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Authors: Jennifer Murgia
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the beginning of time, and how my mom thought he was an amazingly deep man.
“He keeps every theory logged so he can refer back to it if he needs to. He’s so organized,” my mom continued.
“What do you mean ‘logged’?”
“Oh, he writes all his thoughts down in a journal.”
“Sort of like a diary? Isn’t he a little old for that?” I was beginning to yawn and it occurred to me that my homework was still sitting on my desk and it wasn’t getting done by itself.
“It’s more like a record book, with actual dates and times. Real-life accounts for strange phenomena. He’s been keeping the journal forever and it’s kind of battered and old looking. Hey, that’s a great idea for a Christmas present for him. Don’t let me forget that one.”
Bits and pieces of the conversation I had overheard in the bathroom at school came floating back to me and I wondered, could the book Brynn’s friends said she was hunting for be the very same journal my mother was describing? If it was in fact one and the same and Dr. Dean had some crazy notions about my scar, then I certainly would be an entry in that journal. Wouldn’t Brynn just love to get her hands on any information she could use against me? Especially if that information was surreal.
But what would Dr. Dean want with information like that? Was he just a studious adult nerd that liked to keep track of strange subject material? And what were the odds that his step-daughter was Brynn Hanson, of all people. It seemed too strange to be a coincidence.
There was something else, something I had overheard in the bathroom.
Shoot! What was it?
I wracked my brain for it to come back to me. It was just a snippet that didn’t mean anything . . . at least not until now anyway.
Then I remembered.
“
Do you think he put her up to it?”
Who was “
he
”?
As the subject we were just on blended into a new one, I excused myself, responsibly saying I had homework to finish up. But before leaving her room, I lingered in the doorway.
“Mom?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you believe in guardian angels?” I asked warily.
A sweet, reflective smile appeared across her face.
“Of course I do, honey.”
I returned her smile and went to my room.
I felt the overwhelming need to talk to Ryan just then. He was the only person right now who I could talk to about this, the only one who understood how Brynn despised me. He knew how twisted and sick she really was, and the lengths she would go to get what she wanted.
My head was dizzy from thinking.
Brynn, Dr. Dean, my mother . . . how did this all connect?
An unsettling feeling washed over me. Whatever this puzzle was, it couldn’t be good.
Oh Garreth, I need you.
He was supposed to protect me but where was he? Suspended for underage drinking during lunch hour. Of all the idiotic things. I felt tight, scalding tears form in the back of my throat. I had no idea what to do about Garreth but if it came down to me helping him again, then yes, I would help him.
I looked at my hand and willed my mark to appear full and strong on my palm. I was so confused. Was I to be the one to save my guardian from here on out? Was I the stronger one now? I didn’t feel very strong. I felt lonely and hurt and confused. Then to make matters worse, let’s just throw Hadrian back into the mix. I was seriously beginning to think he was haunting me, with the feathers and all. I mean, face it. I’m a magnet for chaos. I had my doubts that had anything to do with Brynn unless she was striving to make me insane. Which, I suppose, did sound like her. No, face it. I was good at attracting the weird and unexplained and keeping it close at hand. Why couldn’t I just be normal?
I tried to cast aside my confusion and paranoia. Right now I had to focus on the task at hand.
Right now I needed to get my hands on that journal.
Chapter Thirteen
S leep had not come easily.
In fact, it was hours before my body finally melted down and gave up. But even
“He keeps every theory logged so he can refer back to it if he needs to. He’s so organized,” my mom continued.
“What do you mean ‘logged’?”
“Oh, he writes all his thoughts down in a journal.”
“Sort of like a diary? Isn’t he a little old for that?” I was beginning to yawn and it occurred to me that my homework was still sitting on my desk and it wasn’t getting done by itself.
“It’s more like a record book, with actual dates and times. Real-life accounts for strange phenomena. He’s been keeping the journal forever and it’s kind of battered and old looking. Hey, that’s a great idea for a Christmas present for him. Don’t let me forget that one.”
Bits and pieces of the conversation I had overheard in the bathroom at school came floating back to me and I wondered, could the book Brynn’s friends said she was hunting for be the very same journal my mother was describing? If it was in fact one and the same and Dr. Dean had some crazy notions about my scar, then I certainly would be an entry in that journal. Wouldn’t Brynn just love to get her hands on any information she could use against me? Especially if that information was surreal.
But what would Dr. Dean want with information like that? Was he just a studious adult nerd that liked to keep track of strange subject material? And what were the odds that his step-daughter was Brynn Hanson, of all people. It seemed too strange to be a coincidence.
There was something else, something I had overheard in the bathroom.
Shoot! What was it?
I wracked my brain for it to come back to me. It was just a snippet that didn’t mean anything . . . at least not until now anyway.
Then I remembered.
“
Do you think he put her up to it?”
Who was “
he
”?
As the subject we were just on blended into a new one, I excused myself, responsibly saying I had homework to finish up. But before leaving her room, I lingered in the doorway.
“Mom?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you believe in guardian angels?” I asked warily.
A sweet, reflective smile appeared across her face.
“Of course I do, honey.”
I returned her smile and went to my room.
I felt the overwhelming need to talk to Ryan just then. He was the only person right now who I could talk to about this, the only one who understood how Brynn despised me. He knew how twisted and sick she really was, and the lengths she would go to get what she wanted.
My head was dizzy from thinking.
Brynn, Dr. Dean, my mother . . . how did this all connect?
An unsettling feeling washed over me. Whatever this puzzle was, it couldn’t be good.
Oh Garreth, I need you.
He was supposed to protect me but where was he? Suspended for underage drinking during lunch hour. Of all the idiotic things. I felt tight, scalding tears form in the back of my throat. I had no idea what to do about Garreth but if it came down to me helping him again, then yes, I would help him.
I looked at my hand and willed my mark to appear full and strong on my palm. I was so confused. Was I to be the one to save my guardian from here on out? Was I the stronger one now? I didn’t feel very strong. I felt lonely and hurt and confused. Then to make matters worse, let’s just throw Hadrian back into the mix. I was seriously beginning to think he was haunting me, with the feathers and all. I mean, face it. I’m a magnet for chaos. I had my doubts that had anything to do with Brynn unless she was striving to make me insane. Which, I suppose, did sound like her. No, face it. I was good at attracting the weird and unexplained and keeping it close at hand. Why couldn’t I just be normal?
I tried to cast aside my confusion and paranoia. Right now I had to focus on the task at hand.
Right now I needed to get my hands on that journal.
Chapter Thirteen
S leep had not come easily.
In fact, it was hours before my body finally melted down and gave up. But even
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