The Hidden Sun

Chapter I

18 years later

"Who are you!" I screamed as I watched the blurry figure run away from me. My voice, muffled by the thick forest, doesn't travel very far.

I start running in a random direction. Not being able to stand this anymore. The wet and rainy forest and the deafening silence was really getting to my head.

"Just leave me alone!" I sobbed as my knees gave out and I fell to the ground. "I don't want to do this anymore," I cried softly. Suddenly I felt a presence behind me. I quickly got to my feet and spun around to face the intruding stranger with his beautiful emerald eyes.

"Please! Just go away!" I pleaded. "I can't do this anymore," I whispered. I watched as he came near. Taking slow, deliberate steps as to not scare me.

He waved his hand, and with it the branch of the tree nearest to me moved through the air. I watched, mesmerized by the magic before me.

"I'm not going to hurt you," He said soothingly. His voice made me shiver inside, but I shoved this away as I harshly responded.

"Yeah, sure," I sneered. "They always say that!" And after that, all I remember is watching his lips move, not hearing anything come out. He seemed to be saying something over and over again. Until...

"ALICE!!" I jolted awake and sat up straight in my bed. My heart was going a million miles an hour and I was breathing heavily.

"What?" I asked, looking up at a pair of very worried eyes.

"Was it the same one?" she asked. All I could do was look away; I hated upsetting Jessie.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I mumbled.

"Fine!" Jessie said angrily. "Let me clarify in case you have forgotten. You've been having the same nightmare for a whole month. Every night." She was fumbling now. "You sit here and act like it doesn't matter when it obviously means something. They wouldn't be doing this if..."

I watched as she trailed off, lost in her own thoughts. I had never seen Jessie so worried. It was like she knew something that I didn't.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked quietly. But it was as if I had screamed it in her ear. Her head snapped towards me with a startled expression. For a moment she just looked at me like I had read her mind. Finally she replied.

"Nothing, it's nothing. Get ready for school. You're going to be late."

"Okay," I mumbled. I hated it when she did this; dismissing something that is obviously important.

About ten minutes later I was dressed, hair and teeth brushed, and bag packed. As I walked downstairs, I could smell my bagel in the toaster. Every morning Jessie made me half a bagel with cream cheese.

"Happy Birthday!" she exclaimed, catching me in a hug. "My baby's all grown up!"

"Jessie," I groaned. "I already told you that I didn't want you to make a big deal out of it!"

"But you're 18! This birthday is very important."

"It's just another year older," I replied.

"You'll understand later today," she said cheekily.

"No!!" I almost screamed. "It's just a normal day. Promise me that you won't do anything special!" I hated it when people made a big deal out of me.

"Alice, this is a very important day. Things are going to change around here whether you like it or not." Normally I would think that she was just playing around, but I could tell by her tone of voice that she seemed sad.

"Time has gone by so fast," she said- mostly to herself. "I don't want things to end so soon." I quickly walked over to her and gave her a hug.

"Things aren't going to change, Jessie. I'm not going anywhere any time soon. I still have to finish high school." I watched her as she sat up straighter and seemed to tense up.

"You don't need a bag today, honey." I just looked at her, confused and wondering why she had changed the subject.

"I kind of need my school work, Jessie." Just like every other day.

"Not today," she replied. "You have that hiking field trip."

Ugh! I had forgotten about that. The whole school was supposed to split up into groups and go hiking at different locations around town. Something about getting us more active. But who schedules a field trip on a Monday!

"You did say your group is going to the local trails, right?" Jessie asked seriously.

"Yes," I replied, rolling my eyes.

Originally I had been in the group that was going to Northern Trails. I was really excited because they are the only trails I haven't hiked around here. But as soon as Jessie found out, she threw a fit and had the school change my group. I don't know why, but she has never let me go anywhere near those trails. Now I was stuck going to the lamest trails. I wanted to actually hike and explore, not walk around on boring paved trails.

"Good," she said, replying to my earlier words. "You better get going, you're going to be late."

"Okay, see you later."

"Love you!" she yelled as I ran out the door.

"Love you too, Jessie!"

I ran out the door to my car as I realized that it was pouring. I stuck my key in the ignition and started it up, turning the heat on full blast. As I drove to school I couldn't help but worry about Jessie. She had seemed upset when she mentioned that things were going to change. I didn't want things to change. I had been with her as long as I could remember. Sure, we've moved around a lot, but we have always had each other.

Apparently my biological mom gave me up at birth. I'm not sure why, but Jessie adopted me right away. I don't even know if she knew my mom or not. When I was little I would ask her about my adoption, but she would always just brush it off. Even though I have never called her mom, Jessie and I are as close as mother and daughter.

While I was deep in my thoughts, I didn't realize how fast I was going until I saw a huge deer in the middle of the road. Not knowing what to do, I slammed on my brakes and honked my horn, hoping he would run away. The deer just stood there; staring at me calmly. I could tell that he wasn't frozen in fear. He was just staring at me with eyes that frighteningly looked too intelligent for a deer. I stared back at him, horrified that I would hit him.

Suddenly the car was out of my control and I watched as it stopped by itself, narrowly missing the deer. I was stunned. It felt like my role was reversed with the deer. I was sitting there frozen in fear as I watched the deer calmly stare back at me with knowing eyes.

Good Luck. The words popped into my mind as if they weren't my own. All I could do was sit there speechless until the deer calmly walked back into the woods.

Realizing that I was already late, I quickly put my car into gear and drove; following the deer's example by acting like nothing had happened.

I was holding my breath when I pulled into the school parking lot. The first bell had already rung and the late bell was due any second now. The whole school was supposed to meet in the gym before we were split up into groups. If I wasn't in the there before the bell, they would lock me out. I really didn't want to deal with that embarrassment today.