The Secret Seller

"Gaylee! Remember that thing I told you yesterday?" Klia asked. Gaylee shook her head in confusion.

"What thing? Is is the thing about your rash?" Gaylee asked. The only special thing that Klia had told her was that she had a strange rash on her back. To be honest, Gaylee didn't want to know about Klia's rash; nor did she care.

"No, Gaylee. I told you a secret yesterday about -" Klia's brow furrowed. She tried to tell Gaylee her secret again. "About. About t-the-"

"T-t-today junior. Just kidding. Take your time." Gaylee teased. She giggled at her humor. Klia frowned. She couldn't get it out. It was almost like some force that trapped it in.

"Well, I told you yesterday. I can't tell you today." Klia was disappointed that Gaylee didn't remeber her secret. But at least she couldn't tell anyone.

Klia's inability to tell Gaylee her secret hurt Gaylee's feelings. Klia and Gaylee had always shared everything with each other, and now Klia was making excuses so she wouldn't have to tell Gaylee. Gaylee layed in bed that night, pondering what was making Klia grow away from her.

"Gaylee Countess Rein. You must awaken." A voice said. It was low and unfamiliar. Obviously a female of British origins. Gaylee opwned her eyes to see a woman dressed in an ivory petticoat, which sat over a glamorous lavender gown. The air around her seemed to glow and she was quite young. She had pale skin and light blonde hair.

"Hello Gaylee. I am a Secret Seller. I heard you are missing a secret that you were told." Gaylee couldn't believe her ears. She realized Klia was right. She nodded at the Secret Seller.

"Do you know that mother is a Secret Seller?" Gaylee shook her head. For all she knew, her mom was an accountant.

"Well one of our oldest Secret Sellers has passed on to another life." The Secret Seller walked around the room.

"And..." Gaylee said with sass. The Secret Seller looked offended.

"You are sixteen now. Old enough to be a Secret Seller. I just had to wait until someone told you a secret. A Secret Stealer stole your secret. Now, she can tell no one. But if someone wants to know, they must buy it. Do you want you dear friend's secret?" The Secret Seller asked. Gaylee realized that the reason she couldn't remember the Secret, and Klia couldn't share it was because this lady had it.

"What do you get out of me knowing a secret that was already told to me?" Gaylee interrogated. She was suspicious of the price of knowing.

"We want you to be our newest Secret Stealer. Steal the secrets of people who are about to tell a secret that doesn't belong to them or will endanger them. And give it to me."

Gayle was curious. "And how do I steal a secret?" She asked

"You will be trained, not to worry. You already have the powers for it. You only need to be mentored."

Gaylee nodded. "I will become a Secret Stealer, if you give me back Klia's secret." The woman smiled. She gracefully glided over to Gaylee. She held her hands on Gaylee's forehead and began to transfer the memory.

"Gaylee! I have a secret to tell you!" Klia said. She leaned over to her friend and whispered quietly.

"You know Kahlin's boyfriend?" She asked.

"Yeah. You've had a crush on him for forever." Gaylee responded. "It was wrong of your sister to take him from you."

"So anyway, I saw him at my pottery class because he decided to take up pottery." Klia took a breath.

"And!" Gaylee exclaimed.

"We started talking. We have a lot in common. It turns out, he doesn't even like Kahlin! His buddy just made him go out with her because she's a cheerleader! And then after pottery class it was raining, so he gave me a ride home. Then, he kissed me on the cheek! Aah!"

"Aaaah! I'm so excited for you, Klia!"

"Wow." Gaylee said, astounded. "You go Klia."

The Secret Seller drifted closer to Gaylee.

"Do you want to know- say, a secret?" The Secret Seller whispered.

Gaylee shrugged. She was exhausted.

"Sure. I'd love to." Gaylee replied.

"You don't want to know the price first?" The Secret Seller asked. Gaylee hadn't even considered that there was a catch.

"Oh right. I forgot. What's the price?" Gaylee wondered.

"One of your biggest regrets. But you will still be able to remember it."

Gaylee shrugged. "Is it a secret that involves me? Would I like to know it?"

The Secret Seller smirked. "Oh. Trust me. It'll be worth it." Gaylee figured that it must be an important secret. She got out of bed and placed her hands in the Secret Seller's hands. She began to think of her biggest regret.

"Dad. I don't want to go. Just let me stay at home. I have a really bad migrane." Gaylee said.

"No. You are going to school, young lady. I don't care if you don't feel well." Her dad responded. Gaylee groaned and grabbed her bag for school. She hopped in her dad's truck. She waited for a long time. She was going to be late for school! What was her dad doing? She hopped out of the truck and began walking across the street, so she could get to school on time.

"Gaylee! Watch out!!" A voice called. Someone pushed her farther across the street. She looked back. It was her father. He was laying on the ground, surrounded in blood.

"DADDY!" Gaylee called. She began to run back into the road to get her father. Tears streamed down her face. A hand grabbed her arm and wrapped her in an embrace. It was the high school neighbor girl.

"I have you. Don't worry Gaylee. I called for help."

Gaylee was in tears, as was the Secret Seller.

"I should have asked for your best memory. I'm sorry, Gaylee." The Secret Seller said. She touched Gaylee's cheek to comfort her. Then, she wiped Gaylee's tears. Finally, she placed her hands upon Gaylee's forehead.

"Mama. I don't want to leave you." The little girl said. She clung to her mother's leg.

"It's for the best, baby. I will see you eventually." The mother was sad and didn't want to leave her child. She nugged her daughter to go to the other man and woman.

"Take good care of her. She is my only will to live." Said the mother. She planted a kiss on the girls forehead befor leaving.

The new woman placed her hands on the girl's forehead and wiped the memories of her mother from the girl. The girl no longer was crying and began to call the new woman 'Mommy,' and the new man 'Daddy.' Right off the bat, she was their new child.

"Is that who I think it is?" Asked Gaylee. The little girl looked identical to Gaylee. She had the same soft brown hair, button nose and light brown eyes.

"Yes, Gaylee. That is you. Do you recognise the adults?" She asked.

"The second woman was my mom and the man was my dad. And the third was you." The Secret Seller smiled and nodded.

"Now put two and two together." She said.

Gaylee realized that the first woman was the Secret Seller. If the child was herself, then that meant.

"Oh my gosh. Are you my birth mother?" Gaylee exclaimed. The Secret Seller nodded.

I love you, Gaylee. Sleep well." The Secret Seller vanished into thin air and left Gaylee, her daughter, to ponder what she had discovered. A secret was a powerful thing. Hopefully, Gaylee had learned to keep it.