magic unkown chapter 2. WIP

Chapter 2:

I slowly blink into focus, and I see a familiar cream-white ceiling. I push myself up and feel a sharp biting pain in my forearms. I look around. This is my room, those are my slippers, and this is my bed, I pause and hit the bed, it has the same bounciness. This doesn't make any sense.

 “Brianna! I’m not going to ask again. Get up!” Kylie yells. I slowly pull back the covers and push myself into a sitting position. Suddenly I’m hit by violent flashbacks of whatever happened. The bus crash, the white room, my father… My throat has a huge lump and I feel the tears behind my eyes. 

My door slams open and Kylie stands there, hands on hips, glaring at me. 

“Really must I wake you up? You're going to be late! Hurry up get dressed, and don't forget your makeup. Here I also made you coffee”

She sets the glass of coffee on the dresser and leaves. I breathe in and then out, methodically. I walk over to the full-length mirror and slowly turn. Nothing is off. That's weird, my father's face pops into my mind as I sit down. I finish with my makeup, grab my coffee and run out the door. I run down the hallway without even stopping to look at the pictures. As I run into the kitchen, I see Ayanna dressed up prettily. 

“Sis! You're awake,” Ayana squeals with such 6-year-old enthusiasm that it makes me smile.

Ayana and I have a great relationship. She accepted me without questions and loves me like I am her actual sister. 

“Hey Ayana. Ready for school?” I ask noting the pink backpack.

“Yup!” she replies 

I grab my backpack and hug Ayanna. As I walk out the door I hear Kylie murmur something to Ayanna. I walk out to the bus stop. A vision so powerful hits me and forces me to my knees. My head is pounding. Flashes pop through my mind. Father, mother, bear, death scene, boy. It's an endless flow of pictures. Just as suddenly the flow stops. I sit there for a moment before getting up. I look down and my hands are shaking. I take several deep breaths methodically. The shaking stops. As I continue toward the bus stop, I look around. We are in mid-fall, the trees are just starting to lose their leaves. The oranges, yellows, and greens surround me like they are wrapping me in comfort. A breeze brushes by me ruffling my hair and blowing up scattered leaves. 

I look toward the forest and see a dark shape that looks like a bear. I rub my eyes and look again, it’s gone. I hear the bus coming and start running towards the bus stop. As I skid to a stop, I saw another kid at my stop. 

“Hey, who are you?” I ask as I take in his physical appearance. He has curly brown hair and bright blue eyes. He has a good build and many muscles but not in a fat, chubby way. He is wearing a brown hoodie with bootcut jeans and brown leather boots. 

“I’m Ethan, I just transferred from Lakeside in Montana, how about you?” he asks and I can feel his sincerity. 

“Um, I’m Brianna. I have been going to this school for two months.” the bus is round the corner and I suck in a breath. The driver looks exactly like the bear boy. I look again and it's a different person. I shake my head as the bus stops. The doors open and I step in.

 “Bri! Over here,” one of my friends calls out. “Emily, how are you?” I ask. “Fine, no not fine amazing, I got a new boyfriend! His name is Mark and he’s the cutest…” she drones on about Mark. I stop listening, she has a boyfriend like every other week. As I look out at the colorful world, I see Bear Boy again grinning maniacally, I do a double take and there's nothing there, I try to calm my beating heart.

“Bri! Are you listening?” Emily asks, forcing me to look at her. “I asked if you wanted to go on a double date with me and Mark. He will bring a friend for you. What do you think? Sounds fun right?” she is smiling so much that it's hard to say no. “fine. When?” I say with a sigh, knowing there is no saying no. “yay! This Wednesday night, it will be so fun!” she squeals.

The bus pulls up at the front of the school and we get off. As Ems and I walk to our locker, we run into the snobs. 

“Well if it isn’t the trash!” the lead snob says.

 I sigh and walk past her. This is a recurring thing, the snobs wait for me Ems at our lockers. The leader was one of the second most popular girls in school, and she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand the fact that she came in second to “trash.” 

“Come on. How many times have you been thrown out? Like 8 times now?” she says with mock sympathy. I turn around feeling a deep, dark rage creeping up my spine and grabbing at my heart. I want to punch her pretty perfect face. My hand twitches, I can imagine my fist connecting with her face and how much blood would be everywhere. 

“She wants you to get mad, don't give her what she wants,” Ems whispers into my ear. I take deep breaths and unclench my fists. 

I continue toward my locker as the snobs scoff and leave. As I open my locker, I hear Ems squeal. Mark must be here. I grab my biology textbook and stand. An arm appears from behind me and hands cover my eyes. 

“Guess who?” A deep voice asks and I have to stifle laughter. “I didnt see you this morning where were you?” Kayato always does this. “Kayato, you have to stop doing this, people will think we are dating instead of siblings.” Kayato laughs and lets go. “Im off to math!” he says then runs off.

Ems laughs as she shakes her head. “Bri meet Mark,” Ems says. I look at Mark, he has fluffy blonde hair and bright green eyes. He has a football build. “Cool. I have to go to Bio, nice meeting you Mark!” I call over my shoulder as I walk to my classroom. 

I take a deep breath and plop down into my assigned seat. I take out my sketchbook and my mechanical pencil. I flip to my most recent. I am drawing a dragon in the background of a mystic forest. My table group enters noisily. 

I sigh and continue drawing. A hand appears from the edge of my vision and snatches the paper, it gives a horrible ripping sound, where my beautiful drawing was, there was half and the other half was in the hands of the head snob. 

“What do you want?” I ask a million possibilities running through my mind.

“Simple. We want you to stop bothering us. Maybe you would just stop living; no one wants you anyway. " Her group of snobs laughs loudly. 

I breathe in and out methodically, grab my bag, and walk out. As I am walking, my phone starts playing my ringtone. I take it out and look at the caller ID, unknown. Figures. I think. I shut it off and put it back.

“Bri, what are you doing out of class?” I spin around and see Mrs. Stella, the school counselor.

 “Oh, um… nothing.” I say eager to avoid one of her “lets talk about your really crappy life so I can tell everyone and we can laugh about it.”  the school swears she’s confidential but she is always blabbing about what people tell her because she loves the drama. 

“You don't look like your normal self, want to talk?” she says with a predatory gleam in her eyes.

“No thanks, I was just going to the bathroom” I respond in a rush, and take off in a sprint. As I go into the stall, I notice footsteps following me. I close my eyes and pull my knees to my chest. It's probably the snobs as long as they can't see my feet I will be fine. I breathe in and out, im sure whoever it is can hear my heartbeat, it sounds so loud.

“Bri?” a hesitant voice asks, I know that voice but in my fear addled mind I can't place it.  “Bri?” the voice asks again and suddenly a flashback hits me. All colors and my parents' death, the bears, the white room, and in every picture, I see his face. The face that has been haunting me since the bus accident. The boy that can change. 

“Bri!” I look up and I become aware that I am on the floor and I’m staring up into another girl's eyes. 

“Ems?” I ask as my voice gives out. “It's fine I’m here, what happened?  An hour ago, I was told you left class and never returned, and when I went looking for you, I found you on the bathroom floor convulsing and foam coming out of your mouth. Do you know how scared I was? I thought you got poisoned. Was it the new kid? What did you eat? Did anything smell funny?” 

Her endless stream of questions, comments and concerns wash over me, strangely comforting. 

“Ems, I am fine. I just had some flashbacks. I’ll be fine in a couple of minutes. You don't need to worry.” 

“Well I worry cause you were gone for and Hour!” 

My mind starts spinning, it felt like only several minutes. I am aware that my head hurts and my legs are cramping. I look down and see that my legs were in an awkward position, one is out to the side, and the other is in a 90-degree angle. I throw my hands behind me and push down on them, as I flex my leg I swing the other out and bend both knees. As I stand, I notice both of my legs had fallen asleep, I brace myself for the pins-and-needles feeling. I push myself up and stand, I grab the edge of the counter and shake out my legs.

“Bri, come on, let's go, we have literature next period.” I look at her and see that she’s holding my bag. I take it and follow her out with one last glance around.

Author's Note

this is a work in progress which means I will be adding to it.