She Loves Me So

Pilot

Prologue

Time itself is a concept, just as life and death are. At least, that's what it was for two girls who couldn't be any more different. Slowly, and painfully, these too girls fell irrevocably and unconditionally in love. And because of that, it began something that perhaps never had an ending.

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It was a normal day as Josie Saltzman made her way through the mass of people in her local farmer's market. The bazar itself, was in a small town in Mexico. The 6-year old girl held her mother's hand as she watched the people around her make purchases and conversate.

She followed her mother, Caroline under the red tents  as she gathered groceries. Her mother never let go of her hand unless she was buying something. And when Caroline finished making her last purchase of the day, she reached for her daughters hand to only realize that she was gone. She frantically looked around and fortunately, she was able to spot her daughter talking to an old woman between the crowd of people. In a spring of panic, Caroline ran after Josie. The old woman seemed to be of no threat as she talked with such care and poise with the little girl, but Caroline couldn't help but imagine the worst. She heard of kidnappers in the area before but that wasn't her main concern. She was worried that they were found again. She ran to her like her life depended on it. Shoving her way through until she was finally able grab hold of her daughter's hand.

Josie looked up at her before the old woman rummaged through her pockets to find and hand the little girl a locket, "Solis, es para ti."

Josie looked down at the dainty sliver  necklace in her hands. It was a sun that seemed to be missing it's other half. The thing itself looked ancient. A little rusted, tarnished at the ends and a little bent. Before she was able to ask about the other half, the old woman vanished. She'd become a part of the wave of people, finding her now was impossible.

Caroline pulled her daughter in the other direction.

"Who was she?" Josie asked.

"No one," Caroline replied, "She's a stranger. I thought I told you not to speak to strangers?"

"Well now that we've met, are we still strangers?"

"Yes, she'll always be one. No matter how many times she crosses our path, you have to stay away. Got it?"

"Why?"

"Because she's dangerous."

"Dangerous? But she gave me this pretty necklace."

Caroline stopped to look at the object in the little girls hand before she snatched it.

"Hey!"

"I'm sorry Joey, but you can't have this."

"Why? It's mine!"

"Come on, you don't want this old thing, do you?"

Josie pouted and crossed her arms.

Caroline groaned before she gave in, "Fine. I'll let you keep it on one condition."

The little girl smiled and nodded.

"You're never allowed to talk to her again . . . or any strangers for that matter," Her mother said dangling the necklace in front of her.

Josie had many questions. She didn't understand why her mother reacted that way or why she even cared so much about strangers. Sure, she was a little cautious as any mother would be but this time she never meant those words as much as she did today.

The girl was curious about the old woman but a part of her didn't care to know all the details. All she really wanted was the necklace. There was something about it that she couldn't help but love. Something beyond her understanding. Something she wanted to come to know with time.

"Okay," Josie finally agreed.

Her mother smiled and dropped the necklace into the palm of Josie's hand, "It's settled then.  Let's go home so we can get dinner ready."

The odds of seeing the elderly woman again to any normal person would seem slim. But for Josie Saltzman, it was as if she never left. Used to her presence, Josie eventually stopped noticing her. Caroline however, couldn't help but notice. There were various occasions where she fought with the old woman about who knows what. Country after country, Caroline attempted to escape her. She moved so much that she ended up in the same state three times just in a different cities. However, fate was inescapable. But back then, Josie didn't know what they were running from.

At the end of the day, both of these women were trying to protect Josie. But with different motives. Motives that Josie didn't understand until the month after she turned 18.

Before then, Caroline moved her family away from Mexico and to the states in an attempt to escape the older woman one last time. She figured that if keeping her daughter safe meant going back to that town, she'd risk it.

After the Saltzmans permanently settled in a cozy town in Virginia called Mystic Falls, Josie began to forget about the older woman. She became but a distant memory of a stranger who gave her a gift. That's all she remembered. And when Caroline became aware of this, she was more than glad. That however, didn't last long. Just like most things in life don't. And that's because, no matter how much people try to keep the truth, or deny destiny, somehow, someway, it always finds a way back to them. The only way they can deny the hand of fate is by having the courage to fight for a new one. And Josie, had to learn that the hard way.

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