With each passing day, graduation draws nearer for Adira Reid, who is currently in her final year of high school. Constantly trying to balance her time and responsibilities, she feels like she's walking on a tightrope. With a busy routine filled wit...
I yell, racing away from Griffin, Grabbing Bridgid's hand as I do, I knew where he was hiding the second he touched me. My visions don't always work like that, but sometimes just the smallest of contact, even just a glance, can send me into visions.
I laugh, expecting him to pick up the chase, but instead, he spins glaring off in my direction. hurt evident
"You used your abilities again," he pouts. "That's not fair and you know it." I stop running, causing Bridgid to bump into me.
"I'm sorry, Griffin, it just happens. You know I can't help it." I defend myself and he crosses his arms, not moving from where he is. His small body vibrates with anger, his chest heaving hard.
"That doesn't mean you can use it against me, Anna!" he shouts. "Use it on Bridgid, not me." I turn to Bridgid and her brows furrow.
"Hey, I'm almost as powerless as you. I can't go against her abilities any more than you." they glare at each other.
"We're not the same Bridgid. You at least have something. All I am is a waste of space." His body slumps and he drops to the ground. Mom and Dad's words ring out in my head. I've heard them say it to him enough, and if it wasn't that it was;
"Why can't you be like your sister?"
"Why are you the way you are?"
"You're no child of mine!" I want to scream. What has he done? He doesn't deserve to be treated this way for something he can't control.
I frown, drop Bridgid's hand and cross the small backyard to my brother, dropping down in front of him. I didn't have it as bad as he did, but I still had the pressure that seemed to loom over us. Like no matter what we did, we weren't good enough. I've told Mom probably over a thousand times what's coming, but she doesn't believe me. Even when something I say comes to fruition, she just yells at me for knowing too much. It happens before I can stop it and it's not like it's my fault but where I feel hated because of the abilities I have, Griffin had it worse. The disappointed, disgusted looks as if he had any say in being born powerless.
I think Mom and Dad are stressed from what happened before in the 'Burnt place'. The same thing that's coming this way to Hiraeth, a second tragedy. Griffin is probably the safest he can ever be.
"I'm sorry Griffin, I should have ignored it," I say sadly and he just shrugs, making my heart ache. "I promise this time, I won't even if it happens again." I hold out my pinkie but he turns away from me. "I'll let you get me. Every time, I can't say the same about Bridgid, but you have my word." I add quickly and he looks over his shoulder at me, his brown eyes drowning in tears, "Every time?" He asks
"You'd lose every time?" You and I both know you don't like losing. You're a sore loser." He states and I shrug, fully committing.
"Anything for you," I promised myself I would look after him since Mom and Dad do such a poor job, so this is what I must do. I'll do anything for him if just to keep him with me. "I promise and I never break my promises," I add in so he knows how serious I am and it works. He turns towards me, intertwining his pinkie with mine.
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The scene shifts and I'm no longer sitting in front of this Griffin kid. No, I'm myself again, standing outside the scene I was just playing first person in.
I feel the lightest touch on my right and turning around, I'm facing Mom. My heart aches and I suck in such a deep breath of relief I'm sure I've taken all the air out of where ever I am. I want to jump into her arms and receive a hug I've been craving, but I'm stopped by her hand touching my cheek.
"Oh my sweet girl, the time has come. I'm no longer able to protect you from the truth. My only hope is to share my memories with you so that you may be prepared."
My heart sinks. Is this what this is? A fragment of imagination placed in my head by her? I reach out my hand, hoping to touch her but sure enough my hand phases right through. "Oh, my sweet girl." She says with such sadness, I almost believe she just watched me try to touch her, but she turns looking at the paused scene.
"There wasn't anything I could have done, the damage was so severe, so deep that once it started burning, festering I couldn't get back my baby brother. He resents me. Hates me for what I am. He hates everyone in this town. I hadn't seen him for years.
I wanted my baby brother so desperately that I believed every lie he told me." She looks back at me, and with a snap of her fingers, everything around me rushes by as Mom disappears.
