You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

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Chapter 1 – A Little Red Book

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It all started out as a joke. A joke that went horribly, horribly wrong...

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"I'm home!" My yell echoed through the house. I dumped my bag just inside the door to my room and went to roam through the refrigerator.

I had just gotten home from school and as always learning had made me hungry. I decided to make one of my favorite afternoon snacks which happen to be cereal.

I went to my room and slumped down on my bed, bowl beside me. Stretching I stared at the ceiling.

My room is very personal if I should say so myself. It's not that big, but somehow I've managed to fit all of my things in it. I haven't seen the walls in years, except for the occasional change of posters, and the rest of the space is filled out by shelves, bookcases, my desk, closet and of course my bed. Oh, and I have two mirrors. They hang opposite from each other so I can always see behind me. Trust me if you have a younger sister, it's very useful. Especially if said sister's in the middle of her teenage years. My sister takes the phrase: "My stuff is your stuff," very seriously and if I don't watch out things start disappearing.

After I finished eating I decided it was better to get my homework done than wait till tonight where I'd be too tired anyway. I had just opened my math book when I heard footsteps outside the door and seconds later, it burst open. Talk about the devil.

"What're you doing?" Emily said looking over my shoulder and sighed: "Math. How boring." She went to my bed and leaned against the headboard.

"Excuse me, but I'm actually trying to do my homework," I turned in my chair to look at her.

"Well you shouldn't." She replied and rose, "Here's what I think. How about you put that away and go shopping with me?" I rose too and stood in front of her. She's taller than me now which is extremely frustrating.

I frowned. "What could you possible need so much so you would go shopping on a Tuesday? As I recall it you used all of your money the last time you went."

"You see that's why you'll have to come with me so I can borrow money from you." So that's what it was all about. I sighed.

"You already owe me a fortune Em!" her smile wavered but then it returned.

"You can't say no. I'm your sister," she said confidently. I sighed again. It was becoming a habit.

"I will lend you money for the bus since you ask me so nicely," my voice was filled with sarcasm, but my selfish sister just smiled not hearing the irony.

After she left I hurriedly did the homework and picked one of my favorite books from the bookcase. With a cup of tea in one hand and my book in the other I went to the couch in the living room to ignore the world for a couple of hours.

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The next morning I was late. Even though my alarm clock went off, I accidentally dozed off again. That resulted in a very hurried breakfast, my bag was a mess and I had to run all the way to the bus. Luckily my best friend Laura had saved me a seat and she grinned, when I entered all out of breath.

"There you are girl! I almost gave up on you." She patted the seat next to her. "Soo are you ready to read the future?" she widened her eyes dramatically and looked very serious. It only lasted a few seconds before she broke down giggling.

"Must we do this every day?" I asked smiling happily at her. This was becoming our standard conversation in the morning. Laura insisted on reading our horoscope from the morning paper every single day. I didn't believe in that stuff but Laura took it very seriously. She cleared her throat pretending to be offended as she skimmed her own. Of course I gave in.

"May I hear mine, if you're done," I asked innocently. "I really want to know, how Mars is going to affect my life." She finally cracked a smile.

"You shouldn't joke about it Kat!" she lectured me trying not to show her amusement. "This stuff's to be taken serious. Now shush so I can read." She cleared her throat again and began reading the text under the headline: Sagittarius.

"Your life is right now like a circle and you do the same things every day, but very soon something unexpected will happen that breaks that circle. Embrace it with an open mind." Laura finished. "Hmm…" she mused, "Maybe it's about your 18th birthday next month which you by the way haven't decided how to spend yet." She looked at me accusingly, and I spend the rest of the ride trying to convince her that not everybody liked alcohol as much as she did, and no one else I knew could drink as much without passing out.

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That night, when I'd decided to go to bed early, something strange happened.

I was all set and ready for a good night's sleep, when I noticed that my head wasn't as comfortable as it should be. My pillow was all deformed. I got up annoyed and shook it. Something fell out and I accidentally kicked it under my bed. With a huff I got down on all four, stuck my hand into the darkness and felt for whatever it was that was under there.

My hand graced something small and hard.

I grabbed it and rose from the floor, and then I looked at the thing in my hand.

It was a small red book.

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So there you have it guys. My first attempt of a longer story!

The OC Katarina's personality is partially like my own, but of course it's still very much fiction. ;)

Laura is based on one of my best friends and the thing with the horoscope-reading is something we actually do every morning. x)

Feel free to ask question and come with suggestions as to how the story should continue. I have of course something planned, but I'm open for suggestions.

Please R&R it encourages me to want to write faster.

Take care and remember: If life gives you lemons, throw them back! ;D