Free Hope (Other World Protection Agency Book 1) by Serena Simpson Page A

long?”
    “Barring sudden decapitation. You
will live that long and longer.”
    “Exactly how will I fool the
people around me?”
    “No one said your whole eternity
had to be lived on Earth.”
    She stopped, slinky skirt half
way up her hips. She hadn’t thought of that. She could have a future. Sure
beings were still trying to kill her, but at least she knew why. Besides, she
had more weapons at her disposal and although she may be a freak of nature, at
least she was a worthwhile freak.
    She could have a boyfriend. A man
friend. Whatever. She was grown. She could have a lover. A pair of beautiful
green eyes popped into her mind, but she ignored them. She had spent so much
time hating herself and her life that she never got past fantasy when she
thought about a man. Feeling a twinge in her back, she pulled the skirt up and
discarded it after one look. Tonight she needed to look perfect.
    “Tara, am I going to see any of
these outfits on you?”
    ‘I am looking for the perfect
one.”
    “I doubt anything could look bad
on you. Besides, Paul will love whatever you wear. Try on the dress Tara, the
red one.”
    She grabbed the red one from the
hanger. This one had practically jumped into her arms the minute she walked into
the store. It was beautiful on the hanger. It was such a rare and vibrant red. She
had never seen this particular shade before. Down one side were what looked like
precious gems encrusted into the dress. The other side was held together with
what could have been strings of silk. When she moved you would be able to see
her skin in the light. The back of the dress had a deep V that came to the
small of her back. The front was almost conservative. There was a nice V, but
not a plunging neckline. Yet the material almost seemed transparent at times.
Almost as if you could catch her at the right angle you would see everything.
She slipped out of the dressing room to show her mother.
    “Absolutely beautiful.” Her
mother said with a gasp. “You will be the center of attention tonight.”
    Taking a good look at herself in
the three way mirror, she had to admit she looked good. She turned just in time
to see several customers pointing to her, asking for a dress like hers. They
could forget getting their hands on this one.
    “Time to go Tara.”
    It didn’t take her long to dress
and take the dress to the counter for checkout.
    “Let me purchase this for you.”
    “Thanks mom, but I got it.” True
she was fighting for her life and had a death wish or use to have one, but
starving and not dying was not fun. She had quickly learned, she needed money.
Since she rarely spent money preferring to constantly move, she had a lot of
it.
    The brunette behind the counter
rang her up with a happy smile. “That will be $210.00.”
    She looked at the dress and then
back at the brunette. “That’s all?”
    “That’s it.”
    Pulling out her wallet, she paid
with a smile, waiting until she left the store to confront her mother.
    “Would you like to explain that?”
    “Look lemonade and soft pretzels.
I haven’t had one of those in forever. Take a seat. I will get us some.”
    She watched as her mother made a
production of biting into her pretzel and taking a sip of her lemonade.
    “I am still waiting.”      
    “Will you believe anything I
say?”
    “Will it be the truth?”
    “Fine. The dress is not from Earth.
Call it a plant put there for you alone to find. Anyone else looking at it
would think it was ugly until they saw it on you. That’s when they would see
its beauty. The woman at the counter thought she was cheating you because the
dress was so hideous.”
    Did she want to know anything
else? The dress was beautiful and she wanted it. “Who planted it there?”
    “Let’s just say it’s a gift from
your father and that’s all I can say.”
    “So my fathers is alive? He can
give me gifts, but doesn’t want to see me?” She didn’t know how she felt about
the dress, but she was sure she