Thursday, the day before the fateful weekend...

Grateful that he was able to finish preparing for next week's interns while knowing that his family and peers will be making sure that he's able to keep up with the fast-paced academic work; Ja'Marco was currently enjoying his first lunch break outside of GVA (thanks to Frederich under the conditions that the teen continued to stay on top of his lessons and social life) with him sitting down his afternoon meal at Morrissen's Diner while finally catching up on reading Dark Shores by Ms. Veronica Goddard-Slade. So far, he only read up on various love affairs and scandals plus some wild parties gone wrong. While it did intrigue him for the most part, Ja'Marco wanted to learn more about why the town was so full of young and masculine men.

"There's gotta be more than what meets the eye," Ja'Marco murmured to himself as he accepted a glass of cherry soda before turning back to the book, grateful that he used his favorite novel's book cover as a disguise. His eyes lit up as he came across a chapter. "Wait a moment. The Manifesto of the Triton Nexus. This could be what I needed."

The founding of Glenview Valley may be based on the men who wanted their families to be free from the tyranny of the Purist reformation and be able to be living without accusations of witchcraft. But what no one really knows is that Glenview Valley itself holds a deep and powerful magic based on one wish made by Sarabeth Allendam, the middle child of Eduard Allendam.

Legend has it that Sarabeth had no marriage offers from the wealthiest bachelors while her brothers and sisters were paired off with other children of nearby towns. She was facing a life of a spinister when one day she was having her afternoon stroll across the beaches before she came across a handsome young man whose blonde hair was the color of spun gold and had the the looks resembling of Michaelangelo's David statue. Beside the fact that he was naked when she saw him, she took a liking to him and assumed that he was abandoned and beaten. She took him home and had him cleaned up, dressed properly, and fed a nice meal.

Grateful for her hospitality, the young man introduced himself only as Orion as he admired her for her bravery. When asked how he was on the beach and left naked, he only smiled mysteriously and said that he was only enjoying a swim.

From there, a friendship was born. Orion and Sarabeth would spend their free time together when he wasn't busy with helping out his family with their fisheries business and her tutoring sessions. He would tell her mystical tales from the North and the Orient while she introduced him to British Literature and poetry. It was rumored that she soon fell in love with him after he wrote her a sonnet in her honor.

Unfortunately, their time together would be short-lived when Samuel was introduced to him. Despite him being known as a free-thinker, he didn't think that Orion was a good match for his daughter and barred the broken-hearted young woman from ever seeing him again. Orion, knowing the man was large enough to fight him, had to obey despite Sarabeth's tearful pleas. But before he left, he gave her one special gift in the form of a child that they created after a night of forbidden passions.

That child would become the catalyst of what would be a transformative journey for the town of Glenview Valley. And when the baby boy had passed on from cholera, Sarabeth buried him in secret as she knew that she would be labeled as a pariah for her forbidden affair. On the night of October 31st, 1721, she would bury him in a secluded area of the woods that were near the marshlands. It was then she saw a sea-green full moon glow bright as she made a wish that became a powerful curse. "May the town that denied me my happiness would be full of many young men who remind me of the man whom I could never have. May their sons become the clones of my beloved as they seek forbidden desires with each other. My wish will be their curse and it shall never be broken."

The next day, Sarabeth Alice Allendam died of a broken heart with her funeral held five days afterward. And from there, her wish would be fulfilled.

"Damn," Ja'Marco said, closing the book and placing it in his bag before turning to his food. "If that's not enough for Veronica's family to try and pass that book as fiction, I don't know what would. I mean, it's only a legend. Right?"

Deciding to put the matter to the side, he finished his food and left the diner with intentions to head back to Glenview Valley Academy. But no sooner than he was mere minutes away from the main gate when he saw the familiar Gypsy robes of Melina, the young woman greeting him with a sad smile. "Hello," he said. "I was just heading back from lunch. What are you doing here?"

"Something told me to see if you were preparing yourself for what's ahead," Melina said before her face got serious. "This weekend will be when you will have to make the decision that could change your life...or end it early."

"My choice to stick to what I had believed from my grandparents' teachings or when I would side with the ideals of this town," Ja'Marco deduced. "I have a lot of new information told to me by some people on how things aren't as they seem while my friends are either becoming my enemies and all that, but that's leaving me with more questions than answers. At this point, I might as well be flying blind at this point."

Melina nodded. "You will know what to do when the time is right. But today will be the last time that I speak with you as my time here in this town will be finished."

Ja'Marco blinked twice. "What do you mean?"

A shadow of emotions crossed the woman's face. "I have made sure that you would know some of your legacy and only show you the paths before you," she intoned. "And though I can't tell you anymore than I already have; know that you, Ja'Marco Hedare, hold the key to three doors. One will lead to a world of forbidden passions; one will lead you back to a world of simplicity...and one would only lead to your end. And only you can unlock only one door after learning your heritage in this town."

"But how will I know if I'm making the right choice? What happens if the choice that I make would not be the one that I need?"

"You will know what you need, Ja'Marco," Melina assured him. "And when you do, all will fall into place. Just believe that it will."

The young man embraced her in a big hug. "Thank you for everything," he said just as the bell rang that signaled the end of the lunch period. "I have a feeling that this weekend will be one that I will have to prepare myself for."

"I'm sure you will," Melina replied as they broke away. "Live well, young man."

Ja'Marco watched her leave before he turned to head back inside. Lord, I can only pray that I'll be able to make the right decision once this weekend arrives, he said to himself. Just promise me that You'll show me the way to go.

"Ja'Marco!"

He whirled around to see Melina and an unfamiliar student with golden-blonde hair that was slicked back and had a surfer's body which his white T-shirt and jeans hugged him like a glove. "Hey, Mom, what's up?"

"This is Oliver, one of the former students here," his mother introduced, "and he'll be one of the main guests that you'll be spending a LOT of time this weekend. After you have your swimming and diving practice and afternoon tea with your uncle, you're to give Oliver and the other boys your undivided attention as Brad and Broderick will be fixing dinner at the dorms."

The handsome blonde named Oliver shook Ja'Marco's hand as the latter felt...as if he was staring into the eyes of a modern-day Poseidon. "It's such a pleasure to meet you, Ja'Marco," he said in a melodic yet powerful voice. "You and I are going to be quite close in the days to come."

Ja'Marco composed himself despite hearing the faint strains of a woman singing as if she was in love. "I look forward to it," he remarked, wondering if the legend he did read in that book was more fact than legend. And if it was, then heaven help me, he thought.

We're getting closer and closer, boys and girls! The next chapter features the return of the supernaturally-sensitive (Felicia and the Westons) as they team up with the Yuen mother/daughter duo and Jeremiah in their plans to find out the truth themselves. But that's not all, folks, because we'll also see the Hedare/Quitman families and the Adamson/Thade/Turner/Freema/Lancaster rebels plan for the weekend as well. And after that...the truth will come out and we'll see how things will wrap up in a major cliffhanger to close out act two!

Media: "Prologue" by Woodkid.

Vote.
Comment.
Share.
Follow.
Add.
FAN!