Change: The First Part of the Empire of Wind and Smoke

By Dawn Mallette

Durham was supposed to be a quiet, sleepy little town, but it held more excitement and wonder than Alex had ever known in her 17 years living in the heart of east end Toronto. Her need for escape brings her into a world she thought only existed on the pages of a book. Follow as she is thrown into this new realm and discovers that here, she is more herself than ever before. With the help of Nate, the strange blue-eyed boy from her premonitions, she navigates new abilities and new friends, but she feels like there's more secrets than answers in this world. This is the first part of The Empire of Wind and Smoke.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781664137554

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Copyright © 2020 by Dawn Mallette.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 10/19/2020

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Epilogue

DEDICATION

For Anna Mattys, who was always on duty as my idea bank and Tabitha Doney for letting me use her name and for giving me the original idea for this story.

PROLOGUE

We were heading home from shopping at the Scarborough Town Centre. We pulled onto highway 401 heading west. An old beat up Volkswagen passed us with a transport truck right behind it. As the vehicles increased distance between us, the beater hit a pothole and lost a tire. The transport truck rear ended it making it spin out in front of us. My mom swerved left just missing the car. The transport truck had jack-knifed, blocking the lanes ahead of us.

My mom tried to dodge it, but it was too late. Our Ford minivan slammed into the underside of the truck. I collided with the sliding door, almost rattling it free from its track. All I could hear was the screeching of the metal as the van was moulded to the truck. My seat belt snapped, and I was thrown from the van; the sliding door came with me and skidded across the highway with me on top of it. I should have been dead; the impact of the van against the truck should have killed us all.

I rolled off of the door and to the side of the highway. I felt an excruciating pain, my knees collapsed. I looked down and noticed that my right leg was bloody and torn. My ankle was at an odd angle. My head pounded as I looked around in a daze. Blood was oozing out of a gash on my forehead onto the pavement.

My eyes fell on our minivan. I gasped, horrified at the sight of it. I frantically looked around to find my parents. I needed to know that they were all right. I needed to know that they had made it out. They were nowhere to be seen. I crawled forward yelling their names…. I didn’t get an answer.

With tears streaming down my face I felt a cold wind blow around me. I was engulfed in an agonizing pain shooting through my leg. I laid there at the side of the highway. I felt the cold wind again. I blinked, trying to get my eyes to focus, but my head was too foggy. The pain was too much.

My vision was starting to blacken. I heard the sirens of the ambulance and police cars approaching. The truck driver was yelling something. His voice sounded as if he was standing behind a window. His words were just gibberish through the fog in my head.

I stared at the mangled remains of our minivan, until my eyes fell on an angelic face of a young man with the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. He must have been a paramedic because it looked like he was wearing an EMS uniform. The man smiled and said that everything was going to be fine. He motioned to his partner who was pushing a gurney towards me; he said something about his partner that I didn’t understand. The sound of screeching metal still filled my ears. He had said that everything was going to be fine, not that it was.

My thoughts jumped to the worst-case scenario. My parents hadn’t gotten out. The thought hit me like a ton of bricks… My parents never made it… My parents were dead…. In my head I screamed, and my world went dark….

*       *       *

Can you hear me? I heard a familiar woman’s voice say. Come on, Alex! Wake up! The woman sounded as if she had been crying. I wanted to comfort her, but I couldn’t move. It felt like I was caught in a giant bowl of jelly. Mists thickened my mind as I tried to focus on what was going on. I could hear a rhythmic beeping.

Alex? Can you hear me? the voice repeated. She sounded like Mom, but that was impossible after what I had just witnessed. If it was true, it meant that my parents really were dead. I hoped that it was all just a dream….

I tried to open my eyes, but it was too hard to see through the fog in my head. I tried to speak but couldn’t find my voice. I could hear though. I tried to focus on the voices.

How long has she been out? a man’s voice asked quietly.

A few hours? a woman answered in the same hushed tone. She went into surgery at around midnight and came out a couple of hours ago, so she should come around soon.

What are her injuries? the man asked.

She shattered her right leg from the hip to the ankle. Her femur alone was fractured in three places and she had to get 27 stitches to close the gash in her head. We fixed her all up in the O. R. so she should make a full recovery.

That’s very good to hear, the man said. I heard the scratching of a pen on paper. Alexandra, can you hear me?

I tried to say yes, but my voice was still missing.

Her hand just moved! Mom’s voice exclaimed.

At that moment, the machines started beeping wildly. I could feel my heartbeat quicken as I was drawn back into the memory of the accident. I fought through the mists. I didn’t want to remember. I wanted to be with my mom. I want to hear her voice again. I needed her to be alive.

What’s happening? She just moved. That means she’s waking up, right?

Nurse, get her out of here! The man called frustrated.

What if she wakes up and I’m not here? She’s only twelve years old! She won’t know any of this! She won’t know any of you! I need to be here! Mom shouted.

We have trained professionals who can help her, a new woman’s voice, whom I assumed was the nurse, assured my aunt calmly. Please could you wait outside while Dr. Charleston is examining your niece?

No! If she wakes up, I need to be here! my mom shouted.

M— I tried to say. Mo- I heard a rustling and then felt a warm hand on my forehead. I tried again; Mom? my voice was barely more than a whisper.

Aunt Tabitha, actually, the voice I thought was my mom said soothingly. I’m here Alex. I’m right here. I felt her hand on my arm.

I opened my eyes and saw a very bright light. I blinked a few times so I could focus on my surroundings; the light faded to bluish coloured walls and white ceiling. I could see my mom, a man, and a woman. The man was dressed in a white lab coat with a light blue dress shirt and black pants underneath. The woman was dressed in teal nurse’s scrubs.

Welcome back, Alexandra, the man beamed. I’m Dr. Charleston.

Um… I blinked again. I looked around the room. It looked like every other hospital room. There were pictures on the windowsill, surrounded by bouquets of flowers. Hydrangeas, I noted… my favourite. Mom? I saw her talking to the doctor.

He looked at her. I think you should tell her. We’ll be right outside if you need anything. With that, he and the nurse left the room talking quietly to each other.

Mom? I repeated. Where’s Dad?

Oh honey, you must have hit your head pretty hard. My mom brushed my hair across my forehead. It’s Aunt Tabitha. I realized why I thought she was my mom; Tabitha was my mom’s identical twin sister.

Wh-What happened? I asked, trying to clear my head of the fog. Where am I? Where’s Mom and Dad?

Honey, you were in an accident…. You’re in the recovery room… Your parents… she stopped talking and started sobbing. There… There was nothing they could do…. The van… The van was crushed….

What happened? I asked again, even though I had a feeling that I already knew.

You were in a terrible accident, she repeated. You broke your leg and you had to get 27 stitches to close the gash on your forehead….

When did this happen? I asked in confusion. I thought the accident was just a dream. I hoped it was.

Last night. You’ve been unconscious for almost 24 hours. She sat down in the chair beside the bed and took my hand. Honey, this is really hard for me to have to tell you, but…. Her voice trailed off and she started to sob quietly.

You don’t have to tell me. I - I already know. I tried to raise my hand and rest it on her arm, but the IV tube attached to it stopped me.

What do you mean you know? She looked at me confused.

I know about them…. Tears started to well up around my eyes as the realization hit me. My parents really were dead. They died in that accident, didn’t they? It wasn’t a dream, Auntie… It wasn’t… The tears spilled over like a waterfall. Why didn’t I die, too? I sobbed.

God didn’t feel it was your time, I suppose, she said through her tears. She wrapped me in a tight hug. It hurt my bruises, but I didn’t care. I never wanted her to let go. I needed her to hold me together. I was so afraid that I would just fall apart. He thought that you needed more time to live.

My parents had more time to live! They didn’t have to die! The tears had started to fall faster. I didn’t try to stop them. My mom had told me that crying was a good thing. It was a healing mechanism. At that moment, I hoped that she was right.

The thought of my mom drilled a gigantic hole in my heart. I didn’t want to believe she was really gone. My mom was the bravest person I knew; how could she be dead? She wouldn’t let just anything kill her. She had to have a reason. Unless there was nothing she could do.

My mind flashed back to the accident, my mom swerving away from the car, slamming into the truck, to the sight of our mangled minivan. The metal moulded to the underside of the truck. The front half of the van was gone. My parents had gone with it.

I clenched my eyes shut to get away from the image, but that just made it more vivid. I could see the colors: the red of the puddle of blood around me, the yellow and white headlights of the cars stopped by the truck reflecting in the metallic blue hatch of our mangled minivan. I could hear the sirens as if they were right there, and the truck driver yelling to see if I was all right. The smell of gasoline burned my nostrils. I could taste the salty, metallic taste of blood as it dripped into my mouth from the gash in my forehead. I felt the pain in my leg and the pounding in my head. I looked around until my eyes fell on the most beautiful blue eyes…

My eyes shot open and the scene disappeared. I saw Tabitha still sitting in a chair beside the bed. She looked too much like my mom and I had to look away. For some reason I couldn’t get the thought of her not being my mom out of my head. I looked back at her, studying her face. Yes, they were identical, except for the birth mark on my mom’s left foot and the freckle on Tabitha’s left cheek.

Honey, I’m so sorry, she was saying. There was nothing they could do.

I held up my hand to stop her. You don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault. I didn’t want her to blame herself for what happened. But what about me? What will I do?

I will make sure that everything will be fine. I’ve already arranged for you to be able to live with me and Aaron. That’s what your parents would have wanted.

I didn’t want to talk about the accident anymore. I didn’t want to think about the fact that my parents were dead. I didn’t want to believe that I was an orphan. I closed my eyes and let the world disappear.

I peaked at her. I do want some apple pie with vanilla ice cream, please? I whispered to her quietly, with my eyes still shut. I needed something to get my mind off of the accident.

She looked down at me. The tears glistened in her eyes. She nodded slowly, I’ll call the nurse. She got up and walked to the door. Could we get some apple pie and vanilla ice cream, please?

Of course, the nurse said and left.

Thanks. My voice was a hoarse whisper. I like pie. I started to drift in and out of consciousness. I tried to fight the urge to sleep because I knew what awaited me in my dreams. I fell asleep waiting for the dreams to come, but they didn’t. My night was full of a peaceful fog.

The next few days were filled with tears and flashbacks. I was moved into a different room in the hospital for the remainder of my stay. Doctors and nurses came in to check on me every few hours. They brought me food that tasted like library paste and warm orange juice. They talked to me, but I didn’t really listen.

Tabitha stayed by my bedside the whole time I was in the hospital. We watched cartoons together; the old cartoons, like The Racoons, Fraggle Rock and The Smurfs; those were my favourites. I loved all the old cartoons but watching them didn’t help take my mind off my new reality.

I would laugh and then regret it; something inside of me would tell me that I didn’t deserve to laugh, that I should have been sad and crying all the time. My parents had just died, and I was laughing at a stupid cartoon.

The cartoons reminded me of simple times when my dad and I would sit on the floor in front of the television and watch them all day. More tears flowed at the memories because I knew my life would never be the same.

One day, Dr. Charleston came to see me. He had a huge smile on his face. Good morning, Alexandra, he said in a cheery voice. How are you feeling today?

I feel great actually. My leg doesn’t hurt all that much anymore, and it’s a lot easier to get around on crutches now. I smiled back at him.

That is very good news. His smile widened. I have good news for you, as well. My staff and I believe that you are ready to go home.

I winced at the word home. Really? I looked at Tabitha. That’s… uh… That’s great!

I’ll give you a schedule of appointments to come back so we can record your progress and when the stitches can come out, but other than that you are free from this place. He smiled again. I’ll have a nurse come in and get you ready to go.

Thank you, Dr. Charleston, Tabitha said as he was leaving. We appreciate your generosity.

Yes! I don’t have to eat food that tastes like library paste anymore! I exclaimed happily. Can we get a burger before we go home?

Before my aunt could answer, the nurse came in with a small cupcake in her hand. Congratulations on a great recovery, Alex. She handed me the cupcake. I’ll get you unhooked from the IV, and then you can change.

The nurse got to work on replacing the bandages from my hands and face. Then she helped me out of bed and to the washroom, where a pair of grey sweatpants and one of my favourite t-shirts were in a bag, waiting for me to put them on. The nurse helped me get dressed.

Thank you, I said to her. I feel a lot better now that I’m in regular clothes.

Here are your crutches. The nurse handed them to me and helped me hobble out of the bathroom. All set to go? she asked cheerfully.

I was so glad when my aunt and I walked out of the hospital into the cool evening air. So, can we go get that burger now?

Anything you want, honey, my aunt smiled. You wait here, and I’ll get the car.

I waited outside the doors to the Emergency department. My aunt pulled up in her station wagon. She parked in front of where I was waiting and got out.

Come on, Aaron is waiting for us at home.

She helped me into the car. I flinched away from the seatbelt; the bruises on my chest burned a little underneath it. I looked out the windshield and saw a passing transport truck on the main road. I tried to duck under the dashboard.

What’s wrong Alex? she asked.

I sat back up with my eyes closed. I can’t do this! I gasped, fumbling for the door handle. I managed to get the door open before she stopped me.

What are you doing? she asked, pulling me back into the car.

I can’t…. I can’t…. Tears were streaming down my face. I can’t do it!

Alex, honey, look at me. Look at me. I looked at her and saw my mom. I had to quickly look away. I hid my face in my hands. My cheeks were wet and sticky from tears. Honey, everything is fine. You are safe. It is okay. Calm down and let’s go home. She sat rubbing my back, talking soothingly to me, trying to settle me down. She kept saying that everything was fine, and I was safe. I knew her words were true, but I was just afraid to be in a vehicle again. I was afraid of history repeating itself.

I hadn’t been in one since the accident. The doctors said that I would have some trouble readjusting to the feel of being in a car and driving. They predicted that I may even have trouble when I started to drive my own car.

I had my eyes shut the whole way from the hospital to my aunt’s house. I even tried to get out of the car while it was moving when a transport truck passed us. When my aunt finally pulled into her driveway and shut the car off, I slowly opened my eyes.

Is it over? Are we there? I asked cautiously. I looked around and saw that we were definitely parked in front of my aunt’s town house.

Yes, sweetie. We’re here. My aunt stood holding the passenger door open. She helped me get out of the car and hobbled to the door where we were met by my uncle.

Welcome home, Alex. He smiled.

At first, I wondered what he was talking about, and then I knew he was referring to this house being my home. I honestly didn’t want to live with my aunt and uncle. I wanted to go back to my house, but I knew that was never going to happen because my parents were never coming home. I couldn’t live by myself because I was only twelve years old. So, I just had to accept the fact that I would be living with my aunt and uncle until I could live on my own. My house would be sold, and the money would probably go into my college fund.

I didn’t want to think about college or being on my own. I didn’t want to think about anything. I really didn’t want to be alive. I didn’t want to live without my parents. I wanted my mom. I wanted her to protect me when things were bad. She was my angel. How ironic? Now she was literally my angel.

I stumbled towards the house on my crutches. I had gotten used to them for the most part, but they were still a pain in the butt. Tabitha opened the front door and ushered me inside. Aaron helped me over the threshold and closed the door behind us. So, this was how my new life was to be.

It took months of therapy to get passed the death of my parents. I didn’t get in a car unless it was completely necessary. I didn’t know what I would do from then on, but I got by with the help of my aunt and uncle. The death of my parents was one of the hardest