The Beginning
My mother always said that birds have a way of telling people what they need to hear the most, to trust only them with your life. Because unlike people, birds were pure and unproblematic, but she also believed in something that deepened this saying, reincarnation.
She believed that when a soul lefts its vessel, it transferred to a new one, for a fresh start, a new life. Everyone thought she was crazy, including me, except now. Because little did I know it was true and I'd have to learn this hard way, but along side my worst enemy.
********************
"Move!" says a regular boy from my school as he nudges my shoulder, eagerly pushing past me as he knocks me out of my trance and I sigh to myself, feeling the impending weight of the world recede back onto my shoulders.
I was used to being tossed in the hallway on the way to class, like a ping pong ball, I was just me. Francesca Sanchez, your regular quiet girl. The one that resides in every class and reads at lunch as she ponders at the thought of understanding people, as well as making friends. The one people who walked through life like they were nothing but a ghost. But something I never wished to be was a pity child, those looks where the worst. Having to deal with the misogyny of high school was worse.
"Sanchez" I hear my las name being called from the far end of the hallway as I recognize voice, my legs starting to shake at the thought of me even being right.
taking a deep breath to be met with every girls dream, but what had only grown to be a bigger nightmare of mine everyday.
Nathaniel Knight, ,my worst enemy and I was his favorite toy. The notorious son of the shady mayor that bathed in his riches and the kind girls constantly swooned over . A star football player, which only made it a matter of time before I was his next target for his daily bull shit. I never understood this, why? Why did people of higher status think they could push me around when they had everything and I worked for what little I could call mine?
"I'm not doing this today" I warn as I start to walk away, looking ahead of the hallway to see the barbie doll standing at the end of the hallway, cornering me in, and I now have no other choice than to face Nathaniel.
As he circles me like a shark as I flinch as his breath is to close for comfort on my ear.
"Why are you doing this? Huh? Is it some sad attempt at getting Gigi's short attention span, because you already have it!" I ask desperately. Part of me wanted to know why, why he tormented me? But I knew he would never answer that question, not to me, not ever.
"None of that, Sanchez" he says as he stands in front of me and closes my locker as I stare at him, wondering what his next move could possibly be? As he raises his hand to my face as he moves his hand and folds a piece of my hair between his finger and latches it behind my ear.
"Because people like you will always be weak" he says as I try to pull away but he pulls my face and forces me to look at him as he smirks, he only seems to like the look of others suffering, the fear and desperation in their eyes, the one in my eyes currently. It seemed he only feeds on it like a nightmare, feeding off the sadness in others eyes. "Don't forget that" he reminds me as I gasp. His words left something his presence didn't, truth. Because no matter how much I didn't want to admit it to myself he was right.
As the bell rings and people fill the hallways and he walks away, smiling as a child would on its birthday. Standing there in the hallway, getting pushed and passed around as I watch him walk away, this was my life, except today was supposed to be special.
"Sanchez" I hear a teacher call my name as I run into the bathroom, disregarding everyone and yanking the door open as I throw myself into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.
"Hello?" I call as I look under all the stalls to see a empty bathroom and turn to the mirror as I wipe away the tears I had no idea had even fallen. Thinking to myself, I must have looked weak. "Please, world, universe, god!" I start through my sniffling and clouded eyes begging the world. "I wish this would stop, my life! Is this all it is for me?!" I ask aloud as I sink down to the bathroom ground in tears and I let my emotion submerge me, finally caving.
Hearing last bell rings for the day and unlocking the bathroom to see a line of girls, vigorously angry and waiting as they stare me down in the worst way possible. I do the only thing I am good at, I run.
"Want to hang out?" Gigi ask me as she winks and I already know what she means, but I have no interest in leading her on. "Let's get one thing right Gigi. I ride solo, you were just a bed warmer for the night" I say as I hop in the car as John laughs as her face turns red and I high five him.
"Watch it Gigi, would hate to see you pop those lips fillers" Mike says as she hurdles her coffee at him, "Too bad barbie" He taunts as we drive off.
"I HATE YOU NATHANIEL KNIGHT, I HOPE YOU DIE" She screams as we hear it as we drive out of the parking lot and I can't help but laugh at her anger,
"Get in line" I chuckle as we can't help but laugh at Gigi's expense.
"I can't believe you did that, third girl this week" Mike remarks as I rack my head trying to count, "I've been keeping track for you" he says as I laugh.
"Well, by now all women should know not to trust me" I say as John pulls the car on the gravel and points ahead, "Her, who's she?" John ask as I look up to be met with the innocent Francesca Sanchez.
"Just some nobody" I say as John continues to stare at her relentlessly, "But do you want to have some fun?" I ask as Mike laughs and I take my seatbelt off and sit up in the seat. "John, time to practice your racing skills" I say as his face beams and he knocks the car into reverse.
As he reverses the car and slams it into drive as I lean in and I snatch her books out of her hands and they fall to he floor as she yells, "STOP!" angrily as I laugh at the anger on her face. As John turns the car and makes a U-turn and she runs frantically into the street.
"MOVE!" I scream as she look up to see the car only coming closer as I take the wheel into my hands and turn it as she jumps to the side of the road.
"FENCE" Mike yells as he grasps the seats in utter fear as John stomps on the breaks as I fly through the window, looking at the sky watching the clouds pass as the panicked voices blend into the background and I close my eyes.
As the sounds or tires squealing and jumping to the side of the road as I feel endless pain in my head. As I look up to see a mailbox as I touch the top of my head to see blood on my hand as I feel the warmth running down my neck as colors blur and my blinks slow and sleep becomes so much more needed than ever before and I have no other choice but to give in.
"Hang in there" I hear as I see the bright lights as they burn my eyes and I squint, "What do we have?" I hear a man ask as I seem to be moving as the lights from before fall behind me and suddenly it comes to me, they're running.
"17 year old female, found on the side of the road with severe head injury and blood loss" The woman says as the heavy footsteps become louder and we finally stop. "WE NEED MORE BLOOD!!!" as I hear yelling through the room and pacing as I just lie there, perfectly still. "Are you Francesca Sanchez?" they ask as they spot my eyes open as I nod, "T......Tell my...... mom. Tell her..........I made it to my birthday" I manage to get the words lodged in my throat out to the woman and she nods as frantic beeping fills the room and I feel so tired. So sleepless, to useless to fight it off so no other choice but to fold and hope for nothing more but than to maybe see the light again, one day or another.
"Daniella" I hear as I wince as my eyes open and I'm meet with two unfamiliar face staring back at me. "Who are you?" I ask as the woman snickers, "Daniella, what did you do to get yourself in this mess?" she ask as I stare at her, knowing she resembles nothing of my mother.
"The fall off the the horse must have triggered temporary memory loss" says a man as I sit up and touch my head and examine my hand to see not a drop of blood.
"But there was a car.There was a car and Nathaniel, then...........then I jumped. What happened?" I ask as I look up to see their eyes staring at me as fear and confusion engulf them. "It's 1820, what are cars?"
