The Gift (Book One In The Gift Saga)

Chapter One

Hi, my name is Alice Scarlet-Rose Anderson, and I am just a normal girl, living in a normal small town, with normal people, and a normal family, in a normal house. Everything about me and my life is normal and has been ever since I took my first breath as a baby. My life should be normal while I am away with my family on a trip to an ancient tropical island, right?

Wrong.

My life will never be the same after this trip. In fact, my life will never be normal after this trip. But it's not like I knew that before we got on the plane, or before we even bought the plane tickets. No, I could never have known before we got to the island... but it's on the island is where my undoing occurred. And it's on the island where my life was ruined.

And it's on the island where my life had just begun...

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"Yes, K. I will FaceTime you as soon as I get there, now should I wear the blue dress or the yellow dress for my arrival? You never know, I might meet my true love at the airport." I sarcastically comment rolling my eyes. I hold both dresses up to me to show my best friend the dresses I bought for the trip.

It's a summer long trip, and we won't see each other for the first time ever over the summer. Which is why FaceTiming each other is our only salvation. She giggles.

"Definitely blue, the yellow makes you look pale, but the blue brings out your eyes."

She always knows best.

I put on the blue dress and throw my dirty clothes in the hamper. I finish packing while giggling to her about having to share a row with my younger brother, David and my older brother Jared on the airplane, while my father sits a row behind us.

The truth is, even though we bicker all the time, everyone knows I'm the Alpha of our little pack you could say. Meaning no matter how much my family wants to protest, I'm the one who rules this family and doesn't get in trouble for messing up.

The boys hate how much more attention I get, how much less I get grounded, and how much more freedom I am granted. They have lived on short leashes with no rewards and no good-willed attention all their lives while they watch me dazzle everyone with my no leash, amazing-willed attention and only rewards life. Everyone in our small town love me, respect me, and look out for me as if I'm the queen or at least princess of the town.

And in truth it was like I am born to be a princess. I kinda feel bad for my brothers having to live in my cold dark shadow. But then again, better them then me.

I'm gonna hear them bicker the whole flight and I'll have plenty opportunities to get their leashes pulled back even more, maybe even tightened. I gotta reign them in so I can be even freer on this trip.

My father will spend so much time watching their every move, I'll get to go explore on my own! It's a foolproof plan that won't fail. It hasn't failed yet, it won't start now.

I packed all my bags of stuff, six bags in all, and strode down the stairs still video chatting with Kate, or as I have called her ever since we were in diapers, K. My father meets me at the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you all packed sweetie?" He asks me with a huge smile on his face.

"Yes, daddy. Oh, but I came down here to tell you I have too many heavy bags to carry and I can't even carry one of them... can you get the boys to help me? I would do it myself if I could." I say giving him the puppy dog eyes and the pouty lower lip.