The UnKnown

by Lara Henley

  The Unknown

  By Lara Henley

  Copyright © 2013 Lara Henley

  The Unknown, A Novel

  Edited by: Tara Sander-Vanover

  Formatted by: Danielle Blanchard

  Cover Models: Courtney Boyett & Willis Totten

  Cover Design: Deanna Hatemaker

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Sneak Peak into The Revealed

  Follow the Author

  Acknowledgements

  First and foremost I would like to give all honor and glory to God for taking me through this journey and to be able to share all my dreams with you. I would like to give a warm thanks to my loving husband for always backing me in this ongoing process. I have to give a shout out to my best author friend Tasha Gwartney for helping through this book process, without her there would be no book. She has truly been my saving grace. To Tabby, Dwight, Tara S, Tara G, and Tina who endured my crazy through writing this book. Thank you for your support. Thank you to my street team for working so hard to help push my book and letting the world know it is here. And not last and not least to my parents, family and friends who have always given me the strength to live out my dreams.

  Chapter 1

  Misty

  I was in tears while packing my bag. Where would I go? I had nothing. No money, no job, nothing. Being a ward of the state completely tore my world apart. My parents died in a tragic car accident when I was twelve years old, and no other family members wanted me. I wiped the tears from my eyes and lifted my suitcase off the bed. I looked at the room that I had known for the past six years. It became my cave, my constant in this miserable world. The stark white walls were all but faded to yellowing in color, and the bed was a simple twin bed. We were never allowed to put pictures on the walls. It was just me, the bed and the walls. Although the room was nothing to look at, it was my safe haven. I took a deep breath, sighed and headed out the door to the world unknown.

  Buses and cars flew past me as I walked down the long stretch of highway with my bag in hand. I was headed east. I knew I had an aunt that lived in Florida that chose to ignore me my entire life. I called her a few times to let her know I was on my way, but she never answered. So, here I was. Eighteen years old and completely alone in this big ole world. In the distance I saw a little diner tucked safely away from the road and I headed towards it. I needed to call my aunt again. I knew I wouldn’t make it all the way to Florida with only the one hundred and fifty dollars that the state gave me. How did they expect anyone to begin their life on that? Sighing, I continued to walk. When I finally made it to the diner I thought it was cute. It looked like one of those fifties joints you see in the movies; the ones with the neon pink signs and big blue old caddies sitting in the front. I stepped inside and was warped back in time. I walked towards an empty booth, set my bag down and wondered what was next for me.

  When I was little I had a fear of flying. My mother took me on my first plane trip when I was ten years old. She told me to squeeze her hand every time I got scared. I was scared now more than I would allow myself to accept. I wished she was here for me to squeeze her hand. When my parents passed away, I thought for sure Aunt Silvia would take me in. She didn’t. She said she couldn’t afford to take me in. What type of aunt abandons her own family in a time of great need? I was so angry with her. When she told me I was going into the foster care system I gave her a black eye. I hoped she would forgive me and let me stay.

  My counselor at the house taught me how to deal with my anger. She gave me techniques on how to cope, and I still used them. When I first got to the house, I was fighting almost every day. I wanted people to leave me alone. I didn’t care what others thought of me. The pain I was feeling made me want to steadily beat the crap out of someone. So that is exactly what I did. I mean, who could blame me for being angry? I was twelve years old with no parents, and the only family I had didn’t want me. I wanted my life back the way it was before I became an orphan. I loved my mother and father very much. They loved me unconditionally and vice versa. My only two saving graces at the house were my room with the lock on it and Lucy. Lucy was a year older than me and she took me under her wing. She would fight anyone who bothered me. The kids would call us the TWINS. We were mean bitches, but we didn’t care. Often times, we would sneak into each other’s rooms and talk to each other about dreams and what we would do when we got out of the program. She wanted to be a social worker to help kids like us find permanent homes. I, on the other hand, wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to help shape young minds. I missed Lucy very much and I hoped that I would get to see her again.

  The waitress slapping the table brought me back to present times. She was a young-looking lady who appeared to be in her mid to upper thirties. “What can I get you to drink?” The waitress, May, asked. Her tag was ratty, but I could still make the name out.

  “Water, please,” I said pathetically.

  “You will have to order more than water to stay in here. We get plenty of drifters that come here and don’t buy anything,” she said with irritation in her voice.

  “I will. I need water for now. I’ll look over the menu while you get it.”

  She tapped her pen on the table then turned and walked away before looking at me one last time. I pulled the menu from between the salt and pepper shakers. I had to get something cheap. I needed to make my money stretch because I didn’t know where my next meal would be coming from. I mulled over the menu and decided on the cheapest item, which was grilled cheese and fries. I could eat half now and save the rest for later. When May returned she looked more irritated than she did before.

  “What will you be having, Deary?” What was her problem? I had done nothing to offend this woman.

  “I’ll have the grilled cheese and fries.” I decided to ignore her rudeness and continue with my plans to find my aunt.

  “Fine.” She took the piece of paper she was writing on and ripped if off the pad. “You order will be up shortly.”

  “Thank you.” I turned my head from her so I wouldn’t cop an attitude.

  My temper had been really short these days and I was on the road to recovery. I had been a nervous wreck since Susie, my case worker, told me back in July that I would have to leave at the end of September because I had aged out of the system. I hoped my aunt would let me in until I could get on my feet. Slamming a plate down in front of me, May snapped me out of my thoughts.

  “What the hell is your problem?” I said as I brushed a few fries off my l
ap that spilled over.

  “Nothing!” She snapped at me. “I’m just having a really bad day. I am truly sorry. I will pay for this. Don’t worry about it.” She stalked off before I could say anything more.

  When I peered down at the food, it looked disheveled, just like my life. I thought about the letter that Lucy had written me. She was now living in Florida. She told me I could go there if I couldn’t get ahold of my aunt. I pulled the crinkled letter from my pocket. I’ve read this letter more than a hundred times, but I kept reading it. It gave me hope for my life. Maybe my life would mean something. I opened the letter and saw it was indeed addressed to me.

  Dear Misty,

  My love, the world is a grey place. The illusion that everything is black and white is truly a façade. When I first left, I was so scared and lonely. I didn’t have anywhere to go. Then, I remembered you told me about your aunt in Florida, so I headed east. I am here now and it is beautiful and peaceful. There is hope for a new life. I have met the love of my life and working towards a future I never thought I would have. You know where I come from, and I never imagined I deserved more. But we do, Misty, we do. Please come to me when you get out. I will help you, and you will see there is more to life than what we have lived. Keep your head up kiddo. We are not doomed to the fate that we thought we were. We are the masters of our destiny. Keep faith that God will see you through to your true path in life. My email and address are attached. Please feel free to write me back. I am here for you, Misty. You are not alone.

  Love,

  Lucy

  The letter impacted me when I received it a month ago. I folded the letter and stuck it back into my pocket. I dipped two fries in ketchup and shoved them into my mouth. The taste of them was salty, old, and cold. I couldn’t complain because I wasn’t paying, and it was something to eat. I finished half the meal and asked for a box to take the remainder to eat later. The waitress brought the box, and she still had an attitude. I thanked her nicely and asked where the nearest payphone was. I knew in this day and age everyone had a cell phone, but I had no job. I couldn’t afford it. I thought that I might take Lucy up on her offer if I couldn’t get a hold of my aunt. May pointed over to the corner of the diner and I headed that way.

  I pulled a napkin from my pocket and wiped the receiver of the phone off before dialing the number collect. While waiting for the phone to connect, I saw the hottest guy walk through the door. He had dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes that locked on me when he entered. I blushed immediately and turned away to face the phone. I forgot what I was doing. I heard a “Hello” come from the receiver.

  “Hello, Aunt Silvia? It’s Misty.” I was trying to not sound panicked. I hadn’t seen Aunt Silvia since my parents passed away. She said at the time she couldn’t afford to take any kids into her home. I knew it pained her. She was the kindest woman and was a couple years older than my mother. My father was an only child and his parents had died when I was five. I didn’t really remember them.

  “Misty, is that really you? I have been trying to find you. I haven’t had any luck.” She sounded so bad that she left me to fend for myself. I didn’t know whether to believe her. I had been in the same place for the past six years.

  “Yes, it’s me. Listen! I have aged out of the state system, and I need a place to stay until I land on my feet. I can get a job and help with bills. I have no one else to turn to and I’m really scared.” I heard my aunt start to sniffle.

  “Of course you can come and stay. I should have never let you go into the system. I am so sorry,” she sobbed.

  “It’s ok, Aunt Silvia. Let’s put it behind us and move forward. I can be there in a day or two. May I have your address?”

  “I’m so sorry. Do you need money? I can wire you some.” I looked around me. There was no place to pick up money.

  “No, I’m ok. I just need the address and I will see you in a couple of days.” She gave me the address and we said our goodbyes. I hung the phone up and laid my head on the receiver. I had no idea how I was going to get to her. I grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler. I put it up on the counter and took out the money to pay.

  “Put it on my bill,” a voice behind me said.

  I turned around, and it was him. My tongue was tied. I couldn’t speak. He was so dreamy. He was the most incredible man I had ever laid eyes on. My eyes followed the length of his body and landed right on his chest. His shirt tightly hugged his body giving off the perfect physique. Drifting upward, I met the most deep blue eyes. Those intense eyes seemed like they could see right through me. Finally finding my words, and my mind, I shook my head. “No thanks. I can get it,” was all I managed to say.

  “Don’t be silly.” He plopped the money down on the counter before I had a chance to stop him. “It’s just a bottle of water.”

  “Thank you very much.” I snatched the water off the counter taking one last glance over my shoulder at him. Heading out the door I wondered who Mr. Hottie was and where he was headed. I pushed the thought of him out my mind. Pulling out my cowboy hat and sitting on the curb, I thought about what my next move would be.

  “I overheard your conversation.” I jumped from the voice behind me. I knew it was him. “I am heading east towards Florida, if you would like a ride.”

  Why does this man want to help me? I looked at him questioningly. “Why would you help me? You have no idea who I am.” And for all I know you could be a serial killer. The man in question just smiled and giggled to himself. That smile was amazing and made him even more beautiful than he already was. He had the most perfect white teeth and the deepest dimples. I couldn’t stop staring at him.

  “You just seem like you need some help. And I assure you, I am no serial killer,” he said softly.

  “And that is exactly what a serial killer would say,” I whispered back.

  “I’m trying to be nice, but it’s up to you. I will be leaving in about five minutes. You see that black car over there?” He pointed to a large black Escalade with chrome wheels. “I will be in it and leaving after I make my phone call. The choice is yours, Peaches.” He winked as he walked away.

  I had no other way of getting to Florida other than hitchhiking, and that was really dangerous. I had to put my faith in God’s hands to make sure I was safe. I did have a can of Mace and a small knife I took from the kitchen while no one was watching. The house wasn’t the safest of places. There were children in and out all the time, and some were not so nice.

  A few minutes later, I saw Mr. Hottie start his car. He was beginning to drive off when I jumped up and began to run after him.

  “Stop! Stop!” I screamed at him. I saw the red break lights and thanked my lucky stars that he saw me. He jumped out the driver side door laughing. What the hell was I doing? This guy could be a serial killer. I hoped not because he was so very gorgeous.

  “So you decided to join me?” Laughing while he said it. I shook my head yes. “Here, let me get your bag and put it in the back.” He grabbed the bag and opened the back of the car. It was full of bags and stuff. I saw a radio, TV, and all sorts of other things. I wondered if he was moving. The mystery guy put my bag in and moved around to the passenger side to hold the door open. I looked at him.

  “Come on. Let’s get going.” I walked over and slid in. He closed the door, proceeded over to the driver's side and put the expensive car in drive, pulling onto the highway. The inside of the car was immaculate. It was the most beautiful truck I had ever seen. The interior was made of leather, and the dashboard looked like something out of an airplane. The dashboard has so many buttons and whistles I didn’t know the radio from the GPS system. The last car I was in was very generic. It still had an AM and FM Radio. I was afraid to touch anything, so I just laid my hands in my lap and stared out the window.

  “The name is Drake Mitchell. What’s your name, Beautiful?” Oh, he is charming. I knew these games far too well. If I had any sense I would think he was flirting with me. He was obviously slumming it. I w
atched TV and knew how some rich people went below their class to get a piece of tail.

  “Misty,” was all I said, as I pulled the seat belt across my lap.

  “Well, Misty, what are you doing traveling all alone? It’s a dangerous world out there.” Drake looked good in his black fitted tee and blue jean shorts. He also seemed very easy going. Most rich people (I assumed he was rich) were stuffy and rude.

  I had run into a few of them at the high school I attended. They never spoke to anyone that wasn’t in their clique and teased others who appeared to be different. I hated those types. There was a girl named Tina who would give me hell every day because I had to wear the same clothes over and over again. I used to keep my head low and just try to get through the day. Sometimes that would work, other times I would end up in a fight. One day, I beat Tina so bad I broke her jaw and rib. She was sent to the hospital in an ambulance. She kept pushing me. I didn’t agree with violence, but sometimes people are just pushed to their limits. I got suspended for two weeks and ended up with a hundred hours of community service. I apologized to Tina when I returned to school. Of course she shunned me and didn’t accept my apology. This was one of the reasons I wanted to become a teacher. I wanted to stop some of the bullying in schools. The teachers really didn’t give a flip that Tina was bothering me.

  “Hello? Earth to Misty,” Drakes voice broke me out of my trance.

  “I’m traveling to go visit my aunt. She lives in Sunnydale, Florida.”