Prologue

  The little girl was running. Running faster than she had ever run. She was being chased. Her short brown hair fanned out behind her. The hazel eyes she owned blinked fast. Her heart raced and her lungs burned. Her pursuer was catching up with her.

  “Tag! You're it!” A boy her age yelled, tapping the girl in the shoulder, throwing her off balance, causing her to tumble down a hill. Over and over she rolled, getting her black tunic dirty. When she got to the bottom, she lay there, looking at the sky.

“Poison? Are you okay?” The girl, Poison, heard one of her friends yell.

“I’m fine. Come over here!” She shouted back. Moments later, she felt a presence by her side. It was her friend, Kat. Well, her actual name was Katherine, but she preferred Kat. Kat’s long brown hair smacked Poison in her face as Kat rolled over towards her best friend. For a while, both of them just lay there, looking at the clouds. Within minutes, the rest of their friends joined them. Bone, the boy who tagged her, Dill, wearing his little trademark black beanie, and his brother, Justin, who was lying close to his brother.

“How old are you guys?” Justin asked, being the youngest.

“Eight” said Kat

“Eight” said Bone.

“Eight” said Dill.

“SEVEN!” shouted Poison, proud to be the only seven-year-old.

“I’m six.” Justin said quietly, scared by Poison’s outburst.

“It’s alright, Justin. She’s just excited.” Dill said, pulling his brother closer. Justin snuggled closer, burying his face into his brother’s black shirt.

“Poison, shouldn’t you be sad to be only seven?” Bone asked, putting his arms behind his head beside Poison.

“No, I’m happy to be the only seven-year-old because it makes me different!”

“But isn’t being different bad?” Justin spoke up from his brother’s side.

“No, not at all! My mommy said that being different is good, because if everyone was the same, the world would be boring.” Poison said, smiling up at the clouds.

“So, does that mean I’m boring?” Bone asked, worried about being boring.

“No. Everyone’s different in their own ways! For example, Kat, you have the longest hair out of us. Bone, you act the oldest. Dill, you always wear that beanie. And Justin, you’re unique because you are the only six-year-old in this group.” Poison finished explaining, and relaxed her body into the soft grass. It tickled her freckled cheeks, and she giggled softly.

“Do you guys ever wonder what you’ll be when you grow up? Like, one of us could be a warrior, or another could be a scientist.” Kat asked, breaking the silence. Everyone was still, except for Justin’s quiet snores.

“Well, I want to become a warrior. Just the thought of defending my family sends energy through my body.” Dill says, careful not to disturb his sleeping brother.

“I’m not sure what I’m going to be yet.” Poison admitted. “Maybe a detective. Like Sherlock Holmes. Wouldn’t that be cool? Becoming the new Sherlock.” She smiled, remembering her mother reading her segments of the Sherlock Holmes series. Detective work sounded fascinating.

“I want to be a time-traveler.” Said Kat. “You know, like the Doctor?” All she got were confused looks. “Never mind.” She sighed, and started humming to herself.

“Hey, Kat, maybe we can meet up and I can solve crimes in times past! Just jump into your time machine, or whatever.”

“TARDIS, to be exact. Time and relative dimensions in space.” Kat added, still humming.

“Hey, what’s that you’re humming?” Bone asked.

“Oh, just a song my mommy taught me.”

“How does it go?”

“Like this:

Remember those walls I built

Well, baby they're tumbling down

And they didn't even put up a fight

They didn't even make a sound

 

I found a way to let you in

But I never really had a doubt

Standing in the light of your halo

I've got my angel now”

Everyone was silent.

“Was, was that good?” Kat asked nervously.

“Wow. That’s really pretty. So your mommy taught you that?” Poison asked.

“Yeah. There’s more to it, I just can’t remember the rest.”

“I like it. But, guys, do you realize that one day, we won’t be able to play all day. We’re going to have to work to pay for our family’s survival.” Bone said.

“But, why would we do that? Like, can’t we just find time to play? For just an hour, at least.” Dill asked, upset as the realization set in.

“Nothing comes for free, Dill. We all must go out in the real world to make new friends, make new enemies, and do…stuff.” Bone said, at loss for a better word.

“Well, in that case, can we get back to our game? Like you said, Bone, we only have a few years of freedom left.” Kat said, jumping up.

“You’re right. Justin, wake up.” Dill said, gently nudging his brother awake. Justin yawned and reluctantly stood up.

“I’ll be right there.” Poison said, not moving. She should be playing, relishing the last years of her childhood. As her friends left and went up the hill, she lay at the bottom, wondering what would happen when she grew up, or, more specifically, turned seventeen. Would she be a detective, like she wanted to be? Or would she be something she totally despised? Enough of that, she thought. Poison stood up and brushed off her dress, running up the hill to join her friends.