I Remember (Remembrance Series)
Read I Remember (Remembrance Series) Online
Authors: Cynthia P. O'Neill
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I Remember
Copyright © 2013 by Cynthia P. O’Neill
All rights reserved.
Edited By: Kim Swain,
Red Line Editing
Cover Design By:
Once Upon A Time Covers
Formatted by
JT Formatting
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
– Benjamin Franklin
I wandered along a path as the sun began to set across the horizon, lighting the sky with deep hues of orange, purple and pinks. I didn’t know where I was, but the countryside was simply breathtaking.
“Angeline, where are you?” A familiar male voice called out.
“Come find me, Daniel,” she announced playfully, in the distance.
Finding no one else around, I decided to head their way to ask for directions.
“Where are you hiding, my love? You know I will find you; and when I do, I will smother you with kisses,” he responded, full of laughter.
Their voices led me to a beautiful meadow filled with spring flowers and the sound of a river in the distance. They were dressed in Victorian fare, running playfully until Daniel caught the girl who must have been Angeline. They fell to the ground together, laughing, near a tall tree.
As I walked toward them, I watched Daniel lean in to kiss Angeline softly on the lips, her hands circling around his neck and pulling him closer. I stopped in my tracks feeling like I had invaded a private moment, but I still needed directions in order to return home.
“Excuse me, I don’t mean to intrude but I could really use your help,” I stated softly, so not alarm them.
They continued, without even a glance my way.
How rude.
I cleared my throat loudly and spoke again, but no answer.
I was frustrated.
How could they not hear me?
Suddenly, the landscape began to twist and shift into something dark and evil. I tried to turn and run but found myself unable to move. My heart began beating erratically as fear set in.
A tall figure appeared before me with ghostly shadows swirling and moaning around it. It was dressed in the darkest cloak I’d ever seen, with the hood draped in such a way as to cast shadows across the few visible areas of the face, making it impossible to see who or what it was.
An arm rose revealing long willowy fingers, aged and deformed and pointed at me. A sadistic female voice bellowed, “I warn you. Do not seek him out! The prophecy must not come to pass. If you defy me, I will make your life a living hell, taking all that you hold dear.”
That’s when the figure’s head tilted up and her glowing red eyes locked onto mine, sending a chill down my spine. Then the shadows began to swirl around my body, suffocating me.
“STOP!” The scream came from nowhere, catching me by surprise.
“LEAVE HER ALONE!” This time I recognized a man’s voice.
One of the shadows grabbed my arm and a piercing, “NOOOO” sounded, from deep within my chest, echoing off all that was around me.
My eyes shot open, as I bolted upright in bed. I looked around and realized I was in my bedroom.
I reached for the light. Turning it on, I tried to catch my breath. My only thought was that the dreams were back and they were worse. I’d seen a witch spirit previously, but not to this extent.
Wrapping my arms around my chest to calm myself, I felt a sharp pain on my right arm. I looked down to see the reddened hand print, where the dark shadow had grabbed me, slowly fading from existence.
What the heck?
“Can we talk about the possibility of forever?”
I shook my head a couple times and blinked my eyes, to see if I was imagining things. The same words that I had seen in my dreams were staring back at me from my computer monitor, the cursor blinking, begging for a reply.
After work, I decided to go online; needing something to keep my mind occupied, while I waited for my mother’s phone call with updates on my father’s deteriorating health. The doctors had not been able to determine why his strength and weight were rapidly declining; only that something was amiss. My mind was filled with trepidation, dreading the latest news.
The login was complete announcing, “You Have Mail.” I was pretty sure it would be from Thomas. He had been sending me messages in response to a personal ad I had posted, trying to persuade me to go out with him on Valentine’s Day. The idea had some appeal, but an inner voice kept warning me not to accept.
I was about to read his latest efforts to influence me when a ping alerted me to an instant message. I clicked on the link and opened the box to find those words that were still awaiting my reply,
“Can we talk about the possibility of forever?”
The message came from
RileyG786
. I knew I had never talked with this person before, but an odd sense of déjà vu prompted me to respond back.
“Do I know you?”
I finally typed.
The response was instantaneous,
“No, but I just read your personal ad and noticed you were online. I would rather chat directly than via email, if that’s ok?”
I detested the idea of posting a personal ad, not wanting to resort to such tactics. But my family, friends and co-workers persisted, noting that I was married to my job and had little time for a social life. My life was fine that way it was; a nice job, shared an apartment with a wonderful friend, had a mom and dad who loved me. What more did I need?
I was actually surprised by the responses I had received. I was up front and bold in the description of myself, not hiding my strong personality and desire for only a friendship, nothing more. I even created a screen name that was meant to ward off most, Braveheart. I recalled my ad:
“I have a dream of finding a true friend to share common interests, similar likes / dislikes, one who I can trust with my thoughts and my soul. I am a SWPF (single white professional female), age 21, 5’6”, average weight, long curly/wavy brown hair, natural golden/red highlights, emerald green eyes, and fair complexion. I do not smoke, rarely drink, and don’t believe in drugs or unhealthy lifestyles. My likes include most music spanning from classical to current music. I prefer movies that are romantic comedies, dramas, classic romances and limited science fiction. My tastes in food are eclectic; I prefer healthy styles of eating. I do not like people who are fake. I cherish honesty and boldness. I am a strong-willed individual who can be utterly shy at times! I am married to my job and am not seeking a relationship. Friendship is all I dream of, though for the right guy, I might be open to the future of possibilities.”