“You’re back.”
A voice whispered as I opened my eyes. It’s my grandmother, holding a cup of tea in her hands, I take the cup gratefully.
“How do you feel?” She asked.
“Good, grams it was amazing as always and I feel good.” I replied to my grandmother and I give her a reassuring smile. I take a sip of my tea.
“Well, I’m glad that you like traveling, because choosing day is very soon.”
“I know.” I say back to her. “Were you waiting long for me, I mean for me to come back?” I asked curiously.
“Oh honey, you know that its only 48 hours before you can come back, and I just did the math and waited for you to wake up not long before you did.” She replied to me.
“Yeah, well I was just wondering…um... never mind, it’s not important.”
“Well, go to sleep its late and you must be very exhausted. You also have school tomorrow; you didn’t forget did you now.”
“Course not grams, school yay!” I replied with a fake enthusiastic voice.
My grandmother gives me a peck in the forehead and leaves my bedroom. I finish drinking my tea, and slide into the covers of my bed. Falling asleep immediately, I guess I was exhausted.







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I wake up very early in the morning, I didn’t sleep much yesterday. I was thinking hard about choosing day. I am fifteen years old, and in a month I will turn sixteen. I will also have to choose whether I want to be a traveler or be ordinary. I love being a traveler, I love helping people. My grams chose to be one and she loved being one, that’s what she told me. But my mother does not, she gave up her powers on her sixteenth birthday and she wants me to do the same. She says that I have only had but a year of experience that choosing to be a traveler would be sacrificing my whole life. I have always known the
Fuentes 2
next step, always known what to do. When my father left a long time ago, I knew I could handle anything. But for the first time in my life I’ve never felt so uncertain about what to do. My grams and my mother are the only people I have. I try not to think so hard anymore and I head downstairs to the bathroom. I stare at my reflection in the mirror, my short light brown hair falling just above my shoulders and my dull hazel eyes staring back at me. I comb my fingers through my hair, wash my face and get ready for what the day has to offer.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m not the typical fifteen year old girl who worries about school dances, and if the boy, who I like, likes me back. I have always felt out of place, and in my fifteenth birthday my grandmother told me why. I have the gift to travel into people’s bodies, and live their lives for them. In the time in which I occupy their body, they fall into a deep sleep. My task is to “fix” which ever problems their going through, and once I complete my task I return to my body and they will return to theirs not remembering anything but that their life is okay now. In my sixteenth birthday I have to choose to keep my powers or give them up, forever.
I know I’m not the typical girl, but nothing reminds me more of that than school. I walk fast to my locker, trying to avoid anyone who knows me. I grab my biology book and some notebooks, and place my book bag in the locker.
“Cassade!” I hear a voice shout, not so far away.
“Rachel,” I simply say back, trying to sound as enthusiastic as possible.
“I know you haven’t been here in like forever, but how could you forget that we walk to bio together?” She says in a jokingly manner.
“It’s only been two days, and I didn’t, it’s just that you know how Mrs. White is.” I reply with a small smile.
“Well, let’s go we don’t want to be late.” She says, and then she grabs my hand and we head to Biology.
I walk into the classroom, taking my seat quietly and glad that there aren’t so many people in the classroom. Bianca who sits in back of me taps me in the shoulder a few times before she gets my attention.
“You’re back!” Bianca said to me.
“Yeah.” I replied.
“Are you okay, I mean what happened?” Bianca asked curiously.
“Um...I had the flu.” I lie. She nods her head and I turn back to me desk just as the bell rings. Mrs. White is taking attendance, as we work on a starter question.
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“Cassade Petrova.” Mrs. White shouted, I raised my hand slowly and she looks at me as if she had just noticed me. “Oh, you’re here! That’s something new.” I slide as deep in my chair as possible, this is going to be a long day.








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I place my book bag and shoes near the stairs and lie in the couch.
“Hey sweetheart, how was your day?” My grandma asked as she went into the living room.
“Horrible,” I replied honestly “Everyone was acting like they hadn’t seen me in years, like seriously why couldn’t they get over it, it wasn’t like they genuinely cared anyways.”
“Well I would be concern if I was everyone as well, you’re in school some days and some days you’re not.” My mother said as she walked in the living room.
“Mom.” I said slowly as I sat up in the couch.
“Don’t worry I just came by to pick up some things that I had forgotten this morning, I’m heading back to work.” She said in an indifferent tone of voice.
“It’s fine, I wanted to talk to you.” I say to her.
“About?”
“Well you haven’t seen me in two days first of all, I thought you’d be a little more concerned about your daughter than this.” I say my voice getting a bit louder, and I am standing up now.
“What do you want me to say? Welcome back, welcome back from your future as a traveler? Because I know that, that’s what you’re going to choose in a month, to be a traveler. And I honestly cannot stand that, you can’t spend the rest of your life living your life and living somebody else’s as well. I am your mother and I may agree with many things, but I don’t agree with you throwing your future away like this. I will always be your mother, but do not expect me to support you in your decision.”
She finally spilled her guts to me; I’ve been waiting for her to do that for the past few months. And now I wish she could take it back. I wish she could take back everything she just said to me, because it hurts. I stood there almost paralyzed.
“Well, I’m running late, goodbye,” and with those last words she left.
My grandmother approached me, but I just headed upstairs.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It feels different today, the sun is shining a little more than usual. And I can feel the heaviness that I have been carrying for the past couple of days, a little less. I haven’t spoken to my mother since the day
Fuentes 4
that she told me she wouldn’t support me. I haven’t traveled into someone’s body in a while, either, it’s been like about a month. I can feel the troubled people everywhere when I walk through the streets of the Bronx. I know it’s time for me to travel into someone’s body, there is too much evil, and what good is it having my powers if do not use them? That’s one of the disadvantages of having my powers, if I do not use them I am tormented by evil. I become weak, so weak.
“I need to travel,” I say to myself.
I get ready, get my side purse and head downstairs. Just when I’m about to head out, my grandmother stops me.
“Where are you going,” Grams asks.
“Walk around, it’s a nice day outside, I just want to take in some air,” I reply, trying to sound as normal as possible, the pain is aching my every bone and I’m trying hard to stay still.
“Okay, be careful.”
I love feeling independent, I love feeling free. Every time I walk is like I’m taking a little of many of the problems I have, off my shoulder, and that feels delightful. But then I get that searing pain again, and I can’t take it anymore. I sit down in the first bench I find, and try to catch my breath. As I’m enjoying the view, I see a man brutally take a woman’s arm and push her toward a bus with him. I notice a little girl, who’s about six, following behind the couple. Without thinking, I follow them into the bus.
“$1.75” The bus driver said to me. I insert the coins into the machine and grab a ticket. I follow the couple all the way to the back of the bus. As I sit in the seat next to them, I pretend to be listening to music, and overhear their conversation.
“I just wanted to take some air, you don’t let me or Sophia go out, and I just wanted her to get out for a bit.” She explained to the very upset man.
“You think you can fool me? You can’t and you won’t ever run away from me, you hear me?” He said as he tightened his hold on her hand.
“I won’t, I promise, please your hurting me.” She said, her voice shaking.
I just want to say something! I say to myself. But I have to keep my calm; I know exactly what I’m going to do.
“You will learn your lesson, wait until you, me and Sophia get home.” He said back to her.
“Don’t hurt Sophia, she doesn’t know any better, it was all me.” She said, almost confessing.
He mumbled something in her ear, which I didn’t hear. By now I was burning in anger. He pulled the string to signal to the bus driver that he wanted to get out of the bus. He grabbed the little girl, Sophia.
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As if almost saying “I know you won’t run without her, and started on his way off the bus.” When I saw that he wasn’t looking, I grabbed the woman’s arm without hesitation. She looks back.
“What’s your name?” I said quietly.
“Who are you, let me go.”
“I know you don’t know me, but trust me, I know you’re afraid.” I said hesitantly, noticing that the man is almost off the bus.
She looked unsure at first, but then she said, “Grace Lloyd.” I let go of her arm, and she followed the man and Sophia.








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“Grams, I’ m back!” I shout as I entered the house.
“She’s not here; she went to the farmer’s market.” My mom said as she got out of the kitchen, cleaning her hands with a wash cloth.
“Ohh...” I said upsettingly. I need her to do the spell, so I can go into Grace Lloyd’s body. My mom noticed the tone in my voice.
“What’s wrong?” She said worryingly, this is the first time in a long time she sounds worried for me.
“Um, nothing, it’s okay.” I said with uncertainty in my voice. I can’t tell her, she will just get more upset with me. She knew I was lying, but she just shook her head. As I place my side bag in the coat hanger, I felt kind of dizzy.
“Well, I made pasta if you want…” my mom was saying to me, but I couldn’t quite make up what she was saying. “Cassade? Cass!” I heard as I fell to the floor, and then there was just blackness.
I wake up to the strong smell of alcohol in my nose. “What happened?” I say in a low voice.
“You fainted,” she explained, and then hesitated when saying, “are you feeling weak?”
I nodded yes, “Is grams here now?” I asked.
“You need to travel, don’t you?” She asked straight forwardly.
I nod ‘yes’ again in response and add “that’s what I needed grams for.”
Her calm expression suddenly turns into a mix of anger and sadness, and then she got up.
“She will be here soon.” She said as she got up, and then she returned to the kitchen.

Fuentes 6
Don’t cry, I say to myself. Stop it! Why doesn’t she realize what she’s doing to me? In about 20 minutes, my grams arrived home. I told her that I was weak and that I needed to travel, and she cast the spell, and I knew that soon I was going to be Grace Lloyd.





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I wake up to the smell of cigarettes and alcohol and sweat. My hands clinging the little girl next to me, as we both slept in this old dirty mattress on the floor. Why do I feel pain all over? I get up slowly, and look around the room. There was the mattress I was on, next to me to the right there were boxes with clothes in them. I looked over to the left and there was a broken window and mirror. To the other side of the room, there was a couch which the man was sleeping on, an empty bottle of alcohol on his arm which was hanging from the couch and the other hand on top on him with a belt. Next to the couch there was a door. That was it that was all that was in the room. I felt an unexpected sadness that took over me; I have to get myself together I think. I stand up slowly and walk over to the mirror. Now I know why I was in pain, my eye is swollen and I have bruises all over my body, black and blue all over. I look over to Sophia who was still sleeping, she has no bruises. I explore this body a little more, young, slim, and beautiful underneath years of abuse.
I grab some clothes, and head to the door which I suppose is the bathroom. I am the quietest as I can possibly be while taking a shower. Once I am all ready, I head over to Sophia and shake her quietly.
“Mommy, what’s...” she said as she woke up.
“Shhhhhh.” I say quietly. I pick her up; grab some clothes and head to the bathroom to clean her up as well.
“Mommy, not again,” She said as I washed her face “his going to know.”
“Shhhhh,” I replied “everything’s going to be okay.”
She nodded and I continued to wash her silently. Once we both finished up I grabbed some spare clothes in a bag that I found. As I headed toward the door, I saw a wallet on top of this rusty desk in the corner, I grabbed some money and left. The man was still sleeping. I headed down the stairs, and opened the doors to a very dark and scary part of the city. I walked the streets as fast as I could. And took the first bus I saw. I felt the stares searing into my skin, the looks of empathy from people. I was heading toward the police station.
Once I arrived at the bus station, I told the police officer about what had happened. I was the proof to this. I was covered in the definition of abuse. They asked me some questions, and then Sophia. It was getting late, and I was seating and waiting. In about 27 hours I have to travel back to myself, I think to myself. The police man finally walked over to me.

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“There are serious actions being taken about the situation, they are in this moment arresting the man in the address given, you will be assign a lawyer. Do you have any family here?” he asked.
I don’t know! I think to myself. “No” I replied.
“Ok, you will be paid a hotel room today, while the arrest is taking place.” He said to me, he gave me a small smile.
I shook my head, and followed him to a cab. Holding Sophia’s hand and never letting go of her. We arrive at the hotel; I ordered something to eat from room service. And I spoke with Sophia a little bit more, I knew that she noticed something different from the woman that is her mother, by the way she examined me while we spoke.






~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I wake up two mornings later, I know that I have to travel back; I don’t have much time left. I must leave now. As I think about this I look over at Sophia who is sleeping, calmer than yesterday, I noticed. It would be easy, being Grace Lloyd. I would get through this, and live happy with my daughter. I wouldn’t have to return to my troubled life, where I am undecided of whether I should be a good daughter or follow my own fate. Everything would just be easier. I sigh, realizing that I want to stay as Grace Lloyd. I ignore the time.
When Sophia wakes up, we change and we eat. She’s smiling, finally. I smile as well. We talk and we decide to play tag. I haven’t had this much fun in such a long time. This beautiful little girl is so fulfilling, how can she have such a bad father? I think. I want to stay as Grace Lloyd, I think again. Then guilt takes over me, and I think about my mother and grandmother, and I try not too as time passes by. It’s time to go, I know. As I run from Sophia, who’s chasing me she catches and hugs me. I kneel down and give her a kiss in the cheek.
“I love you, mom.” She says to me.
“I love you, too.” I say back. And with those words I know I need to return to my body, I can’t steal a daughter’s love from her mother like that. I can’t run from my problems. I know it’s late, but I have to try. I put Sophia to take a nap and start writing a letter to the real Grace Lloyd. I explain what is going on, and tell her to not fear him, at least for Sophia.
I lie down and let myself go.









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After a while, I wake up. But my surroundings …..Oh my god….. They are the same. Sophia’s laying next to me. Oh my god. What’s going on? It hasn’t been much time, why is it not working? I lie there realizing how stupid of me it was to do that. I close my eyes, and try to keep my now shaking body still. I let myself go, I’m not forcing the spell that my grandma is probably casting at this moment.
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I open my eyes. I’m still Grace Lloyd. I give up. I get up off of the bed, and head to the other side of the room where a mirror stares back at me. I look at the body for a while, and then I crumble to my knees and start crying. What did I do? I wanted to hide from my problems, and I just made everything worse.
I get up from the floor, sobbing, and return to the bed. I lay there, eyes open. I want to go back; I want to be myself again. Please let me return, I beg. I close my eyes once again.








~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wake up, gasping for air. The light blinds me, and I put my forearm in my face. I open my eyes slowly and look around. A crying mother and grandmother hold me in their arms. I hug them back, tightly realizing what I could have lost.
“Oh my god, I thought I was never going to be able to hold you again.” My mother says desperately, and I know that she loves me, and she does everything for the better for me.
“What happened? I…I... Was casting the spell…” my grandmother said hesitantly “did I do something wrong? Oh my goodness...”
“No... I didn’t let go.” I confess. They both look at me at the same time, their glares never losing my sight. “I didn’t want to return, because I was scared,” I admit.
“It’s okay to be afraid baby girl.” My grams said as she moved he hand around my back. My mother stood, silently.
“If you weren’t a traveler this would have never happened, you wouldn’t be risking your life every time.” My mother said silently.
“That’s not true.” I replied, sitting in the bed with my grams sitting next to me.
“Yes, yes it is.” She responded.
“No! “ I shouted, “It’s not! I know how to execute my skills perfectly. Don’t you understand? I held back, because I didn’t want to come to my problems! Because I was afraid, afraid of you! But now I am not anymore. I am going to make my choosing mother, MY choosing.”
“Uh, well I guess you have spoken.” She said quietly.
“It isn’t like that mom, this is not speaking. I want to actually speak to you; I want you to hear me out. Please. What I did made me realize that I love you very much, and I don’t want to lose you.” I say, almost begging.
She nodded and took a sit next to me. My grandmother got up, and left the room.
“Yes?” mom said.
Fuentes 9
“Not so long ago, I didn’t know what I was going to do. But then I traveled into a woman named Grace Lloyd, she had a very dark life, and I saved her. The best part of doing this is that I didn’t only save her; I saved her daughter Sophia as well. It was so fulfilling and one of the biggest joys of my life. And on this trip I realized not only that I shouldn’t escape my problems and embrace them, but that I loved being a traveler. Saving people, and not walking around the streets pretending like I don’t know. I am facing my problems; I am telling you that I know that in a week I want to be a traveler. Mom I love you so much, and I don’t want to lose you. But you have to let your little girl go, you have to let me choose my own decisions and not hold anything against me for doing so.”
Tears streamed down her face, and she hugged me tightly. She kissed me in the forehead and said “I love you too, I’m sorry I have been so selfish. I just want the best for you. Whatever decision you make, I will be standing by your side.” Mom said back. We hugged, and talked about anything and everything. We hadn’t done that in a while. In that moment I remembered Grace and Sophia and how big their bond is right at that same moment. I smiled.








~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A week later.
It was the day, I thought as I breathed in the nice morning air. My mother, grandmother and I headed to a place in the suburbs were other travelers would meet to face their choosing day as well. When we arrived there were many families. As I looked around the room, I saw other sixteen-year olds unsure. But I stood confidently. They started calling the names of the adolescents by family, and doing a religious ceremonial spell for each one of them, both the once that kept the powers and the once who didn’t.
“Cassade Petrova.” One of the elder travelers said. I stepped forward. “Are you worthy of the powers gifted to you?”
Without hesitation I said, “Yes.”