The next morning, as Jacob was waking up, he didn’t seem to notice if the light was still there. In fact, he tried closing his eyes and didn’t see it.

  “Why did it only happen before I was going to bed?” he thought to himself.

  Jacob got out of bed, went to the bathroom, freshened up, brushed his teeth, and took a shower. He came back to his room, got dressed, put on his shoes, and headed downstairs.

  Grandma was already awake—and eager to go.

  Jacob said, “Good morning, Grandma. How was your sleep?”

  Grandma replied, “Good morning, Jacob. It was well, thank you. How was yours?”

  Jacob answered, “Well—not bad. But I mean, when I went to close my eyes last night, there was this strange light in my vision. But it was only when my eyes were closed. Because when I opened my eyes again, it was gone. And then when I woke up this morning, it was no longer there. I wonder if this could somehow be related to the mark on my arm.”

  Grandma said, “Well—I really don’t know. I’ve never experienced anything like this. And I don’t know anybody who has. All I have are the stories and my experiences, but they’re much different than what you seem to be going through right now.”

  As they headed out the door, they talked back and forth about all these strange things—about the legends and lore from the area they lived in.

  Grandma said, “You know, Jacob, I wish I could give you more—but I just don’t know. Maybe you need to find that girl you ran into. Maybe she can help you—or at least, maybe she can help you find someone who can.”

  Jacob said, “Well, she did have a school uniform on. Maybe I can try to find out which school she goes to and see if there’s any way I can get in touch with her.”

  Grandma said, “That’s a great idea. On Monday, after you get out of college, you should head over to the high schools in that area and see if any of them match that girl’s uniform.”

  Jacob thought back to it, trying to remember the logo on the uniform. But he couldn’t quite identify it completely. It had all happened too fast to make out the actual name on the badge.

  As Jacob and Grandma walked to the beach, he would reach down every once in a while, pick up a shell, examine it, and sometimes put it in his pocket. Other times, he’d throw it out.

  Grandma asked, “You definitely pick up shells from time to time. Why do you only keep some but throw the rest away?”

  Jacob replied, “Well—it’s just something I remember doing. I remember there was this little girl that used to go out with us all the time. We would collect seashells, but she only wanted the really pretty ones. She used to follow me everywhere. Do you remember her, Grandma?”

  Grandma, reminiscing, said, “Oh! You mean Little Squirt? We used to call her that because she used to get a mouthful of water and squirt it out like a little stream—like a squirt gun!”

  Jacob laughed. “Ah! That’s right. I remember that. She used to squirt me with that all the time. It was annoying.”

  Grandma said, “Yep, those were the days. I can’t remember her actual name. But maybe your father and mother remember. They should be back next month.”

  Jacob said, “Really? Next month? That was fast. They were only gone for—what? About six months this time?”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Grandma replied, “Yeah. I never really did agree with their choice of career fields—not with the fact that it kept them away from you so much. You didn’t really grow up with them. You had me—an old lady.”

  Jacob said, “That’s okay, Grandma. We’ve helped take care of each other.”

  Grandma nodded. “You’re right, Jacob. Things have been good. And you’ve grown up to be such a good young man—with honor and integrity.”

  Jacob smiled. “Well, I’ve had a great teacher.”

  Grandma gently said, “I just worry that someday you’ll leave me too—and I’ll be all alone. Maybe you should get me some great-grandbabies to take care of.”

  Jacob, astonished, replied, “Grandma! I’m not even out of college yet! I just started. How could I give you great-grandbabies already? I’m too young for that!”

  Grandma chuckled. “Well—an old lady can dream, can’t she?”

  Jacob responded, “Well, I wish you’d dream a little lighter. Like me graduating college. Me finding a fantastic career. Besides, I don’t even have a girlfriend. I’ve never even been in a serious relationship with a girl!”

  Grandma said, “I know, I know—too soon, too young. But one day, you need to get me those great-grandbabies.”

  Jacob groaned playfully. “Well, on that note, let’s get back to the house and make breakfast.”

  Grandma grinned. “Great idea. You can cook.”

  They arrived back at the cottage. Jacob went into the kitchen and started getting all the ingredients out for breakfast. He washed them, chopped the vegetables, cooked the meat, and plated everything. He brought a plate out to Grandma and then sat down at the table with her—and they both enjoyed a nice breakfast.

  Later that morning and into the afternoon, Jacob decided to go out for another walk on the beach. During that time, he started thinking about his past a little. Squirt—and the way things were going. He wondered what Little Squirt was doing now. He wondered how she looked now that she was grown up. He wondered if she was even in the same city.

  He couldn’t remember much about her—just that she would follow him around, picking up seashells and annoying him every chance she got.

  While Jacob was walking and reminiscing, he decided to go ahead and take a jog. It was a beautiful afternoon, after all—and the beach was just so pleasant. The sound of the seagulls, the crashing waves against the shore—it was serene.

  Jacob picked up his pace and started a nice jogging rhythm. He ran—and ran.

  It seemed like hours—but he wasn’t even tired.

  He felt like he’d never been able to run this far before—or for this long. He felt like he was miles away already. So, he turned around and started to head back to the house.

  By the time he got back home, it was actually already starting to get dark. Jacob didn’t realize he’d been gone for so long.

  When he walked in the door, Grandma was waiting.

  Grandma, exasperated, said, “Where were you? You were gone for so long! I was worried. You didn’t tell me you were going to be gone that long.”

  Jacob lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Grandma. I went for a jog, and before I knew it—time flew by. Let me help you cook dinner.”

  Grandma smiled softly. “You always did like to run. You go ahead and get dinner going. I’m going to go watch TV, and we’ll sit at the table and eat.”

  Jacob went into the kitchen and did his regular routine—washing the vegetables, cooking the meats. He got everything prepared, cooked it all up, and dished everything out.

  Jacob called out, “Grandma! Everything’s ready!”

  Grandma got up from the TV and sat at the table. Jacob joined her and passed her a plate.

  Grandma, pleased, said, “Jacob, your cooking is good. It tastes just like mine.”

  Jacob replied, “Well, I’ve learned from the best.”

  After dinner, Jacob collected the plates and silverware and brought them to the sink. He also had that morning’s dishes in the sink, so he went ahead and washed them all up, placing them in the drying rack.

  When he was done, he joined Grandma on the couch to watch some TV.

  That night, there was an episode on about local businesses that had succeeded and made great contributions to the area. One of them was called the MTX Group. They were a big contributor to Jacob’s college. They had helped expand the school in many ways.

  When they showed a picture of the CEO—Drakon—and his family—Jacob was shocked.

  He gasped—and choked on the tea he was drinking.

  Grandma patted his back. “Are you okay? What was that about?”

  Jacob just pointed to the TV, trembling.

  Jacob, shaking, said, “T-That’s her—”

  Grandma looked at the screen. Standing next to a man and a woman was a young girl with white hair. She was beautiful.

  Grandma said, “So—that’s the girl you ran into? She’s the daughter of Drakon Richards. One of the richest men in this area. I invest in the MTX Group—they’re a good company. Full of honor. I never would’ve thought they were run by dragons—but that makes sense. Dragons always do mean good fortune.”

  Jacob, still reeling from the cough and the shock of seeing the girl on TV, also ended up learning something else:

  Her name—was Sophie.