Chapter 1

I quietly stood up and waited in the dark.

No noise from the hallway.

My parents were heavy sleepers, which was a good thing. It allowed me to sneak out every night.

I decided to switch from sweatpants to jeans. I pulled a black hoodie over my gray cotton v neck and my messy black hair popped out. I kneeled on the window seat and pushed open the large window.

I listened.

Still nothing.

I shoved my socked toes into some beat up Vans and grabbed my board from the fire escape.

I started to close the window when I remembered.

I reached under the stack of books on the seat and pulled out a letter opener with an ivory hilt.

Since I was almost beaten to a pulp a couple of weeks ago by some Purple Dragons, I started bringing weapons with me, just in case.

I placed the blade in my hoodie pocket and closed my window.

I clambered down the fire escape and jumped on my board.

###

I quietly rolled through an alley that opened up into the Graveyard. It was a skate park improvised from abandoned furniture, rusty trash cans, and broken skateboards.

I pushed my board over the spray painted "Graveyard" tag on the ground, and I plugged my earbuds into my head.

Music blasted in my ears as I skated around, doing old tricks and trying out new ones.

It must've been an hour before I realized someone else was there.

I spun around, catching my board and pulling out my earbuds.

Something moved in the shadows of the Graveyard's entrance.

"Hey," I called.

There wasn't a response.

I took a few tentative steps towards the alley, and a shape flew to the fire escape, then the rooftop. It ran out of sight.

I stared at the place it disappeared until something clattered on the concrete.

I picked it up. It was a cell phone - I think - with a case in the shape of a turtle shell.

I turned it on, and an orange banner with the time and date lit up above a padlock symbol.

Against my better judgement, I tapped it.

LOCKED
_ _ _ _ _

I glanced up at the rooftop. A pair of satellite dishes glared down at me.

I shoved the phone in my pocket and began skating home.

^*^

Okay, so this is going pretty well so far - I might be able to make this work!