Prophecy Girl (Lacuna Valley #1)

Chapter Two

 Isolated. That was the word to describe the valley. There was stillness, but much stronger than that was the isolation. The mountains surrounding Lacuna Valley helped secure this isolation. There were only two winding passes serving the area, one of which closed once the snow fell. It didn't matter much, though. After the summer tourists were done visiting the wild west, there weren't many people trying to go in or out of the place. Even radio signals didn't find their way in.

Sam spent the summer feeling this isolation and wasn't very hopeful that school was going to fix it, but at least it was less time spent avoiding her mother.

Their car gently curved along the road, elegantly sliding through the golden fields. If Sam didn't hate it so much, she knew she could be carried away by the beauty of it. She sighed in relief—she didn't want to let it, but a peace flowed through her and she wondered if things might get better. She would be free of the backyard, after all. That was better.

But then her mother laughed. It was beautiful, beguiling, and without even looking at her Sam knew the smile that would be on her face. She flicked her eyes to the left to check, and there it was. Her Happy Mommy Smile. The charming mask that drew people to her.

Rage stiffened Sam's back. She clung to that silent fury with all she had. It was the only shield she had to protect herself from the next blow coming—and there was always another blow coming.

“What are you doing back there Violet?” Their mother turned her smile to Violet in her rear-view mirror.

“Praying.” Violet's eyebrows were scrunched together and her mouth was silently moving.

“For what?”

“A good day, of course.” Violet's eyes flicked open and her straight brown hair swayed when she tilted her head to the side.

“Oh, of course,” her mom agreed with a laugh. “You should consider praying for something more specific so that you can have a good day.” She nodded to herself and checked the rear-view mirror for Violet's response.

“That would be greedy,” she stated simply.

“Oh, I don't think so, just knowing what you want, really,” her mother argued.

“Of course it would be.” Violet shook her head in innocent confusion.

“Well, here we are,” their mother announced, smile still in place but with tension around the edges. “Good to go. Are you sure you don't want me to walk you in, sweetheart? Big day, being a fourth grader and all!”

“No, I'll go alone. You might want to walk Sam to her first class though, you know how she needs that.” Violet stuck her tongue out at her sister as she slammed the back door. Sam stuck hers out right back.

“Ha. Ha.” Sam rolled her eyes and pulled her bag up into her lap. The elementary school was about 300 yards from the Jr/Sr High School Sam would be going to. “I can walk from here, Mother.”

“And have you go in on your first day, hollering abuse, because I made you walk the twenty steps in the heat? I'll have none of your theatrics today, thank you very much.” She pulled away from the curb. Sam just sighed and shook her head. There was no point in arguing with her mother.

“Look at those eyes roll! World class eye roll right there—your father would be proud.” The car pulled up to the front door. “So, how 'bout it Sam? We going in?”

Sam glared. She hoped her fury would turn to fire in her mother's hair. When it didn't, she took a deep breath. “I think I'll do this one alone, if it's all the same with you?” Sam smiled at her mother with her eyebrows raised. The eyebrows were a dare.