Hope Striders: A New Beginnings End

By Ellyssa Muniz

“My name’s Ryan,” he said clearly.

“How in the world did you get in my room?”

“You know, Kay, leaving doors open the way you do this window is just an invitation for someone to come in.”

He smiled at the thought. “Like me. Unfortunately you wouldn’t want people like me coming through your window.”

“And why’s that? You’re going to hurt me? You’re going to steal from my house? Dude you have no idea who you’re messing with.”

“That’s where your wrong. I know exactly who I’m dealing with, and in turn that’s where you fall short because you have no idea who you’re dealing with. If you did, you’d be begging for me not to kill you.” I swallowed hard knowing that he wasn’t a normal burglar. He’s someone that knows me, but just like he said I didn’t know him. Did he know I have powers? I quickly thought of pain but all he did was smile. Did he know what I was doing? He stepped forward as he tapped the side of his temple. “Don’t try to get in here little girl because you’re nowhere near my strength. In fact you’re the complete opposite of what people described you as.”

My eyes widened in shock. He knew who I was and what I could do. “But how--”

“How I know you? Simple, you learn about that person. That’s what you do when you go after someone before you kill them.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499045871

Ellyssa Muniz

Ellyssa Muniz is excited to release her second book to her series Hope Striders. She has been overwhelmed with the support she has been receiving through the course of her release of her first book, Hope Striders: A New Beginnings End. She’s currently writing the third book and looks forward to hearing back from her readers. Ellyssa is currently working on her bachelor’s degree in social psychology at Southeastern University and continues to stay headstrong in her faith to drive on the force by giving God all the glory in all of her endeavors.

Book preview

CH 1

I leaned the side of my forehead on the frigid window, watching things soar past us as we drove through what was announced to be the coldest night. I tried to focus on what we were passing up, but everything seemed to blur out of my vision. Almost like how someone would take a moving picture and it just didn’t quite match up to their expectat ions.

I sighed heavily, leaving my thoughts. It didn’t matter what I saw because everything was the same, nothing ever changed. I eyed the window once more from the backseat of the car hoping for something new. Maybe a new beginning. Anything that could fill in this hole that’s been empty for six years now. I pushed that thought away faster than I could think of a memory that I knew was itching to push through the wall I constructed up those many years ago. My family and I were heading up north during the winter. Was it my choice? Absolutely not. If it was up to me, I’d be on a beach somewhere drinking an orange juice with a cute small umbrella sticking out of it. But no, my dad thought an adventure awaited us beyond the snowy mountains.

The snow fell tenderly onto the ground like feathers. I pressed my finger on the window and drew two dots and a small curve underneath it. I pulled away my finger to see the inadequate emoji I created from the fog that gripped to the window. I wiped my hand across my drawing, and through the clear opening I saw a shadowed figure holding up a sign farther ahead. When it finally came closer, the cold outside hazed the window once more; by the time I wiped it over with my hand, the figure outside was far too long behind us. I snapped my head back hoping to get the back of the person, but there was nothing but a shrinking shadow.

I looked down at my brother, Liam, who was fast asleep in my arms. He barely moved a muscle as he laid his head on my chest. His breathing was unclear from the rise and fall from his body, but that was just who he was as a person. He was good at being unnoticed, just like his sister. However, Liam was the stronger one. He always found a way to keep me pushing on till the next day. Especially when Mom died.

I was only eight when my dad took me to my room and sat me down on my bed and carefully told me that my mom wasn’t ever coming home from the hospital, and that this thing called cancer took her away from us. He sounded so sure that everything will be all right and that nothing will change. He was so sure, that I believed him—we both did.

He lied.

Our family took a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turn for the worse after my mother died. My brother, who was only seven at the time, began to get in fights, and his grades were spiraling down tremendously. As I was looking at him now, lying on my chest in the car, he finally looked like hope. Seven years later today, we head to my dad’s honeymoon. He married my brother’s principal named Lisa. I should’ve known sparks were happening between them; after the fifteen visits to the principal’s office because of Liam’s misbehavior, a proposal was expected.

Honey, please slow down.’’ She said tiredly, as if this was the seventh time he said it. Oh wait, it was. I smirked at her tone as she continued repeating her complaints, ‘‘It’s snowing, and it’s dark out, Lisa said. She never wanted us to call her mom, but she was happy to be a Wormwood and considered herself part of the family.

I looked out the window once more reminiscing of the good times we had with my real mother. Not that she was bad or anything—she just wasn’t her. My mom was the best, and she was unbelievably beautiful. Her hair was smooth as silk, and her eyes blazed with compassion. The way she looked at people made them feel like the most important person in the world. Her smile was so soft a feather couldn’t compare. When I looked into the mirror, I couldn’t say what other daughters say when they see their mother in them. My mom was beautiful. She composed herself so well that no one could ever match up to her. Thinking about her now, I can say that she was more than my mom; she was my best friend.

I switched back out of my thoughts to focus on my dad when he spoke up yet again, Babe, I’m going forty-five. It’s okay, my dad said with a creeping smile on his face. He always thought her paranoia was cute, but after a while, it became un-cute. This was a new experience for all of us. Especially for my dad who seemed to have a tough time controlling the car from gliding on the ice that stuck to the road, but he’d never admit it.

My stepmom wasn’t the meanest mom, like how they describe them in the fairy tale movies, but she’s definitely up there with the paranoid stepmoms. Lisa, it’s okay. My dad knows what he’s doing. My dad tilted his head back at me with a ‘yeah right’ smile.

Liam shifted his body on me, and I automatically went still. He hasn’t slept in an exceedingly long time, thirty-two hours to be exact. I blame the pills the therapists prescribed for him. They believe that he’s developing a disorder called schizophrenia because Liam claims he’s been hearing voices in his head. I know my brother, and if anybody were to go crazy in our family, it would be me.

I brushed his hair out of his eyes and just stared at him. He isn’t the brightest of the bunch, and people pick on him a lot because of how weird he is, but I love him. He may have his moments, but he’s still my brother, and I’d do anything for him.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one who hadn’t gotten sleep, but no one really knew that, though I believe my dad took it the hardest. At the age of eight, I had to learn how to be an adult. It was six years later after my mom died, and my dad still acted the same. He barely left his room for anything. He said merely three words to Liam and me every other day. It was only when Liam was sent to the principal’s office to be suspended that my dad had to get up and meet with Lisa herself.

I looked back out the window, and the same black figure holding up the sign was up ahead just like before. It was like déjà vu, but this was real. I kept wiping the glass every time I saw the window start fogging up again. This time I was for sure to see who it was.

As the figure came closer, the face became clearer. It was a lady, but she looked so young. She was wearing hobo clothes, but it didn’t match her. She looked like she’d be a model. Her face was so pale but at the same time looked smooth as marble—almost perfect. She just stood holding her sign staring at me. The sign read, Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end. By the time I looked back up at the girl’s face, she was already behind us slowly getting smaller as we drove off. The girl dropped her sign and turned around and met my eyes dead-on. I turned and sat back in my seat just staring at the back of the headrest in front of me, too afraid to look back.

The way she looked at me was in a way I couldn’t explain. She stared at me as if she was trying to tell me something. Was it the sign? Could it be that obvious? Or am I simply overanalyzing this and she really was a hobo that looked like a model? I looked out the window and saw the outline of where I wiped my hand over the glass. Behind it were Christmas lights. We passed through a small village that was flooded with Christmas decorations and beautiful lights that brighten up the night sky. Everything was finally coming together, and our family might finally have a chance of getting back to normal, or at least semi-normal. I’m too nervous to say it, but I’m willing to think it.

There’s a slight hope rising in my heart that genuinely believes that there really is an adventure beyond the snowy mountains. One, with a new beginning. Dare I hope?

I smiled as I noticed a small sign coming up that said Wicker Bridge. As we drove over it, I leaned against the window, just enough to get a better view of the frozen lake below us. The crystals danced over the surface sparkling from the moons angelic lighting. How deep do you think the lake is, Dad? I asked.

He looked over to Lisa’s side and tried to get his own view. Probably not that deep, three or four feet at most.

Are you sure? It said no ice-skating back there on that sign.

Lisa looked over to make her own opinion. I’m fairly sure it’s more than four feet, Hun. Her voice began to shake as she turned to look over to my dad. It’s probably—Tom! Watch out! Lisa yelled at the top of her lungs. The high beams that headed toward us got brighter and brighter. We were literally heading toward the light, as the saying went. Except these lights weren’t directing us to a better place.

I could see the guy waving his hands as if he was trying to warn us, but it was too late for my dad to react. The van hit us on an angle, spinning us off the bridge and down into the lake. The front of the car was the first to get hit by the impact of the ice. The ice was thick but not thick enough from breaking into chunks; opening up a hole as big as the size of an in-ground pool. Apparently, this lake was no lake at all. It was a river. A very fast-flowing river with a current. We could feel the car getting sucked into the course of the stream jerking us back and forth every few seconds.

My dad hit the air bag as it deployed as well as my stepmom; however, she got the worst of it. Immediately she went unconscious. I held on to my brother from hitting anything, but I wasn’t so lucky. My head hit the headrest where Lisa sat, opening up a gash on the top of my eyebrow. I felt the blood drip around my eye as I got myself situated back on my seat. Liam started panicking because he didn’t know what was going on. He kept turning his head back and forth, hoping to find out what happened and where we were.

The ice-cold water came rushing in from the front side of the car; immediately my dad reacted like any normal human would, but Lisa didn’t react like I hoped because she was already unconscious. I looked out my window, and I could see the car getting devoured by the fast-paced river. We had about five minutes to get out, or we’d be engulfed along with it. I turned to see my dad opening the sunroof on top of the car. He could only get it open halfway because of the ice keeping it from getting free.

The water at this point was at my knees, and my foot felt like that weird sensation when your leg falls asleep and it becomes numb, yet I could feel thousands of needles poking me all at once. I got both my feet on top of the seat as well as Liam’s who was still confused at what was going on. He looked over at Lisa who was limp, and the only thing that was holding her up was her seatbelt. Her head hung over as if she were really dead. Liam’s eyes widened at the sight of her body. Is she dead?! He screeched.

No, son, she’s just unconscious right now. My dad looked over to me. Katie, I need you to get your brother through the sunroof quickly, and then I need you to hurry behind, so I can pass up Lisa. I nodded and did exactly what I was told. Thankfully Liam was skinny because the sunroof wasn’t open as far as I hoped. When Liam was safely on top of the car, I put my hands on the side of the sunroof and pushed myself up through it. The water put on ten extra pounds to my weight, making me wobble a little as I got to the top.

I looked down into the car, and I could see the water was filled up to my dad’s shoulders. He finally got Lisa free from her seatbelt, and he brought her up to the opening so I could pull her up. Liam tried to be helpful by pulling one of her arms as I pulled both. Lisa’s dead weight was unfathomable, but I finally got a hold of her. My dad came through the roof dripping wet. I could see his lips convert into a dark purple shade, but so did the rest of us.

My dad got to my side and picked up Lisa from my arms. He nodded toward the side where the ground was still frozen solid. I jumped from the car to the ice, and I quickly turned around and stretched out my arms to take Lisa from my dad. Her body weighed. I attempted to hold her up but her weight refused to be elevated. I slowly lost the fight and I faltered toward the ground with her body still on top of me. My dad was about to say something, but the car jerked forward, and Liam fell over the side of the car into the rapid river.

Liam! I yelled. I tried to get to him, but Lisa’s body didn’t let me. She was too heavy for me to push off.

Liam’s head came up from the water, gasping for air. Immediately, my dad laid on the car and stretched out his hand for Liam to grab but barely got his fingers. The river was too strong, and my brother was getting sucked down with the car. My heart was beating so fast I couldn’t keep up with it. It felt like it was about to jump out of my chest. For a brief second, I saw Liam’s green lily pad eyes focus on me from the side. With all the water around him, the droplets coming from his eyes were coming from him. I could see him mouthed the words, Never let go.

My dad yelled, Hang on, son! Don’t give up! But I think Liam already had. I pushed Lisa off me with whatever strength I had, and I crawled up as fast as I could back on the car. I reached out to my brother next to my dad.

Just when I thought I was no better than him, a wave pushed him closer to me, and I got hold of his hand. Don’t let go! he said as the water overpowered him.

I’ll never let go! I yelled.

He knew deep down he wouldn’t make it. But my dad had hope, and so did I. He slid farther out almost tipping over the side of the car. He got a hold of his shirt and tried to pull him up with that, but the more he pulled, the more the car went down. The car jerked again, but this time there was more pull.

My dad turned to me. Go! Help Lisa!

Not until we get Liam! I yelled back.

I said go! I looked at him with tearful eyes. When I got up, I ran and jumped to the other side. I landed hard on the ice, hearing it crack. When I looked down, the crack formed a line. When I tried to move away from it, the line began to grow faster and faster. Finally, it reached where my dad was picking up Liam from the water, and it cracked another ice, sucking up the car with them on it.

I stood up quickly and went to the opening of where our car used to be. I could see nothing but the rush of the frigid river going underneath the frozen ice. Dad! Liam! I yelled. I ignored the sharp pain that surged throughout my whole body. Tears came down my face as I continued to yell, Liam! Dad! I fell to my knees as I continued to sob. My hands were so frozen I could barely feel the ice underneath them as I tried to pull myself up from the ground. I looked up and whispered, Please don’t leave me. Please.

I felt two big hands cup under my arms from behind me. I turned my head hoping it was my dad, but it wasn’t. It was an older man with a beard. He was wearing a big coat with gloves. When he picked me up into his arms, I saw another guy picking up Lisa. They were both massive guys wearing almost the same thing. They wore a similar symbol on the side of their sleeves. It looked like a red cross. Perhaps the paramedics? I could see the blue and red lights in the distance behind us, away from the hole that was created from our nonexistent car.

I turned my head to the open ice where my dad and my brother once were. I pointed to the ice. Wait! Please help my dad and my brother! They’re still out there! Please help them! I didn’t notice the other guy that was with us until the man that held me passed me from his arms to the other paramedic.

I watched him as he carefully stepped to the open water. He leaned his head over and watched for a moment. He turned around and looked at the guy who held me and shrugged. He said, Sorry, sweetie, I can’t see anything. The current might’ve taken them under. He turned his head to his partner and swirled his finger in the air, ‘’We’re going to need a search party out here.’’ He turned around and headed to the flashing lights, but I just stared at where the rest of my family ended. I was alone.

I must’ve been deep in my thoughts because when I finally registered my surroundings I was already off the ice. The guy put me down and yelled out for blankets for Lisa and me. She finally came to, and she became hysterical. There were cops and two paramedics that had to hold her down in order for her to pull herself together. She looked at me surprised, not understanding why I just sat there with my knees close to my chest just staring back at her. Could she blame me? Nothing mattered to me anymore. There was no point in crying. I felt like I was here, but I wasn’t. I pressed my forefinger to my temple on the side of my head when a throbbing pain began. I quickly brushed it off as a headache from the cold. I looked up and saw that everybody had their attention on Lisa. I watched as everybody aided her as I sat on the edge of the ambulance calm and unmoving, until the sharp pain from before came back a little bit stronger. The headache turned into an excruciating migraine. My teeth clenched tightly as the pain continued to grow. I fell to the ground with my hands grasping my head, but just when I thought the pain would never end, it stopped. When I looked up, everyone that was near me was on the floor grasping their heads just like me, even Lisa. My eyes widened in shock as I stood up. I looked over the people who laid there just like me moments ago until one person caught my attention. Standing there in her model glory was the same lady that was on the road earlier with the sign staring at me from afar. She lifted the side of her lips into a soft smile and then faded into the fog.

I looked back at everyone who was slowly recovering from whatever had happened a few minutes ago. I don’t know how but the image was clear and crisp in my thoughts. I could see the words of her sign like it was embedding itself into my brain. Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

* * *

Three Years Later

Waking up in the morning since school ended was no picnic. I felt like the morning was nothing but a drag. Now mind you, I’m not a morning person, unlike Lisa, but lately that hasn’t been the case.

Only because today’s the anniversary of both my dad’s and my brother’s deaths.

This whole week was just a dark, depressing week. I haven’t run in a while, and Lisa, who’s usually the first one up, stayed in bed twenty minutes before she had to go to work. She looked worse than I did, which is pretty bad, seeing that I look like a monster first thing in the morning.

As I dazed into another hopeless dream, a slow and steady but clear echo appeared in the distant. It felt like my ears were clogged with a sudden buzz. The sound rose with a vicious need of recognition.

I jumped up out of bed with a savage need of sleep. I swung my arm to my nightstand on the side of my bed, and I grasped the alarm clock, which kept crying with the most outrageous tone.

All fingers fastened tight around the clock. I launched the thing with whatever strength I could gather, and it made a distinct clash against the wall. I wasn’t quite sure if it shattered to the floor, but it did stop. I smiled carelessly under my breath. It was hard to open my eyes with the sun shining through my window and into my face.

I brought my feet to the edge of the bed and wondered when they became so heavy. I felt like I was dragging myself across the carpet. Finally, at the bathroom, I plunged my head under the running faucet, trying to wake myself up.

It did work…for like a second.

I stepped into the bathtub, and the sudden rush of cold from the shower felt like bullets hitting my skin. I shivered as I waited for the abrupt change of temperature, but it felt like hours before it finally made the transition from cold to hot. I rinsed myself from head to toe still feeling drowsy. I got out and searched through my dresser for clothes to wear for work. I put on a red T-shirt that still had my small name tag that said, Hello, my name is Kay. I never liked it—never will. After putting on my worn-out jeans and my running sneakers, I tiptoed downstairs and headed to Lisa’s room. She looked like she was hugging the bed. That, or she was making sure no one was going to be able to lie down anywhere near her. I smiled and whispered, Lisa? I’m heading to work. All I got was a small hand gesture and I think a moan that sounded like a bye. Yeah, I love you too. I rolled my eyes and closed the door.

I locked the front door behind me and went out to the driveway to do my morning stretch. My job isn’t that far away, but I tend to take the longer route in order to let my mind think. Think about life, think about Lisa, but mostly today would be about my dad and my brother.

I’m usually early to my job, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. Being a librarian assistant has its perks. Not many would say they’re good perks, but for someone who likes to read, they’re pretty fantastic. It’s too bad I don’t like to read.

I only got the job because it was the only place hiring, and it was the only place that opened the earliest so I could get my morning run back on schedule. All the cool jobs were already taken by the popular kids at school.

Having to run in the cool brisk morning really kept me going throughout the day. The sky is the perfect blue when the sun rises up. It was so quiet and peaceful, and around this time not many people are even up yet, though running this morning made me think otherwise. Something was different, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Not until I came up close and personal with it. There was a new small black building that was between the gift shop and the History of Heritage. The sign on the top said Psychic Palm Reading. I shook my head in disbelief. This town was weird enough. The last thing they needed was a fake psychic moving in.

Originally, I was going to pass it up like I didn’t have a care in the world for it, but the closer I got, the more I realized I was slowly decreasing my pace to a stop.

The store had tinted windows that had a hand and the word PSYCHIC planted like a sticker on the outside of it.

The tinted windows seemed a little eerie. I always wondered if someone was looking out from the other side. I pressed my face against the window and covered the sides of my eyes with both hands so that the light wouldn’t reflect off the glass. But even with that, I could barely see anything besides curtains.

I quickly backed away from the window when I saw a lady in black and orange in an African dress with her hair pinned up in a head wrap. She wore all sorts of bracelets around her wrists that made a distinct sound every time she moved. She opened the door and leaned against the side of it and just watched me watch her.

I tried to stare back at her confidently, but the more I stared back, the more she smiled. She moved slightly, and I flinched. I didn’t know but something about her made her seem uncanny. She beckoned me to come inside the shop with her little hand gesture.

I just shook my head and turned to continue running, but my arm was pulled back. I turned my head to see the lady’s hand wrapped around my forearm. Get off me, lady!

She immediately let go of me. I’m sorry, she said in an African accent. I see wonderful things in your future. Would you like to hear it? I’m also new here, and it would be nice to know someone.

Yeah, well, grabbing their arms is definitely not the way to go, lady.

She smiled. Grabbing customer’s arms not good. Check. And my name is Lauren Heckler, but you can call me Lauren.

Yeah, well, Ms. Heckler, I actually have to head to work. Maybe later.

But the library doesn’t open until another two hours. Do employees have to get there that early?

According to my watch, it says that I need to be there in an hour. I showed her my wrist.

She smiled. Honey, your watch is an hour ahead. Did you forget to set it back?

No, was I supposed to?

For daylight savings time, yes.’’ She chuckled. ‘‘Unless you like to get to places an hour early.

Great, I felt like a fool in front of her, not only because of this so-called daylight savings time but also because I have to wait two hours at the library doors waiting for my late boss.

Now if it was any other town, I’m sure someone could get over being two hours early, but for me that was a very bad thing. Not many people know, but they’re some people that get into some bad things around this time.

I had no choice but to walk into this disturbing store. Weird thing was, deep down I kind of wanted to know what was inside. I always saw these things in movies, but I never actually been in one. I walked inside the store, which seemed a lot smaller from the outside. It was like a small buggy with twelve people coming out of it. I watched Ms. Heckler as she followed me in. So how did you know I worked at the library? Then I thought for a minute. Oh, right, you’re psychic.

Well, I was going to say you were wearing a library shirt, but psychic works too. She smiled. I’ll be right back. She turned and headed to the doorway with all the falling beads that hung from it. She made a pathway through them, and they clanked together, making the sounds of marbles dropping all over the floor.

I looked around the room and saw what anybody would see in a movie with psychics. Of course, the center of the room held a round table with a crystal ball in the middle. On the shelves there were little bottles, each having its own label on the front. There was one side of the store that had many jewels and necklaces hanging from clips on the wall. Each necklace had its weird design to make it its own unique feature; however, they were pretty much the same thing except a different swirl here and there. Normally, I’m not into costume jewelry, but there was one that I couldn’t keep my eyes off. I didn’t know why I thought it was different from all the rest. I hated jewelry and I didn’t think it was anything different from the others, but here I was staring at it from the side. At first, I avoided it. I told myself to stay put, but something in my chest was tightening and I just had to see what it was. I licked my lips nervously and took a step toward it, almost in a trance like state. Before I could even register what I was doing, I already had the necklace gently pressing some of its weight on the middle of my palm as it dangled on the hook. I squinted my eyes to relish the details. Before I could really take it all in my heart jumped inside my chest when I heard footsteps coming from the hall.

From behind, I heard the sound of marbles dropping to the floor again. I turned to see Ms. Heckler come between the beads hanging from her doorway. I waited for her to sit down until she finally looked up and gestured for me to come sit with her. I didn’t move when she told me, partly because I was too afraid to hear what she had to say. She waited for me to move, but when she realized I wasn’t, she said softly, Please, Kay, come sit down.

I kept my eyes on her as I slowly walked over to the table. I pulled the chair out from under it and carefully sat down. How do you know my name?

She replied with the slightest smile, Silly girl, it says it on your shirt. She looked toward my name tag so that I may follow her gaze.

As I followed her eyes, I realized she stood up from her chair. I immediately examined her as she moved across the room. She wore an orange-and-black dress with swirls of its own. Halloween pretty much blew up all over her dress.

She looked over the necklaces on the wall. After a few moments of silence, she came back over to the table and sat down. She intertwined her hands and placed it under her chin while her elbows placed firmly on the table. She tilted her head slightly to the left. I didn’t know what she was waiting for, but she made me feel even more uncomfortable. Am I missing something? I asked.

I noticed you were eyeing one of my necklaces on the wall. Her eyes pointed me to the direction where I saw it. Does it interest you? Her voice was so gentle and sweet, and even though she looked innocent, she had a mystifying persona that came along with her.

You tell me. You’re the psychic.

She laughed. This is true. Do you want it?

Not if it’s from you, I said but quickly placed my hand over my mouth in shock. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say it like that. I’m not so great with other people when I get nervous, or at all really.

She smiled. I can understand that you’re nervous around me; not many people enter my shop. There are rumors that go around way too fast in this town. I don’t want to be rude, but this town is very judgmental, if you know what I mean.

Trust me, I know exactly what you mean. I thought about all the times I’ve been judged at school.

I’ve been here for a week now, and I feel like such an outsider. I would usually see you run pass my store every day. You seemed like you had a lot on your mind at the time.

I run when I have to think, that’s all.

Well, that’s good to know. I thought you were in trouble or something. You were running pretty fast. She pulled out the necklace that I fell in love with earlier from out of her dress pocket.

You can have it if you want. I’m not doing anything with it, and it seems perfect with you. It might help. She handed it to me.

I didn’t grab for it like she expected. I just stared at her palm with the necklace carefully placed in the middle of it. I looked back up at her as she continued to stare at me waiting for me to respond. What’s the catch? I smiled.

She shook her head. No catch. See it as a—gift.

Why would you give me a gift?

Why wouldn’t I? She tilted her head again.

Because it’s not normal to give random people you don’t know gifts out of the blue. Plus, you don’t look like the giving type.

Oh really, well, what’s wrong with being different?

I didn’t say it was wrong to be different; truthfully I think being different is great. I’m glad to hear that. Now take it. She pushed the necklace closer to me. Do you like it? she paused. I stared at it in amazement, shaking my head in disbelief. If you don’t like it, give it back. She pushed her hand forward with her palm opened. I pulled the necklace closer to me. That’s what I thought. She pulled her hand back in victory.

I rolled my eyes to myself.

I should have said no, but my lips said yes. I admired it as it lay in the middle of my hand. It was so beautiful. It looked like a stone crystal shaped like a heart. It was clear enough for me to be able to see right through it. The yellow spiral in the middle had a gold trimming that glittered in the light. The longer I stared the more my eyes convinced my mind that it was moving. It was nothing I had ever seen before.

I looked up at her to see her leaning over the table to get a better look at the crystal. She pointed at it and said, You know, there’s a really cool story that goes with that crystal. She sat back in her chair and smiled as if she knew something I didn’t. Would you like to hear it?

CH 2

I s this a true story or some kind of ghost story? I said.

It’s not a ghost story.’’ She shook her head. ‘‘Some may say it’s more of a legend. She smiled gently. Some even consider it a prophecy.

Myth or not, they’re all the same. They end up being some kind of fairytale that give people false hope in the supernatural. I slowly rose from my seat to show I wasn’t going to stand to hear any of this rubbish anymore. Ms. Heckler grabbed my forearm with quick fluidity. She tried to smile again, but it came off as more of a plea.

You might want to rethink about listening to me. It might change your way of life quicker than you think. She let go of my hand to sit back down. Or it may do nothing, and you can leave here as you were. What do you have to lose? She tried to smile again, but it came out as a smirk. A very awkward smirk. I thought to myself for a minute. In a way, she was right; there really is nothing I could possibly lose. I looked at my watch and thought, I still have time. I eyed her one last time before giving in. I was interested. That stone crystal was passed down from generation to generation, looking for the rightful owner to claim its undoubted powers.

So, it’s alive? I lifted my eyebrows. There might’ve been some sarcasm somewhere in there as well, but I’m not too sure.

She snapped back, Don’t interrupt. She took a deep breath. Now, where was I?

Something about rightful owner? I said quietly, dragging my hands off the table and onto my lap like a kid in trouble.

Oh, right! To its rightful owner. It was said that when it does reach its rightful owner, she would be endowed with its unlimited power. But she must be aware that once she puts on the necklace, she may never take it off. Once the necklace is connected with the host it’ll connect with the human’s life force.

I caught myself leaning into the table, wanting to hear more. Without even thinking of the repercussions I asked, What happens if it’s taken off?

Ms. Heckler looked at me with great satisfaction as if she finally reached her goal of getting me interested. ‘‘The connection would be lost. And eventually so will her life."

I leaned back into the chair, Harsh.

Ms. Heckler breathed out a heavy sigh, It’s rather sad really, but there it is.

How would she know she was the true owner? She could easily walk past the stone and not think twice about it.

Oh, but the true owner would know.

How? I insisted.

The stone will call to her, she whispered.

We stared at each other briefly in silence before my lips curved upward. I couldn’t help but laugh. I didn’t mean to. I even tried holding it in, but the more I tried, the worse it was when it finally came out. Are you seriously going to sit there and act like all this mumbo-jumbo is true? Ms. Heckler had a straight face. I stood up from my chair and headed for the door. I tried not to listen to the nagging thought in my head, but I thought it didn’t hurt to ask. How would you know it was a she? It could’ve been a ‘he’. I turned and stretched my hand for the doorknob.

Because only a ‘she’ can wear it. It’s not meant for a man to withhold. But once you do find it, you will notice as time passes that you will soon meet new people that are just as similar. One would be wearing a ring strangely the same as your necklace. There will be someone with a bracelet and a pair of earrings. They would come across your life, and you won’t even notice how alike you are to them. They come together to be called the Hope Striders.

Yeah, right. I couldn’t get myself to finish the sentence after realizing she referred to me in the story. All I kept hearing was your or you. Does she think I’m the owner of the necklace?

Right when I was about to ask her, she interrupted me, ‘‘I think you’re late for work. She placed both hands gently on the table and lifted herself up from the chair. As much as I wanted to ask the question, I looked at my watch, and my nerves began to pick up. I was already ten minutes late for my job. I brushed my hand over my face and ran through the doorway without looking back. From behind me, I heard a faint call from Ms. Heckler, Bye, Katie, I’ll see you again."

I trotted to a stop to turn around and saw no one. I looked down at my name tag, and it only said Kay. How did she know my full name? No one knew my full name, not even my stepmother. I left the thought behind me and ran to work.

Being late to work wasn’t what I had in mind when I woke up this morning. As I ran, I noticed from the corner of my eye a group of guys who watched me as I came closer to them. I could see them leaning into each other, smiling and whispering. All of them seemed similar in kind. Except one. There was one guy who leaned against the metal fence a little farther away from the group. He had his arms across his chest and his head forward. I felt his eyes on me, but I could barely get a glimpse of what they looked like. My thoughts were diverted when I noticed the other guys turning their heads toward me. They continued to stare, so I ran faster.

I was finally at my job. I ran through the parking lot, and I noticed a black Honda in the manager’s parking space, and I mumbled, Crap. I pushed the door open, hoping I wasn’t in too much trouble; but there he stood, my boss, Mr. Crapaloyd. Strangely that is his real name. His name definitely fits him.

He gave me one of his own famous stares. The stare I like to call, ‘You’re fired.’ He wore the usual black silk business suit to make him feel more in charge. Even though he doesn’t really do anything besides boss people around, and when he is here to do such, there’s always a stench in the air. His over cologne-self could be smelled from around the world. I’m sure he goes through bottles every day.

What’s even more distracting is his overly-gelled head. I’m sure if you stare long enough, you can see gel dripping out of his hair.

He looked me up and down to see if I was in uniform, but normally he only does it to the girls, probably checking us out. He said with the most disturbing voice, You’re late.

CH 3

I just stood there like a deer in the middle of a pack of wolves, just waiting to get eaten alive. I knew this was the day I would lose my job. It was bound to happen. He walked a few steps closer to me and said, You know I can fire you right now, right? I just shrugged. And you still wouldn’t say a word. He shook his head in disappoint ment.

What could I say? And even if there was something to say, I still wouldn’t. I barely said a sentence to this man. I was lucky to even get this job, thanks to Lisa who did all the talking during the interview.

I don’t get it. Why don’t you speak up? Everyone else here does, but you … you never do, except when you say my name; you seem to get a kick out of that. He took a deep breath and blew it out obnoxiously. I really don’t know what to do with you. For a person who’s second job is working at a jewelry store, I would think you would have some kind of interest in something, but nothing about you gives me any insights on who you really are.

Why does he even want to know? He didn’t give any interest to any of the other employees. Like Sarah who always wears the color orange, no matter what day it is. And Tommy who loves the Mets and some girl who loves to sing showtunes every five minutes. Or even Zack who’s in love with orthography.

Tommy, the outspoken one, said, Sir, I like the Mets.

The boss rolled his eyes. We all know that, Johnny.

The girls laughed in the back. Uh, sir?

What is it now? He turned to look at him.

My name’s Tommy, sir, not Johnny.

Well, my name’s not sir, is it?

Sorry, sir, I mean Mr. Crapaloyd. This time Zack laughed with the girls. They all stood there towards the back, listening and watching me get chewed out…again.

Mr. Crapaloyd turned to face me and took a deep breath in again and continued, But I’m not. I looked at him confused, unsure of what he was talking about. He tended to babble on a lot and I tended to zone out most of the time. I’m not going to fire you. He turned around to put his hands around his back. You’re a good asset to this job, Kay. And I like to keep it that way. He paused for a second and began again, There is something I would like for you to do. There’s an intern coming in a couple of days, and I would like for you to help her get situated. I’m sure you guys will get along perfectly.