I can go the distance

C H A P T E R 1

The sky was a perfect purple, and the clouds were faintly pink. The reflection of the sun illuminated Finley's room. Her pale chin was resting on her pale hand, and Finley's long, brown hair rested in a low ponytail at the edge of her neck. It was going to be the perfect night for star gazing.

" Finley Hogan, how many times must I tell you? Get down here. We are going to start without you!" 

Finley rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. She pressed her hand faintly against the glass window, then, forced it off and hopped down the stairs 2 at a time. 

The dinner was grand as always. Dad had many chickens to bake and eggs to cook. 

They lived in a shack in the middle of nowhere. Not really, but that's what  Finley called it. It was a quaint, tidy house, but it couldn't fit Finley's family of 6. Madeline, Cali and Finley all shared the same room. Thanks to the new baby, the family couldn't afford to live in a community, neighborhood, or even a town. Jace was born just a little over 5 months ago, and money had gone downhill since then. So, instead, Shane Hogan had built a small house for his family, using the lumber outside of his home. 

Madeline collected the dinner plates. She brushed past Cali's shoulder, and made her shout in frustration.  Madeline swatted at Cali, and Finley held Sadie back. As punishment, Mama sent Madeline to do this dishes, and Cali to fold laundry upstairs. That meant, it was just Ma, Pa and Finley. Ma told Finley to bring in some wood from the barn in to start a fire that would hopefully protect the home from the fierce cold of the night. 

Finley stepped into the icy snow. Her small feet made large tracks. She rubbed her arms with the scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. Finley looked towards the many trees behind the Hogan's home. She wondered what it would be like in there. Her Pa had told her she could climb the trees and collect the sap that hung from them when it got warmer. Yet, Finley wondered, would it ever get warmer. 

The forest pulled her in, deeper and deeper. She felt the sudden urge to plunge herself into it, and discover the mysteries hidden within. Her Pa had warned her never to go in there when it was dark, for she could not comprehend the dangers of it. But she needed to. She had to find out for herself. Finley scanned the area, and then, reluctantly, stepped into the woods. She brushed past trees, and bushes and they scratched her pale skin every time.  Finley stopped in her tracks. She heard faint footsteps coming towards her. She looked around her. She slipped behind a tree and listened intently. They came closer and closer, until she could make out a boy, about 12 years old running through the woods. He was carrying some sort of a book, with a gold outline. It had few words on it, written in some kind of cursive. Frightened, she stepped back. The leaves beneath her feet crunched, and the boy froze. Finley gasped. Now that he was in the light, she could clearly see what the boy was. His yellow eyes stared deep into hers, and his teeth flared. Suddenly, the boy lunged towards her.