Freesia Worth from Dark Waters

Tonight we welcome Freesia Worth.

(Muffled.) Wow. Sitting in here reminds me of the creepy interview room I was in when they were questioning me about Mizu and Rick’s Dad, Frank. You know, except there’s a lot more equipment in here.

Freesia’s story is told in Dark Waters from Imajin Books. Though only sixteen, Freesia tackled the mystery of her mother’s disappearance...

(Slightly clearer.) And more windows instead of the mirrors they have in those police rooms, you know?

Not much like an interrogation then.

And it’s a heck of a lot more echo-y in here. My sister, Sage, would really hate it in here. (Laughs)

If you come closer to the mike, the listeners will be able to hear you better and we’ll lose the echo.

Oh.

After losing your father in Afghanistan a few months earlier, your mother mysteriously disappeared. Despite the hard work of Detective Barry Cuaco – he did work hard right?

Yeah.

Despite his hard work, the case was going cold...

Y' know none of this would have happened if people had just listened to me from the beginning! From the get-go, I tried telling people that something wasn’t right. I tried telling everyone that my mom wouldn’t have just left us alone, not with how much Sage needed her and after we’d just lost our dad. But no one listened to me, so I just went and figured things out on my own. Well, Rick and Mizu helped a lot too. Just goes to show that younger people have what it takes to solve problems too.

Rick is the guy you like?

Well yeah I like him – but I don’t LIKE him... well maybe I do a little but...

Why don’t you tell us about Mizu instead.

Wow. I’m not sure I really can. It hurts too much. I mean, I can tell you that she was a very strong presence. She was definitely someone who set her own path and didn’t listen to what others said was right or wrong. But there was something so hauntingly familiar about her, it was scary to be around her. And that’s all I can say about her.

You’ve had a helluva rough time in your short life.

Actually, life started really good for me and my sister, Sage. Then things kind of got really crappy for awhile. We lost our dad, then our mom, Sagey lost her voice on top of having to deal with all her sensory stuff and it was super rough. But everything turned out okay.

So you’re dealing.

It sucks not to have our parents with us but, well, we only have good things ahead of us, I think.

I hope so. Thanks for joining us, Feesia.

Find out more about Feesia and Sage Worth, Feesia’s not so secret crush Rick, and the mysterious and illusive girl named Mizu in Dark Waters by Chynna Laird.

Kea Alwang-Treehugger

As Monty Python used to say, "And now for something completely different." We have a young woman with us who... Who are you again?
Who am I? I am Star of Earth. I am a Jacondorian sentinel, an agent of a super-micro organism called the Ethimarrow. My purpose is to assist the Ethimarrow and the leader of Jacondor in tipping the scales of good and evil in favour of the good. I do so with just over 1,000 other sentinels who represent their own homeworlds.

Star of Earth?
My name is Chloe, but I prefer to be known by my nickname, Star. I'm fourteen, starting high school and my home planet is Earth. See, I lead a double life between Earth and Jacondor thanks to a near-infinite network of time lines, shifting dimensions, and folding sheets of space stuff that Earthen scientists haven't come close to picking at. I'm strong, bright, courageous, quick, and...  well, at least I was all those things until my best friends disappeared. For someone supposedly so smart, I've done some pretty stupid things lately.And some pretty stupid things have happened to me too!

Like?
This guy, Sal Rodoso, stole my underwear and wore it on his head. It was a stupid prank meant to embarrass me and make him look like the life of the party. He was right on both counts. For me, the whole situation was a wicked-blatant statement that nobody cares that I'm a loving, do-anything-for-you type of person who busts my butt trying to promote peace. Truthfully, they know nothing about me, so why should they know any of that? Still, the whole act caused my fear of being around them to morph into something close to hate. And that was before my bra went slingshotting across the room.


I'm confused. This happened because your friends were missing?
My best friends. CK and Leada, my soul mates, disappeared about a year ago. Somehow my confidence, strengths, and usually cheerful nature went with them. Tarthimum, my Jacondorian guardian, refused to tell me what happened to them. Somehow between the bullying on Earth and feeling two-thirds short of whole on Jacondor, I guess I became a bit unglued.

Anyone would guess that being kidnapped at age 7 by an insane genius and experimented on would have been the end of me or anyone else. Nope. That wasn't it. Despite years of nightmares, I lived through that time thanks to the unconditional love of CK and Leada who lived through it with me. They "got me" in every way. Never had to pre-plan my words around them, hide anything from them. No, their disappearance was my undoing. Apparently, they knew me way better than I knew myself.

So what are you doing about it?
I always assumed that friendship was the most important part of life. When people that love you have your back, what can't you do? I was so busy marveling at how CK, Lea and I were three parts that made an incredible whole that I forgot how to work alone. I forgot how to strengthen myself from within. I intend to learn how to do that.

And after that?

I'm not sure. The mad scientist who kidnapped us when we were kids might be back. If that monster has raised his ugly head again, I'm going after him.

That girl is as good as her word. Which means if we want to find out more, we'll have to read Treehugger by Kea Alwang.