Alexandra DesDemonta is a fourteen-year-old who is not happy with her family situation. Her real father died when she was a child, leaving her nothing but memories and a ring with the inscription, "It always goes on" She has a little brother, Taylor, who seems to be the favorite child now that her mom is remarried. Even worse, Alex is talked into babysitting Taylor on Halloween. It is then that Alex notices a mysterious book on the shelf in her home. It is called The Saga of DesDemonta, and Alex has never seen the book before. She can't help but be interested; she also can't know the damage the book can cause. Before she makes sense of her new discovery, she is forced to move to a new school-but family secrets follow. What really happened to her father, and what does it have to do with Alex's new book? She has a feeling her mother knows the answers, but Joyce is hesitant to tell her daughter the truth; it could bring them lots of trouble. Soon, however, Alex's family history puts her friends in danger, and together they must fight a force much darker than any school exam-a force that threatens to kill.

In the Midst of Things

By Heidi Wong

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2013 Heidi Wong
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4669-6274-3

Chapter One

You have got to be kidding me. "Mom? I don't think so. You can't do this to me. This is not fair." I sound about five years old.

"No exceptions, Alex." Mom sighed, "You are babysitting Taylor on Halloween whether you like it or not." That wasn't good.

Joyce Chow was her real name, but for the sake of making her happy, I called her "mom," or "Made Of Money" as I sometimes joked. I did like her old name better, but she had changed her last name to Redlock when she remarried.

I could not stand it. Okay then, here's where my debate skills come in handy, but at the moment my brain was mash potatoes.

"Why can't you just stay?" I stopped, trying to make up a good excuse. "Tomorrow is Halloween and I still need to go to school. Come on, Mom. It's almost nine o'clock right now. Can't we at least talk about it tomorrow?" That was not the best I could do.

She didn't pause, obviously not persuaded, "Look Alex, he's only six years old. Your dad is on a business trip, and I have a very late meeting in the office, you need to babysit—" Her voice slowly started to calm, and I felt the beginnings of a faint smile on my face.

Was there finally good news?

"And take him trick or treating if he wants okay? Please. I'm counting on you for this." My smile vanished.

You have counted on me way too many times.

Stepdad, you mean. "Dad's gone. You just won't tell me how or why. Evan's never going to be my Dad," I argued, knowing it meant nothing.

"Don't say that, Alexandra DesDemonta." She wouldn't call me by my full name unless she really wanted to get my attention. At least my name didn't have "Redlock" in it.

I sighed.

"You can't just ignore the plans I've made with Jackie!" I almost began to yell. I didn't know how I'd ever explain this to my friend. This was stupid news. She'd probably expected better. She deserved better.

"Lol," Alex, remember the big rule? Serve your mother, then your friend.

"We've been planning for this night for so lo—"

"Just this once," she whispered, but I knew it wasn't true. She was clearly thinking of clever extenuating circumstances. "Or you can tell Jackie to come babysit Taylor with you, then you'll have a friend."

"That was something she'd totally agree with." I whispered, making my voice barely audible. It was more sarcastic than I thought it would be.

"What?"

"Fine! I'll call her right now." My tone had changed.

I dashed up the stairs and slammed my bedroom door shut behind me without meaning to. I ran to my bed and buried my head in my pillow.

I stayed there for a while—more than a couple of minutes.

"This really sucks," I thought. But I guess Halloweens here in Edensville weren't so interesting anyways.

I wondered what was going to happen. It wasn't like I was a mind reader or a future teller, and there was nothing I could even do about that.

I stood up and walked to my desk. My phone was right there sitting on my desk, waiting.

I hoped I could get something good out of today, if slightly possible.

It thundered as I looked outside. There was cold rain all weekend, and I sat near the window as I watched the raindrops fall down. I could still see that one building piercing the skyline of the whole town, towering over all the other buildings.

The rain was pouring down as if the sky felt my pain and was crying for me. Thinking about it, it's not really that bad that I need the whole damn sky to cry for me. The sky's tears dropped on the eaves of my house and dripped down.

I stood up, opened the window and a raindrop fell on my hand. I turned my hand slightly to let it fall off onto the windowsill.

I looked over at the chemistry review test on my desk that looked just as blank as it had been a week ago, when the teacher first handed it out. Never a good sign.

Unwillingly, I turned away and walked over to my phone to call Jackie.

"We were unable to reach the server you have called, please try again in a millennium," Jackie said, trying to be funny.

"Jackie—"

"You sound serious. This is bad," she said with the laugh. "What's up?"

"Joyce wants me to babysit Taylor, but you can still come over." I paused, "It's just that we'll have to take that little baby around."

She didn't even wait. "Oh noo," Sarcasm again, Jackie? "World war three huh? It's fine. Just get him to bed around seven and then we can stay up 'til ten. Two fourteen year olds can handle a six year old, don't you think?"

I smiled. She was right.

Now I could breathe normally. Maybe my Halloween is only ruined partially.

I don't know what I'd ever do without Jackie.

"Crash and burn?"

"Something like that."

"You're welcome," she replied, and I could hear the familiar laugh again, through the phone.

I hung up and looked outside the window. Seeing the old coffee store across the street, I noticed it had been there forever. I think I'd even seen it on the first day I moved from Virginia to Edensville.

The walls of the shop looked old and decrepit. The wallpaper was torn and the colors worn. Sometimes it seemed as if it was peeling off the wall.

Even if it was a ridiculously old place, it was where some people who've grown up in the area go to socialize.

From my house, I could see the huge sign across the street that no one could possibly miss. In big black words painted carefully, it said "Edensville—A home better than heaven."

Ironic much?

This wasn't the kind of town where everyone knew everyone else, but we did know most people. There's a police station at a walking distance from my house, and a hospital not too far either.

As I threw myself back on my bed, I heard someone screaming. It was far from serious. It took me a while to realize that it wasn't screaming.

It was Taylor talking. Loudly.

"I'm going to stay up late!" he screamed at my door. "Go to bed!" I shouted back. I didn't want to bother to get up, open the door, and then scream. So I just screamed. It was usually loud enough for him to hear.

I couldn't believe I had to do everything for Taylor.

It had always been "take care of Taylor," "look after Taylor," and "Make sure Taylor doesn't get hit by a car."

Taylor. Taylor. Taylor. Nobody cared about me. Not sarcastic at all.

I didn't blame them; it had been hard on everyone.

I felt like my heart was too empty. I felt like something should happen, if it changed my life ...

I would let it.

I sat up. I felt something move in my pocket. I reached inside. I could feel the edges of the necklace Jackie gave me years ago.

I took it out, and I looked at it for a while. It was the letter A, made out of silver. It didn't look like much, but I could still remember getting it when I was younger, maybe around six or seven. Taylor's age.

I turned to see the clock on the table. Nine thirty. My eyes wandered up, and I saw my ring that my real father gave me.

I didn't know the truth, only what my mom told me.

It was made with silver and engraved with the words "It always goes on." I never really knew what it meant. I hoped one day I would finally understand.

I was sure Dad gave it to me for some reason. Right now I didn't know why, I didn't know how, and I didn't know anything about him.

It had to mean something that he never got the chance to tell me.

Honestly, I had no idea.

Someone has got to tell me everything...