Prologue

**Prologue**

No one has seen the sun or the clear sky within Dims-Wood, as per its unending overcast weather.

The small-town firmament is utterly obscured with clouds; it blocks the sun.

I remembered seeing the sun and the blue sky for the first time. I was six years old, and my mom had taken me to Aunt April.

I also remember how bright the day was in Provis-Ville when we finally arrived, compared to the gloomy days back home.

Mom instructed me to stay on the porch while she went in to talk to Aunt April. As I overheard her plead with her sister to take me, I looked into the sky and at the sun. Too young to understand that my mother loathed me for being the reason why my father (her first love) left her, and she wasn't asking her sister to take me because she had lost her job and thought her financially stable enough to take care of me for a while. Like my dad, she too didn't want me.

The sunlight on my body was as warm as I'd imagined a hug to feel like, never having been hugged by my mother, and it was the brightest light I'd ever seen. I had to look away a few times as it started to blur my sight.

The sky was so blue; it was as though the sea was above me with fluffy white waves.

That day, I never again saw the sun and the blue sky, for neither did my aunt want me.

***Chapter 1***

Saturday Evening

"I'm forever amazed at how dogs become easily attached to you." Sara came to see me petting one of the dogs.

"They sensed that I meant them no harm; that's why they're so friendly towards me," I responded.

I smiled as it started to lick my hands from its cage.

That wasn't all true. Dogs are remarkably attuned to human emotions and often sense when someone is sad; whenever they do, they try to cheer them up.

Like the other dogs before him, this dog likewise sensed my sadness and was offering its comfort.

"Rottweilers are considered the most dangerous and aggressive dogs, and yet you manage to tame this new and wild one with little human interaction within the few minutes you've gotten here," said Sara, still in wonder, watching me from behind.

The Rottweiler barked as she drew closer, and immediately, she drew back.

"Calm down," I said softly, and instantly he listened to me.

"Mr. Dave is making the biggest mistake thinking this Dog Pound doesn't need you anymore."You have a gift for instantly winning over the dogs' hearts, which is very handy for this business."

Scratching the dog's head, I hide my sadness with a smile.

I enjoyed working with the dogs here; they were the only beings that didn't make me feel alone and unloved. It hurts that I'll never get to be around them anymore, nor could I take one home, for pets were not allowed.

The dog started to make a soft, goofy moan. Sara and I broke out into laughter.

Sara gave me my last payment as I stood up from its cage.

"I'm going to miss seeing the dog's interaction with you," she said.

I nodded and then said goodbye to her.

She watched as I went on to say farewell to other dogs as well. Tears filled my eyes while doing so.

"Be free to stop by anytime you wish to see the dogs," Sara yelled as I walked out the door.

As I was outside, I halted to wipe away my tears with the sleeve of my pink sweater. My stare strayed across the road as I did, and immediately my heart started racing to meet Connor's gaze over at the gas station. His head averted as soon as I noticed him, and he quickly removed the nozzle from his motorcycle and scurried into the convenience store as if he didn't want to be seen by me.

Connor and his family moved here a month ago into a mansion near the woods. We go to the same school, as well as his triplet brother and cousin.

At school, he spoke only to them, and when he didn't, he kept to himself.

I remembered his first day at school here; every girl flocked to him, eager to claim him as their own, but he rejected them all. Leaving us to believe none of us was good enough for him.

Like every girl back at school, I too was drawn to him, but not because of his godlike beauty. All I know is that whenever I see him, I strangely don't feel like I do every day before he moved here, unwanted, and like some terrible mistake that should never have occurred.

Strangely, I felt like I came from my mother's womb solely for the purpose of him.

Connor had turned down the most beautiful and popular girls at school; there was no possible way there was a chance for someone as unattractive as me to end up with someone as beautiful as him.

All the dogs inside the pound started barking. Shortly after, I heard a loud, clanging sound, and I took my eyes off Connor through the glass of the convenience store, lifting an item from the shelf to look up. My eyes widened to see the building sign falling straight towards me.

At that most terrifying moment, I thought that was the end of me. I'd be gone, and my mother would finally be content without me, but a strong arm pulled me from the sign before it could strike me.

All dressed in black and towering above me, I stared, surprisingly, into my savior's black eyes, the darkest I'd seen. He stared back into my brown eyes with an unreadable face.

"How, how did you get across the road so fast?" I asked, recollecting how far he was from me.

The incident happened within the second I'd taken my eyes off him, so how could he have gotten across the road just in time to save me? I was baffled.

Ignoring my question, he removed his arms from around me, and I noticed a scrape on his skin, likely caused by the accident.

"You're hurt," I said out loud, worried.

"I'm fine." He immediately stepped away from me.

I watched his long legs move quickly as he returned across the road.

"Oh my gosh!" I looked away from him to see Sara staring in fright at the bent dog pound sign lying on the ground.

"Thank God you're safe and no one is hurt."

I nodded.

"Vroom!" I heard a motorcycle, and my head spun from Sara to see Connor riding swiftly down the road.

I watched him, still bemused at the questionable speed he'd saved me, which didn't seem impossible for an ordinary person until he was out of sight.