Chapter 1

Findings

Every story begins with a waiting. Whether it be for a ship to take sail or for a death to arrive, it is still a waiting.

This story is no different from the others for it, too, begins with a waiting. In Mira's case it was a waiting of the sort that is feared be most for she was waiting for a death, her death. She just didn't know it.

Mira James is a thirteen year old girl with blond hair and a few freckles dotting her nose. She was rather skinny for her age and a bit on the short side but that didn't matter because this was a girl that loved the world and in return it loved her back.

This was a girl that considered herself to be like any other. She didn't see herself as special in any way and she got fairly average grades in school but like everyone else she didn't believe an innocent book could change her. And like everyone else, she didn't know how wrong she was.

Walking home from the park on a warm summer evening was one of Mira's favorite things to do. She loved being outdoors in the sun, the rain, the snow and even the wind. She loved all nature and the weather just happened to be one of the things that soothed her soul after a long and boring day.

She sighed to herself in content as a warm breeze ruffled her short, wispy hair. All of the sudden she heard a splash coming from the direction of the river. Being curious like almost anyone would be she decided to go have a look. Couldn't hurt.

When Mira reached the water's edge she couldn't see anything that could have caused the noise. Looking into the river she saw a object in the shallows, something that didn't quite belong. She slid carefully down the muddy embankment and stepped into the ankle deep water. She peered slowly around the weeds and at first she saw nothing. Then she saw a book, and an old looking one at that. She picked it up carefully out of the river and gently turned the soggy pages.

On those pages were stories, all the ones she remembered from her childhood. Memories flashed through her mind of her mother reading these very stories to her as a child.

oOoOo

"Mommy. Mommy can you read me this one?", asked a six year old Mira to her mother. "Of course", was the reply. As Mira's mother began the story 'Swan Princess', Mira settled herself down into the covers of her bed and hugged her doll, Sasha, close to her.

These were the times that Mira wanted to live in forever. The perfect times of stories and fantasy where nothing could harm her.

oOoOo

Being drawn back to reality by nearly falling into the water, she realized that she should be heading home so her mother wouldn't worry. The sopping wet pages of the book were all battered and torn around the edges but the stories were still there none the less. If she dried it out carefully and was sure not to tear the pages then the stories would have a chance of surviving their little swim.

She tenderly closed the book which was still as wet as the river itself and ran her fingers delicately over the leather bindings. There was no title and the leather was in surprisingly good shape considering.

Hugging the book to her chest she continued to walk the remaining blocks that remained to reach her house.

Reaching her destination she realized that she didn't want her mother to know about her new found treasure. She wasn't entirely sure why but she was always the type who listened to her instincts no matter if her conscience said otherwise.

She open and closed the door softly and attempted sneaking to her room but she tripped over the foyer table's leg in the front hall. Holding back a yelp of pain she continued but her mother had already heard the thump and came out of the kitchen while wiping her hands on her apron.

"Mira, sweetie, how was your walk?", she asked her daughter.

"Fine I guess", was the subtle reply. Mira was not in the mood for talking, not even to her mother whom she loved. She kept her back turned from her mother so the book wouldn't be seen.

"What's that you got there?", was the next question. Mira's mother was a very caring person, always putting others before herself. At the moment she was seven months pregnant with Mira's step-dad's child but she still helped anybody despite her condition.

Jim was a nice man but at first glance you'd think him a tough, heartless being with absolutely no consideration for any soul in the world. Once you knew him, however, he was just a big old worry wart that wouldn't hurt a fly. He was always worried about Mira and her mother but never to the extent that he would freak at the smallest thing like a scrape or a bruise. Just 'fatherly instincts', or so mother put it.

"Nothing mom. Just my math book that I left outside", Mira lied. She wasn't going to show this to anybody so might as well make and excuse for it being there.

"Mira you know you shouldn't leave your school things outside. What if they got ruined? Then what would you do?"

"What does it matter? The damn book is fine!", the girl snapped at her mother. Then she gasped. Never in her life had she spoken to anybody like that before. And never had she swore to her mother, or anyone for that matter.

Forgetting about the book for a moment she turned to face her mother. She had the most shocked and hurt expression Mira had ever seen her wear.

With pleading eyes she begged her mother to forgive her. "Mom I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me! Please don't be sad, I didn't mean it! I swear I didn't! I-"

"Hush Mira, that's quite enough", was all her mother said coldly to her before returning to the kitchen to finish washing the dinner dishes. It was obvious that she had not been expecting something like that out of her daughter.

The young girl retreated to her room and closed the door quietly. She felt absolutely awful about her foreign attitude towards her mother. Holding down the guilt she returned her attention back to the book. She realized then just how lucky she was that her mom hadn't noticed that it wasn't her math book in her arms but a leather bound one still dripping with water.

She still felt terrible about the way she had acted. 'But don't all people my age act this way? Talking back to my mom is normal, isn't it?', she asked herself. She wasn't really expecting an answer but sighed anyway when she didn't get one.

She decided that the best thing to do would be to dry the book off and keep her mind off of her guilty conscience. Looking around she grabbed an old purple t-shirt with holes in it and decided that it was the best thing to use to mop up the water on the book's pages.

When that was done she went down the hall as silently as she could to the bathroom to grab the hair dryer. On the way she overheard her mother relaying what had happened earlier to Jim.

"-never seen her act like that before. I didn't think she would ever have the reason to".

"She is growing up Sallie. Maybe she's having troubles at school or maybe boy troubles-

"She's too young to have a boyfriend!", Mira's mother exclaimed. That's when Mira left. She didn't need to hear this. And besides, Jim would start kissing her mother soon to soothe her and calm her down, something she wasn't interested in witnessing.

After returning to her room she began the task of blow drying the books pages dry. It took an hour or two and her arm was completely spent from holding the hair dryer up for so long but she was content. None of the pages were ruined by her touch!

Sitting back into her pillows on her bed she opened the book once more to observe the stories. She was surprised and a little shocked to find that the once tan, riped pages were now in tact and milky white, almost as if the book had never been touched before.

She came across 'Swan Princess' and yet again she was swamped with memories of her childhood. Not caring that this particular story was intended for small children, she settled into a comfier position and began to read.

When she finished she glanced at the clock and scowled at the fact that it was almost eleven. She had already passed her bed time by about an hour or so just from reliving the tales she fantasized herself in.

Mira lay the book tenderly under her pillow and soon fell into a peaceful and dream-filled sleep.

Over the next two or so weeks she noticed that every time she opened her book there were different stories inside. They had changed according to her mood like when she was happy, sad or feeling adventurous.

On this particular day, however, she was giddy from the news she had received recently. This news just happened to be about her father, her real father. He was coming to Seattle from New York just to see her! And for Thanks Giving of course.

Mira hadn't seen her father in a little over a year because her parents needed just a little more time to cool off from the divorce. They got along fine now, at least over the phone they did.

Even though her family life was fine she realized that her so called friends weren't talking to her any more. They had all ditched her because she was apparently too much of a snob for their liking. Since when had she been a snob? She didn't really care though. Besides, who needs friends if you have an enchanted book by your side?

That night she opened her book to see what it held for her today. She was stunned to find nothing what so ever. Absolutely nothing but blank paper.

Putting her thumb on the paper she closed the book slightly as not to loose her spot. If the book was closed entirely it would probably change again.

Scanning the cover Mira noticed that the brown leather cover was the same as always except for one thing. On the cover were the words printed in fancy gold writing:

Mira's Diary

And the gold shimmered in the light as if by magic.

This had never happened before. Slowly she grabbed a pen and began to write slowly on the crisp white paper. Soon words began to flow from the pen as she spilled all her secrets and desires as if a demon possessed her to do so. Everything was written in that book now that even she had to think hard about to remember. No one else knew about any of this except her, and now the book.

Her every emotion seeped in to the paper along with the ink into the diary and in what seemed like no time at all she had filled over twenty pages. Mira stopped and stared at her work like a stunned rabbit. Closing the book she sighed happily and slipped it under her pillow like she did every night since the day she found it.

She fell asleep thinking about the books new found secret but in the morning she couldn't even remember.