Chapter 1: The Present

Cold was the night, the moon was full; I was shivering due to the lack of proper clothing. My head hurts, it’s throbbing, and it’s bleeding. What the fuck? My forehead is bleeding. I must have hit myself on a tree on the way down the mountain slope. Man I’m luckily that I didn’t break a bone there’s a shit load of a trees, and I think some of them have that funny goo that makes you have hallucinations. But where am I? Right, I was running…because…because…

***

MONTH EARLIER

“Katie? Katie, wake up.”

“Huh? Five more minutes Carmen.”

“Katie, come on or you’re going to be late to school.”

As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes I see Carmen was getting her pack ready with mine.

“Oh, no there’s no more ‘five more minutes’ so get up before I get the water.”

I got up in hast, “NO! I don’t have to take a bath till next week,” I smiled.

“What do you mean you don’t have to take a bath till next Wednesday,” Carmen questioned with a mischievous grin. Behind her back she had a bucket of water ready to dump it on me, “Guess what I have behind my back?”

“No, not the water! Please! Look I’m already up,” I plead her. Carmen moves forward, bucket in her hands and dumped its continents on my head before I was able to dodge. I shut my eyes ready for the water but there is none. I opened one eye then the other. There was confetti all over my bed, head, T-shirt, and pajamas. A small cubed box, no larger than two inches, was sitting in Carmen’s hands.

“What is that?”

“Happy Birthday, Katie! Congrates you’re an adult now.”

“It’s my birthday?”

“I knew you were going to forget. Funny enough you don’t forget anyone’s birthday except your own,” Carmen pointed out. I shrug.

Right, today I’m eighteen, I take the small cubed box from Carmen’s hands, “Thanks,” I opened the box. Inside was a neck chain that I have seen in a store the other day. It was circle with a five pointed star that pointed upward.

“Carmen,” I gasped, “Thank you so much. Would you do the honuors,” I asked her as I handed the pentagram over to her.

“Sure. Why not,” Carmen responded as she took the pentagram in her hands. I turned around to allow her to put it on. Once fasten on, I turn to the mirror that was in the bedroom. I looked at myself in the mirror and note that the pentagram reaches just above the curve of my breasts. It’s no wider than two of my fingers. The chain and the pentagram are the colour silver. I asked Carmen what type of metal it was; she told me that it was pure silver. I love that type of metal.

“Oh, Carmen it must of cost you a lot.”

“Nah, not really. It was surprisingly cheap. The store owner that sold it to me said that I go ahead and have it for twenty bucks. He said that nobody else was gonna want it. He also said that people tend to return it after one day of wearing it or having it around. And because I know you love legends and curses and the occult in general . . .well . . .I bought it for you. Besides I’m pretty sure that you will solve the mystery behind this particular neck chain.”

“Thanks,” I smiled, “I probably will.”

“Hey? Are you going to pick up your hair in a braid,” she asked me.

“I don’t know. Why?”

“I think, since it’s your birthday you know . . .you should leave it loose today,” Carmen smiled teasingly, “You know maybe Kevin might look at you today.”

“Carmen?!”

“What you never know. Besides, I don’t think he will turn you down now; especially now that you are eighteen.” Carmen gasped, “You’re legal for him now,” she laughs, “LOL.”

“Get stuffed. Okay, I’m ready let’s go.”

“Taking my advice of leaving it loose,” Carmen smirked. I smirk back at her and we leave for school.

* * *

It just had to be history, the most boring class I ever had. History usually tends be fun. Mr. Izawa makes the class fun but in this case it is not possible. We are going over the Progressive Era and to be honest . . . it’s boring.

“I’m really sorry but it’s something that we have to cover and I haven’t found a way to make it fun,” was his only explanation for the boring lesson. But Carmen and I already know this chapter. We spend a lot of our time studying for history all thanks to our short-term memory, so I start to retrieve into one of my day-dreams. I closed my eyes and . . .

* * *

‘Huh? Where am I? I’m sure I was just in class.’ I’m in a poorly lit room with one window at the top of the wall to my left. It seems there’s a full moon tonight. I try to stand but it seems that I’m tied down to a chair.

‘I’m sorry but I had to tie you down or you weren’t going to listen to me, so please Katie listen,’ said a man that emerged from a dark corn of the wall that was in front me.

‘Who are you? How do you know my name,’ I asked him. He simply smiled, ‘Why do you think I know your name, Katrina? Is it because I know more about you then you might believe. What do you think, huh?’

I look down trying to remember where or when could we possibly have meant but it seems that I cannot remember. The man came closer to me, kneeled and put his hand on my knee, ‘I know you don’t remember me but all I need you to know is; it’s time to awaken and remember everything before it’s far too late for me to take action.’

I blink several times. I hesitate but ask anyway, ‘Remember what? Do we really know each other? You look somewhat familiar.’ He had fair hair that had grown out and fell over his deep blue eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. He wore a tight shirt that showed his workout routine has been working fairly well for him. As I stare at him, ‘Checking me out already,’ he asked as he grinned mischievously at me. I could feel him staring at me in the eyes. His expression softens and he leaned closer and closer and closer to me and I began to blush.

‘Katie, how cute you’re blushing,’ he teased.

‘I am not shut up Will . . . .’ my voice trailed off.

‘It seems you haven’t forgotten everything like I was told,’ he smiled thinly and left the room.

‘No, wait! Wait! Wait!’

* * *

“No, wait!”

“Katie! What’s wrong?” I can hear Mr. Izawa walking over and calling. Even Carmen is shaking my shoulder and I wake up.

“Katie? Are you alright,” Carmen asked as she wore a worried expression.

“Huh? Uh . . . yeah I’m fine. I think I fell asleep for a moment.”

“See Sir, today’s lesson is so boring that even Katie fell asleep. That has to mean something, right? I mean Katie is not the type that falls asleep in class no matter how boring a class is,” Kevin explained as his gaze was directed toward me. I can feel myself blushing when Mr. Izawa felt my forehead and declared that I might have a fever, “I think you should go to the nurse Katie; just in case.” Kevin blotted up and offered himself to escort me to the nurse. Mr. Izawa agreed in fear that I might faint in the hall way.

“You look nice today,” Kevin commented.

“Ah . . . thank you.”

“Hey . . . I . . . ah . . . hear it’s your birthday today so . . . happy birthday,” he smiled to me brightly. I couldn’t help myself but to return the smile. I turned to see that a boy was being hassled by Marcus, the school’s bully, I hate bullies. I start forward when I feel Kevin grab my arm and stopped me, “Katie what are you doing? I thought you had a fever.”

“I did not say that. Mr. Izawa said I might and that’s why he sent me to the nurse in the first place,” I answered back irritated believing that Kevin was assuming that I was faking it. I got my arm out of his grip and hurried forward before he could grab me again.

“Hey! Marcus!? Pick someone your own size,” I shouted at him and he turned and started to move slowly towards me. The boy saw his opportunity and left, “What do you want,” he demanded.

“I know you’re the school bully and all but you don’t have to be so rude,” I remarked in a sassy toned voice. Marcus made a disgusting gesture and smirked horridly, “That’s no way to treat a lady,” Kevin interfered and stepped in front of me as attempting to protect me from any damage that can be caused by Marcus.

“And what are you going to do lover boy,” Marcus smirked disgustingly.

“Marcus, my old friend, what happened to you we used to be so close,” Kevin asked with a sadden expression.

“She happened,” Marcus replied pointing a finger to me. I look in surprise as Marcus points me out as the cause of their broken friendship. I once heard that Kevin and Marcus used to be the best of friends but no one knew the reason why Marcus broke his friendship with Kevin. But it’s seems I’m about to find out. I point a finger to myself, “Me? What do I have to do with any of this in the first place?”

“You’re the cause that Kevin stopped hanging out with me. I don’t know what Kevin saw in you but whatever it was I find every aspect of you disgusting.”

“You are over reacting just like before—”

“—just like before when you confessed me your feelings for this . . . this . . . witch!”

“KATIE IS NOT A WITCH! WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST HER ANYWAY!?”

I feel a flush of red creep out from the center of my face and spread. Kevin is so kind and doesn’t care what people think of anyone. I don’t either but in this case I’ll make an exception. “DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LAST GUY THAT GOT CLOSE TO HER? THE SAME WAY YOU ARE GETTING CLOSE TO HER. HE FUCKIN’ DISAPPEARED FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH!”

Marcus was breathless, “No one knows what happened to that poor guy. I don’t want her to make you disappear the way she did with the last guy who no one remembers.” I move one hand in front of me and Kevin and point my palm to Marcus.

“Thing about that guy that I don’t even remember myself is that he bullied me nonstop till the last of my patients disappeared. So I decided to put an end to his abuse towards me. People like you thought he liked me but that was not the case in the least. He hated me because I was able to surpass him in just about anything,” I explained.

“Yeah, right just trying to make up excuses,” Marcus grumbled and pushed Kevin out of the way and grabs me by the neck then starts to choke me. Kevin gets up and punches Marcus in the left kidney.

“ARGH,” Marcus grants and his grip on my neck loses. I try to pull away but he retightens his grip on my neck but doesn’t choke me. Instead he hassles me to the nearest wall and bangs my head on it. But that wasn’t enough for Marcus, he turns me and makes me face the wall and starts to bang my forehead till it bleeds. Marcus lets go and gets ready for his final move.

I feel my pentagram go hot, I look down at it and see it glowing bright blue so pure that it turned white. I turn, still dazed by the hits, and face Marcus. I rise a hand with my palm facing him. A white-bluish light comes out of my hand and Marcus is thrown across the hallway when I look back at him. I hear Kevin gasp, “Katie, how did you do that?” I start to feel dizzy, “Ah? Katie? Katie, are you alright?”

Kevin rushes to me before I hit the floor but he’s too late. I was only able to clutch his sleeve and hello floor.