After twelve years...
The school bell rang and all the students gather to their respective classrooms. It was a regular day in high school for every student in their small town.
Everyone paused and looked at this girl passing through the corridor. She is also an ordinary student, almost unnoticeable with her thin but pretty tall body. Her brown hair, reaching her shoulders was neatly tied. Everyone can agree that her appearance is not entirely unique or some may even say attractive, but yet there is something in her that draws people's attention. She is pretty well-known in school because everyone adored her, even if all she does is avoid attention and remain quiet in the corner.
"Jolene! Have you finished our homework?" a cheerful tone came to Jolene as soon as she sat down at her table. She indifferently smiled and pulled out a notebook from her bag, "Here, I know you didn't finish it."
The girl's eyes widened as she grabs the notebook, "Wow! You're a life-saver!" she quickly gave Jolene a quick hug before she came back to her seat.
Classes began after a while, Jolene never had any troubles in her classes, she was clever and smart. Teachers are pleased with her. She became one of the popular students without her even knowing it.
"Today, we will watch a documentary..." her teacher announced as it pulls a wheeled table with television and a disc player on it. The wheels of the table were creaking as the teacher pull it at the center. The television and the player are just as old-looking as the table.
"Teacher, is that thing still working? It looks older than my grandpa!" one of the students jokingly commented as the rest of the class roared in laughter.
The teacher immediately hushed them, "Yes, it is still working very well students, you think I'm going to use it without trying it first?" The teacher annoyingly answered.
Jolene scoffed and discreetly smiled, "That's too old. It won't work." she said to herself. Apparently, some students heard her and giggled at it.
As the teacher tried to play the video, students began to notice that their teacher was having a hard time playing it. She even slammed the player but it didn't help at all.
"That's odd. I tried it earlier and it worked well." The teacher uttered to herself, loud enough for the students to hear.
"Hey Jolene you guessed it right!" her seatmate whispered at her.
Her eyes widened for a brief moment then forced a smile, "Yeah... I-I mean, it's obvious it was old. Right?" She said. Her seatmate then nodded at what she said, "But it's still weird because I always see it used in other classes often and it works well."
"Maybe it just happened that it broke now on our time, what a coincidence," Jolene answered back. Although she wonders at the back of her head.
Did I accidentally jinx the television?
Her ability is still there. Although she stopped purposely using it when she managed to escape that night, she lived normally but every now and then her ability would suddenly appear and make whatever she says come true. She's having trouble controlling it now. She thought that if she does not use her ability for a long time, it will wither, but the unexpected happened as it randomly goes out now, reminding her that it will always be a part of who she is. Now, the only thing she can do is to be careful with her words, one of the reasons why she was always quiet.
Classes ended and she was off to go back to her house. It was a few minutes of walk from her school to her granny's house. As she ventures the wide corn field alone along the way, she remembered how she ended up with her granny.
--
Twelve years ago, when the guard left her in the woods, she did not know how long was she asleep but she woke up in a hospital in the small city down the mountain. Apparently, two hunters found her lying in the forest one morning, when they learned that she was just asleep, they brought her to the hospital but doesn't want anything to do with her.
The nurses asked what happened to her, and why she was alone in the forest that night. She then explained that she escaped from the orphanage and that there are men chasing after her that night. She told them she must not go back there because the people in the orphanage wants her dead. After hearing her story, the hospital staffs were unconvinced, they think Jolene is just one of the many stubborn kids in the orphanage who tries to run away, but they did not tell her.
As soon as she woke up in the hospital, she was well and able to walk around, she quietly wanders around the hospital that entire day. Until she accidentally overhears some of the staff's conversation about her. They are planning to return her back to the orphanage because she can no longer stay in the hospital. They believe it is the best option for her.
She was frightened by what she heard and instantly ran away from the hospital as fast as she can. She went to the bus stop where several people are waiting and rode along to the bunch of people coming inside the bus. She sat beside a sleeping old lady at the front seat behind the driver and pretended as if she was with her. The driver noticed that Jolene had not paid yet and asked the old woman for her granddaughter's payment. The old woman woke up and found Jolene sitting beside her.
"She's not with me." The old woman casually told the bus driver and tried to go back to her sleep.
"Who are you fooling? Look how she is holding your luggage."
The woman saw Jolene's hand clasped on her luggage as if it was hers. She immediately removed Jolene's hand to her bag, "Hey why are you holding my bag, are you a thief?"
However, her expressions suddenly softened as she sees the little girl's face turned sad, almost crying, "Granny, don't leave me here."
The old woman was speechless, she looked at the driver's rear-view mirror as the driver was also staring at her. Finally, she gulped and shook her head as she opens her wallet and pays for Jolene. "Here you go."
After seeing that, Jolene wrapped herself into the woman's arms as if she has known the woman for years. The bus ride took a few hours, it was dark when they finally arrived.
"Little girl, why did you follow me going down as well?"
Jolene was not able to answer as she bites her lower lip.
The woman scratched her head, "Do you not have any place to stay? Where are your parents? Where do you live?" the woman paused as she noticed that the girl is at the verge of crying.
"I don't have anyone." Jolene simply replied.
The woman caressed her cheeks, "Well... same goes for me." she subtly said. "I'm Dolore, you can call me Granny too. What's your name?"
"Jolene" she answered without any hesitation.
"My house is so quiet and empty, do you want to fill it with me?" she invited.
Jolene's eyes brightened with what she said. She never felt any hint of fear towards granny. It's like she genuinely knew she was the perfect person to go with.
Granny smiled and offered her hands to Jolene, Jolene held it as she was led into a small house near the cornfield. She quietly sat down on the sofa as she explores the place with her eyes.
"Jolene, can you tell me something about yourself more? I have many questions in mind" Granny asked.
She gulped as she slowly answered, "I was from the orphanage, but I escaped there... I didn't want to go back there, that place was...something." She shook her head and shuts her eyes when saying those words. Granny saw the pain she was having and decided that she heard enough, other things do not matter.
"So you're an orphan?"
Jolene nodded.
"And you escaped by yourself?"
She shook her head, "No there's five of us, we were--" Jolene froze when she realized that she forgot to reconnect with her friends, especially Lyndon.
She immediately stood up, her sudden action startled Granny.
"Granny, are we far now from the place we came from ?" she worriedly asked with her enlarged eyes.
"Yes, it took us almost half a day to reach here."
Jolene gasped and held her mouth, "I forgot to find my friends! They must be looking for me! How could I forget about them!" Tears uncontrollably rolled down to her face. "I have to find them!"
Granny walked near her and gave her a hug to comfort her, "Hush now, don't worry, we will go back there and try to find them."
----
"Jolene, you're finally home." She got cut off from daydreaming when she heard Granny. She was smiling at her while in her small garden, watering the plants.
Jolene smiled back, Granny is her only family for the last twelve years. Their life revolved around each other most of the time. Their life was simple and happy, she was indeed lucky that she ended up meeting Granny when she was young. Although she kept the details about her ability, as well as her friends to Granny. Jolene was afraid that Granny might not be able to understand it and leave her. It's a good thing Granny did not ask any more about her past.
Granny fulfilled her promise of going back to the small city where she was found. They returned there after two days, they almost walked around the entire city but she failed to find even one of them. She even used her ability to find them, but it did not work. Right at that point, Granny finally suggested for her to give up and let go of all of it. She didn't want to, but it was late at night and they are both tired, they went back to Granny's home empty-handed. But she never stopped wishing that she will meet her friends again.
When she is finally near Granny, she gave her a quick hug, she observed the flowers in the garden, "They are getting more and more beautiful every day." She complimented, "But don't tire yourself too much, I can do this for you."
"You're already doing most of the house chores, I can't let you take away my hobby too." Granny winked and smiled. "But since you want to do something, go to the market and buy me the things from this list." Granny pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket and gave it to Jolene.
Jolene smiled, "Consider it done!" she beamed and cheerfully walked to go to the marketplace.
The marketplace was a small area but crowded and noisy, she has not entered the front of it but she can hear the noise coming from it.
She often gets distracted by all of the things in that place. From the dress, jewelry, expensive materials, and even delicious foods. She and Granny don't have much, but they do not lack, sometimes, she just wishes that they can have the things they want easily.
Well... There is one way...
Jolene brushed off that thought, she decided never to use it at all cost.
As she continued walking, looking around for the things on Granny's list. Curiosity arose on her as she saw a huge crowd gather around a commotion. She walked towards it and saw two men arguing. One is an older man, yelling at someone who seemed to be just the same age as her. The boy is raising his voice towards the man.
"Get out of my shop! You're fired with no pay!" The big old man yelled.
"Without pay? I worked a whole week at your shop! I deserve to get paid for the days I worked for!" the young man was tall and has a well-built physique. He was even taller than the older man.
"Pay? You stole money and now you're asking for freaking pay? Be thankful I'm just firing you and not bringing you to the police! "
The young man furiously roared, "Bullshit! I did not steal anything and you know that! This is just your scheme because you don't want to pay me you--"
"Enough! Just get out of my face and don't ever come here!"
Jolene is not sure about whether it was the sunset that hit the young man's eyes... Or did it just turn silver?
"Your shop is a goner." He said in anger as it mildly kicked a wall in the shop and walked away. The man did not look back, the crowd immediately dispersed after that. However, everyone's attention turned back to the shop when a loud crash came there. The next thing that they knew, the owner was running away from the shop because its foundation crumbled down and the entire ceiling fell.
Everyone who saw was shocked. Especially Jolene.
Did that young man's words just come true before her eyes? That is not possible because she is the only one who has that ability.
She suddenly remembered its silvery eyes. That is when she got hit with the realization. There is another one who has the exact same ability as hers.
Lyndon.