Trees In The Storm: Tales of Terrara Vikos #2 Read online

  ***

  I never got my dance with Kimberly.

  My father had, of course, dragged me back home after that emotional spell. I was sent to my room and had spent the rest of the night reading books to calm my nerves. After everything that happened, I knew sleep would be impossible to come by.

  The next morning, I had bags under my eyes, and my cheeks and eyes were red from crying and rubbing away tears. When Halden came over to walk to school with me, he made a couple cracks about looking like a crazed female with too much makeup. When I finally glared at him and yelled at him to shut up, he went silent.

  The nearer we got to the school, the more I dreaded getting there. Last night, I was supposed to have a good time with Kimberly, and I’d left her. Not that I’d had much of a choice in the matter, but it was the principle of the thing.

  As we entered the school and got closer and closer to the classroom, I heard faint music playing. At first, I didn’t know where it was coming from. When we finally reached our destination, I knew without a doubt it was coming from inside.

  Opening the door, the music became exponentially louder. Upon entering the room, I saw all my classmates standing expectantly along the wall. All the tables and chairs had been moved aside to create a wide open space in the center of the room.

  “What is all this?” I asked.

  Rebecca smiled and replied, “This is the least we can do for you, Luke. You never got your dance.”

  When she’d finished talking, the students parted to make a pathway for Kimberly. Even in boyfriend shorts and a basketball jersey, she still looked stunning as ever. Clearing my throat, I gave her the traditional bow and held out a hand. I watched light blush dust her face as she gripped my hand as comfortingly as ever.

  A few seconds after we started to dance, I saw Halden out of the corner of my eye, walking up to Rebecca. Shortly after, the two of them joined us on the makeshift dance floor, followed by more and more pairs of my classmates.

  As we spun around and around, my eyes locked with Kimberly’s. Those jade green pools glistened and sparkled with happiness as I twirled her. When I spun her into my chest at the end, I could tell, right then and there, that she was something special.

  And through her kindness, I’d remembered something my father used to tell me. About people should be similar to trees. During storms, the trees that allow themselves to bend just flow in the wind, and those that don’t end up broken on the forest floor. Until now, I never understood what he meant. However, now I completely know.

  Everyone needs to try to be like the trees that bend in the wind. We need to let the troubles flow. To let things out then let them run their course away from us. Always being strong isn’t always a good thing. If we stand tall and strong all the time, we will eventually break, scattered in bits on the woodland ground.

  I knew then—and now—that my love for my mother may never be repaired, but I shouldn’t let it consume me. There may not be a way to replace my mother’s love, but there were ways to go on with my life and have a smaller hole in my heart: to flow on like trees in the storm of life. My budding care for Kimberly was proof of that.

  Like trees in the storm, we must go with the flow, or risk being broken for the rest of our lives.

  Kimberly taught me that, and it’s a lesson I have never forgotten.

  OTHER WORKS

  As eBooks only::

  Tales of Terrara Vikos stories

  #1- Cross of Faith

  #2- Trees In The Storm

  #3- Blood on a Broken Hand

  #4- Warped Destinies

  The Chaos Accounts saga

  #1- Account of Anxiety

  #2- Account of Unrest

  #3- Account of Friendship

  #4- Account of Secrets (Coming Soon)

  As eBook AND Print::

  The Protektor’s Reality: a Trials of Terrara Vikos prequel

  About the Author

  Born in Schenectady, NY and raised in Richmond, VA, Christine has always had a love of reading and writing. She didn’t become aware of her gift for crafting stories until fifth grade, when she made it her dream to one day see her works on a bookstore shelf. Her love in the literary world has always been fantasy novels, because they allowed her to leave this world and venture into another. She devoured books growing up and still does in her free time.

  Christine lives in Virginia, balancing her day job (working with numbers and Excel) and her creative endeavors.

  You can find more about her and her works at::

  terraravikos.com

  Or

  Pledge to her writing escapades at::

  https://www.patreon.com/discoverywritin