Weight of the World

Chapter 1: Dark Days Ahead

Feels like the weight of the world
Like God in Heaven gave me a turn
Don't cling to me, I swear I can't fix you
Still in the dark, can you fix me?

Freefall, freefall, all through life

If you love me, then let go of me
I won't be held down by who I used to be
She's nothing to me

Feels like the weight of the world
Like all my screaming has gone unheard
And oh, I know you don't believe in me
Safe in the dark, how can you see?

Freefall, freefall, all through life

If you love me, then let go of me
I won't be held down by who I used to be

If you love me, then let go of me
I won't be held down by who I was

If you love me, then let go of me
I won't be held down by who I used to be...

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The girl leaned with one ear against the front door. A knot grew in her stomach, as she held her breath to listen. Quietly and carefully, she turned the handle, hoping no one would hear it. Maybe they would all be soundly asleep. Her black boots clunked noisily on the front porch, and she decided that goth gear was not designed for sneaking in and out of one's house.

When she slowly pushed the door open, her face slid anxiously inside. Her nose bumped into a... another nose? Panic flooded through her when she saw leathery, wrinkled skin, and weathered brown eyes.

"Katrina," Her Uncle's voice already held a warning. "What have I told you 'bout stayin' out so late?"

"I'm sorry, Henry." She smoothed a black feather of hair out of her face. He was her Uncle, but damned if she would ever call him that. Her tone held a certain sarcastic quality that he did not appreciate.

"You go upstairs to yer room, and you stay in there, young 'un!"

Katrina repressed the urge to laugh in his face. "That's where I was going anyway, jerk off."

"What'd you call me?"

"I think she called you a jerk off," It was Katie, her little sister. She was up late again. Good, that meant Katrina wouldn't be the only one to get yelled at that evening. "You should ground her for at least a week."

"Isn't it past your bed time, punk?"

"Katrina, it ain't yer place to tell her what to do!" Their Uncle yelled. He couldn't decide which girl to yell at the loudest.

"I don't understand a word you just said. Well Katie, you heard the man. Let's go."

"Not suh fast," Henry intercepted the older girl in the hallway. "What is that in yer nose?"

"A nose ring?"

"Rings is for yer hands, not yer nose! Take that thing out of yer face, and tomorruh mornin' yer both comin' with us to church! Now it's off to bed with ya both." He gently shooed both girls down the hallway, especially Katie who wasn't listening.

"Fine," Katrina slammed her door, and locked it behind her. She heard Katie's slam even louder a few second later from just down the hall.

She put on her headphones, and turned up her music as loud as it would go. Her room was a complete mess, but it was her mess. And she wouldn't have it any other way. The other members of the household all knew that was Katrina's personal space, and no one ever dared to enter it without her permission.

Sleep would not come easily that night. She knew the world did not understand her. Katrina was sure her Uncle had thought that she was out with Max again. But if she were with Max, she would have been home way before her eight o' clock curfew. Being sixteen, it was expected that she would have a healthy interest in boys. But what they didn't know was that she didn't really care about Max or anyone else. She liked him, and it was nice to have someone to call "her boyfriend" but that was it.

Sighing, she rolled over and pulled the covers over her. The blacklight that illuminated her room was usually always on, unless she wasn't home. Tonight, she hadn't even bothered to turn it on.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Katrina awoke to the smell of pancakes and bacon. She smiled. It was a beautiful day, and she gazed out her bedroom window with longing. Longing for what, she did not know.

Pausing only to arrange her clothes from the previous night, and to add a layer of dark red lipstick to the one that had been smudged by sleep, she left her room, locking the door behind her. The key dangled from her keychain, mixing in with her house key, and the key to Max's house. He'd given her a key, but she never really used it. The same went for the key to her Aunt's van.

"Awake early this morning, I see," Aunt Hilda remarked from her place in front of the stove.

"The smell of food woke me up."

"That figures," Henry Oaks grumbled from his side of the kitchen table, as the goth girl took her seat opposite him. He and his wife had spent three years raising these girls, and for what thanks? They would both turn into modern-day mutants, just like the rest of the world. Why couldn't people turn back to the old ways? He and his wife Hilda seemed happy enough doing just that.

"What's your problem?" Katrina rolled her eyes, and awaited his answer, so she could focus on ignoring it.

"All ya do is eat our food, and live in our house. I shoulda never let ya'll move in here! Who were ya with last night, anyhow? It's not that 'Matt' boy again, is it?"

"His name is Max," Katrina knew she didn't have to tell him that; he knew it. She changed the subject. "Where's Katie?"

"Still asleep, lazin' about the house, as usual! If I ever catch either one of you out that late again, it'll be out on the streets with the lot uh yuhs!"

"Now Henry," His wife's voice warned. "Be nice to Kat. She's been going through alot lately. And Katrina, please make an effort not to be out that late again. Your curfew is eight o'clock, and you know that." She always was the peace-maker of the bunch. That was just Hilda's way.

Katrina nodded, taking an offered plate from her Aunt. "Sure thing." She started eating, pretending not to notice her Uncle's cold stare.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After breakfast, Henry had been insistent that Katrina go with them to church. But Hilda did not want them to force their religion on anyone. Despite that, they both asked that she go with them. She knew they really didn't care, they were just using that as a way to punish her, somehow. It's not like they actually wanted to be in her company, anyway. The girl stormed out of the house, and again she slammed the door.

"Hey, that door does not belong to you!" Her Uncle screamed after her. But his words fell on deaf ears.

Katrina already knew where she was going. She didn't want to have to deal with anyone else's bullshit today. She headed straight for the old castle that stood just north of the town.

Everything about that place brought her comfort. From the gnarled stone gargoyle that stood as a silent sentinel out front, to the beautiful flowers that grew within the garden walls, she loved it all.

As far as she knew, no one else really knew about this place but her. It was her refuge, and it always would be... It was a place she came to think, and to be alone. Katrina had been coming here since she was a very small child, and she was not about to stop now. Strangely, it had never ocurred to her to question why all the flowers remained lovely, and bloomed all year round. There were hedges made into all kinds of fantastic shapes and they were always neatly trimmed. Sometimes there were new ones; the garden was always changing.

There were lots of different stories surrounding the old castle. Most people were afraid of it, after believing one crazy story or another, and that was probably why no one ever ventured near it. They were all afraid of such a beautiful place... But Katrina was not afraid.

Sometimes she felt like she was being watched. But that only gave her comfort, it did not frighten her. Strangely, she had never gone inside the actual castle itself. She had never needed to; just coming to the garden was enough.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When she arrived home at five minutes 'til eight, Henry gave her a manacing glare as she walked past him when he held the door for her. When she made it to her room, her only other refuge, she was glad that she'd made it home on time. But she was even happier that she had still managed to piss her Uncle off.

Her sister was sporting a new hairstyle consisting of platinum blonde bangs framing her face from the sides. The rest of her head was dyed dark brown, almost black. When Katie had passed her in the hallway, she snickered at Katrina's serious stare.

"Chill out..." She said.

'Tell him that,' Kat added her two cents to the conversation silently, as she always did. She found it made people less angry not to hear all her snippy comebacks. 'He's the one being an ass.'

Katrina smiled, as she sat on her bed. She knew that she wouldn't be in trouble, but he would still be angry with her. And he wasn't the only one. She'd passed her boyfriend Max on her way home. She sighed, remembering his sexy hazel-green eyes that seemed to know hers. His black hair was like hers too, but he wore it so tame, neatly brushed back behind his head. She wished he'd grow a backbone, and tell his parents to just screw off! They were always trying to tell him what to do. He's been mad at Katrina for not going over to his house today. She was free to do whatever she wanted, and she had wanted to go to her garden. Not hang out with some boring guy.

She took off her boots, followed by her fishnet stockings and little black mini-skirt. She pulled her shirt over her head, followed by her iron necklace with the big black cross hanging from it. Her Aunt and Uncle didn't like it. They said it was a "mockery of their religion", or some crap, but she didn't give a damn.

Finally she grabbed a towel from her bathroom shelf, and ran herself a tub of water. She needed more than just a shower tonight. She needed to sit in her bathtub alone and think for a while.

'Damn, I almost forgot about these...' She yanked off her many rings, one by one, placing them on the sink. It was nice having her own room with an adjoining bathroom, she didn't have to worry about people touching her things. As she sank into the bathwater, Katrina forgot her worries for a little while... Her mind drifted back to the garden. It always did, somehow.

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Disclaimer: I don't own Edward Scissorhands (the movie, the settings, or any of the characters), and I have no idea who does. I do not own the song "Weight of the World" by Evanescence, nor do I own Amy Lee or Evanescence. I do own the characters of Uncle Henry, Aunt Hilda, Katie, Katrina, Max, and anyone else who appears in this fic.

A/N: Well, the first chapter is done. I hope you like this one! Please R&R, this is my first Edward Scissorhands fanfiction story EVER! I really would like to know what you all think of it so far. I like the way Katrina seems to put things in perspective, somewhat. And no, as you can see, she just isn't that into her boyfriend. Don't worry, things are going to get interesting, very soon. Right now this sounds more like "Secret Garden" than an E.S. fic, but I'm building. Surely you can appreciate that? And the song at the beginning is bascially the summary of the whole fic; you'll see what I mean later. I love reviews, so please PLEASE read and review!

-Kaline Reine