Resonant Echoes

Chapter 1 - Days

Chandra Ford sat on the edge of the school's bleachers, her legs swinging idly as she watched the last few students shuffle out of the gym. It was a typical humid afternoon in DeRidder, Louisiana, where the sweltering heat never seemed to fade. The air smelled faintly of sweat and the sharp tang of floor cleaner. Even after hours of practice, the gym was still alive with energy—an energy that Chandra both thrived in and needed to escape from.

Her dance rehearsal had ended early, and for once, she had a moment to herself. Her best friend, Brenna, had stayed behind to chat with their coach about an upcoming competition, but Chandra felt restless. She loved being on the dance team, but today her mind wasn't on choreography. It was somewhere else—somewhere bigger than DeRidder High.

"Hey, daydreamer," Brenna's voice cut through the quiet. "You're zoning out again."

Chandra blinked, snapping back to the present. Brenna slid onto the bleacher next to her, her brown hair still damp from practice. "You okay? You've been out of it all day."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chandra said, though even she wasn't sure if she believed it. Something had been tugging at her all week—a feeling she couldn't shake. She couldn't put it into words, but it felt like something important was coming. Or maybe something important was already here.

"Right," Brenna smirked. "And by 'fine,' you mean you're thinking about RJ."

Chandra rolled her eyes, but a slight blush crept into her cheeks. "Please, I'm not thinking about RJ."

Brenna raised an eyebrow. "Mmm-hmm. Sure."

It wasn't entirely a lie. RJ was her best friend, and they'd been close since middle school. But lately, something between them had shifted. They hadn't talked about it, but there was a tension—a kind of weight to their conversations that wasn't there before. It wasn't bad, exactly. Just... different.

Chandra looked down at the scuffed gym floor, her sneakers kicking absently at the dust. "I don't know, Bren. It's not about RJ. Something else feels off. Like something's going to happen, but I don't know what."

Brenna gave her a look. "You've been watching too many sci-fi shows. Chill out. It's probably just pre-competition nerves."

"Maybe," Chandra said, though she didn't believe it. The feeling gnawed at her, persistent and heavy, like a storm cloud waiting to burst.

Before she could dwell on it any longer, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a message from RJ: *You done with practice? Got something to show you. Meet me in 10.*

Chandra grinned despite herself. RJ always had a knack for pulling her out of her thoughts. And if he was excited about something, it usually meant trouble—or at least something interesting.

"RJ?" Brenna asked, peeking at her phone.

"Yeah, he wants to meet up. Probably found some weird project in the woods again," Chandra said, slipping her phone back into her pocket. "You coming?"

"Nah, you two go do your weird nature stuff," Brenna teased. "I'm heading home. Just don't get lost out there."

Chandra laughed, giving Brenna a quick wave before grabbing her bag and heading out of the gym. The late afternoon sun hit her face as she stepped outside, the air thick and muggy. Louisiana summers had a way of sticking to your skin, the heat clinging to you like an extra layer. But Chandra had lived here her whole life, and the humidity felt like home.

She jogged across the parking lot, her thoughts already racing toward whatever RJ had found. He was always exploring, always finding strange places that no one else seemed to notice. It was one of the things she liked about him—how curious he was about everything. She'd lost count of how many afternoons they'd spent poking around the woods behind their neighborhood, digging up rocks and old coins, convincing themselves they'd found something valuable.

Today, though, felt different. The feeling in her chest—like something was about to change—grew stronger as she approached the trail that led into the trees.

Authors Note:

Thanks for reading. I welcome constructive feedback, and please vote if you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks again!

Sincerely,

A. I. Dukes