Born of Shadow - Book 1 (complete)

Chapter 2

No. Not yet. She wasn't ready.

Kami picked up the pace. She wished she'd brought some tunes, anything to block out her wandering thoughts. She ran and tried to forget. It kind of worked. She ran until her head pounded and her side hurt. The pain claimed her focus and the other thoughts fell away. She ran past the trees, past the gorgeous homes with meticulously landscaped yards and long driveways that she couldn't imagine living in.

With her head down and her mind focused, she was surprised to find herself back at the trailer park sooner than normal. She bent over and breathed deeply, hoping to relieve the stitch in her side. She probably shouldn't have pushed so hard, but at least it let her forget for a little while.

She walked towards home, slowing as she passed Rosa's house, then she stopped. She breathed the fragrance in deeply. Rosa had taught her about the flowers until she could identify them—the geraniums in bright red, hot pink, and purple clusters, the delicately petaled impatiens in varying shades of pink, the yellow and orange cannas with their wide tropical leaves, the pure white gardenias, and the pale pink dahlias that bobbed lazily under the weight of their heavy blossoms. Rosa often joked that the brilliant camellias were named after her—Kamilah.

Kami looked back, noticing the contrast between Rosa's trailer and their own single wide. The difference was stark. A faded, peeling exterior, no flowers, and a battered vehicle that more often than not didn't work. At least there wasn't a bunch of junk lying around. Rosa's place was no better than theirs, but because of the way she maintained it and beautified it, it seemed so much cozier. Rosa had offered to help Kami start her own flower garden. She should probably take her up on that.

She wondered, as she had many times before, how they'd ended up in this place. It wasn't her parent's plan, she knew. They had started out with the same hopes and dreams as any other family. Nothing had been the same after her father died. Her mother would rally, for awhile, land a job, and consequently, be able to pay the bills. But each time things would crumble. Her mom would go into a slump. She would show up for work erratically, or arrive too drunk to perform. She'd lose her job and get depressed, or she would get depressed and lose her job. Either way, the effect was the same.

When Kami had been younger and more naive, she would actually get hopeful when her mother was in an upswing. She kept thinking this would be the time her mother got better. Now she knew the truth. Her mother was locked into a cycle, and what was up would inevitably come down. She didn't hope anymore, she just waited for the next stage. 

Each time they moved, the rent got a little cheaper and the house a little more rundown. And though Kami didn't care for their trailer, living there had brought her a gift—her neighbor, Rosa.

Rosa had taught her a lot more than horticulture; she had become a second mother, one that was a lot more reliable than her biological one.

Kami opened the door and went inside. She wiped down her face with a towel, then pulled out some worms to feed Galileo.

Galileo was under house arrest. Not because he ticked off the Roman Inquisition by having the audacity to assert the Bible proved the earth revolved around the sun, but rather because he preferred to live in the bathtub. 

Galileo was a turtle, a cute little guy with an orange stripe down his back that she'd named after her favorite scientist. She had ambitions for him. Nothing dramatic like inventing a telescope or putting forth theories about a heliocentric universe, but he just might learn to swim the entire span of the bathtub. 

But as she fed the turtle, washed the dishes, and tried to read a paperback from an author who usually captivated her, she couldn't focus. Her mind kept wandering to the mysterious package lying on her bed, and the desire to know its contents grew stronger and stronger.

By evening, after a birthday cake and ice cream her mother had miraculously remembered to buy, Kami couldn't stand it anymore. She stole out onto the stairs with the package. She didn't know why, but she wanted to do this alone. She slid a knife under the folded edge and pulled back the paper wrapping.

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Dedicated to @Linna1029. She is a wonderful, encouraging person I really enjoy her feedback. I am thoroughly enjoying her book Shadow's Edge. If you want to check it out, you'll want to read the updated version. I will add a link to it in the comments below.

Guesses as to what's in the package? If you already know, please don't spill it (I'm looking at you Couchslayer) :). Also if you liked this chapter, please hit that little star.