a rough draft of the first chapter of my book.........tell me what you think
so im writing this book and im posting the first chapter on here. If you have time read it and tell me what you think.Enjoy
Campus Encounter
The beginning of school was always a stressful time for kids, or so I have been told. But by now you would think I would know how it was. I mean I have gone to a new school almost every year of my entire life. I guess that’s what you get when you live with grandparents that like to travel all the time. I mean I can understand the first couple of times that we moved but it had been so long since I had seen all four seasons in one place. This was not what I expected when my parents had died so long ago. I still miss them all the time but hey what kid can say that they have been to every state in the U.S. Not many im sure but that is one claim that I can make. I am so used to this moving around that im not sure why im so worried about college.
Probably since I will be some where for four years or more, thought Kaia as she looked out the window to the sunny flat surface of what was to be her new home. It looked like a drought had taken hold of the land and had still not let go. This is what awaited Kaia at her new home in Silver City, New Mexico. She had been accepted in to Western New Mexico University and had finally made up her mind to attend the university. For some reason when she thought of the university a pulling feeling would settle on her. It was like she was meant to be there and couldn’t get there fast enough. After all those years of reading books, and studying for tests she was finally on her way to a brighter future. Western New Mexico University was set right on top of the Gila national forest, with sprawling green grass and trees for miles. It was a normal land but with a nice climate. She had not even packed a jacket with her, knowing that she would not have any use for it.
She had a feeling that she would have a hard time fitting in, what with her pale freckled skin and auburn hair; she hardly looked like some one that lived in New Mexico for a long period of time. She liked the sun yet she never seemed to be able to tan, no matter how long she stayed in the sun for she was and would probably always remain pale. But this is where she was headed and WNMU would just have to take her as she was.
“Honey, are you excited for your first year of college?” her grandmother asked in a shaky voice.
It was obvious that grandma had been crying. I could hear the occasional sniffle from her and I could hear her rummaging through her purse looking for a tissue to wipe her eyes of the tears that would give her away. I looked at her trying to think of something to say to make her feel better, even though I knew that the only reason she was crying was because she wouldn’t see me as often and that she would miss me.
“Of course im excited for my first year. I have been waiting for this forever, you know that.” I said to her with a smile on my face.
Unlike my grandmother I was better at hiding my emotions from the general public, I was a little sad to be leaving but more giddy too actually get out of this car and take my first steps on the campus grounds. To see all the brick builds dripping with history of all the students that had passed through the same halls that I would soon be walking down. My grandma nodded and turned back around in her seat. I went back to looking out the window at the flat land that was now the end of Texas.
We had been on the road it seemed for a month when in truth it had been about 4 days since we had left New York to drive across country to New Mexico. My grandparents still could not understand why I had wanted to go so far away for college and to be honest I really didn’t either. But when I thought of the campus and the school I felt drawn to it in an unexplainable way and I had no other choice in the matter. So I had finally decided attend WNMU as they called it, to find out why I had such a strong connection to this school. I could not tell my grandparents this for fear that they would think I was crazy and enroll me in NYU. So I just told them that I had enjoyed New Mexico the best out of all the states that we had lived in so it only made sense that I would go to school there. They had agreed that I could go there as long as they could rent a house close so that they could come for visits once in a while. I had agreed to this one condition happily, I was not ready to lose them either.
At one point I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew my grandfather was shaking me awake telling me that we had arrived. In the time that I had been asleep the sky had turned from a bright sunny blue, to the inky orange yellow of a setting sun. I sat up and looked out the window to the New Mexico campus. It looked just like I pictured it, lots of brick buildings with students running in an out of them. I was going to the trunk to get my stuff when I first saw him.
He was standing by a large red van down the street taking luggage out of the trunk. He was beautiful, the light catching the deep black tones in his hair and tossing it about but never seeming to toss a hair out of place. He looked like he belonged in a run way as a model not on campus yet there he was standing a couple of feet from where my grandparents had parked. I couldn’t help but stare, my mouth open in amazement, when he suddenly looked my way and our eyes met. In that one instance I felt a spark come from both of our bodies and settle some where in the middle of the space between us. I also felt a strong tug on my body as if something where pulling me toward this beautiful boy. I continued to stare at him like an idiot his eyes holding me where I was, they looked like a stormy sky with flecks of dark blue around the center. They seemed to sparkle despite the darkness of the gray that they contained. I could feel myself getting lost in the depth of his eyes when suddenly he looked away, he seemed to be angry. I turned around feeling dazed and continued to take my stuff from the van and place it in a bin that my grandparents had just wheeled to me. I looked back to his car and he was gone, I sighed and put the last of my bags into the bin and closed the trunk.
I walked toward Centennial Hall where I would be living for the next year. I shook my head and walked into the building and down the first floor hall toward my room. The halls looked like any other campus dorm rooms that I had seen, bland with a lot of doors. I reached my room and grabbed the key that I had received in the mail before I had come to campus. When it first came to me I thought that it was weird that they sent it by mail and that I did not have to prove who I was to get it but I put it out of my mind then and had put it in my drawer until the day that I would pack it in my suitcase and take it to college.
I stuck the key in the door and turned to unlock it, taking a deep breath I opened the door. The first thing that I thought to my self was that there was a lot of space for one person to live in; since I could I had requested that I have my own room. It was twice the size of the bedroom in our New York home, with tall ceilings and a large bay window looking out toward the forest with a seat beneath it so that I could sit and stare out to the forest that surrounded my building. The walls, a deep green color reminded me of the forest that awaited me outside. There was a single bed shoved against the wall, a dresser across from it and a desk set against the wall in between the two. There was a door next to the dresser, probably the private bathroom that came with my room or the closet since there was another identical one beside it. All in all it looked pretty plain to me, but I would just have to change that for myself. I started taking my luggage out of the bin and put it on what would now be my bed. When the luggage fell on to the bed a puff of dust rose into the air.
“Ok when was the last time that someone actually stayed in this room.” I said turning to get look at my grandparents and laughed, they laughed in return.
“Looks like it’s been a long time since any one has stepped foot in to this room. Lucky for you we being the grandparents that we are brought antibacterial wipes for you.” My grandmother said with a playful smile on her face.
“Why thank you for that little ray of hope,” I grinned back at her, “But I think it is going to take more than antibacterial wipes to make this room clean.”
She chuckled quietly but said nothing else, my grandfather who had not said a word since we had arrived looked at me suddenly with the strangest look on his face. It was hard to describe it was a cross between sadness and surprise. He walked over and pulled me in to a hug.
“I can’t believe it was only yesterday that we took you in and now look you’re in college,” his voice shook with what I could only think would be unshed tears, “I know that I’m not your father but I have never been prouder of anyone in my entire life.”
I stood there with my arms around my grandfather all of a sudden I couldn’t speak and I could feel hot tears rolling down my face. Of course he wasn’t my father but I had always thought of him that way and hearing those words come out of his mouth made me feel more like his daughter than anything he had ever said or done for me before. I sniffled and he pulled away, his face wet with fresh tears also. My grandma came to me then crying also and hugged me to her. They would always be like parents to me no matter what and as I thought of the coming months my control on my emotions slip and with it fresh tears. We stood there for a couple seconds longer and then pulled apart. I knew that it was time for them to leave then, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to let go yet. I think my grandma sensed this because when I looked at her again she had a smile on her face.
“I know this is a big change and that it is going to be hard at first but you will be ok and you know you can always call us no matter what.” My grandmother said grabbing her purse of my desk and walking toward the door with my grandfather following after her.
All I could do was nod not trusting myself to speak in case they heard the crack in my voice when I said good bye. They seemed to sense my feelings and instead of saying anything, they once again hugged me and then strode out of the room. Once they where gone I shut the door and sat on the edge of my bed. I was alone now and I didn’t care if I cried or not, I sat there for a couple minutes while the tears continued to roll down my face and then they stopped. I was still sad but it was my choice to go to a college so far away from them and since I was going to be here for the next four years of my life I needed to suck it up and get in gear.
Wiping the last of the remaining tears from my cheeks, I got up then and started to put my things away. I walked over to the door right next to the dresser to find that I was right and it was my bathroom. It was small containing a sink, a toilet, and a shower-bathtub combo. I put my bathroom items in and went back out shutting the door behind me. I put my clothes away in the dresser and the closet which was what was behind the identical door. I looked around at my room and started to think of ways to make it my own. Put up some pictures, some bulletin boards, other things that would make it feel more like home than a college dorm room.
While I was thinking these things over and thinking of what cleaning supplies I would need to use to make this room clean, I heard a sharp knock on my door. I opened it to find a girl standing in the hall, she looked to be about my age with long wavy red hair that seemed to sparkle like that of a crackling fire and brown eyes with a band of gold around the outside of her iris. She stood in my door way and stared at me waiting like I was for either of us to say something. I decided to break the ice first since it seems like she was not going to say anything.
“Hi my name is Kaia, is there something that I can help you with,” I said nicely thinking that she must want something because she had knocked on my door.
She continued to stand in the door way and stare in to my room and then she suddenly turned around and ran down the hall to the door at the end and ran inside slamming the door shut behind her. Wow that was weird, I wonder what she wanted. I shook my head and shut the door walking to the bed and getting my cleaning supplies out so I could start to remove the layers of dust that had probably been in my room for many years.
Two hours later I went to the bathroom to wash everything out, I was finally done scrubbing the floors, the bed, everything in the room and I had finally been able to put out my rug and make my bed. I felt hot so I took a quick shower and got dressed. So what was I supposed to do now? Classes didn’t start until Monday which gave me about half a week to settle in to my new life. I decided to walk around campus and find out where I could eat, already having signed in when I got to the campus, I had my lunch card in my back pocket just in case I ran across something that looked good. I pulled out the map that they had given me when I went to check in and looked at it for a cafeteria or a food court. I found what I was looking for and started to walk toward it looking down at my map so that I knew where I was going. I was so engrossed in my map and looking for the right paths that I did not notice a boy walking in my direction, talking on the phone and unaware of his surrounds as I was. Suddenly we knocked into each other which made the map slip from my hands and his phone fly in to the grass. I bent down to retrieve my map with out looking up to see who I had bumped into. I heard him grumble angrily and looked up at his face. Just like this morning when I saw him standing by his car I was silent and staring. He bent down to pick up his phone not looking me in the eyes but I knew that he knew I was the same person from this morning. He had to know why else would he be angry, I wasn’t sure why he was angry but did it really matter I didn’t even know him. I had not noticed it before but I felt the same spark that I had felt this morning and the same tug in his direction. They both seemed to grow in intensity with our close proximity to each other. I flushed red and looked into his stormy eyes.
“Why is she staring at me? I mean she is the one that bumped into me you would think she would say sorry or at least say something.”
I looked around to see where I had just heard the voice from and saw no one else but me and this strange boy.
“I’m so sorry that I ran into you I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going,” I said to him quietly. Something about the way that he was staring at me made me feel like he was waiting for me to say something.
“Well it’s about time that she said something I wasn’t going to give in that easily. But she keeps staring at me like im a Martian or something. Do I have something on my face or is she just crazy?”
There it was again, was I losing it? We where the only ones around yet I heard the same voice in my head that I heard just minutes earlier. I stared around once more to make sure that I hadn’t missed someone entering the pathway.
“That’s quite alright I wasn’t really paying much attention myself. You must be a freshman, am I right?” The boy said in a low voice matching the tone of voice that I had heard in my head before.
“Yeah I am, I guess the map gave me away,” I said a little embarrassed now. I must be losing my mind because I was thinking that I could hear this boy’s thoughts.
“Well of course the map is a dead give away. But I guess I could give her directions to where ever she needs to go. I should not be so mean even though it sucks that we are now tied. It’s inevitable now no matter what I want.”
Tied? What in the world was I thinking about, maybe I was going crazy. I could not be hearing this guy’s thoughts. As I was thinking about how I must have snapped from the stress of moving away from the only family I had ever known the boy looked at me with a sad expression. What was his deal, first he was angry now he’s sad, maybe he is the crazy one. The boy stared at me and then burst out in laughter his shoulder shaking violently with each laugh that escaped his mouth.
“She thinks I’m the crazy one. Well maybe I shouldn’t think about anything else until her first time. Then when she knows everything we can talk. She sure is a funny one; of course I get stuck with the crazy girl.”
Ok I need to get out of here my mind was spinning with the words that I had just heard in my head. It must be the stress because there was no way that I could be hearing this. I turned around heading back to my room no longer hungry when I heard a set of quiet foot steps behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see the boy following me.
“Can I help you with something or is there a reason you’re following me back to my dorm?” I said warily while still walking.
“No, just making sure that you get back to your room ok, don’t want to let some strange person jump you, I mean it is college you never know what can happen.”
I couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious but by the time he was done talking I had reached the entrance to my dorm and walked up the stairs to my room. As I opened the door I turned around to say something to the boy to find myself in an empty hallway. I shook my head, wow I really was crazy. Well now that I have had my dose of adventure for the day I decided to take out one of my favorite books and read. I pulled out a battered copy of journey to the center of the earth, one of my favorite classics. When I opened it a picture fell out from beneath the front cover and fell to the floor. I stooped down to pick it up and turned it over to look at it.
A tear splashed on the edge of the photograph, I hadn’t even realized that I was crying until I saw the evidence on the picture of my parents. I had forgotten that I had this picture as a bookmark. It had been a while since I had read it and had not realized that I had left it there as a reminder when ever I cracked open the pages of what had been my fathers favorite book and what had also always been my favorite book.
They looked so young and happy with me, a newborn, in my mother’s arms. This was the day that they had come home from the hospital with me; at least that’s what my grandparents told me since I was too young to remember. Looking at this picture had always made me sad, because I had never even had a chance to get to know them before they died.
Putting the picture on my desk I took my book and lied down on my bed and started to read….
I woke up to find it pitch black in my room and my book lying on the pillow beside my head. I was still tired and would still be sleeping if I hadn’t just heard….. What was it that I had just heard? It sounded like a low growling outside me door and a scuffle. I got up and opened my door to find the hallway empty. This place was messing with my head. I changed in to some pajamas and went back to my bed. I laid down pulling the covers over my head and feel into restless sleep.
I was still tired when I got up the next morning not having slept well in my new bed. It must be the change that was messing with me, but I had also had the strangest dream. I was running down path in the woods surrounding campus when suddenly my vision changed. Some colors dimmed to almost a gray haze while others grew in intensity and then I was suddenly above the trees flying around and I was aware of another person flying close to me but when I turned all I saw was a great eagle flying down to the tree tops. Then I was falling and instead of crashing I was running again but faster than I could have ever been. Then I reached a clearing where there was a large gap and a river snaking through it. I couldn’t stop running and right before I had fallen in over the edge my eyes snapped open and I saw the dark green ceiling of my room.
I got up, took a shower then decided to go find out where I could get food after my stomach gave an intense rumble, reminding me that I had not eaten last night. Knowing better this time, I studied the map so that I would not caught unaware again. I wonder if I was going to see that boy again, I didn’t even know his name even though I had seen him twice already. I reached the familiar path from yesterday and set out on my quest to get some thing to eat. As I neared the cafeteria I became aware of someone following me, instead of turning around I quickened my pace and finally reached the door. Turning around I once again found myself alone, shaking my head thinking that maybe I was just wound to tight from yesterday I walked inside, up the stairs and into the cafeteria.
It was a wide open space with lots of round and square tables. There were people sitting in the various tables talking to each other when I spotted the fire headed girl that had come to my door yesterday. She was sitting by herself, looking down at her food when I approached the table and asked if I could sit with her. She said nothing shaking her head yes. I set my stuff down and went and got my food, when I got back the girl was gone. Wow that how nice of her to wait for me, why where these people so mean. Maybe it was because we were all new; well accept the blue eyed boy….
Right when his face came to my mind I saw him walk in and head straight for my table. He looked curiously at me, probably thinking why I was staring at him with my mouth open.
“Do you mind if I sit with you?” He said with a smile on his face.
I swallowed loudly and shook my head up and down; I seemed to have lost my voice. Why did this always happen when he talked to me. I watched him sit down and take a wedge of orange and put it in his mouth, chewing with a thoughtful look on his face while she started back at me.
“I’m Kaia Boston by the way I realize that I didn’t introduce myself when I bumped in to you yesterday.” I said finally finding my voice even though it came out in a squeak.
“I’m Caden Mitchell; it’s nice to meet you.” He said while extending his hand and shaking mine when I place it in his.
In the moment that his fingers closed around my hand it seemed like it was on fire but it was a surprisingly pleasant burning that left my hand tingling. Then there was a sharp pain in my wrist and I pulled my hand back covering it with the other one. The pain was quick and sharp and had only lasted a second, I looked down and gasped finding a ribbon wrapped around two letters…..KC branded into the skin on the inside of my wrist like a tattoo. It almost looked like a scar that had faded over time but I could clearly see it. I looked back up to Caden and he was looking at his own wrist, but instead of shock there was understanding on his face.
That’s when I heard it again the same voice that I had heard when I was with him yesterday, but now it seemed to be talking to me.
“Don’t be afraid you will know everything in due time”
I looked at Caden but he looked as though he hadn’t heard or said anything.
“What in the heck was that, what did you do to me?” I said loudly
“I can’t tell you, all I can say is that you will know soon. But I don’t want you to be afraid im here to help you as you are also here to help me.” He said serenely.
“I don’t understand what is going on here and what am I supposed to help you with?”
“Like I said Im not the one that can tell you that, you will find out at the first meeting but for now just trust me when I say that everything is going to be ok,”
What was he talking about, what meeting and why was he so calm. Something had just happened to both of us and he didn’t even care. This was maddening and why was he speaking in cryptic little riddles. With out saying another word I got up my food untouched and went to dump it grabbing an apple from a basket by the door and ran back to my room. I went inside and locked the door behind me going to sit at my desk where my laptop sat and turned it on. While I was waiting for it to come to life I looked at the inside of my wrist again. Was it just me or did the ribbon seem to be turning a stormy blue that looked like the same color of Caden’s eyes. I shook my head, why was I still thinking about him, after our strange lunch together. That must be it because it was strange I couldn’t get it out of my mind. After a couple of minutes I gave up on my assumptions and went back to my computer opening my email to find an email from my grandmother.
Dear Kaia,
How was your first night sweetheart? We already miss you. We stopped at a hotel for the night and we will soon be on our way back to New York but I wanted to send you and e-mail asking how your first night in the dorms where. Made any new friends? Met any cute boys yet?
Love,
Grandma
I wrote her back keeping the details of my strange lunch from the email.
Grandma,
My first night was a little strange, didn’t really sleep well. Guess it’s just the new place, the new bed all that. I miss you guys already too; it’s weird not waking up to the sound of grandpa making breakfast while you read the paper out loud to him. I’m glad that you sent me an e-mail as I was actually thinking about sending you one but some how you always beat me to it. There is this one girl that came to my door but she didn’t say anything I think she was just shy but other than that no haven’t made any friends yet. I did meet a guy but he was a little weird so I’m not sure what to do about that. Well I’m going to find something to do so I will talk to you in a couple of days when you get home. I Love you guys too.
Love,
Kaia
Still feeling a little shaken I went back to my father’s book and started to read from where I left of before falling asleep last night.
It had been about two hours since I had started reading that a soft knock came from my door. Saving my page I got up from my bed and went to answer it. There was no one at the door and I was about to shut it when I noticed a box on the ground. On the top was a folded card with my name on the outside. I picked it up and took it back into my room. I took the card from the top and opened it to see what was written inside.
Kaia Boston,
Your presence is required at the animal rights meeting tomorrow at 8:00 sharp. The meeting will be held in the conservatory in Jefferson Hall. Also enclosed in the box is a special piece that you must have with you at all times. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Look forward to seeing you tomorrow night. Have a pleasant evening.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Wolf
Confused I opened the box and gasped when I saw what lay in the folds of fabric that lined the inside of it; it was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. It had a delicate silver band with an intricate set of emeralds, which matched the color of my eyes, weaved in to the shape a half rose. It looked as if the other half of the emerald rose had been cut away leaving a small curve, where the other side of the rose would fit. I took it from the box and held it up to the light; it cast little green glittering shadows around my already green room. I wonder why this Mrs. Wolf had given me such a gift. I didn’t even know her and yet she was giving me the most beautiful ring that I had ever seen. I slipped it on the ring finger or my right hand where it fit perfectly, huh this was so strange but the note said to have it with my at all times and hopefully I would soon find out why it was given to me. I put the box in a drawer for save keeping and went back to my bed. The light was fading outside when I realized that I was starting to get hungry. Leaving my room I went back to the cafeteria, there where scarcely any people so I decided to sit by myself. My meal was quiet this time no surprises and I didn’t see Caden or the strange red haired girl. Feeling full I went back to my room and changed into a set of soft pajamas and climbed into bed.
This time the dream was the same but one difference was that there was no flying above the trees. Only running, constant footsteps hitting the trail wrought throughout the forest. I heard another set of footprints but it sounded different like there was more than one set. I looked to my side and saw a dark gray wolf running beside me. Just when I was about to scream I hit the edge of the drop to the cliff and, unlike last time I didn’t stop. I fell and then I heard a voice calling to me.
“Wake up Kaia! You’re in danger; you need to open your eyes now”
I tried to wake up but couldn’t. I seemed to be stuck in my nightmare unable to control what was happening to me. I was still falling, the river rushing up to meet me, then I hit the water and my world went black.
Campus Encounter
The beginning of school was always a stressful time for kids, or so I have been told. But by now you would think I would know how it was. I mean I have gone to a new school almost every year of my entire life. I guess that’s what you get when you live with grandparents that like to travel all the time. I mean I can understand the first couple of times that we moved but it had been so long since I had seen all four seasons in one place. This was not what I expected when my parents had died so long ago. I still miss them all the time but hey what kid can say that they have been to every state in the U.S. Not many im sure but that is one claim that I can make. I am so used to this moving around that im not sure why im so worried about college.
Probably since I will be some where for four years or more, thought Kaia as she looked out the window to the sunny flat surface of what was to be her new home. It looked like a drought had taken hold of the land and had still not let go. This is what awaited Kaia at her new home in Silver City, New Mexico. She had been accepted in to Western New Mexico University and had finally made up her mind to attend the university. For some reason when she thought of the university a pulling feeling would settle on her. It was like she was meant to be there and couldn’t get there fast enough. After all those years of reading books, and studying for tests she was finally on her way to a brighter future. Western New Mexico University was set right on top of the Gila national forest, with sprawling green grass and trees for miles. It was a normal land but with a nice climate. She had not even packed a jacket with her, knowing that she would not have any use for it.
She had a feeling that she would have a hard time fitting in, what with her pale freckled skin and auburn hair; she hardly looked like some one that lived in New Mexico for a long period of time. She liked the sun yet she never seemed to be able to tan, no matter how long she stayed in the sun for she was and would probably always remain pale. But this is where she was headed and WNMU would just have to take her as she was.
“Honey, are you excited for your first year of college?” her grandmother asked in a shaky voice.
It was obvious that grandma had been crying. I could hear the occasional sniffle from her and I could hear her rummaging through her purse looking for a tissue to wipe her eyes of the tears that would give her away. I looked at her trying to think of something to say to make her feel better, even though I knew that the only reason she was crying was because she wouldn’t see me as often and that she would miss me.
“Of course im excited for my first year. I have been waiting for this forever, you know that.” I said to her with a smile on my face.
Unlike my grandmother I was better at hiding my emotions from the general public, I was a little sad to be leaving but more giddy too actually get out of this car and take my first steps on the campus grounds. To see all the brick builds dripping with history of all the students that had passed through the same halls that I would soon be walking down. My grandma nodded and turned back around in her seat. I went back to looking out the window at the flat land that was now the end of Texas.
We had been on the road it seemed for a month when in truth it had been about 4 days since we had left New York to drive across country to New Mexico. My grandparents still could not understand why I had wanted to go so far away for college and to be honest I really didn’t either. But when I thought of the campus and the school I felt drawn to it in an unexplainable way and I had no other choice in the matter. So I had finally decided attend WNMU as they called it, to find out why I had such a strong connection to this school. I could not tell my grandparents this for fear that they would think I was crazy and enroll me in NYU. So I just told them that I had enjoyed New Mexico the best out of all the states that we had lived in so it only made sense that I would go to school there. They had agreed that I could go there as long as they could rent a house close so that they could come for visits once in a while. I had agreed to this one condition happily, I was not ready to lose them either.
At one point I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew my grandfather was shaking me awake telling me that we had arrived. In the time that I had been asleep the sky had turned from a bright sunny blue, to the inky orange yellow of a setting sun. I sat up and looked out the window to the New Mexico campus. It looked just like I pictured it, lots of brick buildings with students running in an out of them. I was going to the trunk to get my stuff when I first saw him.
He was standing by a large red van down the street taking luggage out of the trunk. He was beautiful, the light catching the deep black tones in his hair and tossing it about but never seeming to toss a hair out of place. He looked like he belonged in a run way as a model not on campus yet there he was standing a couple of feet from where my grandparents had parked. I couldn’t help but stare, my mouth open in amazement, when he suddenly looked my way and our eyes met. In that one instance I felt a spark come from both of our bodies and settle some where in the middle of the space between us. I also felt a strong tug on my body as if something where pulling me toward this beautiful boy. I continued to stare at him like an idiot his eyes holding me where I was, they looked like a stormy sky with flecks of dark blue around the center. They seemed to sparkle despite the darkness of the gray that they contained. I could feel myself getting lost in the depth of his eyes when suddenly he looked away, he seemed to be angry. I turned around feeling dazed and continued to take my stuff from the van and place it in a bin that my grandparents had just wheeled to me. I looked back to his car and he was gone, I sighed and put the last of my bags into the bin and closed the trunk.
I walked toward Centennial Hall where I would be living for the next year. I shook my head and walked into the building and down the first floor hall toward my room. The halls looked like any other campus dorm rooms that I had seen, bland with a lot of doors. I reached my room and grabbed the key that I had received in the mail before I had come to campus. When it first came to me I thought that it was weird that they sent it by mail and that I did not have to prove who I was to get it but I put it out of my mind then and had put it in my drawer until the day that I would pack it in my suitcase and take it to college.
I stuck the key in the door and turned to unlock it, taking a deep breath I opened the door. The first thing that I thought to my self was that there was a lot of space for one person to live in; since I could I had requested that I have my own room. It was twice the size of the bedroom in our New York home, with tall ceilings and a large bay window looking out toward the forest with a seat beneath it so that I could sit and stare out to the forest that surrounded my building. The walls, a deep green color reminded me of the forest that awaited me outside. There was a single bed shoved against the wall, a dresser across from it and a desk set against the wall in between the two. There was a door next to the dresser, probably the private bathroom that came with my room or the closet since there was another identical one beside it. All in all it looked pretty plain to me, but I would just have to change that for myself. I started taking my luggage out of the bin and put it on what would now be my bed. When the luggage fell on to the bed a puff of dust rose into the air.
“Ok when was the last time that someone actually stayed in this room.” I said turning to get look at my grandparents and laughed, they laughed in return.
“Looks like it’s been a long time since any one has stepped foot in to this room. Lucky for you we being the grandparents that we are brought antibacterial wipes for you.” My grandmother said with a playful smile on her face.
“Why thank you for that little ray of hope,” I grinned back at her, “But I think it is going to take more than antibacterial wipes to make this room clean.”
She chuckled quietly but said nothing else, my grandfather who had not said a word since we had arrived looked at me suddenly with the strangest look on his face. It was hard to describe it was a cross between sadness and surprise. He walked over and pulled me in to a hug.
“I can’t believe it was only yesterday that we took you in and now look you’re in college,” his voice shook with what I could only think would be unshed tears, “I know that I’m not your father but I have never been prouder of anyone in my entire life.”
I stood there with my arms around my grandfather all of a sudden I couldn’t speak and I could feel hot tears rolling down my face. Of course he wasn’t my father but I had always thought of him that way and hearing those words come out of his mouth made me feel more like his daughter than anything he had ever said or done for me before. I sniffled and he pulled away, his face wet with fresh tears also. My grandma came to me then crying also and hugged me to her. They would always be like parents to me no matter what and as I thought of the coming months my control on my emotions slip and with it fresh tears. We stood there for a couple seconds longer and then pulled apart. I knew that it was time for them to leave then, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to let go yet. I think my grandma sensed this because when I looked at her again she had a smile on her face.
“I know this is a big change and that it is going to be hard at first but you will be ok and you know you can always call us no matter what.” My grandmother said grabbing her purse of my desk and walking toward the door with my grandfather following after her.
All I could do was nod not trusting myself to speak in case they heard the crack in my voice when I said good bye. They seemed to sense my feelings and instead of saying anything, they once again hugged me and then strode out of the room. Once they where gone I shut the door and sat on the edge of my bed. I was alone now and I didn’t care if I cried or not, I sat there for a couple minutes while the tears continued to roll down my face and then they stopped. I was still sad but it was my choice to go to a college so far away from them and since I was going to be here for the next four years of my life I needed to suck it up and get in gear.
Wiping the last of the remaining tears from my cheeks, I got up then and started to put my things away. I walked over to the door right next to the dresser to find that I was right and it was my bathroom. It was small containing a sink, a toilet, and a shower-bathtub combo. I put my bathroom items in and went back out shutting the door behind me. I put my clothes away in the dresser and the closet which was what was behind the identical door. I looked around at my room and started to think of ways to make it my own. Put up some pictures, some bulletin boards, other things that would make it feel more like home than a college dorm room.
While I was thinking these things over and thinking of what cleaning supplies I would need to use to make this room clean, I heard a sharp knock on my door. I opened it to find a girl standing in the hall, she looked to be about my age with long wavy red hair that seemed to sparkle like that of a crackling fire and brown eyes with a band of gold around the outside of her iris. She stood in my door way and stared at me waiting like I was for either of us to say something. I decided to break the ice first since it seems like she was not going to say anything.
“Hi my name is Kaia, is there something that I can help you with,” I said nicely thinking that she must want something because she had knocked on my door.
She continued to stand in the door way and stare in to my room and then she suddenly turned around and ran down the hall to the door at the end and ran inside slamming the door shut behind her. Wow that was weird, I wonder what she wanted. I shook my head and shut the door walking to the bed and getting my cleaning supplies out so I could start to remove the layers of dust that had probably been in my room for many years.
Two hours later I went to the bathroom to wash everything out, I was finally done scrubbing the floors, the bed, everything in the room and I had finally been able to put out my rug and make my bed. I felt hot so I took a quick shower and got dressed. So what was I supposed to do now? Classes didn’t start until Monday which gave me about half a week to settle in to my new life. I decided to walk around campus and find out where I could eat, already having signed in when I got to the campus, I had my lunch card in my back pocket just in case I ran across something that looked good. I pulled out the map that they had given me when I went to check in and looked at it for a cafeteria or a food court. I found what I was looking for and started to walk toward it looking down at my map so that I knew where I was going. I was so engrossed in my map and looking for the right paths that I did not notice a boy walking in my direction, talking on the phone and unaware of his surrounds as I was. Suddenly we knocked into each other which made the map slip from my hands and his phone fly in to the grass. I bent down to retrieve my map with out looking up to see who I had bumped into. I heard him grumble angrily and looked up at his face. Just like this morning when I saw him standing by his car I was silent and staring. He bent down to pick up his phone not looking me in the eyes but I knew that he knew I was the same person from this morning. He had to know why else would he be angry, I wasn’t sure why he was angry but did it really matter I didn’t even know him. I had not noticed it before but I felt the same spark that I had felt this morning and the same tug in his direction. They both seemed to grow in intensity with our close proximity to each other. I flushed red and looked into his stormy eyes.
“Why is she staring at me? I mean she is the one that bumped into me you would think she would say sorry or at least say something.”
I looked around to see where I had just heard the voice from and saw no one else but me and this strange boy.
“I’m so sorry that I ran into you I wasn’t really paying attention to where I was going,” I said to him quietly. Something about the way that he was staring at me made me feel like he was waiting for me to say something.
“Well it’s about time that she said something I wasn’t going to give in that easily. But she keeps staring at me like im a Martian or something. Do I have something on my face or is she just crazy?”
There it was again, was I losing it? We where the only ones around yet I heard the same voice in my head that I heard just minutes earlier. I stared around once more to make sure that I hadn’t missed someone entering the pathway.
“That’s quite alright I wasn’t really paying much attention myself. You must be a freshman, am I right?” The boy said in a low voice matching the tone of voice that I had heard in my head before.
“Yeah I am, I guess the map gave me away,” I said a little embarrassed now. I must be losing my mind because I was thinking that I could hear this boy’s thoughts.
“Well of course the map is a dead give away. But I guess I could give her directions to where ever she needs to go. I should not be so mean even though it sucks that we are now tied. It’s inevitable now no matter what I want.”
Tied? What in the world was I thinking about, maybe I was going crazy. I could not be hearing this guy’s thoughts. As I was thinking about how I must have snapped from the stress of moving away from the only family I had ever known the boy looked at me with a sad expression. What was his deal, first he was angry now he’s sad, maybe he is the crazy one. The boy stared at me and then burst out in laughter his shoulder shaking violently with each laugh that escaped his mouth.
“She thinks I’m the crazy one. Well maybe I shouldn’t think about anything else until her first time. Then when she knows everything we can talk. She sure is a funny one; of course I get stuck with the crazy girl.”
Ok I need to get out of here my mind was spinning with the words that I had just heard in my head. It must be the stress because there was no way that I could be hearing this. I turned around heading back to my room no longer hungry when I heard a set of quiet foot steps behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see the boy following me.
“Can I help you with something or is there a reason you’re following me back to my dorm?” I said warily while still walking.
“No, just making sure that you get back to your room ok, don’t want to let some strange person jump you, I mean it is college you never know what can happen.”
I couldn’t tell if he was joking or being serious but by the time he was done talking I had reached the entrance to my dorm and walked up the stairs to my room. As I opened the door I turned around to say something to the boy to find myself in an empty hallway. I shook my head, wow I really was crazy. Well now that I have had my dose of adventure for the day I decided to take out one of my favorite books and read. I pulled out a battered copy of journey to the center of the earth, one of my favorite classics. When I opened it a picture fell out from beneath the front cover and fell to the floor. I stooped down to pick it up and turned it over to look at it.
A tear splashed on the edge of the photograph, I hadn’t even realized that I was crying until I saw the evidence on the picture of my parents. I had forgotten that I had this picture as a bookmark. It had been a while since I had read it and had not realized that I had left it there as a reminder when ever I cracked open the pages of what had been my fathers favorite book and what had also always been my favorite book.
They looked so young and happy with me, a newborn, in my mother’s arms. This was the day that they had come home from the hospital with me; at least that’s what my grandparents told me since I was too young to remember. Looking at this picture had always made me sad, because I had never even had a chance to get to know them before they died.
Putting the picture on my desk I took my book and lied down on my bed and started to read….
I woke up to find it pitch black in my room and my book lying on the pillow beside my head. I was still tired and would still be sleeping if I hadn’t just heard….. What was it that I had just heard? It sounded like a low growling outside me door and a scuffle. I got up and opened my door to find the hallway empty. This place was messing with my head. I changed in to some pajamas and went back to my bed. I laid down pulling the covers over my head and feel into restless sleep.
I was still tired when I got up the next morning not having slept well in my new bed. It must be the change that was messing with me, but I had also had the strangest dream. I was running down path in the woods surrounding campus when suddenly my vision changed. Some colors dimmed to almost a gray haze while others grew in intensity and then I was suddenly above the trees flying around and I was aware of another person flying close to me but when I turned all I saw was a great eagle flying down to the tree tops. Then I was falling and instead of crashing I was running again but faster than I could have ever been. Then I reached a clearing where there was a large gap and a river snaking through it. I couldn’t stop running and right before I had fallen in over the edge my eyes snapped open and I saw the dark green ceiling of my room.
I got up, took a shower then decided to go find out where I could get food after my stomach gave an intense rumble, reminding me that I had not eaten last night. Knowing better this time, I studied the map so that I would not caught unaware again. I wonder if I was going to see that boy again, I didn’t even know his name even though I had seen him twice already. I reached the familiar path from yesterday and set out on my quest to get some thing to eat. As I neared the cafeteria I became aware of someone following me, instead of turning around I quickened my pace and finally reached the door. Turning around I once again found myself alone, shaking my head thinking that maybe I was just wound to tight from yesterday I walked inside, up the stairs and into the cafeteria.
It was a wide open space with lots of round and square tables. There were people sitting in the various tables talking to each other when I spotted the fire headed girl that had come to my door yesterday. She was sitting by herself, looking down at her food when I approached the table and asked if I could sit with her. She said nothing shaking her head yes. I set my stuff down and went and got my food, when I got back the girl was gone. Wow that how nice of her to wait for me, why where these people so mean. Maybe it was because we were all new; well accept the blue eyed boy….
Right when his face came to my mind I saw him walk in and head straight for my table. He looked curiously at me, probably thinking why I was staring at him with my mouth open.
“Do you mind if I sit with you?” He said with a smile on his face.
I swallowed loudly and shook my head up and down; I seemed to have lost my voice. Why did this always happen when he talked to me. I watched him sit down and take a wedge of orange and put it in his mouth, chewing with a thoughtful look on his face while she started back at me.
“I’m Kaia Boston by the way I realize that I didn’t introduce myself when I bumped in to you yesterday.” I said finally finding my voice even though it came out in a squeak.
“I’m Caden Mitchell; it’s nice to meet you.” He said while extending his hand and shaking mine when I place it in his.
In the moment that his fingers closed around my hand it seemed like it was on fire but it was a surprisingly pleasant burning that left my hand tingling. Then there was a sharp pain in my wrist and I pulled my hand back covering it with the other one. The pain was quick and sharp and had only lasted a second, I looked down and gasped finding a ribbon wrapped around two letters…..KC branded into the skin on the inside of my wrist like a tattoo. It almost looked like a scar that had faded over time but I could clearly see it. I looked back up to Caden and he was looking at his own wrist, but instead of shock there was understanding on his face.
That’s when I heard it again the same voice that I had heard when I was with him yesterday, but now it seemed to be talking to me.
“Don’t be afraid you will know everything in due time”
I looked at Caden but he looked as though he hadn’t heard or said anything.
“What in the heck was that, what did you do to me?” I said loudly
“I can’t tell you, all I can say is that you will know soon. But I don’t want you to be afraid im here to help you as you are also here to help me.” He said serenely.
“I don’t understand what is going on here and what am I supposed to help you with?”
“Like I said Im not the one that can tell you that, you will find out at the first meeting but for now just trust me when I say that everything is going to be ok,”
What was he talking about, what meeting and why was he so calm. Something had just happened to both of us and he didn’t even care. This was maddening and why was he speaking in cryptic little riddles. With out saying another word I got up my food untouched and went to dump it grabbing an apple from a basket by the door and ran back to my room. I went inside and locked the door behind me going to sit at my desk where my laptop sat and turned it on. While I was waiting for it to come to life I looked at the inside of my wrist again. Was it just me or did the ribbon seem to be turning a stormy blue that looked like the same color of Caden’s eyes. I shook my head, why was I still thinking about him, after our strange lunch together. That must be it because it was strange I couldn’t get it out of my mind. After a couple of minutes I gave up on my assumptions and went back to my computer opening my email to find an email from my grandmother.
Dear Kaia,
How was your first night sweetheart? We already miss you. We stopped at a hotel for the night and we will soon be on our way back to New York but I wanted to send you and e-mail asking how your first night in the dorms where. Made any new friends? Met any cute boys yet?
Love,
Grandma
I wrote her back keeping the details of my strange lunch from the email.
Grandma,
My first night was a little strange, didn’t really sleep well. Guess it’s just the new place, the new bed all that. I miss you guys already too; it’s weird not waking up to the sound of grandpa making breakfast while you read the paper out loud to him. I’m glad that you sent me an e-mail as I was actually thinking about sending you one but some how you always beat me to it. There is this one girl that came to my door but she didn’t say anything I think she was just shy but other than that no haven’t made any friends yet. I did meet a guy but he was a little weird so I’m not sure what to do about that. Well I’m going to find something to do so I will talk to you in a couple of days when you get home. I Love you guys too.
Love,
Kaia
Still feeling a little shaken I went back to my father’s book and started to read from where I left of before falling asleep last night.
It had been about two hours since I had started reading that a soft knock came from my door. Saving my page I got up from my bed and went to answer it. There was no one at the door and I was about to shut it when I noticed a box on the ground. On the top was a folded card with my name on the outside. I picked it up and took it back into my room. I took the card from the top and opened it to see what was written inside.
Kaia Boston,
Your presence is required at the animal rights meeting tomorrow at 8:00 sharp. The meeting will be held in the conservatory in Jefferson Hall. Also enclosed in the box is a special piece that you must have with you at all times. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! Look forward to seeing you tomorrow night. Have a pleasant evening.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Wolf
Confused I opened the box and gasped when I saw what lay in the folds of fabric that lined the inside of it; it was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen. It had a delicate silver band with an intricate set of emeralds, which matched the color of my eyes, weaved in to the shape a half rose. It looked as if the other half of the emerald rose had been cut away leaving a small curve, where the other side of the rose would fit. I took it from the box and held it up to the light; it cast little green glittering shadows around my already green room. I wonder why this Mrs. Wolf had given me such a gift. I didn’t even know her and yet she was giving me the most beautiful ring that I had ever seen. I slipped it on the ring finger or my right hand where it fit perfectly, huh this was so strange but the note said to have it with my at all times and hopefully I would soon find out why it was given to me. I put the box in a drawer for save keeping and went back to my bed. The light was fading outside when I realized that I was starting to get hungry. Leaving my room I went back to the cafeteria, there where scarcely any people so I decided to sit by myself. My meal was quiet this time no surprises and I didn’t see Caden or the strange red haired girl. Feeling full I went back to my room and changed into a set of soft pajamas and climbed into bed.
This time the dream was the same but one difference was that there was no flying above the trees. Only running, constant footsteps hitting the trail wrought throughout the forest. I heard another set of footprints but it sounded different like there was more than one set. I looked to my side and saw a dark gray wolf running beside me. Just when I was about to scream I hit the edge of the drop to the cliff and, unlike last time I didn’t stop. I fell and then I heard a voice calling to me.
“Wake up Kaia! You’re in danger; you need to open your eyes now”
I tried to wake up but couldn’t. I seemed to be stuck in my nightmare unable to control what was happening to me. I was still falling, the river rushing up to meet me, then I hit the water and my world went black.