"Mr. Frost doesKatey live here all the time?" Janey asked him softly.
"Yes, she does.We took her out of foster care. Her native parents and her fosterfamily didn't know what to do with her."
"What's herskill?"
"She's aprophet and she sees the dead."
"Wow ... I canunderstand where that could get her in trouble."
Janey left thegroup around the director and walked over to Kate.
"Kate, may I sitnext to you?" She asked with her eyes down.
"OK." Katesaid shyly and retook her seat in the beanbag chair.
Janey sat in thechair next to her and moved around to make it comfortable for
herself.
"These are nice,like a nest to cuddle in." She said softly to Katey.
"I like thebeanbags ... sometimes I nap here." Katey confided.
"I can picturethat. They're cozy."
There was silencefor a long time between the two girls but eventually Janey began tospeak.
"The first deadperson I ever saw was a little Indian girl. Her tribe had lived onthe land were my best friend's house was built many years later.She played with us for a few years then she left. Now, she's myfriend's spirit guide."
"The first deadperson I saw got me a beating." Katey said very, very softly.
"Yourgrandparent?"
Katey looked atJaney as if she'd just told the world the worst secret.
"How did youknow?"
"It would havehad to be someone your family didn't think was dead, so agrandparent. Whichever it was they came to tell you goodbye and thatthey were alright."
"It was Nana, mymother's mom, and yes, she told me she was going away. When I toldmy mom, she beat me for lying."
"I'm sure thathurt more because she didn't believe you than the beating itself."
"I never lie. IfI can't tell the truth I don't say anything at all."
"And that gotyou beat too, didn't it."
Katey was cryingso she only nodded.
Janey offered herhand; she did not grab Katey's. In a little while Katey took it.
"Katey, thosepeople were all wrong. I have had the great good fortune to haveparents who think my special skills are a gift not a curse andthey've supported me. I'm sorry your life was so hard up to now,but no one is going to put you down for what you can do ever again."
"The people heretreat me well. I don't even get yelled at here."
"But it isn'ta home."
Katey dried hereyes and looked at Janey a long time.
"Are you ...inviting me ... into your home?" she asked with the first hope inher eyes Janey had seen.
"Yes, I am. I'venever had a sister. I think my parents would be cool with it."
"You are an onlychild?"
"Yup."
"You have beenlucky. I've had foster brothers and sisters and they've all beenmean to me."
"I won't bemean to you, and neither will my parents. They don't scream andthey don't hit. They let me make mistakes and I have to fix thingswhen I do."
YOU ARE READING
Dragon Girl
Paranormal14 year old Janey Michelle Richardson was a happy, healthy American teenager with a few "special" gifts; she was telepathic with cats, she could process ghosts, she could move things with her mind. She was ... weird. That made a lot of people susp...
