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Category: Fantasy/Science Fiction
Description: Joey Silvers grew up in the small town of Gaston Oregon where nothing exciting ever takes place. That is until bizarre things start to happen. The town is up in arms about a group of strangers stirring up trouble. Things are missing, fires break out and the local animals start acting strange. One day, Joey comes home to find a mural of her painted on her bedroom wall. The incidents are unexplainable until she meets Trey Pattin who is just as mystical as he is handsome. Trey tells her that he is an immortal child; a child born to a Traveler. Travelers are supernatural beings that come to earth to help people in need. Joey is drawn to Trey and the bond that they share is almost tangible. When the group of kids that are causing all the trouble catches up with Joey and Trey, she learns that not only do they want her dead; they have a grudge against Trey. Will Joey figure out her place in all of this before it is too late? With time running out, Joey sets out to try and stay alive and discover her destiny. With the help of Trey, Joey's family and a group of her brother's misfit friends, they will try to unravel the secrets of the immortal children.
eBook Publisher: Solstice Publishing/Solstice Publishing,
eBookwise Release Date: May 2012

Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [189 KB]
Words: 45529
Reading time: 130-182 min.

Chapter 1

I could see the car rocking back and forth as the man pounded on the window. It was totally engulfed in flames now. The windows popped as the heat inside expanded. The man's face was distorted into a fury of pain. His skin began to bubble and turn from a bright red to a dark auburn. The sheriff and his deputy who had been working feverishly at the door, trying to pry it open with a crow bar, now tried to pull the man out through the broken window. The space between the road and the flipped car's window was not wide enough to pass through a loaf of bread, let alone a large man like Mr. Patterson.

I stood watching in horror as his eyes met mine. I could feel my throat tighten as I began to cough. The sensation that I was choking became fiercer. I shifted my eyes to the palms of my hands. They were turning pink and small bumps began appearing. My entire body felt flushed and warm. I turned back to Mr. Patterson trapped helpless in his car. Only it wasn't Mr. Patterson I saw in the mangled metal, it was me. I saw myself in the car, felt the fear run through me like an intravenous drug. I couldn't breathe. The scene was spinning around me faster and faster, and then came to an abrupt stop. I could see the group of town's people on the road. They were staring at me with a look of sympathy and concern. In the middle of the crowd was Mr. Patterson. He was looking at me, panic on his face. Suddenly, his features shifted, as a slow smile spread across his face. Piercing screams carried outside to the small group of people watching along the road, as the vehicle exploded sending the two men flying backwards. That's when I fainted.

I woke up to bright lights in an all white room. A small buzzing sound came from a machine by the head of my bed. Limp curtains that once were white but were now a shade darker hung on my left, while my father and brother sat in chairs to the right. I couldn't help but think how ugly the chairs looked. How out of place they seemed. I knew where I was immediately, Gaston Community Hospital. They called this place a hospital, but it is really just a small clinic. Having a Community this small and living close to a city like Portland, we didn't really need much more. This place was mostly for the injured from one sort of accident or another, and where mothers took their children when their noses ran.

My brother, Sam, was sleeping in an uncomfortable looking position. A small drip of saliva ran out of his mouth and on to the sleeve of his jacket. My father stood looking out the window. "Hey Dad, what happened?" I questioned knowing exactly what had happened. I fainted at the awful scene of the car crash. It brought back memories of my childhood. A day when I was six and I had been in a car accident with my grandparents. They had both died upon impact. I on the other hand, had been trapped in a burning fireball until I was pulled out by some unseen hand. Actually, I had seen someone, a boy who was no more than seventeen. He appeared out of nowhere and pulled the car's door from it hinges. He put his arms around me and carried me to a patch of grass along the road. After he gently set me down, he bent and kissed my forehead. Sounds of sirens started to approach and the young boy smiled at me and leapt into the forest.

At least that is how I remembered it. As the years passed, I stopped reliving that day. Besides the tragedy of losing both of my grandparents, the town's people started to talk. When the word got around about the story I was telling, funny looks started to replace interest. I had heard the words 'crazy' and 'unwell' more times than I cared to repeat. The people of Gaston had knew my mother before she had left, and thought that between my mother abandoning us and that fatal car accident, I was left with a few screws loose. I stopped telling my story of the superhero boy and just kept it to myself. "There was no one out there, Joey." They would tell me. "It's in your head. No kid could pull a door off of a car. You have had a lot of trauma in your life. You're just using your coping mechanisms."

Trauma. That is what everyone had said about me. It was like I had caught some crippling disease for which there was no cure. "There goes Joey, she is traumatized." I didn't give a shit what anyone thought. I know what I saw that day. At least my father and my brother never led on that they doubted me. They let me think that they believe me, and that was good enough for me. I didn't talk about it anymore. I really didn't have anything to add. How do you tell a story when people think you belong in a Looney bin? I didn't need sympathy or a psychologist. I just learned at an early age to keep shit to myself. Most girls looked at me and whispered, and the boys turned their eyes from me. I think the friendly townspeople of Gaston thought that this poor girl was going to snap one of these days. "She already has seen things," they would say.

"Hi Jo! How are you feeling? You had me worried sick. The doctor seems to think you passed out when you saw the wreck. I heard it was pretty bad. Now you know why I hate letting you drive to Hagg Lake all alone."

"Easy Dad, I'm fine. It was pretty horrible though, poor Mr. Patterson."

Dad shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah it's a real shame. Mr. Patterson was a real nice man. His wife and sons are devastated. Are you sure you're all right Jo? I'm sure seeing that mess brought back some pretty unpleasant memories."

"I'm okay. It was just a little overwhelming. You didn't have to bring Sam with you. He looks like a pretzel in that chair." I motioned over to where Sam was still sleeping. His head was cocked in an unnatural position."

"Aww, you know Sam, he worries about you almost as much as I do."

"Well why don't you call the doctor in for me. The sooner I can get out of this place the better. I'm sure Sam would appreciate not having to go to a chiropractor."

My dad eyed me suspiciously. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." I placed the biggest smile on my face to show his just how positive I was.

"Alright, if you're sure. The doctor just thought you saw a little more than your mind was able to handle. I just worry about you sometimes Jo. I know you have had a hard hand dealt to you. I guess you're only human and someone with a less haunted past would probably have dropped on the spot too. Do you remember passing out?"

"Not really." I lied. "I can't remember anything. It's kind of a blur."

"You know you can talk to me if you need to, right Jo?"

"Dad, seriously I'm fine. Besides the people of Gaston probably just think I finally lost it."

"Jo, you know damn well I don't give a rat's ass what these people think. I know you Jo, and you saw what you saw the day grandma and grandpa were killed. I have never doubted you and neither does your brother. You don't owe anybody any explanations. You tried that already and got nothing but raked over the coals. Don't pay any attention to those busy bodies. As long as I know that you're feeling okay, that's good enough for me."

"Thanks Dad. Don't worry about me. I feel a lot better now. I just feel really bad for Mr. Patterson's family. Do they know what happened?"

"They're not saying much, just that it was a freak accident."