Talisman 01 - The Emerald Talisman Read Free Page A

changed the conversation to the most recent car he was dismantling. But I tuned him out as soon as he mentioned distributor caps.
    Aladdin, our cat, rubbed up against my leg, begging for some attention. We called her Aladdin, even though it was a boy’s name, because one day, she magically showed up and put a spell on us.
    I reached down to scratch her ears, but then felt the weight of my procrastination. I couldn’t prolong getting ready for work any longer.
    “I need to go,” I finally said. “Tell Jo I’m sorry, okay?”
    I headed upstairs to my room situated in the back of the house and peeled off my school clothes. The sofa burgeoned with my entire wardrobe, making it difficult to find my work polo shirt and khakis.
    My Dad was kind enough to give me the master bedroom a few years back. He thought I’d appreciate having my own bathroom, being the only girl in the house. But the best part of this sanctuary wasn’t the view out the windows of the redwoods surrounding the patio and creek below. My favorite part was the fact the distance separated me from the rest of the family and allowed me freedom from their emotions—huge bonus.
    I touched up my make-up, started some laundry before saying my goodbyes, and ran out the door. I really hoped my idea would work and the deli wouldn’t be crowded tonight.
    As I started my car and drove down my street, I fought a foreboding feeling I was making a mistake. Unsure, I glanced back at my house through my rearview mirror wondering if I should turn around. But, my sense of responsibility took over and I kept driving unaware my decision to go to work tonight would forever change the course of my destiny.

2 - FALLING
    I rushed into the deli, glanced at the clock and breathed a sigh of relief—right on time.
    My shift should’ve started without a hitch except I was starving and the aroma of baking bread hit my stomach like a jack-hammer. I would’ve been snagging a piece if it weren’t for Kelly’s impatient glare behind a long line of customers. So reluctantly, I deposited my things in the back and tied an apron on instead. My hunger would have to wait until my break.
    The deli’s interior resembled an old fashioned café, very homey in its decor. An old wooden fence stood, separating where customers ordered and where they sat. Lanterns, wooden wagon wheels, and camping paraphernalia littered the walls along with a potbellied stove in the corner.
    I took over the cash register and Kelly left without saying a word. I shrugged it off and greeted my first customer. The quicker I got rid of the line, the sooner I could get out of there. But hope of leaving early turned into disappointment as more and more people came into the deli and I couldn’t help them fast enough. I did my best to keep a good attitude, but felt it slipping as I saw my window of opportunity close.
    After three grueling hours of serving what seemed like thousands of hungry, demanding customers, the deli was suddenly empty. I was shocked when the manager asked if anyone wanted to go home early and I jumped at the chance.
    “Thanks,” I called out as I exited the store.
    Once outside, I ripped off my apron and ran over to my car, threw it onto the back seat and checked the clock on the dash—7:46. Knowing my family, I suspected they’d eaten already and were home by now. I wondered if I should let them know I was on my way, but decided to surprise them instead.
    I flew down the road and imagined their faces, especially Jo’s, when I walked in the door. They couldn’t continue the ongoing card game Nertz without me and I felt tonight that I would be taking the crown from Luke. I smiled and pressed the gas pedal harder.
    My car hugged the winding road that flanked the forest surrounding my housing development. I had to drive the long way around, the back entrance still buried by a quarter mile of rock deposited by a mudslide years ago.
    It didn’t matter—there was only a mile to go and I’d be home