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angelic-writer · 5 years

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Crystal Valley High - Chapter 1

“Sonia?"

"Sonia, sweetie? You awake?"

I stirred from my sleep from my mom’s soft voice. "Mm... barely."

"Well, don't worry, Sonia. We're almost there. Just hang on for a little longer." My dad said.

I nodded and rested my head against the window. Looking out at the trees they're passing by, I started to nod off again. Before I let slumber overtake me, I saw the sign. It read, "Welcome to Crystal County. The Mystic State."

A few hours later, I was awoken by her father. I sat up from my seat and rubbed my eyes.

“Here we are, sweetie. Our new home." Dad said.

"Do you like it?" Mom asked me.

I nodded slightly. "It's nice. At least the house got a fresh coat of paint." I said.

"Well, why don't you help us get the stuff from the car? The movers will be there shortly."

"M'Kay."

The three of us got to work getting our bags. Mom slung her bag over her shoulder, grunting at the weight. The bag was pretty heavy, but my mom was stronger than she looked. "Do you want me to take it?" My dad asked.

"Oh no, I got it. You take care of the heavier stuff." Mom said.

Despite her saying that, Dad took the bag and easily carried it to the porch. I smiled. From what they told me about each other, they’re still the same cute couple that they were in high school.

I looked at the house. It was a pretty big house with the walls painted white and the shutters being a light blue. Eh, I like it. It fit the color scheme rather nicely. To any other person, they would say it was a bit plain, but at least it was better than my old home with the floors being creaky and the paint peeling off. I hope the floor would be sturdy. I don’t want to fall through the floor and get myself hurt. If there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s the possibility of being in the hospital. With a deep breath, I walked inside.

The inside wasn't too bad. The wooden floorboards held itself nicely and the flower wallpaper was very pretty. It gave off a nice old school vibe. To my right, there was an entrance way to the living room. I decided to take a look around, in case there is a hidden passageway somewhere in the house. I always got excited at the thought of there being a secret staircase or passageway in someone's house. Who knows what kind of treasures I could find in them. Though, I probably shouldn’t snoop around too much. That would be weird. I should only do it when my gut tells me to. The living room was pretty big with a fireplace placed in the middle of the wall and there were two windows. One of them looked out to the front yard and the other looked out to the wooded backyard. I went into the kitchen, which was fully stocked with pots and pans. The tile floor there was nice, but it could use an upgrade. I looked over to the back door. Definitely leads out to the backyard.

"Sonia! Can you help us with these boxes?" My mom called out.

I nodded and went over to my parents. We all carried some boxes up the stairs to the rooms. I hadn't really explored the second floor yet, so this was pretty exciting for me. The second floor contained three bedrooms, a bathroom and a room that contained a washing machine and dryer. I didn't know why there was a third bedroom. Maybe it was meant for a family of four. I don’t know. I figured maybe Dad could convert it into a study. Though, maybe we should keep the room just in case someone wanted to spend the night. I went into the room next to the bathroom and looked around. The walls were painted purple with a fan on the ceiling. I looked over to a spot right next to the window. I’m definitely gonna place my bed there. What caught my attention was the sliding glass door. With a big smile, I went over to it and opened it.

I stood on the balcony that overlooked my backyard. There were daffodils, roses, daisies, geraniums and other flowers growing there. The smell of freshly cut grass hung in the air. Over to the distance was the view of the lake. The sun shining on the water, the little ripples the dragonflies made - it looked like it came straight out of a painting. I rested my arms on the railing and breathed in the cool air. This is beautiful! I love this! I mean, Washington did have nice landscapes, but the scene in front of me takes the cake. I sighed. Too bad it'll all be gone when fall comes. It really is beautiful in the summertime. Although, I wonder what the lake would look like in the wintertime.

I thought about my friends from back home. Sure, they thought of me as kind of weird for my hobbies, but they were still my friends. Besides, I liked that kind of stuff. It always satisfied the Nancy Drew inside me.

I closed my eyes and felt the light breeze on my skin. I honestly didn't expect to be moving to a different town during the summer, but Crystal County was offering some great job offers for my dad, so he couldn't pass it up. From talking to people online, I learned that Crystal County had a beautiful landscape and those who are working in the town are to be set for life. Heh. Certain high school much?

I wished I could stay here and bask in the sunlight, but I’ve got my own things to do. And so, I went back inside.

The movers arrived shortly and they got to work getting our stuff in. I spent some time decorating my room with my posters. I put some music on to occupy myself as I worked. I hummed to the tune of the song as I put my books in the bookshelves. I was wondering why I didn't discover this band sooner. One of my friends recommended it to me and I absolutely loved it. I looked at the posters on my wall. One poster was of a young woman holding a bow and arrow with a mockingjay pin set ablaze behind her. Another poster was of a group of teenagers standing behind a diner, but the letters on the neon sign were burnt out, spelling the word "DIE". I thought it was pretty ominous, but, hey. That's just the way I like it. Strangely enough, the third poster contained a young woman and a young man together. The man was pretty pale and his eyes were glowing a bit. I didn't know why I liked this movie. I must've related to the main character or something. I don’t know.

The books I had on the shelves were a variety of genres. Mystery, fantasy, science fiction, teen romance, horror - Hell, this young teenage girl would probably have a whole library if I wanted to. I could see myself as probably a bookworm.

A few hours later, I got my bedroom set up, but there were still boxes around. After flattening the boxes, I went downstairs and saw that my parents were still moving some boxes around. “Hey, mom. Do you need help unpacking the rest?” I asked.

“Oh no, honey. Your father and I got the rest. Although…” She picked up a smaller box and handed it to me. “Maybe you can put these snow globes somewhere.”

I took the box and looked over to the fireplace. It had a little shelf on top of it. It could make use for some candles and snowglobes. “Alright,” I opened the box and started to take out the snowglobes. “But I’ll have you know that I’m tougher than I look.”

Mom giggled. “Well, you know us Walker women. Always being strong and independent.”

“Of course, it doesn’t hurt to ask for help.” Dad chimed in.

“Of course, honey.” Mom giggled and kissed him on the cheek. I smiled at them.

“Well, aren’t you two adorable? I wish I have someone like that.” I said.

“Don’t worry, honey. You’re still young. You still have time to look for someone. It doesn’t matter what gender or what race they are. Whether it be a boy or a girl, we’ll always support you. Just don’t rush into marriage, okay?” Dad said with a light chuckle.

“Alright.” I said as I put the snowglobes on the shelves.

“So, if you do decide to date someone, where would you two go? What would you do? There are some places in Crystal County that would make great dates.” Mom said. I could tell that she was going through her teen phase again. “Mooooom, I just moved here! Why are we talking about dating now?! I don’t know if there will be anyone I like here!”

“Well, you never know. This person could become very important to you.”

My face flushed red. “Well, I don’t know.” I looked at herself in the mirror above the fireplace. “I’m not even that pretty.”

“Honey, don’t say that. You’re beautiful.” Dad said.

“Dad, have you seen my hair? The girls at my old school have long, beautiful hair. And me? I get the short hair.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with having short hair. There are some girls out there that have short hair. It doesn’t matter what you look. It’s-” Mom started, but I finished the sentence for her.

“Always the inside that counts. Geez, I hear that so many times in TV shows that it’s become a cliche.”

“Well, it’s a good message. Even if it’s overused, it’s still a good message.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

I looked in the mirror again. Being surrounded by so many beautiful girls at my old school had made me unsure of my looks. I always wanted to try out those beautiful hairstyles I found online. But due to my short hair, I couldn’t do that. Not even I could get my hair in a braid if I wanted to. Not only that, I don’t remember having a crush on any boy at my old school. I don’t know if I was gay or bi or anything. Thank god my generation is much more accepting than long ago. I would have been pummeled if I was living in any other time period. I ended my thought session and got back to work moving stuff around.

A few hours later, I heard a knock at the door. My mom answered.

“Hello?”

I then heard a new voice.

“Hi! I saw that there were some moving trucks in the driveway next to my house. Are you guys, by any chance…”

“Oh, why, yes! We just moved here hours ago. We’re just getting some stuff into the rooms.”

“Oh, cool!”

Mom turned to me, who was just putting some dishes in the cupboards. “Hey, honey! We have a visitor!”

A visitor? Who could be visiting us?

I slowly walked out of the kitchen to the hallway. There, standing at my front door, was a girl about a year younger than me. Long, blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, slim body type - She looked like a model. The girl saw me and waved.

“Hey, new neighbor!” She said in a cheerful voice.

“Uh… Hi.” I shyly said. Damn, I really need to step up my game in talking to people.

“Oh, don’t worry about her. She’s really shy when you first meet her. Trust me, she gets really talkative after a while.” Mom said, patting my head. My face flushed. ‘Mom, I’m not a kid anymore.’ I whispered.

“Don’t worry. I got you.” The blonde girl said with a laugh.

“Um, I noticed that you said you saw the movers next to your house. Are you...?” I asked.

“Yeah. I live next door to you! I guess we’re next door neighbors!”

“Ah, cool. I-I’m Sonia. What’s your name?”

“I’m Carly. Carly Jackson.”

“Oh, that’s a nice name. So, what made you decide to come here?”

“Well, my nanny saw you guys moving here and she thought it would be a good idea for me to come introduce myself to you guys.”

“You have a nanny?”

“Yeah. She takes care of me when my parents aren’t home. On rare occasions, they come home, but not much. So, it’s just me and the nanny.”

“I see.”

“But don’t worry! I spend my time just watching whatever’s on TV or surfing the internet. At least something to keep me occupied.”

My eyes lit up. “Oh cool! I watch TV too! I especially like watching teen dramas. I don’t know why. I guess I fit into their teen demographic.”

Carly smiled. “I see! Are there any shows you specifically like?”

I then went on to explain the list of shows I like. Old school shows, new shows, fantasy, mystery, anything.

“Wow. You have a lot of free time, don’t you?”

“Yep! Although my parents wanted me to go outside more. But I just get so invested in the show that I lock myself in my room just to see where it’s going to go! It’s just… Ugh! Their plots are really good!”

“It’s true. James and I always tried to get her out of her room whenever she watches a series, but she just wouldn’t. And when we tried to turn it off, she just gets grumpy until she could get back to the TV. I remember when she got hooked onto Riverdale and when the first season ended, she was screaming.”

“Mom, it was because of that cliffhanger! You don’t have to remind me!” I shouted, my voice cracking a bit.

Mom was trying her best to hold back laughter. She knew she shouldn’t laugh at me, but it was clear that remembering that moment was too much for her. I wish she didn’t have to remind me of it, though.

“See? I told you she gets really talkative!”

I was clearly getting flustered.

“Mmmmmm! So what if I spend every day dying inside just so I can see the revelation to that cliffhanger?! So what?!”

My voice was squeaking. Carly tried her best to not burst into laughter.

“Sonia, your voice is squeaking.” Dad said, cracking a small smile.

“So?! I just want my dad to be okay!! Please give me something!! Anything to show that he’ll make it!!!” I hugged my dad tightly, pressing my face into his shirt as I screamed.

Carly was really confused, but Mom clarified what I was confused about. “She’s referring to a character on the show. She likes to compare him to my husband.” “Oh, I see.” She said, smirking.

Everyone was silent, aside from my groans muffled by Dad’s shirt. Finally, Carly broke the silence.

“Anyway! Why don’t we talk about our favorite shows while I show you around town? Are you up for it?”

My head popped up. “Okay.” My mood changed faster than a little kid who was just given ice cream during a temper tantrum. “Well, see ya, Mom. See ya, Dad.”

“See you later, sweetie. Dad and I will take care of the rest of the boxes.”

And so, the two of us started to walk around the neighborhood, talking about hobbies and what we like to do in our spare time.

“So, besides watching teen dramas, what other shows do you like to watch?”

“Eh, I guess I like to watch something related to true crime. I really like how the mysteries are laid out for the detectives to either be solved or remain unsolved for the general public to figure out. I personally like the mysteries to be unsolved because it causes me to think about what really happened, what leads they have and what kind of evidence is presented to us. In a way, it makes me feel like a detective.”

“Ah, I see! I like watching those kinds of shows too! We all enjoy a good mystery.”

“Really? Cause some people at my old school don’t think so.”

“Oh… Did those people make fun of you because of it?”

“No. Not at all! Sure, some of them think I’m weird because of it, but they were still my friends. They’d rather stick with romances and comedies and try to ignore what’s going on in the world. The truth is, the world is not an innocent place, but we gotta be optimistic about the good things.”

“Hmph. Try telling Sophie that.”

“Who’s Sophie?”

“Oh, she’s a friend of mine and Katherine’s. She works alongside her mother at a clothing store and is a fashion model online. She’s the kind of girl who thinks everything is all sunshine and rainbows. She still acts like a kid despite being in high school. Honestly, I don’t mind it as much. She’s really cute when she acts like that, but I worry about her. She needs to be prepared for the hard truth of the world. Katherine, on the other hand… She’s the one that had the long face every since she entered high school. In fact, it’s pretty rare that she smiles. Unlike Sophie, who likes to wear dresses and summer clothes, Katherine wears dark clothing despite it being over 70 degrees. I think kids might pass her off as emo.”

“I don’t think being emo is a bad thing. I’m pretty sure she’s not hurting anyone with her clothing style. The kids at my old school wear really flashy clothes and have sparkling phone cases. My clothes may not be spectacular, but these girls dress up like they’re getting ready for a fashion shoot. Don’t get me wrong, wear what you want to wear, but try not to overdo it.”

“They probably just want to impress their boyfriends.”

“Eh, probably.”

We continued to walk down the street until we approached a forest. Carly suddenly grabbed my wrist. “Um… I wouldn’t go there if I were you.”

I chuckled. “Why? Because of wolves and stuff?” I asked.

“Well, that and…” Carly trailed off. I was confused. What could be scary about a forest? I mean, it’s not like a serial killer is hiding in there, waiting for their next victim.

“Listen,” Carly said. “I think you should know something about this town.”

“What’s that?”

“Well… This town… Let’s just say it’s not like most small towns. To put it in simple terms, Crystal County has every mythical creature in the book. Vampires, werewolves, demons, grim reapers - everything!”

My eyes lit up. “Ooh, interesting!”

“Now, you may think this is a cool setup for a mystery show or movie, but you need to be careful. In this town, no one knows if you’re human or one of them.”

“That’s pretty ominous.” I could only say. I didn’t know why, but my curiosity was getting the better of me. Maybe Carly was overestimating the danger. Maybe it would bring some excitement in my life. My life back home used to be normal and, quite frankly, pretty boring. Maybe moving to Crystal County wasn’t such a bad idea after all...

“But, I suppose that won’t stop you from trying to figure it out, right?”

“...Am I really that easy to read?”

“Yep. I learned a lot from my father. And Ace Attorney, of course.” Carly said, winking.

“You play Ace Attorney?”

“Heck yeah, dude! It’s my favorite game series!”

“I’ve never played it, but I gotta check it out!”

“Dude, you should! It’s really good!”

We continued to walk down the street. Though, I can’t shake the feeling that something was… watching me.

A little while later, the two of us walked in the direction to a nearby park. People were walking on the sidewalks along the pond with their dogs and their partners. There were some people sitting on the benches, throwing bread crumbs to the nearby ducks.

“So, this is Crystal Park.”

“Interesting. This looks like a very pretty park.”

“Yeah, it is. It’s mostly famous for its waterfalls and the art museum next door. Do you wanna see one of them?”

“Sure!”

Carly grabbed my hand and she lead me to a spot where there was a big waterfall. I marveled at the sight.

“Wow! This is so beautiful!”

“Yep! It is. I always go there whenever I need to clear my head.”

“Well, I can definitely say that this is a great stress reliever.”

“Yep!”

We all continued to stare at the waterfall. The little water droplets were getting on my skin, making me feel relaxed. I didn’t realize that I was a little stressed. Maybe the move has gotten to me a bit.

“So, I gotta ask. What was life like back in your old town?” “Eh, you know. Just school and regular outings with friends. Nothing really exciting.”

“Ah, I see. It’s the same with me. You know, aside from using to live in a different town, I mean. Sometimes, I want some exciting things in my life. You know, to get out of the monotonous cycle I’m in once in a while. You know what I mean?”

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