Soul Stitched (book one)

Chapter 20: Aqua

I was sitting in my room when the kitchen phone rang. My grandma was out shopping for food so I got up and answered.

Me: Hello, who is this?

Them: Is Aqua Mist around?

Me: Speaking, who is this?

Them: Right, sorry. I'm Cashmere.

Me: Like the sweater?

Them: Whatever, anyway. I was wondering about the...virus your dad had...

Me: What about it?

Them: No reason...

Me: I'm going to hand up on you!

Them: N-no! Please, I'm 12 and a half years old. I'm just curious about the virus you're dad had.

Me: Suuuure, you're probably some weird person stalking me.

Them: Look, I'm on the subway right now, I'm coming your way. If you would meet me and the Cafe Ola we could...talk?

I paused for a minute.

Me: Fine. Only if you pay for my latee?

Them: Alright, meet me around 11: 03?

Me: Sure.

I hung up. What did I just get myself into? I'm meeting a random stranger at the Cafe down the street. I glanced down at the clock hanging on the window. 10:45. Time passed to fast. At 10: 57 I started to walk down the street to the cafe. I started getting really worried. I mean, what if this girl, Cashmere, was an ax murderer...or...or...oh I don' know! Something bad! I should've left a note for my grandma...to late now!

Once I arrived, I pushed through the glass doors. A small bell went off and I looked around the small cafe. Candles were lit, giving the room a sweet feel. I smiled and sucked in the aroma of vanilla. I looked around for Cashmere. I saw an old man eating a bagel, that wasn't her. I looked at another booth and saw a girl my age, with long blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes. That must be her. I approached her, nervously.

Please don't be an ax murdered. Please don't be an ax murdered. Please don't be a-

"Are you okay? You look kinda strange." I bit my lip and sat down across from her. I folded my hands on the table and looked around. "Hey, I'm Aqua Mist...you must be Cashmere?" I replied. She nodded. "In the flesh." She said. I smiled sheepishly and sucked a strand of my curly red hair behind my ear. This girl was wearing dirty clothes and smelled just as she looked. "So...you had some questions?" I said slowly. She nodded. "Yea, sorry about my smell. I've had a very strange month." She said, grinning. Cashmere explained about her running away and all the strange stuff that happened to her, the fire and going to the hospital. When she was finished, my head was spinning. "Wow...what a story." I said. She nodded.

"Yup. Pretty strange. What about you, Aqua? What's your story?" Cashmere asked. I paused. Should I trust this girl? Okay, here goes nothing! I told her about my dad dying and what he looked like right before...right before he died. "So...you said he had glowing red eyes...and stitches or something on his back?" She asked. I nodded.

"At lease I think. I've tried to block it out." I replied, honestly. "When I was in the hospital, I saw a man like your dad. He was sick and had some sort of rash thing that snaked up his back and stitches that seemed like they grew?" She tried to explain. "This is dangerous, we could catch this." I said. She nodded. "Yea, the doctor said they call this Stitches. Apparently is eats away at their soul and they go crazy and die!" Yup, that's true. My dad definitely went crazy near the end. She picked up her hot cocoa and I saw something on her palm.

A sun engraving on her right hand. I gasped. "Oh my hand, yea I've had that my whole life." She said. I shook my head. "No, look!" I held out my palm with the water engraving. A smile spread across her face and she leaned in. "Why Aqua, I do believe we're soul stitched."