Hidden Wings

Chapter 1

   Maria Kimberly crossed her arms. "Mom, I'm almost fourteen. I can take care of myself!"
   Mrs. Kimberly sighed. "I know, honey, but it's two days. You might-"
   "From now until Saturday. Tonight, tomorrow night, and tomorrow morning. That's not too long. Besides, I can just call Summer's mom if there's a problem. I can even spend the night there if it makes you feel better," said Maria. They'd been having this debate for awhile now. Since Maria's parents were divorced, she spent in the summer weekdays with her mother, and her dad came to pick her up on Saturday afternoons. But this week, her mother had a business meeting that required her to fly out of Colorado to Montana Thursday night and return on Sunday. Maria wanted to stay at home alone until her father came to pick her up, but her mother wanted to send her to her dad's early.
   "It can be a cool, growing-up experience for me," Maria insisted.   
   Finally, her mother gave in. "Alright, have it your way." She smiled. "But if anything goes wrong, don't try to handle it yourself."   
   Maria grinned. "Thanks so much, mom!" As Mrs. Kimberly began to clear the breakfast dishes, Maria dashed up the stairs to her room. She smiled and twirled in a circle. Her room at her mother's house was painted a cool, cerulean blue and decorated with small, white flower decals that were pasted to the walls in swirly designs. The furniture- a dresser, a bed, and a small vanity with a mirror- was also white, along with the window curtains and closet doors. Maria sighed happily and undressed herself, then pulled on a pair of jeans and her favorite emerald green tank-top, the one that matched her eyes. She went to the dressing table and combed down her wild auburn hair. Satisfied, she left the bedroom and bounded down the stairs to her mother, who was packing a suitcase in the master bedroom. Mrs. Kimberly closed the suitcase and stood up, smiling.
  "Ready to go?" Maria asked eagerly.
  Her mom laughed. "Almost." She pulled Maria into a hug and kissed her on the brow. Maria giggled and wriggled free.
  "Now, here are the keys to the house. Always lock the door when you go somewhere. There is plenty of food in the kitchen, and you can just call Mrs. Nelson if you need anything." Maria's mother dug in her pocket, frowning.
  "Looking for these?" Maria held up the keys and grinned.
  "You little thief!" Mrs. Kimberly laughed. "You're getting better at that. I didn't feel a thing!" After her laughter subsided, she lifted her suitcase and wheeled it out to the garage, her daughter following. "Now, have a good time!"
  "I will!" Maria hugged her mom again and went back inside, walking to the window to wave as the green Subaru disappeared up the street. "Aaaaand she's gone," Maria smiled and pulled out her phone to text her best friend, Summer.

  Hey, mind if I come 2 your house for the night?

  The reply came exactly thirty seconds later.

  Sure, Y not?

  Maria smiled and put on a pair of sneakers. Summer's house was on the other side of a large, rocky park called Ute Valley. To get there, Maria had to hike for about twenty minutes through a large corner of the park, then take one of the many interconnecting trails down a hill and into the other neighbourhood. Then, it was only a short walk to her friends house. A walk Maria had taken so many times she knew every fence, every fire hydrant, every crack in the side walk.
  Maria grabbed a light jacket, because you never know in Colorado, and left the house, remembering to lock the door behind her. She jogged up the street to the park entrance and began her walk cheerfully. It would have been hard not to be cheerful. The sky was a deep, summery blue, there was a light breeze, and the birds were chirping happily. A raven circled in the air, staring at her with wise eyes.
  Following the trail she knew by heart, Maria soon reached a place where several huge rocks formed a stone platform that, at the end, fell into a sort of hill that narrowed, closed off by rocks on either side, into a triangle. At the tip of the triangle there was a small opening, which had several smaller stone crammed inside. It was only a few feet to the ground if you jumped over the stones. But that wasn't where the trail led. Walking past it, Maria heard a quiet sound, coming from the lower part of the hill. It was almost like the whisper of leaves in the wind, mixed with a sharp, metallic ring. Being naturally curious, she cautiously left the trail and slowly made her way down the slope. The dirt was strewn with pebbles, and Maria almost lost her balance. Making it to the bottom, she rested her hand on a thin, sheet-like rock, looking up at the hill.
  Whatever had been here had obviously left. There was no evidence at all that anything had been there, and Maria began to wonder if she had imagined it. She didn't go back up, though. Not yet. Because, despite the clues that hinted otherwise, Maria had the strong, hair-raising feeling she was being watched.
  A shadow fell over her. She turned and saw that a cloud had drifted over the sun. She frowned and looked back, then froze. A snake, black as night and long as her leg, was slithering across the rocks toward her. Its golden reptilian eyes seemed to glow wickedly.
Maria couldn't go forward or it would bite her. If she turned to jump backward, it might catch her then. But she couldn't just stand there. She decided to risk it. Turning, she started to jump over the rocks in the crack, but the whistling noise came again and something huge slammed into her, knocking her over the edge. She hit the ground hard. It only took a moment for the shock to pass, and Maria rolled over.
  Again, nothing was there. But all of a sudden, a dark shadow rose up behind her, the sound came again, Maria felt a sharp pain in her ankle, and everything faded into darkness.