Chapter 7

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Opening my eyes again, I stared blankly up at the face leaning over me in horror. At first, I didn't think, and then it hit me...he saw. Not knowing what to do, I just lay there watching him like a deer caught in headlights.

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"Are you ok?" Harry asked in disbelief, scanning over my body with his eyes for any signs of injury…and causing myself to blush like a madwoman. Crouching down incredibly close to my face, he just stared at me questioningly; like I was being put on trial. "Lynli…do you mind if I ask you something?"

Hearing no response, because I was still busy being in shock- how I was and he wasn’t I still can't figure out- he continued on, "Are you a-"

Then my senses came back to me and I jumped up. Getting back up in a hurried state, I smacked my head into his in the process and stumbled back onto my butt. "I'm sorry...I-I didn't mean to..." Stammering like I had the night before, I ran for the other direction, kitten still in my grasp; running away again as I had the night before. I tried to continue my apologies over my shoulder, running forward even after I passed the front of my house.

I’m not sure why, but in the end I just tuned everything out and kept running through the subdivisions to God-knows-where.

Finally coming to the end of the last street, I stopped at an abandoned park. It looked like it had been so long since someone came to it, the sand looking like a desert with swing set put precariously in the middle.

Letting the roughed up, and jumbled by now, kitten down I walked over to the swings; the kitten followed close behind me. The kitten rubbed against my leg while I stayed slumped against the swing I had plunked myself down into. Not caring whether the seat stayed steady or not, I buried my head into my arms resting on my knees. I stared down through the gap between my knees and my vision blurred as the sand began to darken, drop by drop.

Wiggling its way between my legs, the kitten peered up into my eyes with its big ocean blue ones, and rubbed its slate blue, fury cheek against my own; wiping away the tears...but more continued to come.

Startled by the heavy, rasping breaths that weren’t my own, my body grew rigid.

Just a few yards ahead, Harry stood at the border of the ‘desert’, holding himself up with his hands against her knees. Then he looked up, and his eyes widened at the sight of my watery ones. He tried to rush over to me, but only succeeded in tripping over himself in the process.

I couldn't help but let a small laugh slip at the expense of his clumsiness, and it made him smile as well.

Pushing himself off the ground, he hesitantly made his way over to me, not sure if I'd run again. I cast my eyes back to the ground, turning my head away when he sat on the rusting swing next to me.

"Lynli, I'm sorry if I've made you upset. I really am, and I never meant to intrude. It's just that...I thought you were a..." Seeming unsure if he should continue on, he stopped short.

I took the liberty to finish for him. "A...a...a...” I started, not meaning to mock him so much, "a freak; an abomination to the world? Yeah, I know. I've already heard it, so you can save your breath..." I never meant to snap at him, but after all these years it's bound to come out eventually, whether I meant to let it or not.

At the end I snapped my head over to look at him, trying to emphasize my anger; instead I as the one taking a double-take at his appearance...his anger.

Shoulders tense and jaw clenched, his knuckles began to turn white from the grip he had on the chains of the swing. Obviously something wasn’t right; and it wasn’t me this time.

His eyes were no longer on the sand as mine just were, but piercing into my own. He closed his eyes briefly, carefully taking a few deep, calming breaths before starting up again. "Who would tell you such a thing? They must be ignorant fools."

"I really don't think my grandparents are ignorant fools…they just don't believe I can exist…and be pure at the same time that is..."I spat it at first, but just gave up towards the end and got quiet. Hanging my head, I tried to hide the tears that threatened to spill over again. This time I could only whisper hoping it would hide the quivers in my voice. "They were the ones that said it and they were right. It's just what I am. I mean, I can do these things but I can't explain why or how. Things that not even professionals would know. Everyone in the world around me is normal. They’re all having normal childhoods and leading normal lives. Other than my grandparents, I had never known anyone other than my parents or seen past the walls of my house or car until I was 8. Even my parents became afraid and at some point led themselves to believe that the neighborhood would go medieval on me and let the government pitchfork me out of existence with their science projects if anyone found out. It’s not like any of their children liked me enough for their parents to want to help me."

The tears finally found my cheeks as I faced Harry, grabbing onto his hands in a desperate attempt. "I'm sorry if I hurt you the other day. I really don't know what came over me. Normally, I have everything in check, I swear. You don’t' know me and have no reason to owe me anything, but I beg of you," I barely choked out the last part through the tears, just trying to finish. I didn’t know whether I was acting desperate or pathetic when I got down on my knees before continuing, "Please, don't tell anyone. If my parents were to find out…if anyone were to find out… my parents might try to isolate me, ‘for my well-being’. If someone found out, I don't know what would happen to me, but I really don't want to find out either..."

No longer able to see him anymore through the tears, my body slumped forward. My head fell to rest on my hands that still held his. Tears dripped from my palm and soaked his jeans. My body shook raggedly as I had to force myself to stop and take in breaths between the cries.

"Please Lynli, don’t' cry...You have nothing to be afraid of. You have a friend in me-" My body tensed, unsure of what his words were supposed to mean. I managed to lift my head and wipe my eyes, trying to figure out what he meant, watching him. "If anything you should be happy that you slipped up." My stare became puzzled as I tried to figure out how possibly ruining my life was a good thing...was it good because he was going to blackmail me? I couldn't help but question, and all the while he smiled at me and wiped away my tears. "I know just what you are, Lynli. And, trust me, you are not alone in this."

Sitting up a bit straighter, he smiled at me. I could only wonder what in the world it was that he would say. What would you come up with? Well, I wasn't sure and I wouldn't figure out either.

Tilting my head to the side like a confused puppy dog, I waited for him to continue.

"You're a witch, Lynli... I wasn't sure at first after those sparks- I was sure it had to have been myself- but when the paint went flying-oh, I wasn't snooping. I only saw because I was outside doing chores, and well, it's a little hard not to look when you see colors like that flying at the corner of your eye. And don't worry, I checked and no one else saw." he quickly reassured, interrupting himself when my eyes bugged out in fear, "And then, when you fell from that height, I instantly knew it couldn't have been myself, that those sparks weren't caused by me."

Scooping the kitten into my arms, I watched him curiously, yet I was mortified all the same. "How could you have done that? Why would you even think such a thing?"

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