Disclaimer: As much as I wish I do, I don't own Charlie Bone or his companions. This is like a prologue to the story. Hope you like it!

It was a dark stormy night. Shadows hung everywhere, and unrelenting rain pounded the streets.

Windows were closed, curtains were drawn. Not a light could be seen… except for one house. The small crack under a battered door was giving off a faint glow.

A black cat, hissing loudly sheltered under the cracked windowsill. Like any cat, it hated rain. Not like any cat, it had a human mind.

Meet Leslie, an endowed woman with the endowment of shape shifting. She had supposedly betrayed her ancestors, and was an outcast. Her crime? Having a spark of decency, which flamed in the worst of times.

Leslie wished to thank the owner of the house in some way. She was grateful of the shelter the windowsill provided… even though it had a hole in it.

One black paw whipped out its claws, and gouged deep scratches in the wood. Then, Leslie slunk away noiselessly.

A piercing cry shattered the silence. The wailing of a newborn baby.