Bloodthorn Princess

Chapter 1

The sounds of the five o'clock traffic are drowned out by my headphones of classical music in window seat booth in Pam's coffee shop while people are rushing to get home outside. My sketch book open on the table in front of me with smudged lead across the page that takes shape of a large castle with pointed roofs and a large moon behind it. Something about it seems familiar to me. Someone slams into the booth in front of me startling me so that my headphone falls out of my ear.    "Jesus, you scared the crap out of me." I said, pulling my other headphone out of my ear with a rigid breath. It was Anna -my best friend- sitting in the booth in front of me.  

"Not my fault your like a skittish cat." She chuckles lightly. She looks at the sketch book on the table curiously. "Oh, what are drawing now?" She turns the sketch pad towards her self, she analyses the drawing but I can see her questioning it with her eyes; She whistles. "You know, sometimes I question your mental state Tara." She turns the sketch pad back towards me.

"What? Why? It's just a drawing Anna, it doesn't mean anything." I to begin to analyze the drawing. Looking at each pencil stroke on the paper. Smudge marks where my hand had dragged across, smearing the lead. I look at the heal of my hand to see pencil lead smeared on it. Looking back at the drawing, there's a silhouette of a man standing at the front gate that I don't even remember drawing.

"You know, I actually read somewhere that what most artist sketch or paint is how they feel inside." She takes a sip of her chai tea looking out the window at the traffic driving by.

"Since when do you read?" I said chuckling, picking up my pencil off the table and begin shading more. 

"Since you became a smart ass and I needed to start learning come backs." I let out a laugh. "And hows that working out for you?" I put the pencil back down and looked her in her devilish captivating blue eyes that are like crystals. Her porcelain prefect freckled skin and soft cheek bones. Her dark almost black hair in soft curls that hang past her shoulders. I used to envy her, I mean how could you not? Everything about her is perfect; to me anyways. There have been times where I have wanted to sketch her but know I'd never get the details right. 

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The walk back home is about fifteen to twenty minutes depending on the day. The smell of the fall air, the leaves changed colors makes the walk more enjoyable, and Anna of course.  Passing other shops on the way like the candle shop on the corner that smells of pumpkin and hazelnut at this time of the year.  When it gets closer to the holidays, I always think about my mom and how much she loved Thanksgiving and Christmas. Opening presents on Christmas Day in our pjs, mom with her cup of hot coco and messy dark long hair falling in her grey eyes and smiling while the family opened presents. Granted; moms family never came around for the holidays because she doesn't really have any since she was in foster care most of her life so it was mostly dads family- and even that wasn't a lot. But mom was always happy, she always said she didn't care that it was just us; that she preferred it that way anyways. 

"Hello? Earth to planet Tara." I shake my head to get out of my own thoughts. When I finally realize where I was standing. Somehow I had made my way into the West Cemetery that's on the way home, but I'm standing in front of my mothers grave. Why am I here? I don't even remember walking in here?

"What are we doing here?" I look around the cemetery, seeing that it's just Anna and I here. 

"I don't know. You tell me." She crosses her arms over her chest and shivers. " You're the one that just wondered in here and I just followed. Which now that I think about is kinda dumb of me and you're kinda freaking me out." I don't respond, I just stare at my mothers headstone. I was just thinking about her and all of the sudden I end up in front of her grave.  That can't be a  coincidence can it? I feel the blood crawling in my veins and they begin to pulse, I feel as if I'm being drawn somewhere else. I turn to see a large tomb behind us in the middle of the cemetery, I walk toward it.