Prologue: Albany, late October

Fall in northern New England was rapidly unwinding. The leaves had fallen, reducing many trees to skeletal doppelgangers of their summer selves, simple bony shadows that would stand silently against the icy alabaster of winter. The night air was crisp and here, in the city, dim, emaciated starlight struggled past the light pollution that surrounded the urban area. This was especially true here in the northwest part of the city where the steady hum of I-87 and the occasional roar of the Albany International Airport drowned out almost everything else.

Carter Schmidt, a gangly seventeen year old boy, sat alone in his rusted 2002 sedan. His hands were shaking as he pushed a stray curl of his loo long sandy hair from his glasses. He was scared but now would be his time. He would show all of them!

He checked his phone. Nothing. No texts, no voice mails, no group chat of friends. No word from that blonde girl Amanda. She had just laughed at him anyway. Not even his Mom had asked where he had disappeared to. He was alone. That was okay. It didn’t matter. This was his time.

His car was parked in front of a silent HVAC company, it’s work vehicles parked in an orderly row in the fall darkness. On the other side of the street was a large warehouse, shrouded in black obscurity, a worn sign of a real estate developer proclaimed that ‘Warehouse Space’ was available inside. It was empty, Carter knew that. He had broken into the place through a loose doorway.

Breaking and entering was probably the greatest accomplishment of his young life he thought bitterly.

The overhead roar of a passing plane summoned the young man back to reality. Carter shook his head groggily, waiting for nervousness and excitement to restore his energy. He smiled but it was a bitter smile like the one he had when he watched a stray cat die by his own hand.
He got out of the worn car and got his items out of the trunk. He laughed a dark laugh. These were the accouterments of his craft! He was going to show them all tonight. Everything was there: a gym bag, a heavy six cell mag-light, a kitchen knife, and the cage holding his little sisters guinea pig. Any proper wizardry required a blood sacrifice! Carter glanced up and down the street, hurrying to the darkened warehouse.