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Preface

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Preface

I'd never given much thought to how I would die. Why would I? I had my whole life ahead of me, years and years that I wanted to see through. I wouldn't give that up for anything, not even for someone I loved.

Yes, I wasn't selfless, nope, I was selfish. Maybe it was because I didn't have anyone. No loved ones, no family. I was born in 1992, I don't know the exact date, and my mother died giving birth. Since she came in alone and no one knew who she was, I was sent to live with some other family who wanted a kid. Babies were apparently quickly adopted.

I don't remember my adoptive parents and being quite honest I don't acknowledge that the six years I spent with them even happened. I mean they left me on the side of the street, and I was six, who does that?

Plus, they chose the shadiest, most dangerous street ever. I was six, practically still a toddler. I was lucky though, nothing bad ever happened to me on those streets. I relied on stealing and rummaging in dumpsters for any kind of food. I realised early on that begging for things wasn't going to get me anywhere, because people couldn't be trusted.

I toughened up, and grew up pretty fast. When I was ten years old I figured out that my luck was in fact magic and probably the reason they had left me. That was all my mind could come up with, strange things always happened around me. When it was cold, I was warm, when it rained; I was dry even though I lived outside.

And that wasn't even the weirdest thing, I never ran out of money. I mostly bought things to eat, but I always had enough every single time I went to buy my food instead of stealing it. But my biggest clue that I had powers was when this creepy guy attacked me and with a flick of my wrist I threw him against a wall. I didn't even touch him.

I was terrified after that, of that guy, of myself. I didn't know what had happened, but when it happened again, when I moved the dumpster away from myself without touching it, I was more curious than scared.

So, I went to the library, I had heard people in passing talk about it, it seemed to be the best place to find information. Luckily, before they had abandoned me, they had taught me things, like reading and counting, I had heard them say I was very smart, so I figured I could learn about what was happening to me and hopefully I could learn to control it quickly.

I watched the building for a few hours, watching for a way in. It seemed that people could come in and out as they please, so reluctantly I moved forward. It was easy, but it seemed too easy, I had never been allowed anywhere before because of the way I looked.

I mean I did live on the streets so it wasn't a surprise that I only owned one outfit. This too had come from them. I've had it since I was four, since I was abandoned. It grew with me, probably another side effect of my powers. It was a grey sweater, its colour was faded, but it was still mostly intact, and a long pair of jeans, also faded and worn. The only thing I got rid of was the shoes; I preferred to be barefoot because I loved to feel every surface I stepped on.

My short walk into the library rewarded me with stares, all familiar. They were looks I got on a daily basis. Disgust. Pity. Some had questions in their eyes, how did I end up like this? Where was my family? I ignored them just like I did every other time. I didn't trust anyone and I doubt I ever will.

No one stopped me, no one even approached me, and so I walked through the rows and rows of books. I didn't really know what I was looking for, but I read every title, searching for any mention of powers or magic.

I found quite a few. Mostly fiction. I skipped them altogether and instead searched in the history section. There I found stuff about witches and trials, killing girls because they were possessed by the devil. I shook my head, I wasn't possessed. I mean I'd know if I was.