"Chloe... Chloe! Wake up!"

"...Hm? Mom? What is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. She had gently shaken me awake. "Did I fall asleep again?"

"Yes, but that's okay. You were tired. You slept for two hours!"

"Has it been that long? Wow."

"We're landing very soon. Don't fall back asleep!" Dad said, winking. I laughed and stretched.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. This is your pilot speaking. We are expected to land at the airport in about ten minutes, so please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened. If you look out your window, you can see the beautiful scenery of San Diego. Thank you for flying with us. Have a great day."

Oh, I think I will, I thought. I leaned over and admired the gorgeous atmosphere below me. Beaches, palm trees, lush houses, high-end cities and shops, you name it. I can't believe I'm living here now. I took off my headphones and slipped them back into my bag. It was almost four o'clock when the plane landed at the airport. I had to plug my nose and pop my ears on the way down. It was probably another ten minutes after we landed that flight attendants began directing passengers to the exit.

I was relieved to be on solid ground again as we quickly grabbed our suitcases off the carousel and made our way out of the airport. It was really hot outside, even early in the evening. It was definitely weird seeing so many palm trees everywhere. A mid-sized, shiny, white car was waiting for us in the parking lot.

"Is this the rental car?" Mom asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yup!" Dad replied enthusiastically. He popped open the trunk and loaded the suitcases inside. "We're just renting it for today, to get us to our new home." He emphasized the last part.

I was beyond excited to see the new house. It was nice that summer vacation was just beginning, so I had time to adjust before going to school. And it was also nice that I was starting twelfth grade, so I wouldn't be completely at the bottom of the pecking order. A good twenty minutes passed before we drove up onto the new, large driveway, alongside our other vehicle and the moving trucks.

"Is this it?" I questioned, trying to hold my excitement.

"This is it! Our new house!" Mom replied, clapping her hands with joy.

I grabbed my backpack from beside me and scrambled out of the rental car. "Wow," I breathed, grinning. This house was, well, nice. It had a really cool tropical vibe to it, and looked even better than the pictures I'd seen prior. "Can I go in?"

"Of course!" Mom exclaimed. I could tell that she was just as thrilled as I was.

I walked slowly to the front door, soaking up everything I saw. Inside, there was an enormous living room with an elegant dining room off to the side, a gigantic kitchen with a big island in the centre, a large master bedroom with an attached spacious bathroom, an office room, a powder room and an extra empty room, which I assumed Dad was going to turn into an exercise room. Downstairs, there was a guest room, a guest bathroom, a big living room, a storage closet and another empty room.

I ran up to the second floor, wondering what my bedroom was like. There was a laundry room, a room with speakers in the walls, a storage closet and my bedroom, which had double doors that opened up to a balcony outside. I was even more delighted when I discovered a spacious bathroom attached directly to my bedroom. And what made it all better? The bedroom had a skylight, too. I squealed in amazement.

"Well? What do you think, Chloe?" Dad said, pulling me into a hug.

"I love it!"

"What if we told you there was something else?" Mom added.

"What do you mean?"

"Look outside."

I smiled again, sprinting to the back deck. "Are you serious?" I yelled, skidding to a halt. There, before me was a pool. A huge, in-ground pool with a smaller attached hot tub. I couldn't believe that I was going to be living in that house. And in a whole other state, too... The whole thing seemed so unreal.

My parents and I began unpacking the boxes from the trucks and arranging furniture in the rooms all over the house. Everything looked even more stunning when we were finished. The decor fit perfectly with the theme of the house, unexpectedly, and Mom planned to buy a few more pieces to fill the big spaces more. I was already starting to adjust to my new bedroom, placing things in the best spots.

Night was approaching fast, so after every piece was unloaded and settled inside, I only had time to unpack two small boxes with my essential contents inside. It was late; my muscles ached and sweat was sticking to me like a second skin. Relief washed over me as I climbed into bed after a cool shower. It was going to take a while before I got used to sleeping in a new bed in a new room. But something told me that everything was about to change for the better.

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"Ooh, I love this," I murmured, doing a three-sixty in my bedroom mirror. I had just bought a new swimsuit from a surf & swim shop downtown, and I was checking how it looked from every angle. The weather today was perfect for a trip to the beach – it was warm but not too warm, and the humidity had gone down to a comfortable level. I threw on some clothes and headed out.

It was about a ten-minute walk between my house and the nearest beach. The fresh air smelled like seawater. Warm sand settled between my toes. I selected a space to set up my towel and umbrella, nestling my beach bag beside me. I laid down on the towel, comfortably shaded from the blazing sun, propping myself up on my elbows as I began to read a novel I'd grabbed earlier. The breeze was cool and invigorating as I untied my hair and let it hang loosely over my shoulders.

"Is this spot taken?" a voice asked.

I looked up, sliding my sunglasses onto the crown of my head. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. There stood a guy probably as old as me, and definitely about six feet tall. I was somewhat startled by his sudden appearance. He searched my face for an answer with blue-grey eyes while running his hand through his hair, which was such a deep shade of brown I would've thought it was black if not for the direct sunlight. He was wearing blue swim trunks and a towel slung across his shoulder.

"Nope! Go ahead," I replied.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

He smiled kindly, showcasing his perfect, pearly white teeth. I returned the expression. Wow, that guy is cute, I thought, casually returning to my book. I wonder what school he goes to...

Time passed faster and faster as I became absorbed in the words before me. About an hour later, the sun was continuing to heat everything up like an oven. So, I decided to go for a dip. I peeled off my top and shorts, folding them into my bag along with my sunglasses. I stood up and walked daintily towards the shore, being careful not to roast the soles of my feet on the fiery sand.

The faint smell of seaweed wafted under my nose as I walked ankle-deep into the waves. The tide was cool and fresh. The water foamed up against my legs before dissolving and retreating backwards, only to be pushed forwards again. My fingertips skimmed the turquoise water. I waded deeper into the ocean until it was up to my waist. I leaned back and submerged my hair underwater, keeping my face dry. Waves drifted towards me endlessly, rising to my neck and then back down again. I swam just a bit farther out, enjoying the water. I stayed there for a long time, just drifting in the tide.

After a while, the sky progressively got cloudy and dark, so I swam back ashore and gathered my things. My hair was already beginning to dry as I zipped up my bag and closed my umbrella. The only problem was that I was having a lot of trouble removing it from the ground.

"Stupid umbrella," I muttered. I stepped back, exasperated. It would not budge, and the sky was threatening to start raining. I sighed. Why are my arms so noodle-y?

"Here, let me help you."

I turned around to see the dark-haired boy again, walking towards me. I watched as he promptly pulled it straight out of the ground with little effort. I thanked him and smiled gratefully, mortified that I couldn't get a damn umbrella out of the sand without help.

"Thanks. I appreciate it," I said, probably red-faced.

"No problem. Sand is like glue sometimes," he replied, laughing.

I chuckled as he handed me the umbrella. For a good five seconds, we just stood there, looking into each other's eyes and grinning like idiots. I felt that something was different about him, but brushed it off.

"Well, I should get going. You know, before it starts to rain," he said, gesturing to the darkly stained sky.

"Yeah, me too. It was nice meeting you though."

"You too."

"And thanks again for the help."

"Hah, you're welcome."

I waved goodbye to him as we walked in separate directions. For some reason, I felt like that wasn't going to be the last time I would see him. I quickly got dressed and headed home.

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"I'm back!" I announced, closing the front door. My voice echoed off the walls. "Hello? Is anyone here?" I said a bit louder. No answer. I took off my flip-flops and tried to locate my parents.

"Chloe? Is that you?" a muffled voice said. It was coming from up high.

"Yup, it's me. Who's this, God?" I answered.

"No, hun. It's Mom! I'm in the attic."

"Are you stuck up there?"

"No! I'm– Oh, just come up here!"

I laughed and climbed the folding stairs that fell from an opening in the ceiling. For an attic, it was surprisingly tidy up there. I pushed open the trap door wider and ascended onto the attic floor. Mom was sitting in a corner, surrounded by boxes.

"I could use some help unpacking and arranging. Would you mind sparing ten minutes?" she asked.

"Sure."

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I sat up after a bit longer. "I think that's the last of it."

"Great! Thanks for the help. I'm going to grab us each a drink," Mom said, descending down the ladder.

I nodded. This attic was clean, but it was musty and crazy hot. I wiped a bead of sweat from my hairline. I was about to follow Mom downstairs when something caught my eye. I walked over to investigate. "What's this?" I whispered, kneeling on the creaky, wooden floor. There was something shining inside a small, velvet box. The lid was ajar. I pulled off the top completely. "It looks like a...necklace, maybe?"

I picked up the box and carefully lifted the yellowed tissue paper from inside. Underneath was, indeed, a necklace. It looked antique and old, but it was in mint condition, aside from a few scratches here and there. It was made of shimmering rose gold that gave off metallic beams under the sun. It had a very long chain and a circular, disc-shaped pendant slightly bigger than a quarter. Embedded in the middle of the round pendant was a little hourglass with sparkling, white sand in it.

"Chloe? What are you doing?" Mom asked, coming back up the stairs.

"Hmm? Nothing! I was just looking at stuff," I claimed. I panicked and stashed the necklace in my back pocket. Mom furrowed her brows for a second before handing me a glass of iced coffee. She turned off the light and we both climbed downstairs. The ladder folded back up into the ceiling and the trap door closed behind us. I walked to the kitchen, greeted Dad, and helped set the table for supper.

I hurriedly finished eating and went to my room, then pulled out the necklace again and brushed my thumb along the hourglass. It was smooth and polished. I decided to store it under one of my pillows until later that night, when I could have a better look at it. Something about it just fascinated me.

A few hours later, I returned to my bedroom. I drew my curtains closed and got changed into a grey Henley top and black leggings. Finally, I sat down on my bed and retrieved the necklace from underneath my pillow. There was no denying that this piece of jewelry had something special about it. I laced the chain in between my fingers. As I brought the pendant closer to my face, I noticed an engraving on the rim. I squinted to make out the word. It read 'Honesty', in tiny, elegant, cursive script. I bowed my head and slung it around my neck. I clutched the pendant firmly in my fist, deep in thought.

"Honesty," I whispered, trying to form some sort of explanation in my mind.

All of a sudden, my body felt like it was being attacked with pins and needles. The necklace itself grew burning white-hot. I became terrified, thinking the necklace was searing my skin, but it wasn't. My eyes rolled up to the ceiling as I was overcome by blinding, violet light. I felt weightless. Then, the sound of rushing air filled my ears.

WHOOSH.

I was gone.