Crescendo || A Wolf Tale

prologue

"Mooom!" Wren was tearing through the living room, trying to find her laptop charger.

"What's going on Wren? You don't leave for another two hours," Jack, her older brother chuckled from the couch, where he was sprawled out, a book laying on his chest while he watched his sister's panic.

"You're probably sitting on it!" She glared at him, before grinning wildly and jumping on him.

"Ah!" He screamed in mock horror as they both tumbled off the couch trying to tickle each other and laughing.

Jack Greene was the oldest of her three siblings, and like all her brothers, he had brown eyes and light brown hair, with dark, easily tanned skin that half the girls in the town drooled over.

Timothy and Bill were in town getting groceries for their parents, who were still cleaning up from Wrens going away party.

A little over the top, she thought, since she was just going to New York for the summer - but like all things the Greene's did for their children, it had been done out of love.

"Wrenny, Jack! Be careful!" Their Mom chided as she came through the sliding doors from the back patio, "You're going to break something with all that wrestling one of these days!"

"Sorry Mom!" They both chimed at the same time.

Wren looked back at the couch, her eyes lighting up when she spotted her laptop charger - right where Jack had been laying.

She grabbed it and bounced to her feet, "You were sitting on it you jerk!"

She left him laughing on the floor as she darted back to her bedroom, tossing the charger on to the bed beside her suitcase.

At just 19, Wren was being given the opportunity of a lifetime - while the fall would take her to Julliard, for the next two months she was going to a prestigious music camp that was only for hand picked students attending Julliard.

Considering she was from such a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, Wren had never expected to be picked for the program, (nevermind being accepted to Julliard) but she was grateful for the opportunity.

Oak Falls was small, nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains - so small in fact that few kids here went to school in the next town over. The population was less than a hundred.

She finished up her packing, and dragged her suitcase, carry on bag, and violin case to the front door.

"Gosh, look at you!" Her Mom coo'd, "My baby is all grown up - I'm so proud of you darling!"

Wren leaned into her Mom's hug, "Thanks Mom - Are Tim and Bill back? Do you need help with dinner?"

Dinner was a casual meal, since they would be leaving after to drive Wren to the airport - and that was a two hour drive to Seattle.

Over hot dogs and a tray full of her Mom's homemade fries and onion rings, Timothy and Bill apologized for not being able to come - their Dad had downgraded to a smaller vehicle the previous summer, now that the boys all had their own cars, and there wouldn't be enough room for them all in his little Hyundai Venue.

Wren was fine with them not coming - even though Jack was the oldest, she'd always been closest to him, and he was still coming along to see her off with their parents.

The drive was both fun and a little sad for Wren - she sang along to favorite songs with her parents and brother, and told them about all the places she wanted to visit in New York. Her mother cried over the fact that her only daughter was going away, by herself, for the first time ever, and how much she was going to miss her.

Once they had her checked in, her father pulled her in for a tight hug.

"I'm gonna miss you pumpkin," he said softly, before pressing a small journal into her hands.

"An early birthday present," he said, "To record your thoughts and memories this summer."

Wren would be coming home before her birthday, but her father had always been the sentimental sort.

The dark purple, soft leather cover felt luxurious in her hands, and she smiled up at him, love and gratitude filling her heart.

"Thanks, Daddy. It's beautiful."

"Alright kid," Jack pulled her in for a tight hug next, "We'll miss you - you go make beautiful music and show them how amazing you are - right?"

She nodded eagerly, "I will!"

Her Mom was last, "Oh, I'm going to miss you so much, baby!"

"I'll miss you too - I love you Mom!"

Feeling a little teary, she headed over the line they couldn't follow, for a summer of music and adventure.

As she progressed through security, and through the airport to the proper terminal, she couldn't shake a feeling of dread from settling in her stomach.

Something told her everything would be different after this summer.