No one mentioned seeing flames shooting from my fingertips, and there was no talk about my eyes changing color, or anything else noticeably weird. The official story clearly stated that I had put myself before others, and somehow prevailed in keeping them safe. There were still rumors, of course, about fire and piles of ash, and the water sprayers coming on in several of the classrooms. But only a handful of individuals continued to argue that I must be unique in some way. They never said anything directly to me though, and I did nothing to excite their speculations.
Life slowly settled down. I was able to live as a normal girl, for the time being. I welcomed that. It was nice to just relax after all the excitement. How long I could continue in this manner remained unclear. Though things seemed relatively serene, I still had a darkness brewing in me. And, secretly, I was getting a little bit bored and wished for another adventure to begin.
Since the horrible day of the attack, I had been looking for my path in life. I busied myself with my search for Miranda and Wesley but was rewarded with few results. All I had tracked down were a few dead hitch-hikers and a charge to Wesley’s debit card at a gas station near Austin, Texas. Every lead I got was inconclusive; nothing told me where they were now.
My astral dreams have been relatively uneventful as well. Nobody inside the bar that I frequented even knew who the redheaded demon was. For now, it seemed that I was at a dead end. I would find them though. One way or another I would pinpoint their location eventually. When I did, I was determined to free Wesley from Miranda’s grasp.
****
A week had passed since my dream of Krista. I still hadn’t told anyone about the encounter, or of her giving me a sort of prophecy of what was to come. I kept everything locked up deep in my mind, like a diamond kept in a safe. I had started practicing how to keep secrets from my mother and father and their weird mind-reading abilities, and now had the technique nearly perfected.
It was Saturday, and I was standing in the living room looking out the window when I felt a buzz in the back pocket of my jeans. I reached for my phone, hit the green talk button, and put it to my ear. Before I’d even said hello the person on the other end began talking at a rapid pace.
“Dawn? Are you there?” The young female voice sounded panicked, and I got the impression the speaker was running. I could hear feet pounding on concrete and the sounds of car horns in the background.
“Yeah, that’s me,” I said slowly.
I glanced at the screen. The number that had called wasn’t in my contacts, so I had no idea who it was that I was talking to. They seemed to know me though. I couldn’t help remembering the warning in the prophecy about something or someone that would turn up and appear to provide answers, only to leave me with more questions. Well played, Krista.
“I was told that I needed to talk to you.” The voice was becoming winded. She was tiring.
“What about?” I asked, taking a seat on the couch.
I figured it must be someone from school, but I didn’t recognize the area code, so they must be from out of town. I frowned. Was this person reaching out to me because they were in trouble?
“I need to arrange a meeting with you,” my caller panted. “I will be in Midvale within the next few weeks. When I get there, we’ll need to talk over a few things.”
“Who is this?” I asked my heart rate racing.
“I can’t tell you yet. I can’t let them know that I still exist. I’ll call you again when I get there,” she added hurriedly.
This was getting annoying. I had no clue who it was on the other end of the line, and no idea what she was calling about.
“Then why call me now?” I asked, rubbing my nose. “Why not just call me when you make it to town?”
“Because they’re coming for you too. They want your inner core, your flame. I can’t get there any sooner. Watch your back and be careful who you speak to.”
Before I could say anything else, the woman hung up.
What?
I looked at my phone and shrugged. Now not only did I have Krista telling me something was about to happen; I had this other unknown person also telling me that I needed to watch my back. What was going on? Things were getting increasingly peculiar. The way things were going, I wouldn’t have been surprised if a leprechaun had knocked at the door telling me I had three wishes.
I got up from the couch and went to my room to get dressed. I had a long day ahead of me. The magical realms of the department and retail stores were calling to me. I always found shopping a challenge. The dressing rooms were always too small, and I found it hard to distinguish between clothes that were either going to make me look great or incredibly stupid. I was already convinced I would make my usual mistakes.
At least it didn’t take me long to get ready. I even had a few moments to fix the black lines around my eyes. Sighing at the thought of the ordeal ahead, I grabbed my keys and made sure I had all the essentials before reaching for the door handle.
“I’m heading out, Mom!” I called as I opened the front door.
“Have fun, honey,” she called back.
I could hear the amusement in
