Copyright © 2020 Lisa Champagne
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-7353923-4-9
This book is dedicated to my amazing husband and kids.
Thanks for always believing in me—even when I didn’t believe in myself.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: Home
CHAPTER TWO: Change
CHAPTER THREE: Beginning
CHAPTER FOUR: New Home
CHAPTER FIVE: Learning Celestial
CHAPTER SIX: Insight
CHAPTER SEVEN: First Day
CHAPTER EIGHT: Classes
CHAPTER NINE: Mission Impossible
CHAPTER TEN: Open House
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Complications
CHAPTER TWELVE: Urgency
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Location
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Breaking
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Wopnin
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Concealed
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Drained
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Foundering
CHAPTER NINETEEN: Break
CHAPTER TWENTY: Broken
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Distress
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Memories
CHAPTER ONE
Home
Lili - Birthday Blues
Today is the one-month anniversary of my father’s death, and it also unceremoniously happens to be my fifteenth birthday. This day was supposed to be filled with laughter and celebration, but instead my house is full of silence and mourning.
My vision of today was obviously different, but for now all I want is one day without grief and regret.
I walk from my bedroom into our retro styled, beach themed bathroom with seashell decorations and an old school shower-tub. Man, my mom really needs to stop designing our house based on sales at Ross. I turn on the shower, slowly testing the water for the right amount of heat, and once it feels just below boiling, I begin to undress. It’s funny how the simple things, like starting the shower, helps me forget about my sorrow.
For months, my dad and I had been planning a Star Wars marathon for my birthday. It was supposed to start at 12am, my exact time of birth, and continue into the night, the morning, afternoon, and following evening. We’d planned to buy ice cream, marshmallows, chocolate, and pizza, and eat until we were too full to walk. My mom was even planning to participate, and said she’d make us all Star Wars PJs to wear. Now, our plans are obsolete after an avoidable car accident, which I was unable to prevent. I tried to warn him, begging him to stay home. I had kept my abilities hidden for so long that when I finally told him, it was too late. He didn’t believe me, and I have to live with the guilt of his loss forever.
Instead, my fifteenth birthday will be spent in grief as I try to come to terms with his death while simultaneously helping my mother deal with her new reality, a life without my father.
I climb in the tub, trying not to slip like the old people in those Life Alert ads. I don’t need to be found dead in the tub, naked. I’m sure my mom wouldn’t even cover me with a towel before she called an ambulance. The news would report “a nude Mexican girl was found dead in the tub on her fifteenth birthday. She had no known friends and a recently deceased father.” What a tragedy.
The funny thing is I know that death isn’t finite. I’ve been able to communicate with the dead since I can remember. I can also feel the energy of people, read minds, and see the future. But, my abilities rarely work the way I want them to. I spent weeks trying to connect with my dad’s spirit, but was unable to find him. Plus, listening to others’ thoughts about me—the good, bad, and perverted—isn’t the highlight of my day. And finding out that my mom is unimpressed with my lack of accomplishments wasn’t the best moment in my life. To top all that off, I basically have a meltdown anytime I’m in large crowds—lunchtime at school, assemblies, and any public outing with more than fifty people. Basically, I’m the weird girl in the cafeteria who looks like she’s in pain. Not the most popular girl in school by a long shot.
I swear I hear a knock on the front door now. I listen intently and hear another knock, this time much louder. I pause with my hand against the tile, praying my mom has the strength to answer the door so I can have just five more minutes of peace. The knocks quickly turn to pounding. Whoever is at the door refuses to leave, so I guess I’m forced to abandon my sea-shelled, satin-smelling shower for freezing cold air, a half-washed body and a small bath robe that barely covers me. Great!
With water dripping everywhere, I hurry down the slippery wooden stairs to our front door.
I loudly scream at the knocker, while they continue to pound their mammoth sized fists against our door like a bear in heat, “I’m coming, hold on, please!” I reach the front door and pause, using my abilities to gauge who’s on the other side before I open it. I sense a lady, rushed for time and very impatient. She has other houses to go to, and she’s irritated. Though her energy isn’t warm, she’s not evil.
I take a deep breath, bracing myself to be attacked by her emotions, and I slowly open our door. I see a tall white lady with black-purple hair and round glowing sunglasses blocking her eyes. She’s in all black and the grin on her face isn’t genuine, making the hairs on my arms stand up in alert.
Her voice is even less welcoming as she barks, “Lili Araica, born today at 12am exactly?"
I cautiously respond, "Uh, yes. Can I help you?"
The strange lady pushes her way in, alarming me as I unsuccessfully try to block her passage. She stops by the stairs, turning toward me. ”I’m Elizabeth, and I’m here to inform you that you are the 555th new Celestial to be sent to Earth by our creator. As is decreed in our law, you will attend Cognosco, a Celestial training school, shortly after your fifteenth birthday.”
Oh no, I don’t need this today. Alarmed by her craziness, I play along as I grab her by the elbow trying to escort her out of the house as quickly as possible. "Oh, okay. Thank you for letting me know. I’ll be the best angel ever—”
I almost get her out, but she plants her feet down, angrily turning toward me. Her eyes display annoyance as she takes a glowing silver ball with foreign symbols etched in it out of her black skirt pocket, holding it awkwardly in her palm. She twists the orb, and in front of us emerges a large blue circle that appears one-dimensional in this reality, but there are four dimensions within it. It looks like a passage of some sort, as it cracks and pops like it’s made of lightning. On the opposite side there appears to be another place, though its details are blurry.
The lady in my living room seems rather pleased with herself, motioning for me to step inside as she says, “I’d like to show you where Celestials live. It’s within the vivacity channel. All you have to do is step inside.” I know a reasonable person wouldn’t step inside a lightning tunnel, but I’ve longed for belonging my whole life. Always searching for answers to who I am and why I have abilities. So, I decide to listen to my intuition, and trust that Elizabeth will return me to my mom, who needs me.
I feel a tingling on my skin, like intense static electricity, as I step in the narrow, blue sparking tunnel. Once my whole body is through, I’m quickly transported into another world that looks like it was designed for the pages of a fairytale. I inhale sharply, closing my eyes in disbelief, unsure if I’m awake or dreaming.
Elizabeth cockily smirks. “This is Verve, the Celestial City. Take a look around, this will be your home once you’ve graduated.”
The first thing that catches my eye about the city is the crystal blue
and peach sky surrounding us. The upper region holds large puffy purple clouds with blue lightning shooting down into glass and metal flowers throughout the city. Verve’s ground is covered in glass stones with clear flower boxes filled with green plants and pink, purple and yellow flowers. There are glass and metal pods organically placed all over the city. Each pod is naturalistic in design, in shapes of trees, flowers, and mountains, though the glass and metal make it seem more futuristic than naturalistic. The whole city buzzes with electricity and the air smells of rain and flowers. I feel a breeze, making me blush as I feel my small shower robe blow in the wind.
Elizabeth smugly asks, “Are you ready to listen now, Lili Araica?" I try to regain my composure, listening as she continues to speak. “You are a Celestial. Number 555 to be exact, and it is your duty to protect the earth from evil. It’s mandatory that you attend our Celestial training school shortly after your fifteenth birthday, before your abilities manifest when you turn sixteen. Do you understand?”
I stumble for the right words to say. “Abilities on my sixteenth birthday?”
Liz responds in a steady voice. “Yes. That will be explained at school. You’ve nothing to worry about. Celestials don’t receive abilities until their sixteenth birthday. Our abilities are derived from energy, which gives all living things life and powers our city. As Celestials, we’re able to manipulate all earth energy. Cognosco will teach you how.”
With a thousand thoughts stumbling into each other in my head, I take a deep breath, nervous to let Elizabeth know I already possess abilities. “Has anyone ever had abilities before sixteen?”
Voice laced with suspicion, Elizabeth slowly answers my question, “Original Celestials were created with their powers intact. But ever since new Celestials started being created, they’ve never gotten powers before the age of sixteen.” Elizabeth pauses, as if she’s nervous to continue. “If there was a Celestial with powers before sixteen, that would be very worrisome and dangerous for our species. There would be an investigation and a determination if the Celestial is evil.”
I shove the panic deep down inside as I respond in a feigned innocence. “Copy that. I was just curious.” Elizabeth stares at me for an uncomfortably long time, then she begins to search for something in her pocket. Not wanting to make eye contact with her, I aimlessly look around the Celestial City, until my eyes land on a large dark figure lurking about a hundred feet to my left. My body feels cold and my muscles tense, making me close my eyes in hope that the shadowy figure is only in my imagination. When I open them, the shadow is gone, but my hands continue to shake in fear.
I hear Elizabeth calling to me, so I shake off the feeling of dread and turn toward her as she asks, “Ready?”
I nod and grab her arm as she transports me back to my home and to a life that will never be the same.
Lili – Searching
With my departure for Celestial School only days away, I walk through downtown Austin in search of a psychic shop I first discovered when I was thirteen. Mrs. Marlowe, the owner, is like a second mother to me and has been searching for books on Celestial ever since I told her about my birthday visit from Elizabeth.
Downtown Austin is a unique city. The old Southern buildings I walk past are hidden from view by the large skyscrapers around them. It’s a large city, but a fresh woodsy smell is in the air, filling me with comfort as I walk by colorful marquees and brick buildings.
I try to avoid places with crowds, preferring to isolate myself from the overwhelming power of my abilities, but after finding out Mrs. Marlowe found a book on Celestial, I had to venture to her shop on a Saturday.
The city’s crowds feel overwhelming to my senses, like a weight pushing me down. My emotions are rarely mine, always feeling others’ pain and joy, like being on a rollercoaster. There’s a group of three girls walking ahead of me. They feel joy, with a sense of belonging and love for each other that makes me long for the same. I’ve always wished to find my type of people—to be a part of a group and have meaningful relationships. I’m unsure of where I belong, or who I am. Maybe I’ll find answers at Cognosco, or maybe not. Maybe I developed abilities early because there’s something wrong. Something off. Maybe I’ll be exposed as evil.
As I get closer to the shop, I turn a street corner too quickly and smack into a twenty-something, thin girl that reminds me of a squirrel, with her hair styled in a poof on top her head. We both land on the wet and dirty ground. Overwhelmed by her devastated emotions, I look up and find a tear-stained face staring down at me.
She hoarsely whispers, “I’m so sorry.” Then she begins to run away. My instinct yells at me to chase her, to comfort her, but instead I just stare after her, disgusted with my lack of action. I slowly pick myself up off the ground and continue to walk until I reach Mrs. Marlowe’s shop. As I open the creaky orange door, I once again think of the sad girl on the street, cursing myself for not helping her.
I found Mrs. Marlowe’s shop years ago. I had begun walking here for no reason, like the shop was calling to me. There are light oak wood panels on every wall, with colorful stones in wooden baskets, colorful candles everywhere, and pendants and herbs on every countertop. The shop reminds me of what a medicine shop would have looked like in the 1800s.
In the back of the shop I see a familiar face staring at me with a warm smile I so desperately need. Mrs. Marlowe has long blonde hair and is in her early fifties. Her age is evident in her body, but her soft melodic voice is ageless. “Lili, I’ve been waiting for you. Why such a down-rotten mood?” Mrs. Marlowe is a psychic and can pick up on others’ emotions like I can, but not as potent.
I stumble to find my words, not wanting to discuss the girl outside. “I just get overwhelmed in crowds is all.”
Mrs. Marlowe looks at me knowingly. “Once you understand your purpose in life, you’ll know what to do and will stop doubting yourself so much.”
I shrug, trying to change the subject. “Where’s the Celestial book you found? Anything interesting?”
Mrs. Marlowe purses her lips as she walks around a large bronze elephant statue and stands in front of me. She extends her arms and wraps them around me in a loving hug that makes me feel warm. Mrs. Marlowe smells of lavender and candle wax, which fills me with a calm that is foreign to me. She pulls back from our hug with a mischievous look on her face. “An interesting book arrived. It took me a while to find, but it’s rumored to be written by a very old Celestial. Let me get it.”
I feel my dread lessen as I follow Mrs. Marlowe to a waist-high purple safe with a keypad. She quickly enters the code, and the locked safe opens with a slow creaking sound expected from a scary movie.
The safe holds leather-bound books and crystals stacked to the brim. Mrs. Marlowe searches inside and pulls out a gold cloth-wrapped book. She looks around the shop suspiciously, ensuring no one is watching before she places the book down on the glass countertop. Mrs. Marlowe slowly unwraps it to reveal a dark leather cover with gold shimmery writing in a language I don’t understand.
She flips through the book’s thin, almost translucent pages until she stops and points at a page. “I imagine it’s full of information on Celestials, but I’ve only been able to translate a couple of pages so far. This page references dark and light energy and a mistake made when separating the two. The author says that the separation created a longing for power within the Celestial and human races.”
I stare at the page long and hard, hoping for it to magically translate before my eyes giving me insight into my heritage. Unfortunately, nothing happens, and I just look like an illiterate idiot.
I give up, turning my attention to Mrs. Marlowe. “Who wrote the book?”
She hesitates before answering, “I’ve no idea. There’s a drawing in here of every important event in history. It seems like it’s a journal more than anything.”
Searching for anything to help me understand why I got abilities early, I ask, “Does it say anything about new Celestials and abilities?”
/> “I’m sure it does, but I haven’t been able to translate that yet. The spirits are helping me translate it, but they’re being slow and difficult.”
A sudden shift in energy alerts Mrs. Marlowe and me that a spirit is with us. Mrs. Marlowe looks into the abyss, and then we both hear a young female voice say, “Check page 23. It contains what you need.”
I turn to the page quickly, thankful for the helpful spirit. The spirit continues speaking. “It says all things in the universe are made of energy, and darkness and light fight to control it.” I feel the spirit move closer to me, like her words are meant only for me. “Lili, you were sent down to help destroy the Darkness, but be careful of those who mean you harm. You’re important. Don’t divulge the strength of your abilities. There was once another.” The spirit abruptly stops then shrieks, “Someone is watching us!” And with that, she vanishes.”
Mrs. Marlowe’s face contorts as her head moves toward the front of the store. She whispers, “Lili, hide right there.”
My breath catches as I duck down behind the counter. Mrs. Marlowe chases our watcher with gusto while I hide. I feel ashamed to hide like a frightened cat, but being a hero isn’t in my DNA.
Mrs. Marlowe returns out of breath. With a wobbly voice, she says, “It was a guy. I couldn’t catch him; he didn’t move like he was human. Be careful, Lili. I’m not sure what’s happening, but you need to have your guard up until you figure it out.”
Easton - Time for action
As I walk back from the Vivacity Channel Station, I can barely catch my breath. I know I shouldn’t have gone looking for Lili before her first day of school, but I’ve never been known for my patience. Curiosity got the better of me, making me break protocol and locate her. I could track her easily, and found her in a demented medium’s shop full of playthings and trinkets.
New Celestial : A teen paranormal romance series (The Celestial Series Book 1) Page 1
