Tacora, Navaura Campbell [good books for high schoolers .TXT] 📗

Out of the grave

You guys, bear with me on this. I'm not sure what type of creature I'm dealing with here, but this is actually based on a dream, but I've expanded it into a short story and it's creepy to me. I hope it's creepy too you. It will probably be five chapters at the most. I only have three chapters done so far. Enjoy this teaser though!!!!

 

Prologue:

 

 

A hand shot up from out of the dirt, stretched its fingers as if awakening them for the first time in years. In reality, it had only been seven days. As this happened, another spirit, which had called the person's name and had her arise, grasped the hand and watched as the young girl was pulled from the shallow grave that had been made by her attacker. The spirit pulled the girl out and then watched silently as she hovered above her grave, her wavy hair, which had been at her shoulders doing her time of death had grown considerable over the last seven days. It had grown down to the middle of her back. As her eyes opened, the dawn was just breaking over the horizon, casting off light to the young woman, who's eyes glowed with a fiery red vengeance. The girl felt her heart began to beat in her chest and a life filter through out her entire corpse. Even the dress she'd worn during the attack had lost its soiled exterior and was now completely white. The dress was a long sleeve Victorian gown that flowed beautifully over her slender shoulders and all the way down to her ankles. The gown was made out of lace and seemed to be tailored to fit the narrow hips that it joined to at the waist. The young woman was that of a milky cocoa complexion and full lips with narrow yet oval shaped eyes. Her body was slender and beautifully made to look delicate. She was a tall woman of about five eleven and seemed as if she would hurt no one. However, as of now her soul purpose was to find her attacker, just so that she exact her revenge. The young woman closed her eyes and willed herself to the ground. Inhaling sharply, she turned and walked the way in which her attacker had gone at the stroke of midnight seven days earlier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tacora

Chapter One: One month prior

 

Tacora Johnson flickered her shoulder length wavy chocolate brown hair over her shoulders as she and her best friend Jean made their way to her younger sister Debra's class. Debra, who'd gone ahead of the girls and was half way down the hall now was in kindergarten and as most children her age was, she was excited to begin another day of structured learning. Her class were just beginning to work on the letter V and she felt as though she couldn't get there fast enough. Tacora was a beautiful caramel colored brown with small oval eyes, that were native to oriental heritage and a wide yet small nose that sat perfectly on her oval yet full shaped face. Her lips were small and full, alongside a short and round nose that fit proportionately on her face. Tacora looked at her friend Jean, who'd been just as equal to her beauty and if not, even more beautiful, and smiled, “Debra acts like she's going to miss out on something extremely important.”

Jean laughed softly, “Yeah. I remember we were like that at that age...”

“No, no, I was the one like that while your mom had to practically drag you to class.”

Jean smiled at this, “That was the first day of class. I didn't have any issues after that.”

Tacora laughed heartily at this, “Yeah, right, Jean, you were horrible all through out school, as a matter of fact you still are horrible with school.”

“If I'm so horrible then why are you my friend?”

Tacora draped an arm around her shoulder, “Because without you, my life would be dull and boring.”

Jean leaned into Tacora, “That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Any how, speaking of dull and boring, Trent's having a party Friday night, are you coming?” Tacora groaned inwardly. She had tried to explain to Jean over and over again that she didn't want to go to a dumb party. High School parties felt boring and childish to Tacora. “Cole will be there.” Tacora paused as they finally made it to Debra's class room. The young girl had already gone in and sat down with a group of students playing at the table. Debra's teacher came up to Tacora and met her at the door. “Hi Tacora,” the tall, fuller teacher greeted her.

Tacora smiled and looked at Mrs. Simpson. “Hi Mrs. Simpson. I just wanted to make sure that Debra made into the class room.”

Mrs. Simpson smiled at her, “Oh, that's fine dear. While you are here, can you give your mother a conference paper for me when you get home? Conferences are next week.”

Tacora watched as Mrs. Simpson went to her desk and came back with a sheet of paper,

“Sure.” Tacora agreed, taking the paper and placing it in her bag.

“Thank you, dear.”

“You're welcome,” the younger girl stated, her tone sweet. “I will be back to pick Debra up after school at three fifteen.”

Mrs. Simpson nodded at her, “Alright, see you then.”

Tacora turned and walked with Jean away from the class room. Just as they were about to exit the building, Jean began a new conversation, “Did you hear about the girl they found out on the west coast some where?”

Tacora shrugged her shoulders, “What girl?”

“There's been a series of murders happening along the coastal states over a period of five years now. It all started in North East Oregon somewhere.”

“Five years ago?” Tacora inquired, intrigued. She wondered how was it that a person could get away with murder for five years.

“Yes, They found two bodies two hundred miles from one another; both near a beach, each victim had been strangled and buried in dirt near the beach.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, and the weird thing is that they couldn't find anything wrong with the girls. They weren't raped. They were assaulted physically or sexually either.”

“So, it must be a different motive then.”

“The police have looked and couldn't find one. No one saw anything out of the ordinary with these girls . They were all American good girls you know. The type who never seem to get in trouble and they never really had any real conflict with anyone at their schools. What makes it even more strange is that the girls didn't date either. It's like,who ever killed them killed them just to do it.”

Tacora nodded, “So what happened to the latest girl they found?”

“She was found somewhere in California on the beach. They found her buried in the sand. The same exact position as the other girls, same exact clothes except one thing.”

“What's that?”

“Her eyes were burned out of her head.”

Tacora found this funny for some reason.

“Don't laugh. It's the truth.”

Tacora cleared her throat and said, “Ok. So basically what you are saying is that there is a killer lurking out there somewhere?”

Jean put her dark hands up to her face. “That's exactly what I'm saying and to make matters worse, they have no idea who is doing this. They don't have a clue as to what this guy looks like, what he's dressed like or even if he's a she for that matter. They assume its a man because the victims are all female.”

Tacora felt a chill go up her arm, “So technically this could be anybody.”

“Well, the last they heard the guy was on the east cost. I think we may be safe because we are in the Midwest.”

“Maybe.” Tacora stated.

“What are the odds that the guy will end up here?”

Tacora sighed, “I don't know, the farther away he is the better I will feel. You know my mom's not going to let me and Debra out of her sight. She's already been paranoid with just me walking Debra to school and that's only four blocks from our house.”

“Yeah, I feel you on that one. Speaking of school, we better walk faster, the bell's about to ring.” Just as they said this, they heard a bell ring in the distance. Tacora groaned, knowing that her mother was going to throw a conniption fit just for her receiving the tardy she knew she was going to get when she got to school.

 

 

Rachel stared out at the dark figure that had been watching her house for days. She'd felt afraid since she'd first notice what she presumed to be a man standing out in her front yard. Every night for the past week at the stroke of midnight, he'd appear in front of her house, stand there right where her room was and watch her until she got so uncomfortable, she'd close the curtain and bury herself in between the sheet and blanket that covered her bed. She'd pull the cover over her head and try to calm down that part of her that was trembling on the inside.

 

She felt a sinister aura radiating off the person from below her window. She tried to think of a good explanation as to why he was there, but she knew that what ever the reason was, it was not for her good. Every instinct in her body told her that something awful was going to happen to her. When she wasn't sure. She just understood that what ever it was, it had something to do with the awful figure lurking outside her bedroom window. She knew that she could go and tell her mom and dad, but they never believed anything she said, they'd always been so wrapped up in her two year old sister that it was as if Rachel wasn't there. Inhaling sharply, she realized that her nerves still hadn't calmed. She was still a nervous wreck. Swallowing deeply, she pulled the covers down from her face in an attempt to be brave.

 

Just because he was standing out there didn't mean he could get in her room. Most guys like that were peeping toms. She tried to assuage the alarming part of her heart since the last thing she wanted was to succumb to a death of fear. She watched as the cover reached her eyes and then went further downward. She stared out in the moonlighted blackness and looked around her room timidly. No one was there. This caused her heart to relax just a tiny bit. She pulled the covers off her feet and slowly pulled them over the bed. Attempting to stand on trembling legs, she made her way to the window. She needed to know that he wasn't down there. She needed to see that he was gone. She hoped that he was. Peeking through one of the mini blinds, she pulled it open so that she could see out the window. To her relief, no one was out there. Exhaling sharply, she let out a tight laugh, feeling the tension ease.