I slipped into the house just after curfew, the sky dark and littered with stars. Thankfully, it looked as though my parents were already in bed. They'd rushed to the campus when they heard about the "earthquake" at school this afternoon, hemming and hawing with supposed concern.
I made a face. Like they actually cared about me or my well-being. They were more worried about my younger sister Erika.
Such a drama queen.
I didn't remember being so prone to histrionics at 15.
Or ever, really.
Sometimes I felt like a total alien in my family. I eased down the dim hallway, trying to avoid all the places I knew creaked or groaned beneath my weight. The path was lit by the faint glow of an old Christmas tree night light, making the journey easier.
I glanced down at the end of the hall. There was a dim strip of light coming from underneath my sister's door, alerting me she was still up. Jeez, she should have been in bed an hour ago. I shook my head. Probably sneaking on her cell phone and chattering to her girlfriends on her FaceApp.
I shrugged. Not my problem. My parents could do their job and parent her themselves. I made it to my room without discovery, and closed the door behind me. Tossing my backpack on the floor, I flopped down on my twin mattress, flinging my arms above my head. Closing my eyes, I sucked in a few long, deep breaths. I'd been trying to be more mindful of my breathing lately, it seemed to help with the restlessness I kept feeling.
A restlessness that since this afternoon, had been curiously absent. My mind skittered away from examining that, and I sucked in a few more breaths, trying to do anything but think.
Epic fail. My eyes popped open like my lids had hinges.
I could hardly believe what I'd seen and felt for myself. That quake had come from me. What else could explain it? One minute, I was feeling all angsty and trying to ignore Linda's theatrics, the next minute, the walls were shaking and the ground was practically exploding under my feet. Once I jumped, it's like I interrupted a current or something. Everything stopped, and that restless feeling vanished.
I'd skipped out on my last two classes, too shaken up to deal with more of Linda Cryner and her ilk. Half the school building had been shut down anyway, and EMT's had swarmed to ensure no students were harmed. I went down to the river and spent most of the afternoon and evening reading in my favorite tree, trying hard not to think about what happened, even as my brain whirled trying to make sense of it.
Under different circumstances, I might have gone and hung out with friends. As it was, I didn't have many. So, I sat in my tree instead, like some homeless monkey, and waited until my curfew was almost up before I headed home for the night. Anything was better than playing house with my parents and enduring their fake concern, or subjecting myself to my sister and her pouty theatrics.
I sat up and glanced around my bedroom.
It was dark, the shadows relieved only by the faint illumination of the streetlight. The sheer curtains that covered my window billowed, and I swallowed, feeling a sudden unease. The hair on the back of my neck rose and goose flesh broke out along my forearms. I normally left my window open to let in a breeze. So it wasn't so much the curtain moving that was freaking me out as something else.
Something I couldn't put my finger on.
I heard a faint noise to my left and froze, almost too scared to look. Turning my head just a pinch, I burst into relieved laughter, grabbing a pillow to muffle the sound. Luna jumped down from her perch on my dresser, meowing and purring. I closed my eyes and dropped my head, my shoulders shaking.
Get it together, Feyona. Stop being weird.
I'd barely completed that thought when something whooshed and covered my face, stealing my sight just as a brawny hand clamped over my mouth, silencing the scream I was about to unleash. I reared back and fought against the hand, pulling at whatever was over my head. I landed against a hard form that felt very male, and my heart sped up to triple time.
Kicking out with my feet and legs, I scrambled for purchase. There was a muffled curse, and a thump, before someone grabbed my ankles and pinned me. It didn't stop me from wiggling and bucking madly, trying to get free.
A voice hissed, "Hold her still so I can stick her!"
I renewed my efforts to get loose, fighting to scream again. I could barely breathe, and briefly worried I might suffocate. Just as the mysterious hand disappeared and I opened my mouth to yell for help, I felt a tiny pinch on the side of my neck.
Everything went dark.