A Diamond in my Pocket
Book one
by Lorena Angell
Copyright 2011 Lorena Angell
Smashwords Edition
License Notes
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is entirely coincidental. The names, characters, places and incidents are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
For more titles by Lorena Angell visit her blog:
http://lorenaangell.blogspot.com
Revised 8/16/2011
Special thanks to:
My family and personal friends for unending support and encouragement; without it I’d still be just an aspiring Indie author. To my twitter friends @LorenaAngell1 who’ve spread the word through social media. And to Larry, for believing in me; thanks honey.
Chapter 1
Olympic Dreams
I don’t understand what’s happening to me. Something strange and unexplainable is going on inside my body and there isn’t anyone I can tell; I wouldn’t even know where to start. Moments ago, my track coach informed me my time for the 100m broke the school record and then he asked me what I ate for breakfast.
I haven’t changed anything in my lifestyle. No additional training, no special dietary alterations and certainly no performance enhancing drugs; but my instincts tell me that will be the next question someone will ask. At least my name can be cleared from illegal drug use, but I don’t think this deep molecular change within my bones and muscles is something peeing in a cup can explain. The race was only a few minutes ago and normally I would still be cooling down with an elevated heart rate and sweat beads running down my neck, instead, I am rested, relaxed and ready to run again. Weird.
I’m not a track star or spectacular in any sense of the word. I joined the team last season in my sophomore year from the encouragement of Coach Simms, my algebra teacher. I didn’t do it because of extraordinary skill or to bring attention to myself. Instead, I joined because an extracurricular sport was better than being home alone after school.
My father is a brain surgeon and my mother is a psychiatrist. One could say both of them work on head cases. I like to think of it as one dealing with the thought processes and the other with the functionality. Even though they are in high demand in their respective medical fields, they both made time for me over the years, especially for the short time when I lost my hearing in middle school.
I became the victim of a prank. Someone rigged a bathroom stall with a firecracker and I was the unlucky one to find it. The small, all tile area amplified the percussion and decibels so much my ear drums ruptured. I still remember the intense pain as if someone was pounding an ice pick in my eardrum. My ears didn’t work for a couple of days and, as anticipated, infection set in. My parents were on top of my situation every step of the way. But even with all their combined knowledge on the matter only so much could be done. I endured months of pain, injections, surgeries, speech therapy and was taught how to read lips.
I healed over time but never lost my lip reading ability. Over the years, my mother advised me against letting my classmates know I understood their whispers lest my ability be taken advantage of. She was right. As soon as I returned to school, I picked up on conversations in the lunch room typical of the age range and the cafeteria became even noisier than before. Did you hear what she said? and do you know what I heard about him?—I got so sick of all the gossip and backbiting on the lips of others, I had no choice but to bury my face in books. That’s where my fascination for science and the medical field came about.
It’s never been my desire to be the center of attention; which explains why I didn’t try out for cheerleading or drill team. I’m fine with being plain ol’ Calli Courtnae void of the limelight and undiscovered by the boys. I help the ‘lack of boys’ attention’ thing along though. I’m not one to wear the current fashions or sport the latest hair styles, and wearing excessive jewelry is pointless to me. It’s not in my nature to do these things. In my opinion, these mundane teenage popularity contests are a waste of energy and I can do better things with my time than stress myself out about what others think of me. Besides, there aren’t any good looking boys in my whole school worthy of getting dolled up over. I suppose Brand Safferson is the most sought after guy because he’s quarterback; but he’s not all that good looking in my opinion.
Sometimes my mother gets a little uptight about my lack of friends and interested boys in my life, and who can blame her, but I do have one friend; Suzanne James. She became my friend in middle school and stayed by my side ever since the accident. She supported me through my medical troubles and understands me better than anyone. I’m not bothered with her spending more time with her other friends, but I am amused when she comes to me after she’s had enough estrogen-packed gossiping, backbiting, two faced-ism. Suz tells me all the time I’m ‘uber-mature’ for my age. I don’t think she’s right. I think I’m level headed and I don’t get involved in the drama, that’s all.
Our favorite thing to do is go to the mall and observe the behavior of people. We refer to it as ‘Human Nature 101’. Sitting in front of the Toyland store is the best because we get a front row seat to all the bratty screaming kids being dragged out by their humiliated mothers. Suz and I are positive we will never be overrun by our children. We’ll be better.
We also like to sit near the food courtyard and critique the other teenagers’ behavior. One thing never ceases to amaze me; jocks are jerks.
It’s one thing to be an athlete who cares about their grades and tries hard to achieve in their sport, but the arrogant, cocky, strutting, ‘can’t get better than a C’ jock is a true degradation of the human species. Only one step up from primates. The last thing I wanted to become was one of those conceited jocks Suz and I loved to criticize.
I sat in a daze as the rest of the track meet completed. The stares and whisperings of my teammates and spectators didn’t go unnoticed. I’m glad my parents weren’t here to witness my unnatural feat. What would they have to say about it?
On the way back to the locker room a couple of senior boys walked past me and patted my shoulder. “Hey Courtnae, want to share some of your ‘speed’ with the rest of us?” One teased and the rest of them laughed and went on ahead.
Typical. They think I’m on drugs. Idiotic troglodytes.
“Calli, hold up.”
I turned and saw Coach Simms coming toward me with a well dressed woman at his side. “Would you come into my office after you change?”
I nodded and entered the locker room. The hum of conversation from within came to a sudden halt as I made my way to my place. I glanced around the room as the other girls averted their eyes, so, I answered what I could only guess they must be thinking, “No, I’m not on steroids!” The girls all looked away as if I’d read their minds. Their opinions of me didn’t matter; the impending meeting with the coach did however.
“Calli, come in. Sit, please.” Coach Simms sat in his tattered office chair behind his messy desk with a giant smile beaming from ear to ear. I did as he asked, sitting on a metal folding chair and glanced over at the gorgeous woman to my right. “Calli, this is Mrs. Clara Winter. She is with the Athletic Training Association and is a personal trainer to athletes competing in the Olympics. She would like to talk to you.”
Mrs. Winter was the most elegant woman I’ve met in person. She had a kind of soap opera appearance, the sort where everything coordinates right down to her manicured and polished nails, and not one hair on her head was where it shouldn’t be. I wondered if she had a stylist who followed her around primping her to look exquisite. In all honesty though, I was painfully aware of how substandard I must appear to her. Wait a minute; did Coach just use the word ‘Olympics’ in a sentence?
She spoke with a beautiful fluid voice, “Ms. Courtnae, you were amazingly fast out there today. Are you taking any—”
I cut her off, “No, I’m not on steroids!” I thrust out my arm. “Take my blood or test my pee if you don’t believe me!” Beautiful or not, no one was going to accuse me of cheating.
“Calm down Ms. Courtnae. You understand I had to ask, don’t worry, I believe you. Your coach tells me this is your first time to win the 100m. Pardon me for sounding rude, but your fastest time to date was only fourteen-point-five seconds which occurred only last weekend. Today you have broken the record. Tell me Ms. Courtnae, how does something like that happen?”
“I don’t know; you tell me. Maybe the clock was off. Perhaps I didn’t actually break our school’s record.”
Coach Simms leaned forward in his squeaky chair, “Calli, you broke the world record. The Men’s World Record! It’s unofficial, of course, but all the same amazing.”
“Ms. Courtnae, the reason I’m here is to invite you to come to my training facility in Montana and train for the Olympics.”
“The O-Olympics?” I tried not to stammer, but my cognitive function was impaired.
“Yes. I would like to meet with your parents as soon as possible. The deadline for qualifications is right around the corner so we must act now.”
“I, uh, can call my Mom about meeting tonight.”
“Perfect.”
****
“Oh, Calli, I’ve known something like this would happen to you. It’s your moment to shine,” my mother said as she gave me a big hug. I pulled her close not wanting to let go. Our flight was announced over the intercom as now boarding and I released my grasp from my mother and flung my arms around my father.
“I’m proud of you Calli.” The sincerity in his gentle voice almost brought tears to my eyes. “Now, go show them how well Ohio girls run.”
“We’ll take care of her; there is no reason to worry.” Mrs. Winter comforted my parents.
We left and proceeded through security and to our waiting airplane. In the company of the world’s most beautiful woman I couldn’t help but notice how many heads turned our way. I knew no one gave plain ol’ me a second glance but I was used to that; probably the same way Mrs. Winter was used to all the attention.
The two of us found our seats and settled in for a long flight which would take us to Denver, Colorado, where we would catch a connecting flight to Bozeman, Montana. From Bozeman we would be driving to our destination, arriving by evening.
“Mrs. Winter, what can I expect when we arrive?” I asked once we were in the air.
“The training facility is a large building set high in the Rocky Mountains. As of now, there are close to two hundred residents living and working at the compound. You’ll be tutored with your school work in between training sessions so you do not fall behind your age level.”
“Any other girls close to my age?” I tried to picture the athletes who competed in the Olympics. The only images coming into my mind were those of older, well-developed women.
“Calli, why don’t you rest? You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow.” Mrs. Winter wasn’t asking, but more telling me to quiet down.
I laid my head back to rest but my jittery stomach prevented any relaxation. I tried to imagine how my introduction to the other Olympic candidates might go. Something told me they wouldn’t be too thrilled to meet me.
We made the connecting flight all right and arrived in Bozeman at six o’clock. Mrs. Winter’s valet parked car had been brought around to the front for us. Not surprisingly, it was a top model posh sedan with leather interior. I wouldn’t expect anything less for a woman of this caliber.
We navigated away from the airport and turned on the two lane highway. The monstrous Rocky Mountains blocked the sun and cast a shadow across the valley.
“Calli, would you tell me what your body felt like as you ran the 100m?” Mrs. Winter asked without taking her eyes off the road.
Definitely a strange question, “Well, I don’t quite know how to explain it, but I wasn’t exhausted when I finished.”
“Could you have run faster?” she asked me with a touch of incredulity.
“Faster? Well, I guess, um, yes, I could have.” I’m not sure why I was ashamed to be admitting this. Mrs. Winter seemed relieved as if a heavy load suddenly removed itself from her shoulders.
Mrs. Winter slowed the car and turned into a restaurant parking lot. “Let’s go in and eat. Dinner will have already been served at the compound and I can’t have you going to bed hungry.”
My stomach had growled only moments before and the thought of warm food sounded wonderful. As we entered the diner, the hum of conversation ceased. Mrs. Winter didn’t seem phased at all by the stares of the locals and acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. We placed our orders with the bubbly waitress.
Mrs. Winter took a sip of her ice water. “Are you nervous, Calli?”
“Yes,” I admitted shyly.
“Understandable. Calli, there is so much to explain to you; but we will do that tomorrow after breakfast. Tonight, you’ll be located to your room with the direct orders of not venturing outside the building. Do you understand?”
“No going outside?”
“Correct.”
“Alright. Who’s my roommate?”
“The female hall and living arrangements are handled by Stella Woods. She handles the assignments and makes sure everyone is getting along. I don’t know who you’ll be rooming with. However, should you have any problems or if anyone is giving you a hard time, Stella is the one to talk to.”
“Why would anyone be giving me trouble?” I asked, already knowing why; I’m faster than everyone else. Of course they would view me as a threat.
“I’m not saying they will; only if they do. Also, any and all phone calls will be made through my office and I will be monitoring them until I am convinced you’ve grasped the workings of the compound.”
My head reeled in all different directions. Monitored phone calls? Workings of the compound? Am I headed to prison?
Mrs. Winter continued, “You are going to be a bit overwhelmed at first but I can tell that you will adjust to everything easily and you’ll handle your own without any help. Remember this important rule, no leaving the building after dark.”
“May I ask why?”
“I’ll show you why tomorrow night, alright? This evening I have too many things to catch up on.”
Show me? What did she mean?
Our food arrived ending our line of conversation. My cheeseburger and fries looked heavenly and tasted even better. I noted Mrs. Winter’s plate contained strange stuff, primarily raw vegetables without dip. Yuck.
We finished our food and Mrs. Winter left a sizable tip before we left the diner to start the final leg of our journey. The road took us higher in altitude to where pine and fir trees grew. No more sage brush; only lush and thick forest with twisting roads. I had to pop my ears due to the pressure change several times on the ascent. We rounded a corner and the entire windshield filled with the view of the compound. The huge building looked like an Alpine Chalet; it was designed similarly with intricately cut eaves and trim. It could have been mistaken for an immense three level hotel. Perhaps that was the idea. Many of the windows were illuminated from the interior lighting. The tall windowed front doors extended up two stories and I assumed there would be a grand entryway inside. Standing outside the door were four adults ready to greet us.
We climbed out of the car and immediately one woman pulled Mrs. Winter to the side and gave her a hushed message. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I read her lips and took in half of the conversation. Mrs. Winter’s back was to me as I watched the woman speak.
“Clara, they never made it. Chris is investigating their last known location with a Hunter to try to determine who is responsible for this.” The woman paused as she listened to something Mrs. Winter said, and then added, “As soon as you left, the Seers reported a fog that remains fixed in place. The last time that happened, well, I don’t need to remind you—” My attentions were pulled away by three adults welcoming me to the compound.
I smiled and nodded to the others not really hearing what they said. My eyes kept going over to Mrs. Winter. One of the adults speaking to me was Stella Wood. She held her hand out in invitation, “Let’s get inside.”
We entered the building and stood facing a giant staircase. Mrs. Winter ended her mysterious conversation and joined us leading the way up to the second floor. She made a swooping motion with her arm, “Calli, this is the girls’ hall.”
Mrs. Wood went ahead of us, knocking on each door. Girls were stepping out into the hallway; obviously they’d been told a new athlete would be arriving. I made eye contact with the nearest girl and smiled. She didn’t have a nice expression on her face but more of a sour one. The girl across the hall had the same look. Even more shocking was the fact that these two were younger than me. Further down I noted some girls closer to my age, some older, but most appeared to be younger.
“Come,” Mrs. Winter pulled me forward. “Everyone, this is Calli Courtnae from Ohio.”
In my best cordial voice I greeted everyone. “Hello.” No one said anything in return. Every girl, whether twelve or twenty years of age, was beautiful, not just pretty, but gorgeous, even with the disgusted expressions on their faces. My plain countenance didn’t even begin to compare, not at all.
We made our way down the hall, with Mrs. Winter introducing every girl to me. I smiled and greeted each one to no avail. Some of the girls behind me were whispering but I couldn’t tell what they were saying. As we arrived at the end, my eyes connected with a girl with heavy black eyeliner and unnaturally black hair. She scrutinized my appearance, looking me up and down, and then said to Mrs. Winter and Mrs. Wood before we even got to her, “No! No, I’m not rooming with that…that human!”
“Calli, this is Beth Hammond, she is your roommate,” Mrs. Wood informed me.
“No, I’m not,” Beth directed her comment to me and then turned to Mrs. Winter, “Find another room.” She flipped around and strutted into her room.
The two women excused themselves, leaving me alone with the world’s most stuck up girls, and followed Beth into her room. I couldn’t have cared less what the kids at my high school thought about me but these girls’ low opinion was undeserved. They didn’t even know me. I turned wondering how many were still staring. Everyone who remained in the hallway grouped closer to me.
One older girl approached me, “How fast can you run, Calli?”
“Fast enough to be invited to come here.” I figured a vague answer might be the best bet at the moment.
“What’s your time?” she persisted with a mega snobbish attitude.
“I’m sorry, what was your name?” I asked trying to be polite.
Another girl stepped beside the first and took over the drilling session, “She asked how fast you are.”
Some girls further down the hall whispered to each other and I read their lips. I couldn’t make out the whole conversation but I picked up on a few words: ‘spy’, ‘lock your door tonight’ and ‘don’t talk to her’.
I shot back at the girl, “How fast are you?” From the stunned expression on her face, I could tell she didn’t expect me to answer that way.
Mrs. Winter and Mrs. Wood came out of Beth’s room and ushered me in. I heard them tell the other girls to ‘lighten up on her’, and ‘you know the rules’.
“Calli, we will go get your things while you make yourself comfortable,” Mrs. Winter said; leaving me to fend for myself against Attila the Hun.
“I’ll help you,” I tried to offer but she shook her head and closed the door.
Beth stared me down with her darkly outlined eyes. I think her eye color was gray or perhaps watery light blue. It was too hard to tell because her eyes were so narrowed. “I don’t want a roommate. Clara is losing her mind.” Beth stood and stomped over to her dresser and brushed her hair. She stared daggers at me through her mirror and let out a huff of exasperated air, “I finally move up in the ranking order around here and I get stuck with the muck.”
“Thanks,” I muttered and walked over to my bed and sat down.
She wagged her black-tipped pointer finger at me. “Don’t be thinking I’m going to be your friend or anything. I don’t like you! You’ve got human written all over your aura,” her arms made a sweeping circular motion. “Now, Clara brings you here exposing our location to the world.”
“You think I’m a snitch? Sheez, you’re paranoid, but I guess that goes along with the hair.” A rather daring comeback, I must admit.
“What does that mean?”
I imitated her circular motion with my hands, “Isn’t that the look you’re going after? The hair, eyes, nails, attitude; it’s a complete paranoia package. Anyone who dresses like you is constantly aware of everyone around them. They’re positive others are looking at them, judging them. Paranoid.” I took a breath and finished before she interrupted, “Oh, and I’m not a snitch.”
Mrs. Winter entered the room carrying my luggage. “Here you go, Calli.” She set my bags down and faced Beth, “Beth, will you show her around?”
“No.”
“Alright. Breakfast is at eight sharp in the dining hall on the main floor. Good night, girls.” She closed the door.
Beth stared at me for a few seconds before asking, “How fast are you Calli?”
No way was I going to tell her exactly how fast I timed out at, or the fact I could have gone faster. “Probably not as fast as you.”
“Well, we’ll find out how fast you are soon enough. A word of advice, showing off around here will only get you beat up.”
“So, I should run slowly?”
“Yep.”
“Would you beat me up?”
“Yep. I’ve worked and trained hard to get to where I am and you won’t ruin that for me.”
I realized she was afraid of me and that calmed me, oddly enough.
“This side of the room is mine. Don’t touch anything!” She made a chopping motion with her arm to draw an imaginary line.
I glanced up at the walls on ‘my side’ only to see her posters of all things dark and mysterious covering them. I looked back at her hoping she’d say she’d remove them.
“Don’t touch those either.”
“Where’s the bathroom?”
“Find it yourself,” she pointed to the door.
I supposed a common bathroom would be down the hall somewhere, and as I didn’t want to stay any longer in her black cave of a bedroom, I left. Everyone had gone back into their bedrooms and shut their doors; it’s not like they would point me to the little girls’ room anyway. Maybe this was some sort of initiation rite for newcomers. Well, that’s just fine. I prefer to do things all on my own anyway.
The interior of the compound had such a masculine feel to it with its dark woodwork everywhere and jewel-toned carpets and draperies. There were dim lights every couple of feet in the ceiling, along with antique sconce lights on the walls next to every bedroom door.
I walked the entire length of the girls’ hall and still had not found the bathroom. I climbed the staircase at the end of the hall and rounded the corner at the top running right into a half-naked guy with dark hair and deep set eyes.
“What are you doing up here, muck?” his eyes squinted as spoke in a condescending and blunt tone. I guessed his age to be about eighteen.
“I’m sorry, I got lost.”
“You must be the new girl.”
“What does muck mean?” I truly wanted to know, but he only laughed at me.
“It means I don’t have to speak with you.” He turned and walked away and called over his shoulder, “You should leave the way you came in.”
Okie-dokie. Oh, how I loathe guys like him. Jocks! They think they are all that, and everyone else is inferior. He was sweet on the eyes, though.
Descending the stairs I noticed a small sign on the door designating it as the bathroom. How embarrassing. I’d walked right on by it. If only I'd seen it earlier.
Minutes later I entered my room again. Beth made eye contact with me for a second and rolled away from me. I changed into my night clothes and lay down on the surprisingly comfortable bed. Staring at the ceiling, I thought about the day. It started benign enough, but ended quite malignant. My grouchy roommate referred to me as a human. I was called ’muck’ twice. Even though I don’t know the meaning of the word, the derision in the eyes of both Beth and the good looking guy told me it’s not a polite word. It must be some type of superior athlete’s slang. It’s the four letter ‘M’ word.
I missed my parents, Suz, and my little hometown. I missed the familiarity of my life, my usual daily grind, my comforts, even my distresses. At least they were normal for me and I knew how to deal with them. This place, however, had strange stamped all over it! I am unwelcome here. Will I ever fit in? My stomach growled as I rolled over and fell asleep.
Chapter 2
Paradigm Shift
“You’d better get up, muck, or you’ll be the last one entering the dining hall. And believe me, last is not a place you want to be.”
She left our room and I jumped up and hurried to dress. I ran a comb through my hair, rubbed lotion on my face and reached for my perfume but changed my mind and set it back down. I didn’t want to appear to be trying too hard. As I raced down the empty hall to the stairs I heard voices echoing up toward me. The giggling and whispers of words like ‘muck’ and ‘sloth’ increased as I approached the door, then silenced as I entered the room.
The huge dining hall was filled with round tables and fellow athletes. Over at the nearest table Beth was sitting next to the good-looking guy I ran into the night before. Her eyes narrowed as she gave me the once-over and with the amount of black eyeliner she had on, she looked down right scary.
“Good morning, Calli,” Mrs. Winter joined me by my side. “Everyone, this is Calli Courtnae from Ohio.”
No one said a word. I glanced around the room at all the blank faces imaging what they might be thinking. I had yet to find a face, female or male, that wasn’t strikingly handsome or gorgeous. My mediocrity must be confusing to everyone.
Mrs. Winter led me to a table filled with little kids who weren’t any older than twelve. One seat was unoccupied. I guess this is what Beth meant by not wanting to be the last one to breakfast. You’re forced to sit with the kids. I sat and made eye contact with the sneering faces of boys and girls. I figured I’d better show some kindness if I expected to get any. “Hi.” I said. They all looked away from me. Was no one friendly in this place?
Mrs. Winter took her position at the front of the room. “This is Calli’s first day and she hasn’t had her orientation yet. I wish to remind you all about the dos and don’ts concerning new arrivals and the consequences of disobeying such.” A low grumble rolled throughout the dining hall which only added to my mounting confusion. Dos and don’ts? “Also, we will be holding a time trial tomorrow morning as we’ve received a new assignment. Alright, let’s eat.”
Everyone got up from their seats and started filing toward the obvious door to the kitchen. I ended up half way back in the forming line surrounded by boys and girls who wouldn’t talk or even acknowledge me. Normally, this wouldn’t bother me, but today was different. I faced forward and found that the line moved rapidly. At least this torture would be over soon. In the kitchen, the spread of buffet style food shocked me; fruits of all kinds, some vegetables and nuts; more nuts than I’d ever seen before. Several pitchers of different colored juices and ice water at the end of the table completed the selection. No bacon and eggs or French toast? Where’s the real food? Needless to say, I didn’t end up with much on my plate.
I went back to my seat and glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to be staring at me which I suppose is normal; I am the new girl, after all. I did indulge in a bit of lip reading to try to get an idea of what they were thinking. Other than standard questions about me, the only strange comment I picked up on was, ‘she’s so old for a newbie.’
Mrs. Winter came over to me as I finished my food and invited me to follow her after I cleared my plate. She led me down the hall into a private office and closed the door.
“Take a seat, Calli.” She said motioning to the overstuffed leather sofa along the wall.
I sunk into the luxurious buttery-soft leather and a wave of relaxation washed over me.
She sat in her own extravagant executive chair. “You must have questions for me by now. Go ahead and ask.”
“What is a muck?”
“A muck is a slow Runner.”
I muttered in response, “Well, I guess I should have told them my time, then.”
She smiled and said, “I believe the word ‘muck’ is used in a similar fashion as ‘loser’. When you understand the nature in which you are viewed, it won’t seem as harsh.”
“I think they’re threatened by me.”
Mrs. Winter nodded in agreement.
“Why did Beth refer to me as a human?”
“She doesn’t think of you as being on the same level as her. Anymore questions, or are you ready to learn?”
“Ready to learn.”
“Alright. First up, I would like you to call me Clara. Mrs. Winter is too formal.”
I nodded.
“Calli, I want you to open your mind and try to understand what I’m about to tell you. This won’t be easy for you to comprehend.” I nodded again. “You are extremely fast and your speed only just emerged. What we’ve found is the running ability surfaces during puberty, usually around twelve to fourteen years of age. Yours came a bit later. Not everyone is able to run as fast as you; for instance, your fellow teammates back in Ohio. However, your burst of speed isn’t, how shall we say, normal. Your ability comes from a cosmic energy blast originating from a distant constellation.”
I laughed out loud. I couldn’t help not to. How ridiculous! Clara kept talking as if she was used to being laughed at.
“You are a Runner, Calli, but you won’t be in the Olympics. I’m sorry I had to lie to you about that. You wouldn’t have come here otherwise nor would your parents have allowed you to; even though your life depended on it. I told you not to go outside last night because there are Demons lurking in the nearby shadows waiting for someone with cosmic powers to come along.”
I’d heard enough. I stood and shook my head as I backed up to the door. I hoped this was a bad dream, the kind when you wake up you’re relieved. However, I knew the reality of the situation, I was now trapped in the Rocky Mountains of Montana, thousands of miles away from my parents, with a beautiful psycho who operated a cult-like compound and surrounded by freakishly perfect-looking people! I turned my back to Clara in an attempt to exit only to find her in front of me blocking the way out. I glanced over my shoulder convinced there must be two of her, but only found an empty chair.
I took one step back, afraid and shaking, “Please let me go.”
“Calli, I’m not holding you captive, I’m trying to help teach you about your gift and how to protect yourself from the evil waiting to harm you. I am not trying to harm you and I understand how insane this must sound, but allow me more time to explain. Please.”
I turned and walked back to the couch with great reluctance and she took her place once again.
“Everyone you know was affected in one way or another by galactic cosmic energy rays while they were in the womb. The energy rays only affect a fetus twelve weeks or younger. When a fetus is exposed to the energy blasts, some alteration will occur depending on the proximity to the hot zone, that being the direct center of the blast. Those located in this area end up with a superhuman ability like yourself. Those on the outside edges of the hot zone will experience increased intellect, photographic memory, artistic or athletic ability, and those further out will be affected with milder increases. The ones way out on the perimeter can end up with deformities and retardation. Think about your own high school. There were probably a couple of highly athletic individuals, the kind who get scholarships, and a small handful of extra-intelligent kids who would be valedictorians. Also, a few who excelled in the arts, I imagine. I would hazard to guess some in your school were a few bricks shy of a load, right?”
I had to cut her off here, “Clara, I haven’t ever heard of this. These findings would be all over the news and in the scientific community if they were true. Modern DNA doesn’t reveal this information, and frankly, I think this is all hogwash.”
“Calli, radiation hazards in outer space are well known. Astronauts are bombarded with these continually and scientists have proven a developing fetus subjected to x-rays suffer retardation. What they don’t understand, however, is the same cosmic energy rays which fly around outer space also hit the earth in a pinpoint fashion creating a ripple effect. Drop a small pebble in a puddle of water and watch the ripples form. Now consider the pebble is the cosmic energy blast resulting in fetal DNA alterations and the ripples represent lesser alterations. The further the ripples travel away from the center, the weaker they become.
“So, you’re saying as an embryo I was hit by some rogue cosmic ray which altered my DNA and the alteration suddenly emerged two days ago?”
“Calli, remember how your body felt as you ran and the fact you could have run faster? You said so yourself. Now, put everything you felt into the perspective of a scientist. Would a scientist be able to explain your sudden burst of speed other than performance enhancing medications? You told me you were clean; were you lying to me?”
“No, I wasn’t lying, but-”
“Reflect your own amazement. You hold the key to understanding this remarkable event more so than any ordinary scientist. However, we have scientists in our community who are currently working on determining which galaxies or constellations the different powers come from.”
“Different powers?”
“Yes, speed running is one of several superhuman powers in this world. There are also Mind Readers, Healers who can heal most ailments, Seers, and even some who have over-sensitive olfactory abilities. We call them Hunters. Here at our facility we employ three individuals of power; a Seer, a Healer and a Mind Reader. This is a common practice among clans. I am a Runner and am trained in the art of spell-casting which I use on foods and herbs for the benefit of the clan.
“Clan?” I asked.
“We refer to groups of individuals with the same power as a ‘clan’.”
“Spell-casting?”
“Yes, there are spell-casters who cast enchantments and such; they are generally good. This is not a cosmic ability but a learned one. Spell-casters differ from Witches and Wizards, though. They understand their limitations and do not push nature’s boundaries. Witches and Wizards are underhanded, evil and subscribe to their own wishes without concern to anyone around them. Any involvement with one is frowned upon; in fact, consorting with a Witch or Wizard can get you thrown out of the clan.”
“Noted. What else can Runners do? I mean, do we just run or are there other abilities?” Not that I was completely buying into this craziness, but after hearing her list off all the other superhuman powers, I felt a little cheated I couldn’t be a Mind Reader or Seer.
“Well, you are intelligent as to question the value of our ability. Other clans employ us to deliver goods and messages that are too high profile to be trusted to standard delivery services. Even governments have used Runners for top secret assignments. In fact, during the Civil War, many orders were delivered by our clan.”
“Civil War? These powers have been around that long?”
“Longer, Calli, since the ancient Egyptian times.”
“Well, how did they stay hidden? Why hasn’t the rest of the world picked up on them?”
“The world did pick up on them. Think about big blockbuster movies and best selling fiction books. Consider the subject matter for the fantasy/science fiction titles and you’ll recognize the existence of these powers and abilities have always been. Even historical fiction exposed these elements. The clans have endeavored to fictionalize the powers throughout history. Regular people function better when they think these powers are fantasy.”
“Vampires and Werewolves?”
“They existed at one time along with dragons and fairies and all manner of fairytale creatures. Where do you think the stories originated from?”
“This is too much for my mind to handle.”
“Calli, try not to let all this information overwhelm you. Focus on this: our Seer ‘saw’ you four weeks and two days ago. His vision revealed your powers would emerge at a high school track meet. I was there to collect you, to keep you alive. Once you learn how to protect yourself, and if you so desire, you can return home. But leaving too soon, without the knowledge we can give you here, would be disastrous. The Shadow Demons would devour you the first night you wandered out.”
I bent forward and put my head in my hands. This couldn’t be happening. I definitely recognized a strange occurrence in my body at the track meet, but was it possible I have some kind of a superhuman power? Or is this some kind of a hypnotic session in which my mind is being toyed with to think this is real? Yes, that would be more realistic. My mother used hypnotherapy to help people in her clinic, but this woman might be using the same on me with evil purposes.
A knock on the office door pulled me out of heavy contemplation. I looked over at the half windowed door to see the profile of an extremely handsome guy. More than handsome, he was ultimate masculinity, a walking euphoria, and the total embodiment of every girl’s dreams; of my dreams.
“Come,” Mrs. Winter answered and the perfect specimen of manhood entered the room. He walked with a purpose straight to her desk without even acknowledging my presence. From my vantage point I again beheld his perfect profile and realized I’d forgotten to breathe.
“Clara,” his voice was like liquid satin and musk, or maybe it was his delicious aroma filling my nose. “They never reached their destination. I searched with the Hunter for trails or clues but it appears they’ve simply vanished mid journey.”
“I’ve had word the Healers are missing three as well,” she answered back quietly.
My sudden intake of air pulled the attention of both of them to me. Mrs. Winter realized she’d forgotten to introduce me.
“Chris, this is Calli Courtnae, Calli, Chris Harding.”
I reached my hand forward to shake his in courtesy.
His eyes were blue, deep blue, like…like nothing I’d seen before. I couldn’t look away. However, his eyes held strange emotions. I watched as he looked my face over and then as his eyes fell on my outstretched hand. He wasn’t making any attempt to shake my hand so I brought it back down to my lap. His eyes found mine again and he started to slowly turn his head back to Clara but his eyes were still looking at me until the last moment, “Why did the Healers send her to tell you of the missing three? Why not the leader?”
“Chris, Calli isn’t a Healer, she’s a Runner. This is her orientation.”
His eyes were on me once again, only, this time they held angry confusion. I didn’t know if my heart could withstand another up and down without failing, but maybe if I went into cardiac arrest he’d be forced to give me mouth to mouth. What’s the matter with me? I’ve never felt this way about a boy before. Then again, he’s not a boy; he’s a man and a mighty fine looking one at that.
“Clara, may I speak with you in the hall?” he asked.
I watched as they both walked to the door. Chris held it for Mrs. Winter and exited pulling the door closed behind him. Through the window, he stared at me with an unreadable expression. Mrs. Winter’s back was to me but I could tell she was talking to him. I read his perfectly formed lips as he replied back, “She’s not a Runner. She’s a Healer.” Mrs. Winter said something else and he replied with, “I know she can’t be both, but I know she’s a Healer … they were wrong. She doesn’t belong here.” Chris looked over Clara’s shoulder at me. His eyes were narrowed and his jaw set in anger. Why would my presence tick him off so much? And why does he think I’m a Healer? Is he confusing me with someone else? Before turning and leaving my sight, he said to Mrs. Winter, “I don’t like this one bit.”
Clara entered the room and forced a smile on her face, “Alright, now where were we?”
“What was that all about?” I asked trying to sound innocent.
“Nothing. Let’s get back to-”
“He thinks I am a Healer. Why?”
“I’m not sure. What I do know is you are a Runner. The Seer foresaw your powers emerging, I witnessed your speed, and no one holds more than one cosmic power. Calli, you belong here,” she reemphasized. I could tell in her facial expression this was bothering her immensely. She took a deep breath, “You overheard information here that needs to be kept quiet or else widespread panic could erupt. Yes, we are missing three of our own, but there aren’t enough details to make an announcement just yet. I need to ask you to keep this quiet. Will you, please?”
“Yes, of course.” I’m the Fort Knox of secrets. I’ve never indulged in spreading gossip; not even the juicy stuff like when I found out through a lip-read that big time cheerleader Mindy Mickelson was pregnant. She was so distraught and crying. That’s what drew my attention across the library to where she was whispering to her friends. It turns out the boy in question was bad boy, Spike Kruger. Mindy had made such verbal attacks on him to her friends, but her behavior was all a ruse to throw them off the fact she was seeing him. I didn’t tell anyone. Mrs. Winter could count on me to keep my lips sealed.
A thought came to me, “Clara, why don’t you ask your Seer what is going on?”
“Seers’ powers are quite limited. They can only view the future four weeks out. If something is going to happen sooner they cannot envision it, only the changes to the future a month from now. Therein lies the problem; there seems to be a cloudiness or fog where the future of our clan is concerned. Our Seer is unable to interpret our Runners’ futures. He’s communicated with his clan who are also flummoxed by the mysteriousness of the situation.”
“Well, I’m certainly glad my powers weren’t that of a Seer’s. How frustrating would it be to only be able to see four weeks out and not sooner?”
Mrs. Winter’s phone rang interrupting our conversation. “Excuse me, Calli.”
I sat back in the cushy couch while she spoke on the phone with so many thoughts running through my mind. The appearance of Chris and hearing of his investigation into the missing Runners had helped my mind to begin to accept the reality of my new world.
Chris spoke of me as if he already knew me. I don’t remember ever meeting him, and I know I wouldn’t forget that! Thinking now on his last angry look he gave before leaving my view makes me slightly disheartened. Oh well, he’s way out of my league anyway. Plus, he’s older, perhaps in his twenties, and most likely has a significant other what with all the beautiful girls floating around here.
“Calli, why don’t we take a one hour break?” she whispered with her hand covering the phone.
“Alright.” I got up and left her office and headed to the main staircase. In the daylight the ornate, precision crafted woodwork was beautifully polished reflecting the skylights in the vaulted ceiling. I climbed the stairs as a few girls were heading down. They paid me no attention and that was fine by me. After visiting the ladies’ room I headed to my bedroom and found Beth.
“Got your mind messed up, didn’t you?” Her smugly laced jab hurt. She knew exactly what I’d been through in Mrs. Winter’s office. I had to suppose every individual here had gone through the emotional roller-coaster I’d just experienced. I nodded at Beth and lay down on my bed.
“Well, don’t you go all feelin’ sorry for yourself, no one here will waste any time feelin’ sorry for you either. There are no pity parties at the Runners’ Clan Compound.”
“What are you, the head cheerleader for team-depression?”
Beth grunted some curse words and left the room. Even though she had left, her attitude lingered with the decor. I recalled Beth’s words from the night before when she called me a human and a muck. With the new insane information I’d just been indoctrinated with, I understood that to be called a human was worse than a muck. At least a muck had cosmic powers. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine my normal life back in Ohio, but I couldn’t get Chris’s face of out of my head. I re-envisioned his fantastically perfect features and his determined scowl as he tried to convince Mrs. Winter I was a Healer and not a Runner. Information overload threatened to short circuit my mind.
Chapter 3
Shadow Demons
“Calli, wake up,” Mrs. Winter’s voice pulled me out of my sleep. “It’s time for lunch, after which we will pick back up in my office.” She turned and left the room.
I rubbed my eyes with my palms realizing I’d slept for three hours. I stood and walked over to Beth’s full length mirror to make sure there weren’t any unruly hairs standing straight up on my head. I studied the face looking back at me in the mirror and ran my fingers through my short brown hair to fluff it a little. It echoed in my mind that I now had superhuman powers. Even though I didn’t look any different, my green eyes were the same, cheekbones still stuck out too much and nothing about me had physically altered; yet on the inside I had changed.
At sixteen, I’ve always made a mental comparison of myself to other girls, to their body shapes and dimensions, to try to figure where I stood in contrast. My conclusion, prior to arriving here at Camp Beautiful, was I ranked a bit better than average. I have normal breasts and hips for my age. However, my thighs are too muscular; but perhaps they developed that way because of my running ability.
I’m not ugly, but I don’t know exactly how good looking I’m considered to be. I understand its all relative; relative to what others think is beautiful. My parents would always think of me as beautiful; but to them I am. We are only beautiful to our relatives; hmm, I think I figured out the mysteries of the world.
I dug through my bags and pulled out the makeup case I had stuffed in deep and foolishly applied a bit of mascara and cover-up. I also changed my shirt to something more attractive and flattering. Not that I really own any clothing that would turn heads, but I did my best to improve my appearance before I went down to lunch.
I took my place at the end of the line behind two guys. They glanced over their shoulders at me, scowled and turned forward. I guess my efforts to improve myself were in vain. Up ahead, several girls chatted quietly and I read their lips. They were talking about me. One said I’d lit into Beth as soon as our bedroom door shut, the other said Beth told her I was bitterly cruel with my words and was probably a spy. They both made eye contact with me and acted embarrassed turning their backs. I heard their loud giggling. Idiot female jocks.
A different girl nearby was talking to someone else about Chris. This girl was infatuated with him because he’d touched her arm. The other girl informed the first that everyone knows Chris’s heart is already taken. The first refused to accept it and admitted to actively pursuing his attentions.
Oh, brother! This is the kind of stuff I can live without!
A group of guys entered the dining hall in a tight ‘v’ formation, like a flock of geese, with Chris in the lead position. A boy next to him whispered in his ear, ‘she’s over there’ and he glanced over in my direction as he passed by. The disgust in Chris’s eyes made my breath escape my chest. His glance was more than innocent eye to eye contact, it had an all out ‘if looks could kill’ intensity. Why does he hate me so much? His group inserted into the front of the line and nobody seemed to mind. What was the point of having a line if there was no order to it?
On second thought, I’d have let him cut in front of me if he hadn’t looked at me like I was Satan’s spawn. I seem to be confused in my own mind here. I hate jocks but am willing to recognize their undeniable attractiveness. Maybe I only dislike their behaviors?
Lunch foods included disgusting cold soup which could have been mistaken for raw sewage, more fruits and vegetables, and broiled fish. I hate fish. Why couldn’t we just have sandwiches or hamburgers? What I wouldn’t do for some fries; or ranch dip for that matter. The only vegetable dip available was hummus. Yuck!
“You’d better get the soup,” a male voice said behind me. “It’s called Muck Soup and they made it just for you.”
“Because I’m a muck?” I answered without turning around.
“Bingo.”
“Be careful, or I might start thinking you care.” I glanced over my shoulder to find Beth’s guy, the one I ran into last night, smiling a dangerous smile at me.
“The soup is made from enchanted herbs and energy based vegetables. You should eat it because it helps the mucks run faster, and because it’s good.”
“Are you sure? It looks like…muck.”
“Exactly,” he said with a diabolical grin.
An equally good looking guy smacked his arm, “Hey, Justin, you’re not supposed to be talking to the newbie.”
“Shut up, Will!” Justin looked at me once more and walked away with Will.
I accepted my serving of muck soup and took my scantily filled tray to my table full of other mucks. They all stopped talking once I sat down and some of them turned around to see if they could move to another table. Even these mucks thought of me as a muck.
I angled my head slightly to the left and found Beth, Justin, Will and some other girl sitting at a nearby table laughing, probably at something to do with me. Beth caught my eye and the smile fell from her face.
At a table a little further to the right sat the flawless exemplar of mankind, Chris, whom I can only assume is the best of the best, the Runners’ king, the top-dog who, along with his entourage, waltzed to the front of the line. Why are all jocks jerks? I’ve never been one to like the arrogant athletic type and that’s too bad for me because now I am surrounded by conceited females and males. The expression on Chris’s face as I made eye contact with him withered my insides with hopelessness. He made me feel as if I wouldn’t ever measure up, never add up, never succeed amongst these Runners and that I didn’t belong here.
Well, he and the rest of them had another think-a-coming. Beth warned me not to show off at the time trials, but I say to hell with her and all these egotistical jocks! I’m not scum! I’m a damn fast athlete and everyone would find out tomorrow morning. They all hate me anyway; why not bask in the glory of earning their hatred? I’ll shake everything up and sit back and watch as they scramble to normalize.
After lunch, I met up with Mrs. Winter who ushered me down the hall for medical testing. She said the procedures are standard and everyone receives them. They drew my blood, x-rayed me, hooked me up to all kinds of monitors and placed electrodes on my scalp to make sure I had a brain. It was good to get confirmation on that.
One of the monitors was for my heart. Mrs. Winter attached the wires and plugged them into the machine, she flipped the switch and all sorts of commotion happened. An extremely loud shrill echoed around the room and the thumping sound of my heart sounded as if it had been hooked up to a rock band’s bass system. Mrs. Winter jumped with shock and stumbled quickly to pull the wires and flip the switches off.
The door opened and Mr. Evans hurried over to Mrs. Winter. “What did you do, hook a human up to the machine?” His eyes traveled to mine and back to hers.
Ms. Coleman joined us. “Clara, did you forget how to run the machine? Here, let me help.” Her petite frame pushed pass Mrs. Winter’s and she proceeded to do the exact same thing Mrs. Winter had already done. Again, terrible screeching and super loud thumping and swooshing sounds before Ms. Coleman unhooked the cords. “Well, clearly we have damaged equipment. Bring her into my office and I’ll evaluate her.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Mrs. Winter said calmly. “She passed the rest of the exam; we’ll address the heart evaluation later. Calli, come with me.”
We made our way back to her office but were interrupted by another adult. “Clara, the Mind Readers are here to see you. They say it’s urgent.”
Mrs. Winter turned to me, “I’m sorry Calli, I must excuse myself. Go outside and get some fresh air. I’ll find you later.”
“Oh, alright,” I replied. I could have easily spied through her glass door to investigate what was going on but I resisted the urge to eavesdrop and went outside.
Ah, the outdoors of the Big Sky State. What a spectacular view with the snow tipped mountains framing the background of the giant compound/school/hotel/freak-show. I wandered around the perimeter of the building and found basketball courts and a large manicured lawn. Several teams of boys and girls were sparing off on the courts. Far off near the tree line sat a row of four small cabins. They reminded me of the ones at summer camp where the counselors slept. I continued my walk around the backside of the compound noting many exterior doors on the ground level and a large veranda on the second floor. Way down at the opposite end I found an indoor swimming pool; I didn’t even know there was a pool. Cool.
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