HUMAN

Chapter ONE

Chapter ONE

______________

Cold. Black. Lifeless.

I jerked my head up, my eyes snapping opening and fixing on the mirror across from my bed. I stared at my messy blonde bed head and my green eyes as they looked frightened at the reflection in front of me.

My breathing was ragged and my body was covered in a sheet of cold sweat. Shivering from the memories of the dream I wrapped my arms around my body, trying to hold myself together.

'It wasn't real.' I chanted to myself over and over as I rocked slightly on the spot. I hadn't died. I'd escaped. He was gone.

Shaking my head I stood from the bed and quickly grabbed the spare blanket and threw it over the mirror. I couldn't stand to look at myself, how could I? The scars that covered the right side of my face were all I could see. Although I was told multiple times that you could 'hardly see them'.

I grabbed my book off the desk that was on the nightstand and settled back into bed. Leaning against the iron head board I purposely kept myself in an uncomfortable position so I couldn't be dragged back into my unconscious mind.

Sleeping was a gamble I wasn't willing to take. The memories were too much to face at the moment.

Taking a deep breath I emerged myself into the third book this week...and it was only Monday at 3 in the morning.

Books were my escape. When my life had become too hard and when I couldn't sleep for fear of dreaming.

"Kat?" A soft knock on my door forced my attention away from the book, "Couldn't sleep baby?"

I shook my head with a sigh, "No. I'm really loving this book." I lied.

My mother walked into my room, wrapping her pink robe around her waist tighter as she looked around my room with a sad smile. "You should really unpack all these boxes. It's nearly been a month."

"I've just been a little busy, but I'll get to it tomorrow." I told her as I stifled a yawn.

"Tomorrow?" She gave a small laugh, "Kat, it's eight."

My eyes flickered to the alarm clock that was perched on my table and was surprised to see, that it in fact, read that it was 8. "Oh." I whispered, throwing the blankets off my legs. "I'll get ready for the day then."

"Don't forget, first day of school tomorrow." She smiled making her way back out into the hall, probably to wake my brothers and sister.

"How could I?" I mumbled as picked up today's outfit.

I hurried into the bathroom and before I knew it I was down stairs, surrounded by my family. My dad was reading the paper, his glasses halfway down his nose and a steaming coffee cup sitting beside him. My mother was gliding around the kitchen in her bathrobe as she made breakfast for everyone while my elder brother, Christopher, was drumming a beat with his fingers on the oak table. My younger brother, Thomas, was flipping through a sports catalog trying to convince my parents to buy him one thing or another and my sister, Hannah, who was the youngest of the four was staring into a pocket size mirror as she studied her face.

"Morning Katrina." My father gave me a crinkled smile as he looked away from the paper for a moment.

"Morning." I returned his smile with a small one of my own and took my seat beside Tommy.