Connie L. Smith - Within the Essence

Connie L. Smith

T he characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, or events is coincidental and not intended by the author.

I f you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book may have been stolen property and reported as unsold and destroyed to the publisher. In such case the author has not received any payment for this stripped book.

Within the Essence

The Division: Book One

Copyright 2016 Kim Briggs

All rights reserved.

I SBN: (ebook) 978-1-945910-02-9

Inkspell Publishing

5764 Woodbine Ave.

Pinckney, MI 48169

E dited By Jackie Zak

Cover art By Najla Qamber

T his book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. The copying, scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors rights is appreciated.

Dedication

To Randall, Emily, Kimberly, and Ariel, just because youre that awesome!

I n the whole of the universe, nothing sounds so intrusiveso monumentally awfulas a working alarm clock, especially one that keeps blaring. Burrowed deep in a cocoon of blankets, AJ could think of nothing she hated more than that blasted contraption. She felt cold and tired, and not in the least bit interested in waking up at six oclock in the morning.

Unfortunately for a sixteen-year-old girl, high school awaited her and was completely unwilling to postpone itself until noon. But maybe she could steal a few more minutes of sleep before having to wake up. Sneaking one hand from the covers, she felt blindly on her nightstand for the clock, pressed the snooze button, and rushed back into the warmth of her bed. My hairs not that dirty , she silently decided. It doesnt need to be washed.

Nine minutes go by swiftly when youre sleeping, and in what seemed like a second, the clock sounded again. Cold still tinged the air, tiredness still laced her body, and the alarm still grated on her every nerve. Sadly, her departure time neared, and shed already surrendered clean hair. The white flag would have to be waved.

She moved one hand from the blob of blankets to search once more for the screaming object. This time miscalculating her movements, she brushed her hand against its side and only succeeded in pushing the clock farther across the nightstand. She kept flailing, attempting to find the off button, and dancing circles around the one spot she needed to reach to silence the continuous, heinous noise. Frustration abounded, and the cold, exhaustion, and noise boiled her aggravation to its limit. Still, she couldnt find the button.

The battle continued, hand versus alarm clock, and the inanimate foe closed in on victory. And it just. Kept. Buzzing. Annoyed and sleep deprived, AJ finally ignored the cold to throw her blankets back with one arm and glare at the clock. Now uncovered, she could see the off switch plainly, and could make it

SHUT UP!!! As she yelled, she brought her open-palmed hand to crash down on the alarm directly on the intended button.

And the clock fell to pieces.

As did the nightstand.

Everything placed on the piece of furniture flew in different directions, falling broken to the floor like odd confetti decorating her living quarters. Wide-eyed, AJ gazed around her bedroom at the wreckage.

Well, thats new. She sat in shock for a few minutes before remembering she needed to get out of bed. That was a fluke, she said as she stood. Adrenaline. A really, really badly made nightstand. And clock. Recalling the alarm, she scowled at its mangled remains, barely believing that this started with something so trivial. This is all your fault. She then turned away to head for the bathroom.

Im scolding non-living objects, she thought. Maybe Im crazy. Peeking through her doorway to the weirdest mess she had ever seen, she sincerely hoped the answer rested in insanity. Momentary madness trumped slapping nightstands to pieces any day.

Normal thoughts , she mentally encouraged herself. Like, school. I need to go to school today. I should get to the bathroom before

Ha! Beat you! her sister, Roxie, declared as she darted into the bathroom.

No, no, no! Wait, wait, wait! Persuasion had never been AJs strongpoint, and she reached the door in time to hear the lock turn. Too late. I hate you!

Whats that? Roxie called. I cant hear you over the shower running!

Hilarious, AJ mumbled while trudging to the steps in search of caffeine. If she could succeed in taming this oddity of a day, shed definitely need loads of it. Halfway there, she heard the sweet serenade of Roxie screeching the latest Britney Spears tune. I really do hate her.

****

A n hour later, AJ drove her 95 sedan to Garden City Middle School with the intention of following her daily pattern by dropping off her annoying kid sister. Since the bizarre alarm clock episode, she pressed through her morning schedule by showering, changing (into clothes shed found in the dryerif she avoided her room, she could almost pretend she dreamed the whole thing), and ingesting sufficient caffeine to deal with her sisters nonstop chatter. And the smell of strawberries. Why would she smell strawberries in her car?

I think he might like her, Roxie babbled from the passenger seat. Like, like her...

Oh, the issues of the thirteen-year-old mind , AJ thought. Roxie wouldnt know what to do if something serious happened to her. Say, for instance, room explosions from turning off alarm clocks. Come on, AJ. Youre not wearing dryer-wrinkled clothes to obsess over this.

We were wearing the same pair of jeans, Roxie continued to ramble. Uh!

Then again, AJs internal commentary continued, thinking about the nightstand could be an improvement. But it wasnt an improvement, she knew, because at least Roxies comments were normal chatter, unlike what happened in AJs room earlier that morning. That wasnt normal at all, but surely there was a reason for itone that was weird, but in a what-are-the-odds way instead of a when-did-alarm-clocks-bring-out-the-Superwoman-in-me way.

Why do we have to go to the stupid assembly anyway? Roxie grumbled on. Are you listening to me?

AJ grunted. My headache suggests yes.

Then why arent you answering?

After thirteen years of big-sisterhood, AJ realized that silence had officially become a lost cause. Answering what?

Why do we have to go to the assembly? Roxie asked in the well-duh tone AJ had grown to despise.

Flippantly, AJ wondered if shed been this obnoxious three years ago, but ultimately decided that dealing with this twice would have made her parents suicidal. I dont know, Roxie. The school just says you have to.

But its so dumb. Im not in high school yet, and they want to talk to me about college? One batch of misery at a time, please.

Dont be so dramatic. Besides, it pays to think ahead.

Roxie smirked, which was never a good sign. Aaaand youre going to college... Where?

AJ shook her head and grunted another time. Well played.

Roxie grinned in pure triumph. Maybe Ill skip it. Itd be a great time to since after Mom and Dad see the wreck you made of your room, youll get at least half their wrath.