Searching for the Key

Chapter 1

Katia was used to weird dreams. She had been having them for as long as she could remember. But the one where she died was a new one.

The dream started off normal enough by Katia's standards. There was a toddler sitting on the floor watching a woman lift a ball of water and float it through the air towards the young child. The little girl laughed and as soon as she touched it, it burst like a bubble and disappeared.

Suddenly the scene shifted. Katia didn't know where she was. The room was dark and the cool, damp air she breathed reminded her of a cave. In the dim light she could see ancient carvings on the wall which Katia was surprised she could read if she concentrated enough.

Chills suddenly went down her spine as Katia became aware of the quiet sound of someone breathing. She wasn't alone in the cave. She turned around and a sudden unseen force pulled Katia up and forced her to lie down, levitating in the air. She struggled but it was no use. It's like her limbs were bound by invisible bonds.

Finally the person came into view. It was a man with black, close cropped hair. He had tan skin and a middle aged looking face, but looking into his dark, black eyes Katia had the sense he was much older than he looked. He sneered at her and his teeth were slightly pointed at the ends.

"Katia," he purred in a velvety voice. "I've been waiting for someone like you for a very long time."

The man started chanting in a language she didn't understand. Immediately a burning pain began coursing through her veins, and Katia thrashed around, begging for it to stop. Tears escaped the corners of her eyes and just as the pain reached its climax and everything started to go black, a sound jarred her awake.

Katia's eyes flew open and darted left and right. She thought she was still in the cave but the light was bright and filtering in through the windows. The light green paint of the walls was a calming color her heart was still hammering. She was back in her room which was halfway between a guest room and her own.

Katie slammed her alarm clock off and took a shaky breath. Her heart was just slowing down before it lurched again when she saw the time on her clock. 7:30!

"Not again," Katia groaned as she jumped out of bed and into the bathroom.

She took a quick shower and then threw her hair into a messy ponytail. She donned some clothes she found lying on her bed without checking if they matched and rushed downstairs. It wasn't the best but it would have to do.

Katia ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, quickly grabbing a muffin. Her foster mom, Carrie, watched her running around with an amused expression.

"How do you always manage to sleep through your alarm? I could hear that thing ringing from downstairs!" Carrie asked exasperatedly.

"I don't know I guess it's a special gift," Katia said with a smirk. Then her expression turned serious. "Actually I was having one of those weird dreams again, and I just got so into it."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Carrie asked with a concerned expression.

She wasn't like most foster parents Katia had. Carrie actually cared and would always check up on Katia despite her tendency to close herself off in the beginning. She wouldn't let up and eventually Katia started to trust her.

"Maybe later. I only have fifteen minutes to get to school. Oh where's Sean?" Katia asked, looking around for her foster dad.

Unlike most of her foster families, she actually liked Carrie and Sean and they liked her. They might have even adopted her if she wasn't so close to turning eighteen.