Happy Reading!
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Prologue
March 12, 2007
The cool water lapped at her exposed toes and goosebumps lined her bare arms and legs, forcing her to shiver. She watched, mesmerized, as the sky darkened as if a sudden black blanket was thrown over the Earth. Clouds rolled and tumbled through the air, turning into a sickly green hue. An abrupt shout of thunder shook the ground, making her jolt in surprise. Stepping away from the increasingly agitated water, she retreated to higher ground. There, from the safety of her back porch, she continued to observe the mass hysteria that was the storm.
“Need some company?”
She looked up to see her friend, Nick Olsen from next-door, climb the wooden steps of her rotted porch.
“Sure,” she whispered softly, afraid that if she spoke too loud, it would break the spell the storm was casting.
“Pretty wicked, huh?” Nick commented, just as mesmerized as she was with the advancing waves now reaching unbelievable heights.
She glanced sideways to look at him. His hair was disheveled from the wild winds, making it stick up in odd angles. His lips were parted, black eyes wide with awe. She couldn’t deny the attraction she had for him. It wasn’t everyday that she met a boy who could compete with her six-foot-frame, but he blew her away, standing half-a-foot taller. Even if they had only been friends for a few months, she was a sucker for the tall boys.
“What?” he broke her concentration by turning to look at her.
Cheeks flaming, she quickly adverted her eyes. “Nothing,” she mumbled, thanking the Lord above for the cover of darkness to shield her pink cheeks.
“Ready for tomorrow?”
She was slightly shocked that he remembered. “Kinda. More nervous than anything else.”
He nodded in understanding. “I get that. I was too.”
“Really?” She found it hard to believe this. Nick always came off as overly confident. She couldn’t picture him ever being nervous.
“Sure.” He shifted his weight to his other foot. “I was afraid of looking stupid.”
“I bet you didn’t.”
He laughed. “Many people would beg to differ.” She just shrugged, shrinking deeper into her sweatshirt for warmth. “Got your speech all ready?”
“Yeah, as ready as it will be. Mom says she’ll get me there extra early though, so I can prepare myself.”
“Don’t freak yourself out. You’ll do great.”
“I hope so,” she whispered just as a bolt of lightening lit up the sky. It streaked through the clouds in a zigzagged pattern of florescent light.
“Sweet,” Nick mumbled, beaming.
“Yeah,” she agreed.
“Sylvia?”
“Hmm?” She turned at the sound of her name.
“Good luck with tomorrow.”
She noticed then that he was already halfway down the porch steps. “Oh, ah, yeah, thanks.” She forced a smile, hiding the disappointment she felt at him leaving.
“I have to go,” he said, as if he could sense her feelings. “Mom said I had to help her with the dishes.”
“That’s okay.”
“I’ll be there cheering you on!” he called as he walked away, his figure fading into the surrounding darkness.
She just smiled, her gaze returning to the sky. Butterflies were exploding in her stomach just thinking about tomorrow’s debate. She was still mystified at her mother’s ability to force her to join something that went against everything that she was. Did she not know that her only daughter had a tendency to stutter and blush whenever talking in front of people? Did she not know that she struggled to even make coherent sentences talking one-on-one?
Sylvia shook her head as another boom of thunder echoed in the air.
“Evening, Sylvia.” She froze at the sound of his voice. Snapping her eyes closed, she willed him away. This can't be happening! Not again. You’re not real. You’re not real. You’re not real! she repeated inside her head, feeling her limbs start to tremble.
She couldn’t take this. Not now. Not when her life was finally returning back to normal. She was in a new town, new school with new friends. She was finally normal. No more shrink. No more accusing parents. No more gossip.
She was free.
“Sylvia…” the voice taunted her, toyed with her, caressing her ears. She thought she had left this all behind her.
“Go away!” she cried out, clapping her hands over her ears, “Please, just go away!”
Silence.
She peeked through the slits in her eyes. Was he really gone?
She waited another moment, than breathed a sigh of relief. She was alone. It was probably just her imagining things. She really needed to get a grip. Especially with the debate coming up. She couldn’t let her team down.
With another glance at the fully-fledged storm, she left the porch for the warmth of her house. As the door closed, she swear she heard a voice whisper:
“You’ll be back… ”
