Chapter 1: Back to the Start

Avari

Hi, there. Me again.

You have a lot of questions, like what's the deal with my powers, how old I am, and how I got into this crazy situation in the first place.

So let me tell you more about myself.

Wait. That is why you're here…isn't it?

Anyway, I'd better start, 'cause it's a long story. A very long story.

As you know, my name is Avari.

I'm 13 years old. Surprised? Yeah, most people are. I look young for my age. And act like it, too.

I haven't had my powers for 13 years. I wasn't born with them. I was born an ordinary baby girl.

I grew up in what I guess you could call a low-income family. I loved, and was loved, by both my parents, but I was a lot closer to my mom. My dad was absent a lot, so it was really my mom who did most of the raising.

But let's go back.

I'll start from my first memories….

"Avaaaaaari!" A woman sing-songed playfully. A shuffle could be heard, followed by a high-pitched giggle. The woman clucked her tongue and put her hands on her hips.

"Now, where could she be?" The woman said loudly "to herself", turning her head from side to side. "She isn't in the bathtub, or in the chimney…. Maybe she's in…the cabinet!" The woman marched over to one of the cabinets under the kitchen counter and opened it with a triumphant "Ah-ha!"

"Aww…"She pouted dramatically, earning another round of giggles from empty space. "I guess she's not in there either…." She drew herself back up and paced around the kitchen, opening random cabinets and saying "Nope!", or some form of the statement, whenever the elusive girl was not there. All the while, a fit of giggling filled the background.

"Hmm…let's see…. Maybe she's…." The woman came over to the kitchen table, her view obstructed by the chairs set around it. "…here!" The woman pulled back the kitchen chair, revealing a little girl about 3 years old. The woman gasped in mock surprise. "Ah! There she is!"

I squealed as my mommy lifted me out from under the table and up into the air, and blew raspberries on my stomach. She settled me on her hip, her arms wrapped around me, and placed a kiss on my forehead. The next few minutes were immersed in giggles.

I liked to play in here. It was small and secluded, away from the rest of the house. Well, as away from the rest of the house as a kitchen cabinet could get, anyway.

I had pulled out all those pesky pots and pans that called this place home, leaving a clear place, like a little hidey-hole. I'd crawled in the now empty kitchen cabinet, big enough for me to sit in with plenty of head and leg room.

Now I sat in my little square-shaped house, my legs spread out in front of me. The light of the kitchen outside comes in through the open door, making one part of the cabinet really light, and the rest of it dark. Though I didn't have the words for it, I liked the effect.

I bounced up and down slightly, then wiggled my feet.

I need something to play with.

I crawled halfway out of the cabinet and reached for one of the pans that were scattered on the floor in front of it. Grabbing the handle with one hand didn't work – my hand was too small and my fingers couldn't wrap around the handle – plus this thing was heavy – so I stretched out both hands for it, balancing on my knees. My fingers wrapped around the silver, metal handle, and once I have a sort-of good grip on it, I make to drag it back into the cabinet.

My balancing had been good so far, but it gave out as I pulled on the pan, sending me pitching backwards off my knees. "Ah-oof!" I landed back on my rear on the wooden floor of the cabinet, then let out a triumphant laugh, as the pan was still firmly – kind of – in my grip, and now successfully in my playhouse.

I slide it along the wood, making a rough sound. Light from outside shined in the bowl-shaped pan, making funny-shaped reflections all around its insides. I wiggled my fingers over it, then leaned my face over it, watching the funny shapes as the bowl made me look like a goofy, misshapen blob.

I did this for several long minutes, before sitting back on my rear, crisscross-applesauce. I set my elbows on my legs and rested my head in my hands.

There was something missing.

I slid out of the kitchen cabinet, past the other pans strewn across the tile floor, and dashed down the hall to my room. Finding what I was looking for, I ran back to the kitchen cabinet. When I went back in, I plopped my teddy bear into the bowl shaped, silver frying pan, the reflection of his fur changing the color of parts of the inside of the pan.

There was no water, but who cared? I certainly didn't. Now my teddy bear was taking a bath in his personal tub. I take him in both hands and dance him around in the "tub."

Perfect.

"Father Abraham had many sons! And many sons had Father Abraham! I am one of them, and so are you! So let's just praise the Lord! Right arm…"

I sang and danced around with all the other kids, loving every second of it. Sure, I had clung to my mommy when she dropped me off, but after a while, I forgot about her and started having fun, and learning about how much Jesus loved me. Then when she came back to pick me up, I didn't want to leave.

But my best friend came over after church, so it was okay. After lunch, Mommy made playdough – I wasn't sure how, but I know it involved food coloring, even though it was bad for some reason. My friend and I played with the playdough, rolling it around on the floor and making shapes until her mommy came, and she had to leave.

I cried when she was gone. I was sad to see her go; I wanted her to stay with me forever. Mommy picked me up and held me as I sniffled, saying that she would come back and we would play again another time.

Yeah, but still.

"What are you doing under there?" There was laughter in her voice as Mommy up righted the dishwasher door. I giggled and looked up at her. I was lying on my back on the tile floor, brown curls splayed out, playing under the dishwasher door (it was fun to stare at my reflection and make it move around) ;well, had been, until Mommy messed it up.

"Playing," I told her.

Mommy chuckled. I pouted. "You're laughing at me!"

"I'm not laughing at you, sweetheart." Mommy said consolingly. "You're just cute."

That didn't make any sense at all.

Next time, I would just play in the cabinets.

And so I did.

I sat in the hallway, pouting. Mommy had said "No," and I didn't like that one bit.

"Come on, Avari. You can't pout all day." Mommy said, walking past me down the hall.

Yes, I could. I stayed put. I was still angry, and the world was going to know it.

Another few minutes past before Mommy came over again. "Come on, Avari. If you get up, we can go do something else."

True, after a while, this pouting business was getting kind of boring. But she had walked away again, and I wasn't about to stop by myself. So I sat there and waited for her to come ask again.

A few minutes later Mommy came back. "You'll have no fun pouting staying there pouting all day, sweetheart." She insisted. "Come on, let's go do something else."

This time I got up and took her hand.

"Happy Birthday, Avari!" My mommy said. I was snuggled in her arms, letting out a few left over yawns. The bright morning sun shone through the living room windows, some rays landing in my face, which caused me to bury it in my mommy's shoulder.

We went to the kitchen, and she sat me down in my chair at the table. "You're four today."

"Four." I repeated. I swung my legs, feeling giddy and energetic. There's something on the table, and I lean closer to see. In the middle is a cake, a really big one, with pretty wrapped boxes next to it.

These spark my curiosity, but there's something else I want first. I'm a big girl now, so I know what "birthday" means.

"Mommy," I ask, "tell me about when I was born?"

She smiled. She must have known I would ask that, because when went go to sit on the couch in the living room, there was a big photo-book on the table next to it.

She settled me on her lap, then took the photo-book off the table. She opened it to a picture of a small, newborn baby.

"That's me!" I announced happily, pointing at the picture with my index finger.

She chuckled. "Yes, it is." We snuggled closer. "I woke up very early in the morning, October 27th, and found out you were coming. The doctors said that you weren't supposed to come until a month later, and that your lungs wouldn't be developed.

"I was so afraid I would lose you, but when you were born, you were just fine. You cried so loud, it surprised all of us. And your mommy and daddy were so happy to have such a wonderful, beautiful baby girl."

"And then you named me!" I said excitedly.

"Uh-huh. I had so many names for you, I couldn't decide on just one or two. So I gave you them all!" She tickled me, causing me to laugh and squeal. "Eight beautiful names for a beautiful little princess!"

"I'm a princess?" I chirped, half in question and half in giddiness.

"Avari Eliora Neris Sky Anella Miranda Jadina Aurora Willoné. Your last name comes from royalty, so you're a princess!"

"Yay!" I laughed in joy. Then I paused. "Where's Daddy?" I asked, a little concerned. "Is Daddy coming?"

Mommy bounced me a little on her knee. "Yes, sweetheart, he's coming. He'll be here any minute, and then you can have your cake and open your presents." She gestured to the colorful packages on the table in front of us.

"Presents!" I cheered and clapped my hands. A couple seconds later, the doorbell rang. Mommy got up with me on her hip, and opened the door. My daddy was on the other side.

"Daddy!"

"There's my birthday girl!" He took me into his arms and gave me a kiss on the forehead. "My, your four years old today, aren't you?" I nodded my head, smiling. "Wow, aren't you growing up?" I giggled, and nodded again.

I pointed at the kitchen table. "Cake!"

Daddy gasped. "There is cake! And look what I got…." Holding onto me with one hand, he put his free hand into his pocket and brought out a transparent plastic box. In the box was a colorful wax number four.

"Candle!" I said. Mommy took the candle and smiled at Daddy.

"Yep!" He answered. Mommy went into the kitchen, and we followed. I watched as she opened the package and put the candle in the middle of the cake. "When you blow it out, you can make a wish."

"Wish!" I repeated excitedly. I liked wishes. Wishes were good. That meant you could ask for anything, it might happen.

He sat me down in my seat, and Mommy and Daddy sit down, too. Mommy lit the candle. "Happy Birthday to you," they sang, "Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, dear Avari! Happy Birthday to you!"

"Now blow out the candle, and make a wish." My mommy told me. I took a huge breath and blew at the candle. It flickered, but otherwise stayed put. I blew again, and this time it went out.

Mommy and Daddy clapped and cheered, and I smiled and bounced up and down in my seat. Then Mommy and Daddy cut and served the cake, and we each got a piece. But I got the piece with the most pink icing. Mommy told me that the pink swirly line in the middle was my name. I had to take her word for it, because I couldn't really read yet.

But even though I couldn't read it, it was still really cool. A cake had my name on it!

Then we opened presents. My eyes and smile got wider with each stuffed animal and doll. I hugged each one tight, and told them their name.

We would be best friends.

I woke up to the sound of arguing. Heidi, my gray stuffed bunny rabbit, lay squished underneath me. I wrapped my arms tighter around her and curled up more underneath my blanket.

Mommy shouted at Daddy, and then Daddy shouted back. Though they were being loud, the door to our room was shut and muffled the sound, so I couldn't tell what they were saying.

I hated it when Mommy and Daddy yelled. Especially Daddy; he was always the loudest. It scared me. It always scared me. And the fact that they were fighting scared me more.

I buried my face in Heidi's fur as I started to tremble. I hugged her and tight as I could in my arms, even bringing up my legs to hold her bottom half with my knees. Being covered and rolled up in my blankets – a reassuring weight over me – and holding tight to something soft in my arms helped me feel safe, protected. But no amount of warmth and cuddling and protection could stop the yelling, nor my tears.

I cried myself to back to sleep.

I woke up to find that I was crying.

The afternoon sun spilled through the window into the room I shared with Mommy – and sometimes Daddy, too, whenever he was home. Mommy had put me in bed for a nap a little while earlier. I guess that nap was over now.

I didn't know why I was crying, exactly. I just knew that I was, and Mommy was holding me in her arms, rocking me back and forth, shushing me and speaking softly in my ear. I wanted this to last as long as it could, so I kept crying – kept sobbing and whimpering, allowing the tears to flow.

I eventually stopped.

"What's the matter, sweetie? Why were you crying?" Mommy asked me.

"I don't know." I answered.

I did know one thing, though. Whenever I cried, or was scared, or something bad happened, I could count on Mommy to be there and fix it.

That's was Mommies were for, after all.

I snuggled a little closer to her, and whispered, "I love you, Mommy."

"I love you, too, baby."

Avari: Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start…

Sky: Aaaand that song's in my head now.

Avari: Father Abraham had many sons…

Sky: Now that song's stuck in my head…

Avari: Tell me about it…. Hopefully the readers won't think this chapter's irrevelant –

Sky: You mean irrelevant.

Avari: Yeah, that. Because it isn't. Trust me. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to those who have reviewed/favorited/followed. More to come soon!

Sky: Please review!