Alias: Cierra Kore [Chapter 1]

Jana let the downhill incline of the pavement propel her skateboard down the street. It was dusk, and the evening was beautiful. The air was warm and the the date early enough in the year that the mosquitoes weren't much of a problem. Even so, no one was out in the entire three blocks of her new residential neighborhood. They were all inside, glued to their TVs and probably beginning to think of supper.1

Supper . At the thought, Jana remembered the emptiness of her own stomach. In between unpacking and putting aside the remnants of her last life, she'd missed lunch. Oh well. All there was to do back home right now was watch TV. That was the way she'd wiled away most of the morning, but she'd been overcome with the almost homesick feeling that always came after another identity change. Suddenly, she'd felt cooped up, isolated and put upon. Shouting her whereabouts to her busy mother, Jana had scooped up her skateboard and left for the sidewalks.2

The grind of the wheels on the pavement was soothing as Jana rode up one street and down another, weaving back and forth slightly as she kept any thoughts at bay; concentration focused on the sound of the skateboard.3

"But more than anything, more than anything, My wish, for you," the Rascal Flatts ringtone startled her out of her reverie and off her board. It rolled to the side and up onto someone's lawn. Jana went to retrieve it as she pulled out her phone. It was new too; no scratches yet defacing its screen. She flipped it open and held it to her ear.4

"Hey Mum."5

"Security check," her mother replied curtly.6

"'Screw your courage to the sticking place'," Jana quoted in a low voice as she hopped back on her board.7

"'Cowards die many times before their deaths'," her mum replied smoothly and, satisfied, went on, "You've been gone for a while. Everything okay?"8

"Yeah. I doubt your and Dad's buddies could've found a quieter neighborhood," Jana swerved her board out of the way of a huge dip in the sidewalk.9

"Hmmm," mused her mother -her only response to Jana's comment- "Well I was just calling to let you know I need you home now."10

"Right." Jana flipped the phone closed and slipped it back into the back pocket of her capris. She changed directions at the next corner and used her left foot to push herself along the pavement.11

The street signs at the next corner told her she was at Seffner and Oak Wod. As she turned onto Oak Wod, she wondered what sad spelling mistake had given the street its odd name. It took her another twenty minutes along Oak Wod to reach her own street- Stilecroft.12

Reaching number 44, Jana saw that, parked alongside her mum's black Civic, was her dad's Camry. He was home from work. Jana grinned as she rolled smoothly into the driveway. She didn't get to see much of her parents after a move. One was always busy at home with the boxes, the other was busy at work getting the new identities sorted out. This time, it'd been her dad's turn to handle them and he'd been working late hours on top of his usual 7:30 get-off-work time. Her mum was taking the week off to get them settled.13

Jana snapped her board upwards, caught it and tucked it under her arm as she walked to the front door. She unlocked the deadbolt with the key she was keeping on her chain necklace, and pushed open the door.14

Inside, all the lights in the house were on, their light stimulated by the candles scattered throughout the rooms. Classical music came from the magnificent stereo in the living room, which was right off the entrance. The smell of supper cooking came from the far off kitchen. Jana decided she didn't want to get press ganged into helping with the meal, so instead she crossed the living room and took the short, twisted flight of stairs that led to the den. 15

The noise down here seemed muffled, and not only because of its basement level. The floor was covered with thick, blue carpet and the walls were pretty much covered with folds of fabric. A long, dark couch sat in front of the muted TV. Jana dropped her board and flipped over the back of the couch and spread herself full length along the couch. 16

...Or at least that's what she'd meant to do. Instead, as she should've made contact with the couch, she instead landed on something warm and... alive?17

"Oof!" it gasped. Jana slid off the couch quickly and, sitting on her butt, spun back around to see what, correction: who, she'd landed on.18

"Who the hell are you?"