Chapter 1 - There He Was
(Alice's POV)
It was a cold, dark night. The crisp air carried a slight breeze. Trees' leaves have begun to change their colors, and some have even shed a few leaves. The streetlights turned on sooner than usual. Without a cloud in sight, a full moon lit up the star-filled sky. The smell of backyard barbecues and burning fires filled the air.
Eventually, the air would return to its usual staleness and soon the summer festivities would end in the boring, small town of Hawthorne as August neared the corner.
Not that there were many fun things to do in Hawthorne anyway. Other than the folk festival in June and the annual 4th of July carnival, most teens spend the end of their summer enjoying a few beers around a bonfire or throwing an end-of-summer party. Then there is Anna and I, who have spent most of our summer swimming under the bridge or staying at the library until it closes.
With summer quickly coming to an end that meant we’d have to go back to school. Back to the place I dreaded the most. At one point, I considered that place my own personal hell. All the awful people, the notes they taped to my locker, the names they called me. It definitely wasn’t my cup of tea. Unfortunately, that is what happens when you are different.
I breathed out a defeated sigh because today was another failure. After spending the entire day at the library, we still came up empty-handed. All that time we spent researching online and reading books, trying to understand why I am the way I am. We always ended up empty-handed. I began to feel helpless, or maybe this was hopeless.
Anna softly patted me on the back with a sincere smile on her face. I smiled back at her, knowing that even if the world worked against me, Anna would never turn her back on me. She has always been right by my side through it all, my only friend in this constant battle. Almost like a guardian angel.
A smile spread over her face as she muttered, “Tomorrow is another day, Alice.”
I nodded my head before gathering our belongings and heading out into the night. Upon leaving the library, I looked up at the stars and the moon. It was a beautiful sight to see. If I could float into the night sky and become a star, I would, but then I thought of Anna. I would not dream of leaving her behind. Anna squeezes my hand as she points to a certain part of the sky.
“Look, Alice, it’s a shooting star,” she said with a big smile on her face.
As cliché as it was, I asked her, “Should we make a wish?”
She nodded her head, and we both closed our eyes. Another part of my special abilities is reading people’s minds. If I look into someone's eyes or touch their skin, I can see into the depths of that person's mind. I can hear their thoughts and know what they’re thinking. I know things I was never supposed to. There are times I wish I didn’t because it’s not always pleasant, or it comes with consequences. However, there are other instances where it has proven useful. It’s a gift and a curse.
While holding onto Anna’s hand, I could hear her wish, one of the few amazing things that came from this burden. She wished to find love, but not just any love. She wanted the kind of love that would sweep her off her feet and take her away from this place. I believe she just wanted to escape. Her life at home wasn’t exactly picture-perfect.
After hearing her wish, I decided what I wanted to wish for. I wished for answers, to know who I am and why I’m different. My wish was interrupted by a screeching sound and trash cans being knocked over. It caused us both to nearly jump out of our skins. We grabbed onto each other but laughed after realizing it was only a cat.
“Come on, Alice, let’s get home. My mom’s probably wondering why I’m not home yet,” she said with a sigh.
“Hey, remember what I told you? When we turn 18, we will leave this place,” I planted the thought in her brain. "I will do whatever it takes to get you away from all of this."
“It’s not as easy as you think, Alice,” Anna said as she tried to cover the bruise on her arm.
I knew she didn’t like talking about it, but things like that needed to be. She nudged me, and a big smile spread across her face. I squinted my eyes at her. She nudged me again, this time harder, and I knew what that meant. We hadn’t done it for so long that I almost forgot.
“Meet you on Main Street,” she said as she ran off down the empty road.
She ran fast, but I was faster. I stuck my tongue out as I passed her and kept running until I heard Anna scream. When I turned around, I saw her cornered by two men, their hands grabbing at her as she tried to back away from them. I quickly ran up to them before pushing my way between the two men. After the men were out of my way, I grabbed her hand and pulled her close to me. Their eyes locked on us as we ran away together.
I kept looking back, making sure they weren’t following us, only to see they were both out of sight. Or so I thought. I turned around when suddenly the tall man dropped down in front of me. He frightened me, causing me to jump and stumble backwards. Luckily, Anna caught me from behind.
My eyes never left sight of the man, fearing what he might do. Whatever this guy was, he wasn’t human. We needed to get as far away as possible. I quickly grabbed Anna's hand and ran in the opposite direction of the mysterious person. Unfortunately, Anna and I were unable to outrun him at his unnatural speed.
Once he gained the upper hand when he closed in on us and attempted to grab Anna from me. No matter what, I held onto her hand while he tried to drag her away. Her grip tightened on my hand, pulling me in their direction. I tried to pull her free with both hands as I used my feet to stop myself from being dragged along by them. He was too strong for me. I could feel her hand slipping.
Out of nowhere, someone grabbed me from behind. It was the other man who was with him. They tried to separate me from Anna. No matter how hard we fought to hold on, there was no getting out of this. A tear escaped my left eye as our fingertips brushed against each other. They separated us, and that was a mistake.
Anger boiled fiercely in my veins. I tried to focus on my surroundings while keeping my eyes closed and taking deep breaths. My blood was pumping so fast and hard, it made my head throb. With everything happening, I struggled to focus on my surroundings.
I thrashed around in the guys' muscular arms. At that moment, my appearance changed. I could feel and see the changes as they happened to me. Sharp pains and aches came from deep inside my bones as if they were shifting into place. My once-blond hair was now black as coal.
Long pointed nails shot out of my fingertips. All the color had disappeared from my skin leaving my complexion a pale, almost ghastly white color.
The man holding Anna smirked as he nodded his head, revealing sharp fang-like teeth. I sank my sharp claws into the skin of the man holding onto me, hoping he'd release me. He hissed but never loosened his grip.
“That is the one we want,” the other man said.
I watched as he threw Anna to the side like she was just a piece of trash. She landed hard on the ground, smacking her face on the hard concrete cement. Her nose and forehead are now bleeding as she lies there unconscious. Both men took a whiff of the powerful aroma before the one who hurt Anna approached me while he licked his lips.
"I just might save your friend as a snack," he said with a smirk.
“I. Don’t. Think. So!” I angrily pushed the thought into his head.
I extended my arm and clawed his face. He hissed at the pain as he touched his cheek. Then, I head-butted the man holding me, breaking his nose. Once I was released from his grip, I grabbed the man in front of me by his throat. He laughed in my face until I squeezed his throat so tight it crushed his windpipe. As he gasped for air, I ripped his throat out. He fell to the ground, gasping for air only to choke on blood.
I turned away from the sight, but I could still hear the disturbing sound of him choking on blood while taking his last breath. The other man, no longer holding his nose, was now watching my every move in fear. Before he could run away, I sank my nails into his collarbones, pulling his face close to mine. I could feel and smell his rusty, quivering breath as it wafted in my face.
My throat suddenly felt like it was on fire. So, I opened my mouth, releasing the only sound I could make. A loud, harsh scream escaped my burning throat. After releasing my grip on him, the man fell to his knees as his eyes and ears bled profusely.
When he tried to cover his ears, I noticed Anna had covered her ears too. The air was suddenly caught in my throat, and I managed to halt the piercing screams before kicking the man away from me. He fell backward and looked up at me with blood and fear in his eyes.
“I suggest you leave and never return!” I demanded.
Just like that, he stumbled to his feet. After taking one last look at his dead friend, he took off. Once he was out of sight, I could finally breathe. I felt light-headed and dizzy as my vision blurred. Down. Down. Down… I fell into a bloody puddle.
I lay there squeezing my eyes shut as I felt myself changing again. Now the only thing I could hear was faint crying and footsteps coming toward me. I could tell it was Anna, who must have been scared because she didn’t know what had happened.
I can't even begin to explain what just happened. It was like my body had been taken over or I had become someone else. She bent down next to me and brushed my blood-soaked hair away from my face. When I opened my eyes, she jumped.
“Come on. Let’s go home,” I said after slowly sitting up.
Anna nodded her head as she helped me stand up. After we checked to make sure we didn't leave any evidence tying us to the incident, we left that place and the man’s lifeless body the way it was. From that day on, I swore I would never let myself lose control like that. That is unless something like that happened again.
That night changed everything, almost everything. Anna and I grew closer, but everything I knew became a lie. All I ever wanted was to be a normal girl, but that night confirmed that being normal wasn’t an option. Not to mention, the only way I could talk to people was by using telepathy to plant thoughts and words into people’s heads. So, I resorted to sign language, because I knew I would freak people out otherwise. Well, everyone except Anna. She is my best friend and the most understanding person in the world. I couldn’t ask for a better friend than her.
I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t stopped those men that night. That night changed my perspective on life. It honestly scared me so much that I shut myself away from almost everyone, not including my mother and Anna. They were all I had in this world, yet at the same time, I still felt so alone. My burden separated me from the rest of the world.
In all honesty, I was lost and confused. Other than the two scumbags that attacked us, I had never met anyone else who was like me, different. On top of that, there is the guilt I felt when I thought about whether or not my mother was my real mother. It wasn't until after the attack that I realized we were so different.
Surely, if she were my real mother, she would carry the same burden or at least know about it. She couldn't be. It was the only explanation I could think of as an explanation for why she never warned me about what I would become. I’m constantly asking myself how I got to be like this, and where this strange power came from.
Where did I come from? Why me?
I am suddenly pulled out of my thoughts when Anna nudges me. It was just then that I realized I had been staring at the board without blinking. I flashed her a nervous smile.
"Daydreaming again?” she whispered to me.
“I was thinking about that day,” I replied.
“Oh,” she said flatly as she looked down at her desk.
Any mention of that day causes Anna to become very upset and distant. I rubbed her back, showing her my sympathy. I knew it had taken just as much of a toll on her as it had done on me. She had changed slightly since that day, becoming more silent, like me, but without special abilities. I’m not sure I would call them special. It felt more like a curse or a burden.
“Thank you,” she said as she looked at me.
Although her eyes were filled with unshed tears, she still smiled sincerely. I gave her a questioning look as I raised an eyebrow.
“For being there for me that night and being my best friend,” she said softly. "Plus, I never got to tell you thank you for saving my life that night."
I nodded my head while forcing a smile. It soon disappeared when our teacher turned around and shushed us. Anna giggled nervously and sat straight up in her seat, while I tried to hide my blushing face behind the pages of my schoolbook. I hated the agonizing feeling of attention directed at me. It always made me feel strange when people looked at me. Especially if they stare at me for too long because I feel like they can see me for what I truly am.
After learning about my newfound abilities, Anna and I did more extensive research at the public library. We believed we had finally figured out what I was. Or at least what we think I am. A creature known as a banshee. Though there wasn't much about them, it was still a start.
Even though it was a relief to finally know that answer, we now had even more questions. Anna and I still needed to know more to piece together this puzzling life of mine. I’m not sure if this is a gift or a curse. Maybe this was my destiny. I guess I'd better believe it because I can’t change who and what I am.
Suddenly, I’m pulled away from my intrusive thoughts again. This time it was because there was a knock on the classroom door. Anna and I shared a confused glance. For it was quite unusual for anyone to disrupt our class unless someone was in trouble. I found it difficult to believe that someone could get into trouble on the first day of school.
So we both watched closely with eager eyes, always on edge after the incident. Anna gripped her pencil, and I held my breath as Mr. Robinsky opened the door. There he was...
