Prometheus' Orb (Legends of the Dark Creatures Book 1)
Chapter Two: Another Pleasant Coincidence

Ashley was lost in her thoughts. She leaned the side of her head against the cold glass of the car window, staring aimlessly at the trees blurring past her. She could almost see him in her mind. Tilting her head a bit, she threw a gaze at the sky. Its ocean blue color made her think of his gorgeous eyes. His hair was almost as white as the clouds that hang above. Last night, Richard kept sneaking into her thoughts; just like he did back at the cliff. A devious half-smile crept its way across Ashley’s face. He didn’t sneak up on you. He said the cliff was a place he’d sworn never return to, implying that he had been there before. Richard being there was just a coincidence.

Ashley’s body jolted and she hit her forehead against the window when a sudden ear-piercing honk came from the car. Her mouth opened but no cry came out.

“Earth to Ashley!” Samantha called, still punching her palm on the car horn.

With her palm cupped on her forehead, Ashley turned to face her friend.

“A little warning next time— ouch!” The area near her right temple throbbed. Ashley bit her lower lip as she felt the stinging pain slowly begin to fade. “You better pray this doesn’t leave a bump.”

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Samantha angled her head slightly and her oval-shaped face twisted into a ‘for-your-information’ look. “After all, you have ‘super’ healing abilities.”

Shaking her head, Ashley suppressed a chuckle. Samantha’s long black hair was dancing to the motion of the cool wind blowing into the car. She wore a fabulous white top and stylish deep-red jeans. A sweet warmth rose within Ashley’s chest when she thought of how lucky— how blessed— she was to have such an amazing person as her best friend. Samantha was the first friend Ashley made after moving to Ravenhill with her mom twelve years ago. She had a sort of childish personality that Ashley always found adorable. Sam was the type of girl who tended to not take a lot of things seriously but excelled extraordinarily at anything she set her mind on.

Ashley sunk into her seat and sighed.

“Sam... For the gazillionth time, there is nothing ‘super’ about my healing” she said. “I just make sure my body is in perfect health and it rewards me back by functioning as efficiently as possible. Yours would too if you’d just lay off on the junk food.”

“And starve myself... no way. Besides I can prove you have super healing. Yes! How ’bout a quick test?” Samantha gripped the steering wheel and made a right, taking the road that led to school.

“What test?” Ashley was afraid to even imagine what her best friend was about to say.

“Your right hand please.”

Ashley rolled her eyes as she reluctantly spread her fingers. There was a patch of newly formed pinkish skin— almost the shape of a small circle— in the middle of her palm. She folded her hand into a fist; a gesture she could barely accomplish yesterday. A weak smile appeared across her face. There was nothing ‘super’ about how her body healed she thought. But Sam did have a point. Excluding the chimera tattoo on the back of her left shoulder, no injury Ashley had ever sustained left her with a scar.

However, the bittersweet irony was Ashley did have scars— ones that none could see— and these never healed.

Ashley shook her head and smiled.

No unhealthy thoughts remember she reminded herself.

She then felt a nudge on her shoulder.

“Hello, is my best friend feeling alright?” Samantha inquired. “Seriously Ash, you really haven’t been yourself since yesterday. It’s because of Adrian, isn’t it?”

Ashley felt the muscles around her heart tighten when she heard that name. Hot blood rose to her face as she sighed in frustration, failing to make eye contact with Sam.

“I take it you guys still aren’t talking, huh,” Samantha guessed. “I mean you could barely look at him in the eye yesterday.”

“Sam, this was the third time,” Ashley complained. “The third time he mysteriously had to cancel a date. And he was the one who set it up! He said it was going to be his way of apologizing for the last two times—” She broke off and blinked away the salty tears that tried forming in her eyes. “I don’t know Sam. Perhaps he just isn’t interested in me anymore.”

“Whoa! Stop right there, Ash.” Samantha almost let go of the steering wheel. “Look, we both know that Adrian isn’t the kind of guy who just casually dates girls. We’ve all known each other since we were kids and the two of you are perfect for each other. Everyone in town knows he only has eyes for you.”

“But lately he has just been so secretive. I can tell there is something wrong but he doesn’t open up to me the way he used to.”

“We all have secrets Ash,” Samantha pointed out. “And you of all people know how hard it is to open up. Just give him some time.”

This was why Ashley loved Samantha. She always gave the best advice when it was needed— and the worst advice, depending on the situation.

And speaking of secrets.

“So... um... I kind of haven’t told you something,” Ashley said, playing with her fingers.

“Better late than never right? Come on spill”

“I met this guy yesterday and—”

“Hold on.” With her eyes still focused on the road, Samantha leaned her head a little closer to Ashley— as if trying to clearly hear what she’d just said. “I thought heard you say you met a guy yesterday.”

“I did” Ashley felt her cheeks blush with embarrassment. She told Samantha everything about Richard and almost laughed every time her friend’s eyes widened with shock.

“You, my girl, are crazy, you know that?” Samantha said, her tanned face flushing red. Ashley was starting to feel like she had just committed a felony.

“Come on, Sam, I would have told you yesterday but we had so much fun that it must have slipped my mind,” Ashley said apologetically. “And if it makes you feel any better, you are the only person that I have told.” Ashley was trying to cheer up her friend and hopefully gain her forgiveness. The two had sworn to never keep secrets from each other.

“Look... I’m not mad that you didn’t tell me... wait, scratch that. I’m mad,” she said. “But what makes me even angrier is that you could have been hurt... I mean, you don’t even know the guy.”

“Aw... you do care.” Ashley gently nudged her friend’s shoulder playfully.

“I’m serious Ashley,” Samantha’s voice rose a little.

Ashley rested her hand on Sam’s shoulder. “I know,” she said quietly. “But it’s funny. I should have been scared and probably called for help but there was something about him. Something—” Ashley shook her head, once again leaned against the car seat, and looked out the window. There was something about Richard. She felt a connection between both of them though she couldn’t explain what it was.

“Something like what?” Samantha asked. A sigh came out of her mouth. “So are you going to tell Adrian?”

“Tell him what? That I secretly met and talked to a cute guy in the woods?” Ashley replied.

“So you do think he was cute.” Samantha joked, a smirk creeping its way onto her face.

“Just keep your eyes on the road,” Ashley shot back as a private smile formed on her face.

Ashley’s phone vibrated and the screen flashed. It was Adrian calling. She sighed in frustration and turned her phone off.

Suddenly, Ashley felt the hairs on her back stand straight. A cold watery chill started running up and down her spine and her palms were becoming sweaty. She closed her eyes, sucked in a deep breath, and ignored all of it. The chill faded and she calmed down. Lately, she’d been experiencing such sensations. Yesterday it came over her just a few moments before Richard arrived. She used to get them in the past but luckily she had learned to control and ignore them.

However, when she opened her eyes she saw a figure of a guy dressed in black walking out of the woods. Ashley couldn’t see his face but there was something familiar about the way he moved. He was still a distance away from the car and suddenly narrowed her eyes in confusion when she saw him halt in the lane Sam was driving in. For some reason, Samantha— though staring forward— kept driving. In fact, she stepped on the gas pedal and the car sped up. The guy was getting closer and Samantha wasn’t stopping. Ashley threw a gaze at Sam.

“Hey um—”

“Look out!” Ashley suddenly exclaimed.

Samantha hit on the brakes and the sound of tires scratching the road pierced her ears. Ashley shut her eyes, praying that the car would stop before it was too late.

“Oh my God!” Samantha shouted when the car stopped moving. “What’s wrong?!”

How could she ask that? Ashley thought. Her eyes were still closed tightly but she could picture the guy standing on the road in her mind. Did they hit him? No, Ashley would have heard, or felt it, if they did. It was almost impossible. Ashley was sure he was several feet away and then all of a sudden he was right in front of the car.

Her heart was still pounding and her body was still shaking when she slowly opened her eyes.

“Where is he?” Ashley searched for him— looking everywhere— but she didn’t see anyone.

“Where is who?” Samantha asked, puzzled. Ashley turned to Samantha. The girl’s dark eyes were filled with confusion.

“He was right there,” she said, pointing at the road.

“Who was?”

Ashley looked around again but no one was there. She was sure she saw him but if Samantha couldn’t then... No, it can’t be happening Ashley thought, not again. She took in a deep breath and told Samantha to keep driving. She was better now, she told herself. She had vowed to get better, to get rid of the madness that almost consumed her. She was never going back. She turned and looked at her friend. The stern look on Samantha’s face said it all. She knew Ashley wasn’t telling her everything but she wasn’t saying anything.

Samantha didn’t say a word until they reached school. She parked the car, got out, and sat on the hood of the vehicle. Ashley took a deep breath and tried to think of what she was going to say to her friend. She picked up her bag from the backseat, opened the door, and slowly got out. Her boots touched the ground and she shook off some dust that was clinging to her blue T-shirt.

She walked towards her friend and sat next to her.

“Look, Sam,” Ashley said, trying to sound cheery. “It was really nothing. I just—”

“Do you remember Miss Kristin’s shop?” Samantha asked suddenly.

“Sam...”

Of course, she remembered. How could she ever forget?

“We were what, twelve?” Samantha continued, letting out a short chuckle. “We were supposed to buy a gift for our moms since Mother’s Day was coming up. No one was inside the beach shop that day so we decided to wait. But then out of nowhere, you begin to tell me that we needed to leave. I asked you why but even you said that you couldn’t explain. And then we both heard a loud noise outside. We ran out and when we looked behind we saw it; a huge wave making its way towards us. It wasn’t as big as a tsunami but it could have still seriously hurt or even killed us. We couldn’t outrun it. I was so scared that just I held your hand and closed my eyes.”

Samantha looked at Ashley. “But surprisingly nothing happened. I opened my eyes and couldn’t believe what I saw. Your arm was extended and the wave stopped moving, almost as if obeying you. And when you looked at me— your eyes... they were... they...”

“Samantha,” Ashley stood and walked a short distance. “Sam what you saw was just your mind playing tricks on you. Please never bring it up again.”

“I know what I saw,” Samantha said defiantly, sounding upset. “And I know you are trying to get passed everything that has happened to you.”

Ashley could hear Samantha approaching her. She then felt Samantha’s hand rest on her shoulder.

“Trust me. I know what you’ve been through these past few years, which is why I swore never to speak about that day. But now...” Samantha’s grip on Ashley’s shoulder tightened and Ashley could hear her friend sobbing. “But now those things are happening again, aren’t they? When you told me to stop... you saw something didn’t you?”

Ashley’s heart was aching and tears were forming in her eyes. She wanted to tell Samantha what she saw, she really did, but something kept telling her it was best to ignore what happened and just move on.

So she suppressed her tears, put on a fake smile, and said, “Come on Sam, as I said, it was really nothing.”

For as long as she had known her, Ashley had never seen Samantha look as disappointed as she was. She turned away from Ashley and in a low voice said, “I see. You know for someone so good at keeping secrets from those closest to her, you sure have been giving Adrian a hard time for keeping his.”

Samantha stood up and walked to the door of her black Porsche Carrera. She got her bag and locked the doors.

“Hey, where are you going?” Ashley said after she noticed Samantha walking in the wrong direction. “Our friends are waiting for us that way.”

“I’ll be going straight to class today,” Samantha said, as she continued walking. “Say hi to them for me.”

Samantha didn’t even look back. Ashley wanted to follow her friend but she thought it best to give her some space for now.

I really am a hypocrite, she thought.

Ashley sighed and began to head towards the entrance of the school building— continuously blocking any thought about what happened on the road from invading her mind.

She decided to divert her attention to the school’s environment. As she walked, she couldn’t help but stare at the awe-inspiring surroundings of Ravenhill High. The school was almost completely surrounded by woods. Short green grass, together with a few trees, spread all over the school grounds. Flower beds of different bright colors were made near the building and the sweet scent of roses stole in with every breath of air.

And the people walking around were just as lively. A few waved at Ashley as they walked past her. Ashley smiled and waved back, positively responding to more greetings as she slowly kept on walking. It was worth it, she thought. Burying the past, moving on. All the work Ashley had put into finally getting accepted by everyone had finally paid off. There were sides of her she had to deny and hide in order to achieve all this but it was a small price to pay. She felt noticed, and loved and that was all that mattered.

But you will never truly belong

Ashley bit her lower lip and quickly shook that thought away.

She stopped for a while and quietly took in a deep breath. “No unhealthy thoughts,” she whispered to herself. “No unhealthy thoughts. No un—”

“Ashley?”

For a moment Ashley froze; her heart almost skipping a beat. Not only did she recognize the voice but she felt the same way as she did a few days ago on the cliff. It was a warm and vibrant feeling.

A smile flashed over her face as she turned around.

“Well, if it isn’t Mr. Stalker,” she said, glancing at the blonde beauty in front of her.

“I think Richard will suffice,” Richard said, with a face flooding with embarrassment. He wore a dark blue T-shirt and exotic black jeans and canvas shoes. The kind and gentle look in his blue eyes was the reason why she wasn’t afraid of him when they first met. But there was something else in those gorgeous eyes... those eyes had a mystery; a mystery she wanted to solve.

“So what brings you here?” Ashley asked. “You’re not following me, are you?”

Wait... why do I sound like I’m flirting with him?

Richard chuckled softly, “Well... not really. I enrolled here when I first came to Ravenhill a few days ago. Like back at the cliff, the fact that you’re also here is just a coincidence.”

Another pleasant one, Ashley thought.

“Well since you’re new here, why don’t I give you a tour?” Ashley offered. “But first, we’re going to meet up with my friends and this time I’m not taking no for an answer.”

A charming smile formed on Richard’s face and he said, “Lead the way.”

This is going to be an interesting year, Ashley thought as the two walked side by side together.