Prologue

Part 1

1900, New York

The wind whistled, as the midday sun hung high, shining brightly down upon the bustling yet modest, continuously expanding city of New York. Each and every citizen carried on as they walked by, living their lives much like the day that came before, with their shadows trailing behind them. Not a single soul noticed that three broke away from that crowd, turned the corner, and entered into a nearby dark and, honestly, somewhat dingy alley. After all, it was the perfect place for a meeting such as this. New York City had more important things to worry about than the meeting of these young minds.

For a moment, they did not speak. Each observed the others, taking in every little detail. It had been some time since they last had met; they simply didn't have the luxury of finding one another regularly.

"I do hope you realize we've got a long wait ahead of us," a purposeful , feminine voice broke the silence, followed by a collective sigh. It was the full embodiment of the frustration they felt at the very thought of waiting once more.

"Explain, how long are we talking this time?" This voice was at the very least curious at how long this time would be this time before they would find themselves together once. He had come to anticipate the predictable unpredictability of it; each time was different, nothing was ever the same. Silence followed. The girl didn't want to reply that particular question. She knew he wouldn't like the answer.

"We are around sixty two years prior." She took in her companions expressions, waiting to see how they would react to that particular news. This was definitely not what they had been hoping to hear, that they were several decades early.

The key players in the events that had yet to play out, well they had not even been born yet. They were not even a twinkle in their mother's eye. So much time stood between them and what was to come. Each of them wouldn't be able to anything but wait in the background, watching from the shadows as the world moved forward. Inconveniently, there was no way to hasten time.

It seemed clear to her that fate had spoken and decided that their part of this story, the story that was just now nearing its beginning, was to watch from the side-lines; to let the future's history play out the way it was meant to happen.

"Sixty two years?" the boy whom had been quiet until this outburst seethed through gritted teeth. He did not want to wait almost seven decades from now. That was simply too much to ask of him. By then he would be old, grey, stooped over, and senile, at the very least! He did not sign up for all this waiting, and it was grating on his last nerve to continually be subjected to it.

"Hush, you, someone might hear us," the second voice, paranoid and skittish at the thought of being discovered, chimed in once more. What would happen if someone, someone overly curious, listened in, listened too closely and ended up learning more than they should ever dare to know.

"No-one cares about this, look at them. They are all too wound up in their own little lives to notice what we're doing," the girl told him, raising her hands in a calming gesture, trying to reign the others back in and end this argument before things spiraled out of control and ended in a brawl. Now that would draw unwanted attention their way. Then questions would follow, and none of them wanted that. "We are to be shadows and nothing more."

It was a fact none of them could escape. Things quickly quietened down. Doubts still lingered under the surface, but no one wanted to speak up, to challenge their leader. She always knew more than the rest of them.

"We'll wait because we must, and we will live as we always do, lingering in the darkness, watching and observing the world as time marches on." This was an order, not a mere suggestion, and the boys were fully aware of that. "In thirty seven years' time we will meet again. This time on the roof top of the highest building in the city."

Thirty seven years between gatherings. That amount of time was difficult for the adolescents to even comprehend, and if it had come from the mouth of any other person, they would have called them crazy. By now, however, they knew better than to question the things she proclaimed.

Hence, it was set in stone, the time and place for the next meeting. "Until then, live, love and make something for yourselves." She let a knowing smile cross her lips as she spoke these words, it was always the same in the moments before they were to part ways until next time.

The three sets of eyes locked with one another, trying to imprinting each feature of one another's faces to memory, to predict what will change and what will remain in thirty seven years. To say it would be a long time now before they saw each other once again would be a gross understatement, had circumstances been normal. For them, though, it was always like this, saying 'until the next time we meet' to a kindred spirit who understood exactly what they were going through, unlike the rest of the world around them.

"Don't be late, guys; we will have much more to discuss when next we come together on the top of the world." It was a small joke, trying to lighten the mood, but she knew at least one of them would simply brush it off. The other let a smile of his own stretch across his thin lips.

As the last word left her own lips, she was the first to turn upon her heel and leave the alley, disappearing into the nearby crowd as they passed the mouth of the meeting place. The other two soon followed, going their own way, heading back into the world, becoming just another faceless individual as they tried to patiently wait for their moment, waiting for the right moment to step back into the light and feel free to be themselves once more.

Author's note: Beta'd by daisiesinthepages - Thank you for your help with this chapter :)