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Dear Priss,
It's me Kyle. How are you? I am okay. I would be much better if you were still here in River's Bend. I really miss you. I really really really miss you a lot. I know there was some big important reason why you and your family had to move away. Even though I don't know what it is, I know it has to be big. I know you wouldn't leave me if it wasn't. I'm just glad you still agreed to be my girlfriend even though we can't see each other or talk to each other every day.
The letter writing thing is cool. I can live with it. It feels like we're in some old movie from an ancient time like before they invented computers and internet and cell phones. You know, like the 80's.
Anyway, things in River's Bend are just about the same. That creepy math teacher Mr. Witherall is gone though. Don't really know what happened to him. We got a new teacher now Mrs. Abernathy. But she's so mean we all call her Mrs. Uber-Nasty. Apparently, she doesn't realize that math class is supposed to be my time for catching up on games of Tetris on my iPhone. She actually called on me in class for like three days in a row. And when she handed back a test that I had failed, she actually stapled a Burger King application to the front of it. Yeah, right. Like I would ever work there. Chick-Fila maybe. Burger King never. Their french fries suck. Who needs math anyway? I'm gonna be a famous actor one day. The only math I'm gonna need is addition to count up my millions.
After the embarrassing test thing, I decided to sit behind Susie Chambers just like you used to. Now she doesn't even know I'm there because she can't see me behind Susie's big head.
Tai's doing okay. I know she misses you too, especially since the eighth graders are so mean to her. Yesterday, Jimmy Vee took her favorite calculator, froze it in a block of ice and then set it on her desk this morning. Eighth graders suck! Next year when I'm an eighth grader I'm not gonna be like them. I'm gonna treat the seventh graders with a little respect. Anyway, Spencer and I took care of him. We filled his bicycle seat with ketchup. When he sat on it he flipped out. He thought he was hemorrhaging or something. It was priceless.
Tai thinks the real reason they don't like her is because she's black. I think it's because she's smart and the rest of them are morons. Anyway, I know she's your best friend so I'll keep looking out for her.
I can't wait to see you next weekend. I'm sorry it can't be this weekend, but you know I'm in the school play. I wish you could come, but I understand if you can't. Well, I guess I understand. Anyway, I thought for our date, we could see a movie, and then go for a walk around your town. Where is your town again? For some reason, I can never remember. I always have to give the letters I write to you to Tai and she mails them for me.
Anyway, write back soon, okay.
Kyle
P.S.I can't wait to kiss you again
Dear Kyle,
It's me Priss. I'm fine and I miss you too. I really wish my family didn't have to move away from River's Bend, but it was just too dangerous to stay. You see, Mr. Witherall wasn't really a Mister, he was a doctor, a geneticist to be exact. And he worked at a place called the Selliwood Institute where my mother was born. They performed all kinds of genetic experiments on her and turned her into a super weapon.
When she was 17, my father went to work there as a guard. They fell in love and my dad helped her escape. They moved to River's Bend and lived in hiding while starting a family. Neither of them knew that I would inherit a lot of my mother's DNA and start some genetic mutations of my own. Josh has powers too. We don't know about the twins yet, they're still too young.
Well, long story short, Dr. Witherall and Colonel Selliwood found out about me and tracked me down to River's Bend. Mr. Witherall just posed as our teacher in order to keep an eye on me and study my powers. Then they attacked and kidnapped my entire family, Mom, Dad, Josh, the twins, and even Tai. The only reason they didn't get me as well was because I was at the town square gazebo with you when it happened.
So then, I went and broke into the Institute. I was able to save my family and the other children they kept there for their genetic experiments. Even though I blew up the institute, Dr. Witherall and Colonel Selliwood both escaped. Since they knew where we lived in River's Bend, we had to move to Missouri for our own safety. They probably still want to kill us.
Sorry, I couldn't tell you. But if you knew the truth you would be in danger as well. I mean, Dr. Witherall and Colonel Selliwood are still out there. I overheard a conversation between the two of them in which they promised revenge, especially against the President of the United States. He also said that he figured out a way to control his Specimens once and for all claiming that their biggest fault was that they thought too much. That means he's probably coming after us. I'd hate for you to get caught up in it too. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you because of me.
I stopped writing and scratched out the entire letter. Yeah, right. I wished I could send this letter to Kyle. I wished I could tell him the truth. But I couldn't. I didn't want to put him in danger. I also didn't want him to think I was some sort of freak.
I crumbled up the piece of paper, tossed it in the air, and then destroyed it with a blast of fire from my index finger. He could never know.
I spent three hours trying to write the perfect letter to Kyle. I even considered going to the grocery store and seeing if Hallmark had created anything for letting your boyfriend know you were a genetically mutated freak that might accidently fry him to a crisp the next time you kissed him. Probably not.
I would've preferred to just see him in person. I wished I could go to his play. In just three short hours, he was going to be the cutest Romeo ever. But, no, my parents wouldn't let me. They thought it was too dangerous for me to go back to River's Bend given the whole Selliwood situation.
I finally gave up trying to communicate my feelings to Kyle and decided to get a snack. I was totally bummed on my way to the kitchen. My life sucked. I had no friends out here in the middle of nowhere Missouri, I rarely got to see Kyle and Tai, and I wasn't even allowed to go to school. Not that I especially liked school, but anything would've been better than being stuck in the house all day with a bunch of stinky brothers.
Speaking of stinky brothers, where were mine? The silence in the house gave me the feeling the twins were up to something. Not that I have telepathy or anything so I didn't know for sure. Josh was getting so good with his psychic powers that he could even sense danger sometimes. But no, it wasn't any special powers that let me know that the twins were up to something. I mean, come on, they were the twins. They were always doing something sneaky and most likely disgusting.
I finally spotted them dashing out of the kitchen."What are you doing?" I yelled after them. Ryan and Peter were right behind. All four of them were laughing hysterically. Ryan and Peter were a set of eight-year-old twins that I had rescued from the Institute. For some reason, they enjoyed hanging out with my five-year old twin brothers. It was probably because they didn't have much of a childhood in the Institute so my brothers were showing them what it was like to be a kid.
"Nothing," Charlie and Chester said in unison, giving their best puppy dog expression.
This was bad.
"We ain't do nothin, Miss Priss," Ryan said taking off his cowboy hat.
"Yes, we have not done anything," Peter added.
I couldn't quite pinpoint Peter's accent. I'm thinking it was Norwegian or Icelandic or something. Even though Peter and Ryan were twins, Selliwood had programmed them with completely different accents for some reason. It was pretty funny to see the looks of confusion from strangers when they realized one twin sounded like John Wayne and the other sounded like Leif Ericsson.
I crossed my arms and stared at them trying my best to look intimidating.
"Sorry, Miss Priss, we was just seein' what would happen if -"
Charlie jabbed an elbow in Ryan's stomach. "Shut-up. She's bluffing. She can't do anything to us."
Ryan quickly zipped his lips. This was gonna take a little more than my scary stare in order to get them to talk. I held up my hand and lit a flame. "Talk or somebody's getting burned."
Charlie and Chester screamed and started running around in circles. Ryan and Peter started levitating. Did I mention they could fly?
"Mom, Priss is trying to kill us!" Chester yelled.
"Priss, don't kill your brothers," my mother called from her bedroom. "And don't use your powers in the house either."
"Fine," I said, shutting off the flame. "But I'm watching you."
Charlie and Chester gave their evil grins then ran to their room with Ryan and Peter following close behind.
I entered the kitchen slowly. I knew they had done something in there so I wanted to be ready in case I slipped on some strategically placed slime or something. Once I was convinced it was safe, I grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and set it on the counter. Still looking around the kitchen, I opened the freezer and that's when it happened. I heard a series of ropes being pulled. I looked up just in time to see a huge bowl of banana pudding drop onto my face.
I screamed as the thick banana scented glob slid down my body. I started to run out of the kitchen in search of those blond bombers, but instead I slipped on some of the pudding that had spilled on the floor and landed on my butt with a thud.
Ugh! I was so stupid. I should have been looking up instead of down. I thought Charlie and Chester would be too little to do something above my head. I forgot they had the help of flying eight-year-olds.
My giant of a father burst in through the back door with a rifle in his hand. "What's going on? Are you okay, Priscilla?" Dad was always a bit protective of me. My scream probably scared him to death thinking I was in danger or something.
I glared at him. "Do I look okay?"
Realizing that I wasn't in any real danger, Dad put the safety on the rifle then said, "Is that my banana pudding? I just made that this morning."
"Is that all you're concerned about? Look at me. I'm gonna smell like a monkey for a week!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Priscilla. Monkeys don't smell like bananas. They smell like...monkeys." Then my father started laughing. He was laughing at me! I heard more snickering from behind. I turned and saw Charlie and Chester in the doorway doubled over and nearly crying with laughter. Ryan and Peter were enjoying themselves as well as they flew to the ceiling and started dismantling the elaborate rig that had been very well camouflaged.
"I'm gonna kill you!" I said, lunging for my baby brothers and dragging them into the mess like we were in some sort of professional pudding wrestling league.
"Okay guys, break it up." My dad grabbed me by the arms and pulled me off of them, just as mom and Josh entered the kitchen.
"Alright, what's going on in here?" my mother asked.
Josh shook his head and said, "It looks like another unprovoked attack from the twins. Mom, they have to be stopped."
"We was just playin around," Charlie said, forcing his lip to tremble.
"Yeah, we didn't mean anything by it," Chester added.
"They're lying. They're little monsters and they do this stuff on purpose just to drive us crazy!" I said, wiping pudding out of my eyes. Ugh, who knew banana pudding could sting so much.
"I have to agree with Priss on this," Josh said. "They're out of control. Yesterday they filled all my shoes with grape jelly."
"We just wanted to make toe jam!" The twins said in unison.
Peter and Ryan burst out laughing as if that was the funniest thing they'd ever heard. I rolled my eyes.
"Priss is right," Josh continued. "They're driving us crazy we can't take it anymore. We need a break from them."
"What kind of break?" my dad asked still holding on to me so I wouldn't attack the Devil Twins.
"Why don't you let us go home for the weekend? To River's Bend," Josh suggested.
I shot him a look. When had he come up with this plan? Not that I was complaining or anything. I'd love to go to River's Bend for the weekend. That way I could see Kyle's play. And see Kyle, of course. I started to get excited. I hadn't seen him in two months!
Follow my lead, Josh said to me telepathically.
"Please, please, please," I said. "Just for the weekend. We'll be so careful. And if anything goes wrong or seems suspicious we'll be back in a flash." I lit a quick flame for emphasis. The room instantly smelled like burnt bananas.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea, kids," my mother said. She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead as if she was getting a headache. "I haven't been feeling well. I was kind of hoping to take it easy this weekend and let you and Priss take care of the twins," she said to Josh.
"Are you all right, Babe?" My dad let me go and went to examine his wife. He felt her forehead then stared into her eyes. "You should rest, Quinn. Why don't we let Josh and Priss go to River's Bend and I'll keep the twins out of your hair for the weekend."
Whoa, wait, what? Did my dad just agree to let us go? The same dad who forced all of us to move a farm in the middle of nowhere in the first place? The same dad who wouldn't let us have cell phones or e-mail addresses? The same dad who was so overprotective he timed us when we went into public bathrooms because he was afraid we'd get kidnapped? This was way too easy. Something was up. I stared at Josh.
"Thanks, Dad. We're gonna go pack," Josh said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the kitchen before I had a chance to say anything.
"What was that all about?" I asked Josh once we reached his room. "That was not normal. Did you do something to Dad?"
"I kinda used my powers on him."
"Oooh, Josh! You're gonna get in so much trouble." Mom had strict rules about using our powers on each other, especially Josh's power of hypnotic suggestion. It wasn't fair that Josh was technically able to get anyone to do anything he wanted at anytime. He was only supposed to use it for emergencies.
"I know what you're thinking and this is an emergency. We have to get to River's Bend immediately. It's a matter of life and death."
We were trapped. My dad, my brothers and I were locked in a storm shelter fearing for our lives.
The banging on the door continued. Someone on the outside wanted to get in. Any second they were going to burst through the door. The person was likely my own mother who was apparently dead set on killing my dad, and I had no idea why. What had gotten into her? My brother Josh steadied a rifle ready to shoot whoever entered. Though my dad needed me to keep applying pressure to his stab wound, I left his side for a moment and stood next to Josh ready to blast the intruder with my fire power. After one more loud crash, a metal figure tumbled through the door.
"Marco!" I yelled running into his arms. I had never been so happy to see his metal self in my life.
He wrapped me in his strong metallic arms. "I am so happy you are okay," he said before mumbling something in French and kissing the side of my head.
It was such a soft gentle kiss. I had to admit, I wanted more. I wanted him to continue to hold me and kiss me and tell me that everything was going to be okay. But that wouldn't happen for several reasons. For one thing, just from that one little soft, gentle kiss, the side of my head turned to metal for ten minutes. For another thing, my mother was trying to kill us all. I think that took priority over any possible make-out sessions.
Ryan flew into the hole that Marco had just created. When no one else came through, Josh went outside to secure the perimeter. I was still locked in Marco's arms and running my fingers through his long black hair.
"My mother tried to kill my father. Something is wrong with her." The words flooded out of my mouth.
"I know. She came to the safe house, too. She took Peter and Katya," he said referring to Ryan’s twin brother and our Russian mind eraser Katya who also happened to be Josh’s girlfriend.
"Oh, no." I pulled away and wiped the few tears that had escaped. Just a few minutes ago, my mother had attacked my father in our own house. I didn’t have to ask how she got to the safe house thirty minutes away so quickly. My mother could run faster than the speed of sound. It was one of her many “abilities.”
"She dragged them right out of their beds and put some sort of device to their head,” Marco said. Their bodies went limp and then she boarded an aircraft with the Selliwood Institute logo. It was all caught on the surveillance camera.”
Selliwood. I knew he had to be behind this. Colonel Selliwood, founder of the Selliwood Institute was responsible for the genetic mutations of what he called his “specimens.” Together with his partner Dr. Witherall, they created a race of super humans used in special missions against the enemy. My mother escaped with my father when she was seventeen and since then has helped several others to escape Selliwood’s clutches. There is no way she would willingly go back to that way of life. Colonel Selliwood had to have done something to her.
"Why only Katya and Peter?"
"Ryan and I weren't in our rooms. Neither one of us could sleep, so we were in the kitchen getting a snack."
"Where's Will Smith?" I asked. Will Smith was actually Specimen W. He was a large white man with a German accent, but due to an unholy obsession with the movie Men in Black, he preferred to be called Will Smith.
"He went after her."
I stared into his green eyes for a moment and then Kyle’s face flashed into my head. Kyle was my boyfriend...well, ex-boyfriend now. Marco had a lot to do with that. I was still pretty torn between the two of them. I didn’t really know who I wanted. Now was not the time to think about relationships though.
I realized I still had my arms around Marco’s neck. I quickly stepped away from him. What was I doing? I thought I noticed a tinge of hurt in his eyes. This slipped away when my little brothers ran to him and tackled him with hugs. He picked them up and carried one in each arm.
"We're clear," Josh said, coming back into the storm shelter and clicking the safety on his gun. "How's Dad?" Josh leaned down next to him on the floor.
"He passed out, but his pulse is strong," I said, kneeling across from him. "What are we gonna do Josh? He needs a hospital."
"He doesn't want one," Josh said.
"But he could die."
Josh took a deep breath. A worry wrinkle creased his forehead. He wasn't ready for this type of responsibility. "Let's wait until Will Smith gets back. We'll see what he says."
"And what if he doesn't come back? What if our mother kills him just like she tried to do to Dad? She could have already done it."
"Don't say that Prissy. Mommy's not a killer. She's just sick," Chester said.
"Yeah, the bad guys made her sick," Charlie added.
"They're probably right, Priscilla," Marco said setting the boys down. "That's the only explanation for why she would suddenly snap like this."
"But how?" I asked wiping sweat off my dad's smooth bald head with a towel. I hoped there was a good reason for why she would attack my father.
"Maybe it has something to do with the machine from Selliwood. The one that stripped her powers," Josh said.
"But that was over five months ago. Why would it suddenly make her crazy now?"
"I don't know, okay?" Josh said, clutching his head in frustration. "I don't know! Just because I'm psychic doesn't mean I have all the answers."
"Josh, it's okay. Calm down. We'll figure this out together." I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder. "Let's get Dad back in the house."
Marco carried my dad into the house, while Josh and I put the twins back to bed. It was hard trying to assure them that everything was going to be alright when we really weren't sure ourselves.
"Does Mommy not love us anymore?" Chester asked.
"Of course she does, Chessie," I said. "You were right before, okay? She's just sick."
"How are we going to make her better?" Charlie asked.
That was a good question.
I awoke tied to a table. My neck was killing me and I couldn't move any part of my body. "Holy Ham and Cheese! Not again," I said as I struggled against the restraints. The more I moved the more pain I felt seeping through every pore of my body. What the heck was going on? I had super human strength, why couldn't I lift my body off this stupid table. I looked down and found the reason. There was a glowing inhibitor collar around my neck. I was powerless and at the mercy of whoever it was that had captured me.
"Oh good. You're awake. I thought I had already killed you. That would be no fun at all," a sickening British accent said.
"Xi, is that you?"
"Of course it is," she said stepping into my limited line of sight.
So much for mercy. Specimen Xi was the most insane and disturbed genetically enhanced superhuman created in a laboratory ever. She probably stayed awake at night thinking up the most painful way to kill me. Looks like she might have figured it out.
"What do you want, Xi?"
"Well, that is a ridiculous question. What do you think I want?"
"You want me to die a painful death. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just do it already. I don't feel like having polite conversation."
"Tsk, tsk, Priscilla. Aren't we grumpy? Oh, that's right. You're having boyfriend trouble, aren't you?"
For a second I didn't know if she was talking about Marco or Kyle. Fortunately...or unfortunately she went on to clarify.
"You lie to Kyle for months, then kiss Marco right in front of him. Then you get Marco killed. And going back to Kyle has proven harder than you expected hasn't it? Now he's keeping secrets from you."
How did she know all of this?
"Shut up, Xi. I did not get Marco killed. If anything you did. He was trying to stop you and Colonel Selliwood. And about Kyle...just shut up about Kyle."
There was nothing I could say to refute her there. Unfortunately she was right about that part. I had to lie to Kyle for his own safety. I didn't want him to know that I was the daughter of a genetically enhanced superhuman and that evil villains were chasing my family all over the world. I underestimated Kyle and thought he would reject me if he knew I had super hearing, super strength and could shoot fire out of my fingers. Marco was another specimen around my age and I didn't mean to, but I fell for him. He was like me and I thought we belonged together. Maybe we did belong together. I would never know for sure because now he was dead.
Xi didn't respond at first. She took a mirror out of her purse and ran her fingers through her waist length black hair with hot pink highlights.
"Believe it or not, I'm a little jealous of you," she said, snapping the compact shut.
I was too shocked to actually respond with words. I kind of gave a confused grunt before she continued.
"You've had two boys completely mad about you. I've never had a boyfriend."
"Wha...huh?" Again, too shocked for words.
"I don't mind telling you all this because I'm about to kill you anyway. " She hopped up on the table right next to my feet and crossed her legs. "I haven't even had my first kiss yet. Boys just aren't interested in me."
"That's because you're a psycho." I probably shouldn't have said that, but I couldn't help myself. I mean it was true. And what did it matter what I said. She was about to kill me anyway.
Xi glared at me. Then she looked away and shrugged. "You're probably right. But it doesn't matter. Even if I kissed a boy I probably wouldn't be able to feel a thing."
Xi had no pain receptors. She was extremely hard to defeat in a fight because she never felt when I burned her. And even if I burned her, she could regenerate her body parts so she just re-grew her flesh. The last time I fought her, Marco and I cut off both her hands in order to get away. From the fresh coat of hot pink polish on her nails, I could see her hands had grown back nicely.
Xi looked sad. Suddenly I felt the need to play psychologist. "Look, what are you twelve years old? You still have plenty of time. I didn't have my first kiss until my thirteenth birthday."
"And how was it? Did you see stars or the like?" Xi turned toward me excitedly and tucked her hair behind her ears like a child at a slumber party. I expected her to whip out a hair brush and start singing "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun."
Yes, Xi was a psycho and yes she was currently trying to kill me, but I actually felt a little sorry for her. And thinking about my first kiss with Kyle brought up a whole bunch of warm fuzzy feelings. I couldn't help but talk about it.
"I saw stars. I felt explosions. Thousands of butterflies danced in my stomach. I still get that feeling even when I just look at him."
"Wow," she said as she stared up at the ceiling with a wistful look in her eyes. "What about Marco? What was it like to kiss Marco?"
I wondered how she even knew about that. She probably read my mind. Almost all the specimens had some sort of telepathy. My mother could move things with her mind and my brother, Josh, could see the future. My father was a normal human. And though my five-year-old twin baby brothers hadn't developed any powers yet they were far from normal. Let's just say they like to throw poop and blow their snot on unsuspecting targets.
"Marco only kissed me to protect me from Specimen Zero." That was partly true. Marco had the ability to convert his entire body to metal. Once in metal form he was pretty much invincible. He could stop a bullet at point blank range. Marco could also transfer his powers through an enzyme in his saliva. Thus the kiss.
Xi rolled her eyes. "You think I'm some sort of tosser? I saw the way he looked at you. He was totally smitten."
Once again, Xi was exactly right. He was...smitten with me, or whatever. We'd always had a special connection to each other. I felt it the first time I saw him when I helped him and the other specimens escape the Selliwood Institute where they were created.
I thought back to that kiss with Marco. While it started out as business, it ended with nothing but pleasure. It was amazing. Thinking about that kiss made me miss him even more. Three months ago, Marco, Josh, Ryan, Ian and I traveled to the Arctic Circle and captured Colonel Selliwood. In his metal form, Marco was too dense to swim. He ended up sinking to the bottom of the Arctic Ocean.
"It doesn't matter. He's dead now." I turned my head away so she wouldn't see the tears glistening in my eyes.
"What if I told you he wasn't?"
I turned again and stared at her like we were in a poker game and she was claiming to have four aces. It was possible, but I didn't know whether to trust her or not.
"This conversation has gotten boring," she said finally ending our staring match. "Let's get this over with, shall we?" She hopped off the table and grabbed a syringe off of a nearby desk. She squeezed a little bit of white liquid out of the top of it. "Don't worry," she said, walking toward me slowly with a sinister grin. "Okay, you might want to worry. This is going to be extremely painful."
Xi's main goal in life was to cause other people pain since she couldn't feel pain herself. I knew whatever she had planned for me would be beyond anything I could ever imagine. I doubted if I would survive. My mind raced trying to figure out a way out of this. Nothing was coming to mind. Was this the end?
Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone enter the room.
"Kyle? What are you doing here?"
I hate hospitals. I guess it’s a trait I inherited from my dad. Once when my mother was under Colonel Selliwood’s control, she tried to kill my dad by stabbing him in the chest. He refused to go to the hospital even though he had a collapsed lung and was bleeding like crazy. That would explain why even though I was laying by the edge of a river with a bullet hole in my shoulder I knew I would not be going to the hospital. I hate hospitals.
It was just a bullet. I’d been shot before. I knew I could get over it without too much trouble. If I went to the hospital, they’d just start asking a whole bunch of impossible questions like what’s your name? Where do you live? And, oh yeah, who would shoot a thirteen year old girl and leave her for dead by a river?
The scariest part was that I didn’t know how to answer that last question. Normally, I would immediately say Colonel Selliwood. I know he wants me dead. Was he the one that shot me? I could have sworn he was in jail. Didn’t I put him there? Maybe it was Xi. She definitely wanted me dead and had tried several times. But if she had succeeded in shooting me, I doubt she would have left me alive. She would’ve finished the job. Maybe I got away somehow. I tried to think, but nothing was coming to me. Had I lost my memory?
“My name is Priscilla Sumner and I’m thirteen years old.” I said to the trees as I lay on my back. I started listing all the facts I could think of trying to convince myself I didn’t have amnesia. “My mother is Quindolyn Sumner, a genetically enhanced super human created in the Selliwood Institute. My father is Gregory Sumner, a regular human but a master marksman. My older brother Josh also has super powers and my younger twin brothers Charlie and Chester are super annoying.”
Okay, so I didn’t have amnesia, but why couldn’t I remember how I ended up lying next to a river with a bullet in my shoulder?
As I sat up in the grass, it felt like all the blood rushed out of my head. I thought I was gonna pass out. I had to close my eyes for a second in order to get control of myself. Just a quick glance at my clothes told me I had already lost a lot of blood. If I wasn’t careful, I could go into shock.
With my eyes still closed, I listened to the trickle of the river in front of me. That helped calm me down. I opened my eyes and applied some pressure to the bullet wound while looking around. My mind was pretty groggy so I wasn’t positive where I was, but I was pretty sure I recognized this river and these woods. I was in River’s Bend. I was home.
How I got here? Not so sure. But knowing I was only a few blocks away from my house gave me a burst of energy. Looking at the sky I knew the sun was about to set in an hour or so. It would be safer for me to wait until dark before I headed home. I didn’t want anyone to see me clutching my shoulder and bleeding down the street.
Bleeding or not, I needed to start using my training. I could practically hear my mother’s voice in my head telling me to survey my surroundings and secure the perimeter. What if the bad guys were still close by?
I focused my super hearing for a moment. I was definitely alone. The closest sound I heard was the click of the crosswalk sign at the corner of Main St. and Coming St.
As I stood up, blood from my shoulder dripped to the ground. That’s when I noticed something strange. There was no other blood. Anywhere. My clothes weren’t wet so I didn’t crawl out of the river so there should have been a trail of blood from my shoulder. But there wasn’t. It was like I had fallen straight out of the sky or something.
After making sure I was safe, I sat against a tree and used my uninjured right arm to gather a few sticks into a pile. I lit a flame with my forefinger and started a small fire to keep myself warm as the moon rose and the temperature fell.
I tried to stay positive. Things weren’t so bad. So what if I was shot and left for dead. So what if I couldn’t quite remember how I got there. At least I was alive. I had an uneasy feeling that someone I was close to wasn’t so lucky.
Two hours later, I struggled to my feet. It was now dark enough that I should be able to make it to my house without drawing too much attention to myself. I could follow the river all the way down to Teirney Street behind McMillian’s Pharmacy, then cut past Main Street through the town square gazebo and straight to my street.
The town looked different. Maybe it was because it was night. Or maybe it was because my vision was starting to blur because of all the blood loss but I could have sworn McMillan’s was now a Walmart and Willie’s Sweet Shop was now a Starbucks. That was quick. How long was I lying by that river?
I tried not to think about it too much. There was probably a good explanation. Maybe it was just temporary. They were probably shooting a movie or something. Yeah, I bet Kyle was in a movie and they were shooting a scene there. Yeah, that was it.
As I saw my house at the end of the street, all other thoughts melted away. All I wanted was my bed and my mommy.
I tried to open our door. It was locked. That was funny. Hardly anyone locked their doors in River’s Bend. My dad was the most paranoid person in the world and even he rarely locked the door. Oh well, I thought as I knocked on the door.
“I’ll get it,” an unfamiliar female voice said from inside. Seconds later the door flew open and I stared at a dark skinned girl about my age wearing my favorite wonder woman shirt and a pair of jeans. Something about the shape of her face and her piercing blue eyes seemed very familiar. I thought for a second. Nope, I had never seen her before. So I didn’t quite know what she was doing in my house or why she was wearing my clothes.
“That’s my shirt!” I said pointing at her.
“You’re crazy. This was my aunt’s shirt,” she said with a little too much attitude. I mean, she had some nerve breaking into my house and putting on my clothes.
“And what are you doing in my house?”
“Your house? Please. This is my house. I was born here.” She tossed her long curly black hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms.
“Priscilla, who’s at the door?” A voice from inside called.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” the girl and I said in unison. We stared at each other for a moment. It was obvious we were both confused. It was also obvious that we were both too stubborn to back down.
Finally, I said, “I’m Priscilla Sumner and this is my house.”
The girl laughed a little and rolled her eyes. “Now I know you’re crazy. I’m Priscilla Sumner.”
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Dear Parents,
Please rest assured that PriscillatheGreat.com takes privacy very seriously. Your child will not be solicited for personal information nor hounded by advertisements while visiting this site. PriscillatheGreat.com is a safe haven.
If your child chooses to register with PriscillatheGreat.com in order to receive updates about the books and movies or participate in chats and contests, they will be asked for standard information such as name, age, gender, and email address. If you or your child no longer wish to receive updates or participate in our activities, you may unsubscribe at any time.
PriscillatheGreat.com is monitored by adults. Registered users are able to post comments and participate in discussions, but such feedback is heavily moderated. Offending comments will be deleted and the poster banned from the site.
We do not rent, sell, or share personal information about you with other vendors or companies.
For any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact Sybil Nelson
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