It was happening again. She was running. From what, she was not sure, but she knew if she stopped, her life would end. She breathed in the scent of pine and she ran through the trees. She could hear footsteps behind her, and suddenly,a cold hand grabbed her. She screamed, and turned and--
She woke up. She looked around her room as if expecting someone to jump out of a corner. She breathed a sigh of relief. Every night for the past month she had been having the same dream. And everytime she woke, she felt certian that something was really going to grab her. Since she had moved to the small town of Palmer Alaska, the nightmares had been growing more and more frequent. Adeina was sure that the dreams were caused from all the stress she had been going through. It was a big change for her to have moved from Seattle to Palmer, and with school looming closer and closer, it didn't seem to help. Ada, as her friends called her, glanced at the alarm clock right next to her bed. It read 6:05 a.m and she groaned. She had really been hoping to sleep in. She layed down for a few minutes, but when sleep didn't come, she got out of bed. She got out her favoret pair of blue jeans, and a simple black tee, then went to the bathroom to wash her face, and comb out the tangles in her long, dark hair. By the time she was done, she could hear her mother moving around downstairs, making coffee.As Ada went down to jon her, she looked out the window at the top of the stairs. The town was just waking up, and shops were just starting to open. She decided she would go out to eat this morning. As she went downstairs, she looked for her mother. Ada found her sitting in the living room, and when she told her mother of her plans for the day, her mother did nothing but nod. On her way out the door, her mother called her name.
"Ada?" She called.
"Yes?" Ada said, turning around.
"I'm going into Anchorage today to perform some errends.I am probably going to be gone most of the day. Will you be okay?"
Ada sighed. "Mom, I'm sixteen. I'm sure I'll find somethiing to do, don't worry about me. I have that money from my old work anyways, so I'm not gonna be broke either. Ok?"
Her mother sighed. "Okay I guess. But be careful."
"Mom, what is likely to happen in a little dump like this?" Ada had let it be known since they had moved here that she wasn't pleased with it, and when she finished her sentence, she coud see the hurt in her mothers eyes.
"I wish you would give it a chance honey. You might find that you like it."
"I know mom. I am trying." Ada said, already regretting that she had hurt her mothers feelings. "It's just going to take some time.
Her mother sighed."I know sweetie. Anyway,I have to start heading out, so if your going to go, you might as well start off now.I love you."
"Ok mom, I love you too. Oh, I might head into Wasilla also, just to let you know." Ada said as she turned toword the door.
Her mother looked alarmed for a moment, then Ada could see her face soften. "Ok I 'spose. Just remember what I said, and be careful."
Ada sighed and after giving her mother a hug, she left out into the bright Alaskan Sunlight. Their house was right on the edge of town, and since they had moved in, Ada hadn't really had a chance to explore. She started off down the road, waving to people accasionly, and looking at the beutiful scenery. Every time she looked at the majestic mountians, it still took her breath away. She couldn't belive that anything so harsh could be so beutiful. As she walked along side the railroad tracks into town, she looked for a good place to eat. She spotted a little cafe' and walked into it.
Inside, Ada thought the cafe' looked rather dark and sinister. It looked completly out of place in the quaint little town of Palmer, which always seemed so bright and carefree, though windy most days. In this shop, there were wirey little tables crowded around the little shop, and the chairs surrounding the tables looked very uncomfortable. The only other people in the shop was a small, skinney women who resembled a chicken, and her male friend, both sitting in the corner, drinking something that Ada hoped was coffee, and a rather handsome looking man who was sitting next to the window. When Ada entered, he turned and stared at her, and Ada looked into eyes so dark they looked black. She looked away, and a little shiver went up her spine. She walked to a vacent corner and sat down. She didn't have to wait long for a waitress to come over to her. She didn't say anything, but walked away to leave Ada to look at the menu on her own. When the waitress came back, all Ada ordered was a cup of apple juice-- Ada didn't trust anything else. When she was done ordering, she sat back and watched the stranger in the corner. The more she looked, the more she noticed how good looking he was. He had those beutiful jet black eyes, and blonde hair that was in that casual just-out-of-bed look that most boys had to work for hours to achieve, exept that his hair seemed to do naturally. He had dark circles under his eyes that made it look like he hadn't slept in months. His mouth was curled up in a sort of smile as he looked at her, but he also looked confused as he looked her over. he was dressed casualy, but there was no doubt in Ada's mind that under his shirt, he was nothing but muscles. As she had been looking at him, her juice had arrived. She gave a nod of thanks without saying anything, and as she was sipping her juice, the stranger came over to her table.
"Would you mind if I joined you?" He asked. His voice took her breath away. It was as smooth as silk, yet deep in a way, and unresistable.
"Sure"Ada said, trying to keep the quaver out of her voice. Why would this stranger want to join her? She was nothing. She LOOKED like nothing really. She had a thin enough face, and tan skin, but her black hair hung down her back limp, and she thought her green eyes had a dull look in them.
He sat across from her, and looked at her through his beetle black eyes. Somehow, his eyes looked warm, yet terrible, as though they had seen too much in his short life. And he couldn't be that old. Ada was sixteen, and he didn't look any older than eighteen at the most. Maybe seventeen.
" My name is William." he said after a couple minutes. "Or Will. Whichever you prefer. May I ask your name?"
Somehow, Ada sensed it wasn't really a question, but she told him anyway. "Umm..it's Adeina. But everyone calls me Ada."
He looked thoughtful for a moment. " Thats a very different name Ada. But it's nice. Are you new here? How old are you? Where do you live?"
Ada struggled to keep up with all his questions, because he had said the whole sentance in what seemed like a matter of seconds. "I live right down the way, kinda close to the tracks. I'm going to be a Sophmore at Palmer High."
"So your maybe, fifteen? Sixteen?"
"Sixteen." She said. "How old are you?"
He hesitated for a moment, and she could see something different in his eyes that she couldn't quite figure out. " I'm Seventeen." He said after a moments pause. So Ada had been right, in a way. But she still couldn't understand why he was here. Before she could say anything else, he looked up as if he had heard somehting."I apologize Ada, but I have to leave. I might see you in school though. I'm in your grade also."
Ada looked up. "When does school start again?"
"On Monday. Tomorrow."
"Oh great." She mumbled. "Well, see you then I suppose."She waved him good bye, then went back to drinking her juice, looking thoughtful. She had an idea that more had gone on on their conversation than she had been aware of at the time, but she couldn't quite figure out what it had been. She couldn't deny that Will was amazing though. When they had been talking, even for that short time, she couldn't take her eyes of him. And she was going ot get to see him tomorrow also, she hoped. She couldn't wait. Now the day seemed to streach on forever. When Ada was done with her juice, she left her money on the table, and walked out into the sun. It was blinding after having been in the dark cafe', but warm also. She walked further down the sidewalk, until she got to the park. She laid down in the warm grass, and closed her eyes.Ada was thinking of her move, and how everything had changed for her. She didn't know anyone in town (exept for Will now) and school was going to be starting tomorrow. Oh joy. She wouldn't know anybody in the building (exept Will) and she was worried about her mom. Ada knew her mom was happy, but her mother was also not exactly graceful you might say. She was extremely accident prone, and Ada worried about her whenever she wasn't in eyesight. As Ada thought, she started drifting of into sleep.
When she woke, the sun was going down, and the park was empty. She got up, and after rubbing her eyes, looked at her watch round her wrist. She gasped. It was almost midnight, and she couldn't belive that nobody had woken her. They probably thought I was was some wierdo junkie passed out, she thought. She started running home, not stopping for anything. As she got closer and closer, she started seeing the outline of her house. The lights were off, but that didn't bother her. Probably mom had just gone to bed and wasn't worried about Ada. As Ada rounded the side of her house however, she saw the first odd thing. Her mothers truck wasn't there. Now Ada sarted Panicing. At the most, her mother should have been gone till ten o'clock. But it was now one in the morning, and she was not back. Ada ran to the door, only to find it locked.
"Ada?" A calm, familier voice asked behind her, making her jump. She turned around to see Will, standing behind her, looking troubled. "I was just out for a walk, are you all right?" He asked, a little more urgently now that he noticed the panic in her face.
She decided not to lie. "My mom left to Anchorage early this morning, and she is not back yet. She shouldn't have been gone past ten. And the house is locked, she hasn't called my cell, and I'm worried about her." Her voice had started rising as she reached hysteria.
Will came forward. "Do you have anywhere to go?" he ask. Ada shook her head. "Then you can come home with me." He said. "Just untill you hear from your mother. Do you think she would call if you weren't home when she got back?" he asked.
"Yes." Ada said. Will came up, and grabbed her wrist. Ada was surprised with how cold he felt. He pulled her away from the house, and, reluctantly, she followed.
As they were turning the corner onto the railroad tracks, they both turned and saw lights behind them.
"Adiena Sunadina?" A deep, husky voice asked.
"Yes?" Ada asked with a feeling of dread. "What do you want?"
"I'm afraid have some bad news."
All Ada could hear was ringing in her ears when he had finished speaking. All she could hear over and over was his last six words...
"I'm sorry. Your mother is dead."