There I sat on the bus with my boyfriend, Finnbar Carroll, the boy I’m in love with. Today was the day I tell Finn and my friend Zach Sammartino, my biggest secret ever. I’m psychic. Well, actually, I was until a week ago. I was over my best friend, Selena’s house and I made a wish. A wish to be normal. Selena’s charming cousins live with her, Tyler and Ethan Traeger. Tyler, who is a year ahead of me in school, had short brown hair, perfect blue eyes, and was as handsome as ever. Ethan was my age and had short blonde hair, amazing eyes that changed from blue to green to gray, and was as cute as any puppy in town. They of course, all knew my secret, and thought it a terrible idea to make a wish to be normal. The next day I woke, my powers were gone. Well, almost all my powers. I could still see auras. Either way, full psychic powers or not, I needed to tell Finn and Zach. I’m only telling Zach because he’s one of my best friends, and I trust him with my life.
“So, you said there was something you wanted to tell me?” Finn asked. I had told him the day before that I had something important to tell him, but that it had to wait until the next day.
“Uh, yeah, well I kind of wanted to wait until after lunch, if that’s okay with you?” I asked him, looking into his deep blue eyes.
“Maddie, take all the time you need. If it’s really important I can wait.” Finn told me, he was staring at me and I felt like melting right then and there.
“Oh, believe me, it’s important.” I mumbled under my breath.


I walked into the cafeteria and there were my two best friends, Abby and Claire. I have more than two best friends, but these two I have been friends with the longest. I sat down next to Abby like I always do.
“Hey, Finn told me something in French yesterday.” Abby said, eyeing me cautiously.
“Okay? What was it?” I asked her, wondering why she was so hesitant, and didn’t just come right out and say what was on her mind.
“Well, I sort of, kind of brought up lying, and he said he lies to you all the time.” Abby paused, obviously seeing the upset look on my face, and went on, “Look Maddie I’m really sorry, really, but not to say I told you so or anything but I told you, he couldn’t be trusted.”
I couldn’t talk. I felt…betrayed, hurt, and like I shouldn’t trust him. I turned around and looked toward Finn, who was sitting at his table laughing at something that one of his geeky friends had said. Why would he lie to me? I can’t tell him my secret if I don’t trust him completely. He told me he would never lie to me, or cheat on me…he even cried while telling me that. Now, I find out he’s lying to me? Could Abby be lying? No, Abby would never lie, she’s always told the truth. So many things were going through my mind I didn’t know what to think. Finn glanced my way, and when he realized I was staring at him, he just smiled and stuck his tongue out. That was one thing we did during class, to signal each other. Sticking out your tongue meant “I miss you” and winking meant “I love you.”
I turned away and the next thing I knew I was being blinded by Finns aura. It was a mix of pink, red, blue, yellow, and green. I wondered if he could see my aura, what color it would be. That’s the one thing I hate, I can’t see my own aura.
“Hey, didn’t you want to tell me something?” Finn asked, looking at me with that look of his that made me want to crawl up in his arms, and stay there forever.
“Well, actually, it’s not that important, so…” I stopped not knowing what more there was to say.
“Are you sure?” He paused, eyeing me so cautiously I shivered, “It sounded pretty important on the bus this morning.”
“Positive! Don’t worry about it.” Finn took my hand and squeezed it slightly.
Oh, he was so cute! His soft, brown hair that’s always kind of messy. His light blue eyes, the way he looks at me. No, no focus! What if he lied to you? Who am I kidding, he could never lie to me, and I love him, even trust him with all of my heart and soul.
“Finn, why don’t you go finish eating? Okay? I’ll talk to you after lunch.” I said to him, wishing I could kiss him.
“You’re not going to eat?” Finn asked with a concerned look on his face, obviously noticing I didn’t have a tray.
“No, I’ll be fine. Promise.” Finn looked like he wanted to kiss me, and I just smiled at him. He finally nodded his head, knowing no matter how hard he tried he would never be able to get me to eat, and got up to go back to his table.
“Zach, Zach!” I yelled, as soon as Finn had sat back down at his table. Zach sits a table away from me. He turned around and gave me one of his friendly, “What do you want?” looks.
“Come here!” I yelled, and Zach got up and came over to our table.
“Hey guys!” He said to Abby, and Claire.
“Hey.” They replied, dully and went back to talking about pineapples.
“So? What’s up?” He asked me. Eyeing me up like I was a sneaky little kid, about to get in trouble.
“Zach, I need to tell you something and you should make sure you’re planted firmly in your chair, before I tell you this.” I paused giving him a moment to do as I told him, and then asked, “You ready?”
“I guess,” He paused, trying very hard not to laugh while trying, unsuccessfully, at the same time to look terrified, “But, one thing?”
“Yes, Zach?”
“Should I be scared?”
“No!” I laughed and reached across the table to smack him, “Anyway, when I was six I was in a car accident with my mother. I was in the hospital for a while. The doctors said there was nothing wrong with me, just a major concussion, but I knew something was definitely wrong. I must’ve hit my head really hard because I started hearing and seeing things. The day my grandma died I saw her, and right then and there she knew what I was. She knew how to explain to me why so many weird things had happened ever since the car accident. I was psychic. Only, a week ago, I made a wish to be normal. It came true, and now all I can see are auras.”
“Wow, well that was a lot to take in? Are you sure…you’re just not crazy?” He asked me, and immediately started laughing.
“Zach, I’m positive, and I’m being serious here! I’ll even prove it to you.” I paused and carefully read his aura. Normally I wouldn’t look at my friends auras, because it would go against my rule of privacy, but in case’s like this, I just had too, “Let’s see…your aura is a mix of… yellow, green, blue, pink, and red?”
“Well what do they mean?” Zach asked, confused and excited at the same time.
I was confused, too, but only because of the last two colors I saw, “In your case yellow means happy, and friendly. Green means peaceful, and compassionate. Blue means kind, loyal, and sensitive. Pink and red, which I’m confused about, mean love and sincerity, and energy, strength, sexuality, and passion?”
“Well, I wonder why it’s pink and red.” Zach said, his face automatically looking flustered.
“I don’t know, but when I see you talking to other girls, and I accidentally look at your aura, it doesn’t get like that. Sometimes Finns looks like that when I accidentally look at his, but that’s only when he see’s me.” I told Zach, who looked so nervous he was on the verge of crying. I didn’t even have to read his aura to know that.
“Okay, well I’ve gotta go, and don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.” Zach paused, looked at Abby, and Claire, and yelled, “Bye!”
Then he got up and left.
“What was that about?” Claire asked.
“It was a little strange, and what’s up with his aura being like that? Hello! It only get’s like that around the people you like.” Abby said, looking at me, and smiling like she knew exactly what I was thinking.
“Oh, like you get when you’re looking at Luke?” Claire laughed.
“Yeah, well I think Zach likes me.” I told them, and was returned with concerned looks.
We all turned at the same time to look at Finn, who must’ve felt someone looking at him because he looked up. He gave me a strange look, and I just smiled.
“Listen Maddie, please watch out for yourself.” Abby said.
“Yeah, if two cute guy’s like you at the same time, well we might have a problem.” Claire finished.
“Especially, if you like both of them…at the same time.” Abby said, as she finished her sandwich, obviously knowing that I had feelings for both of them.
There I sat with my two best friends, who just watched me like I was going to do something unheard of. Claire, who happened to be one of the most talented artists I knew, stared at me, with her big, blue eyes, which went perfectly with her long blonde hair (that was almost always pulled up) and her blemish free complexion. Then there was Abby, who loved to read, and fall over bunnies (Which is how she broke her wrist last week). Abby had big, brown eyes, short, dark, brown hair, almost cut like a boys, and an almost blemish free complexion.
I bet when they looked at me they saw, a girl who’s loud and fun, with hazel eyes, curly brown hair, and a complexion to go with it.
“I like your hair better curly,” Abby paused, “I hate it when you flat iron it.”
“I agree!” Claire said, “I think you should wear it like that to the snowball dance!”
“I should, shouldn’t I? Okay, I will, and we have to get Finn to ask me. He just assumes that since were together I’m going with him.” I told them.
“Okay, I’ll handle that!” Abby said.
“Abby?” I asked, worried she might get him to break up with me, instead of ask me out.
“What? Oh, look they’re dismissing tables! Don’t worry, I’ll be nice.” Abby said and ran off to catch up with Finn.
There I was alone, leaving the cafeteria, when Chassidy Kunkle came up beside me, her blonde hair looking crazier then normal, as she said, “Finn just told me he’s cheating on you.”
My whole world crashed then. I knew that I needed to believe it, but at the same time I didn’t want to believe it. Finn promised me a month ago that he would never cheat on me. He said that he knew how being cheated on felt, and he cared about me too much to do that to me. Plus, he wasn’t that kind of guy. Even if Finn didn’t promise me he wouldn’t cheat on me, I could never see him actually cheating on me. I had to find Finn, and ask him what was really going on.
“Maddie?” Chassidy asked.
“Sorry, I’m just shocked,” I paused, blinking tears out of my eyes, “With Korrin?”
“Yeah, how did you guess that?” Chassidy put one arm around my shoulders, and rubbed my arm.
“Remember when we took that break a couple months ago?” Chassidy nodded, knowing exactly what I meant, “They dated-secretly-while we were taking a break.”
“I’m sorry, Maddie.” Chassidy said, but I just nodded. I didn’t feel like talking.
Finn’s lying to me. Finn’s cheating on me. Supposedly. Should I end this? Should I even talk to him? What is he even lying to me about? Could the two things possibly go together? Could he be lying to me about loving me? If only I didn’t make that stupid wish! If I didn’t I could break my number one rule, and read his mind. Oh, God, I don’t want to get hurt again. Just then Kailee and Erik ran up beside me. They were part of another group I hung out with. Erik was my partner in Tech Ed. Kailee, well we do everything together! In school that is. We want to do things outside of school, but my mom doesn’t like Kailee, very much.
“Maddie, what’s wrong?” Kailee asked, seeing the look on my face.
“I found out that Finn’s been lying to me, and he cheated on me with Korrin.” I started crying, and I couldn’t talk anymore. I don’t know why, but I found comfort in Kailee’s brown eyes, brown hair, and almost same complexion as me. When I got glasses, some people called us twins. Maybe because we’re really close, and we look alike? I don’t know, although, I didn’t know much of what was going on right now, so why would I know a simple thing like that.
“What!” Kailee, who was shocked, was looking around for Finn. As was Erik. They both looked like they wanted to kill him.
“Yeah, well I’m thinking I should break up with him. Look Kailee I like him a lot, but if he did cheat on me, and he is lying to me, I can’t get hurt again.” I told her through soft sobs.
“Okay, well don’t do anything yet, I’ll go talk to him, and we’ll go from there.” She said.
One thing bothered me; Erik and Kailee hug, and look like they’re in love, literally. Finn never hugs me. Ever. Even when I’m upset and really, really need a hug.


The next day was terrible. Finn started ignoring me, for reasons I do not know, and I tried time and time again to break up with him. Rumors had spread all over the school, about him cheating on me, and I could hold the tears in no longer. Each time I tried to break up with him, I would start crying, and eventually I found a way to cover up why I had started crying. So now, I was the one lying. I told my friends the truth about why I was crying, and why Finn and I weren’t talking, but all I really had to say was that he was a jerk.
I wanted to be upset, I really did, and as much as I wanted to find out what was really going on, I couldn’t. Not only because, I was afraid all the rumors and what Chassidy and Abby said were true, but I had bigger things to worry about. During our chorus concert rehearsal that day, I talked to Tyler Traeger.
“Tyler, are you sure about this?” I paused contemplating what he had just said, “Your positive that my gift is gone for good?”
“Unless, one of us is willing to do more research to find a solution, then yes, your gift is gone for good.” He looked deep into my eyes, trying to convince me, that my gift really was gone.
“Tyler, it’s only been a week.”
“Maddie, I’ve spent every waking minute in that library, right down the hall, trying to find a solution.”
“Maybe, we just need to look a little harder…has Selena found anything?”
“Not that I’m aware of, no.” The minute he said that, I knew exactly what was going through his mind that instant.
“You don’t believe anything I’ve said to you about me, or anything that anyone has said to you about me.” I paused, blinking away tears, “And yet, you sat her and acted like you did!”
“Whoa…Maddie, I never said that I didn’t believe you!”
I knew he was lying to me, why else would he have been asking what other people thought, about my gift, “That’s why you asked Eleni what she thought about this whole ordeal, and apparently you and Chassidy have talked about it.”
“So I asked what someone else thought! Is that so bad! She asked me first, so I asked her back.”
“Well then tell me I’m right, you don’t believe me! God! Up until now, you actually had me thinking that you believed me!” With that, I got up and left the rehearsal.

When the bell to end school rang, the first one out of there seat and through the door was me. Finn and I walked to our buses together, but words nor was touching passed between us. What was I going to do? Suffer through this, just because, I love Finn? Yes, No, I need to make my final decision tonight. I need to get guts, and break up with him, or get guts, and talk to him about everything that has happened in the past couple days. To break up with him, or not, that is the question. Tomorrow at the twelfth grade annual Turkey Trot, I’ll talk to him, and if he wasn’t lying the I wont break up with him. If he was, I will. Wow. I really don’t think I can do this.

By the time I got home, I was on the verge of crying. It made it worse when my cousin Alex was sitting in my bean bag chair in my small upstairs room. I walked into my room, and sat down on my futon.
“What are you doing?” I asked, “ Shouldn’t you be in school?”
“Nope! Baldwin High school had off today! So I asked my mom if I could drive over here to see you!” Alex said her voice filled with excitement.
I stared at my sixteen year old cousin. There she sat staring at me, her baby blue eyes lost in thought; her dirty-blonde hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back; her perfect complexion showing, even though she’s sixteen, she hasn’t hit puberty yet. The thought made me laugh, and Alex gave me a weird look.
“What are you laughing at?” Alex asked.
Then for no reason at all I started crying. Alex got up from her seat in the bean bag chair and joined me on the futon. I layed my head down on her lap, and she slowly she started to stroke my hair away from face and down onto my back.
“Do you remember when I was dating Zach Leader?” I dated a boy named Zach, I told him my secret, I let him in, and then he died. To this day I think it’s my fault, “What if that’s why all of this is happening? Because I’m starting to let Finn in? Why do I always get scared and then break up with the guy, just because I had a boyfriend that died? Why am I afraid to let people in? I hate this! I can’t tell Finn my secret, not only because I’m afraid, but because I can’t trust him. If he didn’t lie or cheat on me, and we do stay together, I’ll still be scared, and break up with him anyway, because I’m afraid to tell him the truth. I’m afraid to let everyone know that I’m scared of what might happen. I let my Grandma in; she died, I let Zach in; he died. Oh, what do I do?”
“It’s going to be okay,” She whispered so softly, it made me cry even harder, “everything will be okay.”
“Oh, Alex…” I sobbed. There I was sitting in a room, so dark, so bare, and so unfilled with love it almost made me cry harder. Even though my cousin was there, I was alone in this house. If the house were filled with a family, I would consider it a small house, but unfortunately, it is only filled with one being, one soul. Ever since my parents had gotten divorced, that’s how it’s been. This was my father’s house, but he was never home, he was always working. My sister never came over here, she loved our father, but not what he had become. So, I got stuck with the job, of keeping an eye on him, until the moment I was old enough to move out.
“Slow down…Okay? Explain what happened today?”
“Finn, he’s my boyfriend; he told Abby that he’s been lying to me, and Chassidy that he’s cheating on me, he’s been ignoring me.” I wiped the tears from my eyes, and took a big heaving breath, “I love him so much, I really, really do, but…”
“…But you need to break up with him.” Alex finished, “You know what?”
“Hmm?”
“If he is going to lie, cheat on, and ignore, a beautiful, talented, smart, funny, sweet, and amazing woman like you…he absolutely, does not deserve you!” She exclaimed.
I turned so I could see her face clearly, “You really think so?”
“Of course, I honestly do. Now come on, we’ve got to clean you up!” She shouted and pulled me off the couch.
“Why, where are we going?”
“Well, I just got my drivers license, so we’re going to get out of here!” She shouted. Alex’s aura gleamed bright yellow, lime green, and berry blue-violet. I loved her. Sometimes she could get on my nerves but, in times like this, I was thankful to have her.

We ended up driving her old Nissan Versa to Max and Erma’s. This, by the way was my favorite resteraunt. We sat down and I ordered a club sandwich, with Tortilla soup.
“Okay? So what do you see in this, Finn?” Alex asked.
“Well, he’s smart, funny, cute trustworthy, and a good guy. Actually I can’t call him trustworthy anymore. Supposedly he lied to me. If he did he’s never going to know my secret.” I told her as I put a pack of sugar into my iced tea.
“Wait, who all have you told?” Alex asked.
“Well Selena, her two cousins, you, Zach, Erik, Kailee, Mike Abby.” I told her.
“I know everyone but Zach…who is this Zach?” she asked, her super blonde eyebrows moving up and down.
“Shut up!” I laughed, “He’s just a boy that happens to be super cute, and might like me!”
We sat there, the two of us, laughing and having a good time just like we used too. Before all of this drama came into the picture. Before I got a boyfriend. Before she moved away. Alex. She used to be my favorite cousin, and the one person I told everything too. She was the one person that knew all of the bad things that I did, and all the secrets I had. What would I do without her? She is the one person that has been here through all of this. The one person who has been willing to accept me for who I am, and actually believe in my abilities. So, many people have thought I was lying, but yet she is the one person that didn’t. I wondered why that was, all the time. Why the people that believed me, did believe me. Is it because we’re just friends, or because were like family. Or in Alex’s case maybe we are family. Then I thought of Tyler. He didn’t believe me, but yet he was there for me. He always has been, and always will be.
“Hey, I think I might’ve found a way to get your powers back!” Alex shouted just a little too loud.
“Shh, keep it down.” I hissed. As much as I wanted to know what she had found out, I didn’t want her telling the whole world about me.
“It involves a sacrifice, either way.”
“Either way?”
“Yeah, that’s the thing. Every cure involves a sacrifice of some sort. The first one, you mix your blood with the person that is supposed to be your true love’s blood, and throw it in a fire.”
I interrupted, “What’s the catch?”

“Your true love dies.”

“I say no to that one, so what’s the second one?”

“You mix your blood with the person you love, but they have to love you back. You put your blood and his in water and mix it with lilac, and cinnamon, and then you dump it in a fire.”

“Let me guess? The catch is it has to be your true love?”

“That, and there is some side effects.” Our waitress came and set our food down then.

“Is there anything else I can get you?” She asked.

“No, but thank you.” I replied.
When she walked away Alex went on, “You might be bonded together for life, or something like that, but it could be dangerous.”

The next morning I decided to drive to school. I threw on my skinny jeans and brown boots. Then I put on the blue sapphire shirt that my Grandma Connie got me. I straightened my hair, ate a delicious round blueberry waffle, threw on my purity ring and bracelet, hugged my dad goodbye, and ran out the door.

Today was the twelfth annual Turkey Trot. Today was the day I break up with Finn or give him a second chance. Getting up the hill to the Senior High was a pain. It at least takes five minutes to get up that stupid hill. After I parked, I entered the building and went straight to my locker.
“Maddie, I’m going to hurt him!” Kailee said to me, looking directly at Finn with a look-if her eyes shot lasers-that could kill.
“No, no, we’ll deal with this later, at the turkey trot, okay?” She was furious, but nodded knowing that she had to listen.
Kailee walked away and I ran to homeroom. There sat everyone I hung out with in homeroom. Mary Hursen, Mitchell Hall, Jacob Heinhouer, Shannon Kelley, Matt Hickman, and Danielle Kappler. “Hey everybody!”
“Hey, you okay?” Mary asked, and pulled me into a hug.
“No, not really.” I said as we hugged.
“Honey, break up with him, it’s the best thing to do.” Mary said.
“Yeah, I told you he was a jerk from the beginning.” Jake winked at me.
“Just do what your heart tell you, now I have to go to the nurse because I just had surgery Danielle exclaimed.


“Danielle, you shouldn’t even be in school,” I scolded, “you should be at home in bed resting.”
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Danielle shrugged and went to ask our homeroom teacher Mr. Dorenkamp if she could go to the nurse.

“Mary, I think I’m gonna give him a second chance. He might be a jerk and a liar, but what if I’m just thinking that.” I went on, “I need a hug, and someone to tell me what the right decision is.”

Mr. Dorenkamp was walking towards us when I said that and he said, “Okay, I’ll give you a hug!”

We all started laughing. After a half an hour of talking the bell rang for first period, and I ran for it. I had to get to Tech Ed., and fast! I couldn’t let Finn see me. So, I got to Tech Ed., and Mr. Spencer, my Tech Ed. teacher said we were aloud to do whatever we wanted. As long as it was on a program called Auto Cad. I drew a turkey. He had a pilgrim hat and everything. I called Zach and Erik over to look at it. OF course they started deleting him. We started talking about how we were grateful for having a half day today. When the bell rang we used the abandoned stair case that leads up to the hallway behind the old gym. The guys-because it was the last day of the week-declared it slap but Wednesday. I didn’t really like that. I kicked Erik, Zach, and my friend Sean in the butt then kept my back to the wall. Erik grabbed one of my wrists and Mike grabbed the other. Then mike kicked my butt and took off running. I ran after him, but it was too late when I reached him, we were in the main hallway.

“Lucky!” I yelled at him. We were all laughing, and then reality hit. I would have to talk to Finn in about ten minutes. They noticed something was wrong and Zach asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be okay.” I told them, and did my best to smile, but they knew why I was upset. Each of them hugged me, as we walked to class. We all went back to our own Home Room. I checked in with Mr. Dorenkamp, and went to get my jacket. As soon as I got back into homeroom we were leaving to go outside.

Finn is in the next home room over, Mrs. Amayo’s homeroom and he didn’t even wait for me. My friend Shannon saw the look on my face and put her arm around my shoulders. The teachers lead us to the old gym, and gave us our Turkey Trot T-Shirts. I saw Finn and I know he saw me. I found Kailee on the bleachers, and I put my shirt on over mine. Then I put my jacket on.

“You better talk to him.” She said.

“I will, promise.” Kailee knew me better than anyone in this gym, and I knew if I didn’t keep my promise it would hurt her.

“I hate seeing you like this.” Kailee admitted.

They led us outside and as we started walking, Finn started ignoring me. At this rate how am i going to find someone to help me get my gift back? Finns aura was pink and red, but he was talking to another girl. I felt my heart begin to break, just as I found Chassidy.

“Chassidy, I need you to go break up with Finn for me,” The tears found their way out of my eyes and down my cheek, “Please, just thinking about it makes me cry, and I can’t let him see me like this.”

“I thought you wanted to do it?”

“I would, but it hurts.”

After an hour of suffering I was standing behind Finn who was talking to Mike. Mike turned around and gave me a sympathetic look. He stopped walking and waited for me to catch up to him. “He called you something I can’t repeat.” He gave me a hug, “I’m sorry; do you want to talk?”

I shook my head and started walking faster, faster, faster, until I was with Kailee, Erik, and Mary. An hour and a half later we started going inside. My friend Marie came up to me and said, “Maddie Finn and his Friends just called you pathetic.”

That’s when tears welled up in my eyes, and my throat closed up.

“Maddie, I know it’s hard, but you’re doing the right thing.” She put an arm around me, and I shook my head. That’s when I saw Kailee, Erik, and Abby. We were inside heading upstairs to our lockers. Abby came over to me, and I told her, “Abby he called me pathetic, am I really pathetic?”

I was really crying when she said, “I’m gonna kill that boy!”

“Kailee, hey your best friend is crying back here.” Erik said to Kailee.

“Oh, Maddie don’t cry, it’s Finn, please don’t cry.” Kailee cooed, “It’s just Finn.”

“That’s why I’m crying.” I sobbed. I got up to my locker and was given multiple hugs. I can’t believe I finally did it.


That night I wondered, how will I ever get my powers back? By the time I get them back, I’ll have learned to live without them. Just then my phone started vibrating. I picked up my new Pantech Jest and saw it was a text from Zach.

“Hey sad girl, how are you?” Zach texted.

I hit reply and started texting. As I did I started to cry, “Zach, I think it was a mistake! When I think about him, I…I start to cry.”

Tomorrow is thanksgiving, I have to cheer up! I can’t let my parents see I’m upset. Another text from Zach came and it read, “It wasn’t a mistake. Finn is a jerk and a liar! He doesn’t deserve you!”

I started to cry harder, and replied, “Zach, are all guys jerks? I mean in all of my relationships the guys have been jerks! I always thought it was my fault, you know? Maybe it was just me thinking they were jerks?”

The phone started vibrating almost right away I opened it, and could barely read what Zach said, that’s how hard I was crying, “I don’t know…but the one thing I do know is not all of us guys are jerks.”

I sat there thinking. How could they all not be jerks? I mean, a lot of them are, but Zach and Mike aren’t. Neither is Erik. I stopped texting and looked around my room. I looked at the little pink, and purple lanterns I had hung when we first moved to West View. I got up and looked out the window into the yard I used to play in. I let the beads that had been hanging in front of the window fall back into place. I looked at the purple walls, and tried to remember what my room looked like when love filled it. Now this room is just a room used to sleep in. Ever since my parents got divorced last year, I only come up here two days a week. I picked up my phone, and replied, “Thank you, Zach, Thankyou for everything.”

CHAPTER THREE

It was Thanksgiving; we were on our way to my Dads girlfriends’ house. Kris is her name, and frankly, I don’t like her very much. Kris is obnoxious, embarrassing, and racist. At thanksgiving dinner, there can not just be light, and dark turkey meat. There has to be white and black meat, but they can’t jus leave it at that either! They use the offensive term for a black person.




“Dear Grandma,


I believe that their family is raising racists. They are encouraging racism in their home. A catholic home as well. They all go to church every Sunday, and the kids go to CCD. Sitting there that night listening to what they were saying…I was appalled. They are going to have everyone over for Christmas Eve. Well dad is anyway! What is going to happen when Q-who is black-comes? I already know that he is coming and Kris is going to get drunk and say something stupid. Please write back.

Love,

Maddie”

I folded up the letter, and put it in an envelope. I threw it in my dresser drawer, for it was night, and I could not send it at night.


The next morning, I was woken up by my cat. Americas Tiberius Hintemeyer is her name. She is an Orange Tabby Cat. We adopted her after my Aunt had taken her in. My aunt had taken Americas, her sister, and brother in. Then one day I slept over at my aunts and saw Americas. Her mother had been shot, and her brother and Sister had been adopted on the same day. Americas was left alone. So, I adopted her. I was alone too, and in need of a friend. That was two ears ago, and to this day I am the only one Americas is close too. I got up, fed my cat, gave her new water, and then I sat down on the couch, and started watching TV. With that I had declared it Pajama ay. It was only Friday, and I had to babysit that night.

I sat around that day, watched love stories, cried, ate, and cried some more. Eventually it was time for my mother, and her boyfriend, Keith, to leave. That meant they were leaving me in charge. I got to stay home and watch the nine year old, bratty, little sister of mine.

“Okay, please be nice to each other while I’m gone. Sidney listen to you sister. Madison, litter box, and Kitchen, they both need cleaned. Keep both doors locked. Don’t open the back door for anyone. Got it? Okay, I love you both.” Mom gave us both hugs and kisses.

When my mom left I got started on the kitchen. Just as I started unloading the dishwasher, Kailee called me, “Hey I painted my toes and they are prettiful!”

I kept unloading and cleaning while talking to Kailee, “What color?”

“Pink with blue details. The details are diagonal slashes across my big toe! They’re so pretty!” Kailee exclaimed.

“And you say I need help!” I laughed, “Did I tell you that Zach told Abby he likes me? I think I should talk to him.”

“So, why don’t you?”

“I like him a lot, but it’d be weird. We’re just friends and what if I ruin that because we make it something more?”

“I say you should go out with him.”

“Kailee, I don’t know, if I’m ready for another relationship.” I mumbled, “Why don’t you talk to him for me?”

“Okay, I will.”

“So, I’m guessing you want his number?”

“What is it?” I gave her his number and she said, “Thanks, I’ll try to get him to ask you out.”

“Kailee?” I asked.

“Yeah?” She replied.



“I love you, thank you for being there for me.” I said.

“You’re welcome, and I love you too!” she laughed.

I wiped off the counters and was done cleaning the kitchen. I grabbed a plastic bag and went to clean out the litter box. Almost as soon as I was done, my phone started ringing.

“Hello.” I said after seeing it was Kailee.

“Maddie, I would love to make you feel better but I can’t lie to you. He said he doesn’t really like you that way. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay, but are you sure because he told Abby…”

“Kailee interrupted and said, “I said to him, yeah but do you like Maddie? Be honest, please, because she likes you a lot. He said not really, and I already know she does. I said to him, okay well Abby told me, you told her you like Maddie. Just saying. Then he said, really I don’t know when I said that.”

“God he is such a liar! He told Abby he likes me, and now…” I didn’t have the guts to go on, and say what was really happening.

“Maddie, I just told you what he told me. Please calm down!”

“I am calm! I am perfectly calm!” I said, immediately starting to cry.

“That’s a lie ‘because it sounds like you’re crying.”

“I’m sorry I just, I’m kind of upset…I guess.” I sobbed.

“You will be okay. How do you think I feel when I look at Erik? I tear up. Just think of that, it’ll make you laugh.” Kailee said half laughing, half crying.

“No that does not make me laugh! Your upset because you boyfriend is moving!” We were both crying like big, fat, chubby babies now.

“He didn’t even leave yet, and I already miss him!”
“Calm down Kailee!” I said, in a soothing voice.

“Maddie I can’t help myself!” Kailee cried.

“Kailee everything will be okay, I promise. We’ll work everything out. Okay?” I asked trying to calm not only her down but me as well.

“No I don’t want to work it out! I want Erik to Stay!”

“Look Kailee, I know you don’t think it’s a good idea but maybe you two should break up.” I suggested.

“ I can’t Maddie. YOU know my great grandparents met in seventh grade and guess what? They ended up together forever!”

“You know something? I keep thinking I’m never going to date, never going to get married, nothing like that!”

“Maddie, you’re very beautiful, funny, and kind! I bet lots of guys like you they just won’t admit it because they’re butts! I know you’re going to get married, and everything! I know you!” Kailee told me, “We will just have to find the right guy!”

Then I put the phone down and put my dress for the school dance on. As I picked up the phone and looked into my bathroom mirror, I realized something. I was beautiful. “Kailee I keep thinking, I’m going to do my hair, nails, makeup put this dress on and look beautiful. When I go to the dance there is going to be a guy that thinks I’m pretty. Only I’m going to come home that night, and when I take the dress off I am going to come back to reality. I am going to see I’m not beautiful anymore, and so will that guy.”

“Maddie you’re going to be the prettiest one at the dance and the prettiest one at school after the dance!” Kailee exclaimed.

“I’m not so sure about that, but I knew there was a reason we were friends!” I laughed through my tears.

“Well, I have to go, so talk to you later?” Kailee asked.

“Absolutely. Bye.”

“Bye, I love you.”

“I love you too.”




The next day was Abby’s birthday. I picked Abby up and we went to see Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows-Part One. That night, after I had dropped Abby off, I ate a quiet dinner with my family, and we cleaned. While we were cleaning, I found some of my Grandma Connie’s things. A diary, her purse, a seashell, some old pictures, and some mints. The seashell was a mini conch shell. She had it in her purse. Why, I had asked myself. What if she had used it for a good luck charm during chemo treatments? I guess I could ask her in my next letter.


The next day I woke up, went to church, did some shopping, and then called my cousin. He had just had a baby girl, Olivia Ray. I wanted to meet her badly. I knew my mom did too. The phone rang twice, and then a scraggly voice answered the phone, “Hello?”

“Edwin? Is that you?” I asked.

“Yeah, and who is this?” He asked.

“It’s your cousin Maddie.” I said, “My mom and I wanted to know if you would bring Olivia over so we can see her?”

“Of course we will, Sam and I, is tonight okay?” He asked.

“Yes, of course tonight’s perfect! How about around five?”

“See you then!”

Well that was easy. Oh, now I have to go home and clean up! I went home, helped my mom make spaghetti and we invited my Aunt Mo and my other cousins over. My cousins got there first. Cheyenne, who has the craziest, blonde, curly hair, is adorable, and seven years old. Damon, who has glasses, brownish blonde hair, and blue eyes, is fourteen years old. Then there is Jared who looks exactly the same as Damon except for the longer hair, and is sixteen years old.

Jared came busting down my bedroom door and shouted, “Hey, what’s up?”

“Just writing.” I said, putting the letter to Grandma Connie away.

“Are you still writing those letters to our dead Grandmother?” He laughed.

I stared appalled at him. How could he ask me that? How could he act like it is no big deal our grandmother died, and I feel like I missed out on everything with her so I’m trying to make up for it?
“You know? Grandma Connie? She died when you were thirteen?” Jared laughed again.

I was so angry I punched him, “Get out now! You have no right to march in here, and bring that up! Just because you’re insensitive, and a jerk does not give you the right!”

My mom’s boyfriend, Keith, came running through the door, “What’s going on in here?”

Jared was lying on the ground with a bloody nose, and I was crying, “He was being a jerk, so I punched him. By the way…Jared you need to leave now and never come back into any house that I am living in.”

Jared got up, wiped his nose, whimpered a little bit, and left. I had to tell my mom and my Aunt MO the whole story. After my mom called Edwin and asked him not to come over, I silently slipped off to bed, but didn’t fall asleep.



That weekend I had been trying to get the truth out of Zach. I wanted him to admit that he likes me. He wouldn’t though, so we got into this stupid argument. That night I was holding my Grandma Connie’s conch shell and Zach texted me.

R u still mad at me?

I didn’t answer so a few minutes later he texted again.

Do you want the truth?

Again I didn’t answer. I plugged my phone into charge, and got ready for bed.


The next morning I woke up, and my cat was lying on my head. It was six a.m. and I was insanely nervous. I would have to deal with Finn, and maybe even Zach. I pulled myself out of the safety of my own bed and walked over to turn my phone alarm off. There was a text from Zach.

I like u, my parents won’t let me date though. I sed it okay? Im sorry. Inside I was even more nervous, although, it was the happy kind of nervous.

I got a shower, got dressed, did my hair and makeup, and ran out the door. ON the bus Finn didn’t even bother sitting with me. He walked right past me. I pulled out my MP4 and put on Under the Pink by Tori Amos.

I wonder what’s going to happen today. Something will definitely happen with Finn. Maybe something will happen with Zach. What if Zach could help me get my powers back? He knows I like him, I know he likes me. We just have to find a time. Well he could always leave with Mike and Erik after the next school dance. I could leave with Abby and Kailee, and we can meet up somewhere. I went to the menu on my phone and clicked on Calendar. The next dance was December third. The dance was that Friday. What am I going to do? Get Zach to do this for me in only five days? How is that going to work? I mean he only just found out about my secret. Now, I have to get him to willingly give me a drop of his blood in five days? Maybe I should just forget about this silly idea to get my powers back? Forget it all. Not be able to read minds, see ghosts, predict the future. What if I lose the power to see aura’s I don’t know what I would do?

The bus came to a stop and we were in front of the school. I grabbed my things and ran to class.




Lunch rolled around really fast on Monday. I walked into the cafeteria and sat down. What I didn’t realize right away was that Zach was sitting at our table.

“Guys, can I talk to Zach alone for a few minutes?” I asked Abby and Claire.

“I guess I’ll go get lunch, now.” Abby said.

“I’ll go to the bathroom. Yeah that’s what I’ll do.” Claire got up and followed Abby.

I turned to look at Zach and said, “So I guess you like me?”

“Yeah, I do, do you have a problem with that?” Zach asked. Our eyes met and it felt like we had had a conversation in that split moment. Like we were connected, like he cold see into my soul and see what I felt.

“No I don’t but since you know that I like you, I think we should talk about something.” I said to him hoping he was the right one. Hoping he was indeed my true love.

“Okay well you know how I told you my powers were gone?” Zach nodded, “There’s a way to get them back. It involves a sacrifice. No one dies, but it does involve blood. You mix the blood of your true love with your own blood. The only thing is they have to love you back. You put your blood and his in water, mix it with cinnamon, lilac, and then dump it in a fire.”

Zach looked shocked. His aura blazed a bright red and pink.

“Zach? Zach, are you okay?” I asked making the concern in my voice very, very clear.

“I’m fine, why?” He asked his voice coarse.

“Zach, your aura shows pink, which is an obvious one, and red which I’m guessing you’re scared?”

“No I’m not scared at all.” He said but I could tell he was shocked and scared all at the same time.

“Are you asking for my help in this?”

“Yes, we were planning on doing it after the dance. I’ll leave with Abby and Kailee, and then you leave with Erik and Mike.” I looked him in the eye, and reached for his hand, “Zach you don’t have to do this. I was just asking for a favor.”

“Maddie, I like you I really do, but I don’t know I if I can do that.” Abby and Claire came back to the table then, saving him from talking about it even more, “Perfect timing.”

I watched him walk back to his table and sit down. What have I done? I shouldn’t have brought it up right away. I shouldn’t have asked him to do that for me. What in the world was I thinking? I felt like crying. They all knew how much this meant to me. They all knew how different I really was.



After lunch I walked to health. I love health. You can go straight in and start working on your packet with anyone you want to. When I waked in the group that I always work with was already sitting, and talking. Emma, Jake, Heather, Calvin, and Donnie. We always work together but talk about goofy things too. I grabbed a health book and my packet, and sat down in the circle with everyone.

“Hey, I’m an elf now!” Jake yelled. He really could be an elf if he wanted to. He’s short enough, not too skinny, but not too fat either. He certainly has the right hair cut to be an elf, “It is true, but I got involved with drugs. I started smoking Candy Canes, and Cookies. I started sniffing hot cocoa too! Santa found out about a week ago, now I’m trying to get clean again. No one better get me anything for Christmas; yeah that’s right I already know what you were going to get me!”

That’s when I felt it. A sharp pain in my chest. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the heart when I took in a breath. And just like that it was gone. It disappeared as fast as it had come one. I was worried for only a minute, but I went back to laughing.

“Maddie I heard you like Zach Sammartino now?” Emma asked.
I didn’t know how to answer her. How could everyone already know? I want to admit it to Emma. I wanted to admit it to everyone, “I like Zach, and Zach likes me. He just isn’t aloud to date, and he respects his parents. That’s one thing I like about him.” I told Emma.
“Awe!” Heather and Emma cooed in unison.
“What’s the point of even dating, and why is everything ‘awe’ to girls?” Donnie asked.
We all ignored him and Jake started singing, “Zach and Maddie sitting in a tree, that’s all just sitting there, because Zach is a gentleman and respects his parent’s choice.”
“Shut up Jake!” I yelled at him.

Later on that day, I ran into Mike, “Hey, Zach told me that he would help you, but that he would rather not talk about it. He said it makes him a bit uncomfortable.”
Mike left before I had time to respond.

The rest of the week went really fast. Soon it was Friday. The day of the Snowball Dance. The night I would get my powers back! That night after school I went home took a shower, got dressed, did my hair, and had my mom do my makeup.
“Wow! I look pretty!” I exclaimed, “I wish I could do my makeup like this every day! I would look so good for school!”
My mom would only let me wear really light eye shadow, some cover-up, and lip-gloss. My dress looked so beautiful, especially with a knit cover up on. My hair was curled, my cheeks were rosy, and my lips were glossy. A stunning diamond necklace hung around my neck. My dress had a teal slip cover, and a see through top with flower, vine designs. It had teal spaghetti straps, a teal ribbon going around my ribs, and it was uneven at the bottom. My silver, butterfly, diamond bracelet, and a diamond, princess cut, purity ring gleamed in the light that shone of the mirror. I had given myself a French Manicure the night before and it looked amazing. To finish off my look, I put on a pair of black flats.
Once I was ready, I got all of my things together and my dad picked my mom and I up. We drove over to my Aunt Mo’s house, to take pictures of my cousin and I. I don’t know why, but every year our picture has been taken together before our school dance. After pictures my parents drove my cousin and I to the dance. I went inside the school set my things in the auditorium and walked to the gym.
“Found her!” Erik yelled, as Kailee came up beside him.
“Hey!” She ran up and gave me a hug. Her hair was curled, she barely, like me, had any makeup on, and she had on a black and gray, strapless dress.
“Hey! You look so pretty!” I told her. Then I felt arms wrap around my shoulders. I knew before I looked that it was Zach. I flipped around and gave him a hug, “Hey, you look really nice. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything other then shorts and a t-shirt.”
I was laughing when our eyes met, and once again it was like one conversation passed between us. One word passed between us, and that one word was love. Did he really love me? Was everything that I felt with him a lie? Just when I had started to think Abby ran up beside me.
“What’s up?” She asked.
“I just got here.” Kailee grabbed my hand and we walked into the dance, with Abby still at my side.
The gym was noisy, and dark. Zach came up beside me and took my hand in his. I looked up into his dark, brown eyes, framed by his glasses. Zach almost looked handsome in his shirt and tie, with his short brown hair combed perfectly straight. Zach had an amazing complexion and straight teeth.
Zach…lets hope this works tonight.
We danced for about two hours, almost until the dance ended. When we were aloud to get our coats I grabbed Abby and Kailee, and Mike grabbed Erik and Zach.
“So here’s the plan.” I started when everyone had finally found each other, “Zach you’re going to drive with Erik and Mike. Kailee, Abby and I are going to drive with you. Zach are you sure you’re okay with this?”
He looked at me, a confused look creeping over his face, “I don’t even know what’s going on?”
“Wait…Erik?” I turned to face Erik.
“I didn’t do a thing! It was Mike not me!” He said his hands rose trying to defend himself.
I turned to Mike who had started to back away his hands also held up in defense, “I was just trying to help.”
“Would someone please explain to me what is going on?” Zach asked.
This is when I had to tell him the truth, “Zach remember how I explained to you what I had to do to get my powers back?”
“NO, I’m not helping with that! Look Maddie can we got talk alone…in private?” Zach asked me.
“Okay.” I said, shrugged my shoulder, and followed Zach into the auditorium.
“I like you, a lot, but what you’re asking me to do…”
Tears welled up in my eyes as I read his aura. It was pink, red, and orange.
“What do you see?” He asked obviously seeing the look on my face.
“Your aura is pink as in love and sincerity. Red as in anger and Orange as in self control.” I said my voice cracking as I tried to keep myself under control, “Zach, I never said you had to do this, I never said you had to admit everything, I never…”
That’s when it happened. One moment, Zach had been standing across from me, and the next, I stood enveloped in his arms. We were kissing. His lips were soft and gentle against my own. The kiss almost lasted a minute. In that one moment I knew Zach was the one. I knew he was my one true love, and I didn’t care if he helped me get my powers back or not. All I wanted was to be with him. At last we broke the kiss, and when I opened my eyes, he was staring down at me smiling.
“I say that I’m going to admit everything to you. We might not be going out, and you might just want to stay friends, but I want to be a lot more than friends.” Zach told me.
I smiled and we kissed once again, “Zach are you sure you want to do this?”
With one look at his aura, and one gazing of our eyes, I knew that his answer was yes.
“I’ve made my decision, and by the look on your face, I guess you already know what I’m going to say.” Zach smiled. I took his hand and pulled him out of the auditorium. Everyone was waiting for us outside. I looked at Kailee, smiled, and I knew, she knew our plans were back on.
“So, we’re really going to do this?” Erik asked.
“Yes, we are!” Zach said to everyone, but his gaze never left mine.
We all left the school, and split up into groups. Mike, Erik, and Zach. Kailee, Abby, and myself. Our plan was Erik would follow me, and I would be driving Kailee’s car. We would all drive to West View Cemetery. It was the best place to go to the energy we needed. I pulled into the cemetery and got out of my car. Everyone had a little bit of red in there aura. I knew they were all scared. Heck I was scared, and I knew, that even Zach knew I was scared when he came up and took my hand in his.
“Let’s do this, and get it over with. Kailee grab, the bowl, cinnamon, and lilac out of the trunk, please?” I asked her, “Everyone have their flashlight?”
Five flashlights were turned on at one time. I started walking, careful not to step on headstones.
“Where are we going?” Kailee asked.
Abby answered for me, “There’s a lake and a fire pit in the middle of the cemetery.”
“Oh!” Kailee squealed.
“Let’s just hope the night watchman isn’t out.” Mike said.
“You mean the gravedigger?” asked Abby.
“No!” Mike started, but with a wave of my hand I cut him off right before it happened.
There was a ball of light; it was floating in front of my face. Then I started to hear a beautiful voice. It was almost as if the ball of light was singing, “Does anyone else hear that?”
“Hear what?” Erik asked, and everyone seemed to have the same question.
Zach put his arm around me, and rubbed my shoulder. All of a sudden my phone started vibrating and I wasn’t the only one that jumped. I pulled it out and a little calendar had popped on the screen. I opened it and read, “The Winter Solstice starts at eleven.”
“What?” obviously Abby and I were the only ones that knew what a Solstice was.
“Tonight is the Winter Solstice?” I almost screamed, “Oh my God! I completely forgot about it! We need to leave now!”
Abby and Kailee walked right in front of me and Abby put her hands on my shoulders, and looked right into me, “We can’t leave now. I know the Solstice is scary, but we can’t, not when we’ve come all this way.”
“I hate to admit it, but Abby’s right.” Kailee agreed.
“What’s the Solstice?” Zach asked.
“The Solstice is the night when the line between all worlds is at its thinnest.” Abby said.
“Which means the line between our world (people) and the next world (ghosts) is so thin you can actually see ghosts.” I finished. We were there at the pond. The fire pit sat untouched for several minutes, as we all took time to prepare ourselves.
“Who has the lighter?” Zach must have sensed I was too scared to move. He’s not psychic but he would make a better psychic than I would.
Erik pulled on out of his pocket and lit a twig. He three the lit twig on the big logs that were in the fire pit. The fire came to life before us. It was crackling, and spitting out ashes.

“It’s time.” I said not wanting to do this, “Who brought the pocket knife?”

Mike stepped forward. Kailee came over, the bowl of water, cinnamon, and lilac ready to go.

“Thanks.” I said to her as she held it, waiting for our blood.

Zach took the pocket knife, and made a small cut right by my largest vein. I immediately started bleeding. Zach took the knife, and gently scraped some blood out of my wound. He dropped it in the bowl, and I winced. Then Zach handed me the knife, and I repeated the steps, trying to keep my hands from shaking. Once our blood was mixed in the bowl, I took it from Kailee, and together, Zach and I dumped the mixture in the fire. The fire rose higher, and higher. Then, before I could stop it, I started floating into the air. I was crying and laughing at the same time. The last thing I saw before I blacked out was Zach fall to the ground.

Chapter Four





Abby


“Zach? Are you okay?” Abby asked and ran to his side. Everyone was crowding around Zach except Kailee.

“My best friend is gone.” Kailee whispered.

Abby felt lonely, heart break and sadness all at once. Maddie had been her best friend. She could remember back to when they first met. It was fifth grade. They had met through Maklayne Vitovich, one of Abby’s friends from elementary. In fifth grade they were never really that close. They really became close in seventh grade when all of their friends grew away. Ever since then they had done everything together. Now sitting there watching Zach lay there and whisper her name, Abby wanted to cry. She wanted to turn back time and stop Maddie from dumping the bowl of water into the fire.

“What if Maddie doesn’t come back?” Abby thought, “She was just dragged into the air, by god only knows what…”

Zach sat straight up then, staring straight into Abby’s eyes he whispered the only thing that no one would think about asking right at this moment, “Where is she?”







Maddie

“Where am I?” I shouted.

I was surrounded by butterflies. There as a tree behind me. I was standing on bright, green grass. The sky was blue, and clear. The sun shone down upon me. Everything was peaceful. There were lions running along side beautiful gazelle. Birds taking a bath while fish swam and played with them. Snakes slithered by chattering mice.

“I see you found my sanctuary?” said a voice, and I turned around to see who it was.

A young girl with red, curly hair and freckles stood before me. She was in a beautiful white, flowing gown. It took me a minute to figure out who this girl was, but eventually I figured it out, “Aunt Cory?”

She smiled, and I ran to hug her.

“I missed you so much! I got worried when I couldn’t find you anymore!” I said. My Aunt Cory died when she was thirteen. There had been a fire in her home one night, and she never woke up.

“Sweetie, you must know very well that everyone must cross over at some time.” She said, “We have to talk.”

“Well how did I get here? Why am I here, that’s something we should talk about.”

“I say you in the grave yard, and sent my butterflies to get you.”

“You were…you were the ball of light I saw in the cemetery?”

“Of course I was! Now we must talk about your gift. If you make a wish, you cannot find a way out of it.”

“Aunt Cory! I made a mistake! I took my gift for granted! I just want to redo my mistake!” I cried.

“Are you worried about all your friends not liking you because you don’t have powers?”

I didn’t answer.

“Because down there, in that cemetery I see five worried faces. They are just worried about getting you back. All of them, they agreed to help you because they knew it would make you happy.”

“You’re right. Zach he didn’t want to help me, but eventually he agreed.”

“Zach loves you a lot.”

“You know, Aunt Cory you’re a lot wiser than you were when you were roaming on earth.”

“Yes, well then I was a roamer, I couldn’t remember anything. The only person I could remember was you.”

“Okay, well, can I finish this sacrifice, and have another chance?” I asked, trying to take in how beautiful my Aunt Cory looked.

“We shall see, my child.” She said and snapped her finger’s, “Make sure you say hello to your mother for me.”

Everything started to vanish, and I was falling. Quicker, quicker, quicker I fell. Was I scared? I didn’t know. I couldn’t feel anything. All I knew was that between the hard, ground and I all there was, was air. It was pitch black when I finally hit the ground. That’s when I passed out. Again.








Zach

Zach heard a girl scream. The only thing was that he didn’t know where it was coming from. He automatically thought Maddie. What if that was her?? What if she’s hurt?
Kailee must’ve been thinking the same thing because she said, “What if that was Maddie?”
Everyone looked panicked, and Erik said, “Why don’t we split up and look for her?”
“Okay well, Erik you go with Kailee, Mike you come with me, and Zach will you be okay by your self?” Abby asked him.
Zach wasn’t sure if he wanted to be out in a dark creepy, grave yard all alone, but he nodded. IF he had to look for Maddie on his own he would. Zach started walking through the grave yard not caring if he stepped on headstones or not. As he walked, his speed increased. Then out of no where he heard sobbing. He looked to his left and saw her. She was sprawled out over two headstones. She was crying really loud. Zach ran to her side. He fell on his knee’s and took of his jacket. After he layed his jacket over top of her, he asked, “Maddie? Are you alright? Can you answer me, please?”
Maddie made a dreadful sound. The sound of death, and Zach knew she was hurt. Zach knew he had to get her help immediately. Maddie ruled over and opened her eyes.
“Zach, Zach, where am I?” She asked him.
Zach for the first time in his short life had tears of joy, “Thank god.”






Maddie
“Zach? Where are we?” I asked, panicking because I was laying on a headstone. I hugged Zach, and felt safe. I didn’t know where I had been or how I got to where I was then I looked back at the headstone. I don’t know why I needed to look at the headstone, but something, someone was telling me to look. I gasped, and everything came flooding back to me, “Corinne Salinetro.”
I struggled to stand, and tried to find my Grandma Connie’s, and Pappy Lee’s headstone. My grandparents shared a headstone, and their daughter layed next to them. Zach had hold of me, as I found the headstone. That’s when I started crying again.
“Maddie what’s wrong?” Zach asked.
I shook my head and looked away. Zach pulled me closer, and kissed my forehead. I took in his smell. I couldn’t explain it if someone asked me too, but I took comfort in it. The warmth of his body, the steady beat of his heart, the sound of his breathing, was enough to make me forget everything that had just happened.
“Guy’s over here! I found her!” Zach yelled and we started walking back towards the fire pit.

“Zach when I left I saw my Aunt Cory, that’s why I ended up here, on her headstone. She brought me to her sanctuary in heaven. She told me that it wasn’t right to want my powers back. She said that tomorrow I could have my powers back, but I might not!” I gasped, realizing for once I couldn’t see Zach’s aura.
“It’s all going to be okay, I promise.”
First we saw a light, then Kailee and Erik. Kailee ran up to me, and pulled me into her arms. She was crying more than I was, mostly out of relief and fear that she could never see me again. I tried reading their aura’s, to, but the only thing I could see was the darkness around them. That’s when I knew, I needed to run, get away from everything, everyone. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, ignoring my worried friends screaming after me. I ran into the forest, and just kept running. I didn’t ever want to stop, I couldn’t ever stop, but eventually I did stop when I came to clearing filled with ruins. The ruins were spread everywhere. Brick lay over the grass, roof tile lay shattered into a million pieces. The only thing still in one place was the chimney.
I walked over to the chimney and looked inside. There was a red rose, with a piece of old, tea colored, wrinkly paper attached, “A new beginning is what you need. One as a normal human.”
I sat there staring at the rose for so long, I could’ve mistaken the time period for a year. I finally looked up from the cherry, red rose and looked around at the ruins that I sat among, “Why here? Why would she put a symbol for new beginnings right in the middle of a place that could never have a new beginning?”
I knew right then, the question was silly. Only my aunt could answer it, and I would never be able to talk to her again. Well…not never, one day…one day, I will see her again. One day, we will be together, her and I, we will be living in a place so beautiful, I would want to die all over again.


Later that night I eventually found my way out of the forest, and then my way home. I was in the apartment parking lot when I decided it would be a good idea to call Zach. It ran several times, before he answered.
“Hey, I’m sorry I ran off.” I cried, “I just needed to be alone. I know now that I’ll never get my powers back, everything we did was for nothing. I don’t care though, I have you. Zach…I love you.”
I carried the rose in my hand. It was four in the morning, and who knows how long the rose had been laying among those ruins. All I really did know is that a rose can’t go this long without water. It would have to start to wither sooner or later. Except I didn’t think it ever would.

75 Years Later

“Aunt Kailee, I’m so glad you could make it!” She said to me. Maddie’s daughter, Corinne, had grown to be such a beautiful woman. She was the youngest of three. She would be thirty next month.
“Honey, you know how much your mama meant to me.” Kailee told her. Kailee took her seat in the first pew. She felt sorry for Corinne. The poor girl had lost her mother, and her father in all of two years. Corinne walked up to the alter and prepared herself for a speech.
“Excuse me,” She said into the microphone, “We were gathered here today to mourn the death of my mother, our dearly beloved, Madison Sammartino. She lost her husband last year, Zach Sammartino, who was my father. My mother would tell me that when I was a young girl, my Great Grandma Connie would tell me I looked like Corinne Sammartino, but I had the soul of Corinne Salinetro. My mother would tell me how I would wake up some nights fascinated by a dream I had, had. This dream I had over, and over again.
“I was in a sanctuary where all parts of nature get along, where all parts of nature are free. I would ask my mother time and time again, ‘Mommy have you ever been to the place I dream about?’ She would answer, yes, and tell me how it was once my Great Aunt Cory’s sanctuary, but that now it was mine. That I am her, and she is I. I was always fascinated with how this rose never died?” Corinne held up the rose, “My mother would say it was given to her by an angel. Other times she would say that I gave it to her, that I was that angel. My point of this story all comes down to one secret. One secret that some people knew about my mother and others did not.”
Corinne paused, and as she did her freckles became more noticeable, her bright, red, curl hair seemed to pop, and she looked beautiful, almost as Maddie had described how her Aunt Cory looked that night in the sanctuary, “My mother’s wish was for her secret to be revealed once and for all. I think the best way to have it revealed is if Kailee Furgiuele told the story.”
I stood up and walked to the alter. I hugged Corinne. She had started to cry, and the rose was grasped firmly in her hand. That was the first time I had ever seen the rose withered, and dead.