Chapter One

Chapter One;  Chapter One

  “Well, THIS IS NOT a book , THIS is REAL LIFE  and I've got work to do.” A harsh voice resonated throughout the garden yard, as the raven haired farm hand dismissively shoved the young girl in front of her aside never slowing her stride.

“Look I'm telling you, it means something!” The diminutive girl exclaimed urgently, almost pleadingly as she twisted herself around deftly, remaining at the larger girl’s heels. She was used to Jade pushing her aside and acting like she didn't exist, especially when she was in a mood, which she always was. Bemnryn,Verna tell her!

  “Well-”  Bemnryn started, but Jade cut him off with a curt,

“You had a stupid dream, it means nothing.”

“Yes, it does! Everything makes sense now, think about it!  We live in this world and everything has always been the same our whole lives,  now all of a sudden no explanation, just BAM there's a giant looming evil that we can't explain, it's just there how did it get there? When did it happen? When we think about it it feels like it was growing and at the same time we feel it appeared suddenly and at the same time it feels like it's always been there. That's because it’s where the story starts, where a seemingly simple moment in our lives puts us at the precipice of our existence, our future, our fate being laid out before us!”

 “The precipice of our existence?” Jade Scoffed. “The only great peril here is the potential peril you will be in if you don't get out of my way and let me get back to work. Otherwise your existence we be extinguished, the future non existent, and our fate starvation.” Slamming the wooden gate shut between them and leaning on it to keep her tag- along from following through.

  “Those conflicting feelings, that's because the story started,  with this evil already in existence, well the part that the reader starts at anyway, when the book is first opened! And the only reason we have a big feeling that it wasn't always there is because of a distant background memory a back story or, a prologue if you will!”  Falisha rushed on excitedly, ignoring her older cousins threats and glare. And scrambled over the stone wall.

“ You're being ridiculous.” Jade snapped sharply swinging the gate back open.  “Tell her she's being ridiculous.” She barked at the other three companions. Whom were trying to avoid being hit by the flung open gate.

“You're only saying that because you don't have a real answer because you know it's true. You can feel it, I know you can.” The freckled little redhead persisted, her blue grey eyes seemed to sparkle with a kindness and joyous laughter even when they were filled with indignation. They always did though. It made Jade want to slap her! Of course her eyes were always like that, no matter how sad, hurt, frustrated or even down right mad Felicia was, she always had that sparkle of kindness and joy dancing in those eyes, always. Perhaps that's why Jade always wanted to slap her, but then Jade always wanted to slap everyone.

 “Okay look at me, I'm your best friend right? But what do you know about me, what do you actually know about me specifically. I mean you know I'm your best friend, you know we grew up together, you know we've pretty much always been friends but can you actually remember exact things we've done in life? The little thing not just some distant monumental hard-pressed memory that sticks in your mind because it is a concrete memory that leads to something important,  but the little things the little everyday things that are too boring to put in a story those annoyances that you go through that you hardly even noticed in life five minutes after they've annoyed you?”

  “You’re  my cousin” Jade made sure to emphasize cousin to the point where it was unequivocally clear that to her Felicia was only a cousin, and never had been nor would be more than just an obnoxious pest she was obligated to tolerate due to the fact that they were most unfortunatly related.  

In truth Jade had no friends, as friendship, a proper friendship works both ways, and while Felicia was a fantastic friend to Jade, Jade was quite rude to Felicia, to everyone really.

  “You came to live with my family when your mother died, after the rest of your family decided they didnt want you.”

  “Hey!, that's uncalled for!”

“That's Not true!” Interjected the near shouts of  Verna, Bemnryn and Adalyn

Felicia huffed in exasperation, not because of the comment, Jade usually said things like that when she was losing an argument in order to rile everyone up so that they lose sight of the original conversation. And Jade was losing the argument.

“ Would you please just listen to me.” Felicia begged.

“Why is it sooooo important that I believe this hair brained fabrication of yours?!” Jade exclaimed irritatedly jerking her hands up towards her head, before roughly snatching up her bucket and tools. Felicia proceeded to pull two mint candies out of her pocket popping one into her mouth and sneaking the other to the Keres, the goat behind her back.

  “Because you're the main character, you're the one that's supposed to save us all.” She said so matter of factly that anyone who didn't know the girl better would think she was about to add “Duh” at  the end.

 “ Wait what?” Bemnryn choked nearly dropping his pail of tools before Jade caught the bottom of it. “She is the main character? Okay it's official you're crazy. She could never be a main character, do you even know her? She cusses  way too much to be in a book, let alone a main character.” He said with an eye roll

 “Now you chime in, thank you very f****** much!” Jade barked roughly slamming the bucket into his chest.

“Do you have anything to add to this stupidity?!” Jade mocked, glaring at Verna so fiercely that she froze, stopping her hand midway through stroking Felicia’s favorite chicken,a prized blue egg layer on its perch. The chicken quite displeased with  the sudden stop in affection cocked her head to the side giving Verna a sharp peck, startling her back into her senses.

“I suppose….” Verna pondered thoughtfully dropping her hand to her side. The chicken realizing that she  was getting nowhere with Verna, let out a very dissatisfied cackle and proceeded to strut to the other end of the perch to demand affection from Felicia who promptly popped up onto the perch herself and plopped the chicken in her lap stroking her as the hen cood with satisfaction, after one last glare in Verna's direction. “I suppose every life is like a book and every person their own main  character with pages turning as days change and chapters coming to fruition marking the important changing of seasons in one's life.”

 “Oh yes thank you for that little pearl of wisdom a real f******  gem, I'll treasure it forever, you’re a damn philosopher. Now why don't you and your sister go back to your witch garden and play with some sacred herbs.”  Jade mocked, her voice rife with sarcasm as she stormed out of the shed roughly knocking into Verna’s sister Adalyn

 “Sacred herb?” Adalyn  mouthed confusion twisting her face.  “Garden?” she mumbled to herself “I don't have a garden,  I don't even know how to garden.”

 “Stop picking on her! Heroes aren't supposed to pick on people!” Shouted Felicia as she quickly  moved the chicken back to the perch, hopping down and chasing after Jade into the field.

  “And why on Earth am I the hero in your crazy f***** up  hair brained imaginary revelation” Demanded Jade stopping dead and spinning around on her heels so abruptly that Felicia nearly ran smack into her.

  “Isn't it obvious?”  she looked around and  incredulously at the ensemble of friends. She was met by blank stares.

  “Hello? Poor farmer wants something more in life isn't happy suddenly a big threat looming overhead this is her opportunity, ends up sacrificing everything to save her people it's  it's a very classic plot.”

 “Happy, who says I'm not happy!?” Jade demanded while jamming her hoe back into the dirt with such force that you'd think she was trying to take off someone's head. “ And what do you mean by more in life, that's very generic. I mean yeah I want more, more money, more money would make me happier. I like money, I'll do a lot for money. Do I get money for being the main character, And sacrifice? hell  f****** no. I don't sacrifice nothing for any f****** one unless I get something out of it, preferably money. If I get money out of it then that's cool, otherwise no. Not in a million years, never. You should know that by now you should know me better than that.”

  “Okay fine so you're happy.” Felicia shrugged in casual exaggeration “You know what that means?  That means something tragic happens and you lose it all, then you go out get your revenge sacrifice everything and save  the world!” Her voice bursting with excitement. “Also just as classic.” She added cheerfully. “And as your best friend, I get to be your sidekick!!!!” So gleefully she almost squealed.

  “Not going to happen.” Jade said so coldly you'd think she was trying to scare the world into ensuring it wouldn't happen.

  “Mmmhmm, we'll see.”  Felicia almost hummed the words, hands clasped behind her back.

 “It's not.” Jade spat out determinedly.

“You know what I bet something truly tragic happens I'll bet you lose your farm, or a loved one, or friend I'll bet it happens by tomorrow.”

Jades face began to cloud over in fury.

Felicia let out a Squeak, “Bye” she said snatching up Adalyn’s hand and running in the opposite direction.Verna watched Felicia drag her sister off for a second then hurriedly took off after them.