Her Gift of Light

Her Gift of Light

  by Elyssa Nyte

  Copyright Elyssa Nyte 2013

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  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. 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 express written permission from the author.

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  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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  Chapter One - Another School

  Janna's mother stopped the car in front of the third new school of the year. Janna was so tired of the constant moving to new places. Besides, this school was beyond creepy. There were gargoyles on each corner of the building, and it looked like something out of a scary movie. She glanced back as her mom pulled away from the curb and left her to the wolves. Or in this case, the Gargoyles! She almost snickered at her own internal warped sense of humor.

  Climbing the steps, two at a time, a figure sailed past her. She almost screamed until she realized it was just another student. A very cute one! But she squelched the thought immediately. She wasn't getting into that mess again. She was done with emotions on that level.

  Chris back at her last school had went out with her and turned on her like all the rest of her so called friends. She couldn't help it, if things beyond her control tried to take over her life at times. She wasn't even sure why lights and things acted up around her. But she didn't have time for the past. Shoving the thought away for another day, she entered into the yellow lit hallways of her new school. The building had the odor of something old and musty. She wrinkled her nose and made her way down the empty hall.

  Looking around, she figured that everyone must be in class because it seemed like there were no students at this school. She followed the signs that led her to the administrative office. Pushing open the heavy wooded door, she stopped just inside the door. It looked like a scene from the 1950s or 60s. She was motioned into the office by the secretary who talked like they had known each other forever.

  After getting her schedule and a tour of the school, she was escorted to her first class. The secretary stopped, turned towards the door, and motioned her inside the room. The students all looked at her. And she suddenly felt completely in the wrong place. But before she could think too much about it, the teacher introduced her to the other students.

  Janna took the seat that Mrs. Shannie indicated and did her best to shrink into her seat. This was going to be a long day. And she was going to keep to herself and try to ride it through to the end of the day. After that she was going to ask her parents if there was another school in the area because this school registered way up there on her creepometer.

  The bell rang but no one stood up. She was about to when the teacher instructed them to take out their algebra book. She glanced around the room in confusion. The teacher saw her bewildered look and informed her that they were the only students. And that all classes were held in one classroom except lab and that was the room adjoining the current one.

  Nodding, she opened her book and did her best to pay attention to the lecture. It was so hard because her eyes kept roaming over the students in the room. And she didn't know what, but there was something that was terribly off about this place.

  When the final bell rang, she picked up her books and shoved them into her bag. Getting out of here was her top priority. She didn't notice as she turned that someone was standing so close to her. She gasped out loud and backed up. A boy stuck out his hand and told her he was Josh. She didn't want to seem rude, so she placed her hand in his. A tremor went through her as her skin made contact with his. She almost immediately jerked her hand back, but he didn't seem to notice.

  Stepping away from him, she headed out the door with the rest of the students. Her mom was waiting on the curb to pick her up. She threw herself into the car with an exhausted sigh. She looked at her mother and asked if there was another school in the area to go to. But she wasn't prepared for the answer she got. There were no other schools for several hundred miles away. She laid her head back on the seat. She was dumped into the middle of nowhere, and she was stuck there.

  She got out of the car as it stopped and made her way to the porch of their new house. This whole town was ancient. She did not want to be here. She wished for the one thing that she had prayed would stop. She did not want to move before, but she did now. This whole place gave her major goose bumps. She just knew there was something off about this town.

  Climbing the winding stairs to the top floor, she opened the door to her room and threw herself onto the bed. She fell asleep without any intention of doing so. She woke up and it was dark. Immediately, she realized that she wasn't alone in her room. It was the boy from class. She tried to scream, but he placed his hand against her mouth.

  She looked up at him with fear in her eyes. He smiled at her, and she wasn't sure why, but she settled down, and all her fear evaporated. He removed his hand slowly as if to grab her again should she change her mind and start to scream.

  He looked at her and as he was climbing back out of the window he said, "Watch out for them, Janna."

  And just as she was about to say, "Them? Who?" He was gone.

  She sat up in her room and waited for the sun to break. She was glad that today was not a school day. Her mind was at a loss as to just what the hell last night was about. She wasn't sitting at home all day. She needed answers and stuck inside all day wouldn't get them.

  Chapter Two - Michen Park

  After getting ready, she pulled on her red windbreaker, slipped out of the house, and headed in the direction of the park that was not far from her house. It was empty except for the birds and a couple of chattering squirrels. She didn't mind being the only one there.

  She began to walk the track that circled the park. She felt at peace in the surroundings. It wasn't until she took the path that veered off into the woods that the atmosphere began to change. The trees began to bend and sway as the wind picked up. Her first thought was to turn back, but she caught a glimpse of a boy taking a left off the main track. She knew that it was the boy from school. She wouldn't mistaken his mop of curly blonde hair with anyone else's. He looked back, and she ducked behind a tree. He must have heard her. She eased quietly in the direction he had taken. When she rounded the corner, she was surprised to find that there was no one up ahead. The path was empty. Had she imagined him? She just didn't know.

  She continued to walk up the path. She made her way around another corner and was shocked by what she saw. It was a cemetery of only six graves. There were markers with the name and dates. Three females and three males were put to rest in the small plot. And the thing that was the most shocking was that they had all been born on the same day and died on the same day as well. How could that be? She suddenly felt a chill run up her spine and decided that she had found out enough for one day.

  Tomorrow was another day without school, and she was going to find the library. As she returned home, she could not get the
thought of those graves out of her mind. She had a feeling that Possle Community had a lot of secrets. It just had to. The school was ancient and the people were creepy. Why had her dad agreed to move here?

  She made sure that her windows were locked that night before bed. She didn't want another late night visitor. As she lay thinking about the graves that she had found, she tried her best to work out a logical explanation for them, but there just wasn't one. She fell asleep and started dreaming about the boy. He was holding out his hand for her to take it. But she was terrified in the dream, and she had no idea if he could be trusted.

  She awoke the next morning and just lay in the bed for a moment before getting up. Last night had been horrible. The dreams had continued every time she closed her eyes. She thought about talking with her parents, but she just couldn't.

  Once again she got up at the break of day and snuck out of the house. This time she hopped on her bike and pedaled her way into town. As she pedaled past the park, she shivered as she thought about the ghastly faces in her dreams the night before.

  Reaching the edge of town, she veered off to the right and made her way to the library. After going only a few blocks down, she hopped off her bike and propped it against the wall. The library was just as old and intimidating as the school. The door creaked and scuffed against the floor as she pushed it open. There was that same old musty smell. This town was old, if not ancient. The librarian looked up from her book as she entered. It wasn't a friendly look, but she was already inside, and couldn't turn back now.

  The librarian spoke, "Can I help you?"

  Janna almost backed out but forced herself to ask, "Are there any books on the history of the town, and also on Michen Park?"

  The librarian gave her an odd look and forced a smile, "I'm sorry but those records were lost in the fire a few years back."

  Janna didn't believe her, but something inside her said not to push.

  Janna was trying to think of something to say, when the librarian asked, "Is there something else that I could help you with?"

  "I just wondered about those six graves on the trails in the park."

  "No one knows. They were discovered a few years back, but there are no records."

  Janna knew that she was being lied to, but she also knew when to let something go.

  "Oh. Well, thanks anyway."

  The librarian replied, "You're welcome."

  Janna quickly saw herself out of the library and hopped back on her bike. She pedaled home faster than she had left. She stayed in for the rest of the time that she was out of school. She dreaded going back to school. So, like all things that you don't want to happen, it was time to go back to school before she even blinked an eye.

  Chapter Three - Back At School

  Climbing the stairs to the school entrance, she once again felt as though those gargoyles were eyeing her with contempt. She made her way to the classroom and took the seat that she had the day before. This time the boy from her room took the seat behind her.

  She wanted to look back, but she didn't know what to say. Did he know that she followed him the other day? She hoped not. She was afraid of him on one level, but like all girls her age, she thought he was cute. Cute? Geez, she didn't do cute. She went for the strong athletic type. She wasn't into tall, lanky, cute, and blonde.

  She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked. He held a note between his fingers, and she reached up and took it. She looked around, but no one was paying any attention to them. It read - I know you saw me. Meet me at the park after school. She folded the note up and slipped it into her bag. She knew that she shouldn't meet him, but she had to know.

  The classes droned on and on. It felt like an eternity to lunchtime. She missed her old school and the few friends that she had. This place was just too weird for words. As she ate her tuna salad sandwich, she looked around the cafeteria. There seemed to be only three divisions of social classes at this school. She saw the jocks and the cheerleaders, the brainiacs, and her. Great! She was a social outcast. Again.

  They returned to the classroom after a short bathroom break. This time Josh didn't take the seat behind her. The last two classes went by quicker than she thought they would. As the final bell rang, she jerked her bag up and exited the school. She needed to get out of here. It wasn't until she was on her bike that she remembered that she was to meet Josh at the park.

  She pedaled faster and turned her bike into the park as she came to a stop. She saw Josh's blonde hair at the edge of the woods. She was afraid to follow him, but he went back towards the path to the woods. And she followed him. This time once they were both hidden by the trees, he stopped and turned to wait for her. She told herself over and over that this was a bad idea.

  The thought didn't stop her from leaving her bike and walking beside him towards the graves. She wasn't sure what was about to happen, but she was still walking along the path with him. They came to the site of the six graves, and he opened the gate and motioned her inside.

  He turned to her and said, "I guess you wonder why I brought you here. This is the only place in town that we can talk, and the others cannot here."

  She looked at him and questioned, "The others?"

  He didn't say another word, but he pulled her towards him and briefly kissed her lips. She was prepared for anything but that. He let her go and handed her a circular object with a sun symbol on it.

  "Take this it will help protect you, when I can't."

  She turned it over in her hand. Her voice lost. She didn't understand any of this. Then, she realized. He was playing games with her. Pick on the new student. She threw the object at him and stormed back out the gate. She didn't spare him a look, and he didn't follow her. She should have guessed that he was mocking her or playing a cruel prank that everyone at school would laugh about tomorrow.

  She made it home in record time. Her mom was just putting dinner on the table. She smiled at her mom, even though she didn't feel like it. She dropped her books outside the door to her room, went to the bathroom, washed her hands, and returned to the kitchen.

  Sitting down at the table, she ate her food as her parents talked about the usual daily things. She only half listened. Her ears perked up, when she heard that her dad was going to have to go to Indiana to work. She thought they were moving, and it wasn't a moment too soon. But her excitement faded, when she realized he would only be gone for two weeks and they were staying in Possle Community.

  She waited until everyone had finished with dinner, and she began to clean up the kitchen. After the kitchen was in order once more, she went up to her room to do her homework. She flipped on the lamp as the sun faded and shadows took over. She was almost asleep and drooling on her book, when she heard a tapping on the window. She was afraid to look, but she did. It was Josh.

  She opened the window against her better judgement. He immediately hopped inside. He grabbed her hand and placed the small amulet into her hand.

  "It wasn't a joke. I was serious. I can't tell you anymore than that right now."

  She wasn't sure what to say. He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. And once again, the vibration of energy between them hummed and popped. He barely kissed her, but it made her feel completely strange.

  He smiled, let go of her hand, and hopped out into the night.

  "See you at school, Janna."

  This time she slept with the amulet beneath her pillow and the ghastly faces of the six from the cemetery did not invade her dreams. She awoke before the alarm clock went off. She couldn't wait to make it to school, even if it were a strange place. She sat in her usual seat and waited for Josh to show up.

  This time he picked a seat beside her. The teacher walked in with a frown upon her face. You could tell that something wasn't going well for her. She gave Josh and odd angry look. And he lowered his gaze. Did she know that Josh had given me the amulet? Could she be trusted? Janna looked around at her peers and wondered, if they could be trusted.

  The same boring
material droned on and on. It was like they were repeating yesterday. This place held many secrets, and she felt that she needed to find out. Her life might depend on it. She glanced over at Josh right before lunch, but he was flirting with a girl she knew was named Samantha. She became angry. He had kissed her. What was that all about? Samantha was your typically cute bouncy cheerleader, but she didn't seem snobby. However, Josh was the only one that would talk to Janna. She hated this place.

  Chapter Four - Alone With Josh

  And once again, the school day was over. She made her way home, but no one was there. Her parents had went to the next town for dinner, and she had been left to fend for herself. She hadn't been home very long, when there was a knock at the door. She quietly looked out the living room window. It was Josh. She opened the door, and he entered without being asked.

  "I saw that your parents were gone and stopped by. Would you go to the cemetery with me again?"

  "Why? So, you can kiss me without your girlfriend knowing?"

  "Samantha? She is my sister."

  "You were laughing and joking with her. I thought."

  "I can guess."

  He grabbed her arm gently and pulled her close to him. Once more, he briefly kissed her. He wanted to do more, but she was still young. He released her arm and looked around the living room.

  "How about we watch TV, and I'll get us a pizza?"

  "Okay."

  After finishing the medium pizza and watching Jack Reacher starring Tom Cruise, he stood up and stretched. He pulled her to her feet and kissed her softly.

  "Tomorrow, the park. Okay?"

  She nodded as she walked him to the door. After closing it behind him, she locked up and made her way to her room. She was almost asleep, when there was a tapping at her window. She threw back the cover and walked over to the window. He once again hopped inside her room.

  "I'm staying here tonight."

  "What? Why? You can't."

  "Trust me, I can't leave you alone tonight."

  He pushed her back into bed and pulled the cover up around her chin. Pulling a blanket from his bag, he curled up next to her on top of the covers.

  "Why can't I be left alone?"

  "Because they know who you are."

  "What is that supposed to mean?"