Chapter 1

I hadn’t given much thought to dying; at 17, it’s not something that you typically think about. But when you’re getting a bunch of death threats from people you don’t even know, dying is something that comes to mind.

I remember the first time it happened. I was a child and had just turned 10, and because I was now a big girl (two digits), Mom and Dad got me a puppy for my birthday. I named her Lucy and we became best friends. Dad and I would take Lucy for walks and when she behaved Dad would let me hold the leash.

Well, one day while I was walking Lucy, a cat darted out from some bushes and ran across the street we lived on. Before Dad could react, Lucy jerked the leash from my hand and darted after that cat, except the car missed the cat but hit Lucy despite trying to stop. Lucy was hurt real bad and Dad carried her to the van and put her inside and then we drove to the Vet’s office.

I was in the back trying to give Lucy some comfort and I was crying and my tears kept falling on her. I kept thinking that I didn’t want Lucy to die. About halfway to the Vet Lucy opened her eyes and slowly stood up! I shouted to Dad that Lucy was okay and he turned and looked and saw her standing up and wagging her tail.

Dad almost ran off the road, but then he pulled over and got out, and came back and looked at Lucy, and she was wagging her tail and barking a bit at him but playfully. She showed no signs of injury.

Dad didn’t understand and neither did I at the time. We just figured that she was one lucky dog and so from then on, I called her Lucky Lucy. It wasn’t until years later that we figured out that something special happened that day.

Other oddball things happened too. For example, the time our family was on vacation on a cruise ship.

“Embry? Just a few more minutes, then we have to go back to the cabin to get ready for dinner.” Mom was sitting next to Dad when she called out to me. They were both reading and getting some sun. I was hanging out with Eddie.

He was a couple of years older than me, kinda’ good-looking I guess, and I think he liked me because he was always trying to impress me, either shooting baskets or doing cartwheels or something.

We were over at the rail watching some dolphins or porpoises racing alongside the ship when Eddie decided he was going to try and impress me again.

“Hey Em, watch this,” and with that, he climbed up on the railing and started walking backward! My eyes were really wide and I told him to get down, that he was going to get in trouble! He just smiled that big doofus smile of his and then did a fancy bow toward me, which was right when his Mom came around the corner, saw him, and shouted.

“EDWARD BENSON! Get down this instant!”

Well, she must have scared him good because he twisted around to look at her and lost his footing, and fell off the railing toward the ocean. My Mom had gotten up when she heard his Mom yell at him, and then they both screamed at the same time when he fell overboard.

I was shocked and just yelled “Nooooo!” I wanted him back.