The Cursed Diamond

|03|

"What was that whole commotion about at your house?!" I ask Talia.

"You know how your mom feels about us."

"I know and it just doesn't add up..."

"I know you try to give your mom the benefit of the doubt, but if I'm being honest, she doesn't deserve it." She sighs.

"I know, but I can't just accept that she's cruel, and that's that. I just can't..."

Her expression softens a bit. "You're too kind. Couldn't be me."

"Well, Ghost ran away while I was walking on that nature walk..."

"That must have been so scary!" she shouts.

"I know! I nearly had a heart attack, but thankfully, this guy found him."

"Which guy?" she asks, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"I mean, he was really cute, if that's what you are asking."

"And you didn't even get his number?" she states, shocked. The server brings our order, her short curly hair barely moving on this breezy day from all the hairspray.

"I kinda had other things on my mind..."

"Well, what else did you want to say?" she asks me, shaking her head.

"I also had this weird dream?" I say as I bite into my breakfast burrito.

"Well, everyone has dreams, Freya."

"I know, but this one felt different," I say, as I twirl my black diamond necklace around my finger.

"What happened in your dream that has you this nervous?" she says, sounding concerned.

"Everything was dark, and this girl was looking at me with this sad expression on her face. Except it wasn't just any ordinary girl. She looked just like me and then I turned around to find a pair of golden eyes glaring at me. They looked so mad it was terrifying!"

"That is quite the dream, but there's no reason to panic just yet."

"I know, and I also felt an instant connection to that girl. Isn't that weird?" I murmur.

"Yea, definitely," she says as her finger taps on the table, worry written all over her face.

"Why do you look so worried, Talia? Was it something I said?"

"I worry about you. You deal with a lot, having to live at home with her."

"I'm fine. I'll be 18 soon. If she does anything, I can leave, and legally she won't be able to stop me."

"Could we get the check?" I quickly ask as I see our waitress from the corner of my eye.

"I'll bring it right over," she responds.

"You are ready to head out?" I ask as the waitress hands me the check.

"I am ready," she nods, getting out of her seat.

"Keep the change," I tell the sweet old lady as I hand her the check with the cash I slipped in.

"So, do you want to stay at my place for a bit after today's fiasco?" Talia asks as we head to her car.

"I'll have to face her, eventually. I'd rather just get it over with."

"Okay, but you better message me if you need help."

"I'll message you right away if I need rescuing," I reply, staring at the trees as we drive by.

"Well, this is your stop," Talia breathes. "Seriously, let me know if you need help."

"I will. Bye," I wave, as she stops in front of my house.

I look around, searching for my parent's cars. There's no one home. Not that I'm complaining, but that doesn't happen often.

"Hello, my cute angel!" I greet Ghost, letting him out of my room. I hate locking him in my room, but I can't say I trust mother much these days. I don't want to risk mom succeeding in giving Ghost away. I don't think I'll be so lucky next time.

I enter the kitchen in search of something to eat. We stayed at the cafe for hours talking, so I'm starving now. I can't complain though, talking to Talia is one of the few things that help keep me sane. I don't know what I would do without her.

That and cooking. Speaking of which, there are no good snacks. Pesto pasta it is. I boil the pasta and then add the pesto sauce to the drained spaghetti. I grab a bowl of pesto pasta and start to eat as I head to my room.

I walk in and spot a black envelope made of a velvety material on my bed. I place the bowl of pasta on my nightstand near my bed. Who sent me this letter, and how did it get into my room? As I further inspect the letter, I notice a golden wax seal with a symbol of a pentacle. Interesting.

I pick it up and open it.

Dear Freya,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been invited to join Astrea Academy at Aurelia. Attached is a map of the campus. We hope you decide to join us!

Sincerely,

Headmistress Lilith Shadowcall

From what I can tell from the map, the school is huge. There are so many dorms and they even have a huge garden. I haven't applied to any colleges, especially not to one called Astrea Academy. I type the academy into my laptop. Nothing comes up. I mean Lilith Shadowcall even sounds like a made-up name. I shove it into my purse.

I twirl my black diamond necklace between my fingers before taking it off. My knees grow weak so I sit on my bed. I push some strands of my hair away from my face. Who would go out of their way to do a prank like this? But there's no way something like that is real. Right?

It's just a dream.

It's just a dream.

It's just a dream.

I chant hoping for a dreamless night until sleep takes over.