Opulence | Teen Ink

Opulence MAG

May 1, 2008
By AquaGem SILVER, Kalamazoo, Michigan
AquaGem SILVER, Kalamazoo, Michigan
5 articles 0 photos 50 comments

Favorite Quote:
Nobody will ever win the Battle of the Sexes. There's just too much fraternizing with the enemy. ~Henry Kissinger

Life it too short to let you matter.


I’ve been watching him for days now. When he leaves his house to go to school, I’m the one carefully tailing him, switching cars every day to make myself look less suspicious. If he ever sneaks out of his second-story room, I’ll be the one silently watching from a nearby tree. In class when he turns, feeling eyes on the back of his head, I’m the one who sent the hair on the back of his neck up on end. I am the girl whose shadow is always slightly overlapping his.

Being assigned to watch him almost makes me
feel like I’m not a stalker. Though I’m only 17, I’m a full-fledged member of the organization known as O.P.U.L.E.N.C.E. I’ve been with them since the ­tender age of five. It’s my home. Being an orphan, my office is also my permanent residence, the couch a fold-out bed. There are many others like me: no family. A lot of us are loners and haven’t chosen this route for ourselves.

I’m a tracker. I have been for years and some might say that I am the best at not being the best. In other words, I’m great at being invisible. Or at not being noticed. It’s not as hard as the others in the organization think. Being young and female is good, since most we track are young. Seeing me around younger people – my age, actually – doesn’t raise alarm bells. It helps that I’m cute. With a small frame, light hazel eyes, and short blond hair that curls under my chin, I don’t appear threatening. Of course, my ­organization-funded training doesn’t back that theory.

Soon I won’t be tracking down others with the power. They are finally going to give me an apprentice. After years of mastering everything I’ve been taught, they see my potential. That’s not to say I know everything. Even with my extended life I won’t be able to learn all the things I want to. If only this annoying boy would show the signs. It’s been almost a week. If he doesn’t show soon, they’ll reassign me. That much longer until I get my apprentice.

So here I am, sipping a latté and waiting for the Target to leave for school. I have been put in all of his classes in case something happens there, though I graduated high school years ago. Private tutors sped things up. With no family or personal ties, I had lots of time to devote to my studies. Martial arts black belts. Twelve languages, not including English. Everything a girl needs for a serious career in the agency. Such positions of power are not handed out easily. You must prove yourself many times over.

The Target and I have never spoken, but I know a lot about him. His file told me some, but after watching him for only a few days, I feel confident in saying that I know things no one else does. Not just the obvious, either. He resents his father and is protective of his mother, which makes me suspect the father is less than faithful. He smiles often but doesn’t make a lot of eye contact. He usually only speaks when spoken to. Although he has many friends, he isn’t close with any of them. The Target is observant, a watcher. This leads me to believe we would get along if he shows any promise.

I look down at my watch, then back at his house a few blocks away. The Target is late, which means I’ll be late too. Today my ride is a shiny black sports car, not out of place in this suburb full of midlife-crisis men. I turn on the engine impatiently. I’m fiddling with the radio when I hear something. I don’t feel any immediate danger, and I know to trust those feelings. But I ­also know that something is off.

Just as I am about to get out of the car and pretend to look in the trunk, the passenger door opens. I look up in surprise as the Target slides into the seat next to me. I grin, quite pleased by this turn of events. This is definitely a good sign. Perhaps intuition is strong in him. That would be good for my apprentice to have, complementary. I could handle having to deal with that.

“Hello, Lenna. Why have you been following me for a week now?” the Target asks lightly, conversationally, his first words ever said in my direction.

Ah, one of my many aliases. The organization set it up so that whenever I’m on a case, I get a new name, past, and present. It’s very powerful. The organization can basically do anything it needs; it has people everywhere imaginable. I’m just one of many, though there aren’t that many at the top, as I am. They don’t trust many to be trackers. Or to be apprentices. All of the full members have the power, though we control others to get things done.

My smile deepens as I say in my authoritative, professional voice, “My real name is Jade. I am a witch of the moon and a tracker for the organization known as O.P.U.L.E.N.C.E. You are also a witch. We would like to formally welcome you into the organization as my apprentice. Here is my card for verification.”

Jade Wordsworth
Tracker for O.P.U.L.E.N.C.E
Official Political Understanding Lending ­Everyone ­Navigation for Co-Existing Ethereals
Office hours: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon-Sat
Phone: 555-5555
Proud league of witches of the sun and moon.
Worldwide.

“What do you mean ‘moon and sun’? Or ‘tracker’?” he asks, still looking at my card like it’s going to ­disappear.

“Types of magic. Moon is all about spells, the sun is more potion-based, though each type of witchcraft involves the other somehow. As a tracker, I find people like you and I bring them to O.P.U.L.E.N.C.E. Every witch must register, train, and become a member by law. In fact, the organization is like a government targeted toward witches,” I explain with a smile, loving the fact that this time I get to teach the newbie.

“Magic? Seriously?” he asks, eyes wide, meeting mine. They are large, yellow, and catlike.

I click a button on my left, automatically locking the doors. I put the car into drive, pulling out onto the road. As an afterthought I add as a courtesy, “I think you had better come with me.” .



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JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 896 comments.


on Jul. 30 2011 at 3:20 pm
dancinshell SILVER, Longwood, Florida
9 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
Do you have the audacity to doubt my veracity and insinuate that i prevaricate?

I love the House of Night Series!!! I completely agree with you too!!! Check out my work please :) thanx!

jojo said...
on Jul. 30 2011 at 12:36 pm
i don't get this...

on Jul. 23 2011 at 6:34 am
iamonecoolradiator, London, Other
0 articles 0 photos 22 comments
This was great...maybe you could build up the suspense even more? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read my work if you have time

TAR11 SILVER said...
on Jul. 19 2011 at 6:54 am
TAR11 SILVER, Allison Park, Pennsylvania
7 articles 0 photos 51 comments
Cool story please check mine out if you get the chance. 

on Jul. 12 2011 at 10:18 am
Tongue_Blep PLATINUM, ????, Ohio
40 articles 1 photo 769 comments
I loved the story! Great job! Hey everyone! just posted two of my stories here there called Nightstalker and The Beast. if you read them tell me if you like them or not! Thanks! :D

on Jul. 8 2011 at 5:44 pm
place4pluto BRONZE, Beloit, Wisconsin
2 articles 1 photo 3 comments
This story is AMAZING! It made me want more. PLEASE POST MORE CHAPTERS!!! Your a great writer. :)

on Jul. 8 2011 at 12:26 pm
Danealle SILVER, Wheeling, Illinois
7 articles 0 photos 119 comments

Favorite Quote:
Anything is possible with a smile and goal in mind.

This is wonderful! The detail is nice and it kept me wanting more! It reminds me a little of the House of Night Series.

on Jul. 7 2011 at 3:17 am
totally awesome story! I loved it. Nice job

on Jul. 5 2011 at 10:35 am
Gingeriffic BRONZE, Helena, Montana
4 articles 0 photos 8 comments
Very nicely done. It seems rather like a cliffhanger, but it definitely shows potential for greater places than a wall on TeenInk. I enjoyed how you made it obvious she was in a structured organization of some sort, but didn't specify exactly what it did until the end. I suspect this was originally a great deal longer and you had to cut some out because the end was really quite sudden. However, all in all a very good piece of writing.

on Jul. 1 2011 at 12:39 pm
prettylittlewriter BRONZE, Villa Park, California
2 articles 0 photos 72 comments

Favorite Quote:
These violent delights have violent ends.

I love your writing. The story is amazing. I hate the sudden ending I want to know more!

Emily.L GOLD said...
on Jun. 29 2011 at 12:57 pm
Emily.L GOLD, Gilbert, Arizona
10 articles 12 photos 84 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Sometimes, we just have to be happy with what people can offer us. Even if it's not what we want, at least it's something. " -Sarah Dessen

This was great, but the only thing was the sudden ending! Still, it was a near 5 star story :)

on Jun. 26 2011 at 7:38 pm
Laura_Oliver GOLD, Manchester, Connecticut
12 articles 2 photos 122 comments

This is a terrific story but I find it a shame you had to cram all of that information into a 2500-word article (am I right?). When you write the full novel, definitely draw out this scene so the readers don't feel like everything is happening all too suddenly.

More please!


on Jun. 16 2011 at 10:04 pm
NKsunshine BRONZE, Palatine, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 75 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I don't need easy, I just need possible!" ~Bethany Hamilton

I second that!! :)

on Jun. 16 2011 at 9:48 pm
TheLemonadeCrusade SILVER, Huntersville, North Carolina
9 articles 0 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the whole world, and all there ever will be to know and understand"

fairly overrated content for the plotline (totally not your fault though that our generation is obssessed with fantasy) but i do think it was well written in the way you layed out the storyline. also the main character seems like a likeable average person which makes for a good read too..i definetly think you should add more chapters to continue on jade's adventures

on Jun. 16 2011 at 5:55 pm
rubyrainstorm SILVER, Closter, New Jersey
7 articles 0 photos 275 comments

Favorite Quote:
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
-Buddha.

Wow, this piece was very intense, and I liked how you made the character a likable person. Really nice work. Btw, if anybody has time, please check out my poem, The Girl Inside, and all my other works...Thanks!!!! :)

on Jun. 16 2011 at 1:17 pm
MiscellanyCrop DIAMOND, Middlefield, Ohio
50 articles 1 photo 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
Let Earth unbalanced from her orbit fly / Planets and Suns run lawless through the sky.
An Essay on Man - Alexander Pope

Really caught my attention, but I think this type of plot line is more accustomed to a novel. Also, I think all of the information about the government and witchcraft should have been introduced later and not all at once. Work on showing instead of telling. But overall, great plot idea!

on Jun. 16 2011 at 12:39 am
MasterZone BRONZE, Toronto, Other
2 articles 0 photos 39 comments
Huh, in my opinion, short blonde hair on a girl looks threatening. However, I guess the small size of the girl would decrease that.

lily26 BRONZE said...
on Jun. 14 2011 at 9:20 pm
lily26 BRONZE, St. Louis, Missouri
3 articles 0 photos 4 comments
WOW this is such an amazing story it was really good and u should publish it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol i

Balance BRONZE said...
on Jun. 11 2011 at 3:43 pm
Balance BRONZE, Mount Vernon, Washington
3 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"We will settle this like any other male species!" ... With our antlers!!!"

This is amazing!!!

on Jun. 5 2011 at 9:44 pm
SpringAhead GOLD, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
12 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Don't call me crazy, it drives me nuts!"








~Anonymous

I really liked this! :) I honestly did not expect the twist at the end where the main character is like involved in magic and working for the government, I think that's really cool. Good job :) Are going to add on to this? Because I really think you should, don't leave me hanging! :D