their dinner.

What I saw horrified me. There, in the middle of the room, stood the creature that I saw not moments ago along with the remains of my parents scattered every where across the room. Their blood stained the small carpet that sat underneath the sofa as well as the wooden floorboards. The creature stood there, the blood of my parents dripping onto the floor from its mouth, its eyes watching my every move.

Now that I was able to see it properly, I studied it and could not believe my eyes. The creature was nothing I had ever seen before. It was a large mass of shadow, which stood about eight feet high, in the form of a wolf. I watched, amazed as well as frightened, as bits of shadow moved along its body like thick, black fur.

I then looked into its vibrant green eyes and felt that I was in a trance. Before I could come to my senses, the monster growled viciously and charged me. Times slowly to a painful crawl as I felt the creature pass through me and knock me to the floor. My entire body burned with an excruciating, white pain for what seemed like eternity before I suddenly went numb. When I tried to move, but only caused my head to grow swim as well as my vision to blur.

Within seconds, my eyes closed and I felt as cold as the white snow that fell softly to the ground outside like ash.