Chapter 1
"Damn it!" a voice cried out.
Mia looked up sharply from the book she was reading. The voice she recognized to be her step- father's, and it didn't seem like he was in a good mood. As the door's lock clicked open she said a silent prayer that he hadn't been drinking. It would not be a pretty sight to see him reeling around
"Oh Mia," Her step-father, Chris, called in a sing song voice as he strolled through into their hotel room, "Guess what horse won at the race tracks today?"
Trying to act nonchalant she answered: "I don't know."
"That's right you don't know." he cried wheeling on her, "you little witch! You cost me another grand! The black horse won. The BLACK horse!"
With that he tore the book from her hands.
"But I swear..." Mia cried.
"But... but... nothing Mia, this was your fault." Her step-father roared as he full on slapped her across the face.
"I really mean it Chris; I saw a white horse winning." Mia pleaded as she knelt in front of him, clutching the side of her face.
"Well it doesn't matter now because the race is over and I am now in debt. It looks like someone's not going to eat too much tonight."
At this Mia slumped even lower. As she trudged over to the bathroom Chris called to her again. When she turned around she saw her step-father grinning as he set fire to her book with his lighter.
"I figured that you're spending too much time reading this book. Now you have more time to focus on your visions."
The horrified look on Mia's face caused him to start laughing. He lit the book in a few more places before tossing the book to the dirty, cluttered floor and chuckling still even as he watched his step-daughter try to save her book. After she managed to put out the flames she tried to hide the tears starting at her eyes as she flung herself into the small bathroom.
Once inside her minute sanctuary she took a few deep breaths. She cursed noiselessly her life she had to live and her ability to see things before they happened. Being clairvoyant and a 16 year old girl with an abusive step-father was not a good combination.
"Come on Mia you are stronger than this, it was just a book." Mia said to her tear-stained reflection. She rubbed her eyes and tried to overlook the gauntness of her face. There was once a time where she cared about make up and hanging out with her friends. She had been one of those girly girls, prissy and walking around with her head up high as if she owned the place. Now that she was under the control of her father she had gotten most of the fight kicked out of her after the first few weeks. Her ginger and blonde hair which had always been in style now hung about her face in a sort of greasy mess. Her face was pallid with only her freckles standing out. Her clothes which at one time had been close fitting and trendy now hung off her nearly emaciated body. Sometimes she even joked to herself that it was a good thing she was losing her baby fat, but now she just look unhealthy. Chris basically just ate junk and beer and Mia wouldn't lower herself to having some of that but he did feed her well enough to get by.
She then proceeded to wash her face and brush her teeth while trying to ignore her rumbling stomach. She stopped and actually looked at herself in the mirror. What Mia saw was a shadow of herself. She had turned into quiet, bookish, poor looking girl, the kind she use to make fun of among her close friends. With that thought she quickly turned away from her reflection in both guilt and disbelief. After finishing she slipped into the bathtub to try and get some sleep, but it seemed like it would never come to her. Finally she started to drift off to sleep muttering "Mom, mom where are you? I need you."
Dream
Mia watches from a distance the same dream that she had been having the past two nights. She could see a white horse galloping through a field. What she would give to have the freedom that this beautiful animal had. The horse seemed to slow, until Mia realized that that it had turned in her direction. "Wait this is new." She thought mentally. As the horse came closer, Mia could make out a person on the horse. She couldn't quite see because the white horse became brighter and brighter. The horse was nearly two yards away when...
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"Damn it!" a voice cried out.
Mia looked up sharply from the book she was reading. The voice she recognized to be her step- father's, and it didn't seem like he was in a good mood. As the door's lock clicked open she said a silent prayer that he hadn't been drinking. It would not be a pretty sight to see him reeling around
"Oh Mia," Her step-father, Chris, called in a sing song voice as he strolled through into their hotel room, "Guess what horse won at the race tracks today?"
Trying to act nonchalant she answered: "I don't know."
"That's right you don't know." he cried wheeling on her, "you little witch! You cost me another grand! The black horse won. The BLACK horse!"
With that he tore the book from her hands.
"But I swear..." Mia cried.
"But... but... nothing Mia, this was your fault." Her step-father roared as he full on slapped her across the face.
"I really mean it Chris; I saw a white horse winning." Mia pleaded as she knelt in front of him, clutching the side of her face.
"Well it doesn't matter now because the race is over and I am now in debt. It looks like someone's not going to eat too much tonight."
At this Mia slumped even lower. As she trudged over to the bathroom Chris called to her again. When she turned around she saw her step-father grinning as he set fire to her book with his lighter.
"I figured that you're spending too much time reading this book. Now you have more time to focus on your visions."
The horrified look on Mia's face caused him to start laughing. He lit the book in a few more places before tossing the book to the dirty, cluttered floor and chuckling still even as he watched his step-daughter try to save her book. After she managed to put out the flames she tried to hide the tears starting at her eyes as she flung herself into the small bathroom.
Once inside her minute sanctuary she took a few deep breaths. She cursed noiselessly her life she had to live and her ability to see things before they happened. Being clairvoyant and a 16 year old girl with an abusive step-father was not a good combination.
"Come on Mia you are stronger than this, it was just a book." Mia said to her tear-stained reflection. She rubbed her eyes and tried to overlook the gauntness of her face. There was once a time where she cared about make up and hanging out with her friends. She had been one of those girly girls, prissy and walking around with her head up high as if she owned the place. Now that she was under the control of her father she had gotten most of the fight kicked out of her after the first few weeks. Her ginger and blonde hair which had always been in style now hung about her face in a sort of greasy mess. Her face was pallid with only her freckles standing out. Her clothes which at one time had been close fitting and trendy now hung off her nearly emaciated body. Sometimes she even joked to herself that it was a good thing she was losing her baby fat, but now she just look unhealthy. Chris basically just ate junk and beer and Mia wouldn't lower herself to having some of that but he did feed her well enough to get by.
She then proceeded to wash her face and brush her teeth while trying to ignore her rumbling stomach. She stopped and actually looked at herself in the mirror. What Mia saw was a shadow of herself. She had turned into quiet, bookish, poor looking girl, the kind she use to make fun of among her close friends. With that thought she quickly turned away from her reflection in both guilt and disbelief. After finishing she slipped into the bathtub to try and get some sleep, but it seemed like it would never come to her. Finally she started to drift off to sleep muttering "Mom, mom where are you? I need you."
Dream
Mia watches from a distance the same dream that she had been having the past two nights. She could see a white horse galloping through a field. What she would give to have the freedom that this beautiful animal had. The horse seemed to slow, until Mia realized that that it had turned in her direction. "Wait this is new." She thought mentally. As the horse came closer, Mia could make out a person on the horse. She couldn't quite see because the white horse became brighter and brighter. The horse was nearly two yards away when...
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