The Odd Troublemaker : Miracle At 17

Copyright © 2019 by CrystalRust All rights reserved.  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. --- [ CURTAIN RAISER CHAPTER ZERO Healed Scars ] --- [Narrator's POV]  THE WIND HOWLED LIKE A WOLF, EERIE AND DANGEROUS.  The forest and the river had uneasiness within them as if they could sense a dangerous event that would happen in the near future. The forest restlessly moved their leaves and the river rushed forth like how an ocean's waves would be when a storm was at hand. "Sienna, honey, don't you ever lose this pendant." A woman with long black hair and gentle black eyes warned a girl. This woman was her mother who always had a calm aura and a gentle smile but right now her kind mother held no trace of her former serenity. She warned Sienna with desperation in her eyes but no matter how she explains, the little girl couldn't comprehend the importance of her words. "Why?" The 8 year old girl asked, her eyes blinking innocently. She looked similar to the woman with the same black hair and doe black eyes. "If you do, you'll be taken away by them."  "Who are they mommy?" Her mother paused for a second with a sudden pensive look and said, "Evil...people...Sienna so don't you ever lose that pendant." The raw fear in her mother's eyes was foreign to the girl and her mother knew that making this girl promise would keep her safe. "Would you promise to mommy?" She hugged her daughter gently. The girl nodded with a faint hum. Never truly knowing how much weight her mother's words would affect her life. [SIENNA MIRACLE'S POINT OF VIEW] That was 9 years ago. Now, I'm 17 years old.  My father died in the war with the neighboring country when I was 5. Times were harsh at that time and to support me, my mother went to the big city for work but she died because of overwork and depression of missing my father too much. It was painful news. It was the unfortunate truth. It was the harsh reality. I became a rebel, I hid my scars with wounds from fights and I shed my tears not in the day or night but in my dreams though most of the times were nightmares. I never trusted people and even in myself, I had no trust. I vented my grief on people, on myself, and the world. I was in a state of depression for a year and from that day onwards, I lost interest in everything. I spent my time peacefully since the house was enchanted and they stay away. I got over my grief because of my grandmother's nagging and care. After I recovered, grandma brought up the concern for my studies.  "Dear, how about you continue your education?" she gently broached the topic. "I could but I'm already late for a year." I mentally did an eye roll, smirking at my sarcastic tone. "You can take the advancement exam a month from now."  "I could just be home-schooled." I sighed in annoyance. I recently got over my mother's death and she wants me to interact with fake people with plastic smiles and empty words? Puh-lease. Ugh, I need to cool down. I frowned when the memories of the past where people ridiculed and treated me like dirt when they knew of my ability resurfaced in my mind. "After you pass, you will attend Lotus Academy." I huffed in irritation. "What's the point, people think of me as a freak."  "Your mother...Evelyn, she and the headmaster agreed to let you study there until you graduate." She hesitated to mention my mother but she continued on. "Don't you get it?!" I snapped. Why does she want me back in that kind of place? "SIENNA MIRACLE!" She said my name with so much authority that I momentarily shut up. "Evelyn seems to have saved up a good amount solely for your education." Grandma pulled me into a hug and comforted me with a hum. I hissed when the side of my head pressed into her necklace. I was full of walls and being forced into this hug made it go toppling down. I missed my mother-her voice, her face, her gentle caress, her laugh. A lone tear escaped and the pain in my heart ached with need. She did so much for me. Paying in advance completely for a spot in Lotus Academy is no cheap feat and I felt so broken, thinking how many jobs she had just to earn that much. Lotus Academy was the most prestigious school in history! I whimpered in slight pain when Grandma's pearl necklace met my temples with a brash force. I guess she mistook it as my sobbing and further tried to comfort me. "Now, don't cry. That just proves how much she loves you and how much she cares about your future." "I'm not crying." She answered with a gentle hush and cradled me with a hum. "Shut up." I sniffed. It was a peaceful autumn afternoon. There was no sun, only clouds filled the blue skies. Outside the window, the wind sometimes blew on the wild flowers growing on the field. It was as if the weather mirrored what my heart's state was. I know I had to move forward and so I will. As I cried in my grandmother's embrace, my heart that grieved for nearly a year felt like a river that regained its tranquility. "Ow!" "What's wrong dear?" "Your-"  "Now, don't cry." She made circular rubs on my back and promised that she'd bake my favorite cake. I don't like carrot cake! Before I could voice my complaint, my voice was muffled as I, once again, was pressed into a tight, suffocating embrace.