The Silent One: Cursed Daughter (Book 1)

There He Was

(Alice's POV)

It was a cold, dark night. The crisp air carried a slight breeze. Trees' leaves had begun to change their colors, and some had even shed a few leaves. Even the streetlights started to turn on sooner than usual. Without a cloud in sight, a full moon lit up the star-filled sky. The smell of backyard barbecues and burning fires filled the air.

Eventually, the air would return to its usual staleness, and soon, the summer festivities would end in the boring, small town of Hawthorne as August neared the corner. Not that there were many fun things to do in Hawthorne anyway, other than the annual folk festival in June and the 4th of July carnival. Most teens spend the end of their summer enjoying a few beers around a bonfire or throwing an end-of-summer party Then there is Anna and I, who have spent most of our summer swimming under the bridge or staying at the library until it closes.

With summer quickly coming to an end, that meant we’d have to go back to school. Back to the place I dreaded the most. At one point, I considered that place my own personal hell. All the awful people, the notes they taped to my locker, the names they called me. It certainly wasn’t my cup of tea. Though, unfortunately, that's what happens when you are different in such a small town.

I breathed out a defeated sigh because today was another failure. After spending the entire day at the library, we still came up empty-handed. All that time we spent researching online and reading books, trying to understand why I am the way I am. We always ended up empty-handed. I began to feel helpless, or maybe this was hopeless.

Anna softly patted me on the back with a sincere smile on her face. I smiled back at her, knowing that even if the world worked against me, Anna would never turn her back on me. She has always been right by my side through it all, my only friend in this constant battle. Almost like a guardian angel.

A smile spread over her face as she muttered, “Tomorrow is another day, Alice.”

I nodded my head before gathering our belongings and heading out into the night. Upon leaving the library, I looked up at the stars and the moon. It was a beautiful sight to see. If I could float into the night sky and become a star, I would, but then I thought of Anna. I would not dream of leaving her behind. Anna squeezes my hand as she points to a certain part of the sky.

“Look, Alice, it’s a shooting star,” she said with a big smile on her face.

As cliché as it was, I asked her, “Should we make a wish?”

She nodded her head, and we both closed our eyes. Another part of my special abilities is reading people’s minds. If I look into someone's eyes or touch their skin, I can see into the depths of that person's mind. I can hear their thoughts and know what they’re thinking. I know things I was never supposed to. There are times I wish I didn’t because it’s not always pleasant, or it comes with consequences. However, there are other instances where it has proven useful. It’s a gift and a curse.

While holding onto Anna’s hand, I could hear her wish, one of the few amazing things that came from this burden. She wished to find love, but not just any love. She wanted the kind of love that would sweep her off her feet and take her away from this place. I believe she just wanted to escape. Her life at home wasn’t exactly picture-perfect.

After hearing her wish, I decided what I wanted to wish for. I wished for the answers I longed for, for so long, to finally know the truth about who I am and why I’m different. As the wish lingered in my head, it was interrupted by a screeching sound and trash cans being knocked over. It caused us both to nearly jump out of our skins. We grabbed onto each other but laughed after realizing it was only a cat.

“Come on, Alice, let’s get home. My mom’s probably wondering why I’m not home yet,” she said with a sigh.

“Hey, remember what I told you? When we turn 18, we will leave this place,” I planted the thought in her brain. "I will do whatever it takes to get you away from all of this."