Forty-Eight Hours

Chapter 1

" Destiny, mommy said come up and eat dinner." Sapphire, a young girl named after the color of her eyes, skipped into her older sister's basement bedroom.

" Not now, Sapphire. I'm busy."

"But mommy said come up now and eat dinner. Plus, we have guests for dinner."

Destiny rose from her bed. It was rare that they had guests for dinner, but when they did, they were usually someone important. Following her sister upstairs, she rakes a hand through her blood red hair which flowed down to her waist. It probably was not anybody interesting, but just in case. In the kitchen her mom was placing enough food to feed about twenty people on the table. Destiny looks around for the guests.

"They are washing up." Her mother, Merci, answers her unspoken question.

" So, how many people are here?"

"Three."

" Are they fat?"

" Mommy says it's not nice to judge people based off their appearances." Sapphire jumps in the conversation to drop some 7 year old knowledge.

"Shut up, Sapphire."

"Shut up is a mea-"

The bickering was instantly stopped as the guests came in view. Their mother's rule when guest where over was to behave even if it kills you.

" Girls, these are my privates. Stephanie, Chris and Alex." Merci introduces the small family.

" Hi, I'm Sapphire. Can I hold your hand?"

"NO!" Merci and Destiny exclaim at once.

" I'm sorry. Let's all just sit down and eat shall we? Merci shoots both the girls a look.

The three guest sat down. Merci and Sapphire followed suit. Destiny, however, took her time sitting down. The aura of the guests had caught her interest.

"Destiny? Come on, we are all hungry." Sapphire says impatiently.

Destiny finally sits down and searches the guest's eyes. She was looking for bright, open eyes. It was the easiest way to get into people's head. She focuses her attention on Alex, who looked about her age. Younger people where usually less guarded. His eyes were bright but they held secrets, and lots of them. Taking a deep breath, she entered his mind. Pain instantly shot through her head, causing her to come right out. Panting and surprisingly drained, she glared at Alex. He gave her a little smirk.

"So, Sapphire. How is school?" Stephanie inquires. She had dark, long straight hair and her bright green eyes looked even brighter against her caramel skin.

"It's really good! Did you know that Jason's daddy touches his pee-pee?" Sapphire exclaims, bouncing on her seat.

"SAPPHIRE!!" Merci's eyes widen.

" What? Jason's dad really does touch his pee-pee and his dad made him touch his pee-pee and Jason was scared because his dad's pee-pee is really big and-"

"Love, how many times have I told you not to be nosy? Also, we do not talk about..pee-pees at the table. You can not just barge into people's minds. Right, Destiny?" Merci's icy blue eyes flash over to Destiny.

"..Right." Destiny drops her eyes and focuses on her noodles.She knows that her mother knows she tried to get into Alex's head.

" So, Destiny, you are 16 now , correct?" Chris jumps into the table talk.

" Yeah, I am."

" Oh, its that time then. Engagement time! I remember back when I was 16." Stephanie replies and smiles with a far away look in her eyes. It was tradition on their island that when a girl turned 16, she was a woman and could get engaged. However, it was normal for a 20 year old girl not to be engaged.

" Destiny says that she is never ever getting married. She says all the boys are ugly and boring."

"Thank you, Sapphire, for telling the whole world." Destiny rolls her eyes.

"You're welcome!" Sapphire turns her smile on high beam.

The boy, Alex, had not said a word yet. Destiny wondered if he was mute. His aura was different from all the boys on the island. It was a mixture of extreme power, darkness and even a little bit of love in it. His aura perplexed her and it infuriated her that she could not get in his head. Alex looks up from his bowl of noodles and catches her eye. Destiny returns the stare, determined not to be the first to look away. But there was something about his eyes. She felt like he was looking into her very soul. She looks away, not liking his intensive stare.

"Destiny,I need you to finish up. We have something important to discuss." Merci talks to Destiny in her head. Sapphire looks at them both, knowing exactly what they where doing. Most of the time, mind talk as Sapphire calls it, was the only way they communicated. It was easier and faster than any other form of communication, because a thought can move faster than light.

"What are we discussing?"

"You will find out. Now hurry up and finish eating!"

Merci's presence vanished from Destiny's head and she engaged in small talk with the adults. Sapphire was busy talking Alex's ear off. She loved people who didn't talk. It gave her more time to talk. Both Alex and Chris where on their third heaping bowl of lo mien. He was like the island boys in that aspect. He sure could throw it down. Destiny scrapes the last few noodles out the bottom of her bowl and pushes back from the table. Suddenly, the guests where finished and everyone was getting up. It seemed as if they where all waiting for her.

Merci tosses her dark red hair over her shoulder and takes charge. Obviously, red hair runs in the family.

" Sapphire, go downstairs and play. Everyone else, let's go upstairs."

Sapphire prances downstairs into the basement. Destiny shuddered. Sapphire loves to play downstairs because downstairs is the only place she is allowed to bring her friends out to play with. Her dead friends. Destiny hated the fact that her room was downstairs. She wasn't afraid of spirits, but more than once she had gone downstairs and Sapphire had forgotten to send them back. Destiny hated sending people back to heaven or hell and even bringing people back to earth. It is a painfully long process for her. However, Sapphire and her mother love bringing people back from the dead and delighted in sending them back. Destiny shook her head. It seemed that she was the only one with any sense. Destiny went upstairs slowly,wanting everyone else to get settled before she got up there. Upstairs, there was a special room where Merci had her privates, as they called them. Usually they where politicians, celebrities and other important people. But sometimes, her mom would go in there at night and be in there for hours. Merci never told the girls what happened in there. Never. Destiny stood outside the door, with her hand on the knob. She knew that after tonight, her life was never going to be the same. Ever.