Myth (Book 1)

by Angela K. Crandall

“Yes, for now, we do, sir. If anything happens, how do we reach you? Your cell number or home phone?” asked Jenson

  “Here’s my card, but only call if it’s extremely urgent. I’ll be investigating further. Don’t forget, I’m counting on your assistance in this. Now go find my daughter.”

  He got up from the table and slid his chair into place. Suddenly he embraced me; drawing back, startled I gazed at him. “Take care of our daughter, watch over her friends. I’ll be in touch,” he said.

  Then I watched him walk out the door.

  Chapter 5

  Sitting in the diner’s booth, I pushed my empty plate away, surveying the scene. The strange man had ended up getting his coffee to go. I hadn’t seen a soul enter or leave since. My life was beginning to feel like a bad episode of the Twilight Zone. I’m not talking vamps this time; I’m talking, the old television show, black, and white before Technicolor existed.

  My Coke sat half full. I drank the watery sugar substance, then set my glass down to dig my phone out of my pocket. It read, “No missed calls.” I pushed my flip phone back into the pocket of my jeans. The waitress sauntered back up to the table. Her name tag said Sue. I hadn’t paid much attention to it earlier.

  “Here, let me get you some more soda. Don’t you have anywhere to go?” she asked.

  “More soda is good. I’ll just sit here a spell. Then take the trail back to my abode.”

  She stared at me as if I’d just come out of an alien spaceship while she refilled my Coke from her plastic pitcher.

  “Whatever floats your boat, dear, make sure you’re gone by ten. That’s when we close up for the night.”

  Peering out the window, I spotted Jenson, strolling in beside Molly. They looked pretty stern.

  “Oh, more customers, I best get some menus ready!” she said, running off to fetch them.

  Jenson and Molly came up to my booth, “Are you guys going to eat? Sue is delighted to have more customers. It’s just been me, and some weird guy getting coffee to go,” I said glumly.

  “Starla, we have things to discuss. We better order a round of something caffeinated. Your dad laid down some heavy information on us,” replied Jenson.

  “What did he say?”

  “Quite a bit, have you had any visions or waking dreams lately?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. Those experiences ended with our recent move. Unless the dream the other night was a precursor to those vamps showing up.”

  “Make a note of that,” replied Jenson.

  He and Molly scooted into the other side of the booth.

  Sue stepped over to us with her order pad, a pencil in her hand. “Are you, kids going to have anything else? If not, I have to ask you to leave due to loitering laws.”

  “Give us a round of Espressos, whipped cream, and be generous,” said Molly.

  “Alright, we close at ten, well, I’ll make it ten-thirty, but then you, kids need to sca-doodle, Ok?”

  “Fine by me,” I replied.

  After Sue dropped off the espresso’s Jenson laid out one measly article my father had left. Heavy-information? This really didn’t seem like much.

  It was dated February 19th, 2004, only about a week old.

  He pushed it over to Molly, “Read it out loud, quietly.”

  “Martin Du-Vance a senior at the Shady Lane Community College suffered fatal injuries in an attack around nine p.m. on the 19th of February. It appeared as if an animal of some sort had mauled him. The victim had deep teeth penetration in the neck area along with several wounds to his abdomen and facial features. Identity was confirmed by dental records in correspondence by means of a special unit group wishing to remain unidentified for their protection. Police ask that at this time you refrain from visiting Hunters Park during the evening hours after sunset. If you do, disciplinary actions will be taken.”

  “What is this other entire jumble of papers?” I asked.

  “My findings and an additional folder containing research completed since the night you turned up at my house as a fox. Are you’re prepared to hear this?”

  Molly picked up the folder, handing it to me. I scanned its contents. “This doesn’t tell us anything we don’t already know. It explains the visions I’ve received in the past during dreams, or waking ones. I thought maybe I’d gone crazy until I solved mysteries using them. Occasionally, when enemies are near, any kind, I see things happening in my head. It’s not 100% accurate. The other obstacle is, it cannot be turned on and off at will. It just occurs. Does this signify me as a guardian of sorts?”

  “You are a part of a clan, not sure what one, but some sort of Fox clan or alliance. I’d wanted to tell you in class. Jones doesn’t have great timing. Those vampire wolves may have come to make you choose to align with them before another group gets to you. Possibly the real reason your dad came tonight. They may not have known this part of your life has been hidden from you.”

  “What?” I said.

  “Your abilities, here look at this,” Jenson pulled out the file she’d seen as a child in her father’s office.

  “How did you get this?”

  “It was among the clippings your dad gave me. Perhaps he misplaced it? I read it on the way here.”

  I should have been furious, but all I did, was nod in response. “I’m not sure I want to see them. Good news or bad news?”

  “That depends on you. I mean, you’ve known your special most of your existence, right? Don’t you want to know why? I would.”

  Molly pulled the file towards her. Then pushed it on over to me. “You should open it.”

  I nodded, looking down at my empty cup of espresso. “Did anyone bring a notepad?”

  “Yes, here it is.” Molly slid it across to me.

  I picked up the notebook and began to scribble. I heard someone clear their throat and I looked up. Our waitress set the check down on the table. Jenson took it mischievously.

  “My turn, since you usually foot the bill,” said Jenson, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

  Molly smiled. She knew Jenson crushed on me. My best friend understood my heart well, often teasing me that he and I should be a couple.

  “OK, but just this time,” I protested.

  “I’ll treat on the next occasion,” Molly blurted.

  Lately, they’d both been acting like I lost the lottery or something. Be thankful you have good friends, I scolded myself. Molly tapped the folder lying next to me, getting impatient.

  “OK, I’ll open it!”

  On the right-hand corner of the paper was a picture of me. When had dad gotten this? Did he know what all my abilities would be? Below it: “My findings: visions, dreams, ability to predict some future events currently. Starla may gain the capability to wield magic if properly trained by the clan, one miserly page.

  “This is pretty redundant,” I said, closing the folder.

  “What? It shook me up,” Jenson croaked.

  “Sorry, most of this I’ve already experienced. It doesn’t explain my tat any further either.”

  “Are you disappointed?” asked Molly.

  “No, only frustrated it didn’t reveal my position in the clan.”

  Our waitress waltzed up to our booth. “I hate to end your little investigative party, but it’s ten twenty-four. This gal is going to soak her feet tonight if ya know what I mean.”

  Jenson politely gave her a twenty and told her to keep the change. You should have seen her face light up. Our espressos along with my last order were pretty inexpensive.

  “Let’s get out of here,” said Jenson.

  They grabbed their things as I put on my coat. Then we made our way towards the exit. Looking back, I thought about the wolf tail I’d seen on our server. Nah, probably just my imagination.

  Jenson held the door open for Molly and me.

  “What were you jotting down back there?” she asked as we left.

  “Oh, just some notes, questions requiring answers to solve how, and why Martin was killed. We could
assume he’s an innocent bystander, or he might be involved. We’ll need to do some poking around.”

  “Research online at my house tomorrow,” inquired Jenson. I gave him thumbs up.

  “We need to roll, like fast. See you later, unless you want a ride,” said Molly.

  “Um, yeah, I’d better let you drive me,” I answered.

  “Let’s jet,” replied Jenson.

  Chapter 6

  (Starla, Tuesday)

  I’d just woken up, soaked sheets from my bed stuck to my skin. A man was running in the woods. Who was it? I reached for my notebook on the nightstand, then set it down beside me to begin the meditation. Had it been a vision? Taking a deep breath in and out, I slowly brought myself into balance. The stress in addition to negativity simply melted away. I pushed my legs into my chest, and then stretched them out in front of me, as far as I could reach. Afterwards, I brought myself into a cross-legged position. My hands lay on my sides with my eyes shut. I let them come again; images, flashes of light...

  Was it Martin? He quickly wandered down a path of green pines. There were no other trails, but that which was in front of him; on each side pine trees framed the path. It looked similar to Hunters Park. Was it? He gazed back from where he’d come from as if someone had followed him and then picked up speed, running to the side. I saw a shadow, but could not make out the silhouette. A rather large animal; nevertheless it was difficult to determine the species. It could have been a wolf or a bear, maybe even those hybrids who visited me! I observed the creature attack him from behind. It pushed him into the dirt. He tried to push it off himself with no success, subsequently, he kicked the shadowy image, momentarily distracting it. It wasn’t enough. Then it grabbed for Martin’s throat...

  I opened my eyes, not desiring to see the blood gush from his throat again, attempting to make out more details that occurred earlier. Meditation after a dream or vision could every so often lead to new imagery or fine points otherwise missed. Picking up my pen, I wrote down what I had experienced.

  Laying down my fountain pen, I reminisced... Wicca in junior high, this moment reminded me of that. It was all Willow’s fault. That red-haired girl from Buffy was wicked cool! That’s when meditation hit a nerve with me. I by no means spoke to my mother about it. She would’ve found it rather cultish. Wicca’s a practice of respecting the earth over all else. Many still believe Wiccans worship the devil. It’s a matter of perspective. Various groups use meditation, Native Americans, Buddhist monks, even the western Christians, but the way they meditate varies.

  I slid out of my bed, pulled the covers up, and fluffed my pillows. What to wear? Then I should go downstairs for some breakfast. Picking up my jeans off of a chair, I threw them on. My green shirt, where was it? Oh, I spotted it in the hamper. Rats! I’d just have to wear the blue one hanging in my closet. I grabbed it and put it on. Slamming the closet door, I remembered Jenson and Molly wanted to see me today. I raced downstairs to get a bit to eat before heading out.

  Two hours later...

  “We were worried,” said Molly. I’d just entered Jenson’s room. She appeared as if she’d been ready to call me on speed dial. “What took you so long?”

  “An unexpected vision emerged.” I sat down in the overstuffed chair, noticing the map on the wall. They were the clippings dad had given us. Jenson was in his captain’s chair ready to take on the internet. He had this grin on his face. Gah, don’t gush, don’t gush. Molly was on his bed among books of myths, culture, plus a few Marvel comics. She flipped through them. I considered giving her a quick squeeze, not sure why I felt the need for affection. Jenson was right there, after all. Why did I keep denying my feelings for him?

  “Can I get that notebook of yours?” Jenson knelt beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “You OK?”

  “I’m just lost in thought,” I said, grabbing it out of my pack, then scooted over so he could sit by me.

  Jenson opened it, skimming the pages where I’d jotted notes and sat down. I glanced at Molly, now hunting through one of our textbooks, a highlighter in her hand. I wasn’t sure how it was going to assist us.

  “Have you considered Martin might be involved with a gang, does he have any enemies, who were his friends?” Molly pondered looking up from her book.

  “You and Starla are on the same page. She’s got all that written down,” he answered, holding up the notepad.

  “Ah, we need to find Martin in the student directory. Technically, we could have had classes with him and never knew,” I replied.

  “Good idea. We do need to be, a bit discreet,” answered Jenson.

  “What about a web page? Most students are starting to use them now. Check Google,” suggested Molly.

  Jenson leapt up from alongside me, nearly knocking me to the ground as he scrambled to get to his computer. “I got this!”

  Molly and I observed from the sidelines. Jenson typed in Martin Du-Vance into the search engine. After he typed in the address, an image of adorable cuteness popped up on his page.

  “This page is basic. He used HTML to set it up. It claims he lives in Willow Brook. That’s a subdivision a few miles from here.” Jenson scrolled down to several pictures of Hunters Park. It described hikes for beginners and warned people to stay on the trails. “Nothing unusual there for someone interning for a Ranger’s position.”

  “How about his hobbies?” I asked.

  “Umm, here it is on the last page. He enjoys fishing, hunting, hiking, and reading books. Note, check out the book club on campus to see if he has any acquaintances. No friends are listed,” observed Jenson.

  I pushed away from the computer area, pacing back and forth. “Maybe we should visit Hunters Park today. It’s only, what, one o’clock,” I said, staring at my wrist watch.

  “First explain that vision thingy you had,” insisted Molly.

  “There was a path of green pines. Martin was running on the trail away from a shadowy image. He tried to escape his attacker. I couldn’t make out what assaulted him. If we go to the site, perhaps I’ll find a connection?”

  Jenson nodded in response, “We have to start somewhere.”

  I touched my arm, vibrations; did I just feel my birthmark, vibrate? Lingering near the door, I watched Jenson and Molly get their things together so we could leave.

  “Ready?”

  “Sure,” I said, grabbing my own pack.

  “Who’s driving, or are we hoofing it?” asked Molly.

  “I’ll drive,” said Jenson. “You two can be my co-pilots, and we’ll need some snacks!”

  “Snacks, what about lunch? Girls cannot survive on snacks alone,” said Molly.

  “We’ll pick up something on the way to the park, and then eat there,” I said.

  We hurried along the path, the wind blowing fiercely while the sky threatened rain. I shivered, “This is it, right where he’d been attacked,” I said. I held my coat tight to me, not sure of what I expected to find. The area had already been scoped out by local law enforcement. If there was anything left, it was certainly long gone by now. Giving up is not an option, something could still be here. I tried to shake off the voice in my head. Jenson and Molly had already started to explore the perimeter.

  “Fox prints, should we follow them?” asked Molly.

  Kneeling down to get a closer look, I scoured the ground for clues. The paw prints much resembled that of a dog. “These could be fresh tracks, but it’s hard to be sure,” I said, brushing the dirt off my pants. “OK, let’s see where these lead.”

  The prints guided us in circles on both edges of the pine trees, leading us out into the street where the park ended.

  “It just stops,” I said to Jenson.

  “What about going into the forest?” suggested Molly.

  “I didn’t see any prints leading into the trees, and my dad said to stay safe. Our best bet would be to go to the ranger’s station. It’s that way.” I pointed behind us. “We just ignored it coming in. I wanted to go to the precise site
of my vision. It sure didn’t tell me much. When my paw print vibrated earlier, I thought it meant something.”

  “When?” asked Jenson.

  “Right before we left. I was talking about the green pine trees, considering it might hold meaning. It’s glowed before, but never vibrated-- why would it just react to things with no purpose?”

  “Your clan!” exclaimed Molly.

  “Shh,” Jenson covered her mouth with his hands. “We don’t know who is out here. Anyone could be listening. There could be shape shifters,” he said, slowly removing his hand from her mouth.

  “Sorry,” Jenson, she whispered.

  Out of the corner of the trees came a quick swishing sound, something was running towards us.

  “Back up, now,” I called out.

  All of us took a few paces backward into the pines. The deer leaped out of the woods, across to the other side of the trees. Trotting after it was a wolf. It paid us no mind, just kept on racing after its food. There was a chance it was one of the hybrids. I mean, heck, in Buffy, Angel had survived on animal blood, so why not here in the midst of real life? Me, on the other hand, I wasn’t ready to dive into that world yet.

  “Come on guys, ranger’s station,” I prodded. “I’d rather not run into any blood-sucking enemies today.”

  I took Molly and Jenson’s hands, not caring if we looked geeky. The sun began to set behind us. After what happened to Martin, risk taking wasn’t on my agenda. I felt safer being physically connected. Listening, I heard our stomachs growl. We’d missed lunch. No one could compromise on anyplace to get food for one thing; on the other hand, all of us were low on cash.

  I looked at Molly, “I’m sure that my mom won’t mind if you both join us for dinner tonight,” I offered as we approached the ranger’s station. “Ha, look at him, lazy man. He’s sitting in there watching TV!”

  “Doofus! He’s viewing monitors of the forest,” said Jenson. He gave me a playful slap on the back.

  “Oh, how do you know?” I asked.

  Jenson shook his head and knocked on the front door. What would we say? It wasn’t like we knew Martin, we only knew of him. Man, were we ever going to look shady.