Once Upon Fifty five Wishes

Prologue

“No Matter how far you run. No matter how hard you try to hide. No matter where you are, it will find you.” That is what Lauren’s grandmother had always told her. At first, Lauren had no idea what her grandmother had meant by that when she was first told and she was only a child at the time. Myra, her grandmother, had mentioned a few more times over the years before she was overcome with madness and perished from this plane of existence.

Lydia, Lauren’s mother, didn’t respond to some of the questions Lauren had about her grandmother and some things that were happening to her when she became sixteen. Lydia just didn’t want to talk about it. Until she no longer had a choice when something happened to Lauren one day and needed to be picked up from school. She no longer had a choice. Mr. Morgan, her math teacher, was not too pleased either. There was an allegation of cheating against Lauren. Lauren hadn’t turned in any class work, yet she got all the test answers right. The reason Mr. Morgan waited until midterms to make his claim was a mystery.

After a pause, Lydia shook her head and said, “Lauren.” After exhaling deeply, Lydia tightly blew her breath out. “I’m not sure where to begin and I know that you have many questions.” She ran her hands along her face and growled softly. “I don’t know what to do and I’m trying so hard not to get in the same boat as grandmother Myra.” Lydia ran her fingers along her face. The truth is that no matter how hard we try, we can't hide from it. I didn't want it and I didn't want it for you.

“Grandma Myra used to say something like that when I was growing up,” Lauren recalled.

Lydia nodded in agreement. “Yes, she did. What else did she tell to you?”

Lauren shrugged. She was only sixteen at the time and had no idea what was going on with her. All she knew what that every time it came time for the math test, she somehow saw the answers and wrote them down as she saw them. She hated math. And now, she’s going to be known as a cheater. She had enrolled in a martial arts class to help with her anger and frustration at Mr. Morgan. And realized she was real good and began to enter tournaments and win championships.

“Lauren, what's going on with you? Please be honest with me. I can tell when you are lying to me.”

There was no doubt in Lauren's mind about that. Lauren's mother always knew when something was wrong with her before she even knew it herself. She inhaled deeply, then let out a long breath. “I have no idea, momma. Math is something I am not good at, you know that. Despite not doing the work, I seem to know the answers to the tests.”

Lydia nodded knowingly. “You can see the answers in your mind?”