"The Letter" (Prologue) | Chapter 1.2

Caizey stared in disbelief at the letter she held. Was this guy serious? She gets kicked out of her foster home on her 18th birthday, and the last thing they give her is a letter that her foster care agent had apparently forwarded to her from her "family". She didn't have a family, so where did this come from? And that wasn't even taking into consideration the contents of the letter. In a heartbeat, she had gone from wondering what she was going to do with the 100 bucks she had to her name, to furious at whoever this person mailing her was. How DARE they make fun of what she didn't have by offering her a "way out of her situation". I mean, sure, she felt completely suffocated by her job at the Gallery, but at least it gave some sort of income. How could she even consider quitting and moving at the drop of a .. letter .. when this job was the only stability left in her life. Frustrated, she stared at the diploma she'd just been awarded in one hand, and then glanced at the letter in the other hand. The bulk of her last paycheck had gone towards the cap and gown she now wore, and - while she had enough money to go out to dinner to celebrate with her high school friends - she certainly didn't think that was the best use of her last hundred dollars.

Near tears, Caizey plopped down on the bench near the Oasis Springs community center's doors, put the papers she held down, and dropped her head into her hands. People - mostly happy families headed out to celebrations or overly excited teenagers chatting loudly in groups - streamed past her, heedless of her emotional distress. The last week had been a whirlwind of final exams, and her friends all making college and career plans. Meanwhile, at the last minute, her foster family informed her she would have to find someplace else to be, because they had another new "kid" coming in. So now she was utterly homeless, and pretty much penniless, too. She had thought that, at least, she would have time to find a new place to live after her birthday and graduation. That was obviously not to be the case.

After a good cry, Caizey picked up the letter again, and this time, a paper fluttered out of the envelope that she hadn't noticed before. She picked it up, and stared at it through her red-rimmed eyes. A ticket? On a train. To this Glimmerbrook place. ... Was this guy actually serious? Was there any chance she could actually own her own place and have a new start waiting for her?

Caizey cursed, then looked around her. The place was practically empty now, and there certainly wasn't anyone who was going to help her with her current predicament. The sun was not going to be up for much longer, and time was running out. She was going to have to spend a cold desert night completely alone and homeless. However, the train station wasn't far away. Maybe she could just check when the next train to this Glimmerbrook was.

Mind made up for the moment, Caizey picked up her bags, stuffed her diploma and the letter inside a pocket, and began the walk to the train station.

A couple hours later, as the sun was setting, she drug herself and her bags into the train station, only to find the place completely deserted. She set down her bags near a bench, and tiptoed into the train office. Finding the scheduling book open on the desk, she sat down to look through it. There it was - Glimmerbrook. The next train didn't leave until morning. Nearing complete exhaustion, Caizey set herself down on a bench inside the station, and re-read the letter. Then she read it again. A small bubble of hope started forming inside her. What if...??

No, this couldn't be real. Could it?? How was she to know if it was real or not? At least the town on the ticket that came with the letter was real, and the ticket seemed completely valid. That was a start. A house all of her own - and a life of freedom. It was almost too good to be true. But, then, beggars can't really be choosers, as the saying goes. She wasn't particularly fond of the idea of ever having kids, but the letter did say she didn't have to have them anytime soon. She read the letter a few more times... and finally, at a complete loss of what else to do, she laid down to take a nap on the bench.

Morning came, and with it, a sense of clarity. How could she refuse to take this .. quest - as the letter called it - seriously. She really didn't have a whole lot of options at this point in her life. If it was just a cruel joke, she could cross that bridge when it came time. For now, she had a train to catch. Provided the ticket was real.

"The Letter" (Prologue) | Chapter 1.2