Anna, the Princess, and the Pendant

By J. E. London

Seventeen-year-old Anna Elizabeth Owens is a typical teen-age girl growing up in Morrisville, North Carolina, until the day her great-grandmother requests her presence at her bedside. In her late seventies, the older woman has a special gift for Anna and she shares a mysterious message.

Tonight, as my journey in this world ends, so begins your journey into the vast world of dreams. After tonight, your dreams will take you to places of your wildest imaginations. Just remember, we all have good and bad dreams. Henceforth, both good and bad journeys will lead you to your destination.

While living in parallel worlds of dreams and reality, Anna discovers the power of love with a young man named Alex, and Princess Isis discovers the pain of sacrifice on her journey for survival. Eventually, she must choose between the throne and her one true love: a slave named Amon.

Laden with intrigue, romance, action, and adventure, this powerful tale explores Annas coming-of-age experience from a young girl to a young woman while enthralled in the adventures of her dreams.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Nov 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781546216407

J. E. London

J. E. London discovered her love for writing at an early age and published her first novel in 2006. Motivated by her passion, she continues to pursue a career as an author. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

2009

M y name is Anna Elizabeth Owens, but because of my bright red hair, my friends called me Flame. Until today, I was a typical seventeen-year-old high school student. I woke up every day in the same house in Morrisville, North Carolina, where I’d lived since the day I was born. I attended the same schools with the same people I had known all my life. Every day, I lived the same boring life. Then every night, I recited the same prayer before I went to sleep: Now, I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Today, I walked into my great-grandmother’s bedroom with apprehension. I hardly knew the woman who my grandmother called Mom. Yet, on her deathbed, she requested to see only me. I finally stood at the foot of her bed and stared at an image of myself sixty years from now. I had seen several pictures of my great-grandmother as a young girl, and if not for the outdated fashions and hairstyles, I would have sworn they were pictures me.

Her once long, red curls were as white as the pillowcase beneath her head, and the many wrinkles in her skin marked the seventy-seven years of her life upon this earth. The once tiny brown freckles, which dotted her pale skin, blended into larger aged spots. Although she was nearly blind in one eye, they were as clear and green as the large, emerald pendant around her neck.

She motioned for me to come closer. As I walked toward the bedside, I smelled the faint, minty odor of Icy Hot cream. She patted the bed with her hand, and I finally sat down. Then she took a deep breath and slowly wheezed the air from her lungs, after which, she coughed several times to clear the phlegm from her throat.

Has anyone ever told you that you look like me?

I nodded and smiled at her.

Yeah, I used to be as young and beautiful as you. I know that may be hard for you to imagine by my current appearance, but it’s true. I could walk into a room, and every man in there would turn and look at me. I’m not sure if that was a blessing or a curse. She chuckled, and I saw the gleam in her green eyes. I knew that she longed to be young again. Yes, young lady, someday you too will have the young men falling upon their knees at your feet. Not even that ponytail you wear will conceal the beauty of your crown.

I found that difficult to believe seeing as how I hated everything about me, especially the unruly red hair. Again, she took a deep breath and slowly wheezed the air from her lungs. I suppose you’re wondering why I asked to see you.

I nodded and smiled at her. She grabbed my hand and clenched my fingers in her weak grasp. Then she looked in my eyes and proceeded to change my world. Today is my last day in this world. Tonight, I will close my eyes and live forever in my dream.

I forced a smile for the feebleminded woman as I wondered if old age was a curse or a blessing.

My great-grandmother continued to speak. Tonight, as my journey in this world ends, so begins your journey into the vast world of dreams. After tonight, your dreams will take you to places of your wildest imaginations. Just remember, we all have good and bad dreams. Henceforth, both good and bad journeys will lead you to your destination.

I stared at the old woman in silence. Although I knew that her assertions were merely ridiculous rants of an insane old woman, her words intimidated me.

She pointed toward the nightstand beside the bed. I have something for you. Open the top drawer.

I stood up and opened the drawer.

Do you see that red velvet box? Bring it here to me.

I grabbed the box and placed it on the bed beside her.

Again, she patted the bed, and I sat back down. She took a deep breath and slowly wheezed the air from her lungs. Then she pushed the box toward me. Go on now. Open it.

I placed both hands on the lid and cautiously opened it. I flinched as if Jack had popped his head through the hole.

She giggled as if she knew my fear.

Inside the box were two leather-bound journals and a book entitled The House on the Borderland. She removed the journals and held them in the air. These are journals. One belongs to me, and the other belongs to your great-great-grandmother. I want you to have them. Eventually, they will help you to understand who you are. You see, darling, you are not like anyone else on this earth. You are a royal commodity, and many will seek the treasures that you bear. Depending on how you accept your fate, this opportunity is either a curse or a blessing. You will have to decide that for yourself. She exhaled and paused, and I eagerly waited for her to continue to speak.

I was but a year older than you when your great-great-grandmother gave me this box, and perhaps like you, I didn’t believe a word that she said to me. But, if you don’t hear anything that I say to you today, remember that you possess the key to terminate this curse. Her voice cracked as the tears welled in her eyes. I tried. Now, it’s your turn. She smiled through the tears. Well, you’ll understand soon enough.

I wished that I had met her before the senility muddled her mind with such foolishness.

Again, she reached into the box, and this time, she removed the book. You will need to read this book. It may help you understand the power of grief and the world of darkness that you may encounter on your journey. Then she slowly removed the beautiful emerald pendant from around her neck and extended it toward me.

I shook my head. It’s so beautiful. Perhaps my grandmother should have this treasure.

There are other treasures for your grandmother. This one belongs to you. She motioned for me to lean closer, and I leaned toward her. She placed the chain around my neck. Be sure to always wear this in your dreams. It will bring you back home.

I grabbed the pendant and rubbed the smooth edges of the gemstone between my fingers. I hope your dreams will take you to places you desire. I have seen and experienced many wonderful things this world offers, yet the one thing I long to experience is lost to me forever. Again, she took a deep breath and slowly wheezed the air from her lungs.

I wanted to ask what had been lost to her forever. Instead, I remained silent.

Now, I’ve told you all that you need to know. Just remember, dreams fade from our memories. Therefore, you must write them down the moment you wake up. She held up her journal. Eventually, they will help you solve the mystery of our fate.

I nodded and smiled at her. Although I believed her story was utterly ridiculous, I respected her fantasy. Perhaps she spoke of an afterlife that she needed to believe exists.

I gathered the books, placed them in the box, and quietly left the room. I heard their voices before I reached the top of the staircase. My mother and father sat at the kitchen table, and my grandmother stood by the kitchen sink.

Well, I think it’s a great idea. It will do her some good to be up here in the fresh mountain air. Besides, with both of us working now, she’ll be at home alone. My father’s deep voice resounded in my head, and my legs withered beneath me as I took a seat on the middle step and listened to their conversation.

Well, Mom, if it’s all right with you. I think you can use the help with Grandmother, and Anna is—

My mother’s soft-pitched voice screeched in my ears as I bolted down the stairs. No! No, I won’t stay here!

My mother stood up and glared at me as I entered the room. Her dark brown eyes warned me to back down. Anna, this is what’s best for everyone.

My mother was a beautiful woman. Even at thirty-seven, she had managed to maintain her girlish figure. Of course, it was not without sacrifice. She barely ate anything except fruits and grains, and she washed her face at least twice a day. Then she applied whatever new miracle cream she had purchased from the beauty counter to prevent wrinkles upon her skin. She also avoided the sun as if she was a vampire, and the slightest ray of light would instantly disintegrate her into a pile of dust. At night, she plucked out every newly visible gray wisp of hair that was easily visible amongst the dark brunette strands. Come hell or high waters, she did whatever it took to make her standing monthly appointment at the beauty shop for a root touch-up.

No! This is not what’s best for me. You think that staying up here in these woods with two old women is what’s best for me?

My father said, Now, you calm down, young lady—

My father was a common-looking man. He had the forty-year bulge around his gut, and his thinning brown hair left a receding bald spot at the top of his head. Of course, he ate what he wanted to eat, and although he stood out in the sun whenever he so desired, his skin looked as ageless as my mother’s skin.

No, I won’t calm down. There’s nothing to do up here, and you can’t make me stay.

My grandmother and great-grandmother lived in Sylva, a small town in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. When I was younger, I enjoyed visiting her, but the woods were no place for a teenage girl. There was no cell phone reception or Internet service, and my grandmother’s television only displayed three working channels.

My mother placed her hands on her hips, and the wrinkles in her forehead warned me to back down. We can, and you will stay with your grandmother for the summer.

My grandmother cleared her throat. Kathy, I can handle this on my own. I’ve been doing it now for almost a year. It’s the summer, and Anna’s right. There isn’t much to do up here in these mountains in the summertime. Most of the kids her age leave here for the summer.

My grandmother was an older image of my mother. In fact, I bet that if she dyed her hair and put on some makeup, they could pass for sisters.

Mom, I remember what it’s like up here in the summertime, and I won’t have the two of you here alone. Anna can help you in the garden, and she can stay here with Grandma Elizabeth whenever you need to run errands. It’s just for the summer, barely two months. It won’t kill her.

She’s not going to be here through the summer, I said. She’s going to die tonight!

The look on my mother’s face warned me that I had gone too far.

Anna! How dare you say such a thing? My mother’s face softened, and I recognized the sadness and disappointment in her eyes.

I wished I could take it back.

Anna, sit down and be quiet. Don’t you say another word, young lady! The tone of my father’s voice warned me to shut up. I placed the box on the table and sat down.

My grandmother laughed. Oh, leave the child alone. She’s just repeating what Mother told her. She looked at me, and the gleam in her eyes comforted me. Anna, my mother has been anticipating her death every day for the past year. Since she became bedridden, she has talked about living the rest of her life in her last dream. Trust me, that old woman will probably be here long after I’m gone. She’s too ornery to die. She looked at the red velvet box on the table. What’s that you got there?

I shrugged. She gave me her journals. Should I give them back?

Grandmother laughed. No, you keep them. They’re simply tales of her dreams. Besides, she stopped writing in them when she fell and broke her hip. She said there was no point since she could only go as far as her body took her in her dreams. I told her that I stopped dreaming of traveling a long time ago. Grandmother chuckled and went back to washing the dishes.

My mother sat back down and sipped from the cup of coffee in front of her. Then she said, Mom, if I remember correctly, you wanted to go to Europe. Why didn’t you ever go?

I don’t know. I guess if you’ve seen one country, you’ve seen them all. Besides, I have everything I need right here in Sylva: clean, fresh air, and the beautiful wonders of nature. You can’t find that everywhere.

I grabbed the pendant and rubbed the smooth edges of the emerald gemstone between my fingers. That’s beautiful, Anna. Where did you get that pendant? My mother leaned closer for a better look at the beautiful green stone.

I looked at my mother and then at my grandmother. She gave it to me. I told her that Grandmother should have it, but she insisted that I take it.

My grandmother smiled and sat down in the chair beside me. She’s right. You should have it. That pendant has been in this family for years. It passes only to the redheaded girls in the family. She rubbed my head. That beautiful red hair and green eyes sometimes skips generations. She rubbed the stone between her fingers. Then she looked in my eyes and smiled at me. This rightfully belongs to you. I can’t recall ever seeing my mother without it around her neck. I used to rub it while she read to me at night before I went to sleep. She said it would keep the boogeyman away.

My father cleared his throat. Don’t you think that’s too expensive for Anna to wear around the house? If it’s as old as you say, it’s probably too valuable for her to keep. Perhaps you should give it to your mother for safekeeping.

I looked at my father, and then at my grandmother.

My grandmother winked at me. Oh, John, I think she can hold on to it just fine. Besides, the only value in that old stone is to the woman who owns it. You can buy them for a dime a dozen at the Walmart. She stood up and walked back to the sink. Anna, would you do your grandmother a favor?

I stood up. I would do just about anything to get out of that house. Sure, what do you want me to do?

She turned around and looked at me. Well, I left my bottle of pills at my house on the kitchen counter. Do you mind walking down the hill to get it for me?

Mom, that’s a mile or so down the mountain. John can drive to the house and get your medication.

Really, Mom, I don’t mind! I can take the shortcut through the woods. Grandmother and I walked that way this morning. It’s not that far.

My mother frowned and continued with yet another plot to hold me hostage in her eyesight. You will not walk alone through those woods, young lady.

My grandmother sighed and placed her hands on her hips. For a moment, she looked just like my mother. Aw, Kathy, for God’s sake! You two still treat this child like a baby. I walk back and forth through the woods every day and sometimes at night. She’ll be just fine. Besides, you used to walk that same path through the woods, and you were much younger than Anna.

The muscles in my mother’s face relaxed, and she finally smiled at me. All right, but stay on the path, and you go straight there and back. Do you understand me?

I nodded and ran toward the door. Anna, you’ll need these. I stopped and looked at my grandmother. She held the keys in the air. I ran back and grabbed the keys. Then I hurried out the door. I wanted to get out of sight before my mother changed her mind.

Anna! Anna! I heard my mother’s voice. She stood on the front porch.

As bad as I wanted to keep running, my conscience forced me to stop and turn around. Yes … Mother?

My great-grandmother’s small white house seemed as dull and gray as the woman inside. The weeds had overtaken the shrubs and flowers that surrounded the once vibrant exterior of the house. It was an obvious sign of neglect or the sure sign that the outside of a house reflects the inside of a home. Perhaps my great-grandmother was right about her death tonight.

My mother ran toward me with a blue jacket. Here, put this on. It will shield your sensitive skin from the sun. You know how easily you burn.

I sighed and grabbed the jacket. The curtain shifted to the side in my great-grandmother’s bedroom, and I immediately looked up at the window. There was no one there. I thought your grandmother couldn’t walk.

She can’t. Please put on the jacket.

Mom, there’s no sun in the woods.

You will be surprised at how much sun there is in the forest.

I sighed and stared up at the window as I slid my arms into the jacket. My mother kissed me on the cheek, and I wiped it away. I looked at her and frowned at her silly display of affection. She still treated me as if I were ten years old. All right! Now, you satisfied. I have to go before it gets dark. I turned and ran toward the trees.

You hurry back and stay on the path!

I turned around and waved at my mother. I saw the curtains move in my great-grandmother’s bedroom. Briefly, I stared at the window. Again, no one was there. I slowly walked into the tree line, and then I turned around and glanced at the window. The curtains shifted, and I saw two red eyes staring back at me. I hurried down the path toward my grandmother’s house.

I walked halfway down the trail before a large, gray wolf jumped into the path and growled at me. The force of his roar caused me to shudder with fear, and I stood frozen in my tracks. I held my breath as I stared at him in silence and anxiously waited for him to pounce at the slightest movement. Should I run?

Tiger! No, you come back here, now! I flinched at the sound of the voice, but I kept my eyes on the wolf. Now, Tiger, come here! The wolf glared at me, and briefly, his brown eyes turned green. Then he relaxed his stance and whimpered down the path toward the young man walking toward me.

As he approached me, I exhaled and forced a smile upon my trembling lips. Hi, I’m—

Anna. I know who you are. Hi, I’m Alex. Your grandmother told me that you were coming to visit. He extended his hand toward me and smiled. His white teeth glistened against his tanned skin, and his dark eyes twinkled in the dim light. His high cheekbones and straight jet-black hair, which he wore in ponytail at the nape, acknowledged his Native-American ethnicity. Although he wore blue jeans and a black hooded sweatshirt, I easily imagined him dressed in buckskin attire with a bow and arrow on his shoulder.

I grasped his hand and shook it. My friends call me Flame.

My friends call me Alex, but my family calls me Qaletaqai, which means guardian of the people.

I briefly stared into his eyes, and then I looked down at the wolf. Does he belong to you?

He shook his head. He belongs to no one, but we often roam these woods together. He knelt and rubbed the wolf’s large head. Isn’t that right, boy? His native dialect confirmed his heritage. You have beautiful hair.

I