Sophie Foster had always wanted to be normal.
There was just one problem: she had this weird tendency to control the wind.
She had been doing it since she was three years old. Somehow, she had managed to fall and crack her head open when she was two feet tall. When she woke up in the hospital, everything was normal. But, when she returned home, she began to be able to control the wind with her mind.
Sophie was pretty sure no one else could control a force of nature. But how could she know that? After all, she was only twelve years old.
But she was a high school senior. . . .
Which she was reminded of as her teacher ripped her earbuds out.
Sophie winced as the whispers returned. They were a storm, constantly bombarding her mind with their wisdom and insights.
The whispers were sometimes okay, but most of the time she couldn't think straight with them in her head.
Sophie's teacher, Mr. Sweeney, asked her to recite some facts about the Lambeosaurus. The whispers provided the facts that poured out of her mouth.
Mr. Sweeney's face grew increasingly sour as Sophie went on. He whispered something that sounded like "know-it-all" and led the class over to another exhibit.
Before they all walked over, an annoying boy leaned down and whispered "Nice job, superfreak." in her ear. The kid walked away without another word to the next exhibit.
But Sophie didn't follow him. She had caught sight of a very handsome boy looking at her. He seemed to be comparing her to a picture in a newspaper article.
Ah, the newspaper article it seemed. The one about her rejecting the full scholarship to Yale and instead going to a local community college.
Why, oh why, did she have to attract attention?
The boy looked at Sophie again and walked over.
Sophie freaked out. "Are you in this class?" she asked stupidly. She mentally slapped herself, knowing she was turning bright red.
But the boy simply smiled. "No," he said. His voice had an accent she couldn't place. "Is this you?"
Sophie looked at the picture he was pointing to. Yup, it was that article. It even had the same embarrassing senior photo on it.
She nodded. The boy seemed disappointed. Had she done something wrong?
"Well, I have to be going," the boy said. "Sorry for the trouble."
Sophie was about to tell him to wait when two classes of kindergartners entered the museum.
The boy groaned, clutching his head. Was something wrong? Did he need a doctor?
It took a minute before he straightened up again.
"Are you okay?" Sophie asked.
The boy nodded. "But, since you saw that, you have to come with me. My name's Fitz."
Sophie stepped back. Sure he was cute, but she didn't even know him.
The boy stepped closer to her. "You need to come with me." he said firmly.
That was all the motivation Sophie needed to turn and run out of the museum.
The whispers grew louder as she ran, the wind making her hair fly all around her face, making it hard to see.
But Sophie didn't stop running. Not until she was halfway through crossing a street.
Screeching tires caught her notice as a car barreled toward her.
Sophie barely had time to think as the giant metal monster drove her way.
But one thing was clear: she was going to die.