Secrets of the Moon
Kristy Centeno
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, or events is coincidental and not intended by the author.
If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book may have been stolen property and reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher. In such case the author has not received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Secrets of the Moon
Copyright © 2013 Kristy Centeno
All rights reserved.
ISBN: (Print) 978-1-939590-12-1
ISBN: (ebook) 978-1-939590-11-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013908413
Inkspell Publishing
5764 Woodbine Ave.
Pinckney, MI 48169
Edited By Melissa Keir.
Cover art By Najla Qamber
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. The copying, scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the most important people in my life who encouraged and gave me the strength to continue despite the many ups and downs. Gilberto, Cristopher, Yanelis, and Dylan—I love you and without you I wouldn’t have made it this far.
To Abraham for believing and supporting me every single day through this entire journey. You’ve been a wonderful helper, my strongest critic, and a very patient companion. Thank you for never giving up on me and for backing up my decision to follow my dreams.
This is for all of you and together we did it!
PROLOGUE
At seventeen, I wasn’t exactly mature. So when my friends, Tracy, Claire, Rosa, Angela, and I had a sudden impulse to drink a few beers then go joyriding in the countryside near my house, no one voiced a concern. Out of the five of us, I was the least intoxicated one. Yet that didn’t stop me enough to actually think this plan through. The entire idea seemed like a good plan at the time and, for the most part, was perfectly harmless.
Within twenty minutes of Tracy voicing her “exciting” idea, we were driving down Mulberry Road, despite the fact that a little voice in my head kept telling me not to go through with this dumb idea. The solitary road was dark and empty, not to mention a little too foggy—limiting my visibility considerably. I tried not to go too fast in case we happened upon an unsuspecting driver. The last thing I wanted was to endanger anyone else’s life or wreck my brand new car. Normally, this road was clear of any traffic, especially at nighttime, but who was to say some poor soul wouldn’t come plowing down the road at any given moment and we’d end up playing a very dangerous game of chicken.
Tracy Stevens was sitting on the passenger seat next to me. Her bloodshot eyes announced her intoxicated state almost as much as her slurred speech did. “Come on, Marjie! Go fasssster!” She leaned in toward me to check out the speedometer. “That’s not fast enough. You can do better than that!”
“We’re supposed to be joyriding, so go faster!” Angela Michaels, another of my best friends, protested from the back seat. “I can hardly feel the wind on my face.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Angie,” I protested.
“Why not? The road is empty. Come on, Marjie, put this fancy car of yours to the ultimate test. Make it go as fast as it can go.”
“Angie, you’re not even wearing your seatbelt. Put it on!” I yelled at her.
“I’ll be fine.”
“You worry too much, Marjie.” Claire Jordan, another of my best friends, voiced an opinion I actually agreed with.
“Fine! I’ll go faster, but I still think this is a stupid idea.” That was the understatement of the year, considering I was driving my brand new car—drunk.
The girls cheered excitedly and I let my foot drop down on the gas pedal just enough to give the car another boost that sent it careening down the road doing sixty in a thirty-five mile per hour zone. It was late and I was feeling a little buzzed, both from the few beers I drank earlier and from lack of sleep.
Luckily for us, the road was empty so far.
“Now here’s the Marjie I…remember.” Claire sounded as if she was about to fall asleep. “Big…bold Marjie.” Everything the girls said sounded like a bunch of gibberish to me. I knew the beers had a hand in that.
“Woo-hoo!” Angela yelled as she rolled down the back window. “This is the life!”
After swerving through one curve, I stepped on the gas pedal and sped our way along the narrow road. Because the road was empty, I had no problem keeping a steady speed as we neared the next curve. This bend was a killer, literally. It was one sharp turn that would place the car a little too close to the edge of a small hill at the left hand side of the road. It was nicknamed Deadman’s Curve since many people had lost their lives there. But as we neared the road I never gave a second thought to how ironic the name was.
“Damn it, Angie! Keep the window shut, its cold!” Rosa complained in the back seat.
“No, I’m hot.”
“It’s not hot in here, so close the damn window.”
“Shut up, Rosa!” Angie sounded a little irritated.
Concerned, I glanced back to see if Angela had buckled her seatbelt or not. “Angie! I told you before, put your seatbelt on!”
Angie’s head was more outside the window than it was in and I feared that because she wasn’t wearing her seatbelt she might actually fly out should something bad happen.
“But it’s hot inside the car and the seatbelt only makes it worse. It sticks to my skin and…ugh!” she complained.
“My car, my rules, Angie!” I sincerely hoped that my tone alone would be enough incentive for her to do as she was being told. “Put it on and I’ll turn on the AC.”
Angela muttered an oath but started to pull on the seatbelt.
“Marjie, watch out!” Claire’s warning forced my attention away from my disgruntled friend and back to the road in time to see a small herd of four or five deer emerge from the woods, cross the road, and scurry down the hill at a rapid pace. I began to wonder what had them so spooked when a massive bulk of blackish fur bolted from the right side of the road into the middle of it.
The creature was unlike anything I’d ever seen, and no matter how hard I stared at it, I couldn’t identify what it was.
Within seconds a series of events happened which gave us no time to react. One moment I was yelling at Angie to buckle her seatbelt, and the next I was hitting the brakes and swerving around the massive beast to avoid a head-on collision. Surprisingly, the beast remained right in the middle of the road. It didn’t move an inch even when the car came so close to it that Tracy could have reached out the window and touched it.
I lost control of the car as I swerved to avoid hitting the creature. The car fishtailed off the road and careened into the already fragile guardrail, causing it to give way. With nothing to stop the car from sliding down the hill, we started to roll immediately after the car flattened the railing.
Fear clenched my throat shut so I couldn’t scream out the panic I felt as we were being tossed inside the car like rag dolls. Loud noises invaded my ears: glass breaking, panicked screams, metal bending, and finally the sound of my own blood rushing to my head. Every time the car rolled, for a mere fraction of a second we were left with our feet dangling in the air.
The glass of the driver’s side window remained intact long enough fo
r me to see the massive tree we were about to crash against. It took me but an instant to figure out that by the time the car came to a complete stop we would all be dead. Realizing this, I recited the same prayer my mother used before she’d abandoned us, and prepared myself for the worst.
Knowing the impact was coming did little to soften the blow. The car collided with the tree with such force my head struck the glass of the driver’s side window, breaking it instantly. A rush of agonizing pain traveled from my head and neck to my back and hips. The smell of blood alerted me to the extent of my injuries. A sticky red liquid ran down my face and neck, pouring onto my hands and thighs, saturating my clothing.
The world began to suddenly look black and dark, and feel so cold. In a matter of moments my short seventeen year life span flashed before my eyes. Marjorie, the popular high school cheerleader, was dying.
I desperately tried to focus on my surroundings after the car came to an abrupt halt, but it was difficult. Sleep threatened to take me under its wings and weakness dictated that I listen to the angel of death and stop fighting the inevitable. Of course, my sense of panic only got worse when I found that I couldn’t move my body, and even my head felt like it weighed a hundred pounds.
My eyes focused to the front of the car, where the glass was shattered, and caught a flash of movement up ahead. The massive bulk of hairy fur that passed for a creature of some sort was making its way down the hill. Before disappearing through the dark woods, it stopped to take one good look at me, its yellow eyes staring straight at me. It moved so slowly, unconcerned with the fact that I was able to see it, and that unnerved me somewhat. I could have sworn it stared straight into my eyes, as if it knew or recognized me.
Finally, I gave up the fight to remain awake and gave into the dark oblivion that wanted to claim me. I saw nothing, heard nothing as I closed my eyes and let my head sag…
CHAPTER ONE
Thirteen months later…
After the alarm went off sharply at six-thirty a.m. that morning, I hit the snooze button and remained in bed, not caring that I absolutely had to get up to go to school. Every bone in my body ached from helping my father with the outside chores the day before.
My goal would have been to just stay in bed and catch up on some sleep but I couldn’t afford that luxury. By this point, classes were in full swing and that meant I was pretty much busy all the time—if not during school hours, then at home with the multiple tasks I was assigned.
I commanded my body to move, even when it protested seemingly with a mind of its own.
Forcing my tired limbs to move, they reluctantly obeyed. Goodie! Time to get up and go to school! Just the thing I don’t want to do on this very lovely morning. No matter how much I wanted to stay home, I couldn’t fail to show up for classes. Picking out an outfit turned out to be a lot easier than usual, since that morning I didn’t care much for clothing. A shower and a speedy breakfast later, I waited in the living room for my friend Tracy to pick me up, which was the norm by this point in my life.
My cell phone jingled and I flipped it open to read a text message from Tracy.
I’m on my way, will be there in five.
As usual, she was running late.
Anxious to get the day over with, I stretched out my legs in front of me as I tilted back on my favorite recliner and waited for Tracy’s arrival. God! I wished I had my car back. Stupid, stupid me became my favorite way to berate myself for the senselessness we’d committed a little over a year ago.
Recalling the car accident was a constant punishment, as if everything my friends and I went through wasn’t enough. Despite the fact that thirteen months had gone by, I still regretted and resented what happened that night. Had I not disobeyed my parents, none of it would have happened. But I didn’t listen and as a result of that, we almost lost our lives that night.
The worst part about surviving was the consequences that followed. As expected, I lost my brand new car and my license. As a result of my injuries, I spent several days in the hospital, followed by a month of physical therapy sessions. All of this brought my family to the brink of bankruptcy because of the endless hospital bills constantly arriving in the mail.
Angela lost her ability to walk altogether. Now she was forever forced to live life in a wheelchair. And yes, her condition served to remind me that had I chosen to go with my gut instincts for once in my life, my friend would still be able to walk.
To make matters worse, I completely lost my parents’ trust. The guilt of placing them in such a bad situation weighed heavily on my shoulders. It hurt me deeply to know I was the cause of their financial struggles to maintain what little they had.
As if all of this wasn’t enough, after the accident I suffered from horrible nightmares that wouldn’t stop and which somehow became a part of my everyday life. Images of the huge, hairy beast with yellow eyes constantly invaded my dreams. The nightmares were causing me to lose sleep, since I woke up frequently during the night.
Unable to cope with my nightmares and my guilt over Angela’s state placed me on the verge of a mental breakdown. My parents finally convinced me to see a therapist, which just added to their financial issues. They associated my nighttime terrors with the accident, so they insisted I go see Dr. Lawrence, who wasn’t of much help at all. He was a little strange and somewhat eccentric, which sometimes freaked me out.
I wanted to get as much of my old life back as I possibly could, but that was a work in progress. However, it was important to me that I follow some self-imposed rules in order to avoid another life-altering disaster. First, I had to make sure I followed my parents’ rules and regulations. Then, I had to set myself up with boundaries of my own—like stopping Tracy whenever she came up with some stupid idea that’d probably get us killed. So far I had one thing on my side; I was complying with the responsibilities I was given, responsibilities I had ignored before.
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up the driveway. The second Tracy honked the horn I picked up my bag and house keys and headed outside. After locking the door behind me, I hurried down the steps of the front porch and ambled toward Tracy’s car, where she and Claire were engrossed in a conversation I couldn’t hear.
When I reached the backside of the car, Claire turned to unlock the back door for me.
“Well, good morning, sunshine.” Claire greeted me with a smile.
“Hey. So what’s up?” I climbed inside the car and closed the door.
“Nothing much, same as always,” Claire responded.
“It sounds like life is very interesting, isn’t it?” I said.
She smiled. “Not really. But hey, we had it coming.”
The accident had pretty much ruined our social lives to the point where we had none. For Claire and me, at least. Tracy was notorious for doing what she pleased at any given time, without giving her parents a single thought.
“It could be worse,” Tracy added. “We could be dead.”
“Or like Angela,” I said.
“Ah, geez, Marjorie.” Tracy glanced over at me. “When are you going to stop blaming yourself for that?”
“If anything, we were all at fault, not just you,” Claire said defensively.
“It’s Angela who’s in a wheelchair, not us.” I argued.
“She wasn’t wearing her seatbelt, remember?” Tracy shrugged.
“Why do we always have to talk about the accident? Let’s talk about something more…I don’t know…less depressing, maybe.” Claire shifted around toward me and handed me a paper. “Look at this.”
A green-neon colored paper with bold black letters was shoved into my hands.
“What’s this?”
“It’s for a party Jimmy’s hosting this weekend after the football game.”
“That’s all well and good, but in my current situation I don’t want to push my limits.”
“Your parents are going to have to let go of all of this sooner or later,” Tracy said.
“They’re in debt because of something I did,” I responded.
“Maybe so, but your parents can’t hold a grudge forever, you know.”
Apparently, mine could. Besides, it was easier for parents to forgive when they weren’t on the brink of bankruptcy like Tracy’s parents, who were rich. “Well, mine can. Besides, I don’t want to do something that’ll upset them more than what they already are.”
“Your parents are going to have to start trusting you sometime. Mine have, and if you ever get kicked out of your house, you can come live with me.”
Living with Tracy? Yeah, there’s a good idea.
“I can’t drive myself to the party even if I wanted too.”
“No, but I can.”
“Lot of good that will do me.” My eyes focused outside the window as Tracy drove what seemed like a freaking long drive to the local community college we were all attending.
“It will do plenty of good. I can drive us there.”
“Fine, I’ll see what I can do but I’m not making any promises. And if we go to this party we aren’t drinking…Tracy!”
Tracy just rolled her eyes and Claire laughed. “Yes, Mom,” she said, looking at me through the rearview mirror. “What a strict little she-devil you’ve become.”
My mind drifted to other troubling and embarrassing memories as I stared out the window, completely ignoring Tracy and Claire as they chatted about upcoming events.
After I recovered from the accident, I’d received the dreaded letters with the dates for the court hearing. I hoped once I went to court that the judge would take it easy on me since I considered the accident to be punishment enough. But I hoped for too much; my license was revoked for driving with an alcoholic concentration of point-two-oh and for having two sixteen-year-olds in the car with me. I was slapped with numerous fines, which my father ended up paying for.
Secrets of the Moon Page 1