Talisman

by S.E. Akers

  I stood there dumbstruck while his words echoed in my mind. “I’m a Talisman?” I parroted. It sounded even more ridiculous rolling off my own tongue. I buckled over not a second later, laughing uncontrollably, though I honestly wasn’t sure if I was more humored or frustrated by what had to be the most flippin’ crazy announcement I’d ever heard. And just thinking about the fervent look on his face when he’d said it made my innocent chuckles sound more like shameless howls.

  In an attempt at some composure, I sucked in a laughter-quelling deep breath and quickly shot back up to a much straighter stance. The rigid lock on my spine gave way as soon as I noticed that the professor’s heartfelt expression had taken a stern turn for the worse. His arms were now crossed, dug in like a tick at his chest, and his brow popped with the snap of a cracking whip just as he fired off a droll laugh of his own.

  “Shiloh, a Talisman isn’t some random trinket someone wills themselves into believing possesses magical abilities that can bring them fortune or even luck. Only an exceptionally unique person can release a stone’s power. Time has twisted the interpretation of what a Talisman is and what we can do. A half-truth that I’ll admit has been a blessing to our kind’s need for secrecy. Simply put, you, Shiloh Wallace, are one of these special individuals. Fate chose you the moment you were born.”

  Though my amusement had come to a halt, I was still unwilling to submit to his lunacy.

  “Well, I guess someone needs to call Merriam-Webster and inform them of their typo,” I quipped. The look on the handsome professor’s face hardened on the spot. And frankly, I couldn’t tell which looked stonier: him or the surrounding walls of the cave.

  Professor Grey took a staunch step closer. “I know you’ve had eighteen years to form all sorts of opinions about what’s real and what’s make-believe, but trust me, little girl, this isn’t some notion of fantasy,” he lectured. “This is who you are. So the sooner you wrap your head around that fact, the easier it’ll be to open yourself up to this new world. After all, it wasn’t Merriam-Webster that healed you from your near-fatal injuries last night.”

  The harsh reality of his last statement forced me to deliberately question the impossibility of last night’s miraculous healing. I circled the mystifying diamond, my stare just as pensive as my steps. Something repaired my mangled and broken body, I yielded silently.

  “A Talisman, huh?” I posed, aiming for objective, while my mind continued processing his claims.

  Professor Grey’s violet stunners lit up and stirred along with his steps. “You’re not just any Talisman, Shiloh . . . You’re the Talisman. The one who now possesses the most powerful and sought after stone in the world — the Wand of Adamas.”

  My eyes flared as soon as I realized why the name sounded so painfully familiar.

  I jumped away from him. “Who is ADAMAS?” I demanded gruffly. “My father called out that name when he was dying. Did Adamas do that to my father? Because I know it wasn’t a heart attack that killed him!” Crazed with suspicion, I swatted the professor away when he tried taking my hand.

  Tanner Grey turned and announced, “Adamas is long gone.” An undeniable sadness laced his tone, letting me know how close of an acquaintance this Adamas must have been. Then he worked his way down to the bottom of the rock formation and breathed out a sigh. “Adamas was the one originally bound to the stone. He was the most powerful Talisman to have ever roamed the earth, revered by all others like him and feared by those who dared to challenge him. Though despite his reign and authority, there were a few individuals who coveted his diamond that ultimately proved driven enough to seek its powers for themselves . . . And the only way they could have any claim to his stone was by killing him. Twice throughout the years, Adamas was able to thwart their plans with the help of premonitions. The third time, however . . . ” Tanner Grey’s voice trailed off in a foreboding tone. “The premonition wasn’t clear. He could never see who the traitor was. Adamas would rather surrender all of his powers back to the diamond willingly than to have them taken from him upon his death. He then turned to the earth, scouring its four corners in search of various places to hide the wand, along with his other treasures, so that in the event of his demise, they would remain protected and not pass onto his murderer. He felt this was the perfect spot to place the wand for safekeeping. These lands were relatively untouched by man, and he knew its power would be undetectable while it lay here retaining its charge. Adamas hollowed out this cavern centuries ago and then relinquished his right to possess the diamond, marking that fate would reveal it to its next rightful owner when the appropriate time came. That moment has finally come, and that person is you, Shiloh.” Tanner Grey approached me, his strides as steadfast as his gaze. “It’s always been here . . . waiting for you.”

  My blurry stare fell to the ruts scoring the earthy floor. I’d never felt this mentally off-center in my entire life. I was surprised the cave wasn’t spinning as twisted and tangled as what my head felt. This is IMPOSSIBLE! It can’t be real… Could it? Noting my skepticism was starting to dwindle, logic swiftly stepped in and snapped me out of my trance, demanding an answer of its own.

  “But why me? Of all the people in the world . . . ME?”

  “Because Shiloh . . . it’s your destiny,” Tanner Grey breathed with an unyielding air of certainty.

  I’d heard him calling my name several times, but I couldn’t acknowledge him, not feeling this blindsided. My mind was too addled by the confounding idea that the universe had decreed what my destiny would be, as if I had no say in the matter. No say whatsoever…

  “Shiloh, no matter how far-fetched this sounds and no matter what you’ve been taught to believe all your life, this is a reality, and it is your destiny,” Tanner Grey vowed, sensing my struggle.

  My head was drenched with so much pessimism I could practically feel it pouring from my eyes. “My destiny?” I questioned. “Up until last night, my destiny consisted of graduating and going off to college . . . Getting a good job . . . Maybe even getting married one day and possibly having kids . . . That was my destiny! At least, that’s what I’d thought it would be.” My mind reeled with disgust as I paced back and forth, my feet stormy and arms swinging about like a pair of wrecking balls in search of something to knock down. “At no time did I think I would be running for my life from a cloud of black fog that was trying to choke the life out of me or hearing someone’s horrible thoughts . . . or even seeing crazy things that weren’t there, only for them to eventually come true! Oh, and my personal favorite — having gigantic snakes pop out of freaking nowhere, trying to kill me! And all of it is supposedly because I was destined to fall down a hole and grab some glowing stick?”

  “I’d say that sounds about right,” Tanner Grey chuckled, his eyes smiling.

  I threw him a dirty glare as I plopped down on the ground. Then my arms wrapped themselves around my bent legs with a tight clasp like they were on autopilot, in hopes of helping me hide out from my so-called “destiny”.

  Tanner Grey stifled his amusement and was by my side in an instant, attempting to console me with a tender embrace. Without fail, that peculiar euphoric feeling of ecstasy and tranquility resurfaced, except this time it was much stronger. I felt like nothing could harm me while I was in his arms. Even the grief I felt for my father had vanished. I knew I was still sad, but my emotions were no longer bleak. Then just as soon as I broke free from his hold, every grim feeling reemerged like the flip of a switch.

  I looked into the two violet pools sparkling before me. “What gives? Why do I feel so blissful when I’m around you . . . touching you?” I demanded.

  Tanner Grey acknowledged my curiosity with a sly grin. “That’s an ability I draw from my stone, the amethyst,” he announced and held up his right hand to reveal the same striking ring I’d seen in my vision on the dance floor last night.

  My cheeks shot into a flush as I thought about how I’d longed to
kiss his lips (or Ty’s). And though I quickly ushered those dreamy crimson thoughts straight out of my mind, I got the impression he may have sensed what I was feeling because that less-than-subtle grin of his began to stretch across his face like a daggone rubber band.

  “Let’s just say, I can make a person’s troubles disappear,” he added confidently.

  “So you’re a Talisman?” Deep down I already knew the answer to my question and strangely found myself more accepting of their existence.

  “Yes,” he stated proudly. “In fact, I’m one of the original Talismans in The Guild.”

  “The what?” I inquired.

  Professor Tanner Grey straightened up, composing himself like he was about to lecture a class. “The Guild is a group of Talismans whom Adamas trusted with his own life. We banded together and vowed to keep a vigilant watch over the earth . . . and all its creatures.”

  A wary tingle inched down my spine. I sure didn’t get the impression that he was talking about any members of the animal kingdom, rest assured. “All its creatures?” I asked, striving for enough clarity to ease the knot he’d just jerked in my stomach.

  “Other Talismans, for starters . . . But The Guild was more concerned about all the other supernaturals,” he revealed and then leaned back to study my reaction.

  The painfully sharp, knife-edged point that bent one of his brows combined with his admission forced my heart into skipping a beat. “What do you mean by, ‘other supernaturals’?”

  Tanner Grey laughed as he rose to his feet. “For someone who’s having a hard enough time struggling with the fact they possess an ability that’s contrary to the course of how they perceive nature, you sure seem quite interested in the subject all of a sudden.” His carefree expression took a more serious turn. “In good time, you’ll be faced with having all of your wits and wisdom tested on what truly lies out there, Shiloh. Trust me on this. You need to take things slow and allow this new world’s mysteries to be revealed to you, one at a time. You’ve already been through a lot in such a short amount of time.”

  Crap… That sounds ominous.

  Tanner Grey obviously wasn’t going to delve into any specifics casually, but I didn’t see the harm in asking him a few questions about some things I’d already witnessed. So naturally, I decided to kick-off my interrogation with one that had preyed on my mind since I was five.

  “What was that black—”

  “Fog?” Tanner interrupted. “The thing you were running away from when you crashed into me on the ridge the other day? The shadowy being that possessed your friend last night and tried to finish you off for good?”

  I confirmed his questions with a shaky nod. His open and unnerving admission that there was something lurking out there—hell-bent on killing me—frightened me to my core. Hell, even Charlotte had never said she wanted me dead…at least I didn’t think so.

  “That was Dunamis,” Tanner Grey revealed, “the betrayer Adamas could not see. The Guild hasn’t referred to him by his real name for many years. He’s known now only by his origin stone, the Onyx. The Onyx has known for a while that the diamond wand was placed somewhere around here. A spell was put on this cave to prevent him from entering in case he happened to discover its exact location.” Tanner pointed to my neck. “The Onyx is also responsible for placing a sardonyx inside the locket of your necklace. He did so to warn him if you stepped one foot on this ridge. Kind of like his own supernatural radar.”

  A frightful vibe rocked my body, freezing my muscles and bugging my eyes like a head-lighted deer. “WHAT is in my necklace?” I blared, now full-on alarmed.

  “A sardonyx,” Tanner replied, just as cool and casual as a summer rain. “It’s a special kind of black onyx that’s been spelled with his darker powers. The white hatches marked on its surface will tell you how strong the curse is. In your case, he used it to act as his eyes and ears to keep tabs on you. That’s the real reason why your locket would never open. He didn’t want you to discover what lay hidden inside it.”

  Still shaken, I placed my hand over the spot where the oval locket had once rested. “But my mother gave me that locket years ago. It couldn’t have been cursed,” I muttered.

  “I’m guessing he saw his opportunity and slipped one inside your locket right before your mother gave it to you. He only needed to kill you out of necessity — to keep you from finding the cave and claiming the wand as your own.”

  Slightly dazed, I reflected aloud, “All these years . . . I’ve never wanted to take it off. I just thought I didn’t because it was the last thing my mother had given me . . . out of love. I had no idea I couldn’t remove it because I was under some dark spell.”

  “The necklace didn’t remain around your neck because of any cursed sardonyx,” Tanner interjected. “Shiloh, being a Talisman is in your blood. Even though you hadn’t claimed your stone, some of its abilities were locked away in the deep recesses of your mind. The diamond is a very psychic stone. It protects your mind and prevents it from being influenced by others through thought or like the suggestive chants of a spell. Your love for your mother did keep it there. That’s what the Onyx was counting on — your emotions. Only you could remove it willingly. Time was running out, so that’s why other means were necessary.”

  “By what other means are you talking about?” I inquired.

  “The cologne, of course,” he proclaimed. “That was my ingenious idea . . . Though I’ll admit, I did have some help planting it there.”

  A rush of air parted my lips when I remembered seeing my feathery little friend perched outside the open window.

  “The bird put it there?” I submitted, struggling with both the reality and sheer mechanics of that one. Tanner flashed a cocky smile straightaway, clearly gloating. “But how did you know Katie would pick that particular fragrance? Charlotte had about twenty bottles on her dresser.”

  The professor circled me intently. “Well, its fragrance is extremely enticing to women, and men find its scent absolutely irresistible. But you have to be careful with it,” he advised. “It’s magic is rather potent. The first guy to catch a good whiff will find himself obsessed with its female wearer.” Then he gently lifted my hand in the air and brushed his fingers across the exact spot on my wrist where Katie had dabbed some last night. “It tends to pack quite a bit of a lustful punch,” he added with a grin and his eyes slanting slyly.

  With an uncomfortable swallow, I retracted my hand and lowered it back down to my side. I had to do something to stop my daggone pulse from flinging, whether or not he’d sensed the damning stir my feelings had been pounding out right along with it. Admittedly, the cologne wasn’t the only thing capable of kindling a few biological urges around here — that was certain.

  Tanner Grey then casually continued, “I know the Talisman who whips up that particular concoction of pheromones, flowers, and rubies. She’s made a small fortune on that pricey potion of hers over the years.”

  “What are the rubies for?” I asked.

  “Rubies can do a number of things when it comes to emotions, though that particular brew was blended with its powers to dispel love. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that the only other thing that could rival its ability to rip love apart at its seams is permanently inking a tattoo with a lover’s name on one’s skin,” he stated with a confident grin. “Talk about a powerful jinx.”

  “Don’t get too cocky,” I chided. “I was pretty mad at her last night. I don’t think I needed any ruby’s help.”

  Tanner Grey frowned. “Not to worry. The effects of the ruby have already worn off you. How do you feel about her now?”

  I didn’t have to contemplate that question for very long. “She’s pretty much a bitch,” I replied along with several vigorous nods as I reflected upon every horrible thing she’d ever said or done, particularly focusing on her latest stunt with all of my college applications. And thinking about that reminded me of something else about
the incident that I’d found puzzling.

  “But the necklace was burning the skin around my neck last night . . . like it was on fire or something,” I remarked.

  “That’s another power a ruby holds,” Tanner replied. “It’s a very protective stone and a bit volatile, just like the Talisman who claims it. The ruby potion sensed the sardonyx inside the locket around your neck and in its own way, sort of encouraged you to remove it,” he revealed.

  It sure did, I affirmed silently as I gave my neck a reflective rub. Like the scorch of a baby solar flare…

  “Rubies are quite useful if someone ever attempts you any harm,” Tanner added. “The stone’s magic kicks in on your behalf by engulfing your attacker in flames.”

  My mouth dropped open. “That’s how Mike’s . . . um, the Onyx’s hands caught fire?”

  Tanner Grey’s cocky smile returned. “See . . . It did come in handy after all.” He nudged my shoulder and added, “Like I said, ingenious.”

  I couldn’t help but be a little amused by his cheeky self-promotion. And even though the handsome professor was quite the charmer, a part of me still wanted to give him a good smack. Now that one of my burning questions had been answered, I figured I would go digging for a few more.

  “Do rubies make you have visions? Like premonitions?”

  Tanner let out a playful grunt and rolled his eyes. “You ask more questions than any of my students.”

  I shrugged my shoulders shamelessly and honed my stare in wait of his reply.

  “No, rubies don’t . . . but emeralds do,” he admitted. “Emeralds allow you to see random, future events.”

  “The whiskey?” I quizzed, wide-eyed. “So I wasn’t drunk . . . I was actually seeing things that were going to happen.”

  “Exactly. Once I’d counteracted the whiskey’s intoxicating influence, you were left with its other effects. That’s another talent of mine. I can neutralize a vast amount of toxins. It especially comes in handy when dealing with poisons, but unfortunately not all of them. Definitely not ones that are supernatural in nature.” He laughed and added, “After all, I couldn’t bear the thought of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”

  “But what if Mike hadn’t brought it?” I countered.

  “Let’s see . . . A guy stops by a teenage boy’s house on the night of a school dance with a very rare and expensive bottle of whiskey that his father knows nothing about? Are you kidding me?” he contended doubtlessly.

  He had me on that one. “I suppose.”

  “But to err on the side of caution, I may have taken a sip of ole Emerald Eyes to see if he would take the bait . . . and if you would end up drinking it — just in case. You needed to have your guard up last night, and that was the most practical, yet I’ll admit, unorthodox way to go about it.”

  “But I didn’t see my father dying . . . or Mike attacking me! I could’ve used a little heads-up on those!” I snapped, driven by a sudden burst of anger.

  “I said the visions were random,” Tanner Grey replied defensively. “And let me correct you. You didn’t see the Onyx attack you. Adamas didn’t either, remember? For some reason, the emerald’s powers can’t predict the Onyx’s actions.”

  I sulked for a moment. I truly wished I could have seen a vision of my father dying…anything that could have helped me prevent it somehow. That was my only regret.

  I raised my hand and stared at my little golden topaz ring. Tanner walked over and gave the stone a brash flick with his fingers.

  “That little thing won’t be of much use until it’s been fully recharged, preferably with something stronger than sea-salt,” he commented. “I’m afraid you drained almost all of its power last night in your human state. I suggest bathing it in the light of the next full moon. Moonbeams are your only option when you use too much of a stone’s magic in a short amount of time. That’s this Friday night, and it’s supposed to be a blue moon as well. Moonbeams from a true blue moon are extremely effective.”

  I looked at Tanner curiously as I held up the ring. “Was this part of your ingenious plan or is Ms. Sutherland a —”

  “Yes,” he interrupted. “She’s a Talisman. Giving you the topaz was her idea. She thought its protection might come in handy. Actually, Beatrix has been watching out for you since you were born. She was with me last night when I carried you out of here and took you home.”

  “That’s how I got home?” I blurted. I started thinking back to how I’d woken up without any memories of what had happened last night — how I got home or even getting into bed. My eyes popped open. “How did I get into my pajamas?” I snapped, tugging my sweatshirt closer to my chest.

  Tanner took a step back and raised his arms defensively. “That was Beatrix!” he insisted with a laugh. “But don’t worry. I don’t think she was looking.”

  Feeling a little more at ease after that disclosure, I quietly mulled over the vision I’d seen of Ms. Sutherland last night. Oh yeah. I was already planning a little chat with the sweet & innocent elderly “blind” lady about that functioning third-eye in the middle of her forehead, rest assured.

  “Only golden topazes can protect you from death,” Tanner Grey revealed. “That’s why your fall and all the injuries you sustained from it didn’t kill you last night. Once you had claimed the diamond wand and its powers, it granted you the ability to heal yourself. The stone also lent you its power of invisibility last night.”

  I gazed intensely at the sparkling golden gemstone. “Is that why Mike…I mean, the Onyx, couldn’t see me?”

  Tanner nodded his head. “But I saw you,” he stressed. “Just remember you have to be specific when you call on the stone’s power of invisibility.”

  I remembered cowering down, focusing on the black fog that was trailing away from Mike. I was praying that “he” wouldn’t be able to see me. My thought prompted a question.

  “I asked not to be seen by him as I thought about the black fog. What if I’d asked specifically not to be seen by Mike?” I inquired.

  “We probably wouldn’t be having this conversation right now,” Tanner Grey replied bluntly. “Remember . . . be specific,” he warned critically.

  An uneasy feeling began taking tiny nips at my nerves. “So the Onyx can just pop in and out of people, no matter who they are or where they’re at?”

  “For some reason, only at night, and he usually chooses a man. I’ve never known him seizing the body of a woman, but it’s possible.”

  “Will Mike remember anything?”

  “No. There’s no chance of that,” he assured. “From the moment he was taken and up until his release, his mind is no longer his. Even his soul will feel like it’s been ripped out and returned to him in shambles. His body will ache for several days as well. Oh, and by the way . . . He’s okay, just so you know.”

  Shamefully, I acknowledged his sarcasm with a simple nod. Truth be told, Mike’s safety was the last thing on my mind. After the way he or the Onyx had gone after me last night and kept me from saving Daddy, I wouldn’t have cared if the supernatural professor had dropped kicked his ass clear off the mountain. Though now knowing Mike had been “occupied”, my feelings about him were in the middle of having a change of heart — but they weren’t quite there yet. With the amount of misplaced pissiness I had to rein in, it was going to be awhile before all of them were fully back in check.

  “Dunamis is a very powerful Talisman. He rivaled Adamas in many ways. No one ever knew he could transport his soul into the earthly body of another. When the Onyx inhabits a human’s body, he temporarily replaces their soul with his. The person’s vessel is under his complete control, and the host’s soul ceases to exist. It’s trapped in a state of torturous purgatory until it’s released. The Onyx’s dark power feeds off his victim’s souls. It’s not a natural occurrence, even among our kind. The only time a Talisman’s soul can leave their body completely is when they die. The Talisman’s pow
ers, along with their soul and all of their memories, surrender themselves back to their stone of origin, their fated birth-stone. Somehow Dunamis figured out how to do it and has used it as one of his most powerful weapons against The Guild for many years — the element of surprise and secrecy. One of my duties has been to keep track of him and find a way to kill him. It would be detrimental for everything in existence if the wand were ever to fall into the Onyx’s hands.”

  “How’s that workin’ for you?” I quipped.

  “Cute,” he grinned, his violet eyes darkening. Tanner reached for my hand and took hold of it in the most soothing way. “Shiloh, I think you need to head home. That’s everything you need to know . . . for now. I can feel every emotion that’s churning inside you. Go home and face your grief today and surround yourself with your loved ones.”

  Now that I knew about his influence over my emotional state, I quickly jerked my hand from his grasp.

  “My loved ones? I’m about to bury my loved one,” I stressed, correcting him. Then I grabbed Ty’s tuxedo jacket and stormed off, headed for the winding stone stairs in a huff. I would rather be anywhere else than at home, facing my father’s death and having to deal with my so-called “loved ones”. Yeah… What a total crock!

  A curious thought halted me in my tracks before the sole of my shoe smacked the first step. I whipped back around. “Okay . . . Let’s say I totally believe everything you’ve just told me. What about the diamond’s powers? What are they exactly? I know I just ran fifty miles in about fifteen minutes, and I waylaid two of Welch’s finest officers with no effort whatsoever.”

  Tanner Grey approached me as I waited at the base of the cavern steps. “Don’t worry, little girl,” he assured with a steely look. “You’ll soon have plenty of toys to play with. Now, go home — Straight home,” he ordered, pointing his finger up to the mouth of the cave.

  “Ugh!” I grunted and then stormed up the steps like a pouty child. I’d like to drop kick his ass into a curio cabinet when he calls me “little girl” like that. I was almost halfway to the top when Tanner called to me from below. Frustrated, I turned and dug my hand into my hip. “WHAT?” I hollered down.

  “One more thing,” Tanner announced, his tone reverberating a dire air. “Stay away from Lazarus Xcavare. You’re not to go near him and don’t even think about touching him. No questions — just heed my warning.”

  For some unknown reason, Tanner’s decree didn’t strike me as odd, but I was definitely intrigued. “Why not?” I posed. Lazarus Xcavare was creepy for sure, and I was the unfortunate person who’d heard all the nasty thoughts churning inside him, as well as the wicked vibe fueling their relentless spin. His royal blue stone ring came to mind. “Is he a Talisman, too?”

  “Yes, he is,” Tanner Grey admitted reluctantly. “But he’s not like us.”

  “What do you mean, ‘not like us’?”

  “Not all Talismans are about peace, Shiloh,” Tanner Grey stressed. “Lazarus came here in search of the wand. I know for a fact that he’s been heightening his search for the diamond over the past few months. Why or how he ended up here, in the very spot where it was hidden, I haven’t figured out yet. Lazarus can somehow sense the diamond’s presence through the earth’s soil, but I’m not sure how he’s doing it. I’ve only known of one other Talisman who can sniff out a stone’s energy like that. It’s more than just a coincidence.” Tanner sighed and propped his leg on the bottom step. “Your powers are evolving, even as I’m speaking to you. Lazarus claims the lapis lazuli, and that particular stone bears a tremendous amount of psychic abilities as well. The diamond wand that your strengths and abilities emanate from will also make any supernatural’s powers a hundred times stronger when they’re in your presence — Talismans included. That’s one of the things that makes the wand so irresistible and turns simply wanting its powers into a maddening obsession. If Lazarus even suspects you now rule over the diamond, he’ll kill you without thinking twice about it. If your powers haven’t fully culminated, I’m afraid you won’t stand a chance. So, I’ll repeat — STAY AWAY FROM HIM!” Tanner grumbled.

  The tone of his warning fueled my suspicions. Granted, if what he’d said was true, then staying away from Lazarus Xcavare was the prudent thing to do. But something inside me suspected he wasn’t being entirely truthful. I couldn’t help but think about how the ring on his finger was similar in color to the handprints around my father’s neck.

  “Is that the only reason I should steer clear of him,” I probed, “or is there something else?”

  Tanner said nothing. I let out a sharp grunt as I turned around and then raced the rest of the way up the steps. I was just about to exit the cave when my departure came to a startling halt. Tanner Grey had whisked up the winding rock stairway in the form of a purple mist and was now standing in my way. His sultry, yet stern eyes stared into mine like a teacher would a disobedient student.

  “I mean it, Shiloh,” Tanner Grey warned as he hovered in front of me. “Stay away from Lazarus.”

  I glared at him for a moment, noting that the heat radiating from his eyes matched my own. Then I pushed past him to exit the cave, tromping a stormy path into the woods and never glancing back. Now that I was well out of his influential presence, all of my despair returned with a swift vengeance. Thunder roared fiercely throughout the skies above, and the rain was pouring harder than before. Defiantly, I decided to head back down the mountainside instead of going straight home. I didn’t think I could stomach being there, at least not yet. There were too many memories that were sure to haunt me. I knew I would have to deal with them eventually, but I wanted to delay my misery for as long as I possibly could. Who wouldn’t? I pressed my hands firmly against my stomach. Especially feeling like this, I affirmed dismally. Though my body was numb, a dull and desolate ache was laying waste to my insides, simply hovering there in the pit of my gut like a sickness that had no cure. An inconsolable heartache tortured me now. There were no predators stalking me, or any excruciating injuries ravaging my body, just wretched emptiness where my heart used to be.

  It wasn’t long before I’d reached the tree line. The roar of several cars whizzing past and the spray of their trailing watery splashes greeted me as I emerged from the tall pines. With nowhere else to go, I decided to run over to the mine for a while — anything to delay going home to grieve with my “loved ones”.

  I darted across the highway and wandered over to the parking lot. Daddy’s truck wasn’t there anymore. Not seeing it hit me rather hard, and I just knew the sight of it parked outside our house would look even more pitiful knowing my father would never slide behind the wheel of it again.

  I turned towards the entrance to find the most bittersweet surprise. Someone had thoughtfully placed a large wreath on the main gate. Beautiful white lilies flowed around a circle of greenery, framing a simple gold cross that hung from its center. My eyes broke into tears immediately at the sight of the sympathetic gesture. Then my gaze found its way over to the outdoor sign that usually announced their union meetings, where a couple of miners had just finished up changing its letters. It now read,