Chapter One
GREEN
I lay staring at my fan that spun madly around and around on my ceiling casting odd shadows across the popcorn coated plaster. I blared my music trying to block out the familiar sound of loud voices and slamming doors that seemed to constantly fill my home. Yet my parent's shouts still seemed to cut through the drums and guitar of my hand-me-down radio in the corner of my room. They fought all of the time. About me. About the house. This time it had something to do with my screwed up older brother. I dreamed of getting out. I wanted to escape this town and everything in it. A rumble of thunder from outside shot me upright in bed as the lights flickered to black and the music went silent. I heard a crash downstairs. There was a pause in the fighting and I prayed the power outage might have pulled them out of their brawl but two minuets later their fighting came back in full swing. This time with twice the enthusiasm. I rolled my eyes and flopped back to my mattress.
I pulled a pillow over my head wanting to scream. I had to make it out of here. I couldn't stand another day of this. I couldn't handle another sleepless night. I just couldn't do it anymore. So in a moment of pure insanity I let the sound of the storm outside be the theme song of my escape. I dashed around my room my long blonde hair flying around me as I collected a bag of essentials. I threw in a wad of cash that I had been saving from work. I hadn't been saving for anything in particular but now as I threw it in my bag I knew that I'd be lying to myself to say I hadn't been planning this for a while. I was just now getting the courage to finally act. I shoved in anything I thought I could use into my all too small duffle-bag before swinging open my window and throwing it outside into the rain, hearing it land with a thud.
I tried to climb up on to the window seal myself but slipped and hit my head on a clunky metal box.
"Gah" I gasped in pain angrily eying at the object. I remembered the day at the County Fair bitterly thinking on the crazy woman's words.
"Destined for greatness huh?" I growled sarcastically. I tore open the top and laughed sourly at the chunk of green plastic that greeted me. "Figures" I scoffed and shoved it in my jean pocket tossing the metal box behind me as it clunked to my carpet.
I sat on the window seal with my converse laced shoes dangling over the edge and looked down at the two story drop below me. My stomach flipped and my head spun. What was I doing? For a second I thought of forgetting the entire notion. For a split moment I second guessed myself, but as I heard the smack of my bedroom door being flung open I bit back a scream and flung my uncoordinated body out into the rain plummeting onto the soppy but hard ground outside.
"ALICE!" I could hear my father's bellowing voice behind me as I scrambled to my feet.
"ALISON ROSE GREEN!" He called.
A sharp pain shot up my side and the rain saturated me in seconds but even with a heavy bag over my shoulder scuffed arms and muddy hands I have never ran so fast in my life.
My shoes sunk and stuck in the mud. I felt like I was running in quick sand but with every labored step I took I knew I was putting another step between me and them. One more step towards tomorrow. And it was enough to keep me running. I dashed to my bike that leaned against my mailbox at the end of the driveway and swung my leg over the side before kicking off and propelling myself down the gravel street away from the only house I had ever known.
I had been peddling for thirty minuets and the storm was picking up. The wind blew so strong that it nearly knocked me down off my bike. I could barely see two feet in front of me. I couldn't believe I was actually had doing it. Me, Alison Green, had finally done something notable, something for myself.
I had always stood out. I had always been different but I had also always been told I was average by my parents so many times I had begun to believe them. They had said I was just a normal kid from nowhere and I would be stuck my whole life. Yet I always felt I had been destined for more. Like somehow because I stood out from everyone else and never quite fit in that it meant something, like I was meant to do something with my life and maybe this was it. Maybe this was the beginning of everything I had always hoped for. I could almost sense fate's threads pulling my entire life together with each peddle of my beaten up blue bike.
Apparently I was wrong.
Two bright lights whipped around the corner and before I could register fear I hit the pavement with a deafening crack and my sight went blurry then black.
One year before
"Get your head out of those comics Alice!" I heard my fiery haired friend Jeanie call laughing, "We are at The annual fair! The only thing fun that happens in this town and your missing it because you are too busy nerding out about some guy in a cape!"
I rolled my eyes and trying to hide a blush. "Whatever Jeanie not everyone has countless guys fawning all over them all the time! I've excepted I'm going to die alone why not give me some slack and at least let me sulk and pretend" I looked fondly at the drawing of none other than Clark Kent and sighed, a girl can dream.
"At least get your fortune told! Come on your never let me have any fun!" she put on the signature Jeanie pout face and I melted.
"Fine if you wanna waste five dollars to have some crazy lie to you for five minuets at least it will be fun to observe" I laughed closing my comic and shoving it in my satchel.
"YAY!" She laughed grabbing my hand and pulling me off my bench in the shade to the purple tent across the fair that sported a glittery sign that advertised "palm readings and fortunes"
I gave her my classic skeptical glare but she just pulled me in with a laugh.
The inside was hardly what I had expected from you everyday county fair fortune booth. It smelled as if someone was burning incense and as I looked around at the highly embellished tent I was completely shocked by the ornate and elaborate interior.
"Wow." I whispered.
"Hello?" Jeanie called cautiously. "Heeelooooo?" she sang again peering around the layers of fabric draping from the ceiling.
A shiver rolled down my spine something didn't feel right. Everything had an odd glow to it and although the fair was right outside the festivities seemed miles away. I was officially freaked out, "Jeanie no one is here maybe we should-"
A slender lady popped up from behind me her eyes inquiring, glassy and a striking grey. "Hello Alice" she smiled a lopsided smile and I sucked in a breath of air. I could tell she was blind but her eyes still seemed to search mine and I couldn't quite place it but she seemed so familiar.
From behind me Jeanie let out a laugh. "So cool! We wanted to get our fortunes read!"
"Of course" She responded to Jeanie but her nearly white eyes never left mine.
She gestured to the table in the corner of the tent. I awkwardly shuffled to one of the three wooden chairs all to aware of the Fortune Teller's icy stare seemingly burning holes in my skin. She had no issue getting to her seat across from me and seemed quite comfortable in her lavishly decorated tent.
"give me your hand." she spoke softly.
"I don't know" I looked to Jeanie for help but she only nudged me annoyed that I seemed to be backing out of my promise. I rolled my eyes and looked back at the lady and with great caution. I ever so slowly placed my freckled hand in hers. As soon as our skin touched she jumped which made me jump.
"What!" I yelped attempting to pull my hand away but her fingers clamped down like a python. Damn that lady had a death grip.
"Alice" she whispered quietly her gaze looked far away and she didn't speak for the longest two minuets of my life before smiling sadly and letting me go.
"What! What is it?" I desperately tried to call her back to reality.
"So much for the skeptical Alice." Jeanie joked.
I didn't care.
"You are destined for great things." she whispered darkly. "Terrible sacrifice and suffering to save the ones you love. You shall find your true calling and when you do you will have to decide who to help and who to let go. Your life will change very shortly and when it does you will need something." she shot up from her chair and I got up from mine following her around as she dashed about her tent like a madwoman tearing everything apart searching for something in a desperate frenzy.
"I'll need what? What are you talking about?" I called desperately trailing behind her as Jeanie sat confused.
All of her certainty and comfort gone the woman stumbled around tripping on pillows and flinging around boxes. She tossed around papers and books knocking over everything in her path as I desperately dodged the debris. Just as I was about to try to stop her. The Lady froze and turned to me holding a small metal box.
She smiled, "Someday not to far in your future you will need this. Don't open it. Not until it is time." she chuckled and clapped her hands in anticipation.
I looked down at the heavy metal box. It could have been a jewelry box. It probably was. I carefully slid the clasp to the side and my heart rate picked up. Just as I began to lift the lid a white boney hand smacked it shut. Startled I jumped back.
"What did I just say?" the woman growled.
"I just thought..." I whispered wanting to crawl in a shell.
"You just thought" she mimicked angrily. Before grabbing my wrist and pulling me forward, "I said DO NOT OPEN IT UNTIL IT'S TIME"
"She did say that." Jeanie squeaked.
Thanks for the support Jeanie.
"How will I know it's time?" I whispered my body trembling.
"You will know." and with that she pushed us out and closed the curtain turning her sign to closed all before I could object or ask anymore.
I looked down at my hands. I held the mysterious metal box so tightly my fingers began to turn white while Jeanie and I stood there dumbfounded.
We stood there in shock and silence until Jeanie turned to look at me with a questioning look, "She didn't even charge us."
Present day
I lay on my back my golden hair sprawled around me and my first thought was, "I must be dead".
"What do you think happened?" I heard what I assumed was an angel question above me. I was never very religious but hey we all can be wrong right?
"I don't know son but she looks like she really took a beating we should probably get her to a hospital."
I smiled wondering why they needed hospitals in heaven.
"Wait I think she's awake!" The younger one called.
Suddenly the ground beneath me gave way as I felt two arms wrap around me and lift me up unexpectedly.
"Gahh!" I shouted eyes snapping open to a bright blue sky. I scrambled in the stranger's arms but they didn't budge their hold.
"Clark I think it's best you put her down she seems a little out of sorts"
"Right sorry." as gently and tenderly as anyone ever could the young angel placed me back on the ground.
My eyes adjusted to the light and I saw my angel for the first time. Two light sea foam blue-green eyes stared concerned back at me from behind dark brown hair that fell into his face. "Are you okay?" he whispered.
I tried to scramble to my feet as he supported me.
"Um yes..." I mumbled my vision blurry. I rubbed my eyes squinting at the to fuzzy figures in front of me. "I think I." My eyes finally focused on them and I gasped. Now I know I must be dead.
"My name is Jonathan Cent and this is my son we found you here and-"
Before he could finish I interrupted in the worst way possible. To my utter dismay I violently vomited up any reminisce of what was inside of me onto the angel's shoes before my vision grew dark and the ground came quickly up to great me.
Hello! I hope you liked the first chapter! I know it's a bit long and you didn't see much of Clark but I really wanted to develop Alice well and flush out her character so don't worry things definitely pick up. Sorry about any typos. I tried my best in proof reading and republished it like four times to try to get it right. Next chapter should be better with that. I hope you stay tuned for more chapters and If you have any suggestions or just want to let me now how you like it please comment! I would be so happy to hear from you and I will definitely respond to all of them. I have big plans for this story so If you want to hear more just let me know! I will probably write at least one decent sized chapter a week or more:) Again thanks for reading and stay tuned!