Behind the Mask - Book One [Editing/Re-writing]

(0) Prologue

Dedicated to Barbie23 because this is for her contest and because due to that contest I got this idea :)

If you would like to read the edited version of this (which I would love if you did) here is the link: http://www.wattpad.com/35462608-behind-the-mask-edited-version. Thank you! 

Prologue 

 Break In

Night time has always been my favourite time of the day. 

Something about the moon has always just drawn me towards it. Maybe it's the adolescent glow, or the large holes on the surface. Or maybe it's the mysteriousness of the dark side. 

Once, in my science class, I had asked my science teacher what he knew about the moon. He told me, and I'm quoting here, "that it's made out of cheese and the dark side is just the side the giant space mice want to themselves." 

I laughed. He glared. Then I got detention. 

How was I supposed to know he was being serious? 

Anyways, after that I learned not to laugh at anything he said because I am so not the detention type and I really do not enjoy cleaning his desk for two hours. 

Not fun. 

Especially when I find the spit balls on his desktop. 

Did I mention that he's not exactly anyone's favourite teacher? 

But now, looking out at the moon, I can kind of see where he got the cheese idea from. The moon sort of does look like a giant cheese ball. 

It's around two in the morning and the night sky is as clear as a diamond and it's absolutely radiant. I have seen the sky at night time before but there's something about being outside, in the middle of winter, looking up at a sky completely void of clouds or fog. There is about a zillion stars winking down at me and I feel a happy hum spread through my body. 

The last time I was outside sky gazing was, wow, I actually don't remember. I think it might have been a couple months ago when me and mom were watching the comets. 

Now that was a experience I will never forget. Watching little balls of fire swoop across the sky is just breathtaking. I don't know why I like the night sky so much but honestly? I'm glad I do, it adds a sort of mysterious quality to my otherwise boring life. 

A shiver runs through my body and I pull my heavy winter jacket tighter. A voice in the back of my head is telling me that it's time to go back inside but I just can't seem to make myself move. 

Not yet. 

I continue to stare at the sky with wide eyes but a sound coming from the trees causes me to break my gaze from the sky. Narrowing my eyes, I scan the tree line on the other side of my yard for anything that could have made the sound. 

Dark shadows play with my vision, every time I look in a new area a shadow makes me think something's there. It's a little disconcerting. 

The sharp crack of a stick breaking slices through the silent night and for a second in my minds eye I see a large cougar or something come running out of the woods, slobber dripping from it's teeth and foam escaping from it's jaws; jaws that could slice and dice me pretty easily. 

I instantly push that image away. Cougars are not man eating beasts. They are just large cats that sometimes scratch you a little bit too hard and have overgrown teeth. 

Besides, there are no cougars in Prince George, it would be more likely for a crazy cat lady to come running out of the trees, her purse raised in a dangerous way and she'd be screeching about how I stole her kitty.