Unnatural

Chapter 1

I sat at my kitchen table alone, eating some cold pizza out of the box. A single light bulb hanging from the dull white ceiling illuminated the small dank room. Doors were missing from the cabinets and the sink was piled high with dirty dishes that had been stacking up for weeks. My homework laid across the splintering table. I fisted my hair and scribbled over the pages of my math homework. Nobody was home to help me, not like someone would anyways. I looked out the muggy window to see that the sun had finally left the sky and the rain began to pour down. I finished up the last of my problems and shoved everything into my bag. At this point in the school year I was so tired and just wanted it to end already. With no air conditioning in the small house I had been sweating since I stepped foot into it. I drabbed my water bottle and walked upstairs, leaving the rest of the pizza for my parents for when they came home from work. I almost stumbled over a broken step but caught myself on the wall, sighing in relief. I made it up to the top where my door shut out the downstairs. I opened it up, the scent of perfume and laundry detergent filled my nose and I smiled. My room is the only place I feel safe in this house, tucked away from my unloving parents. I changed out of my scratchy uniform from school and pulled on some leggings and a cream sweater. Plopping onto my bed I shoved my earbuds into my head and turned the music all the way up, enjoying my free time. About a half an hour later I saw the lights of a car flash across the walls of my room. I gazed out the window to see my mom's car in the driveway, my parents lazily getting out. I sighed and locked my door, not wanting them to bother me any more than they do.

I knew what she would say if she saw me. "Katherine you need to work harder! Katherine why are you even here? Why can't you just leave us alone Katherine!" Meanwhile my father would just sit there, too drunk to function. I could smell the smoke a cigarette floating into my room and I shook my head. Almost every hour my parents were smoking, leaving their nasty scent everywhere they went. I sighed and drifted in and out of sleep, not quit wanting to go to bed yet. I suddenly smelled something else that made me sit up right away. I ripped out my earbuds and flung open my door, flying down the stair and shaking in fear. The whole living room was in flames, slowly spreading to the kitchen. I looked to the front door to see it also in flames. I screamed and ran up the stairs, tripping on the broken step and scrambling up the rest. I slammed the door to my room shut and grabbed my phone, the charger ripping out of the wall with it. Jumping into my muddy boots I pulled open my window and the rain pelted my face. I grabbed onto the tree branch the hung over my window and climbed out the window. I made it to the ground and sprinted away from the house. I lived in the woods so there was nobody here to help me. I looked down at my phone to call 911 but the screen was all messed up, flashing colors and codes. I felt the wind pick up around me and lights began to flash over the ground. One of the lights landed on me and a siren blaired. The wind became more intense and I fell to the ground. something hit the ground next to me and the wind stopped. I looked to see a strange kind of aircraft, just... sitting there. The door opened and out stepped something I couldn't see. I began to run, faster than I ever have. Something sharp hit my legs and I fell to the earth, mud covering my whole body. The night was becoming darker and darker by the second and my breath became short. My mind went dark and I went into the deepest sleep I had ever felt.