The Hidden Stone, Leah [reading list .txt] 📗

"Mom!" Samantha came running in arms wide.
"Sam? What's wrong?" Sam hugged her around the waist, making her drop her broom.
"Nothing." She said and smiled, "Nothing at all."
Elya knew better, Sam never called her mom, nor did she give her hugs. Matter-of-fact last time she checked she hated her. Had Sam had a sudden change of heart? No it couldn't be.
"Sam, honey, what happened? Why are you like this?" Elya brushed out a small strand of hair out of Sam's eye.
"I'll tell you about it later." she said, "It's quite the adventure!" she smiled and staggered down the hall into her room. Elya slowly bent down to pick up her cleaning utensil. thoughts were swarming around her head, but the biggest question remained unanswered.
What was wrong with Samantha Gray?

Life isn't easy. For some life is harder. We all have those moments in our lives; the moments that make life hard. What are those moments? Could it be that your parents are divorced? Did your dad get a new girlfriend? Do you get constantly bullied at school? For Samantha Grey, it was all three.

"Remind me again why I'm going to stay with Dad."
"Because, your father gets you for the summer."
"Great." I mumbled. My parents got a divorce two years ago, and it took them two years for them to figure out who does what and when.
"I hate being shared. You treat me like I'm some kind of toy." I complained.
At this Mom's voice grew loud. "Honestly Sam it's all about you. You hate this, or you hate that. Think of me for once. Do you think I like it? I have to give up my daughter to the man who slaughtered my life!" She was breathing heavily and her knuckles were pure white. i had never seen her so furious. I fell silent, looking out the window knowing this would be a long car ride.

"We're here. I'll see you soon." Mom snapped, interrupting my thoughts.
I hopped out of the car and grabbed my things. As soon as the trunk door slammed shut, mom left. I watched as she zoomed down the street eager to get away from the place and thing she hated most.
"Samantha Grey."
"Dad." I turned and smiled. He was a tall, thin man with a light brown mustache, complementing his light blue eyes. His smile was warm and friendly and love filled his eyes. This was the man who had left my mother, split her heart in two.
We hugged and he looked down on me and said, "It's been so long since I've last seen you. What one year now?"
"Two."
"Yes, of course. Now if you'll just follow me." Just to clarify, I spent two years with my mom because I wanted too. Dad was off vacationing with his new girlfriend and when they got back, they were broke.
Dad led me into an old, run down house. I recognized as the place were my parents honeymooned. There wasn't much to see, just cobwebs, dust, and a young girl sweeping constantly.
"Sam this is Elya." Elya looked up at me and smiled.
"Well, you must be Sam. Your father has told me so much about you." She approached me holding out a hand. I shook it uneasily, because she was the reason Dad left Mom.
She turned to Dad and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Has the moving truck been here yet?" he asked.
"No," She frowned, looking at an old watch. "But, it should be here any minute. Oh, and here it is!" She pointed a long, skinny finger out the dust filled window.
"Perfect, let's go meet it." The couple scurried out the front door, catching a cobweb on the way.
I sighed, deciding to search the house.
It was one story with a living room, bathroom, kitchen, and two bed rooms. In every room there was a shattered window, a hole in the wall, or a rusty door. It wasn't a pretty sight.
The back door squealed open as I went to have a look outside. Water was dumped on my head, presumably healed up by the door. I scowled and tried to ignore it.
The scene was miserable. it was almost as if I had stepped into an old painting, every living thing had been washed away by the rain. A rusty old boat sat on the shore line, screaming for new parts. Near it was a stone path that snaked from the small beach to the steps of the house. Dead plants wove themselves around the path and under the stones. A weeping willow tree swayed silently near the water's edge. It had to be the most beautiful thing on the lot. It's leaves drifted toward me in such a way, it didn't seem real.
"Sam! Sam, please come help us." My dad called through the rain. He waited and when I didn't respond he shouted, "Sam, come inside! You don't want to catch a cold."
I sighed and wandered into the house now dimly light by the fireplace in the living room.
"We put all the boxes into the garage, because we can't really move until we clean the place." Dad said with a slight chuckle.
"So, you want me to clean the house." I could easily see this coming, but that didn't mean I wanted to spent my day cleaning.
"Not today, tomorrow. For now I have unpacked a few sleeping bags we could use to spent the night in." He smiled, "Elya is making dinner for us now, so you can set up. I recumbent the spot by the fire."
"Sure." I said, turning to leave for the living room.
"Oh and Sam." Dad stopped me and handed me a broom. "You might want to sweep the floor before you do anything, just in case."
"Thanks Dad." I stated flatly and got to work.

I didn't sleep well that night.
I had a disturbing dream about the willow tree out back. It was a pleasant summer day and a girl that looked to be about ten was digging a hole near the tree's roots. To her surprise she found an old shoe box tapped together with a warning on it's side, "Do not open!"
Curiosity got the better of the small girl and she opened the box to find a silver, almost clear, stone. She laughed at the warning on the side and put the rock in her pocket.
Later she got in a fight with her sister and wished her sister away. Her sister immediately vanished into thin air. At first the girl was quite happy, but she later realized the affected this had on her parents. They searched and cried for the sister, but never found her. The girl began to miss her to. She plucked the stone out of her pocked and turned it three times. She then wished herself away, so she could retrieve her sister. The stone fell from her hands as she disappeared and was never seen again.
The dream made no sense to me. How did this girl disappear? Why hadn't the stone gone with her? Is the stone under the tree now? there was only one way to find out.

When Dad and Elya woke, we went into town to eat. The drive should have taken thirty minuets, but it felt like one. I didn't speak when we ate, nor on the way home. I just stared out the window, pondering the dream.
"Sam, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
"You're quiet this morning."
"Oh, I don't mean to be. I was just thinking."