» Tue May 17, 2011 1:45 am The Note, Chapter One
Cookie tarried by the school entrance. Where were Julie and Ann? The school year was almost finished. But life was so boring in her dink of a town. Stupid South Dakota. All summer ever brought for her was loneness. She'd always had a hard time making friends, unlike her popular sister Rosalie. Jealousy flared up inside her. Rosalie had it all; athletic, pretty, kind, smart, the list could go on and on. Cookie pictured her reflection in the mirror. Plain black straight hair pulled in high pig tails, dull dark brown eyes stared back, freckles splattered across her pale skin, and her clothes hung loosely across her flat, small frame.
Cookie was brought back to the world by Rosalie who shouted, "Shay, Ann and Julie said they got a ride home from someone else, let's go!"
Cookie hated it when Rosalie used Cookie's real name. And as she stared at her, her jealousy grew. Long, curly blond hair shined, framing her freckle-less face. Green eyes glimmered, bright as the leaves in spring. Cookie thought of her own eyes and hair, her hair, just like a black hole. svcking in every ray of light possible. And her eyes, like the color of burnt toast. Actually burnt toast wasn't that bad, especially when you had some peanut butter to go with it.
Rosalie walked beside Cookie, as their mother's car pulled up, shining from a fresh wash. Rosalie hopped in the back while Cookie claimed her throne in the passenger seat. Rosalie was only 11 and had no right for the advlt seat equipped with an air bag. Cookie was happy that for once, something was actually hers to claim. But only for a few more years, she would have to worry about that issue when the time came. For now, she enjoyed the ride into the South Dakota country to her farm house. It always reeked of live stock there, but Cookie didn't mind. She still missed her life in busy Seattle though.
She heard Rosalie's pretty voice pvssyring away with mom about her day at school. Cookie let out a large sigh, and thought peacefully of the summer months ahead. They pulled up to the driveway, and Cookie was out first. She was ALWAYS out first. A large old farm house loomed ahead of her. Pain peeled off the wooden exterior, it was a creamy white. She liked the house; it was large for a family of only five. Obviously, her favorite part of the house was her room! They had redecorated it only last year when they moved it. It was fashioned with pink carpet, lime green walls, and polka dot furniture. She marched up the stairs to her safe-haven.
* * * * * * * * (This indicates a changed point of view)
Everything was so much better here than in Seattle. Rosalie often reminded herself. Was it? Her parents never seemed to go on this many mysterious vacations before the move. Maybe they just wanted to move to a quiet town in the middle of nowhere so they could take more vacations without having to worry about them being kidnapped. She dared not think of that. Her parents were good, loving people, a little spunky and ruthless maybe, but she thought it a good dose of excitement to have such parents. Her parents pulled out of the driveway interrupting her train of thought. Where had they said they were going? Spain? That sounds right.
She could hear Cookie and Quinn fighting again. No matter what she said to that bickering pair, she barely made any change to their constant fighting. They were just too much alike. Only her parents could possibly hope to separate them. When in a full rage battle though, the rest of the family had to wait for the boiling pot to cool down.
Why had her life changed so much? Rosalie wished it would stay the same just like this boring town. For eleven she thought to herself, I certainly take on more responsibility than my older sister. Shay tended to just go solo and not fully understand the problem. Ever since the move, she had not been her normal self. She imagined it was getting worse. Cookie's only two friends were slowly moving away from her. Shay was such a pretty name; it was a mystery to her why she would hate it so much. Rosalie drummed absently mindedly on the table, lost in thought. A bang upstairs made her jump! She raced up the long stair case to see what was wrong. Wide eyed, she glanced shockingly around the large room. Cookie (as Shay preferred) and Quinn just stared at her like she was crazy and continued playing cards.
"Did you guys hear that?" They were probably just pretending they weren't fighting and had come together for a rare moment to hide the evidence of a lamp that broke.
"No. What are you talking about?" Quinn looked so innocent, but trouble and trickery should have been his middle name.
"That loud bang sound, don't lie to me." She hated it when they did this.
"I heard something like that, but not that loud. Could have been a farmer shooting his gun or something?"
Cookie continued to hand out cards, ignoring her. Rosalie also returned Cookie's cold shoulder. She methodically searched the room for a piece of broken glass or any other signs of rough housing. They were probably right, she had just over reacted. Then again? BOOM! The sound rumbled the house. Rosalie rushed to the window. Fire-works exploded in the sky! Fireworks?! She couldn't believe how far they went with a prank this time. They were lucky mom and dad were gone.
"When mom and dad get home you will both be in huge trouble!"
"As if they will get home!" Cookie scoffed. "Where did they even go? Not on a vacation for sure. There is something else going on here."
Rosalie laughed at the notion. She replied with a kind, "That is absolutely absurd!"
Cookie looked confused for a moment then retired to her bedroom.
Quinn piped up, "Maybe they are going on secret ninja missions or something!"
Cookie heard him, and shouted down the stairs, "You are such an idiot!"
Quinn ignored her and stared in awe at the window. "We didn't even mean to set any fireworks off anyway. We stored them in the barn, how could they have been set off?" Quinn looked truly sincere.
How could that even be possible? Quinn, sincere? Never! There was something more to this whole thing than what was being shown. She just needed some time to think in the solitude of her quiet room. As soon as she stepped into the lovely space, she heard loud, angry footsteps of Cookie, pounding down the stairs.
* * * * * * *
Cookie sighed and glanced around her room. Her parents were on vacation again, and she was left alone at her house with her younger sister Rosalie and her littlest brother Quinn.
Sometimes she wondered what her parents did on those increasingly long vacations. They often came back with strange injuries. Weren't vacations for relaxing? Cookie turned green with envy as she thought of all the fun adventures they had described as a cause for all the broken bones, bruises, and numerous cuts. Sometimes she wondered if they really went on vacations at all. Of course when she tried to tell her younger goodie-two-shoes-sister about it she said that it was an absurd idea and questioned Cookie on where they could possibly go. Her dumb brother said something idiotic like only an eight year old could say.
"Maybe they are going on secret missions!"
Cookie could only laugh at that notion. She then went to look up some word Rosalie had used in the dictionary. What was it? Absurd, yes that was it. She decided to skip doing her homework tonight. Tomorrow was the last day of school before the summer vacation would start. How cruel that her teachers would assign homework tonight! She was only 13! Cookie pondered what high school would be like. She was so tired of being held in middle school with little pre-scholers whining.
Cookie turned her head to the sound of paper sliding on her pink carpet. Someone slipped a note under her door! Quinn most likely. That stupid brother of hers was always doing that kind of stuff. Cookie heaved herself off the bed and went to pick up the smooth piece of paper. She opened it and began to read:
Dear Beloved Children,
We will not come home if you are reading this; we have been watched by members of the Shadow Seekers for they know what we house in our protection. You will find a stone in the wall of our closet. I want all of you to touch it, for it will open your eyes. Flee to your grandmother's house. Collect few of your things. I hear them coming as I write this. Hurry and be careful.
Sincerely,
Your Ever Loving Parents
Cookie crumpled the note and stormed down the stairs, angry at the attempt of a silly prank. She would not be fooled. Rosalie intercepted her down the stairs. She always knew when she was mad or feeling down.
"What's wrong?" Rosalie asked voice full of concern.
"Quinn, he slipped this under my door! That little punk!" Nothing could possibly stop her now; she was raging with the utmost seething anger. Rosalie read the crumpled note.
"Calm down, let's go talk to Quinn and see if he really did this." Rosalie led Cookie to Quinn's room. Rosalie quietly entered with Cookie steaming behind.
I wonder why he would even do something like this, Cookie thought.
Quinn lay on his bed reading a comic book. When they entered he looked up and said with a voice full of hope, "When are mom and dad getting home?"
Rosalie rolled her eyes. "They just left Quinn."
Cookie smirked. Of course he is putting up the "innocent" act. "Funny you should ask," Cookie shot back. "SOMEONE shoved this under my door." She handed the note to Quinn and read his face as he scanned through the note.
He looked at both of them in wonder. "Cool! This could be like, an adventure!" Quinn looked about ready to explode from excitement.
"More like you put it in my room for your stupid little prank!"
She wasn't going to put up with him lying to her face. Quinn's expression turned from happy and in awe, to pure terror at being accused.
"Why are you accusing me? It would have been a good prank, but I could never hope to think for one second that you would ever actually believe it! I don't think I'm exactly smart, but I'm not that dumb!" He looked desperate and pitiful, so Cookie backed off.
But she kept her guard up; she knew how sneaky Quinn could be.
Rosalie piped up, "Then who did?"
Her simple question brought on an on-slaught of doubts. Cookie searched her mind for something clever to say but no words came.
"The only way we could find out is if we find the rock described." Rosalie's musical voice sparked some hope on Quinn's face.
They all ventured down the hall into their parents' forbidden bedroom. They explored until they found the closet door and went inside. Cookie began knocking on the walls hearing for hallow spots.
Quinn suddenly broke the silence. "Hey, over here, I think I found something!"
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As my teacher commented while reading this, once we get more into the plot, we can go back and add clues to flush them out. Oh and sorry if it's weird to read, copying it from Word did some weird stuff.
