In Another World (Kathryl One-Shots)

A World In Which Wishes Are Made

Kathryn loved school. She loved it with all her little seven year old heart. Besides the bullies, school was perfect. What made it perfect, was the fact she was away from her father. Kathryn didn't like that she had to move. She liked her school's library, and the librarian always bought her a chocolate bar. Kathryn didn't dare speak her mind about this, though.

When moving day finally came upon them, Kathryn loaded her one box inside her father's truck, and then climbed in herself. She looked out the window most of the ride. Kathryn liked to watch the people as they passed them. She would even sometimes pretend she was those people. She would be the woman who was walking her dog down the street, or the little girl getting ice cream with her mom, and sometimes Kathryn had to stop thinking about being other people because she would get sad.

It had only been about three hours, but to Kathryn, that had been an eternity. Her father pulled his old truck into the driveway of their new house and gruffly said, "Go on. Grab your things and get."

Kathryn basically leaped out of the truck. She then hurriedly ran to the back and grabbed her box. Something clattered at Kathryn's feet. She looked down and saw a set of shiny new keys. "Imma find the bar," her father said from inside the truck. He pulled the truck out of the driveway and went speeding down the road without another word. Kathryn very ungracefully balanced her box on her hip and picked up the set of keys.

Daryl watched curiously from the treeline. He knew everyone in town, but he didn't know this girl. That man in the truck just left her. Daryl couldn't figure out why. That was something his dad would do, and Daryl knew his dad was no good.

Standing on the tips of her toes, Kathryn was able to unlock the door. She nervously walked inside. Her father had come here a few weeks ago with the furniture, so it felt a little like her old house. Kathryn would never call that place home. She had read about homes before, and she didn't think that place deserved to be called a home.

Kathryn climbed up the staircase, and once she reached the top, she began searching the rooms for hers. She quickly found the room with her bed in it. Kathryn set her box down on top of her bed and looked around the room. She walked over to the one window. It overlooked the street. Kathryn didn't see any other kids. Unlike some kids, that made Kathryn happy. Other kids could be mean.

She soon became bored looking out the window and decided to investigate the backyard. She opened the back door with a click. Stepping outside, she saw that there wasn't another house, there were only trees. A small smile crossed Kathryn's lips. Where there were trees, there were hiding spots. Kathryn disappeared into the treeline. She felt at ease within the cover of the tall trees.

Daryl ran. Ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. His lungs screamed for air, and his eye was still throbbing. His dad was mad, really mad, and he had to get away. Daryl glanced behind him just to make sure he wasn't being followed. Before he knew it, he was falling. The fall wasn't as hard as Daryl expected it to be, and he soon found out why. He looked down to see the girl he had been watching. Daryl quickly scrambled off the girl and rose to his feet. The girl shortly followed. The two kids watched each other carefully. Both waiting for the other one to make the first move.

Daryl noticed her hair had collected a few twigs in the fall, and she wasn't worrying about brushing them out. He also saw that her right eye was a little swollen like it was healing from a week old black eye.

Kathryn noticed how the boy's chest rose and fall quickly, and how his eyes had a scared look to them. She also noticed his right eye was turning a light shade of purple, the aftermath of a hit. Kathryn knew too much about those.

Neither of the kids said a word. They started walking in a big circle, almost daring the other to make a move. Once the two were on the opposite side of that which they started, they took off. Kathryn ran back to her house, and Daryl disappeared into the cover of the trees.