NOT IMPOSSIBLE CHAPTER TWO!

C H A P T E R   T W O
W H A T   T H E Y   W A N T   Y O U   T O   B E L I E V E 

I got home and was surprised by all my friends, Mom holding a cake out to me beckoning me to blow out the candles.

“Happy birthday, Danny!” Mom cried, her blue eyes glowing. She still had her computer glasses on, and a pen resting on her ear.

She must have been working on something…

“Well, aren’t you going to make a wish?” My friend Andy nudged me.

I laughed. “Sure,” I took a step forward and in one breath, blew out the seventeen glittery white candles that formed around the cake in a circle. Everyone clapped and embarrassed me, and I dipped my finger in the gooey icing.

“Ooh, chocolate!” I exclaimed, causing more laughter.

That night, me and Andy sat outside in the grass, just as the stars were beginning to appear.

“You like the cake?” He asked me, licking his finger.

“You kidding? It was awesome.”

“What did you like more? The drone or the air-pilot manual?”

“I don’t know, I really liked the dictionary from Aunt Samantha.”

The two of us laughed and laid down on our backs.

“Nights like these—perfecto.” 

I took a deep breath. “You’re right. There’s nothing more normal and perfect than right now,” I tried to sound alright, but my voice held hesitation that I couldn’t control.

Andy looked at me, his brown curls in the grass. “Daniel?”

“Hm?”

“Is something wrong?”

Wrong? What could I say to that?
“Wrong? What do you mean?”

“You seem…quiet. You’re never quiet.”

“Nuh uh. You’re the loud one.”

“Yeah right,” Andy shifted his one hand behind his head to the other one.

“Actually, there is something.”

“I knew it.” Andy stared at me. “Spill.”

I leaned on my side and twiddled with my fingers. “I think my parents are up to something.” 

“What, like a vacation?”

“No, no—I mean I think we’re in danger. I think…I’m in danger?”

Andy looked at me like I grew a third eye. “How do you figure that? We have a great government system who actually takes care of us. How could anything dangerous be here? Threatening you…?”

I dwelled on his theory about the government. “You really believe that?”

“Believe what?”

“About the government…”

Andy shrugged. “Course. Don’t you?”

I opened my mouth but no words came. “I guess I never really thought about them,” I mumbled, plucking a stem of grass. My eyes rested on nothing, just the grass lit by the deck lights.

“Danny,” Andy tried to look me in the eye and finally I did so. “What’s going on?”

“I saw Mom and Dad in the basement. They were working on something in a secret room I never saw before. And there were these weird neon lights flashing and—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. The basement? Not even your Christmas decorations go down there.” Andy hugged himself. “It’s creepy.”

I suddenly came to the conclusion of something. “That’s why we never went downstairs. They might’ve been doing this all along!”

“Doing what?” He snapped.

I looked up at him a little surprised.

“Sorry, it’s just—why would you think anything against them?”

I sighed. “Because my parents. I heard them say, something like, my life depends on it.”

Andy looked at me curiously. “You’re sure you heard that? And it was about you?”

“I’m almost positive. All this—” I motioned my hand around the yard, “this is what they want you to believe. But I don’t think it’s real. I think they’re working backstage.”

“Interesting theory.”

 “Look, I know it sounds crazy. But I think I’m onto something. And I aim to find out what.”

“I’m in,” he shrugged.

I stared at him. “Wait, you believe me? And-and you’re in? For real?”

“What’s wrong with a little adventure every now and then?”

I grinned. “Not a thing.”

NOT IMPOSSIBLE CHAPTER ONE!

NOT

IMPOSSIBLE 

 BOOK ONE

A N   A C T I O N-  T H R I LL E R   B Y   E L E N A   D E N V E R

                    C H A P T E R   O N E

                           N O R M A L?

It was Tuesday. 

Finally, school was out and I could have a little fun. But before that, running errands for Mom came first—and dropping off books at the library too. I had two brown paper bags in my hand, and one blue plastic bag filled with books in the other. The library was just a few blocks away, but I never minded the walking. It was cooler than the last few days and there was the faintest breeze in the air, but I welcomed it. As I walked down the sidewalks, I glanced at the stores on my right, the displays showing in the windows. When I got to a certain store, I paused.

Wedding Gowns and Floral Decor.

I looked in the window, only a few feet away from the glass. Inside, I saw a girl measuring a dress on a mannequin, adding little bits and pieces to the gown, things I didn’t understand.

Trinity.

I smiled. 

Her warm eyes glowed and she smiled, taking a needle from her mouth and pinning it down somewhere.

Just as she went to look my way, I turned and walked briskly onward. I didn’t want to make her think I was staring at her.

Trinity Jane March. That was her name. I had known her since we were small kids, though I never got the chance to say hi to her. Someday, I would.

But not yet.

I had to find out what was going on with Mom and Dad first.

I finally arrived at the Herrington Library and slid my books in the blue book slot. I felt just a tap of rain, but the sky was still a nice warm pink.

I wanted to hurry home, in case it picked up. I walked home, still holding the two brown paper bags in my hand, filled with groceries. I glanced at my watch.

5:37 pm. I wanted to be back in time for my birthday dinner, pizza and ginger-ale—my favorite. My best friend Andy was even coming over. It was going to be fun. 

So, I picked up my pace and just for a mere second, I looked away and plummeted into somebody, dropping my bags and scuffing my already bruised knee.

The apples and onions rolled all over the concrete and some into the road. Those were immediately squashed and turned into mush.
“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!”

I hadn’t even noticed who I bumped into. I looked up and my eyes were met with deep auburn eyes, with just a hint of sunset orange.

“Tri-Trinity?”

“Um…Danny, right?” She awkwardly laughed and bent down to help pick up the food that rolled all over the sidewalk.

I blinked, breaking the daze I was under. “Oh—hi, I…I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going…”

“No, no, it’s my fault, I wasn’t being careful, and you were carrying a ton of groceries, and now they’re all over the floor!” 

She talked so fast, I barely heard her. But something about the way she riled herself up, brought a smile to my face.

“Um…Danny?”

“Oh, um, yes?”

She laughed again, holding the bags, one ripped. “Here’s your food. I’m sorry, one of the bags is ripped and—”

“It’s okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean it. It’s fine.”

She smiled and stood up, wiping off her knee-length skirt. Her skirt was a pale peach color and her shirt was cream with little peach flowers. And around her neck, was a gold necklass with what looked like a rose. A rose-gold rose. Something about that sounded nice. Elegant.

I realized I had been staring at her necklass too long.

“It’s from my mom,” she said, looking down and fingering the flower between her two fingers.

“It’s…it’s really nice.”

“Yeah. It used to be hers. I don’t know what I would do if this thing got lost.”

I nodded and looked down. 

“Well, I’ll let you go.”

As she walked away, I remembered my birthday and called out, “Hey, are you busy?”

She turned around. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, today’s my birthday and we were kind of doing something at the house. Something real simple and maybe you’d like to come?”

She smiled. “Well, happy birthday. But no, I can’t this time. I was going to the animal shelter to help my friend this week. But thanks, anyway.” She turned around and walked down the path. 

I watched her until she turned a corner and left my view.

That was probably the second time I had ever uttered a word to her.

And it felt good. Not just good—but normal. Today was actually normal. I brushed off my feelings about Mom and Dad’s basement thing. It was probably something I had nothing to worry about.

The words, “His life depends on it,” entered my mind for the millionth time today. But this time, I ignored it and made my way on home.

Sneak peek....

 Hi everyone! This here is a sneak peek of the up-coming action story I've been writing. I don't have a title for the book, yet, but  I'll think of one soon. The real chapter one will be coming out next week hopefully! 

I hope you enjoy, and ignore my logical errors, since this is my first action book taking place in present day America!! 

This is the story of how I-Daniel Burton-discovered my parent's secret and then...well you'll just have to find out.

It all started on a normal July Wednesday, in my hometown Ronny Drove Ohio. I had no idea my life would completely alter and turn-upside down just because of one secret. My goal had always been to be the best track-runner in the States. Now it's just staying alive.  

RONNY DR., Ohio. 

Wednesday 

July the 8th,  

5:03pm.

I had just got back from school. 

The weather was near eighty degrees and the air was thick and hot. It had been a slow walk coming home, since the humid air had affected my Asthma and dropped my pace to a more moderate steady one.

I dropped my back-pack on the floor and kicked off my running shoes. The house was eerily quiet.

Too quiet, I thought.

“Mom?” I looked around a corner. The lights seemed to be off in every room. “Dad?” 

No answer.

I closed my eyes and listened real silently, straining my ears to see if I could make out just a whisper. Something that would give me a calm conscious. But the silence didn’t seem natural. It didn’t feel natural.

What’s going on…

Just as I decided maybe going upstairs and getting showered and changed would be best, I heard something. 

Just a mumble. Then, two mumbles. It has to be Mom and Dad, I was thinking. And I was right. I followed the sound to what was the basement. We hadn’t gone down to that basement for ages. But now, voices echoed in the empty space.

I got just a hint of a chill down my spine. I tried to walk cat-like down the rickety steps, but even with my socks, it creaked—three steps down. 

It was dark and muggy down there. I was at the bottom of the steps and peeked my head around the wall, when I gasped. A bright neon light shone from underneath a door farther along. My curiosity grew and I tiptoed closer to the door, trying to make out the words I heard. I was so close—and then I tripped over some hidden object laying out on the floor. I let out a quiet groan and tumbled to the cold concrete floor.

That’s gonna be a bruise later, I thought.

And then—I sat deathly still as I heard a shuffle of footsteps.

“What’s that?” A voice said. And to my surprise, it was my mother.

Who else did I think would it be?

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

The door opened.

I scooted behind an old trashcan.

The whole room almost lit up with the neon coloring flowing from out the door.

“It’s okay. Danny’s probably home now,” my dad reassured her.

I sat there quietly, anticipating what Mom might say next. I heard the door shut, but when I peeked over the top of the can, I saw that it had accidentally been left open a crack. I leaned my heard farther and strained my ears for more information.

“Liam,” Mom had worry growing in her voice. Her eyes glowed with the bright light. “What are we going to do? They’ve probably already found us out. They’re coming, Liam.”

What?

“I know, Starla. But it’s going to be okay. Danny’s a smart boy. Almost all grown up,” Dad’s voice dropped to a low tone. “If he ever found us…this…”

“But he won’t. They might, but we have to make sure he doesn’t. His life depends on it.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “His life depends on it?” I decided maybe I should leave. After all, they obviously didn’t want me to find out whatever they were talking about. I slipped upstairs and into my room, slowly and silently, closing the door behind me. I took a seat on my bed and let out a big exhale. 

“His life depends on it…his life…his life depends on it…”