It felt as though I had the life sucked back into my body all at once, and I let out a huge gasp. I slowly opened my eyes, cautious as to what I would see. The first thing I saw was white. There was only white in front of me. It was fitting for Heaven, the place I assumed that I was. As I kept staring at the wall of whiteness I noticed something, little raised bumps and tiny black dots. I could see each little indent in the paint. The paint? It was definitely paint, I realized. It wasn’t Heaven in front of me, but instead a painted white ceiling. I must be laying on my back then, I realized. Once I thought it I knew it was true. I shouldn’t be able to make out the details of the paint though, it was too far away. Yet I could see it as if it was a mere two inches from my face. Something was off.
I felt the tiniest amount of breeze, as if someone stirred, and I realized that I was not alone in the room. In fact, I sensed that there were four other people in the small room and I immediately went on the defensive. My body immediately tensed up, as if it was ready to attack or be attacked. I had not yet turned to see the strangers, but I could feel their presence in the room. I could hear each little beat of their hearts and their quiet breathing.
They all had a sharp scent to them, one that marked each one as a predator. Just like you, a voice in my head informed me. That made sense. Why had none of them attacked though? I would be easy prey, laying here defenseless on my back. I realized that I had to be the one to make the first move. Without warning I jumped up, taking a defensive sound and baring my fangs. Fangs? That wasn’t right. All four of the men jumped up, each looking worried. What reason could they have to be worried? I could tell just by looking at them that any of them could easily take me down in a fight.
“Haven.” One of them whispered and I immediately snapped my head in his direction. What did he say? I cocked my head, studying him. He was the second biggest, but I could sense he was by far the strongest. He had short, dark brown hair and his face held more grief and worry than any of the others. Why would that be? Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, as if I had seen him in a dream, but I couldn’t place his face.
“Haven?” The word was repeated again, this time by a different guy. In turn I studied him. He was the youngest, and by far the skinniest of the four men in the room. His long black hair laid just over his chin, and it looked as if he were wearing makeup. He had a concerned look on his face as he studied me back, and I decided that this one wasn’t a threat.
“Haven.” The word was repeated for the third time by the first man that had spoken. As soon as I heard it everything came rushing back to me, and I sank down onto my knees. I was in a dorm room, our dorm room, and I was surrounded by my family. My true family, I realized, as I put the pieces together.
I had died, I was sure of that. I had felt my life end, like a candle being extinguished. That is something you don’t imagine. And yet here I was, breathing and moving. I brought my hand to my chest hoping, praying, to feel a heartbeat, but I felt nothing. I wasn’t alive, but I wasn’t dead either; I was somewhere in between. I quickly jumped up and ran into the bathroom. I gasped when I looked into the mirror.
It was me that stared back, but at the same time it wasn’t. My hair seemed to have darkened and instead of falling to my shoulders, it now reached mid-back. My face was more sharp and angular, I felt like I could be a model now. My body had hardened with muscle, but I still had the thin form that I had been born with. I had always been pale, but now my skin had a pearly-white gleam to it, like the boys’ did. Also like the boys, my eyes were now a bright, metallic silver. Only mine were a little different, my pupils were slits, much like those of a cat. Overall the appearance was quite striking.
