Little lightening girl

1

Chapter 1

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Five.
Iris scratched the Roman numeral for five into the big, thick rock that stood mid-way down the stone-filled, grassy hill leading down the the ocean.
   She tossed the sharp stone to the side and blew the tiny pebbles and dust from the five.
Next to the five was a five.
Next to the four was a three.
Then a two.
Then a one.
   Iris studied the rock. The rock that, every year, she would carve a new number into the stone, marking the number of years she and her family had moved to Ireland.
    When she was ten, her father announced that they would be moving.    Something about an amazing job offer that he just couldn't pass up.
   Her father worked in Architecture.
But other than that, Iris didn't pay much attention to her father when he talked about his work. Her father was a very hard worker, and she loved him very much, but when he was working, he was working. No time to play with Iris or to color with her or to play in the snow. That's why she knew that her father wouldn't hesitate to move.
   Iris had tried to talk to her mother, but her mom had great hopes for Ireland. She said Iris would have fun.
  Iris told her mother that she would never have fun.
   Her mother laughed.
"Of could you will, my darling."
Iris tried to tell her that she would miss her friends.
  Her mother told her that she could always visit her friends and make new ones.
  Iris tried a few more things, but it was like trying to argue with a hamster.
No matter how hard she tried, the hamster wouldn't listen.

Her mother had been right, as she had made new friends. She had lots of fun. But Iris still missed playing in the snow with her old friends, back in Maine, back in America.

   Back at home.

Iris shook the thought off and stood up, wiping her dirty hands on her jeans.
Her brown hair whipped at her face. Sometimes Iris had wished she had kept her hair long. But she liked it at her shoulders. It was a lot easier to manage.
   Still, the wind was picking up, and Iris remembered that a storm was supposed to be blowing in soon. She closed her eyes and smelled the stormy air. It was the most amazing smell. Iris loved thunderstorms.
Back in Maine, whenever Iris would visit her grandmother's little cottage by the low creek hiding behind the backyard, Iris and her grandmother would tell her stories about how thunderstorms were magical, filled with peace and calm, yet fun and adventure. You could always find something to smile about. Iris still remembered what her grandmother gave her for her ninth birthday. A beautiful silver bracelet, with a single charm shaped like a lightening bolt. Iris wore it every day.
" Your adventure will find you, my beautiful Angel," She would say.

Iris sometimes worried she would never be found.

She turned around and climbed back up the hill until she saw the top of the lighthouse that stood in front of her home.
   Iris liked the light house, but she didn't like going up there alone. A bunch of creaking stairs, not a lot of lights.
Ironic, because it's a light house.
  Also, it's major creepy because the legend of the light house is that ghosts roam it every night, and on August 17, which was the very first owners birthday, he would come back and make anybody who dared to visit on that night disappear.
That's why it was so cheap.
    Her mom said it was because the previous owner lost his job and had to move in with his parents.
But Iris liked the other story better.
   A loud clap of thunder made her jump. She scrambled up the hill, but slipped on a patch of wet grass. She stood up and her knees were covered in mud.
Iris frowned. Her mom was gonna be mad.
    
     "Iris!" Her mom spoke with a delicate yet scary tone.
"Why are your jeans covered in mud?"
Iris had tried to sneak up the stairway while her mother's back was turned, but it's like she had eyes in the back of her head.
   Iris turned and smiled.
" Its... all the rage over in France! And are you really gonna question the fashion capital of the world?"
Her mother narrowed her eyes.
    "I don't care if *MaryKate and Ashley* are wearing it, those jeans cost $40. Go upstairs and put them in the wash."
Iris nodded and rushed upstairs to her room. She grabbed a pair of light blue jeans and changed into them, then tossed the muddy pair into the wash.
Iris had just pushed the button to start the cycle when she heard her phone buzz from her room.
She jogged back in and checked it. It was Duncan and Piper, her friends. They wanted to know if Iris wanted to hang out.
   "Mom, is it okay if Duncan and Piper come over for a bit?" Iris yelled down the steps. Her mom yelled back, "Sure, it's we aren't going to make it to church, it's too stormy. If they want to stay for dinner it's fine, we aren't eating at the table tonight, your father's working late!"
   Iris shook her head.
  "When is he not?"
   "Did you say something?"
  "I said thank you!"