Chapter One

 

            The annoying buzz and drone of some giant obnoxious bug stirred me out of my restful slumber. I rolled over and squinted against the sunlight streaming through the windows. The buzz was growing louder and I groaned again, why was it so bright outside?

            “VICTORIA MEMPHIS BROOKS YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO GET DOWN HERE OR I’M COMING UP THERE!” the high screech of my mother made me bury my head under the vanilla and lavender scented pillows. Why was she screaming at me? I was blinded by the streaming sunlight again and snarled. Stupid light why was it so bright. I threw the covers off and stalked over to the window, the heavy curtains were parted and that irked me. Someone was in here messing with my stuff; I looked around to find other things out of place and my desk unusually tidy.

            I turned my attention back to the window and hissed; a fine diamond coating of snow covered the ground. My Durango looked like a sugarcoated hulk of coal and everything else looked like a fairy wonderland. I tossed the curtains back into place and muttered under my breath a string of curses that would cause my mom to wash my mouth out with soap. I looked around the room and took in the deep red walls, the bed with the purple Christmas lights and black netting around it, the posters of bands splattered all over my wall, I loved my room it was my haven.

            “VICTORIA!” I winced as the screech went right through me causing me to shudder; mom had a way of making nails on a chalkboard sound pleasant. I sat on the edge of my bed running my hands through my black and orange streaked hair. I was trying to shake the last wisps of sleep from my brain when my door was flung open and I looked up wide eyed to see my sister glaring at me. Her halo of flaming curls looked perfect as always, she narrowed her catlike green eyes at me and then looked around the room in disgust. I was a little insulted that she always treated my room as if it were a morgue instead of a haven.

            “Mom told me to come up and get you. She also told me to drag you downstairs and to school even if you weren’t dressed.” I ran my hands through my hair again and raised an eyebrow; she was being particularly bossy today what got into her.

            “Manda you should know better by now, I really don’t care if I’m wearing my pajama’s to school or not.” I stood up and stretched, I took a cautionary sniff of myself to make sure I didn’t smell like drool and I heard Manda inhale sharply. I lowered my arms thinking that maybe my armpits offended her and then I caught her staring at my midriff. Uh oh, she saw my belly ring and if she saw that, she probably saw the tattoo. I grinned sheepishly and yanked the t-shirt down over my stomach. She closed the door and walked over to me yanking my shirt up, I yelped and tried fighting her off but she was strong for someone who was only five foot two.

            “When did you get this? Is that another tattoo?” she spun me around and looked at the intricate tattoo that started at my lower back and ended up snaking down my hip. I yanked away from her and headed towards my closet looking for something that would be warm. She followed me to the closet and I turned around and nearly collided with her.

            “What is your problem Manda! Why are you stalking me?” I threw some deodorant on and some of my favorite perfume slipped a hoodie on and decided to leave my black pajama bottoms on. They were Ed Hardy bottoms and I loved the skull design on them, no one would know the difference so why should I care. Manda grabbed my hair and yanked me back to the bed where she sat me down and put her hands on my shoulders. I muttered and looked up into her eyes, she was acting weirder than usual and that meant she must have had one of her “dreams”.

            “You need to be careful today sis, something big is going to happen and I’m not quite sure what it is but it will happen soon.” She kissed my forehead and I was enveloped in her rose scent, something lingered under that scent and I raised my eyebrows again. She pulled away and looked at me as if I grew another head.

            “Why are you looking at me as if I’m the strange one?! By the way what’s wrong with you, something smells off about you.” She wrinkled her forehead, she played with the sweater she was wearing and then stalked out of my room. I rolled my eyes and got up; there would be no breakfast for me this morning. I took a quick glance in the mirror and grimaced. North Carolina was not agreeing with me, I was growing paler and there were purple smudges under my eyes. Mom insisted we move here, she even said it would be healthy for Amanda and I to live close to the SmokyMountains, something about the air and exercise.

            I rolled my gray eyes and ran out the door, mom was never going to be stable in the sense that we stay in one place long enough to set down roots. I ran down the honey blond stairs and ran my hand along the smooth, silky banister; mom was a gypsy at heart. What that meant for my sister and I, was that when the wind moved, mom moved, and frankly, I was becoming exhausted with all the moving. We settled here before the school year started and I was still the social outcast among the students.

Apparently they did not like my “Yankee” accent, that was fine with me I didn’t understand their customs anyways. I looked at my mom and she glared at me, her graying hair hanging in wisps around her tanned face, she even looked like a gypsy although some would argue that she was more hippie like in appearance. I wiggled my fingers at her threw a glance at Amanda who got up quickly and followed me out the door. I inhaled the air and sighed, there was more snow to come even though the sky was an innocent cornflower blue.

            “Come on Vic we’re going to be late for class.” She brushed past me and something made me stop on the wide porch, I looked towards the trees and saw a shape slinking off into the darkness, the musky scent of deer caught me, I knew that was no deer. I continued staring off into the trees when I was yanked along the walkway towards my car.

            We climbed in, I turned the key, hitting the button for the seat warmers, and I heard Manda groan as the first few strains of I Don’t Care by Apocalyptica came on. I waited for the windows to defrost and squinted, the damn bright light hurt my eyes, and why is it that snow always made everything brighter?

            “Why do we have to listen to this music, it hurts my ears.” I yanked my sunglasses out of the storage compartment and glared at her. She looked at me and smiled, something was really off about her. We were only a month apart in age but I always felt as if I was the old maid and she was the child.

            “Why are you so whiny today? Also I may point out when you drive then we listen to your music.” She made a strangled snorting noise, I put the Durango into drive, and we glided out of the driveway and on to the main drag to head to school. I loved my car it made me feel invincible it was like driving a sleek tank. I saw Amanda start to sulk and I rolled my eyes, she has been acting weird for the past two weeks well, weirder than usual.

            “I am not whiny, I’m just a little edgy, I don’t like knowing that something is going to happen and then..” her eyes went wide and she grabbed my arm, I winced as her fingers dug into the flesh, I knew I was going to be bruised. Sweat beaded on her forehead and the whites showed around her eyes. Her breathing was frantic and I knew she was having one of her visions. We pulled into the parking lot of SmokyMountainHigh School and I turned the truck off.

I continued to stare at her until she finally relaxed. She took a few shaky breaths and then looked at me with tears in her eyes. Now I was starting to get scared, the smell of fear was clinging to me and I knew it was my own.

            “What did you see Amanda?” my voice was a hoarse whisper as she ran out of the truck and towards the doors of the school. I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head; I refused to believe what I heard her say, but the words barely left her lips and heard them. I shivered and grabbed our bags out of the backseat.

            Saw you die there was so much blood, great as if I wasn’t already a freak now I was a freak with a nose like a dog that was going to die a horrible bloody death. Not the way I was expecting to go. When Amanda had her visions, mom and I learned to heed them as warnings. She was usually right and the chill that crept into my bones told me that she was right as well. I looked up at the bright blue sky and sighed, great I was going to die and I did not have a time frame on my expiration date. Why couldn’t I have been born into a normal family?

Reviews

[Ashbug:)]

ooo i like! next chapter!

[Drifter]

This is rather interesting. There feels like an ominous air surrounding this. I'll probably check out more of this.

[mirui]

I could picture every single thing that was happening, good job.

[Marie]

woo new stuff lmfao