Sorry, but the story got cut off because I forgot to save part of it, so hear is the rest of the chapter.

"Be careful!" I heard her call from the one other room in the apartment, "Was there anything in the mail?"

I glanced towards the package, an uneasy feeling growing in my stomach, "Yeah! Some guy dropped off a package for you. I left it on the table!"

I stepped out side and jogged down the street joining the group of teens who had already picked teams. "Yo, Collin. You can be on my time," The team captain for the team on the left stepped forward, "You be point guard."

He tossed me the ball, and we all walked down the street to the makeshift basket ball court in front of Carson's house. The street was so narrow here, that it was about the width of a small court, so we used the buildings (which had no lawns) for the boundaries, and two poles cemented in the ground with peach crates super glued to the top as nets.

"We get ball first!" I shouted.

"No you don't. You got more people" Carson shouted from the other side of the court.

One of my team mates stepped up an said, "We have more people, but you have all the bigger people."

More voices chimed in, throwing insults at each other, each team mate trying to argue their point of view. At this point I just wanted to throw the other team the ball and let them start, but my team mates wouldn't forgive me.

I dropped the ball, and walked off the court, figuring it wasn't worth it to get into another fight. I'm pretty sure that I could take anyone there, but there was a big sense of loyalty here, and if I ended up making one enemy, then they would all be my enemy. I looked over my shoulder at the teams, and wasn't surprised to see that some of the boys were already in a fist fight, the ball rolling through around their feet, tripping some of the fighters.

I turned around again, and was about to open my door, when I noticed one of those advertisements that salesmen puts on your doorknob. I pulled it out and noticed that it was giving away free coupons for Dominoes pizza. I stuffed it in my pocket, hoping that later my mom might order some pizza.

When I opened my door, I was surprised to see the place was a mess. I had only been gone five minutes, and my mom never lets the apartment get this messed up. I took another step in the door, and it was then I noticed that there was more than a mess on the floor. It was as if there had been a fight in here.

The couch was flipped over, and the small TV was shattered. There was a strange smear on the wall, that looked suspiciously like blood. The trash can had been tipped over, and pieces of trash littered the floor.

"Mom!" I ran into the small bedroom, expecting to see her asleep on the bed. Instead she lay on the floor in a pool of her own blood, her white t-shirt stained red, "Mom!"

I sank to my knees, ignoring the sticky blood that seeped through my shorts, gluing them to my legs. For years my mom had been all that I had. Apartments, friends, and schools all came and went, but my mom was always right there with me. Now, even she was gone.

I closed my eyes, and gathered her in my arms. Her small frame was light and cold. It seemed that all life had left her, so I was surprised when a low moan escaped her blood stained lips.

"Mom?" She moaned again, and hope flared in my chest, but quickly died again when I saw the long cuts across her neck. It looked as if a giant cat had raked its claws across her throat, and left her to die.

She turned her head slightly, and more blood seeped out of the wounds, "Collin? Is that you?"

"Yes it's me. Just hold on, I'm going to get some help," my voice shook as I spoke.

Her lips moved slightly, her words barely audible, "No help. No help,"

I put her down, and raced out of the room anyway. I rushed to the small drawer were we kept the small cell phone we shared, and yanked it open. The cell phone wasn't there. I raced back into the room, hoping that she had been using it for another one of her business calls, but it was no were in sight.

"Mom were is the cell phone?"

She just groaned and turned over on her back.

"Mom, I can't help you with out it," I sat down at her side and looked into her eyes, "Were is it?"

"Collin," she stretched out her hand, and I noticed that it shook with pain. In it was the small box that had arrived at our doorstep earlier that day, "Take it. Go to New York, and there you will belong. You will find a home there with others like you. There will be trials and pain, but if your anything like your father, you will make it through," I sat back stunned, not at all the nonsense about New York, but at the mention of my father, and the look in her eyes when she said it. Every other time she talked about him, her eyes would be filled with hate, but not this time. No, this time her eyes shone with admiration and love, "And Collin, always remember that I love your."

"No, mom. You're not gonna die."

"Take the box Collin. In it you will find what you need to survive," and with those final words, she drifted off.

I watched as she took her last breath, but said nothing. I let her fall to the floor, and put my head in my knees. I sobbed quietly for a few minutes, but then I remembered the box. I sat up, and stared at the box. I shakily put my hand forward, terrified at what could be in the box. When I picked it up, it felt not different then when I picked it up last. The flaps on the top of the box were closed with normal packing tape, but somehow I knew that what was in the box was not normal.

I tore off the tape, and slowly unfolded the flaps. Inside, resting on a bed of cotton, was a long, thin chain necklace with an archers arrow, made of bronze, hanging from it. I scooped it up and noticed that it felt strangely light and warm against my palm. There was a clasp at the back which I undid, and slid the necklace around my neck. It felt as if it wasn't even there, and I couldn't understand how something so light could possibly be the key to my survival.

I fingered it, wondering if it was some magical charm, but then chided myself for thinking something so stupid.