Swept Away

Chapter 6

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night or in the wee hours of the morning only to find yourself on the floor? Or across the room from your bed with your pillows tossed around haphazardly? Does it creep you out? Do you get worried? I get it if you don't. I mean you're still in your room right? And you probably are just one violent sleeper no? But see I also get it if you are a little freaked out. Cause I would get majorly creeped when I woke up in a place different from where I had originally went to sleep as well.

Granted sometimes I woke up in a different town all together. But you get my point right?

I looked up and down the street somewhat warily hoping I wasn't too far from home. Being able to teleport had it's downsides. I didn't do it-- voluntarily at least-- very often just for the simple reason that I had no control whatsoever of where I'd end up. Plus, who would want to risk ending up in the middle of the ocean, or halfway around the world... or both. 

Oh yeah, and it was my deep, dark secret, so...

I can barely remember the first time it happened. I literally had been-- have been-- teleporting since before I could remember. Just image a little toddler vanishing into thin air, and poof, showing up somewhere completely different. 

Somehow it hadn't really been an issue... I don't know how, but my family and I had been going about life as we knew it like there was nothing strange about my abilities at all. But then in eighth grade everything changed. That day was the beginning of the rest of my oh-so-strange life. It marked the beginning of everything slipping from beneath my feet, through my fingers-- like sand. 

I had been in Latin class. Unlike you would expect it was a pretty normal day. Actually it was sorta perfect outside. There were no tumultuous winds, no angry thunder, or pelting rain. It was bright and happy like the sunlight slanting in through the blinds. But I was drifting. Falling in and out of a deep, completely absorbing slumber. 

"The word is adhortantesque," I heard my teacher grunt, "Miss. Garger?"

"Adhortanetesque? Wha-

I didn't have time to finish whatever I was going to say however. Because suddenly, but yet so gradually at the same time-- so it was almost painful-- a searing coldness, bone-chilling frost raced through me. I don't know when but my eyes had closed and when I reopened them I was in a different place. 

To say I freaked the crap out would definitely be the understatement of the century. 

When I finally had gotten home that night my little cottage had been packed up and all of a sudden we were moving to that  middle of nowhere farmhouse.  The first time I transported because of my trigger word I knew something had changed. I knew because never before had it been like this. 

For one, I would only transport to the next room, a block over, but never so far. 

Second, I had always transported randomly. Not after saying something. Not in the middle of saying something. It was pretty neat, and clean cut. Always happened at a pretty good time. If there even was a good time to vanish from someplace then reappear somewhere else.

Third, as soon as I met my dad's eyes I knew. I knew this was different, I knew he knew. And I thought that it would be alright judging from the look he gave me. 

But then a year later he was gone, and I was still trying to learn to harness this weird ability I had, and hone the skill. I couldn't though. 

Lately my random teleports had been few and far in between--thank God, cause the temperamental little shits were so unpredictable-- but every time it did happen, I went somewhere farther and farther.  It was getting out of hand fast. Problem was-- well the problem was me.

Now as I stood in the middle of the street, like a deer caught in headlights I sighed, and turned east (I had a keen sense of direction).I knew I'd be home pretty late, but all I had to do was just keep on walking east, and conjure up some lie while I was at it, just in case mom happened to be home. 

I doubted it.

I heard a couple yelling as I hopped a fence and cut through their backyard. I veered into the shadow of the dark foliage, my stomach twisting as I hurried pass their home. I hated fighting. It reminded me of the last few months my parents were together, before my dad left. They were always fighting. It had started with discrete disagreements and irrational, quiet, quarreling after dinner, and grew into raging disputes within a few months. I knew deep down it was all because of my teleporting.

I promised myself I'd stop, so that they'd stay together, but eventually I realized that it wasn't getting any better, and I had no control over it. Our whole family was headed nowhere fast and even though I might have started it, by pushing us all down this slippery slope; I was powerless to stop us from our inevitable crash. So late at night I'd transport, and then spend hours walking back. Alone. In the quiet of the night my thoughts were louder than ever. I hated it, but I liked it so much better than the bickering and biting at home. 

The day my dad left it was like relief crashed down on all of us. Followed by heavy... emptiness-- at least for me. It felt like we were all being held under the surface of water, drowning for so long, fighting the water-- or in my case the tearing and fracturing of our family bond. Fighting to hold our breath and stay alive for so long we felt as if we would explode, or worse implode. But then we opened our mouths. Took a breathe and inhaled our death. The death of our family. 

But that sounded like, impossibly morbid. I almost laughed. 

Whatever. Point was my dad, the one who actually cared, was gone. My brother was off to college and here I was, trying to lead a normal life. And I had literally no idea what I was doing. 

Between mom bringing dad up like every time we talked, just to throw him under the bus, trying to keep up with my school work, and now Zion I was surprised I wasn't going insane. Or maybe I was.

I didn't know.

It had to be around two in the morning when I, at last, got home. I fumbled around in the darkness, groping in my pockets for my keys. Unsuccessful in finding them I sighed heavily. 

"Figures," I whispered tiredly into the dark. Ugh, I was so totally zapped right now.

I shut my eyes, squeezing them tight and rubbing my temples where an angry headache was blooming in my skull. I walked around my house, and jiggled the window that led to my kitchen. Shoving it up, I crawled through it. Upon my entrance I cracked my neck, and made sure I turned to lock the window behind me. I was feeling uneasy, and slightly on edge, more than likely from just recently transporting, but I didn't want to take any chances. 

With this feeling growing and expanding in my chest, I took a deep breath and trudged up the steps, to my room, where my bed was waiting for me.

My bed, I thought affectionately, my bed would never leave me.

♕ ♕ ♕ ♕

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A/N: So this is a little back story, insight kinda chapter on the one we call Kennedy. What'd ya think? Is it confusing? Cause the whole thing was monologue besides that one line lol Are you interested? Hooked? I dunno.. anyway idk what to say so thanks if you're still reading and voting and commenting. Thanks for the support and encouragement and have a fabulous day/night/life. 

This chappie is dedicated to my favourite watty author like everrr I'm in love with basically anything she writes, she's the first person I followed on here, and I've been reading her story Run Bad Boy Run for a while-- it gives me all kinds of insane feels akdghf lol 

So yeah dedicated to her, cause she's inspiring and fabulous (':

A picture of Zion (Diego Barrueco) to the side for your viewing pleasure, but mostly mine lol 

~luckyon3 aka Sarah

xx