•Illumoria•

CHAPTER ONE

October 24th, 2005

"That jukebox in the corner blastin' out my favorite song. The nights are getting longer, it won't be long. Won't be long 'til summer comes. Now that the boys are here again. The boys are back in town."

•PARKER POV•

As I sped down the uneven roads in my old Camaro, Thin Lizzy blared through my speakers. Tradition dictated that this song went on repeat—loud enough to make my ears ring—until I rolled into the driveway. My hair whipped around in the wind while my hand dangled lazily out the open window, slicing through the crisp October air. The other hand drummed against the steering wheel in time with the music.

I heard the familiar crunch of gravel in my ears as I was pulling past the piles of junk and wrecked cars as I turned into the driveway. My eyes flicked to the faded sign overhead. Singers Auto Salvage. Yeah... home.

The junk yard was a large fenced-in area, filled with yards of decaying vehicles, many of which had long been abandoned and were used mainly for spare parts. Of course there were a few that we kept for ourselves and continuously worked on in our free time. A love for cars ran deep in our family.

On the far left corner of the yard was a once-blue house. In spite of the dust and grime that had been covering it for years, the blue color peeked out from under its thick covering.

The house was old, older than Olivia and I combined, possibly older than Bobby himself. Many of the windows were boarded up years ago, usually following some hunt gone wrong. The only exception being a few that lined the top of the house, windows that belonged to our bedrooms. Despite the peeling paint and sagging roof, the house held a certain charm, as if it were a guardian of our childhood memories. We often spent lazy afternoons lounging on the worn porch, sharing secrets and dreams that echoed in the creaking wood beneath us. Trees overgrew, vines cast over the walls of the house, the twists and turns of the vines tangling together to make odd shapes. It seemed almost as if nature was reclaiming what was once hers.

I glanced at my scuffed boots and, with calculated steps, scoffed at the meager parts lying around. 'I'll have to clean that up later.' I thought while rolling my eyes. I carefully stepped over a rusty muffler and climbed the noisy stairs, wincing at the sound of my weight on the old wood.

The front door opened to reveal an unnervingly quiet house. It seemed Bobby had driven off in his truck, likely on a solo hunt, or even with Rufus. Reaching into the waistband of my jeans, I grip the hunting knife I tend to keep on me. You could never be too careful. I quietly drop my bag.

Glancing into the living room, which miraculously still looked livable despite the overwhelming number of books we owned. I noticed Olivia sprawled across the couch.

Olivia was my sister, adopted of course, but as a wise man had always said, 'family didn't end in blood.'

We took her in years ago, when she was only 16. We found her at an orphanage in Maryland; a rogue pack of werewolves had been stalking her for years. They were the entire reason she was alone. She was four years younger than I was; not only was she younger, she was shorter too. Her height only rested at 5'3. She was my best friend. She was shy and kept to herself quite often, but she was smart and a quick learner. She was a Singer, maybe not by blood but definitely in spirit.
Her long chestnut hair sprawled across the cushion, her chest rising and falling gently. She was comfortable; her guard was down. Her first and biggest mistake.

Tossing my bag, a loud thud was heard, followed by a groggy groan. "What's in this thing, bricks?" Olivia mumbled, shoving the heavy bag off her.

I snorted slightly smirking at my sweet sister "Nope. Just my charming personality. Heavy load, I know." Olivia grunted as the bag tumbled to the floor causing the contents to spill out, books scattered along with multiple folders and a few pieces of clothes. My usual collection I brought inside. "Pretty sure it's all the crap you refuse to throw away."