Light in the Darkness

The Story Begins

Adri Miller sat alone on the cool wooden floor in her second story bedroom in her family's farmhouse. The light spring breeze rustled in the blooming white cherry tree outside her window casting dancing shadows on the white walls of her bedroom. The walls of her room were decorated with dozens of pictures of her, her family, and her friends throughout the years. The walls also contained pictures, paintings, and poems that Adri herself had made over time, so that the room replayed her whole life on its walls. The room had an oak desk in one corner piled high with textbooks, a high bed with light blue covers and her fluffy Burmese cat curled up on the soft pillow. Next to the bed was a white nightstand where Adri had drawn flowers and vines on it to give it character. Her closet was neatly organized and her favorite army-green sling-bag hung on a hook on the inside of the door. Next to the window, an oak bookshelf stood decorated with dozens of books, pictures, and an old mahogany jewelry box. On the wall in front of Adri, next to the window was a full-length mirror. The mirror reflected Adri, and she studied her reflection.

Her long blond hair fell around her shoulders, half of it tied loosely with a light blue ribbon. Her light skin was quite pale in the clean white light of the moon, and the small chunk of amethyst stone on her necklace seemed to glow in the moonlight. She fingered the necklace gently, fidgeting with it while trying to sort everything out. Her white nightgown was comfortable, and the blue robe she wore over it was warm and soft. She stood, breathing deeply as she went to the jewelry box and gingerly lifted it off the shelf. She climbed onto her bed and studied the box.

Its smooth, dark surface had a large ceramic circle on the top that had two pieces missing, almost like someone had hit it with a hammer. The delicate gold hinges and lock on the front added to its simple beauty, taking away the dull plainness of the box but not overly decorating it. Taped to the bottom was an old note, the writing on it beautiful. She unfolded the note carefully, wary of the message written on it. She finally opened the note and read:

"My dearest child, I would love nothing more than to keep you by my side, but I fear that I cannot. The mistake I have made could cost you...could cost us all dearly. You must learn to hide, to blend in before I—before we can claim you. You are more powerful than you know, but you cannot know, not until the time is right. On the night of your sixteenth birthday, I will find you. Then, and only then shall you be ready to accept your destiny. –M."

She felt a hot tear run down her cheek as her heart overflowed with emotion. She knew her time was close, tomorrow that woman would come and try to find her, to reclaim her, to shape her for some destiny...a destiny she might not even want. She knew that tomorrow, on the most important day of her life, her sixteenth birthday, her mother would come back. Her mother who had left her here with this family almost sixteen years ago. A newborn baby, crying in the cold alone and abandoned.

She gently placed the box on the white nightstand and leaned back against the wall. She could hear her little sister Carmen snoring through the wall. Soon, Adri's weariness was too much and she crawled under the blankets to sleep. She felt herself drift off into the world of dreams, only these dreams were strange, frightening and unlike anything she had ever dreamed before.

[To be continued...]