The first rule is to never let them know you can see them. The second rule is to never make a deal with them. And the last rule is to never ever get possessed by them.
Brighton High is the most expensive school in the world. Olympic size pools, conc...
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There was a story my mother used to tell me when I was young. She would pick me up in her warm arms and whisper words of wonder in her sweet voice. According to her, every day, the Goddess Saraswati would sit on our tongues. And in that instant, she would make our wish come true.
For my younger self, it was magical. How could one Goddess bless everyone every day? Wouldn't she grow tired? And how would she fit inside my mouth? My mother would tirelessly answer my incessant questions, perhaps regretting telling me a new bedtime story.
It was only later I realized it wasn't a blessing. It was a warning. A curse. The Goddess could make my wishes come true, but she could also turn my fears into reality. The words filled with darkness. The stray thoughts that touched the edge of the madness. And the wishes that wanted to end everything once and for all...
Perhaps it was just my mother's way of teaching me. Think only good thoughts. Speak only kind words. And wish only joyous things.
Otherwise, the consequences would be disastrous.
Something rattled me awake. I opened my eyes, expecting to see the ceiling of my house, but street lights flashed by in quick succession above me. I frowned. My forehead throbbed with a dull ache and I touched the wound. Dry, sticky blood coated my fingers. The seat rattled again, and I gripped the front seat to stabilize myself. Car. I was in a car. I looked outside the window again. The car sped past the trees and the streetlamps on the highway. Panic shot through me and I sat up.
In the driver's seat, my stepfather controlled the steering wheel. He took a swig of alcohol from a bottle and zigzagged on the road at a frightening speed. I fisted my hands and tried to take deep breaths. Don't break down. Not right now. My mother was passed out on the passenger seat. Gingerly, I reached out to touch her. Her skin was still warm to my touch. I stifled my sob and closed my eyes. She was okay. We could get through this. I just needed a plan.
Police. Yes, I could call the police. But... but where were we? Except for darkness and wilderness, there was nothing I could see outside. Too far away from the city. How long had we been traveling? Where was he taking us? And what did he plan to do?
"Aren't you awfully silent today, Tamara?" The low, gruff voice startled me. I ducked my head and tried to control my shaking. Did he notice I was awake? I peeled an eye open and yelped. My stepfather was staring right at me. He chuckled. "Still feisty, huh?"
He turned back to the road, and I eased my breathing. There was no point in hiding anymore. "Where are we going?"
"Didn't you want to run away?" He laughed, finished his drink, and threw the bottle out of the window. Slowly, he turned back to me and smiled. "I'm helping you guys. So you can run far, far away from me."
The cryptic words twisted my insides. He wasn't sober. He wasn't in his right mind. A thousand horrible possibilities ran through my mind. I had to do something. Now! I caught the glint of car taillights in front of us and rolled down my window. Before fear could drown my courage, I waved my arms and shouted, "Help! Help! He's kidnapping us!"
