Silent Orchids (The Age of Alandria: Book One) Read online

  “That’s so much better!” Kaeleigh said, sighing practically in euphoria as she came out of her room wearing her favorite faded blue jeans and fitted yellow T-shirt with a big orange and white star on the front. She had let her hair down from the tight ponytail it was trapped in all day, and had bare feet. “Pizza sounds so good, I’m starving! Ooooh! and look at the cupcakes with purple frosting...Yumm!! They match the new strips in my hair, Chel, way to coordinate!” She winked as she squealed, bouncing up and down trying to swat at the balloons like a little kid. She loved fun, lighthearted celebrations like this. Even though she was eighteen now, she didn’t see any reason to suddenly become all sophisticated, responsible, and serious, at least not completely.

  “Chel, get the movies, I’ll get the pizza and plates, Kae, you can get the purple cupcakes,” Finn delegated as they headed toward the TV.

  “Let’s get this party started! What movies do we have?” asked Kaeleigh as she did a little happy dance, excited to be with her friends and let the events of the day roll off her.

  “We have an eclectic mix, including the original Footloose with Kevin Bacon—an oldie but always a goody; Star Trek—‘to boldly go where no man has gone before,’ but the Chris Pine version of course; 27 Dresses—kinda girly; and The Royal Tenenbaums—artsy fartsy picked by none other than our resident emo over there,” Chel said, rolling her eyes toward Finn sitting on the couch. “We’re practically a movie store, take your pick!” Chel said dramatically as she introduced each movie title with a “Vanna” flourish.

  “Wow! That is quite the mix...um...any one is great, you guys pick,” Kaeleigh said as she pointed to both Chel and Finn.

  They both looked at each other, smiled, and simultaneously said, “Star Trek,” then laughed. They knew that was one of Kaeleigh’s favorites. She smiled. “Good choice! Let’s eat and start the movie!” Somehow a purple cupcake ended up right in front of her on the table, so of course, she had to lick off the frosting. And of course, she had to stick out her newly dyed tongue, flaunting it to her friends.

  ✾✾✾

  After the movie, Kaeleigh yawned and stretched, “Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to travel through time and space? Or at least be able to visit other worlds and new races of beings?”

  “It would be totally cool! Although I don’t think I would like to meet a cyborg. That would creep me out,” agreed Chel.

  “It may not be all it’s cracked up to be. What if the creatures are evil or what if there are interplanetary wars going on? How would you defend yourselves?” Finn said.

  “Interplanetary war, huh?” Chel said with her eyebrows raised and hands on her hips. “I’m sure we could figure something out,” she said with an intriguing expression on her face. “Perhaps Chris Pine would come to our rescue as Captain Kirk!” she retorted with a “so there!” look.

  “He would totally come to our rescue! Right? I mean why wouldn’t he! Oh! Maybe we would get super powers too, then we could defend ourselves and kick some bad-guy ass!” Kaeleigh shouted as she jumped up and took things to the kitchen to clean up...even though it would probably just sit until tomorrow. At least she took them in there, right? It was the little things that counted in her mind.

  “Thanks for the fun, guys! I’m exhausted from work today and I work the lunch shift tomorrow. Is this a sleepover or should we continue this in the morning over coffee and scones at The Station?” Kaeleigh asked with a quirky little grin.

  “Ooooo! Scones sound sooo good! Count me in for breakfast, but I got to get home. Sam should be home now,” Chel said with a mischievous smile, turning dramatically toward the door with her hand on her heart. Kaeleigh still couldn’t believe that Chel was living with a boy. It just seemed too grown up for them. She just hoped Chel was happy.

  “I’m going to go too, but scones sound great, I’ll see you there. Happy late birthday, Kae!” Finn said as he gave Kaeleigh a hug and a kiss on the cheek and headed for the door. It always warmed her heart that he used a nickname for her, even if was just the first letter—and syllable—of her name. Not to have her exit overshadowed, Chel turned and ran at Kaeleigh with arms open for a bear hug and a noisy kiss on the opposite cheek. “Happy birthday!!” Chel shouted then ran toward the door.

  Laughing, Kaeleigh locked the door behind them. Looking at Chel, no one would assume she was a lighthearted, affectionate person. She tended to give off her other more artistic side to people who didn’t know her. She had mostly blond hair, but black and caramel colors coated the underside along with a few select peek-a-boos in black throughout the rest. She tended to use her body as her “personal canvas,” as she liked to call it. Unfortunately, she got judged a lot because of her dimple piercing, eyebrow piercing, and partial sleeve along with other miscellaneous tattoos. She wore her heart and her art on her sleeve—literally—but she was one of the most loving and fiercely loyal people Kaeleigh knew and she was proud to be her friend.

  As Kaeleigh got ready for bed, she couldn’t help her mind wandering back to that gorgeous stranger at Antonia’s tonight. She still wondered who he was and what his deal was. He couldn’t have been looking for her. It had to be a different Kaeleigh. Well, of course he had the wrong person. He was nuts! And he didn’t make any sense. But the way he looked at her, studied her, gave her chills even now thinking back on it—and not necessarily the bad kind. Still, something nagged at the back of her mind, telling her maybe it was her he was looking for... but why?

  Chapter Eight

  The buzzing and dizziness hit her harder this time. At least she had just gotten into bed as she was practically thrown into the current images and feelings that came to life, much more like a movie this time. She clutched her sheets as the bright light once again blinded her.

  The air shockingly cold; an eerie feeling that something dark was near sent chills up her spine. As a slight breeze began to blow in her face, there were very faint indecipherable high-pitched noises. Kaeleigh listened intently, trying to make out the sounds she was hearing. The wind was picking up, throwing the noises louder into her face. She froze... people were screaming... LOTS of screaming. Something else mixed with the screams that she couldn’t make out: crackling like a giant sparkler on the Fourth of July.

  A hand holding hers tight. Everything in her was screaming at her to RUN! The hand, sensing her anxious feelings, began to rub small circles into her palm, sending calm, peaceful feelings through her whole body. Looking down at the hand she was holding, she noticed something... a ring. It was his.

  She didn’t know him, but she took comfort in the mysterious man in her vision. She couldn’t run if she wanted to. At the mercy of the vision, she had to wait it out.

  As she headed uphill, the screaming and the loud noises receded, which allowed her to breathe a little steadier; however, she could still hear them and they gave her the most unsettled feelings. Her heart hurt and she felt a sorrow for something she couldn’t even name. Her vision wasn’t clear; there had been a thin veil of fog. Now stopped at the top of the hill, the fog cleared all but the edges of her peripheral vision. It was like looking through a large portal.

  She was still holding his hand. It gave her comfort. His hand gave her comfort along with a little electric buzz that hovered between them just under the surface of her skin. Kaeleigh looked straight ahead and saw the backs of several people standing on what seemed to be the edge of a cliff. Not sure who or what these people were doing or if they could even see her, she quietly took a couple of steps forward to try to see what they saw. The people, mostly men, wore what looked like ceremonial robes or cloaks like nothing she’d ever seen before, and looked quite official even from the back. The vision brought Kaeleigh’s sight forward. Although they didn’t seem to notice she was there, she was afraid of what she might see. That same creepy, eerie feeling that sent chills up her spine when she first entered the dream was back. Something was really wrong here, her brain kept telling her. Suddenly, she could see out over the edge of the cliff. Not actu
ally a cliff as she first thought; she was high up on what looked like some kind of a rock overhang on this hillside. She actually wasn’t even as high up as she originally thought; still high enough not to want to fall off. Peering out over the edge, she gasped, falling to her knees at the sight before her.

  A battle. She was witnessing a real battle... people fighting... swords... screaming and blood... both men and women... sparks flying through the air... and oh the gods! are those children? or small people?... and... and... some kind of creatures—NOT HUMAN!

  Kaeleigh’s head was spinning. Her heart hurt; she was breathing too hard, too fast. Her vision was getting spotty and she was starting to panic. Suddenly, a presence next to her knelt down beside her and then a warm, gentle, yet firm hand gripped her shoulder. His hand. Her breathing slowed, and she began to relax as calming waves rolled through her body. Grateful for the relief, she looked up at him then was instantly angered that she was brought here to this tragic scene.

  Did he bring me here?

  “Why the HELL did you show me this? What is this?” she yelled into the vision, not knowing if anyone could hear her.

  Suddenly, inside her vision and audible to her ears, she heard in that same voice that whispered to her sometimes, “You need to understand the past in order to be a part of the future.”

  “You mean this isn’t real, there aren’t really hundreds—thousands—of people dying down there?” she asked, confused.

  “No, you misunderstand. This is very real, it just has already happened. Many were hurt and many died, but that is for another time. Please, look once more to see what I need to reveal to you.”

  Kaeleigh was so scared she was shaking. She didn’t want to watch people fighting and dying, especially since it had already happened and she couldn’t even try to do anything to stop it if she wanted to. Her heart started to speed up again as she felt herself on the verge of another panic attack. Her own mental battle won out and she resigned herself to what she might see, hoping it would allow her to exit this vision sooner. His hand gently grabbed hers once again, let the calm wash over her, and her vision showed her over the edge once more.

  In that same instant, Kaeleigh felt a tug in her mind and heard someone calling her name from far off in the distance. She stopped and looked around her, but it hadn’t come from within the vision. Shrugging it off, she looked out over the edge, waiting to be shown what was there. Kaeleigh heard her name being called again.

  “Do you hear that? Someone is calling my name,” she said out loud. The friendly hand that was holding hers suddenly gripped harder, while the melodic voice that had spoken to her before spoke again.

  “I am not finished showing you what you must see to understand. He is interfering. If he succeeds, he will pull you to his side of the veil. Quickly look out over the edge so that I may reveal truth to you.” She looked, but it was getting foggy again.

  “Kaeleigh... Kaeleigh...” the voice persisted, louder each time.

  “It’s Finn’s voice,” she suddenly realized and looked around for him distractedly, knowing she wouldn’t find him in this place. As she recognized Finn’s voice, she began to feel fuzzy and the mist began to roll in from the peripherals. He grabbed her wrist firmly to get her attention and demanded she look out over the edge. Everything was getting hazier and she started spinning with a dizziness that made her want to be sick. There were flashes of light—flashes of images that were thrown before her eyes, although she couldn’t make sense of anything she saw. There was a glimmer.

  “We need you!” she heard shouted as it all started to fade away. Panic started to come upon her as did the darkness and she longed for that calming sensation that came from his hand. Then suddenly, she heard a familiar voice piercing through that veil, trying to bring her out.

  “Kaeleigh... Kaeleigh!” Finn shouted in a worried tone as he was shaking her awake.

  Kaeleigh stirred with a jolt, gasping for air as she took in her surroundings, like someone having been under water a little too long. She saw Finn, not quite comprehending that he was there with her in her bedroom—with an extremely worried look on his face. Then she saw him again with recognition.

  “Finn! You scared the hell out of me, what are you doing here?”

  “Me! I scared you? I had my window open and thought I heard you scream. I tried calling, but when you didn’t answer, I decided to come by and check on you. I knocked at the door—probably woke some of your neighbors up—then I thought I heard a crash—apparently you knocked your lamp over—so I used the spare key. I come in here to find you in a coma-like sleep that I can’t wake you up from. I’ve been trying to get through to you forever, and you think I scared you! What is going on?” Finn practically shouted, furious with worry as he paced back and forth in her small bedroom. His hands alternated between clenching into fists and running through his hair.

  “Just a bad dream... I think... but it seemed so real. Sorry I scared you,” she said a bit sheepishly. “Thanks for checking on me,” she said, out of breath as she was still trying to get her bearings. “I’m glad you live so close.” She tried to smile, but it felt a little wobbly.

  “What was it about—the dream?” he clarified at her odd expression, still not yet convinced that she was okay.

  “Ummm... actually, I don’t really remember the details now that I’m awake. There was fighting and screaming and blood, like a war but smaller, I think; I saw part of it,” she said, trying to recall what it was she was supposed to remember from this dream. She knew it wasn’t exactly a dream, but she wasn’t ready to tell Finn that yet. He noticed her hands were shaking as she tried not to relive the images that were coming back to her in rapid succession. “It must have been from the movie we watched and all that talk of interplanetary wars,” Kaeleigh said, smiling, trying to make light of what she had just witnessed.

  “It’s all right, don’t think about it anymore tonight. If it’s important it will come back to you when you need it to,” Finn said with a sigh, trying to comfort her as he rested his hands on top of hers to try to stop her shaking. She noticed an odd expression flash across his face, but it was gone before she could define it. Strange.

  Kaeleigh nodded at Finn and took a deep breath, trying to relax, wishing his hands had the same calming effect as the imaginary guy that was in her flashes. Yeah, because that’s not crazy. She looked up at Finn to find that he was still looking at her with a concerned, yet softer look on his face until her eyes met his, and then she realized that his hand was still on top of hers. Kaeleigh suddenly felt awkward at their close proximity on the bed—her bed. She pulled her hands out from under his to pull the hair out of her face and tuck it behind her ears, hoping for a smooth transition, trying not to make him feel bad; after all, he had come to check on her. Finn suddenly got up from the bed and walked out the door without another word.

  Crap! I made him feel bad. I can’t believe he would leave without saying goodbye. What’s his deal? Twice now a guy has just walked away from me. Kaeleigh made to move from the bed, not remembering what she went to bed wearing (or not wearing). She looked under the covers to make sure that she was decent in her tank top and pajama pants. Good thing I left the bottoms on before I fell asleep this time, that could have been awkward.

  “Finn, where did you go?” she shouted as she walked toward her bedroom door. “Are you leaving?... Oh, thanks,” she said a bit shyly after she practically bumped into Finn as he walked back into the room, handing her a glass of water he got from the kitchen. She took several drinks, hoping to wash down whatever awkwardness that was suddenly between them. Finn was one of her best friends; she wasn’t sure why suddenly things felt a bit different. She decided not to let it be weird any longer as she rolled her shoulders to shake it off.

  “You want to go back to sleep or do you want to play cards or something to distract you?” Finn asked, now sounding more like the good friend she knew.

  “Sure, let’s play a card game, we haven’t done that in
awhile. I’ll get the cards.” Kaeleigh ran into the living room and pulled a deck of cards out of the basket by the television.

  They played several exciting games of Speed, Gin, and Go Fish, even though the last didn’t really work with two people. There was lots of laughing and casual conversation that felt comfortable. Kaeleigh was happy to be back to normal with Finn. She gathered the cards to be put away and yawned as the need for sleep hit her once again. Getting up from the couch, Finn grabbed one of Kaeleigh’s several “unnecessary pillows” as he thought of them and grabbed an extra blanket out of the closet. She called them “decorative throw pillows,” but he didn’t get the point of them.

  “What are you doing, Finn?”

  “Go to bed, Kae, I’ll sleep on the couch to keep you company in case you have another bad dream or need anything,” Finn said and headed back to the couch.

  Kaeleigh got into her bed, feeling slightly guilty that one of her best friends, who had been so great to her tonight when she needed a friend, was going to sleep on her springy and not-so-comfortable-for-sleeping couch. After all, things seemed back to normal and Finn had spent the night before and it was no big deal, although Chel was usually there too. He’ll be fine out there on the couch. The couch squeaked as Finn plopped himself down and made himself comfortable, or at least tried. Every time he turned over or adjusted his position on the couch, it squeaked. Ughh! I’ll never get any sleep with all that racket out there.

  “Finn, you don’t have to stay out there.” Kaeleigh’s shout sounded muffled from under her comforter.

  “I’m fine, I’m not leaving you tonight. You’re still a bit shaken up, I’ll stay the night... or what’s left of it,” Finn replied in a tired voice.

  “No, I mean you don’t have to sleep out there on the couch, there’s plenty of room in here,” Kaeleigh said, looking at her king-sized bed.