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"Run..." The word was a whisper. Katherine slowly turned, looking over her shoulder into the moon light. The attic was musty and dank. Boxes stood stacked against one wall, the other was empty, a window stood open.
"Run." This time it was louder, firmer. She took a hesitant step toward the window. The floor boards creaked under her bare feet. She could feel a soft breeze caress her face.
"Run." It was demanding. But still she approached the window. A sudden sense of dread flooded Katherine. She wanted to stop. Wanted to run, to get away.
"Run!" The voice made her jump, but her feet forced her closer to the open window.
"Run!!!" Her finger tips traced the sill of the window as she reached it. Katherine had no control of her body as she sank to her knees in front of the open window.
"RUN!!!" Suddenly, the world was silent. No noise. She looked outside and for a moment her fear was erased. The street was normal. It was dark out, stars twinkled and an airplane passed overhead. A car drove by, the nieghbor's lights went out for the night.
Suddenly a man's silhouette dropped down, inches from her face, from the roof, hanging upside down. Katherine screamed in her head, unable to force her lips to move. He had no face. His skin was enveloped in tight, black, rubbery leather and his eyes that shone through slits, were also black. He cocked his head to one side. Slowly he extended a hand to her face as if afraid to frighten her.
'Somebody help me, please! Please!!!' Katherine begged in her head, willing anyone, someone to hear her. Just as the leather-clad fingers were about to graze her cheek, she felt herself being dragged backwards. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her from behind, pinning her arms at her sides and pressing her against a solid chest. She could hear ragged breathing in her ear as her savior continued to drag her away from the window, back into the shadows. Before the darkness totally consumed them, Katherine managed to crane her neck enough to catch a glipse of dirty blonde hair and deeply shadowed eyes.
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"Katherine! Breakfast! Hurry up, you're gunna be late for school." Katherines eyes blinked open slowly. She was back in her room in her bed, face down in her pillows. It was all some stupid dream. She scowled at her alarm clock. 7:47am. Katherine rolled her eyes. She technically had 33 minutes to get ready and make it to the school on time, but she had no intention of leaving until she was damn good and ready. She stood and walked to her bookshelf. She flicked through music on her ipod and settled on Skrillex's Equinox. She cranked the volume and went to her closet, pausing briefly when she caught a glimps of her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a disheveled mess, one shoulder poked out of her oversized tshirt, and her eyes were puffy. Katherine stared at the exposed skin at her collar. She could still see the jagged scars crisscrossing along her collarbone and over her shoulder bone. But just as quickly as she had stopped, she turned away. She picked out a faded pair of skinny jeans, a hunter green tank top, and her black leather jacket and ankle boots. She ran her brush through her hair a couple times, but left it down and natural and applied eyeliner and chapstick to her face. 8:12am. Katherine grabbed her new messenger bag off her bed and began packing it with notebooks, pens, pencils, and folders. She grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and slipped it in her pocket. She speed walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mother sat eating bacon and eggs, a full plate across from her.
"Your breakfast is cold." Helena spoke softly, appraising her daughters appearance. Helena had never understood Katherine's constant want to stand out. She never wanted to be "good enough" or popular. When Helena was Katherine's age, she'd have given anything to fit in. But that was because she hadn't been blessed with the beauty and unintentional charm her daughter possessed.
