When I open my eyes, I squint against the glow of an orange light. I can feel Momma laying on my legs as I'm flat on my back. My legs hurt and my head hurt and I'm pinned to the floor. I stare up at the light. Is it heaven? Is it God ready to come and take me and Momma?
Momma . . . she's dead.
I'm dead . . . aren't I?
I know I'm not dead when I move my legs and I'm relieved that I'm not trapped. I remember the house collapsing around me. The stones falling from the sky and destroying the house, just like when I was a little girl. Except this time they started and they wouldn't stop. And Sue. Pregnant Sue. I got her house so she wouldn't get crushed. And . . .
Prom. And Billy and Chris.
But I can't think of those things right now. I have to get out. I have to get Momma and I out. I sit up, hitting my head against something as hard as concrete, my head throbs. I look up, but I can't tell what it is in the dark. Momma has pinned me down at my mid section. She's lying there. Her eyes are closed. I put a hand gently on her head and I remember the knives and what I did. I killed her.
"M-Momma . . ." I sob, tears streaming down my face. I feel something hot running down my forehead. I bring my hand up to my head and then to my face. Blood.
Blood.
What they did to me . . . they trickedme.
I slide Momma off my legs and crawl forward. I'm barricaded on each side by walls and other pieces of the house. I'm able to stand a little, my legs shaking and I feel towards the orange light. Maybe if I get to it, I will go to Heaven. Maybe Momma's already there. I feel a flurry of hope as I put my foot on something and climb through.
My fingers hurt as I feel my way through, clutching onto wood and cement as I go. A stone falls by me, hitting the ground below my feet where Momma is. I want to take her with me, but she's already gone. My feet find ledges and I push myself up, bathing myself in the orange light more. I feel a breeze, cold, but welcoming. I'm hot and sore and tired. A sudden pain shoots through my back and I remember Momma stabbing me in the back.
Why, Momma?
I pull myself out of the ruins of the house, but I don't enter heaven. I'm in Carlin Street, Chamberlain. I'm home. In the distance I hear sirens. The orange glow was from the street light at the side of the road. I smell smoke. I have to get out of here before someone comes.
I managed to climb out of the house and carefully make my way barefoot across the ruins of the house. My house.
How did this happen? Why did this have to happen to me?
I step on something sharp and I grimace. The street light flickers and goes out and I know that it was me that did that. With my power. That power that fascinates and terrifies me at the same time. It terrifies me mostly, now. Because of what I did. All those people I hurt . . . killed.
But they laughed at me. It was a trick!
I walk around stones and debris and make my way across the soft green grass on the front lawn. I continue on to the middle of the road. My feet are cold. I'm in pain. I need help. I look left and then right, spotting a girl, walking slowly in the opposite direction. She has long blonde hair.Sue. I want to shout on her and ask for help, but I can't speak. I open my mouth but nothing comes out. I want to use my telekinesis to spin her around and bring her back. I can't bring myself to do it. I hear approaching sirens and see flashing red and blue lights, heading towards Sue. I have to get away before they see me. They will put me in jail if they do. Or maybe worse. They must know what I'm capable of.
I have to think fast and decide that I'll head in the different direction. I turn, running around the ruins of my house and climb the fence into the neighbors' house. I'll cross yards and take back roads. No one can see me. I'm cold, but I have to keep moving. I have to find someone who will help me. I want Sue to help me because I think she will. I saw into her head and found that she didn't have anything to do with what happened at Prom. Neither did Tommy.
Tommy . . .
The continuous sound of sirens terrifies me as I make my way across town, keeping low and in the shadows. I follow through with my plan, taking back roads, hidden paths and back yards. I see smoke billowing into the air from town. From the school. I need to find someone. Someone has to help me.
Miss. Desjardin.
She'll help me. She likes me. Even though she saw what I did, I saved her from getting killed. And she didn't laugh at me with the rest of the school. She helped me before and I'm sure she'll help me again.
I head for her house.