7 years ago... "Mom, please, can we go into Marie's?" Ellie's voice begged, as she pulled on her mom's hand, leading her in the direction of the jewelry and accessory store in the mall. "Ok, but only 3 things, that's it," her mom, Cindy, replied, the mock stern tone giving away her tendency to give in to the little girl pulling at her hand. "Yay!" Ellie exclaimed, running into the store filled with racks of hair ties, earrings, fuzzy backpacks, necklaces, and every shiny thing a preteen girl could possibly drool over. Ellie pulled a basket from the pile at the entrance and started perusing the racks and shelves. A shiny tiara caught her eye and she pulled it off the shelf, looking intently at the fake diamonds adorning the peaks. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through Ellie's head, and she saw a burst of flames in her vision, engulfing the store next door. Ellie turned around sharply with a surprised gasp, searching for the fire, lo
Last Updated : 2021-07-19 Read more