Chapter 1: Strange New Beginnings

Friday night. Friday the 13th to be exact, but I've never taken stock in such things. I'd like to think there's something more out there just as much as the next person, but so far I've only ended up disappointed. I've stretched it so far I'm looking for the extraordinary on a day of bad luck.

It makes me wonder what it is I'm actually hoping for…

Friday night again and here I was doing homework. Sort of. I had my history book open and propped up against my computer screen. I'm sure you can guess which one proved more interesting. Head in hand I let my eyes glance back and forth from one to the other. I should have been focusing – I had a test on Monday. Not too many friends and a test on Monday. Lame, but true. I was counting down the days until high school bit the dust and college could finally begin - somewhere far away from here.

My college daydream was rudely interrupted by the giant slam of my textbook falling from its angled position down to my desk. I sighed and propped it back up again, determined to get through at least one chapter before I gave up. It was edging on midnight, seven more minutes and this stupid day would be over.

I'm not quite sure how to describe what happened next. Suffice it to say it was…strange. Sitting there at my desk lamenting the fact that nothing unusual had happened yet again, I heard something unusual. Three distinct raps on my window. Now, there is a sort of balcony out there, but there's hardly enough space for even me to use it; it's all for show. I looked at the window momentarily and dismissed the sound as 'old house' noise. But then it happened again, louder this time.

Someone was knocking on my window.

I got up and walked slowly to the other side of the room. I braced myself as I grabbed the folds of each curtain. I'd just pull them back quickly; there wouldn't be anything there. There couldn't be anything there! Holding the fabric tightly in each fist, I threw back the curtains. I don't know what I had been expecting, but to be quite frank, this was the last thing that came to mind.

There was a man standing on my balcony staring through the window.

"Holy shit!" I fell backwards in complete shock. But it only got stranger from there. Sitting on a sore bottom I watched the man motion for me to open the window. Like hell I was going to open the window! I shook my head furiously; yet from where I was sitting it looked like he was laughing. He smiled and leaned closer, repeating his silent plea.

Wait a second…I know that face… I turned from him to a poster on my wall, there and back, there and back. There was no way! He was still laughing - at me presumably. I pointed to the poster, hoping he could see it from his vantage point. He looked and nodded, getting as close to the window as he could.

This was insane. At a complete loss, I decided to open the window. It didn't look like he was going to just go away. I don't know what I was thinking; we all break for celebrities, don't we? But it was him; if not, it could have been his identical twin. He stepped in the window carefully and for a moment we just stood there sizing each other up. I was kicking myself inside; I just had to wear the over-sized t-shirt to bed tonight. Why couldn't he have come just after laundry day?

The thought was fleeting – there was a complete stranger standing in my bedroom at midnight. I didn't know what to say. 'What are you doing here' probably would have worked, but hey, I was a little star-struck at the moment. God, I felt like a moron.

He smiled again. He had a very kind smile. "Hi, I'm…"

Sudden burst of speech, "I know who you are…Why…"

"Am I here?" He finished my sentence with another smile. I couldn't help but smile back.

I shifted uncomfortably as the blood rushed to my cheeks. He was absolutely gorgeous; dressed all in black, he wore a bandana around his neck and his long black hair was pulled up in a knot. "Umm…yah?"

"I can't really tell you…" he said evasively, "at least not until I show you a few things. Honestly, it works better that way."

So now he wanted me to go somewhere with him. Of course, the rational part of my brain was now spewing forth all sorts of horrible reasons why this was a very, very bad idea. And normally I would agree. Heartily. But this was Jack Storm. The Jack Storm, lead singer of Awaiting Fire. You don't just say no to Jack Storm.

Still, I had to ask a few questions. My stunted thought process led me to begin with what we'd already covered. "Are you really…?"

We were getting this half and half dialogue thing down. "Jack Storm? Yes, yes I am, and you are Judith Freed?"

How did he know my name? "How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things." The tone of his voice was mysterious, but not obnoxiously so. "Will you let me show you?" He held out his hand.

I hesitated. I wanted to ask 'show me what?' The sane part of me still couldn't believe this was happening. I looked him in the eyes and there was something there. They spoke of action, adventure, intrigue, truth. Without a second thought my hand was in his.

He pulled me towards him and said, "You're going to have to hold on, put your arms around my neck."

I blushed madly and did as he said. He swiftly scooped me up in his arms and turned back towards the window. "Wait," I said, "We're on the second floor…"

"Don't worry, just hold on."

Don't worry? In an instant we were out the window and balanced precariously on the balcony railing. I began to think I'd made a horrible mistake.

He jumped. I was too horrified to scream; I shut my eyes and buried my face in his neck.

We never hit the ground. A cold wind was rushing against my bare arms, my face; my hair flew in every direction. I looked up slowly and made a quick glance downwards. We were much higher than my second story balcony, gliding smoothly through the air. I let my grip around Jack's neck loosen a bit, which I'm sure he appreciated. Behind us I saw something I will never forget.

Jack had wings.