It was the beginning of the season, a bright new start screamed from the skies and a fresh dewy smell permeated the air. It was a season where the story started anew as it ended for good. It was an unusual spring to say the least, the rain was relentless, forcing everyone to take shelter lest the lightening lick their limbs and the thunder shake their bones. The constant down pour had become depressing and had most people staring out their windows wishing for the summer.
It had been the strangest of seasons for Tempest Rush, the sun seemed washed out and gray and she couldn't smell the usual delights of spring, she could only smell doom. The thirteen year old couldn't shake the feeling that something wicked was coming her way, something that would shake and destroy her entire world.
This was the season for clarity and sense for her, the season she discovered she was fighting herself. She'd recently discovered she was loosing the long- standing war with Dante, and she was the key component to her opponent's upcoming victory. She was discovering that her inner animosity was misdirected and realizing that it wasn't hatred that she felt for Dante. So while the girls around her discovered the once hated boys in their class were actually cute, and idolized the pop stars they plastered all over their walls; Tempest discovered Dante, on a whole different level.
She had strange and undefined feelings for him and every time she was near him she felt a familiar thrill, a surreal tickle low in her belly. She was at war within her own body and mind- one minute she wanted to do something particularly wicked to him, spending hours formulating the prank that would out do all of her previous pranks; at other times she wanted to hug him or talk to him. Once she had to vehemently fight the urge to kiss his full lips. But during all of it she was having very strange feelings in certain parts of her body that she wasn't previously aware of.
Dante had never been impressed by Tempest's antics, so whenever she did attempt to speak to him, he yelled at her and told her to get lost. He had always been a moody brute, since she could remember, and she wasn't sure why she liked him for it, but she did. She found she had admired him for many different traits over the years; that fierce competitiveness he had, that natural authority, the way he didn't seem to care what others thought. He was a genius but he never bragged, he just did his own thing, the hell with everyone else. She understood that driven demon he held at bay; she had one of her own.
***
The rain had an amazing way of bringing family and friends together like nothing else could. Normally Darleen took advantage of such stormy weather and brought everyone together for a big family gathering
Tonight was different, neither the ritual family congregations, nor the storm had been reasons for this gathering. Darleen and her best friend Antoinette Rush had gathered together at the Stone home to discuss a daunting issue...
Her youngest son Diago was missing and they were there to come up with a plan to find him. Darleen and Antoinette sat at the end of the very long dining table so consumed in their conversation they were oblivious to anything else going on around them.
Dorian Stone on the other hand was sick with grief and would take tonight off from discussing the whereabouts of his son Diago. He needed a break and Ezekiel Rush was just the distraction he needed. Dorian and Ezekiel Rush had been immediate friends since the moment they met. It wasn't just the normal our wives are best friends so we should follow suit type of friendship. They were genuinely friends and shared many of the same passions and pastimes. They also knew how to tune out the loud family and get engrossed in their ritualistic, friendly albeit contemplative game of chess. Now they sat at the same end of the dinner table discussing business sports and ignoring everyone else around them.
At the other end of the very long table were Dante, Davis and Tempest. Dante was here for a small break and although he adamantly protested joining them for dinner, his mother would hear none of it. The fact that he was 23 years old was irrelevant to his mother and he knew if he did not participate there would be hell to pay.
Davis on the other hand, always took advantage of a good meal and the chance to watch Tempest pester Dante. Davis looked to see that Dante was still reading the paper, not paying attention to them, then he
Turned to Tempest and handed her a package wrapped in red paper.
"What's this?" she asked as she eagerly snatched the present from him.
