A special thank you to my editor just_a_bibliomaniac who not only edited but kept me encouraged and excited about writing.
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Extraordinary
Chapter 1: When I Lie
Christina Henderson is standing in the center of the stone circle naked and in pain. Shed doesn't want to be here and she's afraid of what is supposed to happen. Afraid is not a strong enough word to describe how she is feeling, perhaps panic or paralyzing terror is more accurate. She takes a ragged breath as she scans the area around the stone circle hoping to see anyone she might recognize, but all she sees is the faceless monsters only psychopaths could ever dream up.
Christina has no clue why she of all people is being thrust into this unbelievable situation but she can pin point the start of what led up to this horrific moment. It all started when she lied, nothing ever good happens when she lies. See, she is not quite twenty-one yet. With her unique fashion sense that usually consisted of mismatched, whimsical clothing that messily draped over her lanky frame and naturally high-pitched voice she could easily pass as an awkward freshman in high school. It should not come as a surprise that she was a wee bit nervous to buy her first fake id.
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"Chrissy come on, you're almost twenty-one. I promise no one will notice." Christina's best friend Lilly said with a hint of annoyance in her voice. Since childhood Lilly had been such a troublemaker she actually thought her name was "No" until she was five years old. Now at the age of twenty-two she was a force of nature. She had become friends with Christina in third grade when Nick Samuelson pulled Lilly's platinum blonde piggy tails. Nick had pulled her hair so hard that Lilly had fallen over and hit her head against the merry-go-round. Christina had marched right up to Nick and poured glue on him and called him a booger head. Ever since that day they had been best friends or partners in crime as their parents liked to say.
"I think the id looks great, now quit whining and come on before you make us late. " Rem said anxiously while shoving Christina's purse into her hands. Rem had recently been hired as the new CNA at the nursing home Lilly and Christina work at and all three had instantly clicked. It was easy to get along with Rem's sweet personality but there was just something about her that was a little quirky that had endeared her to Lilly and Christina.
The three friends were going to a new club called Undertones which already had rave reviews. As the girls walked up to the door to the club Christina couldn't shake the dread creeping up her spine, leaving the hair on the back her neck on end. She was nervous about the fake id sure, but to her this felt like she was in danger. When she stopped Rem turned around and cocked her head with a look of compassion and curiosity written in her eyes.
"What's wrong now?" Rem said as she walked up to Christina's side and sighed when the only response she got was a mere shrug. With an encouraging and reassuring tug on her hand Rem practically dragged a nervous Christina to the bouncer.
At the bar Lilly ordered some fruity drinks and started to chat about all the hotties that were at the club that night. When Christina didn't put her two cents in the other two girls glared at her with growing annoyance. She mumbled something incoherent to appease her friends but was trying to hatch a plan to leave early. She was more a home body anyways; she would rather curl up on her overstuffed chair reading a good book then to be crammed in a small club like sardines with strangers.
When the drinks finally arrived the small group found a table near the back to occupy. It had the best view of the crowd and assured that Christina wouldn't bolt for the door when the others weren't paying attention.
Christina had just begun to relax when a fight broke out in front of her table. Two huge men were rolling around on the floor as a large crowd started to form around them. To Christina it looked like the smaller man was losing, he had blood coming out of his nose with a black eye already forming while the other man looked to be relatively unharmed. Just then the larger man picked up a chair and slammed it over his opponent's head, as it splintered the girls all winced and grabbed their drink just in case.
While Christina was getting up Rem nudged her side and pointed to a rather large man making his way through the crowd. This man made everyone in the whole club look like midgets in comparison. Rem had an expression of apprehension and adoration across her face while she literally stared at the man. Christina on the other hand felt like an ant in his presence, he was nearly seven feet tall with muscles on top of his muscles which just emphasized her petite, sleek frame.
The mammoth of a man made it to the fighting men just as they both rose to their feet. He stepped in between them intent on breaking up the fight. This only angered the smaller man and he tried to lash out at the intruder and was surprised when he missed. The whole club was shocked when he not only missed but overshot his target and instead landed the blow on Christina's mouth as he toppled over the flimsy table.
It only took a few seconds for the man and table to be pulled off but it felt centuries to her. When she was finally in a sitting position with every eye in the club on her she closed her eyes fighting the dizzy feeling threatening to overwhelm her. A pair of plate sized hands steadied her and the man who broke up the fight came into her vision when she opened her eyes.
"I'm deeply sorry for what happened. Does your head hurt?" he said with a concerned frown. She actually had to think about that as she lifted her hand to her head, wincing when she touches the goose egg on the back of her head.
He easily cradled Christina in his arms while he carried her through the crowd. An electrified sensation coursed through her body as her hand briefly touched his neck. They keep an almost intimate eye contact for a few moments in frozen suspension before he found a path leading to an office. He laid her down as if she would break on a dark brown leather couch making sure not to touch her bare skin again. He found his feet and began to leave but not before he frowned once more at Christina.
Just a few moments later a tall exquisite woman with legs up to her neck came in followed by Rem and Lilly. The tall woman introduced herself as Heather and pressed some ice wrapped in a towel to Christina's swollen and bleeding lip. They started to talk at the same time as Christina looked dazedly into space, barely hearing a word of what is said. When it got quiet she realized Lilly just asked her a question.
