The Disappearing Act
#1 of Completion
Warning...Oh come now, do you really need a warning if you're on this site?? Author Note: Well, this is it, chapter one. I plan on extending this many chapters, expect many many annoying cliffhangers. Anyway, that's about all I can say. All characters, story name, etc are copyright to me, so dont steal them and stuff. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or advice, please PLEASE dont hesitate to email me at [email protected] I love getting email (except flames) so send away! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it! Completion -Beowolf Chapter 1: The Disappearing Act The light shinning through the closed window was slowly growing dimmer as the warm summer's day faded away into the dusk of the cooler summer night. The dying illumination of the room cast random shadows about the blue-carpeted floor, and sparked the mournful moans of swaying trees in the wind outside as the full moon began it's steady climb to sky overhead. No reaction was heard, no movements were made as the sun finally set into the horizon, and the stars took their temporary place as rulers of the sky, until the morning's come. After hours of still atmosphere, movement was finally realized, and steady rustling of blankets in the single bed in the corner shattered the hours of silence that had plagued the darkened room. A few groggy and annoyed grunts and mumbles echoed from the corner and a figure arose from the confines of the bed sheets, his tall, semi-built frame hidden completely by the night shadows. After a loud yawn and stretch, the figure stood up and took a few steps away from the bed, raising his paw to open the sliding door that led into the bathroom, the only door in this part of the house, seeing as his room had a staircase for an entrance instead. The door slid into the wall quietly, and he stepped inside, flipping the light-switch mounted off to the side as he went. Instantly, the room was brightened by the small overhead light bulb as it flickered to life. He stepped up to the sink, wincing at the sudden illumination of the room to let his eyes adjust to the heavy light. Bracing his heavy black paws on the creamy white sink, he stared at himself in the mirror. His deep, yellow eyes occasionally glancing over the pure white color that was strapped securely around his neck. The collar was special, given to him by his lover, the one who he had dreamed of spending the rest of his life with, and it was for the purpose of going out to spend time with this special person that he even bothered getting out of bed that night. David sighed and glanced himself over in the mirror. For only 16, he looked and acted a little more mature than the rest of his family. Hell, he was probably already smarter than his idiot brother who was around 2 years his senior, but about as smart as a sack of wet sand. David had been lucky, being 16, the middle of pup of the family, and the jack of most of the better family traits. He was tall, around 6 ½ feet, and he had a reasonably built frame, nothing like his brother or father, but the outlines of his abs and chest could been seen rippling through the midnight black fur that covered his timber-wolf frame from head to toe to tail. He had inherited his father's strength and will, and his mother's wisdom and all around attitude. His younger sister Sara and older brother John hadn't been blessed with the same qualities. Sara was smart, and very sweet, but lacked the will to really go out and put those qualities to use, and John...John was an idiot. John may have had his father's build, tall and very muscular, but his IQ was probably that of a brick. Then again, most jocks got the bulk but not the brains, he didn't blame John...well, maybe he did a little. Though he gotten the better of the family traits, David wasn't exactly the favorite. It wasn't that he was a bad guy. He always behaved, always got good grades, but that wasn't the issue. Around a year earlier, David had told his family, the ones he loved and respected, a secret that he'd kept locked away ever since he was old enough to understand. David was gay... Since then, David wasn't exactly pleasant to be around in his family's eyes. His father, Dan, felt uncomfortable around him, though he was open minded. His mother, Tara, was upset that she would never see any grandchildren blessed with David's qualities. John had already made fun of David enough, but since then, he just plain hated him. Sara didn't exactly care, she wasn't old enough to care, only 6. So that didn't matter to her, she didn't know what it meant, which was for the best at the moment. David gave himself a mental slap and shoved the thoughts of his family from his mind. He hated them, they didn't understand, few did, and he knew he'd have to live with them for a long time still, but that didn't mean he had to like it. David smiled and thought instead of the one he loved, the one who really understood him for who he was, and he felt a little better, his anger slowly fading with the thought of that smile. That beautiful smile that made him so happy each time he saw it. David turned away from the mirror, still smiling, and padded out of the bathroom, flicking the light back off. Tonight was the night that he'd been planning. It was Friday night, and the family was going out of town the next morning to take a little "vacation" to the lake. Big freaking deal, David wasn't about to stick around for a trip to that shit hole. He was always screwed into bunking with John, who snored and kicked in his sleep, not to mention, beat the shit out of him anyway, just because he felt like it. But, this time, John would have the bed to himself. David was about to do a little disappearing act. He blindly took a few steps into the pitch-black room, his arms swinging in the air as he searched for the string. After a second or two or searching, he felt his paw wrap around it, and he gave it a small tug. He heard the hum of the overhead fan commence as the light flickered on, destroying the shadows that had taken control of the room and sending them back to the structures from wince they came. David took a glance at the clock resting on the wall near his desk, 11 o'clock. "Heh, good, I've still got plenty of time. I don't need to be at the bridge until midnight. I don't need to leave for another 20 minutes to make the walk down there, and I'll still have time to spare..." David pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk. He tossed a few boxes out and rustled inside for a moment before emerging with a black duffle bag. He threw the bag onto the bed and padded over to his dresser, throwing open the top drawer and tossing a few pairs of boxers and T-shirts into the bag and one extra set onto the bed, then slammed it shut and threw open the second drawer, tossing a few pairs of jean-shorts into the bag and one on the bed as well. He had plenty of time, but he didn't want to stick around the house any longer. The sooner he got out, the better chance he had of not running into his brother on the way out, who usually got up for his 4th trip to the bathroom around 11. David quickly zipped up the bag and set it on the floor, and grabbed the clothes he'd set aside on the bed, quickly putting them on. As much as he wanted to just go naked to see his lover, he had to "get there" first, and it was cold out. Besides, he wasn't going to walk the whole way, a friend had agreed to give him a lift, and David didn't think he'd appreciate it too much if he showed up bare-ass naked. He growled and struggled with his jean shorts, his tail trying to wriggle into the hole in the back, letting out a sigh of relief as he finally succeeded, and quickly dashed to his desk. He grabbed his watch off the corner and strapped it on, then took the defense knife, which was part of his little knife and sword collection that his parents had greatly disapproved of, and buckled it to one of the belt-loops of his shorts. David turned and gave the room a once over, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything before he grabbed the note off his desk and threw the duffle back over his shoulder, flicking off the light before he padded quietly down the stairs that led into the living room. The house was silent, other than the sound of David's soft footpads against the white carpet of the living room. He quickly treaded passed the computer desk and hung a quick right into the kitchen. Tara had always had a habit of leaving a night light on in the kitchen, so the family could actually see a little in the pitch black of night, however, John always had a habit of turning it off after his last trip to the bathroom, making up some stupid excuse about him not being able to sleep with it on, which was bullshit. Everyone heard his snoring through the whole house; weather the light was on or not. The light was still on, which meant he had to be careful; John would probably get up soon. Moving quickly, David tossed the note onto the table, which explained that he'd be back when the family got back from the lake. By now, the family had let him do as he pleased, finding it better if he wasn't around the house, so naturally, they wouldn't give two shits if he suddenly left for the weekend. David would call if he needed something. The refrigerator door creaked open and David quickly tossed the six pack of orange soda and a few apples into his bag, just in case something happened and he'd be up shit creek without a paddle. David ran through a mental checklist, making sure that he had everything. He nodded and realized all was going just like planned, but now came the tricky part, which was getting out of the house. David's room was on the second story, just above the living room, and the living room was in the front of the house, near the front door. He could go through the front door, but the family dog, Eddy, was chained to his doghouse in the front, and he wasn't the most friendly dog in the world. The second the door creaked open, that stupid Shepard would bark it's head off, and wake not only the family, but the whole damn neighborhood, and David didn't want that. He could go through the back door, but to do that, he'd have to go through the first floor hallway, in which each of the bedrooms branched off from. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. To go through the front, he'd have to run for it, and hope his parents wouldn't notice, which wasn't likely. To go through the back, meant he'd have to sneak through the bedroom hallway, in which every damn floorboard creaked. However, John would be snoring, and could give him a little cover, the back door was safer. David nodded to himself and tiptoed passed the kitchen table, stopping at the entrance to the long, dark hall, the back door glaring back at him at the very end, seemingly miles away. David frowned as he heard the echoing foghorn snore of his older brother from the third door down the hall, loud enough to wake the damn dead, but somehow, Dan, Tara, and Sara had gotten used to it. That or they just wear earplugs to bed... David chuckled at the thought, remembering the first few days after they'd moved here. John wanted David's room, the one above the living room on the second floor, but David had gotten first pick because of good grades, and of course, he chose the upstairs room, and John was pissed. But it didn't matter in the end, John lost the battle for the room and chose the second best, the door at the end of the hall, closest to the back door. Tara and Dan had chosen the biggest room on the first floor, the second door down, opposite the side of John's room, so poor Sara, got stuck with the first door, the smallest room. She didn't seem to mind that too much, she rarely spent time in her room anyway, but for the first week, she slept on the couch in the living room, John's snoring had kept her up and given her nightmares of the monster under the bed. David chuckled silently and shook his head, now was not the time to be thinking about family matters. He took a glance at his watch, 11:30. He'd wasted much more time than he thought, he must've zoned out when he was thinking about the room debate. He stared down the hall, and after a few more seconds of summing up courage, he took his first step forward. The wooden boards beneath him creaked in protest of his weight, and he quickly looked to the right, making sure his sister's door didn't open. He waited a few seconds, but it never did, he was safe for the moment. He looked at his watch again, 11:32. He didn't have time for this. David took a deep breath and held it, it was now or never. 1...2...3!!!!!! And like a rocket, David was gone, he shot down the hall like a demon out of hell, his feet seemingly sounded like exploding bombs against the creaking wooden floor, but he ignored them and kept going. The second door flew by and he came to a slow stop, directly in front of the back door. He panted heavily to himself, keeping still, his paw gripping the handle of the back door tightly as he listened for any signs of reaction. Silence... He smiled to himself, he'd made it, the parents were still asleep, John was still snoring, and Sara had- "David?" Oh shit... Startled, David turned his head back to glance down the hall, and found his 6 year old sister, Sara, standing just outside her doorway in her pink pajamas, looking at David. Her voice echoed in David's ears, the tone sounded concerned, but he didn't have time for her, he had to leave, now. "Go back to bed Sara, you shouldn- "What are you doing David? It's almost midnight, we don't leave for the lake until 6 in the morning. Silly big brother, did you set your alarm clock wrong again?" Sara smiled innocently. She had no idea what was happening, which made it easier for David. Lying to his sister wouldn't be easy. She'd always been so sweet, so innocent, so- "So damned annoying at times..." David tried not to smile and hushed the thought. He smiled back at his unwary sister, his paw still clenched to the doorknob. "Heh, yeah, you're right, silly me. Guess I'm still kinda excited, ya'know?" Sara smiled at her older brother and gave the stuffed horse she always had with her a little hug, both her thin arms, covered in snow white fur, wrapped around the plushy. "Alright Sara, I'm just gonna go throw my stuff in the car then I'll go on back to bed, but you shouldn't be up this late, get to sleep before mom finds out you're up." Sara grinned and nodded, disappearing into her room, the door closing behind her with a light click. David let out a long low sigh of relief as he looked at his watch. Sara's little appearance had cost him a few minutes, but at least the family wasn't aware. Wasting no more time, he gently opened the back door, stepped out, and let it click closed behind him.