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be watching me?”
    â€œNo one, but if you ever do see anyone doing that, you tell us right away. Do you understand?”
    â€œNo. Why would anyone be watching me? How do you mean?”
    â€œThere are sexual predators,” my father said. “They focus on someone, and it’s better if you’re aware of that sort of thing now, Sage. You’re a mature young girl. Clear?”
    â€œYes,” I said.
    Why were they suddenly concerned about this now? Why not when I was at my old school? I was sure I wasn’t less attractive six months ago. The school I was at now was on a side street, that was true, but there was still lots of pedestrian traffic.
    My mother rose, went to the kitchen, and brought out my cake, but there were no candles on it. She saw the disappointment on my face.
    â€œYou’re too old for candles on a cake,” she said.“We don’t have to sing ‘Happy Birthday.’ You know that’s what we’re saying with this dinner, this cake, and your gift.”
    I know , I thought, but who likes to feel their birthday is just something ordinary?
    My father gave me my gift after my mother cut the cake and put the piece in front of me. I looked at the package and then up at them.
    â€œWhat?” my mother asked.
    â€œNothing,” I said, but I already knew what was in the package. I had envisioned it. I was afraid to tell them I had done that, so I opened it carefully and took out the amber necklace.
    â€œYou don’t look happy about it. Don’t you think it’s pretty?” my mother asked immediately.
    I couldn’t help my reaction. It was as if I had drifted into my frightening dream. “Oh, yes. It is very pretty.”
    â€œHere,” she said. “I’ll put it on you.”
    She rose to come around behind me. I looked at my father. I was sure he saw the panic in my face.
    â€œWhat is it, Sage? You look very nervous, even frightened.”
    â€œNo. I’m all right,” I said. “It’s just so beautiful and looks so expensive. I was surprised.”
    He looked up at my mother. Neither accepted my answer.
    She plucked the necklace out of the box and undid the clasp. I closed my eyes. My heart was pounding. Would I choke to death? The necklace settled justbelow my throat. I reached up to touch it. Then I turned to look at myself in the wall mirror. When I was younger and I looked at the mirror, I sometimes saw other people sitting at the table, people who weren’t there. I had stopped mentioning that years ago. I was thankful they weren’t here now and hadn’t been for some time.
    â€œLike it, then?” my father asked.
    â€œYes, very much, Dad.”
    â€œGood. You know what it is?”
    â€œIt’s amber,” I said.
    â€œYes, it is,” he said.
    My mother sat.
    â€œIt has protective powers,” I told them.
    My father smiled a little but didn’t speak.
    â€œHow do you know that?” my mother asked. I could see she was preparing herself to hear another one of my inexplicable memories.
    â€œI read about it somewhere, maybe in a novel.”
    â€œThen wear it as much as you can,” my father said. He sat back. “Unless you find it uncomfortable.”
    â€œOh, no. Why would I?”
    He didn’t reply. They were both staring at me so hard that I did feel a little uncomfortable. I began to eat my cake, and they began to eat theirs.
    â€œI’ll make you a cake for your birthday, Mother,” I said.
    â€œWhat would you make me?”
    â€œWhat you like the best, angel food with raspberry jelly in the center.”
    She nodded. Whenever she liked something I said or did, she would smile, but it always looked like half her face was trying not to.
    Later, when I was preparing for bed, I started to take off the necklace, but it was as if there was someone standing behind me grasping my fingers to stop me. I stared at myself in the mirror. I was totally