The End of the Beginning

Chapter 4

Samantha

I was six years old when I realized I was different. My parents said I was special. In my eyes, special meant different. It took me most of my adolescent years to come to terms with my "gift". Mostly, because of the events that happened when I was twelve.

It was a Friday morning, I woke up in hysterics. I had a vivid dream that my dad's shop had caught on fire. It was almost as if I was in the building when it caught. I could feel my skin sizzling. I have "died" in many of my dreams, in many ways... burning was by far one of the worst.

My parents came rushing into my bedroom to see what the problem was. I explained my dream and the intense feeling behind it. I could see worry on my father's face. I wasn't one to have silly dreams that didn't amount to anything. My dreams almost always became real. It may not be that day, or that week... but, usually, they would come to life.

My father took the initiative to have an electrician come to his shop to check the wires and cables as a precaution. According to the electrician, my father's office was a light switch flick away from starting an electrical fire.

A few weeks later I attended a school dance. I wore my silver sequin dress that stopped just above my knees. My hair was in a messy braid and I wore my favorite shoes; my black sparkly flats.

Ben pulled me on the dance floor and spun me around for hours. My love for him grew that night. At the end of the night, Ben walked me home. Our school was only a few blocks from our houses and it was a beautiful night.

"Gum in your hair or wet the bed at a sleepover." Ben questions.

"Where in my hair would the gum be?" I ask.

"The roots."

"I'd rather wet the bed at a sleepover."

"Really?" He looks surprised.

"Yeah, I would never be able to cut all of my hair off. I don't think I would look pretty like that." I responded, feeling vulnerable.

Ben stopped me in my tracks. He held onto my shoulders and whispered in my ear, "Your beauty is immeasurable."

I am sure it was something he always heard his father say to his mother, but it made me feel special in that moment. I wrapped my arms around him and clung to him for what felt like hours. I could feel our hearts beating against each other. The beats began to sync to the same rhythm.

We continue walking and stumble across my dad's shop. Ben and I have the bright idea to sneak into his shop to drink some of my dad's stashed beers in his office fridge. I find his spare key he hides in his open sign and direct us to his office. We sat there for hours drinking, laughing and flirting. We sat with candles lit to avoid anyone noticing the lights turned on after hours. The ambiance was very nice for a couple of twelve year old kids with hormones and testosterone pumping through their bodies.

It wasn't long before Ben kissed me. My first kiss. It was everything I pictured it would be. Ben was the perfect person to create that memory with.

It began to heat up in there very fast. My heart was beating fast and cheeks were getting red. It was beginning to get unbearably hot. I quickly realize that it wasn't the passion of this simple make out session that was causing this heat. It was a fire. My dream.

Everything that happened that night after the kiss was a blur. I spent two nights in the hospital receiving oxygen therapy to help with the smoke inhalation. I had minor burns on my legs that did not need much treatment. I was one of the lucky ones. Ben was also lucky and escaped with just a few burns on his arms.

After the fire my father had to fight with insurance to help pay for repairs. I had cost him to close his business for a year and the headache of dealing with his insurance company. My immature and selfish decisions cost him a lot more than I would have initially imagined. 

Following the fire, I pushed away from Ben. It wasn't his fault... I just needed some time to review my priorities. Family was number one. Always. Love would come later.

Ben would call the houseline multiple times a day. I would pick up, hear his voice on the other end, and then hang up. He was very persistent with trying to get in touch with me.

One day, he even went through the trouble of coming to my house. My father went to my room to tell me Ben was outside waiting for me. I refused to see him, telling my father my stomach hurt. My father turned to leave the room.

"Daddy!" I called.

"Yes, Sammy." He replied.

"Can you give Ben something for me?"

"Why don't you go and give it to him yourself?" He suggested.

"I'd rather not" I said, while a small tear formed.

My father grabbed the note I spent days writing. "I will give it to him, sweetie." He said, then left the room.

I slowly got out of bed and shifted to the window, where the curtains were shut. I did my best to peak out the window and saw my dad talking to Ben, then he handed him the note. My dad walked back in the house, while Ben just stood there staring at the note. He turned away, and began to walk home. His head facing the ground the entire time. That was the first time I physically felt my heart shatter into pieces. I refused to allow myself to go through that again.

Hey everyone! Please let me know what you think of the book so far in the comment section. I am working on the new chapters and hoping to get a couple chapters updated weekly. Your feedback is very important to me! Thanks for getting this far! :)