The Stone of Edith; Tenshi

Chapter 1; Chosen

Tenshi knew something was happening from the moment she woke. A stone had settled in her stomach; she had a horrid feeling inside that she couldn't explain.

She got up from bed, hastily rummaging through the clothes in her closet.

'Ah, FINALLY!' She inwardly exclaimed, grabbing onto a pair of jeans and a striped blue shirt. She loved the color blue; its tranquility breached her walls; it moved her like nothing else ever did.

And every time she looked at a perfect, clear-blue sky with the wind on her face, she felt at home- something inside her sparkled and yearned for something.

She quickly dressed, turned off her annoying alarm clock, then ran outside her room, down the stairs, and into the kitchen.

"Hello, my little Angel." A middle-aged woman greeted her. Golden hair framed her face, lush and vibrant compared to Tenshi's glossy black hair which she got from her father.

"Moo--oom!" Tenshi whined. "Don't call me that!"

"Why not?" Tenshi winced; she could tell her mother was going to lecture again. "It was because Tenshi meant 'Angel' that we named you that. We were hoping for SOME sort of tranquility from you!" Tenshi's mother threw her hands in the air with despair. "Apparently, that didn't work!

"Well, hurry hurry; we're going to be late!" Tenshi's mother continued.

Tenshi suddenly noticed what she had walked in on: Her mother had apparently been in a deep, contorting conversation between her father, which was sitting in a chair, a twisted look on his face while he was reading the newspaper.

Tenshi saw a little bit of the huge, main headline before her father put it away abruptly.

" 'E-Pi-Dem-Ic.'"

She read aloud. "What epidemic? Is something wrong? What happened?"

"Honey, just... just don't worry about it. Don't even THINK about it." Her mother soothed.

"Mom! I'm going to be in public! I don't want to get sick!" Her voice cracked, and lines appeared in her forehead. "Is it deadly? Have they come up with a cure?!"

Tenshi was quickly switching to panic mode.

"TENSHI! Calm. Down. Nothing is going to happen. You. Are. Going. To. Be. Fine. The epidemic isn't in this area." Her mother was careful to leave out the 'as far as we know' part. "Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. That's it. Now, let's get to school! I made you a lunch. Here" Tenshi’s mother handed Tenshi a parcel bundled up with a knot. "Thanks." Tenshi murmured. She couldn't get her mind over it. "But..."

"No buts. You're going to be fine." Her mother assured.

"Ok...” Tenshi didn't really believe her.

Tenshi loaded into the car, her mom got into the other side, and she slowly backed out of the driveway. Tenshi hastily grabbed onto a nearby handle. She knew the procedure. Her mother, despite the slowness of her backing out, quickly got up to speed with a race car. She vroomed down all the streets and such. As they stopped, finally, at a stop light, there was commotion further down the road. Police and ambulances, reporters and news vans. Oh, and some pretty bad wreckage. She gasped at that, but her mom lurched on the turn into Tenshi’s school. Tenshi’s knuckles were white; she was gripping the handle so hard.

She got Tenshi to school just in time. Barely. Tenshi breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't get killed, and then ran into the school before any police officer could notice that her mom’s car's license plates were missing. Her mom zoomed off, making the engine roar as it burned gas and rubber.