Thanks to these the new Alert/Favorite: GiftedShadows and Longlivethecookiemonster . I give GiftedShadows a 5 carat diamond ring! It's beautiful! (IMO) And to Longlivethecookiemonster: a HUGE cookie!

Chapter 3

A Month and a Half Later

Up, down, up, down, up, down.

Sabrina was doing pushups.

Up, down, up, down.

"45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50," she sat back on her knees in satisfaction. She stood up and grabbed her jacket.

"Now time for the run," she whispered. She quickly stretched and then jogged down the stairs and out the front door. Once on the street and she started the run at an easy pace.

Sabrina's mind wandered to cover the events of what had happened last month. She felt disgusted. How could she have been so stupid to drink so much juice?

She sped up the pace. Her ponytail was loosening. She sped up even more. The rush of the air through her was exhilarating.

Faster faster faster. Step breathe step breathe step breathe.

There was something so amazing about being awake before the rest of the world, and especially after a rain shower from the previous night. The air smelled like rain.

Her mind went back to her dirty deed. No matter how hard she tried, her mind would take her back to it over and over. She put on a surge of speed.

Run run run. Focus on the run. Don't think about it. Feel the pain. Run run run.

"Hey there."

Sabrina shrieked and halted. Someone had just popped up out of nowhere.

"Who are you?" Sabrina asked.

"Let's just say I'm your conscience," the girl said.

"That doesn't make sense. Consciences don't just pop up as people."

"You live in a world full of fairy-tale characters and you say consciences can't be people?"

"But you're not me," Sabrina said. As soon as she said it, she realized that the girl resembled her. "Whoa , this is creepy."

"Ah-ha!"

"'Ah-ha' what?"

"You can see it!"

"See what?"

"That I'm—oh forget it. Anyway, I'm your conscience and you need my support, so I'm here."

"Why would I need your support?"

"Because you are a naughty girl."

"THAT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" Sabrina thundered. She realized that she was really loud, and immediately quieted down. "That is not something that I would ever do sober. I'm not a—a—"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. It's not the fact that you did it, it's the fact that because you did it, someone will die."

"What? That doesn't make any sense."

"Sorry, gotta go. Someone's coming." And with that, she disappeared back into nowhere.

"Wait! What do you mean?" Sabrina shouted into the sunrise. A car came over the hill and drove by, splashing her with water from the fresh midnight rain.

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After the run, Sabrina sprinted up the porch steps and into the kitchen. The house smelled deliciously of waffles and fruit. She immediately knew that it was her mother cooking.

She walked into the kitchen and said good morning.

"Well, hello there," Veronica said. "Looks like you've been out for a long run."

Sabrina wiped a drop of sweat off her forehead with her jacket sleeve. "Yeah. Now I'm famished. We almost ready to eat?"

"No. You have time to shower before it's all ready and everyone is down here."

"Sounds good," Sabrina said. She chugged some water and hurried up the stairs for a quick shower.

When Sabrina entered her room, Puck was sitting in her pod chair playing on his DS. The two had barely spoken in the last month.

Sabrina was startled. Puck saw her jump and looked up from his DS. He suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"What are you doing in here?" Sabrina asked.

"Umm—er—ah."

"Well, that pretty much covers it."

Puck felt very awkward. Maybe this wasn't necessary.

"Spit it out or get out," Sabrina demanded.

"Have you—erm—felt really tired lately? Sick?"

Sabrina had no idea what he was talking about. Why was he asking these?

"What's it to you?"

"I was just wondering!" He stood up.

"I guess I have felt a bit unusually fatigued lately, but I've been exercising, so it doesn't bother me much."

Puck paled and then darted past her out of the room.

"What was that about?" she thought aloud.

It suddenly hit her.

:::::::::::::::

"Breakfast!" shouted Veronica.

There was a bunch of doors opening and pounding of feet down the hallway. Sabrina was a part of it. She was so famished.

Sabrina sat down at the table and looked at all the wonderful, normal food. It looked so good. Before she knew it, she felt like gagging at the sight of it. She forced her chair back and stumbled away, her hand over her mouth. She staggered towards the kitchen and went in.

"Pickles, pickles. Sardines. Ketchup. FUDGE," she mumbled as she searched in the cabinets and fridge. She found the pickles and fudge, but no sardines. She dipped the pickle in the fudge and ketchup and got some pepper and sprinkled it on top. She took a big bite and sat down on the floor with satisfaction. "Mmmm," she murmured.

Granny Relda came in the kitchen with a look of concern on her face. "Is everything all right?" Her face blanched when she saw Sabrina's concoction. "What is that?"

"I'm fine. It's my breakfast."

"Come in and eat a real breakfast, dear. You love normal food."

"Umm," Sabrina started. "I don't know if I'm feeling up to waffles this morning."

"Then come eat some fruit," Granny suggested.

Sabrina looked up at her grandmother hesitantly. "I don't know…"

"Oh, come one. What's wrong with you?"

Sabrina looked up at her grandmother. Was it obvious? "Nothing. I'll come. Just a sec."

Granny Relda turned and left.

Sabrina inhaled the rest of the pickles she had. She then stood up and entered the dining room.

Nobody looked up when she came back in—except Puck, who seemed to know what she was thinking. She hurriedly sat down and dished up some fruit.

:::::::::::::::

Maybe it's all in your mind, Sabrina.