Reflectionless

Chapter One

Thirteen Years Later - POV of Cassia

Hi. My name is Cassia Portland, and I am sixteen years of age. I live in a town near the capital of Maine.

When my parents found out about the incident, they removed all mirrors in our home in case a visitor arrives; although we never have visitors. Never since I was three. My parents placed me into a private school -since there were not many children there- when I went to Kindergarden, all the way through elementary. Now, I will spend my Junior year of high school at North Jackson Terra High School (NJT, and since we moved again, I have another chance to not screw up my social life), and I am as lonely and isolated as ever. But I truly do understand why.

In the 3rd grade, I was pushing a classmate on a swing. When pushing her, I see a shadowy figure. He was young, my age and smiling, and tapping his left shoulder. It was the first time I have seen this boy, and I was frightened. But I continued to push my classmate on the swing. He only came closer, and closer, until he was right beside me, still smiling and tapping his shoulder. I screamed, giving my classmate a hard shove, making me fly backwards several meters. When my vision recovered, my classmate was laying on the ground, sobbing and screaming, a piece of metal stabbed straight through her left shoulder. The figure sat by me, still smiling as he tapped his left shoulder.

No one could see him but me. I stared at him as a terrified teacher that supervised us spoke to the Principal. "I watched as she shoved her classmate several meters from the swing set! She barely even touched her! It's so bizarre- supernatural." The teacher explained. "The shadow boy scared me!" I tried to explain, as I pointed at him. But they saw nothing.

I was expelled from that school.

In the 7th grade, I was accepted, since we moved. But that changed when I was forced to present in front of the class. Being isolated from others grew social anxiety for me. I kept hesitating and stuttering, and I stared at the class as they mocked and laughed at me. The shadowy figure, now older, though still my age, appeared again. He smiled and pointed at the chalkboard, then at the ceiling. Seeing him the second time wasn't as scary as the first, so I only stared. A classmate threw a paper plane at me, followed by a dozen others. I screamed and fell to the ground, curling up in defense, as I heard a loud squeaking. The chalk was loudly screeching against the chalkboard by itself, as the lights on the ceiling flickered, suddenly turning off. The figure smiled, kneeling beside me as the class ran outside in terror.

The figure pointed at the board. Written on it was a name; Akakios. The shadowy figure's name was a Akakios. The chalk wrote more; I will protect you, Cassia.

Akakios never left my side.

And now, here I am, in high school, with Akakios, now my friend who follows me merely everywhere. People stay away from me, thinking I am insane.

"Cassia," my father calls. "Cassia, come down to eat dinner."

I look at Akakios, setting down my sketching pencil. I walk downstairs, Akakios right behind me. I sit down, at a table set up for five.

My mother sits across from me, my father at the end, beside me and my mother, my older brother, Charis sits beside my mother, and Akakios sits next to me. My family knows of Akakios, even though they cannot see them. They place a plate in front of him, mash potatoes and gravy with a side of corn, chicken, and broccoli like the rest of us.

They watch Akakios eat, but all they would see is a floating spoon and fork, picking up food and vanishing in mid air, into his mouth.

We eat in silence.

As I finish my broccoli, Akakios flings some mashed potatoes at Charis. "Hey!" Charis screamed, wiping the food from his face. There was silence, but you could tell that Akakios was laughing since the spoon and fork was moving up and down, as he flung more food at him. "Cassia!" Charis bellows, "Make him stop!" My family immediately turned to face me, I was silently laughing. My mother looks at me sternly, and I stop.

Akakios does not listen to anyone except me. "Akakios, stop." Akakios immediately stopped laughing, and continued to eat.

We finished eating.

• • •

My parents always treated Akakios as family ever since I told them about him. He had a bed in my room, across from mine, but he didn't need it. He lays in it anyway, though. He was like a brother, but I did not treat him as I treat Charis. Akakios and I both treat Charis quite harshly, in a teasing way.

Akakios is my best friend.

I lie in my bed, Akakios in his own.

He doesn't speak, because he's a spirit. I do not know why spirits can't talk, so he communicates by writing and actions.

"Akakios," I say. He turns to me. "I really want this school year to be different. I don't want people to look at me as something terrible." He nods and writes on the whiteboard. I will try to help you with anything I see coming without ruining your chances.

"Thanks, Akakios." I wrap myself in blankets and lay down. "Good night."