Down End Road

My eyes fluttered ever so slightly open, I felt muscular arms holding my slack and shivering body. I squirmed ever so slightly, discomforted by the blinding firelight dancing in the fireplace.I tilted my chin upwards, delicately turning my head to the left, only to see the drenched face of Maverick Landon.

He placed me deftly and cautiously onto the opulent patterned red couch right in front of the Fireplace. I heard two voices arguing in the corner of the room. They were yelling things like: she shouldn’t be here and where did you get this. It was very tiresome to keep track of everything that was being said.

I slowly rose into a sitting position and the screaming match stopped. A woman to the left of me, got out of her chair and walked toward me. I shifted in my seat but quickly stopped, knowing that my body was too weak to do anything but receive what was coming to me.

“Hello dear, I’m Cassandra Landon, Maverick’s mother.” Said Cassandra, her voice calm and soothing. “How are you feeling dear?" I looked around the room, three figures were moving towards me. I tried to stand but immediately sat back down after almost falling to the ground again.

“Here dear, drink this.” Cassandra said. I took the cup hazily and gulped the warm beverage. It tasted like mint leaves and sugar. I was concerned as to what was in it but didn’t stop drinking it in bug gulps.

I finished the cup of mystery tea quickly and passed the cup back to Cassandra thanking her. As soon as I was finished the two men who had earlier been arguing started questioning me. “What is your name and no lying now.” Asked the older man.

He was wearing an argyle cardigan, a blue striped shirt and a red bow tie. His severe and tired looking blue eyes seeming oddly familiar. I felt the urge to answer his question as quickly as possible

“Myra Rose Remington.” I answered, my mouth wide open because of how shocked I was that I had said my entire name. I slapped my hand over my mouth. Maverick was desperately trying and failing to hide his compulsion to laugh at how foolish and shocked I looked.

I glared at him, but he met my stare without hesitation. My attention was drawn back to the old man who was standing behind the couch. He was stroking his tufts of white facial hair on his chin. He smiled.

“Cassandra your truth tea never ceases to astound me.” Said the old man. I looked to Cassandra, her green eyes looking saddened by the thought of her trickery. “Now Myra, let’s get back to the questions shall we.” He said. He moved around the couch and sat in a leather armchair to my right.

“Where did you get this medallion from.” He interrogated, swinging the necklace left to right. I was astonished at the speed of my answer. “It’s an old family heirloom my parents gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday.” I said speedily.

I immediately clamped my mouth shut and frowned. “Now, now, no need for dramatics is there?" He said. To my surprise, I began to nod. He relaxed deeper into his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Harris, this is not a good idea, especially in your condition. Why don’t you let me take point on this?" Asked the other man.

He was wearing a grey sweater and a white collared shirt. His hair was a curly salt and pepper black. He moved over to Cassandra and wrapped his arm around her. I twisted my head towards Maverick, who was silently standing in the corner of the room.

I looked up and saw an iron chandelier that had candles instead of lightbulbs. The room looked like a living room in a stone castle. Not an everyday lounge. I was snapped back to attention with more questions that I felt compelled to answer.

“Do you know where you are Myra?" He asked in a deep baritone like voice. I shook my head. “Do you know what the symbol on your pendant means?" I shook my head again.

I did not understand why he was asking me questions that I didn’t know the answer to. It was tedious. “Do you understand the significance of your family name?" I nodded my head this time. He motioned for me to go on.

“Yeah, they have a really successful design company, look if this has something to do with that, I swear I can’t help you because I don’t know a thing.” I said, raising my hands defensively. The man put his head in his palms.

I knew why I was frustrating him, because I didn’t know the answer to any of his banal questions. I had never been kidnapped or half kidnapped, half rescued before, but I had been asked questions like this before.

Do you know the significance of your name? What does the symbol on your necklace mean? Things could get very mundane, very quickly. However, I was usually asked these questions by competitor companies or flirtatious teenage boys.

Never by no one I didn’t already half know. This was somewhat exhilarating, frightening and humdrum. I stared at the stone fireplace. The bricks started to form into twisted shapes and vibrant colours.

My head had began to ache.

My fingers started to turn into daisies.

All in all, it was a very calming experience.

I began to speak but my words were slurred and mashed together. I stood up trying to walk but fell on to the velvety, worn Persian rug instead. I heard Maverick yell “What on planet earth, was in that tea?" He picked up my disoriented body.

I squirmed and turned to look at his face. “You looook likkkkkke a bunnyyyy rabbbit.” I said, slurring my words. I squirmed and eventually fell out of his arms and onto my feet. I staggered over to an old wooden door.

The wood looked almost rotten, but the majority of the door was covered by an intricate tapestry. The tapestry was decorated with the depiction of a tree and small amber coloured dots lining around the tree like a circle.

It reminded me of my necklace. I pushed it open. Inside, was a meadow. It was swirling around like it was a reflection from a body of water.

A tall weeping willow tree was stood on a small hill, surrounded by wild pink daisies, towering over a small lake. I felt the softest summer breeze wash over my body.

I smelled the tall green grass. I was in awe of the stillness of the meadow. Abruptly, two strong men pulled me back. I reeled backwards and two sets of hands caught me. I heard the two figures yell at each other, but I was too tired to keep up with the conversation.

The last thing I heard was, “boy you brought her here so take her back."

I felt raindrops drizzling down my face and hair. My leather jacket was too wet to protect me from any more rain. The heat of the air and the coolness of the refreshing raindrops were an unwelcome contrast.

I heard the roar of an engine. Someone gently placed me on the back of something. I was sat astride on an uncomfortable cushioned seat.

My arms had been placed so that they encircled someone. I felt every one of its abdominal muscles move. It’s jean jacket was scratchy, and it’s t-shirt was soft.

Another unwelcome contrast. Why couldn’t something just be one thing tonight. It was jarring enough to try and focus on one thing, but two at the same time, now that was just welcoming in a migraine.

We started to glide through the rain and as we did so, I slowly fell asleep to the white noise of tires ripping furiously at grass.

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I awoke in a panicked state. My head felt like it was going to split in half and I was covered in mud. I rolled out of my bed using the pole on the end as a stable resting stop.

I slinked my body into the bathroom that was adjoined to my room. I slapped my hand on the wall, hitting the light switch with a thud.

I moved lethargically over to the mirror. My head felt like it was being hit with a pan every time I tried too hard to think about last night’s events.

I groaned loudly when I saw my reflection in the mirror. My once [purposely controlled] messy plait was now matted together forming a fixed line of hair that went all the way down to the middle of my shoulder blades.

I turned the faucet to the shower left and it blasted out a hot stream of water. I came out of the bathroom cold, even though I was wrapped in my fluffiest robe.

I put on a pair of joggers and an old college sweatshirt my parents had given me, and fumbled down the stairs to the kitchen. As soon as I reached the dining room, I could smell our housekeepers ingenious cooking.

The scent of cinnamon and vanilla instantly warmed me. I strolled through the kitchen saying good morning to Maria and sat down at my seat.

Across the island my mother and father were sipping mugs of sweet chai coffee and nibbled on cinnamon snicker doodle cookies. My father was engrossed in the morning newspaper and my mother was just staring at me ominously. Her blue eyes silently questioning me. She put down her cup of coffee gracefully. It was almost perilous how elegantly silent she was.

“So how was the party last night, I didn’t hear you come in.” Her words felt like a sledgehammer hitting my skull repeatedly. I resisted the urge to wince and put my palms over my ears. I reached for the coffee in the middle of the island.

That was when a flash of an image came to me. I was sitting down on a red couch. An older woman was handing me a cup of something. Her hair was a caramel blond, and her eyes were exquisitely green. She looked like an opulent angel.

My mind was snapped back to focus by my mother’s next interrogative question. “So, I heard through the grape vine that the party last night ended very abruptly, due to the very extreme change in weather.” She said, pronouncing each vowel with an excessive dramatic flair.

My mother had always been very dramatic and proper, it was something I had always been used to about her. “Yeah, well that’s Florida for ya’.” I said, making it seem as normal and boring as possible, in hopes that it would make the party seem as normal and boring as possible.

“I guess, well anyway, me and your father are going to the garden centre today, last night’s rain completely ruined my hydrangeas out front, and I am in dire need of supplies. We’ll be back in time to get ready for the whole shabang and we’ll meet you at the school.” She informed me.

I was drawing a blank. I had no idea what she was going on about. What Shabang was she talking about? My blank look seemed to alarm my father. He put down his newspaper and stared at me strangely.

“Graduation ceremony sweetheart, you Kaylee, Marrianne, you know getting the paper form of your high school diploma.” He said looking more worried and confused by the minute. I had totally forgotten about graduation and about my friends. My eyes lit up like lightbulbs and my mouth gaped open in recognition.

“Oh yeah, I knew that. speaking of Kaylee and Marriane, I have to go.” I bolted up the stairs but not before taking two cinnamon cookies in my hands and holding one in my mouth.

I rushed out of the kitchen thanking the housekeeper. She giggled at my juxtaposition. I smiled and shrugged and was out the kitchen door. I speed walked through the dining room, my fluffy pink robe trailing in the air behind me.

My slippers slapped against the marble stone in the foyer and grew even louder, as I climbed up the wide staircase.

We had an extremely large house meaning it required a lot of legwork. My slippers were immediately silent as I stepped onto the fluffy rug that covered the majority of the hall.

My pace slowed, which caused my balance to become more than lacking. I dropped my cookie on the carpet, each grain of sugar bouncing of the crumbled cookie. The cookie was not damaged in any way and the floor was impeccably clean. I knelt down to pick up the biscuit, I touched the rug and was immediately reminded of a door.

It was old and rickety but most of the almost rotten wood was covered with a tapestry that had the same design as my medallion woven into it. That was the key, my necklace. All the missing time from the previous night came back to me.

A name drifted into my head, Maverick Landon. He had stolen my medallion at the party. It was then that I shot up off the floor and sprinted to my room, leaving the sweet cookie all alone in the hallway.

I quickly changed into a ragged pair of flared jeans I used to wear to horseback riding practice. My parents had given me a very diverse and contrasting upbringing.

They had made me do horseback riding as soon as I turned five. They said it was because they had a ranch up in Canada and they wanted me to know how to skill-fully ride a horse.

I had also done gymnastics, track team, French, Latin, Spanish and interned at a Locksmiths. It was a very colourful set of activities. They had said that it was to enrich my youth and prepare me with an extremely varied skill-set. However, the extracurriculars did not go to waste.

Learning all those languages helped me ace my AP language classes and pushed me to go to Europe this year. Doing gymnastics, track and horseback helped me get into Harvard's student exchange program, not to mention keep me in physical shape.

I tugged the ribbed, camo green, long-sleeve t-shirt over my head and tugged at the lettuce hem cuffs and bottom hem. I pulled on my worn and frayed denim jacket, hoping that the double denim style would distract judgmental eyes from my horrible outfit choice. As I yanked my riding boots on to my feet, my pink cellphone buzzed. It had a message from Kaylee on it.

Kaylee: Where Are You. Hurry up, Jewellery is going quick. P.s just a heads up Marriane has had two cappuccinos and is practically fizzing with shopping fever.

I had completely forgotten about my brunch date with the girls. We had arranged to meet up at eleven, and I was ten minutes late and in riding clothes. I ripped the clothes off my body as quickly as I could and changed into my red graduation dress.

Our plan was to meet at Café coriander at nine, buy friendship bracelets from Pandora and ride in Marriane’s sweet new cherry red mustang and meet our parents at the entrance of the dull McBurr High.

I ran into the garage and pulled out my bicycle out from a corner enclosed in boxes. I had planned to take a leisurely walk, but that was before someone had drugged me, stolen my necklace and taken me home on the back of a motorcycle in the pouring rain.

Cycling was faster; however, I was in my grad dress, which was when I felt entirely stupid. Why would I wear an evening gown to go shopping, other than the fact that it was entirely awesome.

The red dress was made of satin and only had two layers of fabric thank goodness. I sprinted back to my room and took of the dress. I wriggled into a black pair of paper bag shorts and an oversized white blouse.

I ripped the hair band out of my extremely damp hair piled into a bun on the top of my head, fanning out my golden-red locks around my shoulders, pushing a black beach hat down on my head.

I mounted myself onto my bike and cycled as fast as I could. My dress was folded and zipped safely inside a Luis Vuitton portable cabin garment bag and slung over my shoulder.

I made several hard lefts and even more hard rights. I had almost cycled straight into the towering oak tree at the corner of Leigh Road. By the time, I arrived at the café it was nine twenty.

I was welcomed with dramatised pouting faces. Kaylee’s brown eyes glinted with excitement. “Don’t even try that, I know you too well.” I said mockingly.

I cocked my head to the side and raised my left eyebrow. They giggled and hugged me. My friends tugged me down to sit with them on the multi-coloured patchwork couch. Marriane handed me an iced mocha coffee.

I was eternally grateful; I was in desperate need of caffeine and food. The cinnamon cookies were delicious, but far from filling. Kaylee slid a pot of mango and apricot granola cluster, across the table.

I pounced on it and spooned the crunchy goodness into my mouth. Kaylee and Marriane had been oddly quiet, suspiciously quiet.

I put my food down, much to my reluctance, and stared at them. I studied their nervous and elated features. I was intrigued.

“Okay, spill who was that guy.” Whisper screamed Kaylee, I stared at her blankly.

Marriane slapped her palm to her forehead and sighed. “You know, blonde hair green eyes very broody outfit.” Mocked Marriane. My mouth gaped open: they were talking about Maverick Landon.

I was stunned and taken by surprise by their question. An image flashed across my mind. Kaylee and Marriane drenched from head to toe, their faces were worried and pale. They instantly lit up at the sight of me and Maverick. My arm was draped across his shoulder for support. His hand was firmly placed on my side. He put me in the back of Marriane’s car and whispered to me: don’t tell them what happened. The image was gone, and I self-consciously put my hand to me side. I had the strangest compulsion to not tell Kaylee and Marriane what had happened with the thief.

I put my hand to the hollow of my neck where my necklace would usually hang. It was missing, I was so used to wearing it all the time. Kaylee and Marriane were wriggling restlessly in their seats. I opened my mouth and lied.

“Chad was bugging me so he kind of swooped in.” I said, uncomfortable about lying to my two best friends. “Anyway, you remember how Lainey made those chocolates, well the milk was bad, and I got really sick, he helped me get to a quieter place, we talked whilst I threw up repeatedly and after that he helped me get to your car, and that’s it.” They looked at each other then back at me.

They vibrated with excitement and eventually gave out and squealed. “Oh-my-gosh he totally likes you.” Squealed Kaylee and Marriane in unison.

If only they had known the truth. If only they knew what had really happened. Why didn’t they? I had the capacity and free will to have done so.

What was stopping me, other than the meaningless words of a thief? Despite Mavericks trickeries and untrustworthy behaviour, I had formed an odd attachment to the boy with the green eyes, the thief who had stolen my necklace.

Somehow, I had a feeling that this went a whole lot deeper than it seemed and I knew that the key to this whole thing was Maverick Landon. I needed him. However, my strange experience and intense intrigue into the mystery of the manner, Maverick Landon and my family’s necklace, did not put a damper on my reservations and discomfort in lying to Kaylee and Marriane.

Maybe I could tell them the truth one day, however, today was not that day. I giggled sarcastically at Kaylee and Marriane’s theory.

They were pulling pigtails on a playground, and then there was stealing a family heirloom and drugging you. He would have to be psychotically in love with me to be that desperate to get my attention.

The thought of Maverick being a psychopath, taunted and teased me. “Well tell us, is he nice, you know boyfriend nice, not I helped you get to your car when you were sick nice.” Quizzed Marriane. I raised my left eyebrow again and laughed.

“Yeah sure,” I said with an unnoticeable hint of sarcasm. This made us all laugh. Kaylee’s eyes moved to the clock on the far wall of the café. It was an old Victorian style clock that was far too big to be there just for usage. It was what we had always like about this café, its eclectic bohemian style was very cozy and welcoming.

Kaylee’s eyes widened and she immediately started packing up her things and chugged the last of her chai latte. “Guys we got to go like now, if we want to get to the grad ceremony on time and be able to buy some killer good-looking jewellery.” Kaylee urged, she stood up and reached inside her purse.

She placed a generous tip on the table, and we sped through the café to the front door. We weaved our way through the garden furniture and finally walked along the paved streets of the town. It was a gorgeous Floridan summer day, and the heat was sweltering but all too familiar to be uncomfortable.

We visited five jewellery stores before we finally found some matching bracelets. The shop was pink and extremely old. This was what I had always loved about Bamborough it was a multifarious sleepy old nook of Florida and always felt like home.

I had been all across the states and travelled to many different countries and after the thrill and enthusiasm of being in a new place wore off, I had always found myself pining to be back in the small and tired town of Bamborough.

The pink store was not a jeweller, it was actually a vintage store that sold items from the nineteenth century that hadn’t been sold.

We had rummaged around in the store many a time and had always come here whenever we were in desperate need of something. It had always had the coolest things. We had found a collection of charm bracelets hidden in the back of one of the glass cases. It was a set of four but we just asked for the three.

The bracelets were made of a twisted gold metal, and had precious stones encrusted in its surface. They were each different stones but the design was the same. Kaylee chose the one with the pearly white Moonstone. Marriane chose the one with the deep purple Iolite and I chose the one with the Amber.

It had reminded me of my family. We had gone up to the till to pay, the elderly woman there had recommended a bag of charms to go with the bracelets. We were about to refuse, when I saw a small circle fused to the surface of the bracelet.

The charms were all the same and had the same stones as our bracelets. The charms were shaped like butterflies. We had loved the bracelets because they were small but intricate. I was admiring my bracelet when my eye caught a small inscription on the butterfly wing ’Carpe Diem’ it read.

I pointed it out to Kaylee and Marriane and they were bewildered by the oddness and relativity of the bracelets. “Carpe Diem is Latin for seize the day. This is so coincidental; we are seizing the day by heading to Europe for that exchange program.” Chimed Marriane.

We had been planning the trip for ages and were thrilled to have one the places and to have been put in the same class. The world was truly our oyster.

All the opportunities to come made the world seem so tiny I felt almost claustrophobic. It had all seemed far too easy, like I needed a new challenge. My mind drifted to the mystery of Maverick Landon.

I thought about how he had borderline challenged me to figure everything out and how he still had my necklace. I decide then and there that later today I would sneak to the manner on my bike and finally find some answers.

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Thanks so much for the reads guys hope u are enjoying the book thus far ;)