1 Chapter One

"Let go....."

Allowing the sleep to pull back from her eyes, Denise awoke confused. Staring up at the ceiling for a brief moment she gathered her thoughts.

"Dreaming?" She thought. "Maybe... who knows...?"

Usually when she dreamed she remembered them yet, now, no thoughts lingered. Denise was gifted and with her unusual talents she was able to have more control over dreaming than most people and now as she stared blankly at her ceiling there was nothing on her mind.

Reaching for her cell phone the luminescene read 5:57 a.m. She even managed to wake up before her alarm which was set for six thirty.

"Well I don't have to be up just yet... just a little longer..." she thought.

She rolled over on her side and allowed her lids to fall to gain whatever sleep she could get before school. As her eyes made their final decent once again she heard the small voice echoing in her ears as though someone was whispering right next to her. She could even feel the slight breathing with the words....

"Let go....."

More startled than before she frantically sat straight up and quickly reached for the dome light that was placed neatly in the bed frame within arms reach of her head. As her heart began to race she scanned the small surroundings. Her nightstand covered with yesterday's clothes, her laptop, and a picture of her and her dad rested itself neatly next to the hampered laundry. Everything the way she left it. Her eyes made their way across the small area moving from the dresser with neatly folded linens, to the reflecting glow off the posters that hung tastelessly in her room and back again to curtains that draped over her windows ensuring to protect the small amount of privacy she had considering she was the oldest of four.

Her room was no different than any other eighteen year old girls room. Posters of popular star icons hung on her wall, which she only kept them for show. Small piles of clothing littered the floor along with crayons, a toy car, and a coloring book with one page half torn out all belonging to her younger siblings. There was nothing out of the ordinary. No creepy shadows waited to pounce from any corner of the room, the toy cars didn't drive by themselves nor did the crayons magically appear to be coloring in the books. But something had made her company and for the time being it was only limited to a voice.

Once again eyeing the vicinity of her room she made out every detail. Nothing stirred and no sound arose. She tilted her head listening for shuffling feet. Satisfied she slumped back down under her covers.

Besides being jolted by the sound she felt nothing disturbing about the entity. She was sure anyone else in her current situation would have made their way screaming down the halls frantically swinging some weird object around waking everyone in the house before eventually ramming their head into a wall and causing more harm than good, but, having a firm head on her shoulders, Denise knew that would do no good. Although she chuckled at the idea.

Shifting into a more comfortable position she listened for anything that may try to make contact but was not visible to the naked eye.

Because of her open-mindedness Denise didn't believe in ghosts, poltergeists, or any other spectral anomaly that had some kook on T.V. claimed they could receive messages from. She knew whatever had made contact with her was on this plain of existence. She just needed to find out the connection.

Whenever she chose to use her own ability a great deal of concentration had to take place. Thinking of her unusual gifts she ran through the scenarios that crossed her mind. She would have to focus and close her eyes, with thoughts of winter, hail and blizzards furiously racing until...

Feeling it she found what she was looking for. She closed her eyes and listened.

The voice arose once again. This time it was a little more than a whisper and came echoing inside the walls with no general direction, as though it was from some distant plain and the harmonious sound reflected all around the the small square footage of her room.

This time she could make out that the voice was a males.

Speaking softly he said. "Let go... she needs your help..... she is the key...."

Answering back she asked. "Who? Who needs my help...?"

Before she could get an answer back, she cut into the silence. "Key? What key?"

"Let go.... you'll find out."

Unsure of where to take the conversation she asked. "OK, let go of what?"

Keeping her eyes closed the voice started to fade as though it was done with their feeble conversation.

"..."

As it washed out in the distance she couldn't make out what he said.

Feeling as though she was fighting a losing battle she asked once again in an attempt to bring the voice back. "OK who, who needs my help?"

More faded than before she could hear a laugh in the man's voice.

"Look at you..."

"What key? Who's a key?"

Listening intently, the normal sounds of the house arose. She could hear the ticking from the kitchen clock, her brother snoring softly in the other room with small hints of his music played from his cell phone, and nothing more.

Once again, the abnormality of her life seized her, this time the paralyzing grip would not let go. Most of the time Denise tried to keep a simple and very normal life, she involved herself in school activities that caught her interest, played video games with her younger brother, and always had a family night for the younger siblings to draw and spend time with her in her room. She avoided her mom seeing that they were exactly the opposite, but that was just as normal as any other girl her age.

Altogether there were four of them Denise being the oldest, John, Brianna, and JC. She practically raised her siblings. She hadn't noticed any abnormal tendencies in them but her own uniqueness didn't develop until she was fourteen. Still, because of their modest and down to earth life, she tried to make sure and keep it that way as well. Using her gift only when it seemed necessary. The only one of her siblings she shared anything with was her brother Lil John. He knew of her talent, although, to her, he was more than just a brother he was her best friend.

She not only trusted him, she knew if he did happen to develop anything she would be his confidant as he was hers. Their bond was inseparable.

Feeling that this was the beginning of a mystery that has yet to begin to unravel itself, she flung herself out of bed. In light of the recent events she was not going to be able to fall back asleep. The paralyzing grip kept a steady hold on her conscious, as though "abnormal" was not just a word but a physical being that just decided this morning to wrap her arms around Denise with a loud voice and a giddy laugh screaming "did you miss me?"

Normally she considered herself very patient, though this morning she couldnt help but grumble. The voice was vague with too many open-ended questions and no answers. She hated that kind of shit with actual people in the flesh this was much more frustrating. There was no one she could choke the life out of to get answers. She had to wait on someone else's time, and that was not her style.

With her frustration placing itself firmly at her side she looked around her small domicile and gathered her things for a quick shower. Red laced shirt, black sweater, jeans, socks, underwear all was in order along with mousse hairspray and a straightener.

Heading down the hall she placed her belongings on the bathroom sink before heading to the rooms of her siblings to take a quick glance inside. Knowingly the voice was not that of someone lying dormant in her house still, she had her share of being protective of others, and she now felt the need to make sure they were sleeping soundly.

John shared a room with JC, at least until she moved out, although Johnny didn't seem to mind not having his own space. John was not the average fourteen year old boy, and with him not grumbling over the fact that he has no privacy only fit his demeanor of kind, understanding, and compassionate. The door was slightly ajar, as she opened it she could hear both of them breathing and the soft tunes of John's music playing through his cell phone. She slid the door closed.

Brianna's room was right next door, peeking her head inside she listened quietly for the girls soft rhythmic breathing. Feeling appeased with the sound she allowed the door to fall shut. Skipping her mothers door she headed straight into the bathroom.

It was no secret her and her mother didn't see eye to eye on anything in life. Denise felt she couldn't care less if someone had broken into her mothers room. Somehow she didn't feel the need to check and make sure. Besides she had a feeling if that were the case the intruder would be sorry as hell.

Taking a towel from the linen closet, she placed it next to her dwellings and closed the door to the bathroom. Normally she would wake Lil John to allow him time to get ready as well. Even though that would lead to an argument, and a race for the bathroom privileges, with one trying to lock the other out and get their shower out of the way first. Of course she always won when it came to that race. Today though she had no need to wake him just yet. Since she was woken considerably early she had plenty of time to make sure today was not going to be a hassle. Besides her mind was still wandering with the thoughts of the mysterious voice. A hassle was already making itself known, so the least she could do was have a shower in peace.

Feeling a little better, she started the water and tried placing the earlier incidences far in the back of her mind. At least this was one thing she could look forward to, a nice, normal day at school.