Chapter 1
Ember stared at the board, being quite bored herself. She yawned as quietly as she could, but of course her math teacher Mr. Moick heard her.
“Is there something you would like to say to the class Miss Sims? Perhaps you can answer this equation?” Ember sat up straight quickly and stared at the math problem, nibbling her lip until she could taste a drop of fresh blood.
“Uh…X=5,” she quickly guessed.
“Correct.” He scowled at her, and she sank into her chair, sighing.
“Mr. Moick has got it in for me, I swear,” she told her best friend Crystal after class. “I mean, seriously! I yawned, quietly. I was up studying for the Life Science test today! I mean, is that so wrong?”
“Yeah, he does look at you sorta weird. What did you do that made him hate you so much?” Crystal giggled, quickly stopping as Ember gave her the look.
“Its not funny Crystal,” Ember replied. “He’s totally out to get me!”
“Maybe I should put that in the school newspaper,” Crystal said, putting her finger to her lips. “Mr. Jeff Moick, out to get his students!” she laughed and Ember couldn’t help but laugh along.
They stopped as they walked into the cafeteria and saw a girl they had never seen before, sitting in their spot.
“Who is she?” Ember whispered.
“Oh, she’s the new girl, Lilly. She was in my World Studies class. I think she moved down here from Canada or something,” Crystal whispered back. They walked to their table and sat down across from the new girl.
“Hi, I’m Ember,” Ember smiled. She ran her eyes over the new girl, and noticed she was actually quite pretty. Her brown hair was cut to her shoulders, and looked as if it had been straightened. Her eyes were a dark shade of green and seemed to lock yours with them almost instantly.
“And this is my friend Crystal,” Ember finished.
Crystal did a small little wave even though Lilly was only about a foot away from them. “I’m in your World Studies class,” Crystal grinned and Lilly smiled back.
“I’m Lilly,” Lilly’s voice was quiet, but it seemed natural.
“So, where did you move from?” Ember asked.
“I already told-” Ember quickly stepped on Crystal’s foot. She would hate to let this nice girl know they had been talking about her.
“I’m from Alberta, Canada” Lilly said. Now Ember could hear the faint
Canadian accent that hung in the air.
“I bet its pretty there,” Crystal replied, smiling. “Does it snow there?”
“Oh yeah, it does,” Lilly smiled. “But I loved it there. We traveled all around Canada, Alberta was our last stop. But Prince Edward Island was pretty as well.”
“Oh, how quaint, the dorks have finally found a new dork to join their little breeding colony,” a taunting voice said.
The girls looked up into the face of none other than Brooke Weston. Ember’s hands clenched into fists. “Do you wanna have a broken nose for the dance?” Ember snarled, raising her fist.
“Do you want my eighth grade quarterback to come over here?” Brooke trembled slightly with fear as she met Ember’s eyes.
“I could take him, maybe he should bring a few friends. Then we’d be even.”
“Wait till I tell him you said that,” Brooke sneered and walked off.
“Ember,” Crystal scolded. “Please don’t do that, you’re going to get into trouble.”
“I don’t care Crystal. That girl has bugged me long enough. I mean, she acted as if we were cockroaches under a rock!”
“I know Ember, but if you fight fire with fire…well it doesn’t work so well,” Crystal said quietly.
“Crystal’s right Ember,” Lilly began, but she couldn’t finish because a shadow loomed over them.
Ember looked up slightly and saw a tall, dark, but…not that cute of a guy. “Why hello Jim, or should I say Jill?” she smiled cruelly.
Jim cracked his knuckles. “Do you really wanna do this sevy?”
“Of course I do! Wait till everyone hears you’ve been beaten up by a seventh grader, nevertheless, a girl. Boy, will they get a kick out of that or what?”
Jim couldn’t take it anymore. His fist lunged at Ember right into her stomach. She couldn’t breathe for a moment, but as quickly as it had gone, it was back. She stood up straight again and saw looks of amazment from everyone.
Jim looked behind him and she saw her chance. She drove her fist into his chest. He held where she had punched him, his face full of agony.
Ember didn’t know what was going on. She was so full of energy, and wanted…revenge. But…she couldn’t be feeling this way…what was happening to her?
He tried to tackle him but she quickly sidestepped out of the way, him sliding on the cafeteria floor. She kicked him hard on the back, making him groan in pain. “You had enough?” Ember asked darkly.
Crystal stared with disbelief at her friend. “Ember…” she whispered and stared as Jim got up, only to be kicked in the crotch by Ember.
“Ember!” she shouted. “Stop Ember!” But Ember didn’t stop.
“Ember, please! Please stop! You’re going to get in trouble!” Lilly yelled along with Crystal.
Suddenly, Jim had Ember in a choke hold. Ember couldn’t breathe, it hurt. She felt the ground drifting away from beneath her. Ember clawed at Jim’s arms. She kicked and felt him wince but he wouldn’t let go.
“Jim! Stop it!” Brooke was yelling. “You’re going to kill her!”
“Ember! No! Ember!” Crystal and Lilly were sobbing as Ember’s face began to turn purple and her eyes were locking.
Ember took in a deep breath and moved her neck as best as she could, sinking her jaws into Jim’s arms.
He dropped her with a yelp and Ember was on the floor, panting. Her head hurt and she couldn’t see clearly. Everything was a blur…but suddenly she saw someone, standing in the corner. She was wearing a dress of what seemed like flames, and had firey red hair, almost like Ember’s but only less blond. Her eyes were like blue fires, burning in Ember’s vision.
The woman was whispering something, but Ember couldn’t make it out. “What? I can’t hear you!”
The woman was fading and Ember began to try and get up. “Wait!” she called but the woman didn’t stop. “Wait!” Ember cried, but it was too late. The woman was gone.
“Miss Sims!” a voice brought her back to the real world and saw the principal, Principal Robins standing above her. She clutched her arm and pulled Ember up from the ground. Ember stared at the place where the woman was.
“Where is she?”
“Where is who dear?” the principal asked.
“That woman…she was standing in the corner and wearing a dress of fire…”
“You’re delirious. You should go to the nurse.”
“I’m not delirious! I’m fine! I know what I saw! I do!” Ember cried in protest, yanking her arm away from the principal.
“Miss Lits and…” the principal waited for Lilly’s last name.
“Chinston,” Lilly replied.
“Miss Lits and Chinston, will you please take Ember to the nurse?”
“Of course Principal Robins,” Crystal answered and slung Ember’s arms around their shoulders.
As soon as they were in the hall Ember yanked her arms off of them. “I’m okay, really!” she told them.
“Ember, come on, you nearly died!” Lilly pointed out.
“Yeah, and there was no woman, so you must be delirious,” Crystal told her, looking at her friend doubtfully.
“I know what I saw you guys! It was a woman and she was there. I am fine, now stop acting like my mom!” And with that Ember ran out of the school, into the fresh crisp autumn air.
“I know what I saw,” she told herself firmly. “I know it.”
but you could bring this up so many levels by considering the realism aspects of everything. I'd love to see more of this, and I hope I've helped you out.
Excited to read future installments.
