Ever After Dream

Chapter One

Mama always told me that everything would be just fine. This time, I don't think that's true. Moving is one of the worst possible things that can happen to a 15 year old.

"Mama, I'm only 15, why can't you do this after I move out?" I asked her before we leave.

"Elena, It's a new start, a new education, a new--," I interrupted her.

"Career," I said.

"Gosh darn, it's like you can read my mind!" she said.

It was weird, because I always knew what people were thinking.

"Anyways, its like starting a new batch of cookies!"

Mama taught me how to bake. It always calmed me. Right before we began packing our things onto the truck, I started baking. Baking clears my thoughts and puts me into my own world.

"Papa, help me out here!"

"Sorry punkin, I am with your mom on this one," he said.

I frowned and crossed my arms. That always worked when I was little. Now, not so much.

As we loaded the last of our things into the truck, I forgot to get Koda's bed. Koda is our pet dog, a husky.

I ran inside and snatched the hairy bed off the ground. It was so big that I had to carry it with two hands, and my outfit was drenched in dog hair.

As I packed the dog bed into the car, I noticed a strange person staring at me from across the street. I couldn't quite see his face because he had on a hoodie, but he was very tall. I got back in the car and when I turned to get a closer look, the man had disappeared.

I hadn't realized I had a weird look on my face until Mama asked me what was wrong.

"Nothing, I just thought I saw something!"

Papa looked at me through the review mirror. He gave me his sad eyes, it's what he does when he knows something is wrong with me.

I gave him a quick smile and turned to look back out window. This was going to be a long ride.

•~•

As we arrived in New York, I saw big signs and there were people everywhere. We could hardly drive because there were people crossing streets and getting into their cars. I read a sign on the side of the building that said The Big Apple. It was so pretty here. Lights were everywhere and there were so many buildings. Too many.

I turned and looked out the other window and saw the hoodie man. I ducked low enough so that he wouldn't be able to see me, but he wouldn't budge. He stayed exactly where he was. When I turned back forward, he was there again, walking across the crosswalk, staring at me the whole entire way.

I closed my eyes as tight as I could. This had to be a dream. Why would he be following us? What does he want?

I rose up in my seat and felt my heart racing. My face became red and I started sweating. Everywhere I looked he was there-- the hoodie man. I felt tears grow in my eyes and slide down my face. My head was pounding and it grew dark. I felt tired. I fell asleep.

I started to hear a voice and I felt hands on my head.

"Elena? ELENA?" It was Mama.

I tried to talk to her but nothing came out. It was like a dream, but it was so real. I heard a soft whisper of a woman calling my name over Mama's voice.

"Elenaaaa..." It faded away.

I started to cry. My head was hurting and I could barely see through the water in my eyes. Then Mama disappeared and I was in a dark room. A shadow appeared in front of me. It was the hoodie man. I immediately sprinted in the opposite direction, but it was like an endless circle of running. I realized that I was going no where.

"What do you want from me?!" I screamed at the man.

The hoodie man took of his hoodie, and I noticed it wasn't a man all along, it was a woman.

"Elena, you are in grave danger," the woman said.

I tilted my head in confusion, backing away as she walked towards me.

"You are special, like me. There are others out there like us that are hunting for you," she said holding out her hand. "Come with me!"

I stood on the balls of my feet. There was no where else I could go. I grabbed a hold of my necklace and took the strange woman's hand. For some reason, I felt safe. I felt like I was at home, but not at Mama and Papa's home, at a real one.

"Where are we going?" I asked the stranger. There was no reply. Her hair was flowing as we traveled to the mysterious place. She turned to me and she had glowing blue eyes. Only one question came to mind as our eyes met.

Mother?