Awakened: Prequel GL Series

Chapter 1

A tear slipped down my cheek. Annoyed, I swiped at it.

Tears wouldn’t bring Mom back or make me normal. Besides, I had Grampa. When I was a child and woke from nightmares, he rocked me back to sleep. When I fell from a tree and thought I’d broken my leg…when kids made fun of my hair…

Are you coming, Lil?

I gritted my teeth. Could someone kick a spirit? I hoped so, because if he continued to haunt me, I’d meet him just to knee him where it hurt the most.

I yanked clothes from the drawer above my bed and paused as another thought occurred to me. Could he see me? I glanced around. My bedroom was puny, the curse of living in a trailer. I couldn’t stretch my legs without hitting the chair or the wooden wall. It once had a bunk bed, but Grampa modified it. I now had a full bed with drawers under it and cupboards where the top bunker once occupied. The remaining space was just enough for a closet and a computer desk.

Still, I opened the closet door and peered inside. There was no place to hide unless he squeezed between layers of sweaters, jeans, and colorful gypsy skirts. Whatever form he took, he’d better not be watching me or else. I froze and strained to listen. Was that a chuckle?

I gripped the towel with one hand and struggled to put my panties on without exposing too much skin. Sweatpants and a large T-shirt followed. I rummaged through my jewelry box for charm bracelets and piled them on. A distant cousin of Grandma’s gave them to me and swore no bad spirits could harm me when I wore them. I hoped that was true now more than ever. I grabbed a hoodie and crept from my room to the window in the kitchenette.

I sat on the table and glared at the grove that shaded the left side of Deerland Park. The raven tree, he’d called it. A slash of green in the middle of brilliant fall colors, the weeping willow looked out of place and so ordinary, except for the ravens. They looked like black, shapeless objects, quiet and spooky. I wasn’t going to meet him. No way. I blinked when the birds took off in a flurry of movements as though something had spooked them.

The spirit.

I swallowed past a knot in my throat, and a shudder shook my body. Just my luck Grampa decided to relocate to this creepy valley. When we arrived here two days ago and he said we’d stay here for a while, I was thrilled. Cache Valley was gorgeous. Sun-kissed orange, yellow, and red leaves were everywhere—on the trees and bushes along the road, on the ground and the slopes of the mountains. The jagged edges of the tall ridges covered with clouds formed a wall around the secluded valley. It was as though God had made a mound of earth and then pressed his palm into it to create a little paradise. Yeah, some paradise.

I looked toward the entrance of the park for Grampa’s familiar blue truck. There was no sign of him. I was alone, and the decision to meet the spirit or not rested on me. The idea filled me with terror. I reached up to grip the amulet again, and the bracelets on my wrists jingled.

Please come, Lil. I need you. I’ve been holed up in this valley for days hoping to make contact with one of you. Now that I have, I can’t give up.

His voice wasn’t creepy anymore. He sounded so lost and forlorn. How could I resist his plea for help?

I can talk for hours, you know, and I’ve been told I’m very good at spinning a tale. The ravens, of course, don’t appreciate my talents but you…I don’t think you can get me out of your head. He chuckled. Oh, and my sister says I sing like an angel. She might be biased, but you can confirm it. So… What kind of music do you like? I do a mean rendition of—

“Shut up.” I covered my ears and ground my teeth, whatever sympathy I’d felt for him disappearing.

Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? My headache was back, this time worse than before. It always started before the voices and took forever to go away. Pain meds never helped either.