Katarina Rose

"When the thunder struck, the mountains fell. And the light turned to ash. The world would fall, but not today, 'cause today the flowers appeared" I sing this line over and over as I paint my new bedroom walls. The song has been stuck in my head ever since the accident three years ago, though I dont remember ever learning it. I dont remember many things from that summer. But thats okay. I dont want to.

My newly violet walls remind me of the color in my hair. I move the paint roller up and down, untill I hear something hitting the window behind me. With out looking back, I lay down the roller and sit down in front of the window that faces my neighboring house. When I look outside, moveing the red part of my hair from my face, I see a boy sitting across from me. After a couple seconds of just looking at the boy, I unlock and swing the window open.

"Hello." He says simply, smileing with perfectly white teeth. I wave at him, still keeping my blank face. He laughs and reaches his hand out the window and I shake it. "Blake" tells the boy. "Katarina" I say in a sing-songy voice, then start humming my song. Blake laughs and says "Kinda sounds like cat."

I stop singing long enough to mumble "meow."

"Are you new here?" He asks, putting his elbow on the window ledge and his head in his hand. "Yes..." I whisper, then stand up and get back to my painting. "Where did you come from?" Blake asks. "I cant tell you." I say, not stoping to look at him."why?" He pushes.

"Because you wouldnt believe me."

I again start to sing a new verse in the song out loud. "Though when back to the beginning, the whole thing will start again. The rain will fall and the trumpets will sound, till blood of a sacrifice grows near..." I finish. "What song is that?" Asks the boy. "I dont know... They didnt tell me."

"Who?" Gosh this kids annoying. Instead of answering, I ignore him and start the song over.

I finish the last wall and leave my room- and the boy - behind. In my new pink, floral print, vintage dress and flowers in my hair, I lay down in the warm grass outside.

He thinks im wierd. Like everyone else does. Even my mom and brothers think that im literally crazy. I wasnt always this way, though. Before the accident, I was a normal girl in chicago. But when the 7th grade school year started, so did the anxiety attacks. I would start to scream and have to tuck my head between my knees to make the visions stop. My friends started to be embarrassed of my attacks, so they started to stay away from me.

My parents decided to move to california this year, thinking the warmth may help me. I love it. I love the flowers, and beaches, and people. I love how everyone here has tan skin, and from every window there is an amazing view of the ocean. Of course its not helping my dreams, though. And I know ill still have visions.

Visions, and dreams, and thoughts.... And the song. The song they sang to me before the rain.

When it rained, theyd push us outside into the cage and send bolts of electricity through our wet bodies. Thats the only thing I can remember from that summer. The part where lightning sounds, translates to when the electricity hit us, they would laugh at our screams. I dont know how I got off that mountain. Or what happened to the others.

I stand up and grab the box of chalk off our porch, and start to color on the sidewalk. I draw everything I think about. I draw the sunset, and chicago, and the moon. My gold eyes that became this way during that summer. I draw rain drops and flowers.

After ive completely covered the sidewalk, a girl and a boy about my age come around the corner and immediately look at me. I brush the chalk dust off my dress and watch them walk around the designs. They look like normal teenagers. Normal clothes, a normal walk, normal hair.... Wait, not normal eyes.

The small, skinny girl stops in front of me and smiles "Its nice to finaly meet you, Katarina. Im Maria, this is Cody." She says in a whispery, delicate voice... A voice identical to my own.

Her big, golden eyes never leave mine. "Why?" I ask, not knowing whats so great about meeting me. She ignores my question and asks "Have you ever been to Avon, Indiana?" I shake my head and the boy- Cody -hands me a small, golden, buisness card.

"A movie theatre." I say, looking at the picture on the card. "Not just any movie theatre, Katarina. Its a place where youll fit in."

She must read the look on my face, because then, she sits down easily, and starts coloring in the spots id missed.

"You know," she starts "i know what you did. What you can do... What you will do. The prison on Everest, the one you escaped? No ones ever gotten out, once they go in. No one but you, and one other boy... You know how you did it?"

I shake my head "Dont remember much of anything about that place..." Except the pain and dirty bodies and faces of psycopath murders... But i dont mention that last part.

Maria grins, apparently pleased with my answer. "Ya know, I can never remember what i do... While im using my strengths..." She looks down at her drawing; an eye, thats half green and half gold.

"What strengths?" I ask, watching Cody stroke Marias white hair.

"Powers, actually. I say strengths, but its power. Impossible, amazing, super human abilities. Me, you, Cody... We all have super powers." She looks up at boy, and signs somthing with her hands to him. He laughs a strange laugh, and answers with more signing.

Maria looks back at me, and says "Codys deaf."

"Why?"

She opens her mouth, but doesnt speak, as if unsure what to say. "Uhh, i think ill let Cody explain."

Huh? She just said he was deaf! Then, she leans forward, placing her thumb on my chin, and two fingers on my eyelids. It freaks me out, but I stay put, curious as of to what shes doing.

The world seems strangly quiet, all i hear is my breathing. That is, untill Maria pulls away and I open my eyes.

Its so loud, i have to cover my ears... But it doesnt help. Everyone in the whole town seems to be talking to me at the same time!

"But ill need to tell Harry to do the laundry..."

"I wonder what its like to fly..."

"If only she wouldve put the milk away like id told her to..."

These are small phrases that i catch amidst all the chatter.

I start to panick. What did she do to me?! I look at Maria and Cody francticly,

And then they turn around and leave, being careful not to walk on the sidewalk.