Chapter 1

That Storming Pulse which Awaits us!

Have you ever said hello to that person in the corner of the room; the one you try not to notice? The one that shuffles about awkwardly, jumps at every sound, and only glances up to apologize for a tiny misstep. I bump into you, and you never notice—but still, I try.

So, as you can imagine, when someone does notice, my eyes well up. I start to quiver a bit, that storm of anticipation growing ever stronger inside my core. Deep within my heart and soul, I live for those moments. Many people who say they love me, they claim that isn't a life at all… And yet they cannot let go of my frizzy hair, my awkward, stiff movements, or the abyssal and ever-dark brown eyes that inhabit my round, sweet face. Maybe it is those signature glasses, the ones in red, that usually sit just beyond those two, mysterious eyes. But, above all, it is the enigma; the mysteries that follow wherever I lead. They fuel my passion, and every action I take. I am holding on for dear life—and every moment not filled with the terror, passion, and drama that follows in my stormy wake, leaves me weaker, and weaker. I fear that, quite literally, if my life goes on much longer without any Earth-shattering events, I may perish. If a human's one and only true goal is to be happy, or content, than I am certainly just as far away as I could possibly be…

But there are no coincidences, and the pulsating energy of my storm attracts another. And, until the moment we meet again, I am certain that pulse will sustain me. After all, I finally remember—just a few years, he said…

"Just a few years."

I have talked to "myself," for long hours, pacing that cracked, dusty street. In the dead of winter, I imagine he can gaze upon bits of my dark, confusing life—In the clouds of steam that hover briefly in front of that round, sweet face of mine. Even in the silence, where my thoughts are free and my mind is clear of human distraction, there is the ever-present feeling of unknowingness. That memories and clarity are constantly being dangled, menacingly, in front of my abyssal eyes. I push up the plastic, maroon glasses, and yet I feel no comfort. Not only is my mind an illusion, but also, my body must be the same… No, the world-

I am snapped out of my thoughts, and the steam clears.

"We are here," I whisper, even knowing my body is not within earshot of anyone. I stumble slightly, adjusting awkwardly to the change in footing of pavement to trampled grass. The sky is genuinely clear today; and I sigh, more out of tiredness than relief. My head automatically starts to sway a bit, and I survey the field.

"Beautiful as ever," I think to myself, gazing beyond that stem-like, yellowish grass to admiring the gorgeous, mountain-dotted view beyond. In my mind, I imagine what could be beyond that grass, and over-top those soft purple and blue-hued mountains, hidden within the hollows, beneath the tops of the hundreds of bristly pine-trees, that, as a silhouette, form a fine-toothed comb.

I huffed my way up the mushy slope, having already walked for over half an hour. My tall, ever-thin frame couldn't take it, and I felt like at any moment I could collapse. But, my body trudged on, and thankfully, my mind followed. I may have been invading private property, and maybe I was a little beyond exhausted, but it meant nothing over being able to clear my thoughts, and put a few of my suspicions to rest. For, on this day, of this matter, that cracked, dusty road just wouldn't do.

I trudged a bit further out, my pink, heavily worn classic UGGs becoming just slightly grimier than usual. If there was one thing I didn't have a care for at times such as these, it was my appearance. Bright, lime green, and loose pajama pants occasionally brushed against my spindly legs. They are comfortable, and fuzzy—and that was all I needed. Instead of a proper jacket for the cool, April breeze, I sported only a thin, bright pink sweater. The outfit reminded me a bit of the 80s or 90s, two eras I might have properly fit into. I thought of my hair and style-choices for a moment, suddenly reminded of my belief in how I must have been born into the incorrect century.

"How silly," I thought, snickering, "We don't particularly fit into any time, really… I suppose our existence is more of a glitch than a silly mishap," my body immediately shrugged at the thought, again snapping me back to the situation at hand. I visibly shook my head, and rubbed my deep brown eyes, smudging those smooth, rosy glasses. I did not care to remove and clean them, though, as I failed to even notice the extra few blurs in my peripheral view.

Finally becoming satisfied with the location, I gently hoisted myself down onto a lichen-covered boulder, rising up from the mucky earth. To my left was the deep-green tree line, and to my right was a bit of the field's expanse. A bit of snow dotted the edges of it all; mostly having been melted by the recent rain showers, and I sighed, knowing my favorite season was coming to a close.

"Right, so we came here to discuss something very important," I shuffled over to the right a bit, hoping to get a better view of the horizon. I breathed in, and held my breathe for a moment, exhaling as the wind picked up.

Did I just hear…? There is no way.

I glanced around, scanning the field, and horizon, for any signs of life.

Nothing. Now, let's get back to the current-

The wind picked up again, and I shoved both of my hands into the soft, hot pink fabric lining my sweater pockets. A squeak escaped my parched mouth and chapped lips, slipping past my clenched, ever-sore teeth.

"Right…" I muttered, the memory of what my body even walked to the field for briefly eluded me, and I became momentarily frightened. I felt a tiny bit ill, and paused a moment before speaking once more, "When I was younger," I began, not caring to notice the increasing volume of my speech, "All I could think about was the paranormal, and do you know what my favorite topic was?" I asked, not speaking to anyone in particular, and pausing briefly once more, as if I expected a reply, "Aliens," I stated, smiling, " And, do you realize the enigmas that permeate my existence, even to this day?" I did not care to pause this time, rolling onwards with my thoughts; "It all started when I was very young, and I now realize why I do not yet have answers to certain occurrences," I began listing certain, strange events in the inky world inside my head, and after a moment of thought, I decided to, briefly, list them aloud-

"The bugs, Bloody Mary,that "Slender" fellow, the "fairy hound," and more spirits than I care to recount," I stated, matter-of-factly, biting my lip psychologically, almost going into detail about certain theories of mine…

Another, swift, gust of wind snapped me back, for the third time, of course, and I literally jolted a bit at the sudden chills engulfing my lanky, huddled frame. I shivered, and decided to, once again, re-focus our disjointed thoughts.

"When I was, what, 8?" I asked myself, briefly unsure due to the general haziness surrounding my mystery, "I was "abducted by aliens," or so our younger self claimed," I grinned, and continued on, "And, as if these events weren't mysterious enough to a young girl, said-alien that "abducted" me just happened to be wearing a suit and tie-

-A bow tie," my voice became stronger at this notion, as I recognized this as the good bit, the sort of information I needed to surmise I wasn't set to wander this lowly Earth forever, "It gave me a dance, and smiled, as we waltzed through the second-floor living room of our old condominium, as this amazingly deep-blue light filtered through the curtains, seeping past the glass of our windows, and dazzling the whole floor. And, out of all of that, the parts that I can recall, anyways, do you want to know what the best bit is, in my opinion?" Again, I was talking to thin-air, but it made the storm inside me flustered and impatient, and I felt as though the universe sensed that notion of impatience, and would perhaps send someone-or something-to silence me. But, as the wind gusted on, I gave not a care to the other theories that usually cluttered my mind, and so I went on-

"I woke up on the second-floor sofa, and do you know why that is strange?" I sighed, "It is strange because, I went to bed in my bed, that bed being on the third floor," I finished, sitting up a bit, and putting my chin up as if I were proud of my recent observations on previously stale memories-"And, that is not all. A few summers ago, I believe, I was visiting the top of our beautiful Cadillac Mountain, when I just happened to come across someone looking, and sounding, if I might add, peculiarly like the bloke called Matt Smith, wandering about with an accented girl," my smile had returned to it's fainter state, but remained upon my lips, as I couldn't contain my enthusiasm for mysterious subjects such as this, "There is no way I can accept these two separate events could occur without further thought; and of all the strange things that have already happened in our lifetime, I am under strong faith that this particular enigma is the most powerful," my voice became a bit more subdued, akin to my smile, as I began to realize how ridiculous I must sound to anyone that happened to be within earshot. But, low-and-behold, in the middle of a field in the early spring, on a road that leads no-where, no one was listening to my accusations towards the universe.

"Great," I thought, my mind suddenly wandering once more at the thought that someone may be eavesdropping, "Even if we are crazy, this is our only means of escape, if the time may come where we meet again…" I sighed heavily, attempting to look visibly frustrated, as my eyes suddenly watered a tad, "Oh, fantastic, we are genuinely upset, now!" I sulked for a moment, feeling the wind grating on my patience, like the choppy, salt-water that smoothed down sea-glass. And then, like a miracle above all others, a single thought entered my previously vacant mind-

"Just a few years," it said.

As I began the walk back through over-hanging trees, and past the dog that, no matter how many times I pass, always barks—My mind, again, began to wander…

"A few… That is usually between 3 and 15, correct?" I paused, checking myself, and continued; "I feel like this is cheating a bit, I mean, it seems as thought I have heard this all before…" I coughed, jokingly, and went on, "Ah well, if it means anything, it is that eventually, no matter how far, I will get to see that smile again, and feel that embrace, and-" It was then that I received another message of sorts, one that gave my a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach-

"Please, remember…"

And then, as if my feet turned to wind itself, I was home. Or, rather, I was back on that cracked, dusty road, willing myself not to forget what I had been told, usually forgetting key details in our "paced out" thoughts. But, as I began climbing up our messy, slick driveway, I began to feel uneasy, as if I had blatant disregard for the true purpose of the mysterious message…

"Remember what…?"