Chapter One

Jason was having the time of his life. His parents had taken him to Rio de Janeiro for a vacation. My parents could win an award for best surprise vacation. Jason thought to himself as they walked down the ramp to the port. Immediately there were locals trying to get him and his parents to take picture. They forced their way through the swarming mass of locals. Where did our guide go?

Most of the locals weren't as tall as Jason so he could see over their heads. He spotted a familiar face in the crowd and led his parents over to their guide. They had arranged for a private tour of the rainforest.

I wish I could live here. Jason thought as he looked at the nature all around him. The ocean was the perfect mix of blue and green and the birds seemed to be singing in perfect harmony. The weather was hot but not hot enough to make him sweat, just hot enough for him to want to go swimming. Jason looked over to where his parents were sitting. They were pointing to the nature and chatting like monkeys. Jason couldn’t even begin to describe all of the amazing scenery that he was witnessing. For once it seemed like everything was perfect.

The private tour ended when the guide dropped them at a hotel. Maybe hotel wasn’t the right word. It looked like all of the wealthiest hotel owners had gotten together and decided to make the ultimate hotel. They stepped inside and his mother walked over to the front desk to get their room key. This could be what heaven is like. Jason thought to himself as he and his dad sat down in the lobby. Or maybe heaven is what this is like. Everything was amazing here. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to leave this place. Jason turned his gaze outside and stared at the rainforest. In Rio de Janeiro none of the creatures seemed scared of humans. They were willing to come within a few feet of people. It made for some great photo opportunities.

“Come on Jason we have to get to our room. It’s going to be dinner time in about two hours or so and we have to get dressed.”

This part of the vacation didn’t seem so fun. Getting dressed for dinner wasn’t on the top ten things Jason wanted to do. But he followed his parents into an elevator. After watching his mother scan over the different buttons Jason asked his mother which floor they were going to.

“The penthouse Jason, I booked us the penthouse.” His mother sighed. I guess it was going to be some kind of secret. Well my mind is totally blown. A trip to Rio de Janeiro, getting a private tour of the rainforest. Not to mention this amazing hotel and now the penthouse suite. Things are getting better and better around here. But one question was nagging Jason. Why had his parents taken this trip? Not that he didn’t want them here nor that he didn’t appreciate them spending all this money on him, but what did he do to deserve this? His mind was drawing up blanks. He had no memory of his parents telling him about this trip.

“Hey guys don’t be weirded out by this question, but why are we on this vacation?” Jason asked his parents as they walked into the penthouse. His parents looked at each other and finally his mother spoke.

“Well Jason… we felt that you needed a break from school, so your father and I decided to plan a surprise vacation.” It seems plausible but I'm not buying it. Just as Jason was about to press his parents they heard a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it.” Jason said after a moment of silence.

He walked over to the door and opened it. It opened so smooth that Jason had to wonder how much work was put into perfectly balancing this door. When Jason opened the door all the way his jaw dropped a few inches. On the other side was his dream girl. Well if he was to have one it would be her. Curly brownish blond hair that ended just past her shoulders. That was the first thing he noticed. The second was that she was tall. Not as tall as he was but taller than the average girl. The third thing was that she had the most amazing eyes. They changed with the light. Sometimes they were green others they appeared to be gray or various other colors. She looked like she was around his age. Suddenly he realized that he had been staring at her for over a minute. He started to stammer and the girl looked up. Oh My God Jason thought to himself, I didn’t even notice that she was looking down at a clipboard the whole time. He felt like an idiot but at least he wouldn’t have to explain why he was staring at her.

She smiled at him and held out the clipboard for him to sign. It took him a second to react because her smile had totally paralyzed him. His fingers fumbling he took the pen and clipboard and signed his name to collect their bags. Just as he was about to go inside he worked up the courage to introduce himself.

“Hey my name is Jason.”

The girl gave Jason a look as if to say why are you introducing yourself.

“Nice to meet you Jason. My name is Angelique.” She put a little emphasis on his name.

Angelique? Wow that’s a strange name, but it fits her. She looks like an angel.

Jason grabbed his parent’s bags and put them in the penthouse then he grabbed his own bags. He turned around to close the door, and to get one last look at Angelique.

“Wait!” Angelique said as Jason started to close the door. “You want to hang out at the pool?”

Jason wanted to high five himself, but doing so in front of Angelique would be just as bad as saying something like ‘I have scabies.’

“Yeah I’d love to.” Jason replied. “I’ll just be a minute.”

Jason closed the door and rushed over to where his parents were unloading their suitcases.

“Guys I'm going down to the pool for a while. I’ll be back before dinner. And umm mom… you can uhh… pick out something for me to wear for the dinner if you want to.”

Jason hated when his mother chose his clothes for him but it was either that or spending less time with Angelique, and right now he would sacrifice his whole vacation to spend one hour with her.

He rushed over to the door and took a deep breath. He opened it and there stood Angelique. She was leaning the wall opposite of the penthouse door.

“Come on.” She said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him down the hall and into the elevator. This whole experience felt like a dream. Starting from getting here from the cruise ship up until now. But no dream could be this good, could it? Who cares, I'm having fun and I'm not going to let my paranoia get in the way.

Angelique and Jason rushed through the main lobby to the pool. They decided against going swimming just yet so they lay on lounging chairs. Angelique released a lever allowing her chair to lay parallel to the ground. I wonder what she’s thinking. If only I could read her mind I’d know the perfect thing to say.

“Maybe if you spend more time on your own thoughts than the thoughts of others you know what to say.” Angelique said and she opened one eye.

“Umm… What are you talking about? I didn’t say anything.” Jason said confused.

“Yeah, but you thought it.”

“Are you some kind of mind reader?”

“Yeah actually I am. And so are you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. The only mind I can read is my own.”

“Try hard, really hard to access my thoughts. Imagine yourself jumping into my head.”

Jason started to laugh but a look on Angelique’s face told him that she wasn’t joking. Jason tried hard to get inside her head but he couldn’t manage it. Angelique pursed her lips. “It used to be much harder to keep you out of my head.”

“What are you talking about? I've never met you before today.”

Angelique looked like she was about to cry.

“Whatever just try to read my thoughts again.”

This time when Jason tried to read Angelique's thoughts it was much easier.

“I put down my mental shield in order for you to reach my thoughts.” Angelique said to Jason. Jason looked over at her, her mouth wasn’t moving.

“How did you do that?” Then Jason realized that his mouth wasn’t moving either. They were communicating telepathically.

“Listen Jason I have to tell you something important. We have to get back on the road. Soon the colle…”

“I've had enough of your interfering girl!” A booming voice inside of both their heads said. “I let you have a conversation but now I'm drawing the line.”

“I'm not scared of you.”

“Your insolence is noted and ignored.”

Jason could feel the new being probing deep inside of his thoughts and in the thoughts of Angelique. He tried to put up mental blocks but it was futile.

“You disappoint me Jason. I've heard so many great things about you.” The powerful being said to Jason.

“Well I'm sorry to disappoint, but I just found out that I have the power to read peoples minds a few minutes ago so some slack would be appreciated.”

“And as for you Angelique you and your little band of robin hoods are just as bad as I am. You’re not fooling anyone with your act. You’re planning to use Jason as a pawn just like I am.”

“What is he talking about?” Jason asked Angelique.

“I’ll explain later.” Angelique said with a sigh.

“But I have noticed something. This ones memory is all but gone.” Although neither Jason nor Angelique could see the being they sensed that he was referring to Jason.

“Gone or erased?” Angelique asked the being.

“Gone as in it could come back or it could stay missing forever.”

“Who is powerful enough to cause so much damage to his mind?” Angelique said fear creeping into her voice.

“We both know the answer to this Angelique.”

“Well I don’t and I'm not happy with you two talking like I'm not here.” Jason cut in.

“I don’t have time for an orientation kid. I'm needed elsewhere.” Jason and Angelique felt the being leaving. Once he left their heads felt freer.

“Listen,” Angelique said using her actual voice this time. Her voice sounded strained, “I have to leave you.”
“Wait why? How am I going to find you again?”

“Don’t worry about it I’ll be right around the corner. Try not to kill yourself until I reach you.”

“Yeah I find it hard to believe that I’ll try to kill myself.”

“You know what I mean.”

Angelique got up and walked over to Jason. She bent over him and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“I love you Jason. Never forget that.”

“I won’t.”

Angelique stood up again and walked through the gate leading out to the rainforest and never looked back.

Jason was beside himself. Maybe he just imagined the whole thing. But he couldn’t have since he was still here at Rio de Janeiro. He walked back in the elevator and pressed the button for the penthouse.

“Wake up chosen one, the time for sleep and passed.” Said a voice deep in Jason’s head.

Jason fell to the floor. He stared up at the ceiling wondering what just happened to him. One second he was standing the next he was laying flat on his back. He felt a tingling sensation in his toes and tried to look down at them but found he couldn’t move. His gaze was stuck looking at the birds on the ceiling. From this angle it looked like they were alive. They watched as his eyes grew wide and they continued to watch as he disappeared…