The Swords of Memory: Second Chances

Chapter 1

Zara reached under her bed and grabbed the black box she kept there, not that it stood out among all the other black in the room. Black was Zara's favorite color and despite her parent's protest she insisted on decorating her room with it. She opened the box and reached inside, running her hand along the fabric lining. She paused in thought as her hand continued along the sides of the box and then, as she woke up from her involuntary day dream, she took out the money that was inside the box. Zara had managed to save up two hundred dollars over the summer so far by doing odd jobs. It was more than she needed but she took it all anyway. She put the box back and stood up. She brushed the dust from her hands on her black jeans and walked over to her desk where she grabbed her bag and the note she had to deliver. Everything she needed in hand, she left her room, gently closing the door behind her. It was starting to get late and her parents were getting ready to go out. They had a fancy dinner party tonight that they had been looking forward to for over a month.

Zara went down the stairs and into the kitchen. Her parents were bustling about getting ready and making sure that the kitchen was clean from dinner. "Zara, would you mind washing the dishes for us? We are already running late." Her mother asked.

"Whatever."

"Come on Zara, can't you just help us out once?" Her dad pleaded, tightening his tie.

"I'll do the dishes all right? Can I use the other car tonight? I was planning on meeting up with Warren."

"Once you finish the dishes the car is yours. Say hi to Warren's parents for us. It's been so long since we've had dinner with them. Maybe next weekend they can come over with Warren." Zara's mom said.

"I will."

"Come on honey, we should have left fifteen minutes ago."

"I'm coming; I just have to grab my purse." Zara's mother said. Zara turned on the water and pushed the dishes under the stream as her parents left the room. She listened as the front door slammed shut and then she turned off the water, leaving the dirty dishes in the sink. She walked over to the key rack and took the keys. The mermaid keychain dangled as Zara took it off the hook. She could never understand her mother's fascination with the things. They didn't even live anywhere tropical. Ohio didn't have anything close to water. It was just wide expanses of field. Once you got outside of a town, it was open area until the next one came along. Towns were like islands, but without any of the benefits of a tropical climate.

Key in hand, Zara made her way outside, making sure to lock the door behind her. They lived in a small town where crime was unheard of but her dad, who had grown up in the city, always insisted that they keep their door locked whenever they were not home. Zara didn't see the point but wasn't going to risk her dad finding out she hadn't locked the door and having to listen to an hour-long lecture about crime rates and safety. She had heard enough of those lectures to last her a lifetime. The family car, in all practicality Zara's car, was parked in the driveway. She walked briskly across the sidewalk pulling her leather jacket closed against the wind. It shouldn't have been that cold on a summer night but the wind did a lot to make the temperature less enjoyable.

She unlocked the car and climbed in, throwing her bag into the passenger's seat. Zara started the car and turned on the radio. It was on her dad's favorite country station. Zara couldn't stand country. She went to the only station she could even stand, a todays hits station that would occasionally play something worth listening to, and pulled out of her driveway. The gravel crunched under the moving tires as she backed out to the left and then switched to drive. She knew it would take about fifteen minutes to get across town to her friend Warren's house but she had plenty of time. She wasn't in any real rush and she had to stop at a store before she went to Warren's anyways. She had all night. Her parents weren't supposed to be home until two the next morning.