Hestaphus
By the next week, I had a friend. As sociable as I was, I was surprised it took me this long. But then again most of the boys are so impertinent. His name is Henry and is my age. So anyways, we liked to hang out by the pool. I couldn’t stop talking about the girl. It drove Henry insane, but it was nice to talk to someone about it. I had to know who she was, and where she came from. I also had to know why I couldn’t read her, except for the strongest emotions, but of course I couldn’t tell Henry that. He would think I was a nutter. So, I went to the library and checked out the World People Archives. The government is usually very picky about who gets to see it. I’m surprised they let me. I just asked and the librarian got this dazed look on his face. He then said I was allowed in. It was like I could get anything I wanted. I found her. Andromedea Pov. Funny, that was my mother’s maiden name. She DID come from Albania, and lived on a farm owned by her mother. The really weird thing is, her mother abandoned her the same day my father abandoned me. I guess I didn’t keep track of time, because when I came back, it was dark and the doors were closed. Oh great, I thought. I’m going to have to sleep on the dirty ground, aren’t I?! But then I realized that the pool would be warmer. And cozier. And I couldn’t drown. Or get wet. And the pool was right out the back, where anyone could get into it. That, my friend, is how I ended up sleeping in the pool.
The next morning I woke up to Ned.
“Oi! Freak! Are you dead yet? I think he’s still breathing.”
“But how!?” I heard another boy ask.
I moaned. What time was it? I wondered. Why do I hear voices? Why were they all muffled? That’s when I remembered. Pretend to be dead! I thought to myself. So I did. I went slack, and I floated up to the top. It was quite easy to be dead, since I can breathe underwater. Then I heard the screaming. Girl screaming. Something was happening next door!
