Nightmares

It seemed like a normal day. At least Sky thought so as she ate her Lucky Charms at the kitchen table. Her mother stood at the counter across the room, preparing lunch for her and her father. Sky's mother had fair skin, honey blonde hair, and sapphire blue eyes. Being a stay-at-home mom, she tended to wear simple clothes like the ones she had on this morning: gray sweatpants, a red T-shirt, and a simple white apron. If Sky remembered correctly, her mother liked to volunteer at a cooking class while she was at school.

"Honey! I got your lunch!" Sky's mother called.

"Right on schedule, as usual." Sky's father said as he came into the kitchen. He adjusted his watch on his wrist before taking his lunch, kissing his wife's cheek. Sky's father always kept his raven black hair in a crisp buzz cut. He also had a thick mustache that he kept neatly trimmed. His eyes were a dark shade of hazel. He wore gray dress pants, a white dress shirt, black loafers, and a blue tie. Sky watched as her father began walking towards the front door, ready to go to work as a manager for some company. She never could remember the name of the company, and she only asked once.

"Bye Daddy!" Sky called.

Sky's father paused as he grabbed his jacket and briefcase. But he didn't turn around to her. In fact, he shook off the tension he suddenly felt and continued out the door.

Sky shrugged and finished her cereal, handing the bowl to her mother to clean. Then she hurried upstairs to brush her teeth. After that, she stared in the mirror and went through her mental checklist.

Clean, fair skin she inherited from her mother. Check.

Raven black hair she inherited from her father, kept in place with a red bandana. Check.

Blue-green eyes she inherited from her grandfather. Check.

Psyche human birthmark. Check.

A white blouse with short sleeves under a red thin-strapped, knee-length dress. Check.

A pair of white socks. Check.

Her favorite red-and-white sneakers that were a tad too big yet she didn't care. Check.

Sky nodded in satisfaction and hopped downstairs to meet her mother by the front door. Her mother handed Sky her lunch box and backpack, and they walked off to kindergarten.

"Bye Mommy!" Sky waved from the front door of the school. "Love you!"

Oddly enough, her mother didn't wave back and say "Love you too!" She only cast Sky a glance and a smile before walking off. Sky shrugged it off, skipping happily to class. Her mother was probably busy today. Sky waved to her classmates, who waved back cheerily. She hurriedly sat down at her desk, ready for a new day of learning that would give way to a wonderful afternoon/evening at home with her parents.

Just gotta 'member. Sky thought to herself as the teacher began the class. No psych powers.

School went by, as it usually did. Sky answered questions correctly, ate her lunch, and played with her classmates on the playground at recess. When the bell finally rang to announce the school day was over, Sky hurriedly packed her backpack and skipped off to meet one of her parents outside the school. Maybe her father would be able to pick her up today. Sometimes he got off work early and could come get her. But Sky was surprised to find many parents, yet none of them looked like her parents. So she began looking around, wondering if her mother or father ran late picking her up. She decided to wait on the bench outside the school's front doors, knowing her parents would arrive soon.

The minutes passed. One by one, the rest of the children met up with their parents and departed for home. Sky wasn't afraid. She had confidence someone would come for her soon.

Half an hour later, a taxi cab pulled up in front of the school and let out his passenger: a Hispanic woman with tan skin, dark brown hair pulled into a messy bun, and warm cocoa brown eyes. She wore jeans, gray and red sneakers, and a metallic gray knit sweater. She nodded to Sky as she passed her, walking right into the school at quite the hurried pace. Sky waved a little and resumed waiting for her parents.

A few minutes later, the Hispanic woman returned with the principal. They walked up to Sky, and the little girl became rather confused. Did I get in trouble?

"Hello Skylar." The principal greeted with a gentle smile. "You're going home with this woman."

Sky looked to the Hispanic woman. Once again, she became confused. But she trusted the principal, so if the principal trusted this woman then Sky knew she could too.

The Hispanic woman knelt down to Sky's eye level, a kind grin on her lips. "Hello. My name is Rosa Lopez."

"Hi." Sky greeted. "I'm Skylar."

"It's very nice to meet you, Skylar." Rosa said, taking Sky's hand and leading her to the taxi. Sky hopped in, putting on her seatbelt as Rosa did. "Back to the Lopez Foster House, please." Rosa requested.

"Can do." The taxi said over his radio, driving off.

Sky stared out the window, as she always liked to do during the few times she rode in a taxi. "So where's my mommy and daddy?"

Rosa sighed, subtly wringing her hands. "I'll explain at the house, sweetheart."

Sky shrugged, still staring out the window. I bet this is a friend of Mommy's. I'll see Mommy and Daddy soon.

Mommy! Daddy! Come back! COME BACK!

Sky bolted upright with a gasp, her eyes wild and her breathing labored. Her chest heaved and she wheezed, but she fought to keep calm so she wouldn't wake anyone. Then again, she had this entire room to herself. Rosa wouldn't hear her, and neither would the orphans (even the ones living next door to her). Sky swallowed hard, her breathing beginning to steady.

It was another nightmare. Another one about her parents abandoning her. Even three years after that fateful day, she found the pain had yet to lessen. If anything, every day she spent in the orphanage made the pain worse. She still didn't understand why her parents would do that to her. All because she was a psyche human and they weren't. Were they jealous or something?

Thinking about it only made the pain strike back with a vengeance, choking Sky with tears. The fear from her nightmare returned, and she began to tremble. Her mother or father used to help scare away the bad dreams, but not anymore.

She had no one.

So Sky grabbed her pillow and pulled her blanket up over her head to cover her entire body. She pulled her pillow into a bear hug, curling up around it and even biting into the cloth of the pillowcase. Her sobs became muffled, her tears soaked into the pillow and the sheets.

She cried herself to sleep yet again.

Mommy! Daddy! Come back! COME BACK!

Sky bolted upright with a gasp, her eyes wild and her breathing labored. Her chest heaved and she wheezed, but she fought to keep calm so she wouldn't wake anyone.

"Sky?"

Too late.

Sky looked over to see Sparky had pulled back the curtain that separated her room from the rest of the hanger. Sparky and Skipper stared at Sky worriedly, having heard the fearful tone while she sleep-talked.

"You okay, kiddo?" Skipper asked, clearly concerned for his adoptive daughter.

Sky stared at her comforter, fighting tears. "J-just….a nightmare."

Skipper offered a smile. "Well, you're okay now. You know we're right here for you."

Sky looked towards Sparky and Skipper, and she crawled out of her bed. She came over and stood by Skipper, resting her head against his wing. She let her tears come, the wetness streaming down her cheeks as she let out her fear. Skipper nuzzled the girl lovingly. Sparky patted her on the back and gave the girl a hug. Then he gently lifted her up to Skipper's wing, and Sky hurried to Skipper's cockpit to give him a hug. Skipper shushed her gently, both he and Sparky speaking comforting words. It only took a few minutes of this before Sky found her tears stopped. Sparky helped her down and tucked her into bed once more.

"Goodnight, Skylar Amelia." Skipper said.

"Goodnight, Soarin' Sky." Sparky said, parked back at the curtain and preparing to pulled it back into place. "We love you."

Sky smiled warmly, nestled back into the warmth of her bed. "Goodnight Sparky. Goodnight Dad. I love you too."