In the Beginning

Chapter Sixteen

     I awoke with a start. Tears streamed down my face. The walls felt like they were closing in on me. The air seemed to leave the room. I gasped for breath, but couldn't draw any. I had get out of here. All of a sudden, everything was so close, the room full of people, the walls right next to me as if we were standing shoulder to shoulder. My head spun and I made a grab for the door handle. It was locked. The voice in my head was screaming that I had to get out. I pounded on the door. It moved closer to me, boxing me in. I screamed, trying to draw breath but all that would come was the gasp for it. I curled into a ball, I was panicking. I screamed clawing at the walls and the door, trying to get out. I finally got the door to open. I scrambled into the dark night. I took large breaths. In and out. I had to remind myself how to breathe. Brittney and the others quickly followed behind me. They stood in the doorway, staring at me. My hands shook violently. Brittney approached my slowly, as if I would freak out on her. I was already freaking out so, it was a little late for that. She made a grab for my wrist but on instinct, I jerked it away.

     "Starr?" I held up a finger to say, "Give me a minute." Brittney understood and she stepped back. I finally caught my breath. "You alright?" I shook my head.

      "I don't know." Britt had that look in her eyes. The look of pure determination and she didn't get that look too often.

     "What happened in there? You were screaming and trying to open the door. You look like you had just seen a ghost." It was the wrong thing to say. I burst into tears. I cupped my hand over my mouth to stop the obnoxious noise of my sobbing. Brittney glanced back at the other Aphrodite campers who looked scared out of their minds. "Go back to bed. We'll be fine." They receded into the cabin, almost too reluctantly. Since when did they care? "Who did you see, Starr?"

     "It was Piper." I said mousily, finally getting my tears under control. I hated myself for crying so much. Piper would have a fit, knowing I had shed enough tears for her to probably fill an ocean. Brittney pressed her lips together.

     "What did she say?" I told her about the scroll. About the charmspeak and how Piper was the sorceress in the lines. Brittney was a really good listener. She never interrupted, which I found a bit strange, but I wasn't about to question. I told her about the dreams I'd been having and she listened. After I stopped talking, it was Brittney's turn. She explained how she'd been having similar dreams. I was taking my turn listening when I saw the flash of white in the corner of my eye. I looked over and saw Inez. I screamed and probably woke the whole camp. I clamped my hand over my mouth, eyes wide.

     "Sorry." I blinked then all of a sudden Inez was right next to me. "Uh...hi."

     "What are you doing out here so late?" Brittney clenched her fist as if preparing for a fight. Inez smirked.

     "I could ask you two the same question." She looked behind her then rolled her eyes. "Nico, come here." A boy who looked exactly like the boy Inez had been holding hands with a few days past, lurked out of the shadows. "Nico, this is Starr. Starr, Nico." I nodded to the boy, he looked the same age, a bit younger, maybe, but there was a darkness in his eyes that I'd never remembered seeing in anyone who was so young. Nico looked away, he looked guilty. I couldn't imagine what he could feel guilty over, I'd never met the guy before. "Starr, have you heard of a man named James Chelsea?" I raised an eyebrow.

      "Um...I don't think so. Why, who is he?" Inez looked to Nico who shook his head slightly. Inez turned back to me.

     "Your father." My heart stopped. She was lying. She had to be. Even with my shattered memory, I would've remembered my father. I would know when I heard his name.

     "No. No...I would've recognized his name. I would remember him. Just...let me think." Inez frowned and Nico looked me straight in the face.

     "There's a reason you don't remember these things, Starr." Hearing him speak my name sent a cold feeling down my spine. I had seen this kid before, but I couldn't place where or when. Then I remembered. Everything came flooding back at once, a dam bursting open, spilling out all it's contents.

     I was young, about twelve. My dirty blonde hair was short and choppy, like someone had cut it with a pair of pliers. Dirt caked my face, my familiar deep blue eyes gleamed with fear. I was holding hands with a tall man. He had the same color eyes as I have but the resemblance ended there. His hair was dark brown and tousled. He was tan like he spent a lot of time in the sun. In his other hand was another girl, she looked eleven. She looked like I did but her hair was darker, almost brown and her eyes were a sharp green. We stood before a looming mansion, the lights were dark. I couldn't read what the sign exactly said from here but I caught a glimpse of it. Military school. The man knelt, facing the other girl, resting his hands on her small shoulders. She looked frightened. He smiled, wrinkling his face.

     "It'll be okay, sweetheart. You've got your sister." That didn't comfort the other girl. She still had a fearful look on her face. Tears trailed down her cheeks. She hugged the man, burying her face in his rumpled shirt.

     "Don't leave me, dad." Her voice was muffled. He pulled away, looking her in the eyes.

     "Daddy's got to go, sweetheart. Be safe. I love you."

     "I love you too." The girl's voice was small but loud enough for the man to hear her. No way was this man my father...he couldn't be. The man turned to the younger version of myself.

     "Starr, you have to take good care of your sister, okay?" The younger version of me nodded. "You have to keep you both safe. I know it's a lot to ask but you're a brave girl, aren't you?" She nodded again. He pulled her into a hug. She squeezed her eyes tightly, holding onto the man's collar. A strangled yell came from behind them. I whipped around, coming face to face with a lion. If it was any lion, I would've been content. This lion had a snake for a tail and a goat's neck and head sprouting in the middle of its back. The other girl started to turn but the man put a hand on her shoulder. He let Starr go, another hand on her shoulder. "Don't turn around. Go to the school. Tell them Mr. James Chelsea sent you." The younger version of myself grabbed the girl's hand. The younger me started running, dragged the other girl behind her. She looked over her shoulder. The man stood there, tears running down his face.

     "Dad!" The girl screamed but the man turned away. She called to him again, still being dragged by young Starr.

     "We've gotta run, Luna. Come on." The girl turned and ran to the school. Luna opened the doors and started to creep into the mansion. She motioned for young Starr to follow. Together, they talked through the mansion and up the steps. They crept down a hallway, a light flickered on in one of the rooms. The weathered door creaked open and a girl with dark hair and brown eyes stepped out of the room. The girl wore a green cap as if to hide her face. A boy with the same dark eyes and hair stood next to her in the doorway.

     "Hi." The boy was looking in my direction. He wasn't speaking to me, but to my younger self.

     "Nico." The girl frowned at him. "Get back inside." Nico looked like he was about to protest but sulked into the room without question. "Are you lost?" Luna shook her head.

     "We're supposed to be here, I just don't know why."

     "Come in, quickly, or Dr. Thorn will eat you alive." Hopefully, she meant that figuratively. The girls entered the room which was old and rustic. There were two beds, their headboards made of old metal. A decaying desk sat underneath the window, slowly falling apart. "I'm Bianca. This is Nico." She nodded towards the boy. Bianca looked at Luna as Nico showed younger Starr a set of cards, she pitied him and went along with it. "What's your name?"

     "Luna."

     "Nice to meet you Luna. There's a school dance tomorrow, the whole school is expected to come. I suggest you get out of here before then." Luna nodded.

     "How are we going to get out of this place before then?"

     "You can sleep here tonight. Right before the dance starts, take the front door out. Dr. Thorn and the principal should be busy with the students." As Luna started to answer, the memory melded with another. Luna and younger Starr walking out the front door, just out of sight before a car pulled up, three kids getting out from the car. I was jerked back to the present time. Everyone stared at me. Then, I said the stupidest thing that came to the top of my head.

     "Mythomagic."