What we perceive can break so easily
What we want isn't always what we get
What we feel isn't always reciprocated
What we see isn't always truly there
I play this poem over and over in my head as I walk around in my bedroom. What I perceived was that I was a normal girl. What I want is to be a normal girl. What I feel is the want to be a normal girl. What I see is a girl who will never be normal.
Hello, my name is Ana White. I'm in the eighth grade at Snowman Private School for Gifted Children. I don't know if being the town Pastors daughter had something to do with that, but nonetheless, I'm smarter than most children my age. I brush my long black hair and out it in a pony tail. I apply a bit of eyeshadow and adjust my pink dress. I grab a pink bow and put it on my head, right near my ponytail. I would wear my hat, but someone must ahem stolen it and I have no clue where it is.
My face looks more pale then usual...all of the stress has been boiling over lately. My mother had mysteriously vanished on a trip to the town of Easter. She works for a big Cell Phone company, there the lasted in technology. There are adults mysteriously vanishing all over the state, in fact. 7 in the last month. One of them being my mother. She's a beautiful women, around five and-a-half feet tall with green eyes and deep black hair, like mine. My father is blonde though, he's a tall lean man, and runs the town church. Anyway, about how I'm not a 'normal' girl...I'm psychic.
I can read minds, move small objects, heal people, speak to animals, and light small fires. It's really something. A blessing and a curse. The people of Snowman see it as a blessing. I see it as a curse. They don't get what being _different_ really is. Different isn't dressing odd or talking in an accent. Different is being able to do something that others can't. I hate it. I'm a freak. My upbringing was very good. Since I was the 'pastors daughter' as everyone refers to me as, I was respected by everyone from a very young age. As a result, I respected everyone back. I've also made lots of friends over the years of never leaving this town. I look over at the clock. If finished my morning routine by 6:15am. I go downstairs and see my dad praying. Kneeling right in front of the gigantic statue of Jesus on the cross.
I know he's playing for my mothers safety. We've hired investigators and bounty hunters, whoever we can find. Money is no object to us, and we will do whatever it takes to find her. It's only been a week and some days anyhow. I kneel beside my father and pray with him. We were like that for at least 45 minutes, until he finally says something. "Why don't we eat breakfast, and start preparing for Sunday mass?" he asks, in a gentle tone. I think about it, and I'm finally come up with a suitable answer. "...I'd like that,"
To cheer me up, my dad makes pancakes. Yes, in different shapes. Living my childhood to the fullest. I realize that I can come off as a little bit innocent. I never make rude or inappropriate jokes, and I don't laugh when people make them. But they don't realize my intelligence is on a whole other level. I eat breakfast painfully slowly...I don't have the slightest appetite.
It's 9:00 now. We open the church doors and at least half of Snowman come pouring in. My dad does what he does everyday, and by 11:00, it's time for everyone to leave. I don't teach my Sunday school until 3:00.
I watch all of my favourite shows, such as Seinfeld and the Flinstones. Just because I'm the pastors daughter doesn't mean I can't watch T.V. I hear the church doorbell ring. "I'll grab it, father!" I yell, and advance towards the door. When I open it, I see two boys around my age. The one on the left is wearing big, round glasses and a red shirt. He's wearing shorts, so obviously, he didn't plan on coming to the freezing town of Snowman. He has large silver hair, parted in the middle. The other looks like he makes girls pass out just by staring at them. Well, not me. I'm a little smarter than that. He's wearing a red cap and a blue and yellow striped shirt. He, too, is wearing shorts. Sneakers, too!? What's wrong with these two? But then, I see it. The lacy pink hate engraved 'Ana' on it.
He has my hat. And now, this handsome boy was returning it. And um...his friend.
"Are you Ana?" asked the handsome boy, looking bored. That's rude. He should be happy he's in such a wonderful town. "Why, yes I am," I reply, tiredly. Seven hours of sleep every night at maximum. That's not a lot for a pre-teenage girl. Especially in a town with long nights. I should be taking advantage of that. "And that is my hat, am I correct?" They boys look at each other. They both look flustered, and the jock needs to watch where he puts his eyes. "Yeah, I think so..." says the boy with glasses as he hands it to me. "Where did you two find this? I thought it was-" "Lost forever?" Interrupted the jock. I don't really know he's a jock, but I'll take a lucky swing on that one. "Um...how did you know I was going to say that?" I ask, and he stutters a bit. Lots of different thoughts cross my mind.
Is he psychic? Can he heal and light fires? Can he read minds? And could this boy be my soulmate? "We better get going!" he interrupts. He grabs his friends hand and starts to drag him out of the house. "W-wait! Ken!" says the nerdy one. So this boys name is Ken? Kenneth? Right before they step out the door, I close it using my powers. And the two boys stop for a moment. Ken begins... "What...what's was that!?" he almost screams, getting my fathers attention. "Ana, is everything okay down there?" he calls down. I reply quickly. "Yes, it's just the T.V. dad!" I yell back. Now to get back to my previous conversation. "You don't know...?" I ask.
Surely, everyone in the town, or at least around the town, knows about my powers. How did these two not...? "Don't know what?" asks the shorter one, fixing his glasses. "I'm psychic," I begin. "I can read people's minds, I can light things on fire, I can heal wounds, and I can move things. All with my mind," I finish. The nerd is flabbergasted, but Ken is less than impressed. "So am I..." he begins. "I thought I was the only one!" "So did I! I didn't know there were freaks like me out there!" I say, shocked. "Then maybe you should come with us!" says Ken.
Wait what? Come with them where? What is he talking about?
I'm not an adventure type girl. I've never left the town and I never really planned to. I don't want to leave. I don't, I don't, I don't. "What do you mean?" I ask, scared. The geek answers my question. "You see, me and Ken are traveling to stop the alien invasion, and we could use a powerful psychic like you on our team!" Ken interrupts him. "And we have a deadline. On the 17th of August, the aliens will begin there invasion. We need to get to Mt. Itoi and stop them. You see, if we don't, the aliens will kidnap _everyone!_ And we can't have that, now can we? That's why we need you, Ana!" How did he know my name? But more importantly, I have to go with them. If I'm what they say I am, then I must be able to save my mother.
"Okay, I'll come with you," I say, my heart filled with fear. "On a condition, though. We have to thoroughly search Easter once we get there. My mother was doing business there, and she was kidnapped," "Okay, whatever. As long as a babe like you come with us, the great Ken and mediocre Lloyd, nothing can go wrong!" How rude!
"I've never!" I scream, kicking him in the shin. If there is one thing I won't tolerate, it's sleazy boys. I'm going to grow to like Lloyd much more than Ken. I don't bother to tell my father. He'll guilt me into staying, and I can't have that. I'll send him a letter once I arrive in...Easter. Yes, that's the perfect time to send him a letter saying 'I'm going to make it, dad!' We step outside, and for once, I appreciate my snowy, one-horse town. The snow is 100% white, and the houses are made of painted wood. The people are cheery, waving to me. I don't bother to pack anything. It'll just slow us down. The three of us walk in an awkward silence, as we make our way to the Snowman Express Train Station.
Ken is carrying a baseball bat, and Lloyd a gun. I presume it's there weapons. As we walk, I stare to my left side. I see trees that look as good as dead. And I see some wolves lurking around. I decide it would be best to warn Ken and Lloyd. "Um...guys, I think there are some wolves lurking around," "Your just paranoid!" says Ken, as a pack of six wolves circle us. "Or not," disagrees Lloyd. The wolves look more vicious than usual. There beady eyes are staring at me like I'm a piece of meat, and I realize how similar boys and wolves are. "Get ready, Ana," warns Ken. "This is no walk in the park," I nod at him and he nods back. The wolves pounce all at once, but Lloyd and Ken have finished off two of them already. A wolf pounces at me and almost snatches my hat. I duck, but trip and fall over, just in time for another wolf to come charging.
As it's about to bite me, Ken pushes it over. Lloyd comes behind me and shoots a wolf with some kind of laser. I think it's from the town of Reindeer. The wolfs start to die down, but the last one fails to give up. It charges me _again,_ but I'm ready. I put my hands in front of me, and the wolf burns. And in don't mean 'catches on fire just a little bit', I mean third degree burns across it's body. I never knew that I could do something like that. I feel like Satan's spawn. And just before I get up... "You _idiot!_" screams Ken, as Lloyd gives him a death glare. "How could you just fall over like that! I thought you would have at least some skill, but that was pathetic. You're worse than when Lloyd first started!" Right before I can retaliate, he walks off towards the train. I didn't realize that we were that close. We could have run from the wolves, too. I just don't get it. I don't understand this jerk!
"Sorry for him," apologizes Lloyd. "He was a jerk towards me at first, too," "Well, obviously, but why?" I ask. "I dunno, really. I guess the stress of saving the world can really get to him," "Oh...but, what's wrong with him? Stress doesn't make people mean, they're born mean!" "We just gotta deal with it, I guess," said Lloyd. "Sorry, again," Is he blushing? I can't really tell. But I realize that poem I recited to myself this morning is coming into play. I perceived this world as a safe place. But, I was wrong...Life has been one, big, lie.
And I fell for it.