"Not to know what happened before you were born is always to remain a child. For what is a man's life if it is not linked with the life of future generations by memories of the past?"

Cicero

Jarrod Thornton is my name this is the only one thing I am sure of. Me and my family move around a lot. My father cant seem to keep a job and when he loose yet another one we have to move again. Where are we now? The towns all seem to blur together at one point.

The town is Ashpeak this time that my family has picked to live in. We are renting a small but mostly nice house with the closes neighbor is a store called the Crystal Forest. I don't mind this I like my privacy and never really make any real friends anyway as often as we move.

I am a sophomore this year my blond reddish hair is growing out again and I think that since it is getting close to winter that will do just fine. My eyes are beautifully green as this girl named Tasha Daniels has told me in every class today. I do enjoy her complements she is pretty and in the in crowed and that is never a bad place to be. I do wear glasses to help because my vision is a little blurry without them. I think I am average built nothing like this guy they call Pecs.

Then there is this girl her name is Kate , I'm not sure about her. She is really cute but just off some how. I know it cant be true but when I walked into to class I swear I felt like she was inside my head looking around. But that couldn't be because stuff like just isn't real.

Tasha and her friends invited to hang out at the Ice House with them and this is wear my story really starts.

Things started to get strange after that. The cop came and questions everyone after that night. Kate and I was last. Her and I talked about it and she kept saying that I caused it but of course how could I have? I don't have magic powers because they don't exist ,at least not in my world. Kate ask me to bring over my fathers ancestor book so she and I could go over it and try to figure it out.

She and I studied it for days and then she told me that she thought my family might have been cursed. I blew her off and told her she was crazy. After a few days and more bad stuff happening to me and my family I thought maybe she might be on to something. I agreed to let her do a cleansing spell on me. Part of me still thought crazy girl, but I went anyway.

We both thought it worked and it seemed to for a day or two , I even went back to acting like I didn't know her at school,( I know I wasn't being very nice but it is what it is).But things changed and I fell and I when I looked up I saw it written all over Kate's face that it didn't work. I ask her if she had any thing else and she told me Jillian did but she sure it would work. I kept on her till she told me. I really wish I hadn't it was crazy, super crazy , time travel really. I told Kate I was done and to stay away from me not to talk to me I wasn't her friend.

I hated this but I couldn't believe in this it just wasn't right. The next day I missed school because my dad tried to hurt himself and I had to hold my family together. I was the only one and it was my job to fix this. I had to do what Kate and Jillian suggested if it helped my family. I would do it ,I had to do it even if it cost me my life.

I walked over to Kate's and told her I was ready to try anything. Jillian asked if I was sure and I told her I was. She gave me clothes she made that fit the time I had to go back to. I didn't know that Kate was coming to. I didn't want her to at first because I didn't want anything to happen to her. I promised to take care of her even though she swears she can the forest and Jillian made a circle and had Kate and I stand in it while she chanted . She gave us amulets to wear and made us learn a saying in Latin that would bring us back here. To this time and date , she also said that it was my curse that would link us to the past. Kate and I joined hands and the next thing I remember is the pulling on my body and my mind. I woke up next to an old hut or something. Kate and I had made it back in time, we only hoped it was the right time.

We walked all day till we came to the castle on the hill. Well there was two castle but this one didn't look as scary. A knight came out and I was going over the speech that Kate and I rehearsed in my head. " We are weary traveler from a faraway land , once of Thorntyne." This was Lord Richard , he looked at me and took me at my word . Then I told them Kate is my wife.

They welcome us in and give us room and board. We are given bathes and clean clothes and a bed in the tower room. Kate and I slept as far apart as we could that night. The next day was the reason we came here, we met the owner of the other castle (keep) Blacklands. His name is Rhauk and lord Richard and his kingdom all feared him. He only had eyes for Kate, and I didn't like that.

We went to dinner at Blacklands and Rhauk made his plan known. He wanted Kate and to be rid of me. That night when Kate and I slept a giant crow came in and fight me and took her. It was Rhauk and his dark magic, this was when I knew I had what Kate called a gift and I knew I need to train to be able to get her back. She came back to tell me that she want Rhauk and not me the next day ,I dint believe her but she told me to go home and everyone would safe. I didn't , I told Lord Richard and everyone about my magic and we all worked hard. I challenged Rhauk to a duel for my Kate back. I could feel Kate in my mind , she was weak but she was still with me.

The day came that I would face Rhauk for Kate and to end the curse on my family. I was sure I would die but my mom and dad , Casey and even Kate was worth my life. We fought magic to magic, fire to fire and in the end I won. Rhauk was dead ,BlackLands had burned to the ground curse in all and I saved Thorntyne Keep. We had a celebration back the castle. I was so happy to Kate in my arms again. Just as the Scotts started to attack we smashed our amulets together and chanted the words to bring us back to our time.

Jillian was there waiting for us, she said it was only two hours even thou we was gone for over a month back in time. After we answered what we could , Kate and I slept for two whole days. On the day we woke up it was starting to snow outside. Kate and I went out and I read her mind that she was sad that her powers hadn't returned do to the drugs Rhauk had given her. We held hands and I told her to concentrate and she made the snow stop around us and it warm just around us. Then Tasha and her crew was heading our way so we went back inside the shop where Kate also lived. Kate tried to blend into the back ground ,when Tasha and them came in. "I was so worried about you Jarrod " Tasha said I didn't answer her. " So what time are you picking me up for Ryan's winter dance?" I grabbed Kate and pulled her to me holding her by her waist and told Tasha I wasn't , I was with Kate and I was taking her . Thanks to Kate and Jillian and even Malcolm and Richard my family was curse free and I will go on with Kate to live a wonderful life.

November 24,2008