The Runaway by J.M. Hurley (online e book reading .txt) 📕

I smiled.

“Yes,” I replied and as I walked out I felt her gently put something on my head. I shot her a confused glance and went over to look in the mirror. My light blonde hair was pulled back with a sparkling, diamond headband.

“Wow, I don’t know what to say,” I said, breathless, and I reached up to touch the gems. Stephanie smiled, satisfied, and then pulled my emerald pendant out of her pocket.

“You can’t forget this,” she said she fastened the clasp around my neck. “Now, you’re complete,” she said and I laughed.

“Thanks Stephanie,” I said and she rolled her eyes.

“You act like I care…” she said with what sounded like forced sarcasim and I sighed, I suppose she’ll never admit we’re friends.

“Ready to do?” My mother’s peppy voice called through the door and the corners of my lips turned up in a smile.

“Yes,” I replied as she flung open the door and motioned for us to hurry along.

“Right this way Birthday girl,” Sierra said as she linked her arm through mine.

“You look gorgeous,” Zane whispered into my ear from behind me and I jumped out of surprise.

“Why thank-you,” I replied as I turned around and gave him a peck on the lips.

“You’ll have to wait until later for your birthday present,” Zane whispered and I giggled nervously.

“Okay,” I whispered back and Sierra rolled her eyes.

“No more whispering! This is a group activity, be team players you guys,” she said and we all laughed.

“Wait!” Stephanie exclaimed, suddenly coming to a halt. “Do we have to take a ‘taxi’?” she asked and Lance looked uncomfortable.

“Yes, that’s the only reasonable transportation,” Zane replied and Stephanie glared at him.

“Fine, but if I get so much as a drip of water on me, someone is going to die, got it?” she asked and everyone nodded. Stephanie’s stone features finally softened as Lance threw his arms around her slim shoulders, and she began walking again. Once we were outside the sun shone brightly in my eyes, and I was momentarily blinded. I clung closer to Zane as my vision returned slowly.

“It’s so bright out,” I heard Sierra whisper and I giggled.

“It sure is,” I said, finally able to see again.

“You’ll want to go down this street, then take a right,” Jasmines soft voice protruded from behind us, meekly. “If they ask if you, ‘destinazione?’ Answer, Milan, from there, you walk.” I expected Stephanie to protest, but she simple bit her lip and looked away.

“Well, let’s go,” I said with a smile and we took off walking down the dirt road.

Once we rounded the corner we saw a familiar looking canal with a bright yellow water taxi in it. My mother hopped down into the boat and walked over to where the captain was seated. After a few seconds of talking my mother pulled out some Euro’s and set them in the man’s hand, then motioned for us to climb aboard. Zane hopped in first then turned and helped both Sierra and I into the boat.

Landing gracefully, I planted a kiss on his cheek and smiled, “Why thank-you,” I whispered into his ear and he smiled in response. Lance was next to get in, his face was a bit paler than usual as he looked up at Stephanie’s terrified face.

“Okay, don’t worry I-”

“Stop right there, we aren’t repeating what you said last time!” she snapped then added, “Just catch me!” With that, she took a running start and leapt from the dock into the boat, missing Lance’s arms completely and landing near the waiting seats, her head hitting the cushioned surface.

“Are you okay?” Lance asked, rushing over to her side and she lifted her ocean blue eyes to meet his.

“Of course I am!” she shouted as she got up and brushed herself off. Lance’s eyebrows rose in question but his mouth stayed planted firmly in a concerned grimace.

Stephanie’s glare softened as Lance threw his arm around her shoulder and whispered something in her ear. Her bright red lips curved up in a smile as she giggled and nodded slightly. Linking his arm through hers, Lance pulled her off to the seats in the back of the boat. Zane wrapped his arms around my waist and gave me a kiss on the cheek, causing me to blush bright pink.

“Happy birthday, Summer,” he whispered and I shook my head in disbelief.

“How am I going to make a wish now?” I asked sarcastically and his smiled dropped.

“Is there something wrong? Do you not want to go?” he asked and I swallowed the laugh threatening to present itself.

“No, of course I want to! I just wish I could spend a little more alone

time with you,” I whispered back in the most seductive voice I could muster, wish wasn’t that good because he quickly laughed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “I love you,” he whispered, still laughing at my pathetic attempt at seduction and I rolled my eyes.

“I love you too,” sitting down on his lap I wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head down on his shoulder.

We stayed like this for awhile, just enjoying ones company but eventually my mother made herself present and I was forced to untangle my arms from around him. Sierra sat unmoving next to us, staring straight ahead at nothing, her eyes in a daze. “You okay?” I asked as I laid a soft, concerned hand down on her shoulder.

She flinched at the contact but then gave me an apologetic smile, “Yeah, I’m fine.” She gave me a less then encouraging nod before quickly changing the subject.

“So Lance, didn’t you say we’re going to visit a historical war site?” she asked and I rolled my eyes as I remembered how much she hates history.

Lance went on to babble about some of the historical sites we were going to visit and though I know it was rude, I tuned him out. I rested my head against Zane’s shoulder and I tried to remember my life before I’d met these four people, before I’d had my first dream, before my life wasn’t normal anymore. It seemed impossible but I’d only stopped being normal a mere 2 months ago. I sighed and reached up to give Zane a kiss then I laid back down. No, I’m not normal anymore,

I thought as the boat came to a halt, but if it means I’d lose my friends, I’m not sure I’d want to be.

Chapter 5

I felt a warm hand rest itself on my shoulder and I blinked a bit, trying make my fuzzy vision clear itself. “Did I fall asleep?” I asked, startled to find that I couldn’t remember any dream.

“No,” Zane whispered as her brushed my pale blonde hair out of my eyes, “you were in a daze.”

I let my hair fall forward into my face to hide my rosy cheeks, how long had I been day dreaming?

I didn’t have to hide for long because soon enough the boat pulled itself to a halt and everyone around me began exiting. Just like the last time, Zane gracefully lifted me up into his arms and lightly stepped off the ledge, landing softly on the pavement below. Looking up, I saw Stephanie nervously sticking a Bontoni designed green stiletto apprehensively over the ledge.

“If I die, it’s on your hands,” she said in a voice that she tried to portray as cold but came across as shaky and anxious. Without another moment to rest, Lance lifted her up by her thin waist and jumped down off the ledge then lifted up a hand to help Sierra climb down. My mother came last, her blonde hair spiraling out behind her as she leapt, her cat like green eyes observing the scene around us, instantly preparing for an attack.

“This is where you wanted to come?” she asked and I felt my heart sink as I looked around at the surrounding scenery. The land was barren and ruined, soot and ashes covering parts of the dirt and crumpled buildings lie in the gravel roads.

“Maybe you got the directions wrong…” Lance let his voice trail off as Stephanie walked over to stand next to a large sign. Some parts of the black ink scrawled across the front were faded out in places but a map of Italy stood clearly visible and sure enough a bold, singular black dot stood right outside of Milan.

“No, we’re here,” I replied as I walked over and ran my fingertips over the sign then pulled them back to stare at the soot present on my fingers.

“Kind of a downer birthday party place,” Stephanie said before Sierra quickly elbowed her in the ribcage. “What, it is!?” she exclaimed and I silenced them with look.

“Let’s head that way, I think there might be houses there,” I said and headed off, the rest of my friends trailing helplessly behind. Zane rested a hand on my shoulder and bent down to whisper in my ear but I never heard what he had to say because he lost his way of words when we rounded the corner and came up to the largest cemetery I’d ever seen. The tombstones seemed too gone on for miles and each one had delicate designs and Italian script printed across them.

There was nothing living in sight except for a young woman hunched over a tombstone. She had beautiful auburn curls that spilled over her shoulders and striking gray eyes that darted about frantically when she heard us approaching. “Who are you? What do you want?” she asked, her voice thick with a Italian accent as she stood up and brushed her dress of.

“You speak English?” Stephanie asked and the woman shot her a disbelieving look.

“Do I look stupid, no? Do you think you can outwit me with your phrases and slang?” Lance gave the back of Stephanie’s arm a pinch and she refrained from one of her usual snappy remarks but shot the woman a death glare.

“I ask what you want, now you answer,” she said, glancing at me with expecting eyes.

“I’m looking for Alonzo Monclatzo; he’s a friend of mine.”

At this, the woman stared at me hard with scrutinizing eyes, “I think you may have the wrong name,” she said with a start and I shook my head definitely.

“No, I’m quite sure that’s his name. Why, do you know him?” I asked and she nodded slowly.

“The Monclatzo’s were indeed a legendary family, rich beyond rich, and happy beyond content. They always had the best interest of everyone in mind, which was why they were well liked.”

“But where are they now?” Lance asked and the woman’s face became nervous.

“Well, they were murdered, and quite horrendously at that. Assassinated they were, by enemy planes. The Tanghar they called themselves, those evils, they dropped fully loaded explosives right on the castles, not even sparing the children. Anyone who survived the bombs were captured and tortured, which is what happened to most of the Monclatzo family.”

My body felt numb and I tried to make my mouth work properly as I