Hanna woke up, tears streaming down her face in uneven patterns. She hugged her burning sides and whimpered, fully awake. It felt as though knives were slowly stabbing every inch of her skin, not only that, but it also felt like her skin was on fire while being stabbed.
She should've known that this was going to happen, it did every time she was active: hours later, her skin would light up in invisible flame while being stabbed. There was no way to stop it. There was no way to cure it.
The only thing Hanna had found that ever eased the pain to bearable measures was either freezing things or almost-boiling hot things. Such as a hot or cold shower.
She somehow managed to crawl to the bathroom and turn on the shower so it was steaming hot. She looked towards her parent's room and knew they were home. They knew of her...condition, if you'd call it that.
Hanna stripped down and stepped into the shower, the water running down her body and easing some of the pain, but it wouldn't go fully away. Hanna got out after an hour or so, after the water began running cold. She wrapped herself in a towel and went back to bed, managing to go back to sleep.
When she woke up, she was stiff and moved like a robot while getting ready.
When she got to school she was stiff and didn't want to be there. She clasped her hands shut and then her heart began racing as she looked down at her bare hands. How had she forgotten her gloves? She looked around in her car for a spare pair. Find none, Hanna sighed.
She just had to be extra careful not to touch anyone with her hands. Hanna grabbed her bag and went inside, scuttling through the cold, moist air and went to her locker, keeping her hands within the folds of her pockets for protection.
It went on like this all day and up until lunch she was fine. On the only day she decided to get lunch, she messes up.
Going through the lunch line was easy. Getting to her table, also easy. What happens after she's done her lunch though, doesn't go according to her plans of not touching anyone.
Hanna got to her feet, tray in hand. She dumped her tray and turned, nearly bumping into someone. She laid her hand on their chest for support. Suddenly, the air was knocked out of her, and she was looking back at herself, her own eyes dead. Everything in these eyes looked clear though, as though Hanna's eyes were looking through clouded water. In another woosh of air, Hanna was back to herself. She blinked rapidly, looking up at Edward, who had the same expression on as Hanna. Hanna took a step back from Edward. She clenched her hand into a fist and hid it behind her back to follow the suit of the other hand.
"What do you want Edward?" Hanna's voice quivered in what sounded like fear.
"What happened yesterday, Hanna?" Him saying her name sent little shivers down her spine.
"Whatever do you mean Edward?" Hanna's voice became mocking and cold.
"I mean you hitting my car," his voice became hostile. A flash of movement behind him caught her attention. Alice, Edward's sister was looking at them, her facial expression neutral.
"Well, you shouldn't have cut me off Edward, dear." She walked past Edward, carefully avoiding any contact with him.
Usually, Hanna would have to touch skin to switch bodies with someone, touching them through fabric was always fine. Until now, that is.
Hanna shuddered from the feeling of being Edward. It felt torturing, yet powerful. She rubbed her arms and went back to her table, gathering her stuff even though it was only half way through lunch. Hanna hurried to her locker and once there, threw everything into her bag. Only then did she notice that she had big, blotching tears running down her face. She chuckled to herself and wiped them away. She shouldered her bag and went to the office.
"I'm leaving," I muttered to the lady at the desk.
She nodded. Hanna's parents were well known, and they had told the school that she was allowed to come and go as she wished. No one questioned Hanna as she wove through the remaining people in the hallway. A hand grabbed Hanna's arm, spinning her around. Hanna fell against the wall, staring, bewildered, up at Edward.
"What happened in the cafeteria?" He hissed, resting his hands on the wall on each side of her head.
"We talked, or do you not remember?"
"I remember clearly Hanna."
"Can I go now Edward?" Hanna ducked under his arm and took off down the hallway. Edward followed her, but it was too late, she had already disappeared.