"Sofia!"
I screamed, choking on the thick air in the burning science lab. I couldn't breathe. My only action was to scream out my little sister's name over and over and over, running through the flames and burning wood. Whose bright idea was it to put toluene on the Bunsen burner? Probably hers, you know how much she loves to experiment. I thought, dodging a burning chunk of something. Forget that, whose idea was it to let eleven-year old kids experiment with a deadly substance?!
Then I saw her, kneeling on the carpet, surrounded by flames fueled by an experiment gone wrong. There was no escape, and she knew it. I could see it in her eyes. "Pepper…" she cried. " I just wanted to create something new. Something different. I'm sorry."
"NO!" I screamed. "NO!"
"Pepper, take care of Mom. Don't cry for me, Pepper. I will be safer than you will ever know."
"Sofia!"
I woke up clutching the blankets around me, drenched in sweat, my own searing body heat suffocating me. I sat there, in my bed, until my breathing slowed. She died more than a year ago, idiot, I said to myself. Get over her death! It wasn't your fault!
But I could have saved her, I thought back wretchedly, and rolled out of bed to get showered before I could get into another stupid argument with myself. Toweling off my hair, I stared in the mirror, trying to make sense of what I saw. I see a mess, I thought humorlessly, staring at my horrible bed head. My vibrant green eyes stared back at me, the fear showing through them. No, I thought, That won't work. Is this the Pepper you are going to show the world?
No. I thought, and settled into my "friend mask". It was a good mask, one that was the me I was around my friends. Friend me was caring and loyal. Home me was comedic, smiley and optimistic. Fight me was brave and tough. Who am I really? I wondered, staring into the mirror. Who is the real Pepper Hunter?
*.*.*
It was a dreary morning.
I stared out of the window as Kat and Lauren chattered on in the background. Fog coated Houston, Texas with a thick heavy blanket that was hard to shake off. I looked deep into the fog. Something moved.
Was that…?
An enormous dog stepped out of the shadows, nearly as tall as the school bus. It's red eyes dripped venom, and it's shaggy fur dripped with blood. My eyes widened. "Guys? Do you see that?"
"See what?" Lauren said, turning to the window. Her eyes glazed over, a dreamy look passing over her face. "Oh my gosh, look at that puppy!" She cooed, staring at the beast. "It's adorable!"
I stared in shock at her. Was I crazy? What was going on? "Are you sure that's a puppy?!"
Kat was no different. "Awwww!" She smiled, dreamily staring out and the monster, which was now trotting along the side of the bus as it chugged along.
What. The. Actual. F***. I thought as I stared out the window, at the hound from hell, and back to my friends. The hellish creature stopped and stared me right in the eye as it disappeared in mist.
I slumped in my seat for the rest of the ride, in total shock. What the hell just happened?