Evelin’s blue gaze glanced at Jack’s baseball practice. She wasn’t really that interested in him hitting a ball with a bat. Besides, she really wanted to be at home with a heater. It was freezing in River Grove! Why had they started practicing for the season so early! What was worse was her mother screaming and cheering for him, her grey jacket flying up due to how much she jumped up and down for her son. Evelin sighed, embarrassed by her mother’s enthusiasm.
What bothered her most is if Evelin even tried baseball, her mother would still fawn over Jack. He was amazing at everything that you could think of, sport wise anyways. Track, baseball, basketball, all of that. She never saw him do anything else, but that didn't matter, her parents always loved his skills. More than her constant Bs, anyway.
She sighed as she shivered in the cold. She just wished she was good at something. Anything! That was all she wanted. That was all she asked for! But life was never that easy. You cannot just wish for something big to happen and it does. No, if you wanted something, you work for it. Evelin knew she was jealous, and she didn't care. She was a human, humans got jealous. That was life.
A cold wind whipped her hair back and made her skin prickle as it tried to stay warm. In response, she zipped up her dark grey jacket. She sighed with boredom and checked the time. Five minutes until practice was over, then talking about the first game for fifteen minutes as her mother took the long way back. Lovely.
Her mother looked at her. “You know, if you actually tried, you might be good at baseball.”
Evelin suppressed a snarky reply and instead said, “If I did that, you would have to worry about dropping both me and Jack off at games and practices. We won’t be on the same team and-” she looked back at her mother. Again, she was more interested in Jack. She clenched her teeth and spun around, coming face to face in a figure dressed in black. She was unable to see his face clearly.
All of her anger drifted away and was replaced with curiosity and suspicion. “Um, hello?” she asked the stranger. She knew that she shouldn’t talk to strangers, but she couldn’t help it at all. He was just so weird and something compelled her to talk, strongly. She feared that, but she said nothing about it at all. Besides, it wasn’t as if her mother would care at all. Jack was way too important. She observed that he was wearing a light black jacket despite the freezing cold weather. He wasn't even shivering! Strange.
His inhuman blue eyes met her own, sending a shiver down her spine. Now she knew there was something wrong with the man. “Evelin, I need your help,” he said in his gruff, deep voice.
She gave a fake smile. She wished that she told someone. This person was way too creepy for her liking. She looked around her, trying to grab someone’s attention, but they were to busy being on their phones or watching their sons practice, as her mother did. She was alone with this stranger, and she didn't like it a single bit. She scooted closer to her mother, just in case he was a kidnapper. “Really?” she asked with an obvious false sweetness, “What do you need help with?” She was probably playing into his trap, but she also wanted to stall for time.
He disregarded her false sweetness and continued. “My home needs help. If things go unchecked, my home will be nothing more than ashes and brambles! Please, I don’t know how much longer my home will last.” He handed her a necklace.
It was a magnificent little trinket. Well, the pendant was anyway, the chain was just a simple necklace chain. But the pendant! Oh, with its sapphire eye and the small silver bird that resembled some bird of prey. She looked back up to the black-clad man with unnatural eyes, but he was already walking away. She knew better than to run after him. Besides, why would she trust a stranger? Definitely throw away the necklace later. It probably had some sort of tracking device like there are in those spy movies. She pocketed the necklace and waited for Jack’s practice to end. After checking the time, she decided that that conversation did some good to her. Cut off about three minutes off of Jack’s practice.
She sat back and tapped her foot, getting impatient. Why did her mother have her watch as well? She sighed as her brother’s team finished practice, finally. Jack ran up to them, his green eyes filled with pride as his mother ruffled his wavy, black hair. “You were amazing!” her mother squealed as she brought Jack in for a hug. Evelin crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as she started walking back to the car. This was going to be a long drive back.
She walked towards the car, stopping by the trash can. She pulled out the necklace and held it over the bin. She hesitated. Why couldn’t she throw it away! She had no emotional attachments to it. All she had to do was drop it in there then turn away. But she didn't. “Eve!” her mother called. “Come on, we’re getting some hot cocoa when we get home! The sooner we get there, the sooner you can have some!”
Evelin sighed and placed the necklace back into her pocket, keeping her hand in there to feel the pendant. She could throw it away somewhere else. Besides, she never was really alone, therefore a kidnapper would probably find some easier target. Yeah, she was fine.
One week later, Evelin paced in her bedroom. The necklace that was given to her hung from her clenched fist. She always told herself that she was going to throw away the necklace, but never did. It angered her slightly. She drew her arm back to throw the necklace, but then stopped. She closed her eyes and lowered her arm. She held the necklace in her hand, palm up, and looked at it again. The only thing really special about it was the sapphire, but she didn't really care for those sort of things. She sighed as she placed it on her dresser and placed her white woolen sweater on.
Evelin collapsed onto her bed, thinking. She was starting to become so tempted to wear the stupid thing. If she couldn't throw it away, why keep in a pocket. She spun herself around to see the gleam of silver on her dresser. That was it! There wasn’t a reason not to wear it!
She got up, strode towards the necklace, and latched it around her neck. As soon as the necklace fell into place, a terrible headache grew. It grew until she couldn't think. Clenching her head, she saw a flash of images. First, she saw a healthy forest, full of all sorts of life, then she saw an image of brambles choking the plants of the first image. Then the third image. It was full of dead trees and the brambles from before. All the life from the first image was replaced with an unease that she couldn't shake. Once all three were done, she passed out.
What bothered her most is if Evelin even tried baseball, her mother would still fawn over Jack. He was amazing at everything that you could think of, sport wise anyways. Track, baseball, basketball, all of that. She never saw him do anything else, but that didn't matter, her parents always loved his skills. More than her constant Bs, anyway.
She sighed as she shivered in the cold. She just wished she was good at something. Anything! That was all she wanted. That was all she asked for! But life was never that easy. You cannot just wish for something big to happen and it does. No, if you wanted something, you work for it. Evelin knew she was jealous, and she didn't care. She was a human, humans got jealous. That was life.
A cold wind whipped her hair back and made her skin prickle as it tried to stay warm. In response, she zipped up her dark grey jacket. She sighed with boredom and checked the time. Five minutes until practice was over, then talking about the first game for fifteen minutes as her mother took the long way back. Lovely.
Her mother looked at her. “You know, if you actually tried, you might be good at baseball.”
Evelin suppressed a snarky reply and instead said, “If I did that, you would have to worry about dropping both me and Jack off at games and practices. We won’t be on the same team and-” she looked back at her mother. Again, she was more interested in Jack. She clenched her teeth and spun around, coming face to face in a figure dressed in black. She was unable to see his face clearly.
All of her anger drifted away and was replaced with curiosity and suspicion. “Um, hello?” she asked the stranger. She knew that she shouldn’t talk to strangers, but she couldn’t help it at all. He was just so weird and something compelled her to talk, strongly. She feared that, but she said nothing about it at all. Besides, it wasn’t as if her mother would care at all. Jack was way too important. She observed that he was wearing a light black jacket despite the freezing cold weather. He wasn't even shivering! Strange.
His inhuman blue eyes met her own, sending a shiver down her spine. Now she knew there was something wrong with the man. “Evelin, I need your help,” he said in his gruff, deep voice.
She gave a fake smile. She wished that she told someone. This person was way too creepy for her liking. She looked around her, trying to grab someone’s attention, but they were to busy being on their phones or watching their sons practice, as her mother did. She was alone with this stranger, and she didn't like it a single bit. She scooted closer to her mother, just in case he was a kidnapper. “Really?” she asked with an obvious false sweetness, “What do you need help with?” She was probably playing into his trap, but she also wanted to stall for time.
He disregarded her false sweetness and continued. “My home needs help. If things go unchecked, my home will be nothing more than ashes and brambles! Please, I don’t know how much longer my home will last.” He handed her a necklace.
It was a magnificent little trinket. Well, the pendant was anyway, the chain was just a simple necklace chain. But the pendant! Oh, with its sapphire eye and the small silver bird that resembled some bird of prey. She looked back up to the black-clad man with unnatural eyes, but he was already walking away. She knew better than to run after him. Besides, why would she trust a stranger? Definitely throw away the necklace later. It probably had some sort of tracking device like there are in those spy movies. She pocketed the necklace and waited for Jack’s practice to end. After checking the time, she decided that that conversation did some good to her. Cut off about three minutes off of Jack’s practice.
She sat back and tapped her foot, getting impatient. Why did her mother have her watch as well? She sighed as her brother’s team finished practice, finally. Jack ran up to them, his green eyes filled with pride as his mother ruffled his wavy, black hair. “You were amazing!” her mother squealed as she brought Jack in for a hug. Evelin crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as she started walking back to the car. This was going to be a long drive back.
She walked towards the car, stopping by the trash can. She pulled out the necklace and held it over the bin. She hesitated. Why couldn’t she throw it away! She had no emotional attachments to it. All she had to do was drop it in there then turn away. But she didn't. “Eve!” her mother called. “Come on, we’re getting some hot cocoa when we get home! The sooner we get there, the sooner you can have some!”
Evelin sighed and placed the necklace back into her pocket, keeping her hand in there to feel the pendant. She could throw it away somewhere else. Besides, she never was really alone, therefore a kidnapper would probably find some easier target. Yeah, she was fine.
One week later, Evelin paced in her bedroom. The necklace that was given to her hung from her clenched fist. She always told herself that she was going to throw away the necklace, but never did. It angered her slightly. She drew her arm back to throw the necklace, but then stopped. She closed her eyes and lowered her arm. She held the necklace in her hand, palm up, and looked at it again. The only thing really special about it was the sapphire, but she didn't really care for those sort of things. She sighed as she placed it on her dresser and placed her white woolen sweater on.
Evelin collapsed onto her bed, thinking. She was starting to become so tempted to wear the stupid thing. If she couldn't throw it away, why keep in a pocket. She spun herself around to see the gleam of silver on her dresser. That was it! There wasn’t a reason not to wear it!
She got up, strode towards the necklace, and latched it around her neck. As soon as the necklace fell into place, a terrible headache grew. It grew until she couldn't think. Clenching her head, she saw a flash of images. First, she saw a healthy forest, full of all sorts of life, then she saw an image of brambles choking the plants of the first image. Then the third image. It was full of dead trees and the brambles from before. All the life from the first image was replaced with an unease that she couldn't shake. Once all three were done, she passed out.
