As Cassidy got closer to the light she noticed that it was emiting from and object. The object looked like a necklace, with three oval amythest gemstones on a silver chain.
Suddenly the purple light began to exspand and soon she was surrounded by it. Just as the light surrounded her a splitting pain in her head caused her to collaspe. The only word she could here in her head was amythest, repeating over and over again. Suddenly the head ache got worse and it felt like she was being stabbed by a knife.
*
*
*
Cassidy woke with a jolt. She sat up in the bed she shared with her sister, in the hotel room her family entered. She took a moment to look around at the familiar surroundings of the hotel room. She stared at the old yellow wallpaper that was everywhere. Infront of her was a tv and to her right was a frige and table. She was sitting in the far right bed, the other one her parents shared.
Eventually she realized it was only a dream. It was such a strange dream though she couldn't help but wonder if it meant something. "Oh well," she thought, "I probably go too into that exibit in the museum."
It took her a moment to realize that her family wasn't in the room. She assumed they were just getting breakfast. Cassidy decided to get up and get dressed. She grabed her clothes and headed to the bathroom.
When she got to the bathroom she took a look at herself in the mirror. She always hated how she looked in the morning. She turned on the sink and splashed some water on her face. The dream she had was so vivid, that she could still replay the whole thing in her mind.
Suddley Cassidy fell to the floor in exstreme pain. It felt like someone was stabbing her head with hundreds of knifes. To make things worse her ears began ringing. Even though she wwas in exstreme pain she began to realize that it wasn't just ringing she heard, it was a word, repeating itself ove, and over. Amythest. Suddenly Cassidy let out an earshattering scream, and just as quickly as it had started it was over.
Cassidy lay on the floor clutching her head for a while, rocking back and forth. That had to be the scariest thing she had been through in all her life. The worst part about it was the fact it was just like the one she had in her dream. She must have been dwelling on it for this to happen.
Cassidy slowly stood up and looked at herself in the mirror again. She was a mess. She decided that a shower would do her some good. She took a nice warm shower letting the water warm her cold clammy body.
When she was done she put on her favorite outfit. It was a purple blouse that was one third white one the top and dark brumuda shorts. Not exactly what you would where hikining in the grand canyon, but at the moment she needed something she liked really bad.
Cassidy combed and stlyled her sandy blonde hair. To finnish it off she tied a small, slim red ribbon in her hair. She knew it looked little kiddish but it was her thing and she liked it.
Just as Cassidy was finnishing getting ready she heard the hotel room door open, and in came her parents and her sister. Thankfully they were carrying a box of donuts. She really needed the food.
"I see you're finnally up," said Stacy.
"Yeah sorry about that guess I was just a bit tired," responded Cassidy, though she had a feeling being tired had nothing to do with it.
"Come have some breakfast we bought donuts" said Cassidy's mom.
"Great I'm starved!" and she was. Apperently having your head almost exsplode made you that way. Cassidy grabbed the first donut she saw and began to slowly eat it.
"So today I thought we would..." said her dad as he began to talk about what they wre doing today. Strangly Cassidy found it hard to concentrate. All she could think about was her birthstone, amythest. Then suddenly Cassidy rembered, that it was that word that was rining in her ears durring her splitting headache.
"Cassidy are you ok?? Were you even listening to me," said her dad as he looked at her horrified face. It was just then Cassidy noticed that the donut she was eating was purple, the color of Amythes. She dropped it on her plate disgused, horrified, and scared.
"You know, I am actually not very ungry," said Cassidy which was the truth. At the moment she was quite nautious.
"You should eat somthing we are going to be hiking all day. You will pass out if you don't eat something," said her mom.
"Really I'm fine. I will bring along some trail mix so incase I do get hungry I can eat something."
"Ok then but I really don't like the thought of that."
Cassidy got up from the tabel and layed back down on the bed. As she was laying down, Stacy layed down right next to her and whispered in her ear.
"You better not get sick today. I have been waiting all my life to see the Grand Canyon, and you are not going to ruin it for me."
"Yeah you've waited all 12 years of your life."
"Yup so don't get sick."
"Whatever," Cassidy replied and closed her eyes. She must of fallen asleep because the next thing she knew her parents were telling her it was time to leave. Before they left Cassidy walked over to where they were storing the medicince, and took some ibprofine, just incase. Then she put on her black and white shoes, and headed out the door.
They headed out to the car for the short drive to the canyon. When they got in the car the rest of her family was chattering, but she just stared out the window. Cassidy couldn't stop thinking about the dream that she had, and the word amythest was still playing over and over in her head.
Suddenly the blinding headache that's been plaging her all morning came back. She tried to ignore it but she couldn't. The medicine she took that morining didn't work at all. All she could hear was that ringing of the word amythest in her mind.
She silently clutched her head hoping her family wouldn't notice. It would probably been the smart to just let them take her back to the hotel, considering having a blinding migrane on the edge of a cliff wasn't the best idea, but she couldn't bring herself to ruin there fun. She would just have to remember not to get to close to the edge.
When her headache finally passed she realized that they were finnally there. Cassidy hopped out of the car, following her family to the visitors center, silently praying that her headache wouldn't come back.
They took a minute to look around the visitors center and then headed out to see the canyon.
"Wow this is amazing!!,"exsclaimed her sister once she saw it. In fact it was amazing, for a big whole in the ground.
Cassidy looked around in awe. The canyon seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. It was so big and beutiful. She looked down and there was the Colorado River. It was probably the most amazing thing she ever saw.
She quickly pulled out her camera and began to take picture. The only problem was that her pictures never seemed to capture the beuty of it.
She finnally gave up and went to the edge of the look out point to take a long look. Just as she was looking over her vision began to fill with dark spots, and she was suddenly so dizzy she felt like she was going to fall off the edge. In fact she was about to but somehow she managed to fall backwards instead. she felt the pain steadily rising in her head.
Somehow she didn't know how she was abel to make it over to a bench and sit down. She rubbed her head for a bit and tried to think, but like always all she could hear was amythest.
As her headache began to clear though she heard something new. It was music, in fact it was a song she new. After she thought about it awhile she realized that it was the begginging to "This is my song" by Carbon Leaf. But it didn't sound like Carbon Leaf. In fact it sounded like a kid singing it.
Cassidy finally opened her eyes to see her dad staring at her.
"Are you ok??" he asked with concern.
"Yeah I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Hey where is that music coming from?"
"It looks like it is coming from over there. Some boy is performing." said her dad as he pointed in the direciton of the music, " We are going to go over to the next look out point coming?"
"Actually I want to see who is singing. Not many people know about Carbon Leaf, so I want to see who it is."
"Ok but stay there and don't leave untill we come and get you," said her dad as he walked off.
Cassidy began to walk over to where a croud was forming around the boy. She didn't know why she was so intriged by it, but it wasn't everyday someone knew the songs by yyou favorite band.
Cassidy squeezed her way to the front of the croud and she saw him. The boy looked about her age, which was very suprising. He had light brown hair, which was longer then most boys cut their hair, but it only came down to around his ears. He was wearing a white shirt enderneath a longsleave shirt button up shirt. He was also wearing blue jeans and tennis shoes. He had dark brown eyes just like her.
It took her a moment to realize that the song was over, and she was the only one left. They boy was giving her a strange questioning voice and she knew she had to say somthing.
"Umm that was very good. You have a great voice you know. You also play the guitar very well. You know not many people have heard of Carbon Leaf that is one of my favorite songs by them." Cassidy suddenly realized that she was ramboling on to some complete stranger. Great.
"You talk alot," the boy laughed, and then motioned for her to com sit by him, at the edge of the canyon, on a stone ledge.
Cassidy, not knowing what to do, slowly walked over to join him. She sat down on the ledge, on his left.
"Yeah your're right not many people have heard of them. But you know I guess that is what makes playing there songs even more fun. It helps introduce people to new artists, and knew types of music," said the boy, "Oh by the way I'm Jack."
"I'm Cassidy," she replied.
"Cassidy, hmmm, I like that name," said Jack.
"Thanks," Cassidy responded blushing, she had never been told that before. "So how old are you??"
"Me?? Oh I'm 15," replied Jack.
"Really?? Wow, and you play so well allready."
"Yep, I taught myself."
"Wow that is amazing" Cassidy said, and she really meant it too. "So your parents let you play at the Grand Canyon. That is so cool."
Jack looked down at his lap with a sad look on his face. Then he looked up and smiled.
"I don't have any parents," he said, "They died right after I was born."
"Oh I'm so sorry," said Cassidy.
"Nah don't be. I have been living on my own for awhile now. I have been just fine."
"On your own?? Don't you have a realative you can live with?" asked Cassidy very confused.
"Nope," said Jack, "They stuck me in an orphange when my parents died. Thats where I grew up. But I hated the place. So one night I ran away, and I have been on my own ever since. Oh, but please don't tell anyone that."
"No of course not." Cassidy said quickly, "It must be hard living on your own."
"Not really. I play my guitar for a living. I live off my tip money. It's fun! I can go where I want, see what I want, and do what I want. I have been almost everywhere in the west. From the Grand Canyon to the Rocky Mountains."
"Wow thats cool," said Cassidy. It was certainly different, but just be abel to travel and do what you love at his age, how cool. It suddenly got real quiet between them. Cassidy was trying to find something to say when to wind began picking up.
Cassidy stood up and looked around her. It was getting exstremly dark quickly. The clouds were jet black, and it wasn't just the clouds too. It seemed that the sky itself was darkening.
"Looks like a bad storm. Possibly a tornado. We should probably take cover somewhere," said Jack standing up.
"Right," said Cassidy, "But my family told me to wait for them here. I don't want them to worry." "But I don't want to die either," thought Cassidy as the wind picked up more.
"Ok then. Lets wait for them for a bit. If it gets real bad then we will go inside," offered Jack.
"Thanks, but you don't have to wait for me, you can go on ahead," said Cassidy.
"Nah, I want to make sure you are safe. It just wouldn't seem right to leave you on your own out here."
"Thanks," said Cassidy. This was the most polite boy she had ever met. Normally she wouldn't want to wait with some stranger she just met, but he seemed nice, and she was terrified of bad storms and it felt good to have someone there.
Suddenly out of nowhere the ground began to shake underneath Cassidy. "An earthquake??" she thought, panickly. As she started to move away from the edge she felt the ground crumble beneath her.
Suddenly she was falling. She felt the ground dissapear and there was nothing but air, as she began to fall off the canyon. She closed her eyes and started screaming.
It took her a minute to realize that she had stopped falling. She didn't feel any wind surrounding her, or that she was moving at all. She looked up and saw that Jack, in the nick of time had grabbed onto her hand and was sljowly trying to pull her up.
Cassidy grabbed on to both of his hands wither hers and allowed herself to be lifted onto the ground. When she finally had both feet on the ground she tried to stand but she felt her legs wobboling beneath her. She also found that she couldn't relase her death grip on Jacks hands. He didn't seem to mind though, which was a good thing because she wasn't letting go anytime soon.
"Th-thanks," Cassidy stutterd still in shock.
"No problem," said Jack looking in as much of shock as she was. It was only then that she noticed that the sky was black. Pure black. It was also so dark that she was having a hard time seeing. She looked around her but saw that most of the people had allready left. There were only a few left staring in shock.
Just then the wind blew faster thean before. So fast that Cassidy buried her head into Jacks shoulder without thinking, to keep herself from falling off the edge again. Then out of nowhere a man stepped out of the sky as if he were controlling the sky himself. In fact it he was flying, or at least floating in midair.
The man was the strangest thing she had ever saw. He was wearing a suit. A suit that was striped a dark pink, purple and black, and a top hat to match. He had exstremly dark brown hair that was moderalty short. He looked like someone you would find as a villian in a marvel comic book. The way things were looking, Cassidy didn't think she was far off.
The on think that she noticed about the man,that she would never forget were his eyes. The were a dark deep black. It was almost as if you were looking into a black whole. There was a sense of nothingness to them. She wondered if he was even seeing anything.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here. Look like everyone one is gone allready," said the man. He took a step forward and Cassidy noticed that he wasn't floating in mid air, but walking on a cloud of darkness.
"How is he doing that?" thought Cassidy,"That's impossible!"
Suddenly the man looked down, and looked her directly in her eyes.
"Well I stand corrected. There are some people left," he said, "Now why havn't you two evacuated with the others. I have work to do and I can't have people watch me destroying this canyon. They can't no about me untill after thats done."
"Destroy the canyon?? How is he going to do that?" she thought, "That's impossible." Cassidy stood there wondering whether or not she should be afraid or just plain creeped out.
"My, my, my, you still havn't left yet?? Oh well I can take care of that," said the man.
Suddenly the man raised his right arm and out shot, what looked to be a shadow. Cassidy cringed because it looked as if it was going to hit her, but instead it hit the ground in front of her, and Jack. Cassidy felt a moment of releif, untill she felt the ground beneath her crumble again.
Cassidy felt herself falling again, but this time there was no one to catch her because Jack was falling along side her. Cassidy didn't know what to do. She thought she should scream, she should have been seeing her life flash before her eyes, but instead her head began to ache, that terrible splitting headache, and all she could think about was the word amythest.
This wasn't right. She was about to die and all she could think about was the word amythest, and be in terrible pain! She wished it would end, she knew it would soon, but she couldn't take it, she was falling, in pain, and as frustrated as could be and she did the only thing she could think of to do.
She screamed, but she didn't just scream, she screamed the word oher mind all day. "Amythest!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Suddenly she was surrounded by purple light, bright purple light, just like the one at the museum.
Then just like that everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Cassidy saw Jack falling next to her, and then an approaching ledge on the side of the canyon. Without knowing what she was doing, or how she was doing it she reached out and grabbed the cliff edge with her right hand, and with her left hand she grabbed Jack by his shirt. Then she realized she wasn't falling anymore. Cassidy began to pull herself and Jack up onto the cliff edge.
Once they were ontop of the ledge, Cassidy sat down, in shock, about what had just happend. She didn't know how she did it but she was still alive. She thought maybe it was an adrenaline rush. She read about those once, that people in life threatening situations could do amazing things.
She looked over at Jack to see if he was ok, but noticed that he was staring at her strangly.
"Ok I know that that was a little weird, but I'm pretty sure I just had an adrenaline rush," said Cassidy trying our her one possible exsplanation for what had just happend.
"I don't think that was just an adrenaline rush," said Jack a little cautiously.
"What are you talking about?" asked a now very confused Cassidy.
"I'm talking about this," said Jack pulling out the water bottle he kept clipped on his jeans. He took the water and poored it on the ground so that it made a small puddle.
"Wait why did you do that, that was the only water we have, who knows when rescue workers will find us!" said Cassidy
"Just look," said Jack.
Cassidy walked over to the small puddle and looked in. She was shocked to the refelction in it. It wasn't her reflection she saw in the puddle but someone elses. The girl looking back had a short black skirt on. She was wearing puple boots that had the slightest heel, and they went up to about mid shin. She had on a shirt that was a dark violet for the bottom two thirds of the shirt. The remaining top half of her shirt was black.
The girl had dark purple hair, and also had the same hair style as Cassidy. The girl had deep purple eyes. It was so werid becuase over those eyes were the exact same glasses she had.
Then it just clicked. Cassidy looked down at herself and saw that she was wearing the same thing as the girl in the pool of water. She pulled a strand of hair to her eyes, and saw that it was a dark purple. Overwhelmed Cassidy fell to the ground.
"Wha-What happend!" Cassidy asked.
"I don't know it was the strangest thing ever," responded Jack, "We were falling and suddenly I heard you scream the work amythest. I turned to look at you, but you weren't there. Instead there was a bright purple light, and when the light cleared, you and changed your clothing and hair, and then suddenly we weren't falling, but you were pulling me up onto this ledge.
"This is crazy! How is that even possible??" asked Cassidy.
"I don't know," responded Jack, "Could this have anything to do with that man up there?"
"I don't know," said Cassidy when a thought occured to her, "Unless...."
Cassidy stood up and looked into the puddle of water again and saw just what she was afraid to see. On her neck was the amythest necklace, from her dream. The same one from the museum where she put her hands on the cement and saw the purple light for the first time.
"That's impossible though," said Cassidy.
"What's impossible?" asked Jack.
"This, this necklace that I'm wearing. The last time I saw it was on a museum display, at an old west museum that I visited yesterday. The museum where I put my hands on the cement mold and saw that light," said Cassidy more to herself then to Jack.
"What museum, what light, what the heck is going on here!" asked Jack.
"Yesterday I visited an old west museum, and I saw an exibit with this necklace in it along with four others. There was a legend. Oh how did it go again. Something about how when the dark ages came again, five people would get powers and save the day, and that the first persons hands would fit the hand print and would get there powers, and mine fit. And that was when I saw the light, but I thought it was just the light refelcting off my glasses," said Cassidy, "But that can't be right, stuff like that is impossible!"
"I don't think it is anymore," said Jack, "Think about it, the man up there seemed to be controlling some kind of dark matter, which could be refering to the dark ages, and look at yourself. You just stoped us from falling to our deaths, by grabbing onto a ledge as we were falling at 9.8 meters per second!"
"But still," said Cassidy doubtfully, "I mean even if that is all true what are we supposed to do now."
"We are going to go go up and stop him," said Jack, "Didn't you hear him, he said he is going to destroy the canyon!"
"You have got to be kidding me!" said Cassidy, "He just knocked us off a cliff using some kind of dark energy and you want to go and stop him!
"We have to, we are the only ones who can! You got these powers, you have to help!" said Jack.
"Ok so what if I did help, I don't know how to fight!" exsclaimed Cassidy.
"I do!" said Jack, "I can help you!"
"How you can't fight for me?" asked Cassidy.
"But I can tell you what to do, I can help coach you when you get up there," said Jack.
Cassidy paused to think, "Ok, you win, lets go stop him from destroying the canyon. Ok but how do we get up there." Cassidy looked up and say that they had fallen quite a ways."
"We'll have to find handholes on the way up," said Jack
"Ok, I think I can do that," said Cassidy, "So do you want to get on my back?"
"On your back?" asked Jack.
"Well, I don't know, I mean how else are you going to get up?" asked Cassidy.
"I can climb up after you, when you find the hand holes," said Jack.
"You sure, that is a long way up?" asked Cassidy.
"Don't worry about me I can make it," said Jack.
"Ok," said Cassidy. She looked at the canyon wall and noticed the first thing she could use for a handhold and began to climb. Cassidy was a little nervous, but it actually wasn't that hard. I was also something she would never be able to do without this strange powers that she got, even though she still was having a hard time beleiving it.
Cassidy continued climbing trying her hardest not to look down. She was absolutly terrified by hights. She continued climbing slowly and cautiously.
"Hey whats taking so long?" Cassidy heard Jack ask.
"I'm not going that slow." said Cassidy.
"We are barley moving!" Jack yelled back.
"Sorry I'm afraid of heights." said Cassidy.
"Your afraid of heights! How can you be afraid of heights, you just fell off the canyon. Twice, shouldn't that have cured you," said Jack.
"Well I think that it did just the opposite." said Cassidy who turned to look at Jack. Bad idea because one look down was enough to do her in. "Oh gosh," said Cassidy freezing were she was.
"Cassidy pull it together, we have to get up there. You're strong now you can handle it," said Jack.
"Right," said Cassidy. She looked up and began to climb. She had to remember that things were differnt now. If they weren't she wouldn't be scaling the side of a canyon.
Cassidy continued to climb being carful not to look down. She looked up and noticed they were only halfway there. It was then that she noticed 5 feet abover her there was another ledge. She started to make her way there. When she got there she climbed up and then reached down to help Jack up.
"Are you ok do you need a rest?" asked Cassidy. She noticed Jack was panting, and looked ready to pass out.
"No I'm fine," answered Jack.
"Are you kidding me you look like you are about to pass out. You don't really want to fall off the canyon again do you. No we'll rest," said Cassidy.
"Ok you win," said Jack sitting down.
"I can't beleive we are only halfway there," said Cassidy.
"Yeah and we better hurry, look," said Jack pointing up.
Cassidy looked up and saw the dark matter that man used flying everywhere. It was breaking off chunks of the canyon all over the place, things were getting bad. She walked over to the canyon edge and began to examine the route she would take to get up the rest of the way, when she noticed a little problem. There weren't any handholds for about ten feet.
"Now we're in trouble," said Cassidy.
"Why?" asked Jack.
"There aren't any handholds that are reachable. How are we going to get up?" said Cassidy.
Jack stood up and looked at the canyon, "Crap, this isn't good. Wait maybe you could make some handholds!"
"Make some?" questioned Cassidy.
"Yeah, your strong couldn't you just punch away the rock," said Jack.
"I don't think I am that strong," said Cassidy.
"It's worth a try," said Jack.
Cassidy truned and looked at the canyon wall again. She didn't think she would be able to do it, but hey it was worth a shot. Cassidy curled her right hand into a fist, lifted it up, and threw the best punch she could at the wall. Then she keeled over in pain.
"Ow, ow, ow! My hand, my hand," Cassidy yelled.
"Are you ok??" Jack asked as he ran over to her. He looked very concerned.
"No," answered Cassidy rubbing her hand. Jack nelt down next to her and grabbed her hand. Cassidy winced in pain as Jack began examining it.
"It looks ok. In fact it seems to be healing exstemely fast!" said Jack in awe.
"Yeah well it doesn't feel that way," said Cassidy crabily. Then suddenly the pain was gone.
"Wow that did heal fast," said Cassidy examining her hand.
"Yeah," said Jack.
"Well, I still can't punch through rock, so I guess we are still stuck waiting for rescue workers, and hoping we don't die before that," said Cassidy.
"We can't just give up," said Jack thinking, "Wait I know! Jump!"
"Jump! Look I know this situation seems pretty hopless but I'm not going to commit suicide!" said Cassidy
"No! I didn't mean jump down, jump up," said Jack
"Jump up?" questioned Cassidy.
"Yeah try jumping up to the hand holds," said Jack.
"The lowest on is ten feet up!" said Cassidy.
"I know but I bet you can do it. What kind of powers don't allow you do jump high," said Jack.
"Mine!" said Cassidy, "Its not like if I go to the edge, bend down and jump I will go that hi, hi, high!" Cassidy suddenly found herself going higher and higher. She saw the handholds coming up and grabed on.
"Holy crap it worked," yelled Cassidy.
"Awsome!" yelled Jack.
"Coming down," yelled Cassidy. She let go of the handholds, and fell down to the ledge. She landed in a crouch, and stood back up.
"Ok hop on my back, and this time you have to because I don't think you can jump that high," said Cassidy.
"Right," said Jack as he climbed on her back.
Cassidy decided to get started with a small running start, or whatever you call it when your are on a five foot wide ledge. She took a leap and up she went. It was a strange sensation jumping so high, almost like flying. Cassidy saw the handholds coming up. She reached out and grabbed on, and felt herself hit the canyon wall as she did so.
"Oof," she cried out as she hit.
"You ok?" asked Jack.
"Yeah, jumping is a little hard with a person on my back," she replied. Cassidy began to climb again. She looked up, and saw that they were almost there. All of a sudden, some dark matter came flying out of nowhere and hit the canyon top, right over the spot she was climbing.
Debrii was falling everywhere. Cassidy pulled closer to the canyon wall and hung on as tight as she could to keep herself from falling off. She felt Jack pulling closer too as the debrii fell down on them. The in a flash she couldn't feel him. Instinctivly she reached down and grabbed for him, and out of luck caught him. It looked like some rock knocked him off, and knocked him out. Cassidy held tight to him as the rock slide slowly quieted to a stop.
"Jack," Cassidy yelled, "Jack wake up." Jack began to slowly open his eyes.
"What happend?" asked Jack, still half asleep.
"Some rock knocked you off me, and you passed out," said Cassidy.
