*****
Chapter 1
Sitting in my dark, warm room, I realised something. I always ended up sitting in here on January 1st, my birthday. Everyone thought it was strange that a young girl would sit in her bedroom all by herself during her birthday instead of most who are greedy and have huge parties inviting friends and family for presents.
The word 'family' struck my heart coldly and made my every thought go pale. Family..? I thought holding tears back from my dark blue eyes. I only had fourteen short years to know my family, and for a girl like me, I didn't want to have something so special to me taken away so soon.
My family was murdered when I was fourteen. Not only my family, but my boyfriend of six years, Jesse Taylor. I can remember each of my birthdays so clearly.... Since my eighth birthday, he'd knock on my door at 9:00am waking me up with a small blue box (my favourite colour). I remember that I was so tired for all those birthdays.... But I always forgave him with a giant smile and a kiss followed by opening the blue box staring at a beautiful ring each time. Jesse knew I liked jewelry but I would only wear it if it had a special meaning because I didn't want to look real flashy, so he always got me rings. On my fourteenth birthday, I slept in on purpose that morning to keep tradition of Jesse waking me up at 9:00am, but the door was wasn't knocked on that morning. I didn't see him at all that day. I found it stranger than my parents with a frown on their faces, so I went out looking for him.
I had left at 10:00am and returned at 6:45pm with no luck of finding him. I asked my parents if they had seen him today and they said that he came at 10:30am to give me a small package and a letter. Instead of a box?... And a letter...? I thought, but instead of questioning my parents I ran to my bedroom and quickly found the package and letter on my bed. I picked up the letter and read it to myself.
Dear Marl,
I'm so sorry, but my parents say that we have to move.... We'll be leaving at 7:00pm.... I couldn't carry on tradition and bring your present at nine because my parents told me that I had to get up at 5:00 and begin packing non-stop.. If you have visited my house (which I know you will because I know you, my love, you worry) I won't be there. My mother, father, and I are making trips back and forth from our new house to the old one. Fourteen hours of packing, just like it's your fourteenth birthday today....
I continued reading laughing and crying at his corny relation between the hours of his packing and my age that probably took him serveral minutes to figure out.
I can't belive that this has happened. I told my parents yesterday that we couldn't move because you and I have known each other since we were eight years old, but they wouldn't listen to me. Like always, right? Well, I wanted to tell you but I thought that writing you a letter when I was already gone was fine. I knew that if you were able to catch me that you would stop me and probably kill my parents or try to go with me.... either that or try to come with me. My father as well agreed with me and my mother was iffy about it. She thought that you should know but after I told her that you'd probably try to stop us, she changed her mind quickly.
My Darling Marleen, I didn't want to do this, remember that it wasn't my choice and I didn't tell you for all the right reasons.... I couldn't object to my mother and father anymore than I did unless I wanted to get kicked out and we all know that I have nowhere else to go around here. Remember when your parents said 'NO BOYS ALLOWED!'? I know they were just joking, but I can't take my chances now....
From where I am going to be living (I won't know until I get there; but I know it's about two and a half hours away or so) I will think of you everynight and every day, every second I live and every breath I take will be thinking of you. I promise you that, Marleen, I will always be with you.
All My Love, Jesse
-You're forever in my heart
I closed the letter gently and backed up until I hit the wall. "No...."I said out loud. As I slid down the wall so my back was still against it and my knees were face to face with my face I began to cry again. "This isn't true! Jesse wouldn't do that! His parents wouldn't do that! They're to nice! No.... This is a dream! A terrbile horrible dream! WAKE UP MARLEEN! " I couldn't wake up.... Why? Because this wasn't a dream. This was real.... Jesse had left me forever and ever. And why? Because his parents made him.... Wait.... I thought. The letter said he was leaving at 7:00pm! I looked over at my clock. It read 6:50pm. I was too late.... I figured that I missed him all because I was crying so I couldn't read as fast. Jesse was always on time. Even if I ran to his house I wouldn't make it. It takes 30 minutes to walk slowly and 10 minutes to run. I realised, I would never see my Jesse Taylor again.... That was the end and of Jesse Taylor and Marleen (Supposed to be Taylor now that I'm eigthteen telling you the story: We planned on getting married when we were eighteen; he proposed and I burst out crying and agreed).
I closed my eyes and more and more tears streamed down my face. I then held my knees close to me remembering how when I was sad Jesse would always hold me close like I was doing to myself now. I cried for five minutes thinking of him wich felt like forever.... I had actually almost cried myself to sleep when I heard alot of racket comming from everywhere. It sounded so strange! I got up and looked out the window.
"RUN!" I could hear my next door neighbor, Macey and Phil Ching yelling as they ran away. Huh?.... I thought looking around. I wondered why, but then I knew why: I could see many huge ugly demons entering our village and takeing over and killing everyone, my family, my friends. At least Jesse was gone. I didn't care if I died here today, if I couldnt have Jesse then was the point of living!?
Now, as a fourteen-year-old girl who lost love, I was also losing family, friends, foes (not that I had many, only a couple who were friend-emies (friends when no one else was around and foes when people were there). I couldn't do anything but wait to die now. Die with everyone else around me. Then I realised, Jesse is going to die too! He's still in the village!!! But I was too tired, I fell alseep.
And now to this day, I wonder, is Jesse Taylor alive? Did he live through all the suffering and pain that my family and friends went threw? But I made myself a promise. I would become the best demon slayer in the world killing every single demon that I could find and avenge everyones death. Oh, Jesse.... I thought. I know you're dead, I know they killed you, but something inside me sparks when I say that and makes me want to say that there's a small chance in the world that you're out there.... I love you so much my darling Jesse.... With that, I fell asleep just like every one of my birthdays since. I would repeat that line with tears in my eyes clutching my knees just like before when I was fourteen in my bedroom. Then, I'd always fall alseep with a dream of only Jesse's smiling face for hours and hours. All of a sudden, his face would look scared then ever, and I'd wake up and it would be the next day at 9:00am.... And what would I wake up too? A knock on the door. I would every single on of my birthdays.. Odd eh?
Traditionally it happened again. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! I woke up immediatly and ran to the door as fast of I could. No one was there though. Just the aura and feel of Jesse, I could smell him as if he has just walked by leaving his breathtaking smell behind. Or as if he has just bin there... "I'm going crazy..." I told myself. I stepped outside the door. I look to the left and then to the right. No one.
Standing there, I hung my head down low and tears fell to the dirt ground below my cold feet. I thought of the one song that I had sung to Jesse for his tenth birthday (That's when I finally worked up the courage to sing my song that I wrote for him. I told him that if anything ever happened to him or me, that the other one should remember this song and sing it and oddly, January 1st when I turned fourteen, I didn't sing it.
[[This song is actually *A Hold On Me* by Evanescense]]
I'm so tired of bein' here
Supressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that that you would just leave
Because your presance still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just to much that time can not erase
And you cried I'd
Wipe away all of your tears
And you scream I'd
Fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
A hold on me
You used to captivate me by your resinating mind
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just to much that time can not erase
And you cried I'd
Wipe away all of your tears
And you scream I'd
Fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
A hold on me
I tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've bin alone I'm alone
You cried I'd
Wipe away all of your tears
And you scream I'd
Fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
A hold on me
I sang out loud as I did that day, May 14th. Jesse's birthday, his tenth birthday.... I remember how emarrassed I was that day and how red I turned. I chuckled silently at that and went back inside, closing the door. I came face to face with Libby.
I looked at my best friend and she stared back at me.
"I'm sorta worried about you Marleen.... Since your fifteenth birthday you always stay in your room alone... And then you always come downstairs and open the door at the same time every year when no one's even there," I stared into Libby's worried eyes. I remembered those same worried eyes form somewhere, but I couldn't remember from where. "Can you tell me what's goin' on Marleen?" She asked me sitting down in a light brown suede chair wiping her wet hands with a dish towl. I had assumed that she was doing dishes before she heard the door open and walk out to see me there again..
"I'll be back later Libby, I have to, uh... do something. I'll be back at say, 6:45 ," I went for the door and I heard Libby's voice again and stopped.
"I know somethings going on that you won't tell me, Marleen. I know you have something on your mind that you don't want to talk about, but I love you Darling. I'm here for you no matter what, just incase you have to talk or anything,"
"I know.... I love you too... Darling...." I spoke in a strange voice. Libby and I always referred to each other as 'Darling' just as Jesse and I did. Libby always called everyone 'Darling' and I just figured that I should call her that if she called me that. Plus, it reminded me of Jesse, and I love Jesse. Libby made me remember to think of him over and over again each day, everytime I heard that word.
I closed the door behind me and looked around trying to hold a single tear in. I could feel it and it wanted out because of the thought of Jesse, but I didn't want to cry anymore. That wasn't me. I'm strong. I told myself. looking up at the sky and sniffing. "From this day on," I told myself under my breath. "I'm not just Marleen, I'm now Marleen, Demon Slayer.... I'll be known all over the world as the girl who is unbeatable.... I promised you that Jesse, that I would avenge your death, you and my family and friends," I promised myself and all of the people I lost Janurary 1st.
I took off, finally letting go of the cold door handle. I stared around me at all the white fluffy snow and shivered wondering why demons would even be attacking a village in winter when there was snow everywhere. Thinking about it now, it was really sweet of Jesse to start walking to my house at 8:30am and arrive at an exact time (9:00am) in the winter when it was really cold. He did that for me.... He'd do anything for me.... I once again, wanted to cry, but I held it back like I would for now on.
As I walked left down the lengthy sidewalk I stopped thinking for once in my life. There was nothing to think of.... There was nothing on my mind at all, that was new for me. I continued walking straight until I approched a four-way street. I turned right and saw a small bridge. I stopped walking. This bridge was so beautiful looking from this distance with the small red and blue birds around it.... I had never seen anything like it before in my life. On this bridge, only people could walk; it was too small for cars to drive across and there were no houses on this long road. The snow was unwalked on and I could tell because the snow that had fell was flat with no prints in it execpt for the bird tracks that was just around the bridge and the railing.
I could tell that under the inch or two of fluffy snow, the bridge was stone under. Many stones put together to form and old fasion romantic looking effect. It worked, even though I was with nobody, it felt like someone was with me, and since I only ever loved Jesse, I knew it had to be him that my mind imagined was next to me, clinging arms. I sighed loudy and thought of his face, remembering his beautiful, beautiful face. Oh, it was like Heavan in a young boy.... It was sad though, that all I could remeber was his young fourteen-year-old face instead of a new, more masucline eighteen-year-old face.
I kept walkingand laughed a little bit because when Jesse and I were just little he said we were going to get married. I didn't want to, but I did, I thought of the way I burst out crying in happiness and hugged him tightly and never wanted to let go of his warm body. I never laughed around Libby, infact, she had never even seen me smile let alone laugh! I only did when I was thinking about Jesse and how much fun we used to have, and even then most of the time I cried because I missed those fun times so much when everyone was around....
When I reached the bridge I instantly went for the railing. The birds lingered for a while then left when I whimpered. "Darling Jesse, you were so sweet.... Why you? Why my family? Why my friends?.... Why me? Why you?...." I said aloud knowing that no one was listening. At least, I had hoped that no one was listening. Feeling guilty for not going to see Jesse that day or go looking for my family, I put my elbows on the edge of the green metaled railing. The Christmas wreaths were still hanging on the lightpost that was right next to the bridge on the other side. I wasn't really into the Christmas spirit.... What did I have to thank anyone for? Or even give anyone that I cared about? All Libby and I gave each other was a hug and said 'Merry Christmas, Darling,' That was our Christmas. I'm not saying I didn't love it. I did.... I mean, I do. Libby is one great friend that I couldn't give up, and I mean, I love her. She's been my friend now for three years and I've shared everything with her, except the story of what happened on my fourteenth birthday. I could never gather any strength to tell anyone that story, even to this day and pretty much on. I think, atleast. I never did tell Libby about Jesse... There's no real topic to put it in is there? And I couldn't just come out with it and say something like that..
I closed my eyes and pictured Jesse and I playing in the snow as little kids. Every winter we built snow men: A snow Jesse and a snow Marleen. Then we'd get so cold but want to stay out, so we'd make snow angels and run back to Jesse's house wich was a 10 minute run. By the time we got there we had to sit in Jesse's bed with a hot cup of hot chocolate and a thermometer siticking out of our mouths. Ours noses were so red and his mother scolded us for staying out and geting a fever, but when she left the room we always laughed so hard until she came back in with more hot chocolate and pulled the blankets back up to just over our lips.
"We had some great times that I'll never forget Jesse," I sighed.
"Yeah, I know what you mean, Marl," My eyes suddenly widened. Only Jesse called me that, I only allowed him too. "We had some pretty great times! Remember when we broke into the police department because we thought it was some kind of brain-washing facility because bad people would come outta there changed into new people?" The man laughed. I was afraid to turn around.
"Jesse?...." My voice shivered as I strightend my back and took my elbows off of the railing.
"Yeah? What's wrong Marl?" The voice answered.
"Jesse?.... Is.... Is...Is that you?" I stuttered with tears comming fom the eyes. "I promised I wouldn't cry anymore," Knowing that he wasn't there, thinking that he wasn't really and but he was still with me somehow in my heart made me lose control of my tears and they flooded out sildently and soaked my clothes.
"What's wrong with you...? You're gone," I told the man behind me. I could now feel his bare hand on mine.
"Marl, I made you a promise, I would always be with you...." I began to smile like never before. When I felt his hand touch mine and I realised what the strange but familiar man who I thought was Jesse, I turned to see his face as I blushed noticing that his blonde hair was cleaner then ever and remebering how he never wanted to look bad for me.
"Jesse!?" My eyes sparkled with confusion. I pulled my hand from his and hugged him. I was still smiling and over-joyed. "Hold me," I requested of him.
"It's okay, darling, it's okay. I'm here with you now, you're fine...."
"I've been so alone without you Jesse!!"
"Marl, it's been too long. I've missed you, my love," Jesse spoke into my ear quietly with his arms wrapped around my shivering body. His body was warm though, just as I remebered. But then, I remembered that Jesse had died. I closed my eyes, still hugging him.
"LADY! Snap out of it!!" Someone yelled.
"Huh?...." I murmured under my breath.
"Marleen! Darling!? What are you doing hugging this man?" I heard Libby's voice clear as day. I opened my eyes to a tall bulky man with a bushy brown mustache and beard. I backed away from him with my smile just fading, but still blushing. He looked about thirty some odd.
"Lady, I'm sorry to interupt you from your day-dream but, I'm not this man who you call Jesse," A man spoke in a deep voice.
"I'm so sorry," Libby hugged me tightly and I was half-ways asleep but could still hear the two talking loudy. I was so sorry now too, I knew Jesse was dead. I had to get that part thourgh my stupid head. Jesse is dead. Jesse is dead. Dead! Dead is dead! Someone who's dead can't appear behind me and hug me and talk to me and remind me of things! Jesse is dead! Dead, dead, dead! DEAD! I kept telling myself.
"I'm so sory for this inconvinience Sir. I don't think Marleen is too well...."
"This young one seemed very happy about something all of a sudden though," The butchy man told my friend pulling at is mustache with soft brown eyes.
"What?! What?! W-w-what do you mean, h-happy?!" Libby almost fainted from surprise. "I'm sorry again Sir but, this this woman hasn't been happy for three years stright. This is a girl who hasn't smiled or laughed for three years!! If, Sir, she did smile, what was it that made her happy?!" Libby still holding me forgot about me for an instant getting to caught up in me being happy for once.
"She was talking about a boy named Jesse,"
"Jesse? Jesse who? What there a last name??!!"
"No last name, I'm very sorry that I can't help you much.... She seemed to say something about memories from when she was a lil' wee one but that's about it. Almost like she was repeating someone about breaking into a police station with this Jesse-boy," The man bowed his head instead of saying that he had to go and walked across the bridge wispering something to himself.
*****
"Marleen? .. Hey? Are ya' alright darling?" I reconized Libbys' soft comforting voce. I slowly opened my eyes and came face-to-face with my best friend. She had her head dangling over me with her stright brown hair almost touching my face. "Oh, thank God!! What happened?" She asked me with the same set of worried eyes she had when I was just leaving the house. Libby sat back down on the chair she had been sitting on before leaning over me.
"I was about to ask you the same question," I grumbled sitting up in the cozy bed I was in. "Where are we Libby?" I wanted to know as I looked around the pale brown room.
There was two desks and two book shelves. There was another door that led out of the small room into the hall (I knew this because the door was opened) and one other yellowish door with a slightly rusted handle that I assumed was the bathroom. I looked to the right and saw two huge windows that were so close to each other that if they almost conected into one big huge window that took up almost the whole wall. When I looked beyond the window, I saw a beautiful lake, and further out, I saw the bridge. Strangly, that man was still standing there. 'Jesse?' I thought.
"We're in the hospital deer. That man you referred to as 'Jesse' and I thought you were sleeping in my arms but you had actually passed out. The man told me his real name but told me it was best you didn't know it for some odd reason.. Anyways," I looked at Libbys beautiful face. She was so happy that I was finally awake that she was smiling so big that I couldn't see her sparkily green eyes. "So, how are you feeling?"
I rolled my eyes up to the top of my head, then to the left, then stared over at Libby. "How do you think? .. I'm in a hospital.. for fainting. That's pretty embaressing," We both laughed and laughed about things until a blonde haired nurse came into to room. She didn't look a day over twenty.
"Ahh! I see you're awake now! Would you like to leave now or stay the night, it's your choice?" She asked skwinting her blue eyes at me. She intimidated me a little bit, so I told her that I wanted to leave immidiatly.
"Well, I guess we're off then Darling!"
"Yeah.. I guess so," Before I got out of the cozy bed the burse left and I quickly looked out the window at the bridge. The man was still standing there. That's odd.... I thought in a daze.
"Ready to head off?"
"Yeah. Yeah I'm ready," I told Libby looking her way and slid out of the bed.
I looked up at the medium sized clock on the wall behind Libby. "Told ya'," I whispered to her from across the table picking up my tea and sipping it even though it burned my rosey red lips. They were so red from how cold it was outside that they began to go numb, so I couldn't really feel the burning that much.
"What?"
"It's six forty-five, right on the dot. Hows that for time!?" My friend looked at me as if I was crazy. I know, after everything that had just happened I was still home on time. Libby and I laughed again for a random reason. I'm guessing because of how stupid I must have just made myself look. "Hey, I know after what just happened you probably don't ever want me to leave the house, but do you think I could go out for a sec'?" I put down my cup of tea on the dark wood finished table.
"Promise not to day-dream and hug random strangers?"
"Promise," I smiled, got up and turned around and started walking left around the corner.
"Wait!" I stopped and took two steps back so I could see Libbys' now coloured face. "Promise not to faint?" We now smiled at each other.
"Promise," I winked at Libby and took off out the door quickly. Running down the side walk in my white t-shirt then came just over my belly-button and faded blue jeans, I shivered. I was almost where I wanted to be. The cool wind began to blow and all I could think about now was Libby telling me that the strange man didn't want me to know his name. I continued running until I came face-to-face with the small bridge. Here goes nothing. I thought staring at the butchy man that was still at the bridge.
"Excuse me Sir?" I said approching the man.
"Hello young lady," When the man tuned to see me, the smile whipped off his face and he was blankley staring at me. "What are you doing back here?"
"I came to ask something of you...." I was close to him now, staring up in his still soft, brown eyes.
"I'm sorry Miss, I don't do tasks," The smile came back on his face and he put his elbows up on the green railing staring out at the frozen river. As I watched him from the side, I could see him breathing deeply and blinkling once every minute. Sort of like he was trying to see ever single moment of this view that he could without blinking. We sat there silent for several minutes until I joined him with my elbows of the side railing with the cool wind, still blowing ever so slightly.
"What's you're name?" I finally asked getting it off of my mind. "My friend, Libby, she told me that you ddn't want me to know it. Why?"
"Too many questions young one. I didn't want you to know because it's none of your buisness,"
"But you told Libby, did you not?"
"Yes, yes I did. But I have my reasons just as you did for trying to sudece me,"
"WHAT!" I shreaked widening my eyes. He took his elbows off the side rail and look in my eyes.
"I'm joking, girl. The only reason I told your friend Libby my name was because she was exeptionally beautiful and I've known her for a long time.... She just doesn't know me," His mustache quivered and his big black coat did too.
"So your like a stalker then?" I asked in an innapopriate manner.
"Miss, do I look to you like a stalker?!" He laughed out loud. "I'm no stalker! I'm just a man who has been seeing your friend all over the place. Her additude struck me the first time I saw her. Besides, we went to school together when we were young, but being the big popular girl, she never noticed me...." I was a little sorry for him.
"I'm not trying to be rude at all, but if you went to school with Libby, wouldn't that make you all of only twenty-ish?" I asked looking at his features.
"Yes, I'm twenty-two actually," He repiled.
"Then why do you look like your thirty some odd?? And, your mustache is really bushy too..And you beard.... Not trying to be rude," I reminded him.
"Oh, these," He laughed again and pulled them right off reveling a very handsome looking face. "It's a fake stick on set, I put it on today because I found it in a joke shop and thought it looked cool," He giggled like a little girl. I look at him funny and he stopped.
"Oh," I said staring at him. "So, you've had your eyes on Libby?"
"Yeah.. For a very long time now. Since kindergarten, so about twelve years give-or-take," All of a sudden the man didn't look so manly, or butchy. He looked still very tall, but muscular and more handsome. Libby will love you! I thought to myself smiling.
"You're acting alot different now too: Suddenly I'm not such a young lady to you? Hm?" I said. We laughed.
"It went with the look!" He stuck his tounge out at me. "Still want to know my name?"
"Not as much, but sure ."
"My name is Kota Manaka." He told me as if I didn't make fun of him and his 'stalkerness'.
"I'm Marleen,"
"Marleen?...." Kota said wanting to know my last name.
"Just Marleen, no last name...." I said. Kota looked at me with a blank face until I broke the silence.
"So, are you goin' to come home with me and have supper with Libby and I?" Kota's face lit up.
"Alright, if Libbys' there," He smiled and we began walking down the road long towards Libbys' and my house.
*****
"Who's this Marleen?" Libby asked me when I came in the door with Kota. She was still stitting in the same spot with her tea strangly, this time, with a newspaper infront of her. Libby was wearing a tight light blue laced tank-top and black, white, and green 'NBA' shorts that came to her knees. Kota smiled again when he saw her pretty face. 'An angel from Heavan....' He thought.
"This is Kota Manaka, I invited him for dinner tonight," Libby looked at me, then over at Kota. She looked him up and down as if she were checking him out before inviting him to take a seat.
"Well come on in!" Libby stood up and walked over to him. "Let me take your coat, shoes go over there," Kota slipped his coat off and Libby took it. Libby put his coat on the back of a chair and before she could turn around, he was right behind her with boots off, as were mine. The only thing different was that he had a big smile on his face.
"So Kota, tell me about youself!" Libby and Kota took off into the kitchen talking and lauging. I knew what she was going to do, make him help prepare dinner. I laughed too, imagining the house buring down since it was so expensive.
"This is wonderful Jesse," I said pretty much talking to myself sarcasticly. Not that I wasn't happy for Libbby and Kota, not they they were involved (dating) yet. But missing Jesse all over again and starting over with the pain scared me a little. "They'll fall in love and remind me of you.... That's the last thing I need," I began to walk up the dark wood stares holding the thick railing.
I began thinking of Libby and how her life was never hard to get through. 'She's so beautiful, caring, loving, she's a great listener, a great helper, she's amazing and somehow in her own way, is so easy to fall in love with. So why hasn't she?' There wasn't much to think: Libby was a pefect friend, a perfect lover.... she was just perfect.
When I hit the top stare I went stright(my room is right infront of the stares).
From here I could just barley hear Libby and Kota talking about green peppers and olives. I had to contain my smile now because it was getting out of hand. Libby wouldn't ever know that though. Why did I never smile arounf her but around others?.. She made me very happy but it was as if I had no facial emotions with her around.
My room was huge and held alot of items: My bed, wardrobe, two other dressers, a vanity desk, computer desk with a computer, a dark red couch and two matching chairs, alomst a library of books, a wide screen television that hung on the wall and fit perfectly on the wall and, my picture wall: The rest was all empty carpet. They way I liked it and wanted to keep most inportant thing in this room to me, is my picture wall.
I walked over to it examining all the pictures of good memories I had with Libby and her family.
"Huh?...." I skwinted at a photo of two young children, a boy and a girl. The little girl was sitting on a small wooden swing under a fairly large tree, the boy standing behind her about to push her. "I've never... Huh? What?.... Where did this come from? Libby couldn't have done this, she doesn't even know!"
I reconzied the two children immidiatly and that's what struck me so hard: It was Jesse and me.
*****