Chapter 2
The next morning Nate was at my door like clockwork. I grabbed a pop tart and milk and headed out the door. I was still full of energy, almost skipping out the door. “Wait a minute!” Grandpa came after me. “I think you should stay at home today, Talli.” I could detect sadness in grandpa’s concern. Obviously discerning the puzzling look on my face, grandpa attempted to change his attitude. “I need you to keep an eye on grams today. She’s not feeling well and momma and I need to go on some errands.” It didn’t work. Grams never got sick and she certainly wasn’t incapable of taking care of herself and grandpa and mamma going on errands? When did that ever happen?
“Gramps, really? Grams never gets sick.” I laughed.
“Well there’s a first for everything.” Grandpa was serious.
“Gramps, I really can’t miss school today. I have core testing this week and besides, you don’t really need me here.” I knew why he wanted me to stay. Well sort of. It had something to do with the visitor we had Sunday night, but other than that I can’t imagine why he didn’t want me to go to school. There was definitely something looming here and I wanted to know about it. “Nate, I’ll catch up with ya later. Okay?” Nate, of course, was his usual sweet self and kissed me quickly on the cheek and headed to school.
I followed grandpa into our homey kitchen. This is where we gathered with family and friends. The living room was formal and the family room was for activities. The large, comfy kitchen was where we hung out and talked. Grams and momma were already in there and just as I suspected, grams looked good and healthy. As I slowly sat down on my favorite bar stool, all eyes were on me. Not their usual chatting or laughing or even eating breakfast. “What is going on here?” I separated each word for emphasis, as if that would encourage someone to spill the beans. Knowing my stubbornness derived from these people, I knew I would really have to pry it out of them.
“It’s not that we want to keep anything from you…or maybe we do. It’s just that the more you know the less safe you are.” Momma was first to speak. Her hand lovingly brushed a lock of hair behind my ear. That wasn’t going to work. I wanted answers and I was sick of being “protected” by all of them. I’m 18 years old! I’m not a baby! I deserve to know!
“Honey, we know you’re not a baby, although you’re not 18 yet. “ Momma always tried to smooth everything over.
“I will be in a couple of months! “ Wait a minute. I didn’t say anything. I was thinking all that. To myself, not aloud. Momma was always overly intuitive. It was as if she could read my mind, or something. But that was a little freakish. It’s like she read my mind word for word.
“And you are right. You do deserve to know.” Continued momma. I just sat there staring at her. I wanted to try not to think anything. Could she read my mind, my thoughts? I could test her. You never trust me. I thought in my mind.
“That is so not true and you know it young lady!”
“Aha! You can read minds. Why have I never known this before? Or why haven’t I noticed it before?” I rubbed my temples. This was so surreal to me.
“Talitha,” Grandpa began, “We have taken great care to conceal our abilities from you. We wanted you to live a different life than that. We wanted you to live a normal life. We knew we would have to tell you eventually because…well because you too will have abilities someday. It happens sometime just before you become an adult. Actually, in our culture it means you are an adult when you acquire your abilities.”
My head was reeling. This was so much to take in. What are they talking about? This is insane! I leaped to my feet and ran out of the house. I didn’t want to hear anymore. When I was outside I realized I had nowhere to go. My ride had left already. I didn’t want to walk four miles to school. I stomped around the grounds for a while and then I just collapsed in my swing. Abilities? Reading minds? Our culture? They had to be making this up! It didn’t make any sense. But they never made things up before; why would they now? I buried my head in my arms and curled my legs up to my chest.
I’m not sure how long I sat there in the swing. Thoughts reeling through my head. I tried to think of past times that could have been like this. Sometimes momma would know what I was thinking and know how to make me feel better or know what I was looking for. I just thought she was intuitive. Lots of moms are. That was pretty normal, right? Except now she knows exactly, word for word, what I’m thinking. That’s not possible, is it?
All of the sudden I needed to get out of there. This was too much to think about. I seriously needed to clear my head. I started walking down the road without a thought of where I was going. Walking turned into jogging and then running. The harder I ran the better I felt. It seemed as if it had only been a few minutes and I found myself just outside my high school parking lot. Wow. That was freaky. I must have lost track of time or something. Its four miles to my school from our house!
Now, I’m not the most athletic person around. Neither am I sedentary. However, I’m not in the habit of running four miles like that. Not in the habit of running 2 miles that fast. I run a mile every day in cheer but not that fast! Once I ran a full marathon but I trained before I ran it and I got pretty exhausted in the process. Right now I feel as if I could run another ten miles and not break a sweat.
I was pretty lost in my thoughts until a deep, soft voice broke my musing. “That was mighty impressive running, Talitha.” My head jerked up to discover Cruz standing next to me. Scanning the area, I couldn’t see his car. OMG! He’s a stalker!
“Did you follow me?” Sure Talli, I thought to myself. You’re that important to him. Right. He had to have been here already since I don’t see a car around.
“Oh, but you are my dear. Important to me”
“What! Do you read minds, too?” I don’t think this day could get any weirder!
“Actually, who else reads minds? Do you read minds Talli?” He leaned in closer as if this was a secret he was willing to guard.
“And I am not your dear.” I raved at him. He may be Mr. gorgeous but I’ll be darned if I’ll let anyone lay claim to me like that when I don’t even know him. “And no, I don’t. Read minds, that is.” I didn’t feel threatened by Cruz. Something inside me seemed to be telling me he was okay and I could trust him. I could almost hear those exact words in my head as if someone were whispering in my ear. Except I had been taught all my life not to speak to strangers, not to trust strangers and to not even approach a stranger if I were alone.
The more I thought about it, I realized that momma had always been emphatic about making sure I never went near any one I didn’t know. I thought she was being over protective. I got the message when I was little and I’d never gone against it; so why was she so ardent about reminding me.
“Who are you Cruz? And why did my grandfather send you away so quickly? And why did he not want me to hear anything? And why are you here now?” I was sincerely interested in his story, whatever it may be.
“Come with me and I’ll reveal everything.” A dimpled grin barely decorated his face. He seemed harmless. Something in me was trying to convince myself he was harmless. And then my dream last night was confirming that he was harmless. Still, the reasoning in my head kept saying I was crazy to even consider going anywhere with a stranger, and one grandpa didn’t want around! I trusted my mom and grandparents. He must have heard my thoughts because he pressed me further, “Your grandparents and mother will try to keep this from you. If you want to know the answers to your questions, you need to come with me. You are completely safe with me. This could be your last chance. They are on their way here looking for you as we speak. When they get here they will take you away and you will never see me again.”
Holy freakin’ salesman! He didn’t give up easy! What a line. Still, that voice in my head is affirming everything he said and telling me tha
t it’s okay. However, I just couldn’t make myself think that going with a stranger was okay! Who does that, anyway! I would have to be out of my mind to go off with a complete stranger. On second thought, he was probably right about momma and grams and grandpa on their way here. There was something inside me saying it’s okay. You’ll be fine. I turned to him. “Let’s go.” I stated simply. This may be a big mistake. Then again, it may not be. There are things I need to know. I followed this dark, handsome, mysterious stranger. Not quite certain what was to come from this, but I knew I had to find out.
Chapter 3
“I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ’Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.”
~Leonardo da Vinci~