The Legend of the Firewalker, Book #1

Chapter 5.2

Author Note:

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the Legend of the Firewalker on Wattpad! Thank you so much for your support and for voting! 

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Chapter 5.2

During the summer, the back road into town from the Devaro Mansion was always lush with greenery. There were so many trees alongside the road that they often blocked out the sun. Occasionally, there would be pockets of sunlight, and you could spot deer grazing amidst the trees or along the road. But on cloudy days and just before nightfall, the dense cluster of trees made the road seem mysterious. It was still inviting, yet quite menacing.

"What time is it?" asked Nathan, while looking at the clock on the leather dashboard to Lafonda's Ferrari. "It's suddenly so dark."

"Yeah, it is darker," Lafonda agreed, removing her sunglasses. She chuckled. "I noticed things were a little darker through my sunglasses, but then again, they always are."

He glanced over at her and laughed too. Nathan squinted as a prism of gold light reflected from her locket. "I see that you're wearing the locket your grandfather gave to you."

She quickly glanced down before returning her focus back on the road. "Yeah," she smiled, placing a hand on the locket.

Nathan settled back into his seat and turned to look at the locket again. He smiled. "You look good," he said. Abruptly, his eyes fluttered and he began to stumble. He could feel his cheeks turning red. "I mean ... it looks good on you."

She turned to face him and smiled. A few moments passed, and Nathan abruptly cleared his throat. "So," he said, while awkwardly clasping his hands, "how does Jim Darding feel about you not wearing his necklace?"

She turned to look at him again, and her happy face quickly turned sour. "Um, Nathan, is that really any of your business?"

"Okay then, don't tell me," protested Nathan. "It's just that I noticed yesterday you were gone most of the day." He cracked a smile and then snickered. "And it didn't help my curiosity any that every time someone called looking for you, LaDonda kept saying you were at Jim's place."

There was a brief silence, and then slowly Lafonda opened her mouth. "Jim and I," she said abruptly, "decided to take a break. At least for the summer, anyway."  

Nathan thought he saw what looked like a half smile creep onto her face.

"I hope this didn't have anything to do with me or the fruit punch," he said.

"No, Nathan," she said, sounding annoyed again.

He smiled. "All right," he said with a grin, "I won't ask again."

They sat in silence for a while, and as the car continued down the road, Nathan thought about the events of that night. In his mind, he recalled his shaky hands and the stained white dress. He also remembered overhearing the conversation Lafonda was having with her friend Amanda and how suddenly he'd wanted to dance with her. Now, that was definitely weird, he thought. But I wonder what Leah looks like. I bet if I saw a picture of her, I would know for sure if she was the same person.

"So," he said, taking a long pause before continuing, "any news about your friend?"

"What friend?" she asked suspiciously. "Are you talking about Amanda?" Her face distorted into a slight frown as she tried to glare at him while keeping her eyes on the road. "She has a boyfriend, you know."

"No," he sighed. "Your friend Leah." He took a deep breath. "I overheard you and Amanda talking about her. Is she okay? Is she still in the hospital?"

Lafonda sat in silence for a while before slowly answering. "The last time I heard anything about her was two days ago," she said. "She's still in the hospital as far as I know. It's been a few days since I've spoken to her mother." She paused. "I haven't spoken to Leah since the day she was committed to St. Lucas Memorial Hospital in St. Louis."

"Okay," muttered Nathan, sounding slightly sad.

"Why?" she asked. "I mean, why are you asking?" Lafonda's face softened. "Did you know Leah?"

Quickly, Nathan sat up straight again. "I don't know," he said. "She does sound familiar. Do you have a picture of her?"

Lafonda paused, and her eyes fluttered for a second before she said, "No, not with me. But I'm sure there's a freshman class photo of her in the school's yearbook." She smiled. "We all took pictures right before the end of the semester. We should be able to find a yearbook once we get to campus."

She stopped mid-sentence and squinted as they drove around a corner. Nathan looked on, but looked slightly confused. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Lafonda blinked her eyes a few times and then quickly shook her head. "Uh, nothing," she said. "It's just so dark all of a sudden." She exhaled. "And I swear a dog or something darted across the road."

"Well, then turn your lights on, Lafonda!" Nathan said. "You're going to hit something if you can't see."

"Yeah, but it's not even five o'clock yet," explained Lafonda. "I don't want to look silly driving with my lights on when the sun is still out!"

"Ugh, just turn your lights on, Lafonda," he said in a weary voice. "It won't matter what people think if we hit something or have a car accident."

Suddenly, Lafonda gasped and the red Ferrari swerved.  

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