She looked up from her texting. Leonora was almost side swiped by the old blue rusted out sedan (or so it looked to her). "Hey watch it!" she honked her horn several times. She hated traffic. To make matters worse she was already late for a meeting with the director of the studios she worked at. She texted she would be there as soon as possible. Movie studios in Detroit, what will they think of next?
Leonora sat back and turned on the radio. The traffic had come to a stand still. So all she could look at were the dying trees and rusting cars that surrounded her. She had always seen things dying around her. As a child she was taking to every kind of doctor imaginable. and two cooky psychics that told her she was a stranger to this world and that she would be the end all of be alls. Big help that was. The one thing that helped her looks were the strange gold eyes she had. Other than that, she was as plain as the next Jane doe.
She had short red hair and was tanned rather unusually, a golden color, even in the winter.
Leonora came to the conclusion after watching horror and sci-fi movies she was cursed. Which she learned to live with and even came to appreciate. Especially when she was looking at some new actress with fake boobs.
Over the radio the weather and traffic came on. Stand still on I- 75. as if she didn't already know that. There were some big storms passing through the area. Great the ride home will be fun. All and all it was starting to be a really bad day for her and the fact they were playing all commercials didn't help much either.
Leonora got another text message from her boss. "Go to the ComericaCenter and speak to Mr. Gavrin." "now?" "this morning asap then head to studio 4"
She breathed a sigh of relief. This was good. She could make this meeting then report to her boss. Leonora knew what Mr, Gavrin wanted to speak about and was well prepared. Some clever maneuvering and she was out of the traffic and in a parking garage.
A peel of thunder.
She rushed in as it started raining. She headed straight to the top floor and announced to the receptionist she was there. Five minutes later she was in the office and introducing herself to Mr. Gavrin.
She had never been there but only met with company's lawyers before. She was impressed with the office at any rate. Why didn't she think to become a lawyer herself?
Mr Gavrin Came to the door and invited her in. He was cute. From what she saw for the brief amount of time she had before he started to look dead. Dang he would make a good looking corpse.
"Please, be seated." She looked around the room. It was some kind of rather odd modern Ikea mix but it worked.
"Thank you, Mr Gavrin"
"I know that I have been handling things with your studios for a while now but I have something else I want to speak with you about."
"Yes." This was unexpected.
"I, in my younger days, handled your adoption. I didn't find out until recently that your company and mine were working together and that you were one of its employees."
"Oh, well Mr. Gavrin I am doubly glad to meet you. I guess I should thank you for putting me with such wonderful people. (they were nothing but loving straight forward and caring towards her, true parents.)"
"I have something I want to share with you from your adoption."
"Yes."
He pulled out a large envelope and handed it to her.
"These I believe belong to you."
It was a necklace, a piece of paper with some kind of writing on it and a blanket.
"The writing on that paper we can't decipher. And I personally have taken it to universities that could not make heads or tails of it."
"I see". She looked at the strange writing. There was something to it like something from the very back of her mind that she could not remember.
"Thank you Mr Gavrin."
A bolt of lightening.
"Wow That was close. I think I will take my work to a safer level." He laughed.
As they walked down the hall she basically covered what information she had from her boss to this man and exchanged trivial details of the weekend.
"I am going on a well deserved vacation." She said
Where to?
"Up north. There is a family cabin up there where I like to spend a couple of week a year."
"All by your self?"
"Well I will have James with me."
"Oh, well you and James have fun."
"I am sure he will tire himself out by chasing the squirrels and rabbits that are up there."
He blinked.
"James is my dog."
Ah, I see.
They parted and she made her last appointments and a slight debate with the boss about this and that. She then left.
Two weeks with nothing but what her trunk could carry. She was going to love it.
That afternoon she packed everything she could think of into the car. Everything from her nature and romance books to clothing hiking gear to food and drinks (some wine for her first night there) To first aid kits and personal items. There was nothing to be left to chance. She finally put the dog cage and food in before she relaxed before bed.
She brought her Ipod and her Laptop with the newest script. She was headstrong about trying out for a part in this next movie. It happed to a friend of hers and that friend was now in a dozen movies being in bit parts, the last one she had a speaking line. If Helen could do it so could she.
No sooner she had layed back on the couch when the scottie came in from the back room.
"Well where have you been hiding all this time? Hmm?" she patted his head and scratched his ears.
"You're a good boy yes you are." She gave him a kiss on the head and was proceeding to scratch his belly when the phone rang.
The dog looked up at her and gave her this look of "How rude."
She picked up the phone and saw by the caller id it was her mother.
She didn't even get out the word hello when her mom jumped right in and started talking.
"Oh good I'm glad I caught you before you left. I just wanted to remind you We will be meeting up with you next week and spending a couple of days before your father goes on his fishing trip and then it will be just the two of us."
"Don't you mean just the three"
"Three!"
"James"
The voice laughed over the phone. "of course dear. I have a special treat for James when I get up there. By the way you are how old. Pardon me for saying this but are you straight?"
"Mom!"
Laughter on the other end, "I know dear, I know"
Leonora quickly changed the subject, "Oh You will never guess who I had a very interesting conversation with today."
"Who dear?"
"A Mr. Gavrin."
"Now why does that name sound familiar?"
"He told me that he was the one that handled my adoption on the legal end anyway"
"Oh yes! Wait…You were adopted!"
"Mom." She petted James ears.
"What did he have to say"
"Nothing much. He was simply said he was surprised to see me and that he had been holding on to something since the adoption. IT was one of those big manila envelopes and inside it was some things that I was found with I guess."
"What was inside?"
"A Weird necklace. Something like one of those gangster people would wear. A note, which he told me no one could decipher and a blanket."
"Well keep the blanket definitely. You can give it to your children. If you have any."
"Good by mom I'll see you next week"
"Good by dear"
She hung up the phone and fell asleep on the couch.
She woke up with a start! She did not intend to fall asleep and already her neck was protesting the fact that she had not slept on pillows. She whistled for James and got dress after taking one final proper shower before she left.
One final check that everything was packed, and she headed down the road to the cabin, James currently being the copilot.
She had been driving most of the day when the sky started to look rather ominous. Then it started to thunder, rain, lightening then all of it at once.
She did not like this at all. She pulled over to the side of the road to wait the storm out. James was acting frantic. He had been in storms before but he never acted like this. She even felt something "strange" in this storm. She shrank down into the seat.
"it's ok boy. Shhh! It's ok."
Soon an arch of lightening hit the car and Leonora panicked.
She moved slightly then decided that the car being stationary was not as good idea as she thought. She put James in the doggy cage and started cautiously down the road.
She heard a screech and saw some headlights doing some kind of strange jiggling motion.
She knew what was going to happen. She braced for impact and was hit broad side and spun towards the ditch. Another lightening bolt hit the car and she came to a sudden stop. She hit her head on the steering wheel and blacked out.