Tempest Relief Prologue (standard:drama, 1371 words) [1/4] show all parts
Author: Ari Walker	Updated: May 09 2002	Views/Reads: 3784/2329	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
sorry, this comes before chapter one. but i just wrote it last night, so... :)

Prologue 

May 1, 1990 

Jade got off the bus and squinted as she let her eyes adjust to the
sudden brightness. She had been sitting in the back of the bus for the 
past four hours, with her Oakland A's baseball cap pulled low over her 
face. Just in case. She didn't want somebody to recognize her and send 
her back to her mother. 

Not that anybody would recognize her. She doubted Carly had even noticed
her 12-year-old daughter was missing yet; and even when she did finally 
notice, it wasn't likely the Missing posters would go up. 

But Jade was a cautious girl. She had learned that she had to be
cautious to survive. Growing up in the streets of Oakland hadn't been 
easy. 

"You gonna be okay, sweetie?" the woman driving the bus asked, snapping
her gum. 

Jade turned and smiled slowly. "Yes ma'am. Just fine. My daddy should be
here soon." 

"All right. Take care, sweetie." The doors closed and the gears
protested as the bus driver shifted, and then the bus pulled back onto 
the highway. Jade wrinkled her nose at the fumes that came out of the 
back of the bus; when the fumes cleared, Jade took a deep breath and 
took her first look at Mermaid Point. 

The bus stop was right alongside the highway, in front of a row of
buildings. Turning slightly, she looked back at the bridge they had 
crossed, the ocean making it's way beneath it and forming a small bay. 
The town, she saw, was built around the water. 

A row of Victorian buildings lined the side of the highway she was on,
blocking her view of what was behind them. The buildings were evenly 
spaced apart, the paths between them lined with purple petunias. 
Squaring her shoulders, Jade picked up the small duffel bag that had 
all of her earthly possessions, and made her way through one of the 
paths. 

It was love at first sight. Mermaid Point was small, with neat streets
lined by green trees and colorful houses. Breathing in the fresh air, 
she smiled, then stepped into the first store she saw, sparing a glance 
at two old men sitting and watching her. She had to start somewhere, 
why not Edith's? 

***** 

The bells chimed just as Edith Jenkins was bent over, pulling her pepper
gray hair up on top of her head. She watched the young girl stare at 
her for a moment before turning right side up and smiling. 

"Mornin' to you, Callie. Back from boarding school early this year,"
Edith looked the young girl up and down. "You're getting big, that's 
for sure. How's the family?" 

"Excuse me?" the girl asked, and suddenly Edith knew this wasn't Callie.


"We-ell," Edith grinned slow and easy. "Who're you?" 

"Jade Anabella Louise Spencer, ma'am." 

Edith nodded. This girl was much too polite to be Callie. Callie Ayala
was loud, rude and impulsive. This little girl here was well mannered, 
soft-spoken and taller. 

"So I'll say again, mornin' to you, Jade Anabella Louise Spencer. Name's
Edith. What brings you to Mermaid Point? Touring through the coast?" 

"Uh, no ma'am, Mrs. Edith that is. I'm looking for somebody. Perhaps you
could help me?" 



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