“I understand we almost lost you yesterday, Casey,” Dan said. The scrutiny David’s father was giving me, made me squirm. His sharp eyes didn’t miss anything, lingering on my arm. I hadn’t realized I was favoring it and tried to relax, nodding.
“Yes, if it weren’t for your son, again, I would have met with an unpleasant end.”
There was pride in his eyes. I tried to hold his gaze but it only took a second for me to look away, busying myself pushing the mush my cereal had become around my bowl. Even after living with the Miller’s half my life, Dan still intimidated me. There was something about him, the way he held his head and always looked me in the eye. He had an air of authority that was undeniable.
He closed the distance between us and took my arm, pulling up my sleeve. He was a large man, over six feet easily and thick, like a boxer. So it was strange the amount of tenderness in his touch as he inspected my road rash.
He nodded, apparently appeased by my cleaning and care of the wound. He let me arm back onto the table and patted me on the shoulder. “The visions are getting worse, aren’t they?”
“No worse than before,” I lied.
Dan shook his head and closed his eyes. “I wish there was something I could do to fix this, kiddo.” He turned away but I could see the strain in the lines of his tight shoulders. It was a hard thing to watch such a large man feeling so helpless. But it was a look I was used to.
The only way to fix me was to lock me in a padded room and never let me out. Something I’m sure Dan and Elizabeth had probably considered on more than one occasion. Not that I blamed them. I’m sure they didn’t bargain for a kid with a defective brain when they agreed to take me in. If they’d known, I wonder if their decision would have been different.
“You’re going to be late,” David said, accompanied by a smack to the back of the head. “Stop zoning and let’s go.”
The look Dan gave him before he escaped out the side door was a warning. David was the only one who didn’t treat me like I was made of glass and it was something that got him into trouble more times than I could count.
I dumped my cereal down the sink and chased after David. He was halfway down the driveway when I reached the back door. I hit the button to the front gate, closing him in. He’d never left me before but I wouldn’t put it past him. He was still in a foul mood after my stunt at the library.
I think it was his way of shaking his head and closing his eyes. He was just as helpless to stop the visions as his father, but instead of feeling bad for me, I was the target for his frustration.
David kept his eyes forward, hands clenched on the wheel as I dropped into the seat next to him. He didn’t say anything, so neither did I. It was going to be a long day. At least Hazel would be happy.
Ellie was standing in front of the main doors to the track, running bag slung over her shoulder. Her lips were set in a tight line. Good thing she wasn’t a very chatty runner. At least my earful would be short lived, lasting only till she popped in her earbuds.
She was the closest thing I had to a best friend, besides David. Which is sort of sad, because our strongest connection, our common interest was running.
“Have you ever been on time for anything in your life?” Ellie growled. Not waiting for a response, she yanked open the door and didn’t hold it for me. I dove to catch it before it closed and chased after her. She was halfway to the locker room before I caught up to her.
YOU ARE READING
A Tail of Stars
FantasyThere is nothing average or ordinary about Casey Miller's life. She has no illusions about that. She's been having visions since she was six. At seventeen these waking dreams have become so intense and overpowering they have put her in danger, lu...
