Platonic • Jacob Black •

○○○ Prologue ○○○

"Jake! Jake, hurry up!"

The light and airy voice of a young girl echoed across the reserve. The wide eyed eight year old let out a blithe laugh as she turned her head, brown hair whipping around her face, to catch a glimpse of her best friend running behind her.

The russet skinned boy laughed as he pushed himself harder, trying to catch up to the little girl, so that he could win their race. A big white smile that was missing a tooth on the bottom, split across his face as he noticed the little girl veer right. Her dirty brown shoes kicking up dirt as she abandoned the dirt path and started to sprint towards a distant house by cutting through the grass.

"That's the wrong way, Leah! I'm gunna win!"

"No! It's a shortcut!"

Her tinkling laughter and the sound of her running shoes beating against the hard earth were the only things that she could hear as the little brown shack neared her. Her laughter and heavy breaths, as well as her goal to make it to the house before Jacob, captured her attention in a manner that was so strong that she did not notice that the little boy has not followed her.

As Leah reached a door to the house, she threw it open recklessly. With a shout of victory she turned to taunt Jacob, only to see that he was no longer there. With a light shrug of her shoulders, and a wide smile, Leah turned back to the room to go eat dinner. Her actions, however, were halted as she realized that she had entered Sarah's private studio, instead of the living area of the house.

Sarah Black was a beautiful woman, and to Leah, was the most amazing woman in the world. Sitting mere feet from the doe eyed brunette, Sarah Black was turned. Her long black hair cascaded down her back in loose waves, that had Leah fingering her hair in longing. However, her hand quickly fell as Sarah turned towards the little girl, with a perfectly white smile on her pink lips. The older woman gave the little girl a small wink as she turned back to her painting, and lifted the green brush against the canvas.

Leah found her little feet guiding her forward, curious as to what was being painted, and stood in awe next to the Black mother. Her brown eyes flickered back and forth over the detailed watercolor painting that was being worked on by Sarah. The deep forest green colors formed smoky looking trees, that were accented by little stokes of lighter greens that captured the young girl's attention. The details were so perfect that Leah could almost recall exactly where on the Reservation that the picture was supposed to be set. However, the forest was nothing compared to the wonder that the wolf in the center of the picture brought to the little girl. Her little russet colored hand rose to stroke the gray and black wolf that stood on a rock. It's head tilted up towards the sky, as it appeared to be howling into the night. Leah was captured by its' sinister looking beauty and found herself haunted and amazed by the realistic looking art.

Sarah looked down at the little girl with a smile as the young child continued to observe the painting. Her gentle eyes crinkled in a smile, as the little Marson child observed her afternoon artwork. The little girl was constantly coming into the studio, whether intentionally or not, and observed her as she worked. The bashful little girl, however, was skilled. For as much as she simply liked to watch, her hands were better at creating an image and realistic picture than Rachel's or Rebecca's ever were at her age.

"How are you today, my little Leah?"

The voice of Sarah broke Leah out of her daze. Her gaze, falling towards her toes, as her hair curtained her red cheeks. As much as Leah entered the studio, and Sarah didn't mind, her parents still had told her to never enter. So, as she stood before Sarah without her parent's permission, she felt ashamed and embarrassed.