Deception

Chapter One

Chapter One

"This is for you, Britt."

Daddy, my dad, and my guardian, Vincent, had a wide smile on his face as he walked into the living room.

Mom followed him with the same expression on her face. A smile, happiness. Jay and I sitting on the sofa watching television, but now our parents had our full attention. My brother stood to his feet, a scowl on his face as he surveyed the small box wrapped in colorful paper.

"Why does Britt get a gift?" he whined.

"You'll get one on your birthday, son," he replied, patting him on the shoulder as he got down eye level with me and handed me the gift.

I took it in my small hands, delighted to have another birthday gift. I figured I'd finished after opening up so many toys that had been gifted to me by my parents, grandparents, and distant relatives I'd never seen. I didn't guess what this gift might be, but my small mind seemed to realize it was somehow important. I looked to daddy for permission and he nodded with a smile on his face.

"Go ahead, open it," he encouraged.

I nodded, hurrying to open the wrapper and then to open the box as I let it fall to the floor and mom dutifully picked it up, depositing it in the trashcan. I stared in wonderment at the pocket watch in my hand. I'd never seen one before up close and I felt the smile on my face.

"I like it," I said cheerfully.

"Open it," he encouraged, and I did so.

LJP OJC and a date written there, and I bit my lip in confusion as I looked up at him.

"A pocket watch? What an interesting gift," Mom replied thoughtfully, with a smile.

"It's dumb!"

"Jayden, it's a thoughtful gift," Mom chastised him.

"Who's it from Daddy?"

"It's from some old friends of mine who really want to celebrate your birth. A special day."

Celebrate my birth.

"I'll end your pain."

Please, please end my pain.

The pain is horrible, no doubt about that. Every fiber of my being weak, weaker than I'd ever in my entire life. That didn't hurt the most, though. Those girls. Their victims, the ones who died, so Victor got their life forces. They'd died for that.

Leslie, Courtney, Lailie, Aditi, Shay, Hana, Makala, Emily, Corrine, Maya, Amelia, Ashley, Karina, Dara, Stacee, Hope, Josie, Cameron, Kimberly, Amy. They'd died because they'd had such powerful life forces. Never mind the most important thing of all. They had lives, friends, families, and dreams of their own. Much like me now, it seemed.

Had my death happened? The visions of the girls disappeared, and nothingness. I'd made a foolish mistake, and that ended it. I'd died again, and perhaps for the last time. Would I forget all that had happened? Would my memories. My loved ones, all my experiences be for nothing? Alien to me because I'd never remember them again? There was no changing that?

I didn't get to say goodbye to Mom or Jay or Mattie. Why had I been so foolish? They'd all be so heartbroken without me. Losing Greg, Susan, Abel, now they'd lose me. Why wasn't I with them yet? What could be going on? How was I still able to brainstorm? Still able to have awareness? Why hadn't Amon finished me yet? He'd promised to end my pain, and I wondered if he already had.