1997 - 1998; Wake Forest, NC
There once was a girl named Becky, but she didn't like that name. It was the name of the Aunt from Full House. The Aunt from that show was pretty, but that wasn't how Becky felt. She didn't feel like a Becky. She didn't feel like anyone expected her to be.
She got the name Becca from a girl. The girl. She first saw her on a walk in October through the neighborhood. The wind wiped her hair. It was a little unseasonably warm, though, with stormy clouds in the sky that sent red, brown and yellow leaves scattering across the ground. She never normally went this way and had only turned down this street to escape the coming rain.
The girl was sitting on the front steps, by herself. A for sale sign with "SOLD" behind her. She didn't look happy. She looked sad. But she was beautiful. Her hair was short. At first Becky thought it was a boy. She wouldn't have liked if it was a but it was a girl -- the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen.
The girl didn't notice her. She had a Sony Discman in her lap, bright yellow headphones on.
"Hi..." Becky said, shyly. The girl didn't respond.
Becky could have just walked away. Pretend she never said anything. But she felt if she did she'd regret it for the rest of her life.
She walked over, pulled a headphone to the side and said "Hi!" loudly as the girl looked up at her startled, then annoyed at first. But then her facial expressions softened and she smiled a little.
"Oh, hi" she said. "Sorry. I was listening to music..."
She pulled her headphones all the way down but didn't adjust the volume. Becky could hear the music blaring from them. She was listening to it at a high enough volume to cause permanent damage to her hearing.
"it's okay" Becky said. "I didn't mean to bother you... I just... well, did you just move here?"
Becky could feel her face blush. Why was she so shy all of a sudden? She was never shy.
"Yeah" the girl replied. She didn't seem too happy about it.
"What are you listening to?" Becky asked.
"Radiohead" the girl replied, perking up. "It's my favorite band. Have you ever heard them?"
Becky shook her head.
"Here!" the girl replied enthusiastically, standing and placing the headphones on Becky's head without asking permission.
Becky shyly stiffened as she felt the girl's warmth and breath across her face, her hair brush her neck as she placed the earphones on her head. Becky blushed and smiled awkwardly.
Suddenly, Becky's ears were filled with melodic beautiful chaos. She wasn't sure if she liked it that first time she heard it, but it was like nothing she'd ever heard before.
"What do you think?" the girl asked, loudly.
Becky smiled. "I like it" she said, barely hearing her.
"The album is called OK Computer. It just came out..."
"What?" Becky asked loudly.
The girl laughed and pulled her headphones off Becky's head, repeating what she said laughing.
"Oh" Becky said, smiling and blushing.
"What's your name?" Becky asked after a pause.
"Kinslee" the girl said.
"That's an awesome name" Becky said. And she meant it.
"What's yours?"
"Well, it's Becky..." she said. "But... I hate my name..."
"Why?" Kinslee said. "I like it"
"I just... don't feel like a Becky" she shrugged.
"Ok.... well what about...Becca?"
"Becca" Becky said, letting it roll of her tongue. She smiled, nodding.
"I like that". And she meant it. But what she like most was that Kinslee had given it to her.
"So...my parents aren't home" Kinslee said, looking down at the sidewalk. "Do you want to come see my room?"
Becca's heart skipped a beat. She started to say no and make up some story about how she had to be home. But then the thunder cracked in the sky.
It look her a few seconds to stammer out a "yes".
Becca thought Kinslee's room was the coolest room she'd ever seen. She nervously kept her hands locked together, looking around.
There were posters of bands she'd never heard of all over the wall. Lots for Radiohead, including one of a big eyed blue bear she thought was pretty creepy and there was something about it that made Becca uneasy.
Kinslee sat on the edge of the bed and and tapped beside her, signaling for Becca to join her. Heart beating fast, she did.
They made small talk for awhile. Becca noticed some books in a box she was still unpacking.
"Dungeons and... Dragons?" Becca asked. "What's that?"
"Oh, you've never heard of it?" Kinslee said. "It's like a board game... but so much more. I used to play it with my friends in Maine..."
She trailed off, looking wistfully at the books.
"We could play it" Becca said, helpfully.
"No...well, you really need at least 3 people. 4 really".
"Oh" Becca said. "I'd say my friends could join, but I don't have a lot of friends..."
"Well" Kinslee said. "You have one now... if you want".
Becca smiled and there was a moment before they both look away.
"What's the... game like?" Becca said, trying to cut through the awkwardness of the moment.
"Oh... it's like wizards and monsters... it's... a lot to explain"
"Oh, magic?" Becca frowned. "My family is pretty religious. Stuff like that isn't allow...."
"Really?" Kinslee said, frowning. "Oh Jesus, this really is The Bible Belt..."
Becca frowned and Kinslee immediately started to apologize.
"No, it's okay" Becca said, explaining that because of how she was raised it was a natural response as best she could.
"Why did you move here?" Becca asked.
"It wasn't my choice" Kinslee said. "But my parents would say it was... I... got into a lot of trouble back in Maine. Got put in a special school up there, but they kicked me out because..."
Becca waited for more, but Kinslee just stopped talking.
"It's not important" she said finally, shrugging.
Becca looked more around the room. She saw something she'd only seen in pictures.
"Is that a..." she said, trying to remember what it was called.
"A Ouija Board? Yeah" she said.
"Isn't that... used to talk to demons!?" Becca asked alarmed.
Kinslee giggled.
"No!" she said, shaking her head, smiling. "Wow, the Jesus is strong with you"
Becca frowned and looked down, Kinslee placed a hand on her back.
"Sorry, I didn't mean anything... I was just joking"
"It's okay" Becca said. "Are you sure you should have that thing?"
"Sure? Why not? It's just a stupid game. I play with it sometimes..."
Becca nodded and noticed Kinslee's hand hadn't left her back. She looked at Kinslee and they locked eyes and Kinslee kissed her. Becca pulled away at first, alarmed, but then kissed back.
It was her first kiss from a girl and the first kiss that mattered.
------------------------------------
Over the next few weeks Becca and Kinslee would become inseparable. They would become best friends...and more.
She eventually met Kinslee's parents, despite Kinslee's obections, and they seemed to actually like Becca, thinking she was a good influence.
Becca, on the other hand, was very uncomfortable with the idea of introducing Kinslee to her parents. Her parents... were different. Especially her father. They were religious to the point where anyone who wasn't was "dancing with the devil". Becca was not allowed to just associate with anyone and Kinslee's nose ring would by itself make it so they could never spend time together again.
And that was even if Becca's father hadn't been drinking, which he was frequently. He was a hypocrite, although Becca was even afraid to think of such things at the time. He was a hypocrite in other ways too... like when she'd sleep into Becca and her sister's beds at night. Becca would pretend it was a dream.
Her mom loved her, but knew about all of this and allowed it. She excused her father's drinking and when Becca's sister tried to tell their mom about her father once, she was slapped so hard her face swelled up.
All Becca had was her grandpap, who lived one town over and would let them come over often. He was not like her parents. He let them do a lot more and he had stood up to their father before. It was why they couldn't see him as much anymore. Becca had missed watching Duke basketball games with her grandpap.
But Kinslee made Becca forget all of this.
Still, ever since meeting Kinslee strange things had happened. Namely it was the dreams. That bear from Kinslee's room would haunt her dreams. One time it said something. Something Becca didn't understand.
"Everyone has a role, Becca. It's time to realize yours".
She told Kinslee about the dreams. Kinslee responded by kissing her and taking down the beloved poster so she didn't have to look at anymore. Becca showed Kinslee her secret spot by the tree where the wild permission tree grew. Becca helped her find a fruit that wasn't dirty and laughed was Kinslee made a face as she bit into a bitter part of the seed filled fruit.
They would eventually carve their initials in the tree with a heart around it.
"If I ever have to leave, I'll carve here where I'm going" Becca told her once.
"Huh? That's a weird thing to say. And why would you just leave?" Kinslee had asked.
"Oh" Becca said. "I'm an idiot. Sorry. It's a thing we learn in North Carolina history. The Lost Colony. Croatoan".
Kinslee smirked and shrugged.
Becca laughed.
"Nevermind" she said.
Kinslee showed Becca "Back to the Future" for the first time, which would become her favorite movie. Her parents would never let her see it. Time traveler was clearly the work of the devil.
"There's just one thing I don't get?" Becca asked Kinslee after the movie.
"Yeah? What's that?"
"Biff tries to rape Lorraine, but in the future they're like.... it's no big deal. Marty's dad is just like 'that Biff, what a character but if it wasn't for him we never would have met'... Like, you mean if it wasn't for Biff trying to rape you!?"
Kinslee's eyes got wide and she looked off into the distance and then busted out laughing until she was crying.
"I... never thought about that!" she said, tears running down her cheeks. "That rapist Biff! What a character!"
They both laughing and laughed and finally Kinslee looked into Becca's eyes and said three words. Three incredible words.
"I love you".
She kissed Becca and climbed on top of her and they rolled around the floor playfully, giggling. It was the first time they had done so much.
------------------------------------
Kinslee showed Becca all sorts of new things including new games. Her favorite were these games by a name named Ray Dunakin. They were very simple games with one picture at a time and you would type what you wanted to do.
One time they played something strange happened. There was a cave on the screen.
"Should we go East?" Kinslee asked her.
But Becca just stared at the screen. She saw a vision. Where there should have only been a cave entrance she saw what looked like Native Americans and then... a bear came out of the cave towards her and seemed to come out of the screen.
_resize.php [https://www.macintoshrepository.org/_resize.php?w=640&h=480&bg_color=333333&imgenc=ZmlsZ44bXMvbWcvc2l0ZXMvbWcvZmlsZXMvc2NyZWVuc2hvdHMvcmF5c19tYXplLnBuZw%3D%3D]
Becca screamed and fell backwards in her hair.
Kinslee immediately rushed to her side and asked her what was wrong, but Becca was too freaked out to explain and even when she was able, she couldn't find words to explain so she just trusted Kinslee and told her what she saw.
Kinslee listened to her and when Becca was finished she told Kinslee "you must think I'm crazy".
Kinslee shook her head.
"No, I don't think you're crazy..." she began and then after a pause continued.
"I can't explain things sometimes either... Sometimes, I hear voices... and tell me to do things..."
"Voices?" Kinslee asked. "What kind of voices?"
Kinslee shrugged.
"It's really just one voice, I guess"
"What kind of things has it told you to do?"
"It... bad things... things that got me into trouble. I don't even remember doing them, Becca. I remember it told me to do it over and over and then... the next thing I knew... it was done and it was my fault..."
Kinslee began to cry and Becca hugged her.
"Please don't think I'm a freak" Kinslee said.
"If you're a freak than so am I" Becca said. "We'll be we're freaks together"
Kinslee snorted and whispered "I love you"
"I love you too"
------------------------------------
Christmas came. Christmas was different for Becca. Her family celebrated the holiday, of course, but it was all about Jesus. Santa wasn't involved and was a "distraction from the real meaning of Christmas" her dad said.
There were no presents. No tree. No decorations.
So Becca would walk around neighborhoods and look at there decorations. Her and her grandpap used to drive around and look at them, but a couple weeks earlier he'd move away to South Carolina to take care of a war buddy who was sick.
"I'll still come visit, pumpkin" he said.
Thank God she had Kinslee because now she could walk with Kinslee. Kinslee really liked the blow molds. One day it snowed and they tried to catch the flakes with their tongue.
Up until now, Becca had kept Kinslee a secret from her parents, but that had become difficult an Christmas Eve had become the last.
They were inside Kinslee's room and Kinslee told Becca to close her eyes, so she did. She retrieved something from the closet and then told Becca to open her eyes. In front of her was a small box, wrapped in Beavis and Butthead wrapping paper.
"What is it?" Becca asked excitedly. Other than the presents her grandpap would sneak her and her sister, she never got presents.
"Open it" Kinslee said, smiling wide. Becca ripped into the package and opened the box and inside was a small heart shaped gold locket. She picked it up and smiled.
"I know you don't wear jewelry" Kinslee said, as if reading her mind. "But I thought maybe this would be different. Open it".
Becca opened the locket and inside were pictures of her and Kinslee. They were ones they had taken at a photobooth at an arcade weeks ago.
Becca smiled and held back tears.
"I love it!" she said. Kinslee reached into her breast and pulled out a matching one, opening it to reveal the same pictures.
"I have one too. So we'll always be together".
Becca went in and kissed Kinslee. It surprised Kinslee, but in a good way, because everytime they kissed it was always Kinslee who kissed first".
Just as it was able to lead to more Becca said "wait, wait..."
"What's wrong?" a disappointed Kinslee asked.
"I have to give you your present!"
She retrieved it from her bookbag and an excited Kinslee tore into it without delay.
She looked at it for a second, trying to figure out what it was and then her eyes widened.
"Is... is this real...?"
Becca nodded.
"But... how...?"
Becca shrugged. "I have my ways".
It was a copy of OK Computer but it was signed by Radiohead by hand. She'd saved money from doing chores from her grandpap and used money she'd stashed away to buy it. Her pap had helped, buying it from her on eBay and sending in the money order.
Kinslee wrapped her arms around Becca.
"I love it! I love you!"
"I love you too... But I think your gift was better". And she meant it.
And from there they rolled around on the floor and one thing led to another, but they didn't know eyes were watching and how everything was about to come crashing down.
They lay under the covers, naked together.
"Good thing there's a lock on the door" Becca whispered laughing.
Kinslee giggled.
"Merry Christmas, Becca" she said.
Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Merry Christmas, Kinslee..."
Kinslee looked over at the stack of D&D books.
"Hey! Want to learn how to play!?" she said. "It won't be like a real game without more people, but I can show you the ropes!"
"OK!" Becca said, enthusiastically. They threw on their clothes and got on the floor.
"Hand me that book that says Dungeon Masters Guide" Kinslee said, but when Becca went to move it her hand found the Ouija Board..."
Kinslee looked at it and then at her.
"Do you... want to try that first?" she asked.
Becca thought for a minute. The last few weeks had brought a change in her. She wanted the change. She embraced it. And so, she nodded.
Kinslee set up the board and told Becca to place her hand on the piece shaped like an arrow, known as the planchette, with her. Becca did. Becca felt a certain amount of...power using the board. She just assumed because it felt so wrong.
"Ok, so... just ask it a question... I'll go first. Is anyone here?"
The planchette moved to the "YES" in the corner and Becca looked wide eyed, accusing Kinslee of moving it.
"Wasn't me" Kinslee assured her, but didn't seem nervous. She seemed like a pro at this.
Becca took a breath. "What should I ask?" she said.
Kinslee shrugs. "Ask their name..."
Becca nodded.
"What's your name?"
Then something happened. Something happened that Becca would attempt for years to erase from her memory until she convinced yourself it never happened.
The planchette moved rapidly across the board. Both of them let it go but it kept moving
X
I
R
Becca and Kinslee jumped up, looking at an alarm and suddenly a ghostly figure -- that of a beast or a monster appeared from the board -- and reached out towards Becca.
"Becca, I Xir call you to join us. To join me and to join Becca. Everyone has a role to play and it is time to start yours!"
Becca couldn't move as the figure began to enter her mind. She felt it taking her over. She looked towards Kinslee for held but the figure had already taken control of her and she smiled at Becca and nodded, whispering "it's okay. I love you. He loves you. The Great Xir needs us. Just let it happen".
The monster was almost inside her when Becca found something deep inside and pushed the monster back, screaming "NO!"
The figure of the monster retreated, smiling and snarling as a golden radiance surrounded Becca.
"This... cannot be! This power! How!? You are too powerful! You must not be allowed to take your intended path!"
The energy leapt from Becca and pushed Xir back into the board, screaming and snarling in defeat until it was gone. Suddenly the glow was gone. Everything was normal. Becca fell on the floor, exhausted and confused. She looked over at Kinslee who looked like she didn't know where she was.
"Becca... what...what happened?" she asked her with wide eyes.
"What was that!?" Becca screamed at her. "What are you!?"
"What are you talking about!?" Kinslee screamed with confusion.
She tried to grab Becca but Becca pushed her away.
"Becca please" Kinslee begged as Becca ran out of the door and out of the house, Kinslee's shocked parents trying to call out of her, to tell her something as she left.
Becca was sure they were trying to warn her of what awaited her at home.
When she got home she was still crying and went to run straight inside and into her room but she was stopped by her dad's voice.
"Not so fast, young lady" he said. She could already smell the whiskey.
She turned and looked as her dad stood from the couch, a cut electrical cord in his hand. Her mom and sister sat on the couch, unmoving. They looked afraid for her.
"Dad, I..."
Her dad ran up to her and grabbed her face with his hand, pressing her mouth into a circle.
"Do you know what today is!?" he shouted.
"I...I... Yes, of course, daddy!" she stammered, the words not coming out of her contorted mouth right. "It's...the eve of the birth of our lord and savior!"
"Then why weren't you here for service" he asked sternly.
She couldn't believe she had forgotten. How had she forgotten? Every Christmas Eve and Day they went to church service.
"I...just forgot daddy. I took a walk and forgot..."
"Don't you fucking lie to me, girl!" her dad yelled right in her face, spittle splattering across it.
"I'm not...daddy..."
"LIAR! SINNER!" her dad shouted as loud as he could.
"You don't you we know about you and that demon you've been hanging out with? That you've been LAYING WITH IN VIOLATION OF GOD'S WILL! I did not raise a dyke for a daughter! I did not raise a SINNER!"
Becca looked in fear and embarrassment. She didn't try to deny it. Tears fell down her eyes.
They had found out and called Kinslee's parents. Kinslee's parents had known about them and spilled the beans, not thinking it would be a big deal. That was the warning they tried to give before she rushed out.
"DID YOU KNOW SHE HEARS VOICES IN HER HEAD! SHE HAS DEMONS INSIDE HER GIRL! DID YOU KNOW SHE SET FIRE TO HER OLD SCHOOL!?"
Becca was shocked by this and her body began to shake like those leaves on the first day her and Kinslee had met.
"I'm sorry daddy..." Becca wept. "Please don't hurt me..."
"What are you sorry for?" her dad asked
"For sinning..."
"What kind of sin?"
"For...lust..."
"AND!?"
"For...laying with another...girl..."
"I did not raise a little fag girl" her dad spat, his breath so strong from alcohol. "Do you understand? You are never to speak to that girl again. EVER. You understand?"
Becca nodded.
"SAY IT!"
"I'll never speak with her again".
"She's a bad person, Becky. A sinner. A no good faggot bitch and I will not let her corrupt you!"
Becca nodded.
"Say she's a bitch" her father instructed her. "What's that serpents name?"
"Kinslee" Becca said. Even saying her name in front of her father felt like betrayal.
"Say: Kinslee is a sinner faggot bitch and I will not ever speak to her again"
"Daddy..."
"SAY IT!" he screamed, holding his fist with the cord clutched around it to her cheek.
"Kinslee is a sinner faggot bitch and I will not ever speak to her again" she sobbed.
"Again"
"Kinslee is a sinner faggot bitch and I will not ever speak to her again" she repeated.
"LOUDER!"
"KINSLEE IS A SINNER FAGGOT BITCH AND I WILL NOT EVER SPEAK TO HER AGAIN"
Her dad breathed and let go of her and she fell to her eyes. For a second, she thought it was over. What a stupid thought. It was never over.
Her dad turned to her sister and mother.
"Let this be a lesson to you both: This is what happens to sinners in this house".
Then the cord came down, over and over and over. Across her arms, her face, her neck. He ripped her close off and beat every inch of her body with the cord until she was a sea of red marks. He finally stopped, not because he wanted to be done but he pulled a muscle in his arm.
Breathless he told her to go to her room and she got up and ran away. Her entire body burned and stung.
She didn't leave the house for a week. She wasn't allowed to leave the room accept for Bible study. The marks healed some but it would be awhile. She thought if she went out people would see and know what had happened, but that Sunday her father announced they would be holding services in the home. The following day was the first day she had a chance to sneak out. Her mother left for the grocery store, telling her to stay and watch her sister.
"I don't think I need to tell you why anything else would be a bad idea" she said. Becca nodded, but as soon as her mom was gone she was out the window, her sister in tears pleading with her not to go.
"He'll beat you again!" she screamed.
Becca didn't respond. She had to see Kinslee. She needed to talk to her about what happened and she missed her so much. She knew now that Kinslee didn't remember what had happened and felt like she was in danger too.
Becca ran to her house and snuck in the back. Tapping on the window she looked in but didn't see Kinslee in her bedroom. But the window was cracked enough to open and she climbed in.
She hadn't seen Kinslee sitting on the bed, staring at the wall. That part of the room couldn't be seen from the window. But once inside Kinslee's presence startled her.
"Kinslee! Didn't you hear me knocking on your window?" she said. There was no response.
She thought for a moment maybe she had her head phones on but that wasn't the case. She looked on the floor and saw the Ouija Board. Had she left it there since they were together? But no, it was on a different part the floor..."
"Hey, why are you ignoring me!?" a nervous Becca asked before walking over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you mad at me?" she asked. "Look, I'm sorry. I..."
That's when Kinslee turned and looked her in the eyes. Dead eyes. Eyes without life.
Becca had expected Kinslee's reaction to be immediate shock at the marks on her face, but instead she was empty inside and singularly focused.
"The Great Xir told me you were coming" she whispered, clutching something in her hand.
Becca's eyes got wide and she took a step back.
"He said... that everyone has a role to play but you want play yours. You are trying to go on your own path and can't because that will lead to trouble for Xir. Xir sees the future and he sees that while you are too powerful now, you will be even more powerful to come and if you will not use your power for Xir than... you must be destroyed..."
Becca stepped back more and suddenly Kinslee leaped off the bed and lunched her hand, clutching a large kitchen knife, in Becca's direction. It sliced just the top of her shoulder. She screamed and kicked Kinslee off of her. Kinslee stood with freakish speed and came at her again. Becca moved to the side and slammed her into her dresser, knocking things off onto the carper.
Soon, they were rolling around, Kinslee pressing the knife towards her chest and winning the battle. Becca screaming and begging her to stop. She made one last attempt to knock Kinslee off of her and this caused the knife to slide all the way into her chest but it stopped after hitting something. The locket.
Kinslee's eyes looked at it and then they filled with fear and sorrow and tears ran out of them. She stumbled back, screaming, dropping the knife.
"Becca!" she screamed. "What... happened!? Where...."
Becca backed away from her and towards the door.
"Oh my God!" Kinslee screamed. "What happened to your face!?"
She went over sobbing, holding a hand out to touch her face.
Becca pulled herself up fast and screamed.
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!"
Kinslee backed up, shocked.
"I...I...."
"You just tried to fucking kill me!" Becca screamed.
Kinslee shook her head rapidly confused and afraid. She then saw the knife on the floor and her mouth gapped open.
"Oh no... no no no no... not again. I... I didn't mean to! I..."
She began to sob.
"You stay away from me!" Becca shouted at her. "You have demons inside of you! Daddy was right!"
She turned and ran out the door, Kinslee calling from behind her, begging her to stop and then running after her. She ran outside and down the street and ended up running right into a young couple taking their newborn out for a stroll.
That was how it all came unraveled. They saw her face, saw she was in distress and called the police.
At first, they had thought Kinslee had done it, given her record, but Becca told them the truth. She told them everything about her father, but left everything else about Kinslee.
Her grandfather came up the next day and was allowed to take custody of her and her sister, but this meant they would be moving to South Carolina. Becca didn't care. She had nothing left here.
On the day she left, Becca went back to the spot with the persimmon tree one last time. Her secret spot.
She stood there in silence and then a voice came from behind.
"Hey..."
Becca turned. It was Kinslee.
"Hey" Becca whispered.
"I'm sorry, Becca" she said. "I didn't... even know what I was doing. I need help. Please. I don't have anyone else. It's slowly taking me and I don't know what to do. Please don't leave me".
"I can't help you" Becca said, tears flowing down her cheek. Kinslee began to sob.
"Don't leave me" she said.
"I don't have a choice" Becca said.
"I love you" Kinslee whispered.
"I love you too" Becca whispered back. "With all my heart. But I can't stay... and I can't help"
Kinslee walked forward. Becca thought about backing up, but stood her ground. Kinslee hugged her tight.
"Please don't go".
Becca sobbed now and put her head on her shoulder. She kissed Kinslee softly and Kinslee smiled.
Becca whispered in her ear: "You are the greatest thing that ever happened to me and I will always love you with all my heart"
She then turned and pulled away, running as Kinslee desperately grabbed her sleeve and tried to hold her back.
Becca ran, trying to shut out her cries and begging not to leave, but the last words stabbed her harder than any knife"
"It's going to consume me and I'll be nothing left without you!"
Becca left for South Carolina an hour later with her sister and grandpap. Once there, she started wearing make up and jewelry and playing the part again, pretending. Beauty Queen, Cheerleader.
She thought about Kinslee often. When she turned 18 and graduated high school she returned to Wake Forest. It had changed a lot. Grown a lot. She hoped to visit Kinslee. It seemed so long ago and was sure things didn't happen like she remembered.
When she got to her house, though, there was a new one in its place. She walked around the property, looking for landmarks, thinking maybe it was in the wrong place.
But she recognized the big tree, bigger now. What she didn't recognize was the chard bark.
"Can I help you?" a voice said to her. She turned. A middle aged woman in a house coat stepped out, two young children peaking from behind her legs. She had a stern and concerned look on her face.
"Oh I'm sorry" Becca said. "I was looking for someone... who used to live here. Well, not here, there was another house here. Was it torn down?"
"Burned down more like it" the woman said. "I think I heard something about someone accidentally setting a fire and it got out of control..."
Becca swallowed hard.
"I see... do you know where they live now?"
The woman shook her head.
"I just know they moved away. We bought the property, had what was left of the house removed and built this place".
Becca shook her head.
"I'm sorry to have bothered you" Becca said and she left the house without another word.
Before she left she decided to visit the persimmon tree. Even from a distance it had grown.
When she got closer she saw the heart with her and Kinslee's initials inside it. She smiled. She'd forgotten about it.
The heart was well scarred over and higher now with growth, so she had to reach to run her fingers over its shape.
But below it was a new carving. It had been done a long time ago, but was still fresher than the heart.
It was one word: "MAINE".
Becca looked at this for a long time, taking it in. She touched the carving and could hear Kinslee in her head, calling for her. Begging her not to leave her. She thought she saw her for a second. Tears began to run down Becca's face as she felt strong urges... something powerful... a calling...
She turned and left, got into her car and started driving. As the onramps for the interstate came up she looked at the sign for both. North and South.
A strong urge tried to take her North but she went back South and home. She never went to Maine.
When she got back she met someone else and they helped her be comfortable with who she really was. They married and had a family together and all was well until a terrorist killed them and her grandpap in the street.