Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman

relationships for me because no one could compare. And the sad part was, in one small lifesaving gesture, he’d managed to capture my heart and he had no idea.
    I hated him for it.
    And then there was Phil. I knew he was in trouble and for some reason afraid to go home. I constantly worried about him. But then, I was banned from ever being his friend. There was no escape.
    I wanted to throw my cereal bowl and smash it into a million pieces. More than anything, I needed to talk to someone who would understand and give sound advice—someone who would tell me I’d survive—someone who had been through what I was going through—someone like a mom. The tears flowed down my cheeks and splashed into my bowl. I couldn’t hold it in anymore and I felt so tired.
    If only I could just stay home tonight.
    I drug out my pity party as long as I could before I walked into the house. I washed my face with water, blew my nose and tried to cover up my red cheeks with a little make-up. The puffy eyed girl in the mirror smiled and conveyed things would work out. They had to.
    When I arrived at work, everyone was happy to see me. It was my first day back since the accident. No one said anything about my red eyes, so I assumed my blotchy face had returned to normal. I wore a smile on my face but had a burden in my heart as I put on my apron and got behind the counter to take orders.
    The evening was slow, which wasn’t typical for a Friday night. Everyone blamed the countywide curfew. I really wanted to keep busy, so I asked if I could organize the storeroom.
    Once I saw the mess, I wished I hadn’t volunteered. Straws, napkins, silverware and condiments were everywhere and needed to be consolidated to make room to stock the missing items. But eager to distract myself, I got right to work. It felt good to dive into a mind-numbing project. When I was done, I gathered up the bag of trash I’d accumulated and headed for the dumpsters out back. As I neared the back door I sensed something.
    Evil lurked outside in the alley. I looked out the peep hole expecting something horrific, but didn’t see anything. Convinced my recent drama had me overly spooked, I slowly opened the door and peered out.
    The events I witnessed unfolded like a scene from a scary movie. Three tough-looking guys in leather trench coats approached a lone guy who had his back to me. Their voices were hushed, but confrontational, full of overwhelming, confident anger. Warning bells went off in my head to shut the door and get help, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the showdown.
    The ghostlike similarity of the thugs’ translucent skin struck me odd as it strangely reflected the light of the alley. And the inky blackness of their irises reminded me of those of a shark, unfeeling and cold. I watched them shift their glances from each other to the man they encircled, almost as if to communicate a secret plan. Suddenly, the rage rose, along with the tension. They were about to strike.
    I yelled in my mind for the lone man to run knowing he didn’t stand a chance. But instead, he reached into the folds of his jacket and pulled out a pointed stick, holding it in his hand next to his side, poised, ready to act.
    The thugs began to laugh and mock him as they tightened closer around him, but the lone guy did not move from his position, fearless as ever.
    I held my breath, anxious to see what would happen, when I heard a “hey” coming from my general direction.
    I almost looked behind me when I realized, the sound came from my own throat. And before I knew it and against my will, I’d stepped into the alley. The big door slammed shut and locked behind me. I froze in terror.
    All four men turned to look at the noisy new intruder in the alley.
    I blinked my eyes and began to process in slow motion. I fearfully stared back at the shifty men, wondering if I should try to run for it. But my breath caught in my throat and my knees grew weak when I focused on the face of the lone man. It was someone I knew.
    “Julia, watch out!” Nicholas called to me, but it was too late.
    Suddenly, I was knocked off my feet and one of the thugs was on top of me, his hungry black eyes excited as he growled like a tiger. I tried to scream but nothing came out. He opened his mouth and licked his long, pointed, canine teeth.
    “Hmmm . . . look who came for dinner,” he said with a hiss and sniffed the air above my collarbone.
    I forced my eyes shut and prayed the nightmare would end,