Prologue

“Gazing up at cloudless sky,

She sees a vision in the air.

Softly, gently, in the breeze,

It floats to her, a white feather.”

 

White Feathers. �"Lizzy Tomlinson

 

Shards of Feathers

 

Prologue

 

     The sharp rain was pounding down hard against the old pavement outside. It created a continuous, loud, rumbling sound throughout the usually quiet town, keeping some people awake through the dead of night. The dark night sky was lit up in an instant flash of bright light, disappearing as fast as it came. Then, followed by the deep, crackling, ripping thunder that shook the trees.

     Evanna Dieu shut her window with a slam that reduced the rain’s sound to a muffled drilling sound. She could never sleep on rainy nights. The combination of flashing lightening, roaring thunder, and the infinite, falling raindrops against her rooftop created an ensemble of an orchestra gone wrong. Her head was throbbing with pain in a constant, rhythmic beat, causing her to rush down the stairs into the kitchen. Her hands reached for the cabinet handles and opened them to grab a small, white bottle of Tylenol PMs. With a swish of her head, she swallowed a few of the pills with a glass of water.

     Sleep is a luxury I cannot afford at the moment, she quoted as she trudged back up the creaky stairs, cursing at her insomnia. Eva pulled her white robe tighter around herself as a chill ran up her spine. Her headache had already started to subside, but the painkillers did nothing to the raging storm, which was brewing outside. She looked out the window into the wet darkness and wondered when the weather was ever going to lighten up. Her thought was interrupted when there was another blinding flash of lightening. It lit up the outside world for a fraction of a second before darkness scrounged back. It was enough for her to catch a second’s glimpse of something. From the corner of her eye, she noticed a silhouetted figure lying on the street bench across from her house. She squinted her eyes to sharpen her vision, but it was difficult enough to see anything at all. Eva managed to make out the shape of sneakers and a hood. She gasped and immediately jumped back from the window and from plain sight, realizing it was a human being. After catching her breath, she inched back to the edge of the window for a closer look.

     The figure was curled up, hugging their knees into themselves to keep warm in the pouring rain. Suddenly, panic flickered through Eva as she realized that someone might need her help. Without thinking, she ran down her old stairs and out her front door without even grabbing an umbrella. Her bare feet made loud smacking sounds as they hit the puddles of water on the cement ground.

     “Hello?” She called out over the tumbling water. Her robe was already soaking wet within seconds of being outside.

     There was no reply, but she didn’t expect one. Thankfully the bench was under the safety of a building and not out in the open rain. As she got closer, she realized the figure was a girl.

     “Hey! Are you okay?” She shook the curled up girl, but there were no signs of consciousness. The girl’s long hair was completely soaked and covering parts of her face. Eva looked around in the rain, but didn’t spot anyone responsible for her. The girl’s face didn’t look familiar, meaning she wasn’t from around here. Not knowing what else to do, Eva picked her up from the cold, wet bench. She stumbled a little, surprised at the girl’s weight, and carried her into the dry and warm little house.

     After placing the girl on the couch, wrapping her with warm blankets, and starting the red-bricked fireplace, Eva had only found a few scraps of paper in the girl’s heavy and drenched jacket. She dried them off with a hair-dryer and un-crumbled them, being very careful not to rip them. She found a few $20 bills, a napkin with a note that read “Coffee?” some loose change, and a worn out picture of the beach.

     Eva sighed. “What is your name?” She asked aloud, frustrated at the fact that she had nothing to work with. She decided that she would wait until the morning when the mysterious girl woke up to ask questions. Now was the time to rest. She gathered the wet jacket, shoes and socks off the kitchen table, ready to throw them in the dryer when she knocked the old picture off the table. She bent down to pick it up when she noticed a small note scribbled at the corner of the back. To Hazel, it read.

     “Hazel huh?” Her eyebrows raised in curiosity. “Well Hazel, what are you doing all the way here in Haven Shore?” Eva muttered and trudged upstairs to an eventual wink of sleep.