Ruby Ring

Chapter 6: THE FORTUNE

TARA

Tara eagerly grabbed at the fortune cookies the waiter placed on the table. She always liked reading her fortunes. One time, she got "Today, it's up to you to create the peacefulness you long for." as a fortune. Tara wasn't sure how she was longing for peace, so she just ignored it.

"Tara, what's your fortune?" her mother questioned. "Mine is 'A friend asks only for your time, not your money.'"

"Those are some words of wisdom," Tara commented. From her point of view, friends who ask for money aren't true friends because they're using others to get what they want.

"What's your fortune?" her mother asked again. She had decided to treat Tara out for dinner because she wanted to spend some time with her daughter. She was a single mother who worked two jobs, leaving her little time to interact with her daughter. Tara understood.

"Mine is..." Tara looked down at the paper slip inside her fortune cookie. She gasped as she read it.

"What's wrong?"

"'You are in danger.'," Tara whispered, her voice shaking. Her life, in danger? How could that be? Sure, Los Angeles may be a tad dangerous with pickpockets and muggers roaming about, but she always followed her mother's advice.

"What?"

"According to my fortune...I'm in danger,"

"Don't worry about it. It's someone's sorry excuse of a prank," her mother placed the check on the table and stood up. "Shall we go?"

"Alright," Tara got up and followed her mother out the door.

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Once she got home, Tara got out her phone and dialed Serena.

"Hi, Tara! What's up?" Serena cheerfully greeted.

"Serena, listen. I got a fortune saying that my life is in danger. What do you think this means?"

"This could be a warning sign, Tara. Listen. Two girls were abducted by some non-human creature a few days ago. The witness, Justin Ross, believes the non-human creature will come back,"

"Does he have any evidence?"

"No, it's just a gut feeling,"

"My mom told me to never trust my gut," Tara said. Her mother always said that trusting one's gut may lead to trouble.

"If the non-human creature comes back...who knows who it'll go after! Its next victim could be you! Not that it would happen, but be careful just in case,"

"What should I do?"

"Be wary of your surroundings,"

"Huh?"

"Sorry, Tara. I gotta go," Serena said before abruptly hanging up. Suddenly, there was a scream. Tara hastily opened up her window and saw a boy and a girl out on the street with a man with slicked back white hair. Something about him seemed eerily familiar to Tara. That couldn't be possible. Tara never met him...or did she?

Tara got out a rope and climbed out of her room. Once out, she hid in the bushes as quickly as possible.

"Someone else is here," the man announced. Shit. She was discovered. But how? She tried her very best to make no noise and still she was noticed. "But that doesn't matter now,"

"Daniella! Do something!" the boy shouted, his flaming red hair flying about as he turned his head.

"I don't know what to do, Hunter," the girl shook her head, her blonde ponytail swaying with the wind.

"I see your future..." the man said to the boy with flaming red hair.

"How is that possible? What are you?" Hunter began to question as the man closed his eyes.

"You...will die a most unpleasant death,"

"How?! Tell me!" Hunter ran up to the man, but Daniella blocked him off.

"That, I cannot tell you. But I can tell you that I can prevent that from happening...if you come with me,"

"Hunter, don't do this." Daniella begged. "You know he's lying!"

"I'm sorry, Dani," Hunter looked at Daniella with sorrow and fear written all over his face. He then proceeded to turn around and walk off with the man, who put his arms on his back.

"Hunter! You come back here right now!" Daniella roared at the top of her lungs.

"He chose to go with me out of his own free will. If you want him back, come find me at my hideout," the man glared at Daniella. Then, with a snap of his fingers, he vanished into thin air. Daniella trembled and fell to her knees as she panted heavily, probably trying to process all that had happened. Tara found this to be a good time to come out of her hiding place.

"Daniella, right?" Tara knelt beside her.

"Yeah. You were watching from afar?" Daniella looked into Tara's eyes. Tara could see she was shaking.

"Yeah. Is Hunter your friend?"

"Yeah,"

"I believe this isn't the first time this has happened in recent history. My friend Serena told me about two girls getting abducted by some non-human creature and the witness believed it would come back,"

"Serena Bujaka?! So you must be Tara. She talks about you all the time,"

"You go to Kingsley High School?"

"Yeah. Serena and I were on the same cheer squad during my junior year. I graduated last month,"

"Anyway, enough chat. We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. I plan on doing some research before I set off so I know what I'm up against. You?"

"Nuh uh. I'm going to save Hunter." If I don't get there in time, who knows what may happen to him,"

"In that case, you might need this," Tara slipped a book in Daniella's hands.

"Thanks. Good luck to you," Daniella walked off in the distance, wind caressing her hair. Tara went back in her house and decided to rest up, for she had a long day of research to do the next day.

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Author's Note: How will Daniella be able to reach Hunter before something bad happens? What will Tara find out through her research?