Chapter 1
“… Taylor?”
I can hardly hear the voices in my ear as I stand in the middle of a courtyard. People are walking around. They share news with each other.
‘’Esree just gave birth to a little boy…’’ Someone near me exchanges gossip with their friend.
“Taylor?” The voice at the edge of my hearing, beyond my vision, speaks again. I don’t acknowledge it as I make my way back to my stall. I sell herbs and healing tonics...
“Taylor?!” Something pulls at my vision. The people’s faces begin to fade. I can’t make out the individual facial features of the others anymore. I blink and they come back into focus.
The person who told the other about Esree’s newborn walks up to me. I offer a smile. ‘’Ms. Burks, I have the strengthening tonic that you requested for Esree.’' I pass her the small bottle for my best friend. Her daughter. ‘'This is two table spoons in a glass of water per day. Remember that she has to drink every last drop—‘'
‘’No matter how fowl it tastes.’' Ms. Burks takes it from me before handing me 3 coins. Then she turns, hurrying back to Mrs. Smithers. ‘’Thank you—‘'
“TAYLOR!!” A voice screams in my ear. I jump. I blink. My vision fades to black fuzzy static that one would see on a… TV...
“Ugh…” I groan as I hold my hand to my head. It pounds and throbs. It takes a moment for it to clear, and for myself to feel normal. I feel bewildered as I look around. I am sitting in a modern day 21st century classroom. An empty classroom that looks so different from the courtyard that I had just been selling at.
Or hadn’t been. But it felt so real...
I look up and see Stacy. She looks angry, annoyed, irritated...
I turn to the clock which is a friendlier face than my best friend.
14:40.
Late.
Late to get home.
Late to get to the car.
“Taylor, you are coming to my house, remember?” Stacy states, hands on her hips as she stares down at me from the top of her glasses. She pushes them back up her face. Her light brown hair, tucked into a high ponytail makes her seem older than we actually are. She is wise beyond her years. She acts older than half of the others in our grade.
Including me.
She is really smart, and has ambitions to become a detective when she is older. Or a lawyer. Or something to do with solving mystery and dealing with crimes.
Unlike me who is so in my head that I haven’t had time to think about who I am meant to be. Who I want to become.
Why must I decide now? I don’t need to settle on an option yet.
I shake my head before I stand up, quickly packing my pencil case. “Sorry. Yes. I forgot.” I throw my pencilcase into my blue backpack and put it on my back. Stacy looks disappointed as I reveal my secret.
We walk out of class and down the brown floors to reach the stairs.
“… Taylor?” Stacy asks once again.
“Hm?” I respond, looking at her and slowing down my pace.
“Did you not sleep well last night?”
My throat goes dry. My dreams were plagued by nightmares. Chased by fire. Followed by flames. Hunted down in the dead of night and I hid under shadows that I had to befriend and hoped wouldn’t betray me—
I blink away the memories that threaten to surface. “Is it that obvious?” I murmur.
Stacy nods, reaching over to place her arm around my shoulder. “It is… You need to get to bed earlier."
I shake my head as we step down each step one by one. “It isn’t that. I woke up at 1:44 am—"
Stacy immediately stops and the two of us nearly take a tumble off of the stairs. Somehow, she manages to stay composed as she blinks at me. “Again?”
I wince. Almost everyday during the past two weeks, I have woken up at 1:44 am. On the dot. I forgot how perceptive Stacy is. Her memory is like an elephant’s. Stacy never forgets. It’s part of what makes her so good academically. She only has to learn something once — once and then it is stuck, forever in her head. In her memory. I get jealous of her often. She has it so easy...
“Yes.” I respond. “Again.”
Stacy doesn’t say another word as we reach the end of the stairs. She doesn’t speak as we near the school gate. She just stands by me. She has a thoughtful expression on her face, and seems to be the daydreamer instead of me. Instead of the on point person she usually is. She is deep in thought, trying to wrap her head around the mystery that is me as we avoid the stares from the few students who remain behind.
We are late. We are very very late.
There is a honk from Ellie’s car as she pulls into the pickup earlier than we expected. Stacy’s mom isn’t known for being patient. She is always busy and on the go. Stacy finally wakes up from her thought process and together we place our bags into the boot before getting into the car.
Both Stacy and me sit in the back seat so that we can be close to each other. Ellie turns to smile at us both. She seems to radiate sunshine and it is often overwealming.
“Hey girls!” she smiles, starting the car. “How was your school day. Are you ready to do homework together and hang out?”
Stacy and I both nod, but Elly seems to pick up that we are not in the best of moods. “Did something happen?” she questions. “You can tell me, you know. Both of you, even Taylor.”
I shrug while Stacy glances as me. “I’m just tired.”
“… Anything else? Your aura is not as clear today. As if you are caught in the middle of a storm.”
I frown at her. She is so odd. So strange. She has positivity all over her walls at Stacy’s home. “That’s it. Nothing else.”
Ellie shrugs and moves to question Stacy next. I zone out.
And fire swirls around my vision. And it blinds me.
