Storm

One

The doctors couldn't explain anything to me. Neither could the scientist. How was I supposed to explain it to myself then? I survived 5 lightning strikes is what the doctors told me. Isn't there some sort of saying? Lightning doesn't strike the same place twice? Would a person even count as a place? I guess not because that's what happened.

Not only that, but I could no longer recognize myself. My familiar brown hair turned silvery white and my umber eyes went to icy blue. No wonder the doctors and scientists couldn't explain it. I'm a mystery in itself.

They told me just to forget about the how and think about the why. Think about why you lived, so you could return to your life. Return to normal and be grateful. Everything will be fine.  They said all those things, but here's the thing. They lied

It's been a month since I've had to get used to my new life. My new hair, eyes, and home. The storm ended up destroying and taking away our home. It also took away something else important to Ali and me, our mother.

She took one lightning strike and died yet I took five and lived. What kind of logic is that? None that I ever want to deal with again. That is for sure.

Ali and I moved in with our aunt Merida in her little cottage. We used to go there often when we were kids but now we live there. Our aunt bought us a puppy, to keep us company I guess, and we named him Leo. He's a three month old australian shepherd who has the energy like no other puppy. He likes to run around in the fenced in backyard but that's still not enough exercise for him. I have to take him on walks every morning.

I wake up and throw on some shorts, a shirt, and tennis shoes. My bedroom is on the bottom floor so I just have to walk out of my room and into the kitchen. Merida is there making breakfast but she knows I won't eat it. I always skip breakfast and wait till lunch to eat.

I wait by the backdoor until Leo comes through the doggie door and then clip a leash on his blue collar. I ruffle the fur on his head and then shout "I'm taking Leo for a walk!Bye!" as I walk out the front door.

Once we hit the pavement Leo starts tugging me forwards. He wants to run but all I can manage is a walk. Yesterday I tried running with him but he wanted to go so fast I couldn't keep up. "Leo,just hold on a second silly puppy."I say smiling over at him. He does as I ask and lays down on the ground to wait.

I open the blue mailbox in front of the house because the red flag is up but I find it's empty. Hm, all well. "Let's go Leo."I say pointing ahead to our destination, the hedge garden.  He scrambles up and almost trips over his own legs which makes me laugh, something I haven't done very often since the storm.

The hedge garden entrance is an arch made out of hedge and it's basically what the name says it is. A garden bordered in by hedge two times higher than my own height. In the left corner of the hedge garden is another, smaller,  archway that leads into the hedge maze.

When I was a little girl we used to always visit my aunt. My sister wasn't born yet, me being only four, almost five, so I was always really bored. One sunny morning my mother took me to the hedge garden. She sat in the garden on one of the two wooden benches and read a book while I explored the maze. I figured out the way to the exit in under than a hour. It was simple (well for me anyways) left, left, straight, right, left, straight, and then four more rights.

That wasn't my only achievement that day. I had also made a secret exit. It was basically a small hole in the wall of the hedge. I had covered it afterwards with a plank of wood. To find it you just had to keep turning left.

  The garden is two blocks away and is a little bit of a walk but it'll be good for Leo. After one block I start to feel paranoid like someone is following me. I keep on turning around to only find nothing and no one.    

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I start picking up my pace and holding the leash to Leo tighter.I walk through this and get to the entrance of the hedge maze.I look behind me just for a quick glance and see that nobody's there.Maybe they weren't following me?Who knows but I'm still not taking any chances.I head into the maze recalling the correct turns.

I decide that the normal exit would be easier to go through and start taking that path.I soon after hear footsteps not my own or Leo's.I start into a small jog tugging Leo backwards.

Right before I turn the final turn to the exit I stop.I peek my head around the corner and see that someone is waiting there.Waiting possibly for me.This is not good.Seems like i'm going to have to use my secret exit after all.I turn around and nearly jump out of my socks.There in front of me stands the person who was following me before.Before I can even do anything they tap me lightly on the head.Suddenly I'm really tired and worn out.I fall to the ground as the light around me goes dark.