by Dave Ferraro
***
Nearly a month had passed and Carmine still hadn’t returned. The last time Amber had seen him was the night he rushed back into the woods; she feared that something terrible had happened to him. She imagined a bear or wolf attacking him. He’d be alone and no one would know where to find him; he’d have no way of finding anyone to help him. Guiliana hushed her fears, telling Amber that he had been scheduled to leave on a business trip, so that was probably where he was. But Amber was still worried and even more disappointed that he wouldn’t be around to bid her farewell on the new journey she was about to begin. He had been angered by her decision, but Amber felt that surely he would not be so stubborn to let her go without saying goodbye.
Amber sat at the wooden dresser, staring at her reflection in the large mirror. Her eyes were strained and a dark purplish tinge had appeared under them. She ran a hand through her long, raven hair that shone a deep plum color in the sun. Guiliana had often compared her to Lenora. The light spray of freckles on her cheeks was the same as her mother’s, as was her hair and delicate features. The only feature she shared with Carmine was his shimmering, emerald eyes.
Tomorrow she’d fly to Cyprus Falls Airport and make her way to the place she’d call home for the next few years: CFU– Cyprus Falls University. Amber moved to her bed and sat on the edge with the musical jewelry box Carmine had given her on her tenth birthday, on her lap. She ran her fingers lightly over the intricate carvings of the wood, resting them on a finely etched crescent moon that had been painted dark red. The box had belonged to her mother and each time Amber listened to the soft, haunting melody that flowed from the tiny box, her heart ached. It was the only personal item of Lenora’s that she still had to cling to. A spark of electricity flashed up Amber’s arm and she dropped the jewelry box. What the hell was that? she thought. The unexpected spark had shocked her and her hand still ached with the weird sensation of pins and needles. She picked up the box again and turned it over in her hands. What could have caused the feeling? Amber ran her hand over the crescent moon and again she felt the spark run though her fingers and up her arm. She jerked her hand back and stared closely at the carving, feeling a strange pull that made her entire body ache. She was tired and stressed and lacking sleep; it was the only way to explain the strange happening.
There was a light tapping on her bedroom door. Amber placed the box on top of her drawer and opened the door to Guiliana.
“Everything alright, dear?” She stepped into the room and looked at Amber with concern.
“Yup, everything is just fine.” Amber tried to sound upbeat.
“I got you something. I hope it cheers you up a little.”
Guiliana held out a sparkling blue and pink gift bag. Amber couldn’t stop the grin that started on her lips and reached her eyes. Guili’s kind face was enough to make her forget the heavy weight on her heart. Amber peered inside the bag and squealed with delight.
“Oh Guili, thank you!” She hugged Guiliana with all her might.
She pulled a box from the gift bag and opened it, holding up her new Blackberry mobile phone and admiring its sleek, glossy finish that gleamed under the light. Carmine had refused for her to have a mobile phone; besides, it was useless for her to have one when there was no one she could call. At least now, when she made friends—and she was sure she would—she’d be able to keep in touch with them.
“This is the best gift ever.” She smiled again at Guiliana. “But how did you…”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. Your father will be thanking me when he finds out I used some money to get you that device.” She shrugged off the question before Amber was even able to ask it. “I’ll leave you to play around with it.”
Amber lay on her bed and explored all the different applications and functions of the phone. She’d never used one before, but she was sure it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how to use it. After an hour of playing with her new phone, Amber placed it under her pillow and stared at the mountain of clothing strewn on her floor. She had been deciding what to pack before the incident with the jewelry box, and she still wasn’t sure what to take with her. She didn’t care much for the expensive clothing that hung in her closet. Besides, she was going to college, not some Hollywood red carpet event; and she was looking to start anew, without any reminders of the lonely years she had spent growing up. She sorted through the heap, only taking the few items she thought she’d need, adding one or two of the more luxurious pieces because she didn’t really know what she was in for. When she’d packed everything she wanted, she dumped the leftover clothing into a huge box and marked it for charity. The clearing of her possessions was like a cleansing ritual and she immediately felt less troubled. Now she was ready to enter a new phase of life.
