Charlotte was born on the first of January. In the early stages of her life, she felt exceptional. Similarly to how a princess would feel. She was born on New Year day. Indirectly, the whole world would be celebrating with her, and agreeing that her birthday was truly unique and worth celebrating. However, her friends tried to dissuade her from being too delusional, reminding her that the world was celebrating the significance of the day, and not her specifically.
She was just five at that time, happy to be part of this world, waiting to be loved and cherished by everyone. Her imagination is wild and active like that of a newborn. Everyone seemed good and kind. Everyone was to be trusted and deserve a cute little hug from her.
Even strangers get it. The homeless hairy man living under the stairs of her apartment gets a comforting hug from her before she goes to school. She would take the long, white stick that emitted smoke from his lips and throw it away, warning him with an adorable glare that his insides would soon catch fire if he didn't stop.
She smiled and spoke to everyone. Even to the grumpy cleaners of her school, she tried to be as friendly as possible, and she also tried to be polite to the teenagers behind the store register, who clearly didn't want to be disturbed by an annoying little brat. She would sit on the old couple's lap not too far from her house and read her favorite unicorn books to them.
She was known as a sweet little angel, an adorable ray of sunshine who had captured the hearts of a few people. However, many reported several times to her parents or even to the cops about being followed by a creepy five-year-old who wanted to tell them that the world was a happy place.
They would scoff and shoo her away.
It never bothered Charlotte in any way. She still believed that there was some level of good in people. They were just not bold to realize it yet. She saw it as her duty, as an angel, to help bring out the good in everyone.
There was a time she noticed an officer working tirelessly across the street without an umbrella over his head. As they stopped at the traffic light, they were moments away from it turning green, Charlotte quickly grabbed an umbrella from the back seat of her mother's car and jumped out as the traffic light ahead turned green.
''Charlotte!'' Her mother screamed frantically, as she watched her five-year-old run in front of moving cars, nearly getting run over with each hurried step she took. She should have been crushed that day, but somehow, by a miracle, all the cars before and behind her seemed to pause, their engines mysteriously dying down, and the drivers couldn't get the cars moving again while they watched the little girl dash before them under the heavy rain without a raincoat.
It was one of those times she cheated death.
The officer was paranoid when she came to him breathing heavily with an umbrella. Her big brown eyes staring up at him to receive it. Many motorists had to step down from their vehicles to curse at the parents who let their crazy kid run loose!
Charlotte's mother stepped out of the car, apologized to everyone as she moved over to her daughter who was still with the police officer. It was not just about the girl and the umbrella that had him in a daze, but also the dark entity he saw, which he could tell no one else saw, that had attached itself to the little girl.
It was not drenched by the rain or overwhelmed by the thunderstorms flashing aggressively in the sky.
It was a beaming, radiating energy of dark smoke vanishing and reappearing. A firm gloved hand stretched forth from the phenomenon. The hand firmly placed on the little girl's left shoulder.
The officer moved back when the little girl encouraged him to receive her umbrella and avoid getting more drenched by the rain. The eternal eyes staring at him from the pulsating dark energy sent his spine cracking up in pure terror. The officer quickly carried the little girl in his arms and far away from the strange energy and watched with disbelieving eyes as it vanished upon contact with the girl.
''Charlotte! Charlotte!'' The mother of the girl ran towards them, collected her reckless daughter from the officer's firm hold, and turned around to leave. The umbrella fell behind them as she walked away without acknowledging the officer.
Like a miracle all the cars that stopped working were brought to life and the hold-up eased. The officer snapped out of it and followed the racing mother with her child down to where their car was. The mother frantically placed her daughter in the back seat of their car, making sure she was suffocated with the seatbelts she hated to keep her in place and jumped to see the same officer behind her.
Perhaps he followed them here to scold her about how wild and uncultured her daughter was. She was seriously frustrated about hearing everyone say that to her daily.
''What?!'' She snapped with tears growing in her eyes. Occasionally, it felt more like a curse than a blessing to be with a child.
The officer's green eyes darted back to the child safely tucked back in the car and froze to see the entity hovering over her again. The officer swallowed, faced the ignorant mother and took off the amulet resting on his chest and gave it to her.
Miranda stared at the weird jewel and frowned at the officer for the reason she was given this.
''I think your daughter needs this more than I do.'' He thinks that entity has something to do with her carefree nature which could end up getting her killed one day. The officer was never really a religious person, but he did strongly believe in the existence of good and evil. He had experienced it once or twice in his life and that was why he sought out this amulet of protection. He could always find another means, but he thought he should repay her with something meaningful for the umbrella.
They were a soaking mess and the mother kept gazing at the amulet as the police officer retreated to his post to monitor the traffic.
Miranda just settled back inside her car and gingerly watched over her daughter sporadically through the rearview mirror with tears running down her cheeks.
That night, she made sure her daughter put the amulet on and made her promise never to take it off. Her father watched them both as he poured himself another glass of alcohol.
''Aren't you so stupid to put on your daughter what a stranger gave you?''
Miranda straightened the dark locks of her daughter's hair, stood straight to glare bitterly at the reason for their failed marriage and replied, ''It's not stupid when you have an idea about it.''
Jake just snorted at them, lying lazily on the couch as he ate and drank and watched football without a care of them growing broke soon.
''Come on, Char. Let me make you some nice pancakes!''
She fists bumped the air in happiness and jumped, ''Yay, pancakes! Would you make one for Ree-ree too?''
Silence loomed before her mom nodded, ''Of course.'' and returned her daughter's smile. Though they had no idea who Ree-ree is in her life. They all have just brushed it off as one silly imaginary friend that she would soon get over.
Charlotte's first life to her was perfect. She had an amazing mom that made the world's best pancakes and a dad that always told her to go and sleep even though she was yet to understand why he was always shooing her off to sleep. She loved everyone and was kind to every single person she laid eyes on.
But most importantly, it was her best life because she got Ree-ree by her side who watched over her like a guardian angel.