Gentle Thoughts

By Paul Davis

Mari, a young student at a small college gets tangled in a web that her father created. With the help of a man named Dorien, Mari will try and survive the plots against her and against her father.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781326436414

Paul Davis

Dr. Davis directs a group of scientists who have defined molecular mechanisms for many non-genomic, plasma membrane-initiated actions of thyroid hormone, including actions on plasma membrane ion transporters, intracellular protein trafficking, phosphorylation of nuclear hormone receptors and of p53 and on transcription of specific genes. He has 5 patents issued and 25 US and international applications pending. Dr. Davis is a US Faculty Head in Endocrinology of the Faculty of 1000 Medicine and a member of the Endocrine Society, American Thyroid Association, American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, American Diabetes Association, American Association for Cancer Research and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Book preview

22

Sitting alone in her corner booth, Mari looked at the occupants of her common hang out. There was a family of four, a mother with three small children. The oldest looked about 4 and the other two were just babies. Her eyes shifted over the waiters and waitresses and then back to the costumers. Most she knew; some were travelers who had stopped here for a bite to eat before making the long journey to... wherever.

Karptil was a small rest stop town. It had two churches, a town hall, three schools, and was close to Transpa College, the small college in which she attended. The residents there were friendly, but few in this small town. The buildings were old, crumbling because there were no funds to keep them up. It was a virtual ghost town, founded some hundred and fifty years ago as a trading post for the hunters in the area. Once the areas around the town were perched of all its animals, the hunters moved on and all that was left were the settlers who had decided to call it home. After that, it didn't grow much more and was overlooked by most of the country.

Looking around again, she sighed. Mari hadn't grown up here, but she was fond of it. She was a big city girl. Moving from the greater metropolitan area to this rural speck of a town had been hard. The other kids had looked at the 16 year-old-girl as if she carried this horribly contagious disease. But the adults accepted her well enough, and by the time she went to college, it was as if she lived here all her life.

Mari looked at the family again and felt a pang of sadness. The mother was cradling the youngest in her arms. Longing and guilt entered her mind, but she pushed them aside. It wasn't your fault, she reminded herself. Miscarriages happen. And besides, at least you don't have to worry about feeding a child.

Are you alright, Mari? came a soft voice from her left. She looked up and saw that Jasmine had a worried look on her face. You seem distant today. And you're pale. The waitress sat herself across from Mari and her frown deepened.

Jasmine was around Mari's age, and the first person her age that had talked to her. In the time following, their friendship grew. Mari smiled at the memories that popped up of the two of them. She remembered that first day, Jasmine was wild about her. Mari had dyed blonde hair and black eyeliner on. Her makeup was green and blue to match her skirt and shoes. She had looked completely out of place in this town; but so had Jasmine. Mari remembered how Jasmine came up to her during lunch; her blue hair brightened by the sun light and a pink t-shirt with 'Savage' written on the front flapping in a light breeze. 'Yo.' Jasmine had said, 'Why don'cha come with us?' She had pointed to two guys and a girl behind her.

The memory faded as she returned to reality. Jasmine looked even more worried now. I'm alright. Mari managed. She glanced to the lady with the child again. Just having some gentle thoughts, Jas. She smirked.

Jasmine burst into laughter. Ay, I thought so. You usually get that look when you're deep in thought. Want me to get you some more Dr. Pepper?

Just as Mari shook her head a voice rose up. Hai! Jas! Get yer arse up and back to work!

I'ma comin'! Hold your horses! She turned back to Mari and gave a rueful smile, the smile she usually gave when she was worried. Take care not to turn those gentle thoughts to something more sinister. She smirked and hurried off to the customers that just walked in.

Gentle thoughts: A joke between the two friends. After they heard about all the school shootings, they had mocked the local newscaster when he said, 'Most of the teenagers at the school said these children were bright and always had gentle words and thoughts. Well, those gentle thoughts turned out to be sinister.'

Mari allowed herself a laugh. Something caught her eye and she just had enough time to duck out of the way before a fork flew by her face. Hey! she jumped up and looked in the direction it came from. A young woman was rushing toward her. She apologized several times to Mari and retrieved the fork from the floor behind the booth. When the lady sat down at a table near Mari, she realized that the fork had come from a small child sitting with woman.

She sat down again and regarded this family in silence. There was the mother, and the child. The mother seemed young, possibly early twenties and the child was no more then two years-old. There were also