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Chapter 2

When Clover was a little girl, her mother used to take her to this beautful meadow by her father's law firm. While Clover's father slaved away making business calls, her mother and she would run through the sunlit meadow for hours. It had been very special; it was one of the clearest memories of her childhood. Clover remembered collapsing while panting on the grass, feeling happier than ever. She would look up and smile at the scene with her mother: the wispy long grass waving at her like an old friend, the long sunflowers standing tall and proud, the beautiful wildflowers scattered around like joyful faeries dancing. Even in her young mind, Clover, at five years old, knew the picture was breathtaking, unearthly. She loved it.

The last time Clover had been to that meadow was about two years ago. She had loved it just as much as she did when she was five. Just being there gave her a deep happiness. A sense of being one with the earth. Like there was something bigger joining everything together in harmony.

Then her father lost his job at the firm, and she never went back. But she often thought of that meadow. She wondered what it would be like if she just started running through the grass again. Running and never stopping.

Suddenly, Clover found herself in that meadow. The sunlight was streaming into her eyes, giving the whole place an illumination from within. It made the whole world look alive. She was touching the grass, combing her fingers through it, like she would do when she was a child. She tilted her head up to the sky, letting the rays of sunshine caress her face. Then she was spinning, spinning fast, spinning and spinning as the colors blurred together and mixed into one summery haze. She was spinning so fast that she couldn't even feel herself; she was a free spirit. She felt separated from mind and body, light as air. She felt amazing.

Then she stopped.

The world wasn't spinning beneath her; she wasn't dizzy at all. She just felt as if she'd gotten off a crazy, fantastic rollarcoaster, trying to catch her breath. But her breath was knocked right out of her the second she saw the figure standing before her.

It was a girl, the most beautiful girl Clover had ever seen in her life. Her face was of impossible beauty, and her hair was like liquid gold weaved into strands that fell past her waist. Every detail of her face was flawless; it was like she was crafted by the hands of God himself. Clover had never seen anyone, or anything more breathtaking.

Then Clover looked at her eyes and gasped. She'd seen those eyes before...somewhere... They looked so familiar... Where have I seen those eyes? They were the softest and prettiest shade of blue, the exact shade of the sky on a spring morning. Clover didn't know how, but she knew that if she smiled at the girl, the girl would smile back. But her face was frozen in awe.

Clover took a step forward. The girl's brow furrowed, and she looked at Clover with questions in her eyes. She looked so puzzled that Clover became puzzled herself. Why did I just do that? she wondered.

The girl opened her mouth to speak, and Clover paused.

"Clover?"

Clover opened her eyes. She'd fallen asleep in the car with her face resting on the palm of her hand, and it left a red splotch as an imprint. Clover blinked. Some dream, she thought sleepily. Must not have gotten enough sleep last night.

"Clover?" her mother said her name again. "Are you alright, honey?"

Clover turned her head to look at her mother, who kept glancing at her, worried. Even with a worried expression, Clover's mother was clearly beautiful. She had rich dark brown hair the color of mahogany. She currently had it pinned back in a half-updo, with the bottom half falling in soft waves. Clover sighed inwardly, wondering why she didn't inherit her mother's beautiful locks. They seemed to always be in perfect condition, unlike Clover's common blonde hair that was often lank. Most of Clover's physical traits had come from her father, unfortunately. The only obvious trait inherited from her mother was the deep, foresty eye color. Well, Mrs. Rhodes' was the one with the deep, foresty eye color. Clover's eyes were a simple green, more like the color of dry grass.

"Sweetheart?" Mrs. Rhodes was becoming increasingly more worried, and she started to slow the gray Honda Pilot she was driving.

Clover managed a weak smile. "I'm fine, Mom. Really." At least, I'm almost there.

"Hmph." Her mother made a disapproving sound. "You haven't been staying up too late reading those crazy fantasy books of yours, have you? Because you know how I feel about those! They are full of odd ideas, they are, and I don't want those kind of things going into your head. You are already quite quirky, you know, and-"

"Mom. Seriously. I'm alright. I just didn't have the best night of sleep, that's all. I think I should invest in a new alarm clock..." Clover cut off her sentence to yawn dramatically. Mrs. Rhodes just looked at her and rolled her eyes. I should be the one rolling my eyes, Clover thought grumpily.

Mrs. Rhodes stuck her hand in a grocery bag next to the driver's seat without taking her eyes off the road. After digging her hand around in there for a couple seconds, she fished out a bright red apple. "Here," she said, offering it to Clover. "You didn't get much to eat this morning, and I don't want you eating any of that lousy airplane food. Always upsets my digestive system, and knowing your problems with digestion-"

"Mom!"

Mrs. Rhodes smiled. "Kidding, sweetheart. But I still think you should eat more often!"

Clover rolled her eyes and took a big bite of the apple, letting the juicy sweetness linger in her mouth. It wasn't like she never ate, she just didn't have a large appetite. She had never been a big eater, but she'd never really worried about it until lately. Her mother and Miriam had a quite a few things to say about her thin figure of late, and they weren't exactly positive, either. Mrs. Rhodes always had an opinion about everything, and it often wasn't a good one. She was always nagging on Clover about her this and that, like the fantasy books Clover enjoyed, and how much time she spent with her friends, and the clothes she was wearing to school. But even if she was slightly overbearing at times, she managed to keep a cheerful demeanor. Sometimes too cheerful, Clover mentally grumbled.

Clover took one last bite of apple, wiped her mouth, and threw the core out the window. She watched as it landed in a patch of grass by some trees, and then the whole scene blurred together as they continued to whiz by.

Clover closed her eyes and stuck her jelly earbuds in her ears. Maybe some music will calm me down, she hoped. She settled against the back of the leather seat as a catchy pop song played on her Ipod. The colorful tune did lift Clover's spirits a little bit, but she still felt weary and uneasy. She attempted to take a light nap to kill time, and she squirmed in her seat, trying to get in a comfortable position. After about five minutes of pretending that the way she curved her neck wasn't unbearable, she sighed and gave up. She quickly found that settling her eyes on the continuous yellow road lines made time go faster.

Mile marker after mile marker whizzed by, seeming to Clover like a grim countdown until her destination. She glanced at the nature flying by; the highway was surrounded by endless flat, grassy plains with occasional flowers dotting the green. Clover had never traveled far from her home, Reseda, California. Reseda was a small suburb outside of San Diego, which Clover had been to several times. She was used to humidity and high temperatures; palm trees and houses with sparkling pools in the backyard. She hadn't even thought about how different the atmosphere in New Salem would be.

"Hopefully not full of tacky business men, surfer wannabes, and eager teenage girls," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that, sweetie?" Mrs. Rhodes asked in a chipper voice.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing..."

Suddenly, a large reflective green sign with the words, San Diego Airport - 10 miles flew by. An eery chill crept up Clover's spine.

It seemed like time went by too fast. Before she knew it, Clover's mother had turned and pulled into a parking space outside of the huge airport terminal. Clover looked outside and watched hundreds of people milling around, carrying luggage. She suddenly thought of herself walking alone among the sea of people and a wave of fright swept over herself. She hastily turned around in her seat and took a deep breath, eyes wide. She knew that she could go, but could she make it by herself? She had never gone anywhere alone before. Her mother or father or Gram were always by her side, always there when she needed something. Could she last a whole week alone, on the other side of the country?

"Ah-hem."

Clover turned to look at her mother as she gripped the safety belt that she had yet to unlatch. Her mother watched her with sad eyes and a teary smile. Clover didn't know what she would do if her mother started crying now. She felt her own eyes getting moist.

Mrs. Rhodes cleared her throat again and wiped her eyes. Her attempt at a cheery smile wobbled as she said, " Are you going to be alright, honey?"

Clover felt her throat close a little, and she realized that she must have looked openly frightened to her mother. She sniffled. "I don't think I can do, this Mom."

That set her mother off the edge. Steady tears ran down her face and she hastily tried to wipe them away. A big, determined smile appeared on her splotchy face. Clover knew that no matter how hard she tried, she could never sum up courage as easily as her mother.

"Oh, I know you can, sweetheart. You've got your father's looks, and my spirit," Mrs. Rhodes said encouragingly.

Clover knew that wasn't true. But she appreciated her mother's effort to encourage her. She was just about to unlatch the seatbelt and catch her breath when her mother said,

"There's just one more thing that I forgot to tell you."

Clover stared at the woman who had been crying merely seconds ago, and now had a cheery expression on her face. Oh no, Clover thought, frozen. Her mother's "forgetfulness" never ended well.

"Your father and I have been thinking some things over-" a brief look of something Clover couldn't identify flashed in Mrs. Rhodes' eyes- and we recently decided that instead of just one week in New Salem, you can stay for two weeks!" she exclaimed. She grinned like she'd just told the best news Clover could possibly hear.

Clover didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to think. She slumped into her seat in shock. Two weeks? TWO? That's impossible! she wanted to scream. She wanted to sprint the whole way back home and nose-dive back into her bed, where no one could see or hear her. She wanted to run period, run until the cold feeling in her chest dissolved. She was shaking her head continuously, eyes wide, when she realized that her mother was still talking to her.

"-and I know this is very short notice, but I packed extra things in your bag last night! I wanted it to be a surprise, dear-" she was saying, but Clover wasn't paying any attention. Two weeks, she kept thinking. Two weeks in New Salem...

"Now go! Go, Clover, or you're going to miss you're flight! Don't forget your luggage, have a great time-" Mrs. Rhodes' was swatting Clover's shoulder, shooing her out the door. Her bracelets jingled as she reached in the back compartment for Clover's polka-dotted suitcase. Clover just looked at her mother blankly. Am I really leaving-right now? Mrs. Rhodes thrust the suitcase at Clover with another bright, encouraging smile. She tried to shoo Clover out the door with one hand, keeping the other gripped on the steering wheel like she was eager to get back on the road. Clover furrowed her brow and stared at her mother's plum colored fingernails, trying to think. There was something important, a question that she needed to ask... Her brain was so fuzzy, and she couldn't focus. She turned and looked at the terminal again, trying to think... The towering gray building made her think of a different building, one she was familiar with... Suddenly, a picture in her mind, one of a large, modern-style brick building and a steel plate with the words Reseda High School engraved on it...

Oh!

Clover got her voice back. "But-but..b-but what about school?" Clover sputtered incredulously. Spring Break was only one week long at her school. Not that she really cared about being in attendance, but her parents did, right?

Wrong.

Mrs. Rhodes' eyes flicked around nervously, avoiding Cassie's bewildered gaze. "Well, sweetheart, Spring Break is two weeks long in New Salem, and since you haven't been able to see your friend in nearly a year..." she smiled sympathetically. "Your father and I decided that you're responsible enough to make up the work that you miss. You deserve a nice vacation, anyway." Clover's shoulders slumped and her mother pursed her lips impatiently. "You really need to get going, honey. If you get lost, don't be afraid to ask for directions. You know what to do with your ticket and things. Have a great time!" She gave Clover one final push towards the passenger door.

Clover gulped anxiously and opened the car door, placing one sneaker on the pavement. Then, without looking at her mother, she gathered her luggage and closed the shut the car door with a slam! She took a deep breath, surveying the building before her. People bustled around inside. They all looked eager to get on their flight, eager to get to wherever they were going. Clover forced herself to smile. Maybe there was a girl inside just like her, traveling to see her friend. I bet that she wouldn't be half as nervous as you, Clover, Clover thought to herself. She's probably very excited to see her friend, just like you should be. Just like you are. Clover nodded to herself. The more she told herself that, the more she would believe it. You are going to have fun you are going to have fun you are going to have fun you are-

The Honda started up with a happy hum behind her. Clover whirled around, eyeing her mother warily. Why was she so anxious to leave? Clover sighed, waving to her mother. She rolled her eyes when she saw Mrs. Rhodes wave excitedly back, like a child. Clover was used to her mother's strange behavior. She was a funny bird, to put it frankly. The Honda sped away, and Clover watched it as it went into the distance. She was officially alone now.

For a moment, she didn't know what to do next. But then she patted her pocket, feeling all the information she needed for her flight. She straightened her shoulders, then made her way to the terminal.

An hour later, Clover was seated comfortably in a good-sized seat. Luckily, she only had to share her row with one other person, and that happened to be a kind elderly woman. Apparently the woman was also very sleepy, because she had been napping peacefully since the airplane had taken off.

Clover checked her watch. It was ten o' clock, and she was scheduled to arrive in Boston around five. She squirmed in her seat, thinking of things to occupy her time. She started to reach for her Ipod in her pocket, but stopped. Instead, she watched the beautiful sky outside her window.

The sky was a brilliant blue; Clover had never seen such a gorgeous shade. For a second, she remembered something that had to do with a color that blue, something that seemed like it happened a long time ago. Shaking her head of the thought, Clover gazed at the puffy white clouds. They were perfectly shaped - like something out of a fairytale scene. She wondered what would happen if the glass separating her from the sky disappeared. I suppose I would stretch out my wings and fly, she thought with a smile. Fly away... Slowly, she slipped into a peaceful sleep.

This time, Clover knew she was dreaming.

She was sitting in the meadow again, but it was nighttime. In the clear, white light of the full moon, the meadow looked like a whole new place. It was no longer sunny and inviting, but illuminated with a cold beauty. The tall grass surrounding Clover rustled in the breeze, but Clover didn't want to run her hands through it anymore. It brushed against her lightly, caressing her thighs and waist. Clover shivered and looked closer. She thought she had just imagined it, but... She gasped. The thin blades of grass weren't rustling in the wind; there was no wind. Clover whipped her head so fast it almost gave her whiplash. She spun around, checking to see if it was real, it couldn't possibly- Her breath caught in her throat and her hand fluttered to her heart.

The meadow was alive.

Clover was wildly spinning around. Oh my God oh my God oh my God- the words ran through her mind nonstop. I can't believe this it's not real it's just a dream it's just a dream-

She spun around, looking in all directions for some kind of way out. But there was nothing. The moving grass was surrounding her endlessly. Everywhere she turned there was grass. Fear gripped her heart like an icy vise. She finally gave up and tilted her head to the sky.

Stars. They covered the sky completely. Clover squinted her eyes to observe it closely. Her mouth opened in awe. The sky wasn't even black, it was more like a silky indigo. She found herself reaching out to the sky timidly and she quickly pulled her hand back. There were fiery little dots among the stars too: blue dots, red dots, dots of every color. Planets, Clover realized. The whole sky was a celestial wonderland. It was beautiful.

Suddenly, something snarled behind Clover. She whipped her head around and immediately wished she hadn't. Standing too close for comfort were three wolves, snarling and snapping their jaws. They were carbon black, with flashing eyes. Nice doggies, Clover thought desperately. She slowly backed away from them, ignoring the grass brushing against her skin. The feral beasts inched forward menacingly. They were getting closer.

Clover stood frozen. She thought she had been afraid of the meadow, but now she was overcome with fear of a different level. It was too much for her to handle. Tears sprang to her eyes. The wolves inched even closer, snapping their jaws and making terrible noises. Their fur looked the opposite of soft; it looked almost metallic. She knew she had to do something, but she couldn't. Her feet were planted, and she was so scared that her brain felt like ice.

There was more snarling and barking behind her, and Clover jerked her head behind her. Six more wolves had arrived, looking every bit as menacing as the others. Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, three more wolves emerged from the grass. Hot tears were running down her face. There were twelve feral wolves surrounding her, getting closer by the second. She just couldn't deal with it, she couldn't-

Something wet nudged at her hand. Clover slowly let her eyes fall downward, and she realized that a wolf had thrust its nose into her palm. She jerked her hand toward her, far away from the beast. Then she noticed, with wide eyes, that the wolf's eyes were the most beautiful shade of blue-

Someone nudged Clover on the shoulder, and her eyes snapped open. She groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. What is with the dreams I've been having lately? she wondered to herself. It really was peculiar, when she thought about it. She hadn't had such a clear dream in a long time. Strange...

"We just landed, dear."

Clover looked up to see the old woman who shared her seat smiling at her kindly. After a moment's hesitation, Clover timidly smiled back.

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