Prologue
Skye Larson stepped out of her bedroom quietly, closing the door on her crimson and picture-covered room. Tuning her hearing in to the room down the hall, she listened as her parents snored loud enough to wake the dead. Perfect.
She eased her left foot onto the first stair, then noticed a hole in her sock. Her toe stuck out of it nicely. She muttered under her breath before quietly continuing her descent, sneakers in hand. At the bottom of the stairs she pulled her already tied shoes on, double checking for her keys before turning the knob of the front door and slipping out of the house, the door closing with a soft thud behind her.
She froze as she forgot the screen door and it slammed close, the sound ricocheting through the still night. She waited a minute. Nothing. Two minutes. Nothing. Three minutes. Good enough. She walked noiselessly up the walkway, the gate whining as she opened it and slipped out onto the sidewalk.
Her breath blew out of her mouth in a thick cloud, a fog of white that blew back at her with each crisp gust of wind. Huddling in her sweatshirt, she was glad she had worn jeans. Gloves were forgotten, but atleast she had a beanie on to cover her ears from the chill night.