Awaken (Awaken Series Book 1) Read online

  As I watched the woman intently, I heard a door open somewhere in the house and saw the woman glance over her shoulder. “Honey, is that you?” she asked with excitement in her voice.

  “Yeah, it’s me. I stopped by Kyle’s house to give him the key. Mary wanted me to tell you to have wonderful time and not to worry about a thing while we’re away.”

  His voice was pleasant to listen to. I couldn’t understand why in the world I was seeing this. Where had I seen this man and why was this happening?

  “Oh, don’t forget to pack my gray tie. You know Lindsey would have a fit if I forgot it,” he added.

  “I already have it packed in the suit case. Oh and Paul,” she went on, “just so you know, you’re taking me to the beach. I have it all planned. Your parents, your cousins Steven and Jared, and their two girlfriends are all going to the beach with us on Tuesday. I already looked at the weather report and it’s going to be beautiful all week!” she exclaimed with her hands on her hips, looking toward the bedroom door.

  Paul? Paul? Do I know a Paul? I searched my memory.

  Suddenly, the door opened and Paul came into the room.

  “Do I have to go with Jared?” he whined.

  “Yes, you have to go with Jared.” She smiled back at him.

  “Do you think that this is all you need to take?” She was pointing at the suitcase. He came across the room and kissed her cheek ever so slightly.

  “Looks good to me.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You know, we have to hurry if we’re going to make it to the airport on time.” He grabbed the newspaper lying on the bench at the foot of the bed and started reading the headlines on the first page.

  For some reason, my heart pounded rapidly and the nerves in my body intensified. I felt like I was supposed to pay extremely close attention to the headlines, because whatever Paul was reading I needed to know.

  There was movement to the right of me. The door to my room opened slightly, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen.

  As I focused on Paul, I noticed a shift in his expression. His eyes narrowed and his eyebrows closed tightly together. His relaxed body tensed up and his eyes were skimming the lines more rapidly now, like he was in a race with someone to finish reading.

  The woman looked at him with confusion. “What is it? Is something wrong, Paul?” He didn’t answer. He was still engrossed with what was on the page. “Paul?”

  “Um, well Kim…I don’t know if I should tell you. Maybe we should just get going.” He was shielding the paper behind his back so she couldn’t grab it.

  Her stunning face abruptly turned to stone. Tilting her head to one side, her eyes narrowed and she squeezed her lips tightly together. “Not a chance, Paul. Tell me what you just read!” Her hands were out in front of her. “You’re starting to scare me…I need to know what it is.”

  As if in slow motion, Paul pulled the paper out from behind his back and cautiously gave it to Kim, emphasizing every word he said. “Kim, this doesn’t mean anything. Everything is going to be fine. I know how much you hate planes but this happened very far away in Texas, so you have nothing to worry about.”

  Suddenly darkness came from either side of the screen, forcing the picture smaller and smaller until it simply vanished.

  “Bre!” Caleb screamed.

  Shock surged through my spine, snapping me back to reality. I whipped around to face him. He was standing in the doorway with his body tilted forward as if he was about to pounce on me if I didn’t respond to him quickly. My brother was in that awkward – not quite a boy not yet a man – stage in his life. His gangly body was developing at a rapid pace. Regardless of what he choked down at dinner, it never affected his pencil stick of a body. His dirty brown hair hung in his face. I guess it was the new thing to grow your hair out so long that you couldn’t see where you were going.

  “What?” I was still dazed and overwhelmed at what I had just witnessed.

  “I’ve been standing here yelling at you and you completely ignored me. What’s wrong with you? Are you mad at me?”

  Still shaking, I couldn’t look up as I spoke. “What do you want, Caleb? I’m kind of busy right now.” I wanted him to get it out and be on his way.

  “Dad just wanted me to remind you about tomorrow,” he snapped, aggravated. “Are you going or not?”

  I felt bad that he thought I might be mad at him, but I couldn’t tell him what just happened.

  “Yes, I was planning on it…Um, Caleb did you...?”

  “Did I what, Bre?” His expression changed. He was more concerned now than upset. “What is it? Are you all right? You don’t look so good.”

  I didn’t answer for a couple of seconds as I scanned the room hoping the illusion returned so Caleb would also see it. When it didn’t, I just shook my head.

  “Nothing, don’t worry about it. I’ll be there tomorrow at twelve sharp.”

  He paused, looking as though he was about to say something then just said, “Goodnight, Bre,” and headed off to bed.

  Shutting the TV off, I sat stiff and numb on my bed. All I could do was scan my bedroom over and over again, waiting for something to happen. Silence was the only thing hovering in my room. The clinking of the dishwasher was now the only sound in the house.

  Suddenly my cell phone rang, making me scream. I threw myself over my bed to grab it on the nightstand. I hit the talk button before it had a chance to ring again.

  “Um, hello?” I choked out.

  “Breanna Davis! Why haven’t you answered my calls? I’ve called like a dozen times!”

  It was Becka. Now I was going to hear it. It doesn’t help that she lived a couple of houses down from me. She was probably spying on me the whole time Josh and I were outside.

  “Um hello? Aren’t you going to tell to me what happened tonight? I didn’t see any punching or kicking…no…all I saw was a lot of PDA. You were all over each other! What happened to me coming over and -”

  “I know Beck, I know. I’m sorry I didn’t call you right away…it’s just that -”

  “You’re sorry! You knew I’d be going out of my mind waiting for your phone call. I haven’t even had dinner yet. I almost came over but I thought I’d call one last time.” Becka was always overdramatic. No matter the situation, she always managed to make it about her. As she ranted, I debated whether or not to tell her. But how would I begin to explain it?

  So, I’m seeing floating invisible screens…Beck, you might think I’m crazy but… you know in that movie when that girl sees… No. It all sounded crazy…it was crazy! Even thinking about how I’d explain it to her ― I was beginning to question my sanity. I wanted to tell her – we always told each other everything – but this was not the kind of secret to tell. I should keep this to myself, at least for now.

  “Bre, are you listening to me?”

  “I’m sorry…I umm…” I had to pull myself together. “Well, he said he was really sorry and he didn’t mean to hurt me. He just wants to spend every minute with me and getting a job would mean less time for us.”

  There was a slight exhale from the other end of the phone. I thought she would immediately scold me for backing down and giving in, but she didn’t.

  “Bre, I know you like him a lot and…” she paused to put her thoughts together and continued with a sigh, “If you really believe he’s sorry, then I trust your judgment. I only want what’s best for you.”

  “Thanks Beck, that means a lot.”

  “Well, I’m here for you if you need someone to talk to, but for now, I need to get off the phone and get some food in me. I am starving.”

  “Okay Beck, goodnight.”

  “Night.”

  It was a beautiful September day in Grants Pass. The sky was covered with dozens of big white fluffy clouds that moved leisurely across the sky shielding the sun at times. The gentle breeze ran through the town, dancing along the treetops, making the leaves rustle as they swayed back and forth.

  The town was nestled in the middl
e of tall peeks that were always a rich lush green from the sporadic rainstorms that would pass through on occasion. Looking out over the river always brought a sort of calm to me. I loved the way the sun’s rays spread out along the water, displaying thousands of tiny sparkles that glistened everywhere you looked. Regardless of the fact that I couldn’t wait to move away from this place, the beauty of where I lived somehow made it tolerable.

  I couldn’t believe how many people showed up for the event that day, much more than last year. The park was alive and bustling with families. Even in the midst of everyone’s hectic schedules, this was a special day when people would set aside time to spend with friends and family.

  Every year – ever since I could remember – the city of Grants Pass threw a huge festival at the River Park just before all the kids had to return for the new school year. It was something that everyone in the community looked forward to. Spread out over the park was a sea of white vender booths. No matter where you were in the park, you could smell the delectable food that was being prepared. Cotton candy, hot dogs, french fries. It was wonderful.

  My father looked forward to this day. His excitement level was that of a kid on Christmas morning. It was probably the one day of the year that he actually seemed happy and part of something he loved. For the last eight years, he signed up for the annual fishing competition. Whoever caught the biggest fish won a trophy and the title of “Biggest Catch of the Year.” I hoped this would be his year to win. It was important for my brother and I to be there to cheer him on.

  Weaving in and out of the booths, I looked for Rebecca while trying to avoid bumping into people who weren’t paying attention to where they were going. She said she’d meet me by the food booths. Spotting an empty bench, I rushed over and sat down before anyone else could take it.

  Glancing at my watch, I realized I was a little early. We had decided to meet at eleven-thirty and I had ten minutes to kill. As I waited, I watched the people around me enjoy every second of this day. It brought a smile to my face to see others have moments, perfect moments. Perhaps these were simple everyday things to the typical person, but to me, watching others around me taught me something about life. Even the littlest insignificant things, the smallest of gestures were, something to treasure, even if they weren’t mine to hold on to.

  About twenty yards down the hill, I spotted a man and woman sitting underneath a huge oak tree that was probably a hundred years old. The canopy of branches sheltered them perfectly. It was the perfect setting for a romantic day at the park. Sitting so close, intertwining their hands together. To each other, they were probably the only two people in the world. At one point, a kid bumped into their bag lying on the ground next to them. They never released the never-ending trance they held on one another. I longed for that type of closeness, that type of true love that two people could have. My parents were never an example of this, but I ached for it, I needed it.

  The breeze picked up as I gazed around the crowd again. The atmosphere was joyful and tranquil. No one was in a hurry to get anywhere in particular. It was so peaceful to watch, and it made me smile. My life was always so hectic, and I was never able to just sit and relax.

  A cute little family caught my eye about ten feet away from me. The man and woman were probably in their thirties. The kids, identical twins, wore the same solid pink dresses, and were maybe four or five years old. The man had a permanent smile as he watched his girls ask a ton of questions with mouths full of food. The man and woman were holding hands, occasionally locking eyes as they answered the questions, holding back the laughter that had been stored up.

  “Dad, what do squirrels eat?” one of the girls asked.

  “Well, Jess, they eat nuts,” he explained.

  “You mean they can’t eat cookies!” she gasped.

  “No they can’t have cookies because then they would get sick and maybe die,” the mother said in a sweet soft voice.

  After pondering that, the little girl spoke again, “Then let’s feed them cookies,” she said with the most serious face.

  I couldn’t hold back the laughter that was rolling out of me. The woman looked over at me as she tried hard to stop herself from laughing.

  “Honey, why would you want them to die?”

  “Because I don’t like them. They could come into my room when I’m sleeping.” Her little eyes were wide with terror.

  The woman bent down to her daughter’s level and brushed her long blonde hair away from her perfect little innocent face. “Baby, you have nothing to worry about. Your daddy and I would never let anything happen to you.” And she gave her a big hug. Her dad bent down, picked up the little girl and gave her the sweetest kiss on her forehead before the family wandered off to enjoy the rest of the day. I found myself wondering and hoping that I would be lucky enough to have a family like that one day. Somehow, I couldn’t picture Josh being that loving and caring. Maybe he would change someday.

  Suddenly, I became aware that I was being watched. Across the path – between two booths – sat a girl who seemed to be about my age. I looked around to make sure she wasn’t looking at someone else, but there was no one behind me. I couldn’t help the unbalanced feeling I had. I felt locked into her gaze as if she was consciously drawing me in somehow. Even though she was extremely beautiful, there was something very strange and unnerving about her. Her deep dark eyes didn’t blink and her pale lips curled into a sulky smirk, looking somewhat devious. Maybe it was because she knew she was making me uncomfortable. That is probably the case. I looked away to search again for Rebecca but still felt her watchful eye on me.

  Her hair was a silky black that hung loose around her olive skin. Even sitting this far away, it looked like her eye color would fluctuate from dark brown to black, changing with her thoughts. Her t-shirt didn’t make sense to me. The lettering was hard to read; then again, I was far away from her. Lapsus, I think it said, but what did that mean? Even though I felt unnerved by her, I was curious. Who was she? And why was she watching me?

  “Hey, there you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Becka was hovering over me. She stepped right in front of me blocking the girl.

  “Hi, Beck.” I peered around her to see if the girl was still there, but she was gone.

  Shooting to my feet, I danced around in circles a couple of times before giving up.

  “Hi,” she said slowly looking over her shoulder. “Who are you looking for? If it’s Josh, I just saw him over at the food court, he should be here soon.”

  “No I wasn’t looking for Josh. I was looking for a girl that was sitting on that bench, right over there.” My eyebrows creased, how could anyone disappear that quickly? Who was this girl and why was she looking at me like she knew me or knew something? I had never met her before in my life.

  “Why would you be looking for a strange girl?” Becka asked.

  “I don’t know. She was staring at me in the weirdest way and…”

  “Well you do look pretty hot today.”

  “Be serious, Beck.”

  “I am. She was probably envious of how great you look.”

  I did put more effort into my appearance today. I wore my favorite brown top that matched my eyes. My golden blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and I wore the long earrings that Josh had gotten me for our one year anniversary. I wanted to create a lasting impression to remind him of who he had in his life.

  “No, this was different. I’ve never seen her before but the way she was looking at me made me feel like she knew something about me.”

  “Well, she’s gone now so don’t worry about it anymore. Oh here comes Josh…Josh over here!” she yelled over to him.

  But the thing was, something was gnawing at me and I was worrying about it.

  “Hey, gorgeous. You look great today!” Josh came over and kissed my forehead. He couldn’t hug me because of all the food he had in his hands.

  “Hi,” I said with no enthusiasm.

  “What did I do this ti
me?” Josh said with a sigh.

  “Oh…nothing, I’m sorry. You didn’t do anything, I’m just…thinking about something.”

  He raised an eyebrow, telling me he didn’t buy it.

  I said, “No really, you didn’t do anything, I promise.”

  “All right. So what do you girls want to do?” he asked, relieved.

  Shifting my eyes from Josh, I braced myself as Megan Turner closed in on us. She was a girl whom I truly despised. It wasn’t that she was captain of the cheerleading squad that irked me, or that she was popular. She had a thing for my boyfriend, and flaunted it, always telling me that Josh would be hers. It’s only a matter of time, she say, until Josh figures out that what he’s settling for is nothing compared to what he could be getting, meaning her.

  She of course looked annoyingly incredible. Her perfect dark auburn hair was pulled up off her shoulders, and she had a tight little outfit on that I could probably fit my ten-year-old cousin into.

  She walked straight up to Josh, pulled her arm threw his and threw a snotty smirk my way. “Well hey there, I was looking for you.” She looked up at Josh.

  “What do you want, Megan?” Becka threw her a hard, cold look.

  “I think you know what I want.” She scanned Josh up and down with her scheming eyes and then flicked them in my direction.

  Becka grabbed my arm. It took everything in me not to go over and rip her off of Josh. As they locked eyes again, I felt the air around me thinning and it was difficult to breathe. My eye’s burned with frustration and I felt hopeless standing there, watching her hang all over my boyfriend, trying to make a fool of me.