A Diamond in My Pocket Read Online Free PDF Page B

tell in her facial expression this was bothering her
immensely. She took a deep breath, “You overheard information here that needs
to be kept quiet or else widespread panic could erupt. Yes, we are missing three
of our own Runners, but there aren’t enough details to make an announcement
just yet. I need to ask you to keep this quiet. Will you, please?”
    “Yes, of course.” I’m the Fort Knox
of secrets. I’ve never indulged in spreading gossip; not even the juicy stuff
like when I found out through a lip-read that big time cheerleader Mindy
Mickelson was pregnant. She was so distraught and crying. That’s what drew my
attention across the library to where she was whispering to her friends. It
turns out the boy in question was bad boy, Spike Kruger. Mindy had made such horrible
verbal attacks on him to her friends, but her behavior was all a ruse to throw
them off the fact she was seeing him. I didn’t tell anyone then and Mrs. Winter
could count on me now to keep my lips sealed.
    A thought came to me, “Clara, why
don’t you ask your Seer what is going on?”
    “Seers’ powers are quite limited. They
can only view the future four weeks out. If something is going to happen sooner
they cannot envision it, only the changes to the future a month from now. Therein
lies the problem; there seems to be a cloudiness or fog where the future of our
clan is concerned. Our Seer is unable to interpret our Runners’ futures. He’s
communicated with his clan who are also confused by the mysteriousness of the
situation.”
    And here I sat, only moments
before, having wanted to be a Seer. How frustrating would it be to only be able
to see four weeks out and not sooner? It sounded like the Seers got the bad end
of the cosmic powers deal.
    Mrs. Winter’s phone rang interrupting
our conversation. “Excuse me, Calli.”
    I sat back in the cushy couch while
she spoke on the phone with so many thoughts running through my mind. The
appearance of Chris and hearing of his investigation into the missing Runners
had helped my mind to begin to accept the reality of my new world.
    Chris spoke of me as if he already
knew me. I don’t remember ever meeting him, and I know I wouldn’t forget that !
Thinking bake on his last angry look he gave before leaving my view made me
slightly disheartened. Oh well, he was way out of my league anyway. Plus, he’s
older, perhaps in his twenties, and most likely has a significant other what
with all the beautiful girls floating around here.
    “Calli, why don’t we take a one
hour break?” Mrs. Winter whispered with her hand covering the phone.
    “Alright.” I got up and left her
office and headed to the main staircase. In the daylight the ornate, precision
crafted woodwork was beautifully polished reflecting the skylights in the
vaulted ceiling. I climbed the stairs as a few girls were heading down. They
paid me no attention and that was fine by me. After visiting the ladies’ room I
headed to my bedroom and found Beth.
    “Got your mind messed up, didn’t
you?” Her smugly laced jab hurt. She knew exactly what I’d been through in Mrs.
Winter’s office. I had to suppose every individual here had gone through the
emotional roller-coaster I’d just experienced. I nodded at Beth and lay down on
my bed.
    “Well, don’t you go all feelin’
sorry for yourself, no one here will waste any time feelin’ sorry for you
either. There are no pity parties at the Runners’ Clan Compound.”
    “What are you, the head cheerleader
for team-depression?”
    Beth grunted some curse words and
left the room. Even though she had left, her attitude lingered with the decor. I
recalled Beth’s words from the night before when she called me a human and a
muck. With the new insane information I’d just been indoctrinated with, I
understood that to be called a human was worse than a muck. At least a muck had
cosmic powers.  I closed my eyes and tried to imagine my normal life back in
Ohio, but I couldn’t get