Chapter Two: Sweet Sixteen
(Four Months Earlier)
There was a birthday party at the Stevens' home -- the oldest daughter was turning 16. A few colored balloons tied to the mailbox waved in the wind and two old cars were parked outside the quaint little house nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
It was June 4, 2036. 17 years after the Pulse. America had come out of its depression -- but it still wasn't the world power or land of milk and honey it had been. And those days, few remembered the pre-Pulse era anyway.
The Stevens' living room was cozy and inviting. Cherry-colored walls, pinewood floor, and comfy furniture surrounded a large fireplace. It was a modest little home, but comfortable and pleasant. The little family of four was nicely settled into their life.
The family gathered around the birthday girl. Her slightly wavy, jet-black hair fell past her shoulders, her tan skin glowed, and her almond-shaped, emerald-green eyes glittered.
"Open my present first Te!!" The excited bubble of a little brother.
"Now Brian, let Teli decide for herself." Teli's mother, Jane Stevens, smiled down at the little blonde seven-year-old. Teli smiled at him to.
"It's okay, Mom. Hand me your present Bri." A red and blue box came flying her way. Opening the box, Teli pulled out a small pocketknife with an angel carved in the wooden handle.
"Do you like?! Do you like?!" Brian asked, excitedly.
"Thank you Brian -- I love it." A teasing glint came into her eyes, "Especially since you broke my old one!" She winked.
Little Brian's eyes got big and he stuck his tongue out at his sister.
"Did not!" Then he leapt up, bouncing around with seven-year-old energy, "She liked it! Yeah!" Pausing to look at Teli, he said,
"I wrapped it myself, too!" with obvious pride. Teli laughed. A tall man walked into the room and caught the boy.
"Come here, you!" Brian shrieked with delight.
"Thanks Dad." Teli smiled up -- happy to have the over-energized brother contained.
"Open our present next sweetheart." An elderly lady with a fair complexion said. Teli grinned at her grandparents and opened their box. A leather-bound, gold-leafed journal appeared.
"Oh! I love it. Thank you." Teli stood and gave each grandparent a hug.
"Okay BB, go get ours now, be gentle!" Jane told her little boy. Brian burst into the kitchen, returning moments later with a big box. Teli gave her parents a 'now what is this?' look.
The wrapping paper fell away and Teli lifted the top. The little head of a kitten popped out.
"Oh wow - a kitten! He's so cute!" Teli exclaimed, obviously surprised.
"Fresh from the pound, hon. We thought you would give him a good home."
"Thank you, Dad. I will!" The little kitten squeaked a meow. It was black with four white feet, a white nose, and a white spot on the tip of its tail and on the back of its neck.
"I don't know how Molly will like this though," Teli said. At the sound of her name, a young German Shepherd looked up and wagged her tail.
**
By midnight, everyone was asleep but Teli. Still energetic, she moved silently to her window, kitten and new journal in hand, and climbed out onto the roof to write.
**
Hundreds of miles away another dark-haired woman stood in front of a penthouse window -- looking out at the rainy night. She sighed, "16..." A tall man set his glasses down on a counter and walked up behind her.
"11 years ago today." The woman whispered. Strong arms encircled her and pulled her in close.
"Don't worry Max, you did good." He said, and kissed the back of her head.
**
"Dear Diary,
I read in a journaling book that sometimes it's easier to write to someone - in effect, to name your journal. Since what I'm going to write is hard, from here on out it'll be "Dear Angel" -- you're named for my guardian angel, wherever she is.
My first memory is of when I was five. I was in a small room with blue walls. I later learned I was in the adoption agency and was waiting for my new parents, Jane and Dave, to come get me. A young woman with dark hair was kneeling in front of me -- I was eye level with her. She was dressed all in black, toes to fingertips. She spoke:
"Your name is Teli, your birthday in June 4th, 2020. You came from an abusive family -- for your own safety, do *not* try to find them. Understand?" I nodded. She smiled at me, kissed my forehead, and left. I must've been quite a sight for my parents to see -- after all, my head was shaved and I was wearing some sort of hospital-type gown.
Jane and Dave were outside the door. I don't know how I heard them, I just know I did. As I listened I backed into a corner, defensively.
"One thing you need to know before you see her," a doctor's voice, "she has a barcode on the back of her neck."
"What?! Who would do that to a child?!" I would soon come to know that voice as Jane's; my mom's voice.
"We don't know exactly, but we believe she was in a very abusive environment. She was probably tattooed for the same reasons cattle are branded..."
"As property." Dave's gruff voice broke in.
The three of them entered, Jane and Dave smiled at me, but I stayed silent. I went home with them that evening and I've been here, in this house and in this family, surrounded by love, ever since.
I know it seems like a lot of detail for a five-year-old to remember - but that's it, exactly. There's a picture of it all in my mind. It's funny though -- I remember everything, and I mean *everything*, that's happened since then -- perfectly. What I don't understand then, is why I can't remember a single thing from before then. Absolutely nothing remains in my mind about my old family, zip, nada, nothing. The world I've come to know is the world I've known since I was five and was brought here.
I've seen the girl since then -- in my dreams. Always clad in black, dark curls flying around her face. She's always running or fighting or sometimes hiding in my dreams, but I get the sense that she's helping me. I used to call her my guardian angel, but those kinds of angels are white, so I've re-named her: Dark Angel.
-- Teli
(Four Months Earlier)
There was a birthday party at the Stevens' home -- the oldest daughter was turning 16. A few colored balloons tied to the mailbox waved in the wind and two old cars were parked outside the quaint little house nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
It was June 4, 2036. 17 years after the Pulse. America had come out of its depression -- but it still wasn't the world power or land of milk and honey it had been. And those days, few remembered the pre-Pulse era anyway.
The Stevens' living room was cozy and inviting. Cherry-colored walls, pinewood floor, and comfy furniture surrounded a large fireplace. It was a modest little home, but comfortable and pleasant. The little family of four was nicely settled into their life.
The family gathered around the birthday girl. Her slightly wavy, jet-black hair fell past her shoulders, her tan skin glowed, and her almond-shaped, emerald-green eyes glittered.
"Open my present first Te!!" The excited bubble of a little brother.
"Now Brian, let Teli decide for herself." Teli's mother, Jane Stevens, smiled down at the little blonde seven-year-old. Teli smiled at him to.
"It's okay, Mom. Hand me your present Bri." A red and blue box came flying her way. Opening the box, Teli pulled out a small pocketknife with an angel carved in the wooden handle.
"Do you like?! Do you like?!" Brian asked, excitedly.
"Thank you Brian -- I love it." A teasing glint came into her eyes, "Especially since you broke my old one!" She winked.
Little Brian's eyes got big and he stuck his tongue out at his sister.
"Did not!" Then he leapt up, bouncing around with seven-year-old energy, "She liked it! Yeah!" Pausing to look at Teli, he said,
"I wrapped it myself, too!" with obvious pride. Teli laughed. A tall man walked into the room and caught the boy.
"Come here, you!" Brian shrieked with delight.
"Thanks Dad." Teli smiled up -- happy to have the over-energized brother contained.
"Open our present next sweetheart." An elderly lady with a fair complexion said. Teli grinned at her grandparents and opened their box. A leather-bound, gold-leafed journal appeared.
"Oh! I love it. Thank you." Teli stood and gave each grandparent a hug.
"Okay BB, go get ours now, be gentle!" Jane told her little boy. Brian burst into the kitchen, returning moments later with a big box. Teli gave her parents a 'now what is this?' look.
The wrapping paper fell away and Teli lifted the top. The little head of a kitten popped out.
"Oh wow - a kitten! He's so cute!" Teli exclaimed, obviously surprised.
"Fresh from the pound, hon. We thought you would give him a good home."
"Thank you, Dad. I will!" The little kitten squeaked a meow. It was black with four white feet, a white nose, and a white spot on the tip of its tail and on the back of its neck.
"I don't know how Molly will like this though," Teli said. At the sound of her name, a young German Shepherd looked up and wagged her tail.
**
By midnight, everyone was asleep but Teli. Still energetic, she moved silently to her window, kitten and new journal in hand, and climbed out onto the roof to write.
**
Hundreds of miles away another dark-haired woman stood in front of a penthouse window -- looking out at the rainy night. She sighed, "16..." A tall man set his glasses down on a counter and walked up behind her.
"11 years ago today." The woman whispered. Strong arms encircled her and pulled her in close.
"Don't worry Max, you did good." He said, and kissed the back of her head.
**
"Dear Diary,
I read in a journaling book that sometimes it's easier to write to someone - in effect, to name your journal. Since what I'm going to write is hard, from here on out it'll be "Dear Angel" -- you're named for my guardian angel, wherever she is.
My first memory is of when I was five. I was in a small room with blue walls. I later learned I was in the adoption agency and was waiting for my new parents, Jane and Dave, to come get me. A young woman with dark hair was kneeling in front of me -- I was eye level with her. She was dressed all in black, toes to fingertips. She spoke:
"Your name is Teli, your birthday in June 4th, 2020. You came from an abusive family -- for your own safety, do *not* try to find them. Understand?" I nodded. She smiled at me, kissed my forehead, and left. I must've been quite a sight for my parents to see -- after all, my head was shaved and I was wearing some sort of hospital-type gown.
Jane and Dave were outside the door. I don't know how I heard them, I just know I did. As I listened I backed into a corner, defensively.
"One thing you need to know before you see her," a doctor's voice, "she has a barcode on the back of her neck."
"What?! Who would do that to a child?!" I would soon come to know that voice as Jane's; my mom's voice.
"We don't know exactly, but we believe she was in a very abusive environment. She was probably tattooed for the same reasons cattle are branded..."
"As property." Dave's gruff voice broke in.
The three of them entered, Jane and Dave smiled at me, but I stayed silent. I went home with them that evening and I've been here, in this house and in this family, surrounded by love, ever since.
I know it seems like a lot of detail for a five-year-old to remember - but that's it, exactly. There's a picture of it all in my mind. It's funny though -- I remember everything, and I mean *everything*, that's happened since then -- perfectly. What I don't understand then, is why I can't remember a single thing from before then. Absolutely nothing remains in my mind about my old family, zip, nada, nothing. The world I've come to know is the world I've known since I was five and was brought here.
I've seen the girl since then -- in my dreams. Always clad in black, dark curls flying around her face. She's always running or fighting or sometimes hiding in my dreams, but I get the sense that she's helping me. I used to call her my guardian angel, but those kinds of angels are white, so I've re-named her: Dark Angel.
-- Teli