With her usual white chocolate mocha in hand, Keegan strolled over to her friends. Anna and Lauren were already sitting at the usual table with their drinks. They knew better than to expect her to be on time. She couldn’t blame them.
Tilting her head, she gave a sly smile to the dark haired stranger as she passed.
Keegan took in the sight of her two best friends as they laughed together. She was still amazed that even with their different personalities they could be such incredible friends after so much time had passed. She thought for sure when they moved onto high school they would drift apart, but their relationship proved too strong for that.
Lauren looked gorgeous as usual with her long, dark curly hair, pale skin and her caramel colored eyes. She jumped up and grabbed Keegan in a hug which caused Keegan to spill her drink.
“I’m so excited to go to the fair! I’ve never had a psychic reading before.”
“Slow down,” Keegan said. “You just spilled the coffee all over me.”
“Whatever, you know you can’t make it through a cup of coffee without spilling it on yourself. You’re worse than a toddler.
Keegan laughed. “Good point.”
You couldn’t help but be taken in by Lauren’s positive attitude. She was always quick to smile and was the first to compliment someone. She purposely came across as not particularly bright. With her SAT scores, she could get into any college she wanted. Keegan had no idea why she downplayed her intelligence. She had once asked and Lauren said she didn’t want people to expect too much, and let them down. Keegan thought that was a ridiculous reason.
Lauren looked like a typical cheerleader with long legs and an athletic build, and she had the kind of wardrobe that made other girls jealous. For the fair, she had worn a knee length pink floral dress that oozed the runway look, and belted the gauzy material with a large brown belt that matched her ankle boots. She belonged in a Hollister ad.
As Keegan slid into her chair, Lauren looked at them expectantly. “Josh sent me this long love letter. He actually hand wrote it. Do you guys think he is getting too clingy?”
“Well, you have been dating over a year. It’s obviously pretty serious.” Anna rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. She had topped her black, long sleeve tee with a pink vest, and matching pink leggings under her black skirt. Today, her purple bangs hung from a lacy black beret.
Keegan was secretly jealous that Lauren had a steady boyfriend. “I think you should dump him,” she said. “There are so many hot guys you could date. You’ll be old and married before you know it. You might as well enjoy it now.”
“Keegan, just because you have dated half the school doesn’t mean everyone else has to,” Lauren retorted, poking her friend on the arm pointedly.
Keegan gave them a wicked grin. “There are just so many boys and so little time.” Anna laughed so hard she started hiccupping, which caused Lauren to spit her drink out. Keegan glanced up at Lauren to make sure she wasn’t choking. “You guys need serious help,” Keegan laughed, handing Lauren a napkin to wipe the coffee off her chin.
Keegan could joke with the girls, but what no one knew was that she only had two years left to date. She would meet Rourk, her chosen, when she turned eighteen, and she was convinced he would be perfect for her. If only the rest of the world believed as elves did, Keegan was sure the divorce rate would be much lower. A kick under the table brought Keegan back to the present. “Ow!”
“Shh, you’re such an idiot sometimes.” Anna jerked her head towards the door. Keegan glanced casually around to see what the kick had been for. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what Anna wanted her to look at. Wow. The guy they ogled was beyond hot even though he was older. He stood over six feet tall and his dark black hair looked like he had just got caught in a windstorm. His eyes were a striking blue and she swore he could see into her soul as his eyes caught hers. Way too hot to be a human. Keegan wondered if he was a sorcerer. Everyone seemed to be under his spell the moment he walked through the door. They all tried not to stare. Lauren fanned herself, causing them all to laugh.
***
From outside the coffee shop Rourk stood hidden, watching Keegan through the window as she sat laughing with her friends. Her fleeting thoughts had summoned him again, and his pulse quickened as he felt the urge to go inside. He needed to be close to her.
Pushing a hand agitatedly through his shaggy hair, Rourk tried to focus on breathing. He leaned against the brick wall of the store behind him, rubbing his temples with both hands. The urge to speak to her made his heart ache. It took everything he had to remain rooted to the sidewalk, hidden in the shadows of a storefront while she was so close. He was left to watch from a distance as usual. She laughed at something one of her friends said and he wondered what her laugh sounded like.
Suddenly, they gathered their things and left the coffee shop; Rourk made a snap decision to follow them.
***
The girls decided to walk to the fair instead of taking Laurens car. The weather was perfect, pleasantly cool, and there wasn’t a rain cloud in sight. The fresh air felt incredible against her skin. Keegan closed her eyes, tilted her head towards the sun and spun in a circle. “Fall is my favorite time of year,” she said wistfully.
Lauren shook her head smiling. “Earth to Keegan, we are talking about the fair.”
“Do you think they will let me know something about Xavier?” Anna wondered out loud, completely ignoring her friends’ ramblings.
“Maybe, but I think you have to ask about him. At least that’s how it goes on the TV shows.” Lauren glanced over at Keegan, swinging her small purse at her side as they walked. “What do you think?”
“I’m not sure. You would think if they were real psychics they would see it without being asked,” Keegan answered honestly.
“Good point,” Anna said. “I don’t think I will mention him. Besides, it’s bad enough he makes it obvious he only thinks of me as a friend. I don’t think I could handle psychic rejection as well.”
Lauren clapped her hands and jumped around. “EEK, we’re almost there! This is so exciting!”
Keegan was surprised at Lauren’s enthusiasm. The fair didn’t quite sound like her thing. She was probably hoping someone was going to tell her that she and Josh would be married, have three kids, and live happily ever after.
The fair was disappointing at first glance. Keegan had been expecting…well, she wasn’t sure exactly what, but it looked like some boring craft fair in a church basement. A few tables and stands were arranged around the room with a bunch of old people seated at them. It didn’t look like the few attendees milling around the place were actually buying anything. Still, she could hear her mother in her head. Don’t judge a book by its cover, Keegan. She decided she might as well relax and try to have fun with her friends.
Keegan noticed a large red sign at the entrance of the fair that said NO PHOTOGRAPHY. Mumbling under her breath, she put her camera back in the bag.
They stopped at each stand, admiring the jewelry, crystals, tarot cards, and many other items available. There were certainly some fascinating things. Keegan picked up a moonstone necklace for her mother. The small sign next to it said it would bring considerable fortune. Keegan also knew it was a healing stone. It was one of her favorites. She loved the way you could see the colors through it when it was held to the light.
Lauren came to a halt in front of a stand where a woman sat behind a table, dressed like a stereotypical fortuneteller. She was slightly overweight, fortyish, and wearing a multi-colored dress that gave her an outrageous gypsy appearance. She had a kind face. Her long curly hair was a brilliant red like that of a clown’s nose. Gesturing to a pile of rocks on the table, she told Lauren, “Pick one and hand it to me. I can tell your future.”
Lauren did so. When the woman had the rock, she closed her eyes and ran her small hands around it for a few moments before looking up at Lauren with a warm smile.
“You will do great things
and succeed in whatever you put your mind to. I also see that you should put your focus into law.”
Lauren’s mouth gaped open; her dream was to be a lawyer. The girls all looked at each other in disbelief.
Anna jumped up and down yelling, “Me next!” She grabbed a rock and the woman did the same thing, closing her eyes and feeling the rock. “Child, you have a beautiful soul but you will struggle in life if you do not let go of the sadness inside of you.”
Keegan and Lauren glanced over at Anna, surprised to see her brush away a tear. “Thank you,” she said quietly, and put the rock in her pocket.
Finally, it was Keegan’s turn. Placing her hands over the pile of rocks, she grasped the one that was calling to her and handed it to the woman. The woman kept her eyes closed for an extremely long time. When she finally opened them, she looked at Keegan warily. Keegan’s heart started to race. She felt as if the woman knew she wasn’t human and was going to say so.
The woman sighed, handing the rock back to her. “I’m sorry, I feel nothing.”
“What do you mean you feel nothing?” Keegan balked at the woman.
“That’s just how it works sometimes. I’m sorry.” She shrugged.
Keegan wanted to ask the psychic some questions, but Anna and Lauren were keen to move on and dragged Keegan to the next stand. She turned to look back and the woman returned her stare with a blank look. Keegan thought for sure something wasn’t quite right. Could she possibly know her elfin secret? Maybe she truly was unreadable and that’s why the woman looked at her strangely. It seemed odd, not to mention disappointing. Keegan wanted to hear what the psychic had to say about her.
The three girls spent hours browsing, which turned out to be a lot of fun. The crowd steadily built in the room so that it no longer looked sad and unused, but with the dim light and the noise of guests, it felt like a fair. After enough time had passed, and Keegan’s feet were starting to hurt, she yawned and stretched dramatically.
“Are you guys ready to go?” she asked, tugging at Anna’s sleeve.
Lauren nodded vehemently. “I shouldn’t have worn these boots. I’m exhausted.”
Though she done well hiding it for most of the day, Anna had obviously been shaken by the psychic’s words. She just shrugged. “Sure, let’s go get dinner.”
As they walked towards the door, Keegan sensed someone watching her. She glanced around the room, searching for the source of the feeling, and was startled to come face to face with another elf.
Elves can recognize each other when they happen to cross paths. Unless of course it’s your chosen, they are cloaked from each other by magic. Keegan had never seen anything quite like this elf. The girl was stunningly beautiful, but that was not a surprise as all elves tend to be overly attractive. She had short black hair, pale skin, rosy cheeks and the greenest eyes Keegan had ever seen on a person. She felt as if she were staring into the eyes of a cat.
What took Keegan by surprise was the darkness around the stranger. Keegan had heard of dark elves. Wherever there was light there had to be dark, but knowing something in your mind and actually seeing it is different. This was the first time she had seen a dark elf with her own eyes. She had heard they mainly lived up north and rarely made efforts to be a part of the human world like the light elves. Since her childhood, they’d almost felt like specters; boogeymen told through light elves’ folklore. Keegan’s body felt cold. She tensed up and all her senses heightened as her eyes were caught by the stranger’s.
“Do you know her?” Anna asked.
Keegan couldn’t talk. She felt as if their eyes were locked and she was unable to move unless the girl allowed it. Finally, the dark elf averted her gaze and Keegan’s body relaxed. A distracted look crossed her face and she replied, “She looked familiar, but let’s get out of here.” Keegan’s only desire in that moment was to rush home and talk to her mother about what had happened.
***
From a distance, Rourk was staring with a grim expression on his handsome face.
What was that exchange all about and who was the dark elf?
He had to make a choice. He could continue to follow the girls or go inside and talk to the dark elf. As much as it pained him to watch Keegan walk away, he quickly advanced into the building. He needed to know if she was in danger.
Rourk scanned the room, but he did not see the dark elf anywhere. Where could she have gone? Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply as he felt the coldness wash over him. He saw her with his mind’s eye. The dark elf had taken the back door and was walking casually down the alley. It was times like this when he was grateful to be a descendent of a great warrior. He’d trained his whole life for his calling—from the time he got out of bed in the morning until the time he went to sleep at night. Hell, he even dreamed about the techniques he’d learned. He needed to put them to good use.
Silently he advanced. He was now the hunter, and she, his prey.
Find Coexist Online
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon DE
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
*
Talia Jager
Paper, Pen, and Chocolate
“Mom!” a voice yelled from the other room. “Make her stop!”
“I didn’t do anything!” another voice yelled before I could even get up to see what was going on.
I sighed and struggled to get off the couch where I had just started writing a scene. Four months pregnant with our sixth child and the varicose veins were already causing problems for me. I wondered where my husband was hiding that he couldn’t handle this.
Fortunately, the yelling quieted down. Instead of checking on them, I made an Executive Decision. I snuck into my closet, grabbed some Hershey’s chocolate from my stash, and slipped into the bathroom where I ate it with the lights turned off. Nobody would find me there.
Flicking on my flashlight, I took out the notepad and pen I had stashed in the magazine rack and wrote down some thoughts on the scene I had been writing.
The quiet lasted 3.5 minutes. Then my time in the bathroom was up. I crept back out to the living room where I settled a new argument, secretly wishing I could go back to the bathroom.
Now, you may ask…Married with how many kids? And you write books? WHY? HOW? Let me tell you.
From the time I was a little girl, I have had two dreams. One: To have a large family. Two: To be an author. There was a time not long ago when it seemed neither would come true.
Maybe it was being an only child that allowed my imagination to run wild and my mind to create stories; it definitely made me wish for a big family of my own. It’s lonely to grow up without a sibling.
In school, writing was my passion. I wrote constantly. I’d slip my story under a notebook in class and when I was supposed to be taking notes, I’d really be writing my story. At night when I was supposed to be asleep, I’d hide under the covers in bed with a flashlight, pen, and paper.
Time went on, and although I had many stories written, I was too chicken to do anything with them. So, they sat. When I fell in love and started a family, writing got pushed to the side. Sure, I still loved it, but I never had time. Deep down, I was mad at myself for not at least trying to do something with them. But, at the time, I felt I couldn’t. Family came first.
My dream of having a large family wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be, but it had begun to come true. We had two beautiful little girls and wanted more. Unfortunately, I suffered through many miscarriages over the years. After having a number of tests done, I was diagnosed with a blood disorder so complicated that I have no idea what it actually is except that it can cause miscarriages. Getting pregnant had never been an issue; staying pregnant was. When I didn’t get and stay pregnant for over a year, the depression got worse.
Losing a baby is a devastating thing to go through; losing six is downright depressing. There’s no amount of crying, begging, negotiating, or praying that brings them back. Believe me, I tr
ied it all. It didn’t matter how many people told me it wasn’t my fault—I blamed myself anyway. Finding out that it was due to a blood disorder made my guilt that much worse. It was my fault. My body’s fault anyway. Then I started asking myself: Why do some of my babies live and others don’t? What did I do different? I had children before I started medication for the disorder, and I’ve had miscarriages since getting on the medication. None of it makes sense and it’s still something I struggle to understand. I was in such a deep depression; it was like my creative button had been turned off. I had no desire to write.
When we finally “gave up” and decided that we’d be a family of six, we found out I was pregnant again with our fifth daughter.
This pregnancy was much harder on my body than the others. I found myself on the couch most of the day with my legs up. It was around this time that some online friends found out that I loved to write and encouraged me to share my stories. I did so nervously and they loved them! I reached deep down and found the courage to start submitting queries to agents. Each time my hopes were smashed to pieces.
My husband started talking about eBooks and self-publishing. I wasn’t too sure about going that route. I wanted to see my books in print, so I could hold them in front of my face. I wanted to smell my book. But, as time went on, eReaders became more popular and I figured…why not?
So, here I am, with five children, trying to find the time to write, while juggling mom-duty, wife-duty, household chores, errands, and more. During the earlier part of this year, you could find me up until the wee hours of the morning writing. You see, that is the only time it’s quiet enough to get anything done. Three a.m. is the time when all little girls are sleeping, the husband is snoring away, and my mind is clear. I can throw myself into a character’s psyche and let my imagination flow. Everything was going perfectly. I was getting a lot of writing done and then we got a surprise. Baby #6 was on the way.
As happy as we were, this put a serious damper on staying up until three a.m. I just couldn’t do it. My one-year-old is at the age where she needs to be followed around and supervised constantly. If I don’t, I find my computer monitor has become a coloring book.
Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25 Personal Stories Page 68
