by Bree Wolf
“At least you know what’s good for you,” Quinn said, and he laughed.
As she headed to the stairs, her father called to her again. “This came for you today,” he said, holding out a small, hand-sized parcel. There was neither stamp nor post mark. It had been hand-delivered.
“Who’s it from?” No return address, either.
Her father shrugged. “Don’t know. Found it in the mailbox.”
Quinn nodded. “Alright. I’ll open it later. Good night.”
“Night, sweetie.”
In her room, Quinn dropped the parcel on her bed and, grabbing her pajamas, headed into the bathroom. The cold water on her hot skin was like heaven and she felt herself relax. The day fell away and a great calmness spread through her body. When she walked back into her room, her eyes fell on the parcel. Curious, she sat down cross-legged on her bed, her wet hair tousled, and opened it.
It was a simple cardboard box, enveloped in brown wrapping paper, taped at the edges. Pulling them free, the paper fell away and Quinn opened the box, peering inside. She found a black velvet bag with a finely threaded silver lace tied at the end. It felt almost weightless as though there was nothing in there. Opening it, Quinn held out her hand and carefully poured out its content.
A barely audible ringing of tiny metal links clinging together gave her some indication of what she would find. Looking at her open palm, her eyes settled on what looked like half of an oval-shaped silver amulet with an emerald gem in the center. The amulet appeared to have been broken in-two. The last rays of the setting sun caught in the edges of the neatly cut stone and sparkled in a way Quinn had never seen before. It looked like tiny sparks dancing just above the surface of the stone. Her eyes widened at the sight and she felt her heart skip a beat.
Quinn didn’t quite know what she felt in that moment. It was as though the amulet called to her and she put it on without another moment’s hesitation. As the amulet’s tiny weight came to rest against her chest, she felt her heart return to its normal rhythm.
Looking into the box once more, Quinn saw that there was a small sheet of paper lying at the bottom. Only a few lines were written there, but the words almost jumped off the page, making themselves heard.
Forgive my intrusion into your life, but I fear it is necessary. For now, I cannot reveal to you who I am, but the day will come when all shall be explained. I wish you no harm, be assured of that. The only thing you need to know at this point is that whatever happens in the future, you must not allow the amulet to leave your side.
Absentmindedly, Quinn skimmed her thumb over the neatly written lines, wondering who had sent them to her, and yet she felt a strange sense of recognition. As surreal as this felt, she knew the words written there to be true.
As she looked up, her eyes found her own reflection in the wicker-framed mirror above her dresser. She saw the two double-wing windows behind her, opening her room to the world outside. The sun was setting, a red fire ball in a blue sea of white clouds shifting with the winds across the sky. Everything seemed to be moving, unable to keep still. It was a time of change. The day gave way to the night.
Caught up in the tide playing just outside her window, Quinn’s eyes suddenly opened wide as they shifted to her own reflection. There was no change in her, but the amulet around her neck glowed. It seemed to be ablaze, burning bright red like the sun above the rock formation, which, forming a half-circle around Crescent Rock, gave the town its name.
The emerald stone was gone, replaced by one with a raging fire inside. Flaring into life before her eyes, the stone suddenly darkened, before the light returned again. It felt like a beating heart, a pulse of life, and her own slowly changed its rhythm, until it was in sync with the pulsing stone resting on her chest.
Then it went dark, and stayed dark. The pulse was gone and the stone was emerald again, only tiny sparks here and there reflected the setting sun.
Quinn stared at it a moment longer. She closed her eyes, then opened them again and when she did, her head felt strange. There was a dizziness engulfing her that made her feel unfocused somehow and suddenly she wasn’t sure what had happened.
Finally the exhaustion she had felt before caught up with her. Unable to stifle a yawn, Quinn crawled under the thin sheet serving as a blanket and was within minutes lost to the world and fast asleep.
The amulet around her neck was still. There were no sparks and no glow. It was dark as though it had closed its eyes as well and slept.
Chapter 4 – And So It Begins
Baking in the cafeteria with its south-facing windows, the students almost dropped onto their chairs, too tired to keep upright a second longer. Even the ancient air-conditioning system refused to run at its usual pace. Everyone moved in slow motion as though stuck in a video loop.
After chasing away the chess club, Quinn and her cheerleaders retreated to the only shady table in the north corner of the cafeteria.
“What is it with this year’s summer?” Caroline complained, wiping sweat off her forehead. “It’s like being boiled alive.”
“Global warming,” Amanda suggested. “It’s something about the ozone layer and stuff …” She trailed off.
“Let’s not talk about this,” Quinn said. “It’s too hot to concentrate on anything remotely challenging. And besides, it’s not like it’d change anything if we did.”
“Was the AC broken all week?” Julia asked.
Quinn shook her head. “Worked fine yesterday. No idea what got into it.”
Julia grinned. “Maybe my return jinxed it.”
“So, it’s your fault?” Quinn asked, a weak grin on her face.
Julia shrugged.
“Good. I really need someone to blame.” Running a tissue over her face, Quinn asked, “Do you think it would appease the gods if we sacrificed you?”
Julia laughed. “I sure hope so. Don’t want to die for nothing.”
When Quinn leaned over to reach for Caroline’s water bottle, the amulet around her neck swung forward.
“Hey, is that new?” Caroline asked, peering at it more closely. “It’s beautiful.”
Looking down, Quinn replied, “Yeah, I just … got it. It’s kinda nice, isn’t it?”
“Where’d you get it?” Julia asked, reaching out and turning the amulet around in her hand. “Is it broken?”
Quinn shrugged. “Don’t know. Someone sent it to me, but there was no return address.”
“What? Really?” Julia frowned. “That’s strange.”
Amanda’s eyes lit up. “Maybe it’s from Andrew!”
“Yes, that must be it!” Caroline chimed in. “How romantic!”
Quinn glanced at Andrew sitting with his football buddies two tables down. He was absorbed in a conversation and didn’t notice her looking at him.
“I don’t know,” Quinn said. “I don’t think so.” For a reason she didn’t understand, she made no mention of the note that had accompanied the amulet.
“Why don’t you ask him?” Amanda suggested.
Quinn frowned at her. “And if he says ‘no’, that wouldn’t be awkward at all.”
Amanda’s face darkened. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“No surprise there.”
“So, training as usual?” Julia asked, trying to defuse the situation. “I am so hoping it’ll cool off a little tonight.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. Looks like the gods have turned a deaf ear.”
***
“Here, drink some water,” Caroline said, putting the bottle to Amanda’s lips. After almost passing out, Amanda sat on the ground leaning against a tree and tried to breathe. Her face was so red and puffy that even Coach Grainer bore a worried expression.
“Okay, we’re done for today. Don’t need any one of you going to the hospital,” she grumbled. “That would so screw with my lineup.”
Heading back to the parking lot, the girls exchanged a few more words about the upcoming football game on Saturday, but with little enthusiasm. They felt
drained and some were swaying a little, walking unsteadily. Again Quinn offered Julia a ride and the two girls climbed into the jeep, welcoming the cool breeze from the air-conditioning.
“That’s the stuff,” Julia said smiling. Leaning back against the seat, she closed her eyes.
Putting the AC on high, Quinn backed out of the parking lot and headed north on Oak Lane. “How is Luke dealing with the heat?” she asked.
Julia laughed. “Pretty well. He loves the sprinkler in the backyard. It’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. He just sits there, trying to grab the water jet. Sometimes he gets frustrated but mostly he enjoys himself. He has the sweetest giggle. Toothless and all.”
“I wonder what my dad would say if I started misusing his sprinkler system.”
“I bet he’d throw a fit,” Julia said. “He’d be scared to death you’d endanger his precious flowers. By the way, has anyone had the guts to tell him he sucks at gardening?”
Quinn shook her head, grinning. “Not so far.”
“Want me to do it?” Julia offered.
“Actually, I didn’t want to kill my dad just yet,” Quinn objected. “Let’s give him a few more years.”
“Your call.”
After dropping off Julia, Quinn headed home. As she got out of the car, a delicate melody from inside the house reached her ears and she saw lights spilling out of the living room. Voices laughed and chatted, their shadows resting on the couch by the front row of windows. Not even peeking into the living room though, Quinn headed straight upstairs. She wasn’t in the mood for another smack-down with her sister’s BFF.
After yet another cold shower, Quinn lay down on her bed, and before she knew it was fast asleep.
When she woke up, it was already dark. Faint voices drifted upstairs from the kitchen. Glancing at her clock, Quinn saw that it was past nine already. She had slept a good three hours and yet she didn’t feel like getting up. Her every part of her felt tired, exhausted even, and none of her limbs were cooperating. So instead of heading downstairs to have a few words with her parents, Quinn turned around and snuggled back into the pillows. As she closed her eyes, she felt a faint beating against her chest. But the feeling only seeped into her subconscious. The waking part of her mind had already shut down for the day.
***
The next morning, her mother called from the diner because she’d forgotten her purse. Quinn could see the annoyed look on her sister’s face. They’d be late again.
“What are you looking at me like that for?” Quinn chided. “It’s not my fault. I didn’t forget my purse.”
Putting on her seatbelt, Cora sighed. “Yes, for once it’s not. Or maybe not completely. It’s not like dropping off mom’s purse is the only thing that’ll make us late. It’ll make us really late, but you’re the one who set us on the path.”
Their parents’ diner was located on Kent Drive right next to the police station, only a five-minute walk from town square. Pulling into a free parking spot, Cora grabbed her mother’s purse as soon as the car stopped. “I’ll do it,” she yelled and disappeared into the diner.
Enjoying the cool air in the car, Quinn glanced around, pitying the people running errands in the early morning heat. The night had brought little cooling and the whole town still felt like it was baking. As her eyes wandered over Mrs. Dradon’s little bakery with its large assortment of tasty pastries in the window, Quinn suddenly started to feel uneasy. It was like someone was watching her. Turning her eyes away, she looked up and down the street, and found that someone was.
The first thing she noticed was that she didn’t know him. Crescent Rock was a small town, and although she didn’t know everyone by name, there were few people she didn’t at least recognize. He stood in the shade of Mr. Foster’s toy store awning, just across the street. Maybe in his early-twenties, he was tall, his head nearly touching the awning above him. His hair seemed almost black in the shade of the store, and his eyes were nearly as dark. Although his skin wasn’t pale, it was still lighter than most people’s at the end of summer. His features had an aristocratic look somehow, especially with the way he held his head slightly raised, as though looking down at someone. Dressed in blue jeans, a black shirt that buttoned in the front and to top it off a black jacket, he surely had to be very uncomfortable, Quinn thought. But looking at him more closely, she saw that his face wasn’t flushed at all. It was almost as though the heat couldn’t touch him.
When he saw her looking back at him, a corner of his mouth crinkled slightly and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, leaning forward. For a moment, Quinn felt compelled to look away, but she didn’t. She held his gaze, wondering why he was looking at her, when a sudden knock on the window made her jump.
Turning to look, she saw Mr. Duncan and rolled down her window to greet him.
“Shouldn’t you be in school?” he asked, a good-natured smile on his face.
“You’re right about that.”
Mr. Duncan was by all accounts the oldest citizen of Crescent Rock, although no one knew exactly how old he was. It was just that even people her parents’ age remembered him looking exactly the way he did now, when they themselves had been young. It was almost as though he hadn’t changed in the last twenty years. Quinn guessed that was what people called aging with grace.
With his gray hair and beard, that had a few white highlights here and there, he really did look like Santa Claus, especially today that the heat had put a red glow on his cheeks. But it wasn’t just the physical resemblance that had Mr. Duncan pose as Santa every winter. He was a cheerful man, always smiling, and he genuinely seemed to care about each and every citizen of Crescent Rock. He was one of those people who knew everyone’s name and more than that, he knew who they were. How he knew so much, Quinn didn’t know.
In his youth, Mr. Duncan had had a bad hunting accident and had been stuck in a wheel chair ever since. After his parents’ death, he had still continued living out by the woods in a small cabin. No one had ever been able to persuade him to move into town, where he might be more comfortable, but every now and then someone would take him shopping or run errands with him. Quinn’s parents had done so a couple of times too.
“Won’t you get in trouble?” he asked, squinting his eyes at the sun.
Quinn shrugged. “Not so much.”
Mr. Duncan nodded, a big grin on his face. “I see. You’re one of those.”
Frowning, she asked, “One of what?”
“One of those that always find a way,” he replied, an appreciative gleam in his eyes.
Quinn nodded. “I guess you could say that.”
Mr. Duncan laughed.
Pulling open the passenger door, Cora jumped into the car. “Okay, let’s go.” Looking over, her face brightened a little. “Oh hey there, Mr. Duncan.”
He smiled at her, taking in the strained look on her face. “She’s not, is she?” he asked in a whisper.
Quinn shook her head. “Definitely not.”
Waving their goodbyes, Quinn backed out of the parking spot and drove towards the high school. Before they turned the corner, she remembered the guy in the shade of Mr. Foster’s toy store and quickly glanced in her rearview mirror. But there was no one there. He was gone.
Predictably, they were almost an hour late, and the closer they got to the school building, the more did Cora’s face take on the expression of a hunted animal. Her eyes were wide and she kept looking around, as though that would wind back time. Quinn just shook her head. There were some things so far outside her understanding that she didn’t even try.
As expected, besides a small rebuke about her tardiness, the morning passed without a hitch, and Quinn was just storing her books in her locker, when Andrew walked up to her.
“Hey there,” he said. “Are we still up for tomorrow night?”
She nodded. “Definitely.”
“Anything particular you want to see?”
She shrugged. “Surprise me.”
His fac
e darkened a little, and she knew that he had no idea what movies she liked, which was no surprise, since she wasn’t much of a movie fan. Real life kept her too busy to care about people who only lived on screen. But nonetheless, she was curious to see what he thought she might like. So she didn’t give him a hint.
That afternoon, Coach Grainer moved their practice from the west-facing field into the air-conditioned gym. No one complained, no one fainted and everything went fine. Watching their routine, Coach Grainer had a satisfied half-smile on her face and nodded her head along to the music and movements of her team. None of them could hope for more. Everything was prepared as best as possible for that Saturday’s football game against Lewistown.
When everyone headed out, Coach Grainer called to Quinn to stay a minute.
“I’ll wait for you by the car,” Julia said, taking her friend’s gym bag.
“Thanks.”
Eyeing her curiously, Coach Grainer walked over. For a moment she hesitated, choosing her words. “You have a date tomorrow night,” she said, obviously deciding on a direct approach.
Quinn nodded. “Why are you asking?”
The coach moved her head from side to side as though weighing her options. “Let’s just say, I don’t much care for sleep-deprived or otherwise distracted cheerleaders on my team. So you better not stay out late.”
Quinn nodded, grinning. “Don’t worry, Coach. I got everything under control.”
Coach Grainer laughed. “Don’t fool yourself. No one ever does.”
Leaving the gym, Quinn headed for the parking lot. By now it was almost dark. Only the streetlamps cast small pools of light into the night. Training had taken much longer than anticipated, but without the sun burning down on them, none had felt tired. Rather exhilarated to continue on.
Spotting her car a few feet ahead, Quinn suddenly stopped when her eyes detected something moving in the dark. The next moment however, she bumped into it. Or rather him.
“Oh gosh, I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
He smiled at her. “Don’t worry.” There was something in his eyes she couldn’t quite grasp, as a corner of his mouth crinkled in amusement. “But you should watch out where you step, for your own sake.”