by S.E. Akers
I didn’t pull out of my speedy sprint until I’d reached the front door of the old two-story farmhouse. Once inside, I hurried up to my room and locked the door, desperately needing to shut out the world once again. I laid the little velvet pouch on my vanity. I still couldn’t bring myself to look at Katie’s necklace — not now.
After I’d hidden the diamond wand securely under my bed (along with my serpentine and my newly acquired moonstone), I snatched the lapis lazuli ring off my finger and sent it sailing across the room. Even though I’d killed Lazarus, my revenge hadn’t proved near as sweet as I’d envisioned. Sure, it had felt good at the time, knowing the man who’d murdered Daddy had died by my hands. But when I’d found out that he had poisoned Ty and had also played a part in Katie’s death—after the fact—I found myself feeling just as bitter as before. I wished he were alive, so I could do it all over again. I hated more than anything I had to claim that damn stone of his — but I had to! I had to save Ty…only to lose him.
My eyes turned to the window. There was the shimmery blue moon, glowing beautifully and buoyant in the now tranquil and clear starry sky. Well, I guess it’s me crying now.
I crashed onto my bed thinking of Ty. I was nothing more than a random name and strange face to him now. My one-sided “first kiss” was bittersweet.
Scratch that! A first kiss can’t be one-sided… It doesn’t count!
I still couldn’t get over the tragic irony that a “selfless act” had taken away all of his memories of me. At least Kara seemed thrilled. Maybe the rumors at school will die down now, seeing how they’re back together. Watching them walk down the halls at school all coupled-up was going to be hard, especially without Katie by my side.
Cherished memories of Katie and me throughout the years stirred in my head. Each and every one of them was significant in some way. I honestly couldn’t think of a single moment in all the times we’d shared that hadn’t etched at least the tiniest of marks on my heart or soul. She was my best friend. My bosom friend. As I lay there crying on my pillow, a particular memory came to mind.
It was summer, and we were ten years old. Katie loved the book, Anne of Green Gables. Her mom had just bought her the DVD, and she insisted I watch it with her. We ended up spending the entire weekend playing it over and over (and over). Our “ritual” carried on faithfully every weekend after that for an entire month. Katie’s mom must have wanted her living room TV back because one Saturday she surprised us with made-to-fit period dresses from the late 1800’s, courtesy of Mrs. Culbert. After that, we took a break from the movie and created our own little make-believe world of Avonlea. Katie felt it was fitting that I played the role of Anne. She said it was because I was so headstrong and struggled with my real name, just like Anne. Katie loved pretending to be Diana Barry. She was the pretty, merry one, who was always by her friend’s side, through thick and thin. Their friendship mirrored ours. They were kindred spirits — just like us.
Our favorite part was just one simple phrase. It summed up their friendship, like it did ours — “bosom friends”. Katie and I were bosom friends, forever and ever. My eyes continued to swell until the floodgates I’d been struggling to restrain inevitably came bursting open. I couldn’t hold back the weight of their force any longer. Tearfully, I wrestled with my bedcovers and curled up into a ball. I didn’t have the scent from Daddy’s shirt anymore to comfort me, and I’d dropped my amethyst in Charlotte’s wine, though I doubted I would have used the tumbled purple stone if I had it. I was still ticked at Tanner, and it would only remind me of him. Deep down, I knew I needed to face this tribulation on my own.
I glanced over at my alarm clock. Almost eleven… Physically exhausted and mentally spent, I found myself too emotionally wrecked to drift off to sleep peacefully. The Sandman eventually took me kicking and screaming by the reins, dragging me warily into my dreams. My last conscious thought was of the moon and the mysterious Moonstone Talisman. I remembered feeling eternally grateful and touched by her kindness as I fell into my slumber, though a small part of me lingered with sadness over my unfulfilled wish — that she would have answered me in some way tonight.