Chapter 1

Stalker

Halie rolled over falling on the floor next to her bed. She groaned lightly and rubbed her head before stretching. She looked around the room tiredly before a shine from the window sill caught her attention. She blinked and sat up trying to get a closer look but the bright morning sun continued to shine in her face hiding the object from view.

Stupid sun... She mentally grumbled as she untangled her legs from her blankets. She pushed the covers off of her and crawled over to the window too tired to actually get up yet. She reached up and felt around before grabbing the object and bringing it down to look at.

"What the -" she asked looking at the object; a black rock. It was the same rock from the day before. "Maybe...I brought it home...maybe throwing it in the woods was just a dream..." she tried to convince herself as she finally got to her feet. She frowned as she placed the rock on her dresser, "I'll toss it on the way to school. Stupid thing,"

She took her shower and got ready for school deciding to go. She needed some away time from the arcade. The school would be a good place. It was never too dull there. For her, there was always someone too annoy the hell out of and piss off, teachers included.

She pulled on her shirt her eyes glancing every little bit at the rock on her dresser. Somehow, something felt wrong. No, correction, something felt right. It didn’t make any sense, but the way this stupid rock could confuse her like this make her hate it. She wanted to smash it and watch it shatter into many little pieces.

She sat down quietly on her bed and pulled her black, white, and blue high tops on before grabbing her book back and stuffing the stone in her pocket along with her keys and her wallet. She slipped out of her messy bedroom and headed downstairs. She stopped in the kitchen and looked to her mother who to say the least looked almost shocked to see her awake and ready for school.

“So you’re not ditching again, sis?” Halie’s little brother, Devin asked as he walked into the kitchen and sat down for breakfast. He was a 5’ 3” dark brown haired fifteen year old boy with brown-ish green eyes.

Halie just rolled her eyes and looked to her mother who smiled and handed her two pieces of toast.

“Thanks, later,” Halie said before leaving the house quickly eating the toast as she did.

“Think something’s wrong with sis?” Devin asked his mother, “She’s up awfully early even for school.” He commented.

Their mother, Trisha shrugged slightly.

“Maybe she’s growing up?” was her only idea but for some reason she doubted that. Something was about to change, she could feel it.

Halie walked down the street the stone in her hand. As she stared she noticed an almost…smoke like design in the center. It was so strange but it gave her a nervous feeling that she didn’t like. It made her anxious. She kept her guard up as if expecting something big to happen at any moment.

She looked up calmly as she once again came to the park. She looked into the trees then back down at the midnight black stone she held tightly in her hand.

“Good bye,” she said coldly before throwing it into the trees. It wouldn’t bother her again. She knew she tossed the stone away and that was the end, it was over. There was nothing else to be worried about.

She sighed softly and relaxed as her guard and tension fell until it was gone completely. She walked the rest of the way to school quietly. She couldn’t help but notice the feeling of longing. She was tempted to go back and see if the stone was still there but she didn’t. This felt wrong though, the further away she got from the park the more she wanted to go back. This all felt so wrong.

“Stop, you’re thinking way to much.” She said suddenly before taking a breath and walking into the school. No one noticed her for the most part for which she was unpleased. She usually loved the fact that people left her alone; that people didn’t notice her. Today was different though. She wanted attention. She wanted to be noticed. She wanted to be seen. She needed to be. She needed a distraction; something to distract her, anything would do.

She opened her locker tossed her book bag inside. She reached up to get a book off the top shelf and her eyes widened in shock. The rock was there! Sitting on her books!

“Wha – What?” she asked her out loud. She didn’t even notice the few odd looks she got.

She quickly pushed the rock out of the way to the back of her locker and grabbed her books. Was she going insane? Was she just imagining it? Maybe…Maybe this was all just an illusion. Or a dream! She slammed her locker shut and went to her first class quickly.

Walking into the classroom she looked at her desk, it was there! The rock was there too! She spun around and ran back to the locker. This was impossible. She was sure she left the rock in her locker. Did someone move it? How could they?

She undid the combination quickly and swung the locker open. The rock was there, right where she’d pushed it. She shook her head, this wasn’t happening. She closed her locker and locked it. That’s right; she locked the stone inside her locker. No one else knew her combination. Only she did so no one else could get to the stone to take it out. She nodded assuring herself then turned and ran back to class before she was late.

She walked into the room and looked at her desk, the rock wasn’t there. She sighed in relief and walked over to sit at her desk. She tossed her books onto her desk and went to sit down. She stopped dead in her tracks. The rock was there, in her chair now! Was this some kind of game someone was playing on her?

She swallowed hard and picked up the rock. She took it over to the corner of the classroom and tossed it into the trashcan then went back and sat down in her chair. She would not play along. The game was now over and would not be continued. That’s what she told herself over and over again. It didn’t work well in convincing her.

She half listened to the teacher; Mr. Edmond till her called on her.

“Miss Charels?” he called. She looked up at him. She was hesitant. She couldn’t remember the question she hardly paid attention too.

“It’s a syllable,” she answered suddenly. She mentally gave herself an odd look. What made her say that? Had someone spoke for her?

“That’s…correct,” Mr. Edmond replied. She never answered correctly, if at all. Half the class looked at her oddly as well and Halie had to admit if she could, she’d give herself an odd look too.

Mr. Edmond went on with class normally for the most part after that before handing out a work sheet and homework.

“You can work on the work sheet for the rest of class, if you don’t finish its homework.” He told the class before going to sit at his desk.

Halie started the work sheet and got most of it done quickly. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was sick or something. She was actually doing the class work…willingly and she knew the answers without cheating! That’s what got her the most. It wasn’t that she wasn’t smart; she just wasn’t willing to try. Cheating was just easier. Now though, she was just putting down the first answer that came to her before her mind even had a moment to think it over. It’s like she was using her instincts or something.

She frowned slightly and looked away from the paper before she finished. She went to rest her head in her hand but her eyes widened. Sitting on the corner of her desk was that rock again. No one but the teacher had walked past her desk or even come near her desk. The rock wasn’t there after the teacher gave her the paper and now…now it was!

She shook her head, she was going insane. A rock couldn’t just follow her around. It couldn’t yet here it was doing the impossible.

She thanked god when the bell rang. She grabbed her things and was out of the room and heading to her next class. She looked behind her several times but the rock was no where in sight. This she was thankful for.

She walked into her next class and saw the rock sitting on her desk. She felt her forehead, she didn’t have a fever. Maybe she should go see the nurse anyways. She shook her head again deciding against it. Someone was just playing a prank on her, that’s what she told herself. Sadly, this didn’t make her feel any better then it did when she told herself that before. Somehow she knew this wasn’t a prank. She didn’t know what this was, but it was no prank.

She went over hesitantly and sat down at her desk.

Halie was thankful when lunch came and she was free to leave the school to go out to the benches out back behind the school. The rock was following her, she was sure now. All morning the rock had been there. No matter how many times she left it, tossed it, or gave it away, it came back.

She walked a little ways away from everyone and sat down at a bench table quietly.

“It’s like a stalker you can’t get rid of…” she mumbled as she stared at the rock that had appeared on the bench table she sat at. She only had to blink and the rock would appear. Out of no where, she could swear to that. No one else though seemed to notice the rock’s appearances or at least no one said anything about it.

Halie glared at the black rock. She’d even asked her science teacher, Mr. Carlissel last period if he knew what kind of stone this was. He said he’d never seen anything like it before and asked where she got it. Of course she said that she found it.

“Now I wish I’d never picked the stupid thing up.” She grumbled irritably as she picked up the stone and looked it over. It was flawless, she hated it. Angrily she clenched it tightly in her fist before standing up. She walked over to the parking lot and threw the rock to the ground forcefully hoping it would break. She wanted to see it shatter.

It didn’t though. The rock didn’t break. The sound of it shatter didn’t come. The sound of the impact didn’t come either. Instead Halie was forced back and to her butt by a bright swirl of black, silver, and blue lights.

She closed her eyes until the lights faded. She looked to the ground in front of her where the rock should lay, but it wasn’t there. Instead a set of feet were. Well, to be more exactly a set of sneakers. As Halie looked up she saw a tall dark brown haired teenage looking boy with a stern face in front of her.

She looked him over slowly; his dark brown hair was spiked up with an extensive amount of hair gel. He worse a black tank top with his hand tucked in his short’s pocket casually. He watched her with his hazel green eyes. She’d never seen this boy before. Where had he come from? Who was he?

“Who the hell are you?” she asked coldly her voice demanding an answer.

“You should know, you summoned me here.” He said his voice taunting her.

Halie looked confused.

“I did no such thing.” She stated knowingly.

“Do you really think I would be here if you didn’t?” he asked giving her a slightly annoyed look. He didn’t give her a chance to answer though as he held out his hand for her with a sigh. “Come on,” he demanded.

Halie hesitated but took his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

“The name’s Brent; Brent Carlott.” He introduced with a huff. It was hard to tell why he acted this way. Was it simply because he didn’t wanna me here or was this merely an act to hide something? Somehow she doubted the later.

“I’m Halie Charels,” she replied with a slightly frown.

“Yeah, I know,” he said looking to the side where the other students talked and laughed amongst their friends.

“How?” Halie demanded to know.

“I’ve been watching you,” he answered looking back down at her. He was so much taller then she was. She was lucky to be five foot three inches while he was at least six foot five.

“What are you? A stalker?” she snapped crossing her arms over her chest. He rolled his eyes.

“I was called forth to watch you the moment you pick up this,” he stated holding up the black rock that Halie had tried to destroy.

“Dude, it’s a stupid annoying rock.”

“That you summoned. Your subconscious power called the stone of Crylin to you.” He exclaimed.

Halie stared at him for a moment like he was insane.

“I think…I’m dreaming…” she muttered, “The stone of what? Dude, like I said, it’s a rock. It doesn’t cry and it doesn’t follow people around!”

“Crylin is the stone of hell. It followed you because you are its owner, its master, its controller.” He explained clearly trying not to get frustrated with her. He didn’t seem to have much patience.

Halie shook her head and went to walk away muttering under her breath, “You’re nuts,”

Brent rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he followed her. Halie tried to ignore him and did during the break then class came and he was still following her. It was really starting to annoy her and that was something she didn’t like. Her job was to annoy others not for others to annoy her.

She walked into her history class and sat down in a back corner desk. He sat down on the floor with his back against the book case to Halie’s left. He crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his head his eyes closed.

To say the least, Halie was shocked that no one had noticed him. No one glanced at him, asked about him, spoke of him. It was simply like he didn’t exist. Just like the rock… She was curious now. She had to know.

She glanced around the class room casually before writing on a piece of scrap paper and folding it. She leaned back in her chair lazily and dropped the note in his lap.

Brent’s eyes opened slightly to look at the note.

“Hm?” he grunted as he picked up the note and read over it.

“It’s simply girl, no one can see me because they are not capable. Only people with the same powers as you can see me.” He stated handing the note back to her.

Halie took the note and wrote more questions on it then dropped it back in his lap. He read over everything she wrote then sighed.

“You guessed right, no one can hear me either. Same reason,” he paused for a moment thinking over his next answer.

“The power you have is…I guess humans call it magic. In the mystic realm it’s called ‘Pharing’. There are many different types of pharing and each has its own name.” he paused again, “Like…Daejing; Daejing is the main word for cursing someone or something with a sickness etcetera. When you curse someone in general it’s called Daejing.”

Brent gave a small sigh and looked to the teacher who had started class. He rolled his eyes and looked back at the note.

“Yeah, there are others like you. You’ll meet them soon, though you’ve already met one.” He smirked slightly. Halie glanced back at him, he had a point. He was like her.

Though he’s insane… She mentally stated. She was still in denial that she had any type of “magic powers”. She was normal, one hundred percent normal for the most part anyways. Still, magic wasn’t normal and magic realms and blah, blah, blah weren’t normal. She shook her head. She was a totally normal teenager who lived a normal boring life. That’s it, end of story, case closed.

She sighed softly as she stared down at the textbook that lay open on her desk. She was starting to wonder if somehow this was all just one crazy dream. She tried to remember if maybe she’d read something, a fantasy story or article or…or something - something that may have led to this bazaar dream.

She shook her head though knowing somehow that this was not a dream. This was too weird, too impossible to be a dream. She glanced back at Brent then back at her text book.

He’s so normal…yet he seems so much different then everyone else. I’m not sure how though. She stood up slowly as the bell rang and gathered her things. Brent stood up as well stuffing his hands into his pockets as he followed her out of the room to her next class.

He said that I would meet others…others like myself…and him. A small frown crossed her face as she thought it over. I wonder what he meant…Why do I feel like there’s something he’s not telling me? I don’t like this. There’s something sneaky going on. She closed her locker and leaned against it. She stared blankly in front of her lost deep in her thoughts.

“Something wrong, girl?” Brent asked giving her a rather suspicious look.

“If you’ve forgotten, my name is Halie – not girl.” She corrected before moving away from her locker and making her way to class.

“Yeah, whatever; so what’s on your mind?” he asked again. He seemed almost interested though from what little she knew about his personality, she doubted he actually cared.

“I’m just thinking things over.” Halie replied with a small huff.

“Who’s she talking to?” a boy whispered as he gave Halie an odd look.

“Dunno,” the girl next to him replied.

Oh, right, no one other then me can see or hear Brent. She frowned displeased. He was ruining her reputation. Brent heard their mutters and whispers so he said no more.

He huffed slightly and sat down on the floor next to Halie’s desk.

I guess it is rather hard for her, learning about all this at once.He glanced at Halie who was once again lost in her thoughts. He frowned slightly though it was hardly noticeable.

She doesn’t seem very reasonable. Convincing her of everything will be harder then I had hoped… He added to his mental notes before looking away. This wasn’t going quite the way he had hoped it would.

Sorry, I wanted it to be longer, but I couldn't force it along any further. It's somewhat disappointing, but still. I hope its not too bad or too short for that matter.