The cover of the book was a dark, leafy green. The sprawling, silver writing roamed across the front. It spiraled and looped as if hand drawn. The dusty pages almost seemed to glow when she touched them, but maybe that was just her imagination. Or so she thought...
Later that evening after saying goodnight to her family, which seemed kind of teary eyed, Rosethorn headed to her room. Her grandmother stopped her on the way. Rosie's grandmother had never been too emotional or touchy, but when she stopped her in the hallway that night, she grasped her shoulders firmly and stared into her eyes with her own blind ones.
Rosie blinked in surprise when her grandmother stared into her eyes, almost as if she could see into her soul. Rosethorn was captivated by her grandmothers cloudy eyes. She couldn't look away no matter how hard she tried. Rosie tried to twitch her shoulder, but it just made her grandmother dig her nails into her shoulder. After a few minutes, she let go. She barely smiled and said," So thats how it's going to be... Rosie we need to have a talk."
Rosethorn was so amazed she could harldy follow her grandmother into her own room. As she shut the door, she turned around and sat on her bed,. and looked at her blind grandmother expectantly.
"Rosie, i can remember the day that you arrived.", her grandmother started off.
Rosethorn smiled as she watched her grandmother remembering the past when she could still see.
"But the way you know it is not exactly right.", she said next.
Rosethorn's smile faltered and she said,"What do you mean Grandma? What isn't right?"
her grandmother began,"Well, now that you are old enough to decide your own destiny, i might as well tell you what i know. It all started late one night, eighteen years ago. I was cleaning up the kitchen when i heard the wind pick up. It blew and blew and blew for a few minutes before it finally died down. When it did i went outside and stood on the doorstep. And lo and behold, standing in this bare patch of grass, was a tall man. He had a long grey beard that he had tucked into his waist band. He was wearing long grey robes and a tall pointed wizard hat. And in his arms, he hels a baby, and that baby was you."
Rosie couldn't believe that all this time was a lie, that her family was just made up, she never really had a family all along. these people that she called Mom and Daad were really just strangers. She fought her emotions as she asked,"What happened next?"
"Well,"she began," he came up to me and asked if i was Rosa. And, of course i said yes. That that was my name. He then placed you in my arms and said that you were mine and my family's to raise, and that he knew we would do a good job. I then asked him what his name was, and he said that he would be known as the Grey Wizard when it mattered. Well, i was throughly confused by that. The funniest thing happened though, as i stood there and watched, he winked and then raised his hand in the air and disappeared. After that, I went inside and woke your mother and father. They were overjoyed that they now had a child because they had been trying everything to have one of their own. I made them promise to never ask me where you came from, and they agreed. Ever since then we have raised you as our own."
"Is that all that happened?" she asked.
"No," her grandmother replied,"thats not all. About a month ago, the same man appeared, late at night, just like the last time, and he came up to me and handed me a book. He told me that it was important that you got this book on your eighteenth birthday, when you came of age. I promised I would. As he was turning to go, i asked him what would happen to you, and he said that only i would know and remember after this all was over. I than asked him what he meant. He replied saying that you were a special child, borne to live a double life, you were destined to live some of your years in a different time, but then when you came of age, you would then be sent to live in aother time, another place."
"What is that suposed to mean?" Rosethorn asked.
"I asked him the same thing, and he only said that the book would tell you everything. He also told me that it would be ok to tell you all of this, but not the rest of my family, because when you leave, they won't remember you. They will just go on with their ordinary lives as if you never happened.I was astounded when i heard him say that. He told me not to worry, but then the rest of what he said was personal to m, and had nothing to do with you so please don't concern yourself with that." she finished.
Rosie was shocked, even that wasn't the word for it. "I can't believe that he would force me to give up my life, what has been my family, just in the blink of an eye! Well i won't! I will not go to his world."
Her grandmother sighed and said,"He said you would react like this. The only thing i can do is to tell you to read the book and get your answers. I love you Rosiem, and to me you always will be my granddaughter. No matter what." She stood up, and kissed Rosethorn on her forehead, and said,"Goodbye Rosethorn, I wish you the best of luck in your life. I only wish i could be there to see it." As she felt her way out of the room, Rosie could see the tears shimmering in her eyes.
Rosethorn sighed and picked up the book. She noticed the silver writing was glowing. She slowly opened it and began reading.