• I woke with a sudden jolt, but no movement. A buzzing sound rang through my ears. I can’t open my eyes, I realized. I tried to get my body off this cold, hard, surface but it was no use. I feel like a steamed noodle, I thought bitterly. What got me here? I dimly remember a bright flashing light, and some words. I remember touching the light, and accepting whatever it had to offer. Then it was blank. Nothing. Only darkness. Maybe I’m dead, I mused. I tried to move something. I heard when you die it’s only your soul in heaven and you feel light as air. I tried to move my finger . . . Something easy. But it felt heavy, to heavy to lift. So much pain. This can’t be heaven. You can’t suffer in heaven . . . Can you?
    “Are you awake, dear?” came a familiar calm voice.
    It shook me inside out. The pain! It felt like bullets were shot into my ears. I screamed a long bloody murder scream. When it came to a stop I breathed in deeply trying to make my breath even. I heard small gasps, but no one spoke. A few minutes passed and I heard the sound again.
    “Doctor! What is wrong with her?” a different voice cried.
    Bullets buzzed by my ears again. When will it end? I screamed again, but this time it sounded more like a plea. Please get me out of here I wanted to shout. But I couldn’t, wouldn’t. I didn’t want the pain to come back to me.
    “Now, now, don’t get panicked,” another voice came. A male, I recognized.
    My shriek interrupted his sentence.
    “Stop it! Stop talking! Stop shooting me!” I managed to shout.
    Everyone fell silent. I did too. My voice didn’t feel like gunshots in my ears. More like frozen ice with no moist. I like that better, I decided. Ah, pure, golden silence. I relaxed my tense muscles and sighed with relief. I heard another voice. It sounded troubled. Well, if it’s not troubled now it will be soon if it doesn’t shut up, I threatened in my mind. No. It was softer. As soft as a feather, and as smooth as silk.
    Shooting? I’m not shooting, nor is anyone else. What is wrong with my poor daughter? A small, worried voice questioned.
    What the heck is going on? A more gruff voice asked.
    Should we be worried? Another small, delicate voice echoed in my head.
    Feathers and silk, feathers and silk. These are not my thoughts. Then why am I hearing them? Am I hearing their minds? No. Impossible. Not real. This isn’t real. I felt the crease in my forehead grow deeper, as I was trying to figure out what was real, and what wasn’t. I suddenly feel a light touch on my hand. It was like fire. But not a bad fire, no burning. More of a fire you couldn’t live without. The fire that you depended on to keep your body warm. I couldn’t breath for a few seconds. I let out a gush of wind, and started to gasp for air. The touch patted my hand in approval. Whatever I did seemed to make this person pleased.
    So you can read minds? I thought of this man smirking as he said this. My eyes fluttered open, and I kept them down until I was used to the light. The room was familiar. It was painted baby blue all over, even the ceiling, with large, lime green dots everywhere on top of the blue. Light yellow curtains that hung to the window sill, sat quietly and soundlessly. The light was a bit too bright, but my eyes adjusted. I was laying flat on my back on an old, lumpy mattress that was placed in the middle of the room. I looked towards my left and found my closet, filled with clothes, shoes and books. I smirked as I remembered I was not done with a series yet. I look over to my right, and found my desk, hundreds of paper piled on one another. Then I saw an art set. Hard, flat, white paper with paint brushes, pencils and charcoal laying next to the paper. My hand flinched. I can move! I thought with gratitude. I moved my fingers and circled a purple dot on my carpet, which besides that stain was other wise clean, and remembered how my friends and I dropped a bit of our grape juice. And how my mom was so mad, that one of my more laid back friends actually told her to ‘chill out.’ I smirked at the memory, but my smile instantly faded. No matter how happy I was then, I’m in immense pain now. I sigh. It’s time to look at everyone hovering me. I look up wearily, my eyes boring into another familiar blue eyes. At first I see nothing but blue, but then the shapes start to form. Cream skin, high cheek bones, a warm smile on his face, beautiful eyes with dramatic eyelashes. His straight, auburn hair, laid flat on his face, obviously from sweat. Why was he sweating? What had happened to me after I touched the sacred light? I blinked a few more times. He was so beautiful, it was a wonder he chose me to love.
    “Daniel . . .” I said faintly, trying to ignore the ice that had formed in my ears.
    Yes? He spoke in his mind. I gasped. Daniel smiled at me, as if to say: I know, and I don’t care. I smiled back. I’m glad he knows not to talk. So you can read minds? That’s cool.
    “How’d you know?” I asked blankly.
    It doesn’t seem possible for him to register it faster than I can. But, maybe it’s because he’s more rational than I am. Daniel shrugs. Grandfather was telling me ‘bout it a while ago. Must’ve remembered some stuff he had mentioned. He took a long pause, and looked fiercely into my eyes. It gave me huge discomfort, but I didn’t look away, Are you okay? He asked in a strained tone. I nodded again. His eyes softened and I smiled. I looked up at the ceiling this time, avoiding the other eyes.
    What’s with them? Weirdo’s.
    Teenagers, always in love.
    There better be nothing serious going on here . . .
    Voices chanted in my head. Now that my mind was clear I could point each person out by their tone. The first voice was Stephenie, my sister. The second one was Thomas, my dad. And the third sound was Delilah, my step-mother. I rolled my eyes. Of course, she was the one complaining if her ‘daughter’ was alright or not. I kept staring at the ceiling, at first I saw nothing, and I was beginning to be bored. I started to turn my head away when something caught my eye. It was a large, black, blob. With some red and blue mixed in with it. Next to the dark, mysterious blob, was another spot. It was white, with a bright yellow mixed with it. Unlike the black spot the white one was all neat and flawless, in the shape of a halo. It was glowing. The black one started to murmur something to me, but the white one hushed him. I blinked a few times. Blobs can’t talk . . . Can they? No. I’m questioning to much.
    “Remember. Remember. Remember.” The black one started chanting at me, each time getting louder.
    “Don’t do that! You’ll frighten her!” The white one scolded.
    The black blob kept chanting as if the white one didn’t say anything.
    “Remember. Remember the day you grabbed the glowing light! Remember. Remember.” The black one, other than that small sentence, kept his rhythm. My eyes widened in alarm. I hadn’t even thought about remembering what had happened. All I knew was there was pain, and right now wasn’t the time for more pain.
    “No.” I said.
    “You’ll remember, even if I have to tell you myself, you’ll remember.” The dark one threatened. I heard the lighter object sigh, but I paid no mind to that. My head was swirling like massive clouds before a hurricane.
    “And I had always thought you were going to be good,” I heard the lighter voice say with sorrow. It was faint, though. The voice were farther away I kept hearing them bicker, but I paid no mind to that. I only watched as my memory came back to me.

    I was in my room with Daniel. His eyes shining as he kept winning the game Tic-tac-toe. He was teasing me, saying I was slow about my actions, I just stuck my tongue out, and he laughed. Then something caught my eye near the window, it was too bright for this day, because it was pouring rain, I stared at it. Daniel noticed my gaze. He looked over too. Once he looked back and I caught his gaze he said:
    “What ya starin’ at? Rain? Haven’t ya already seen it before?” He teased, and smiled his laid-back smile. I smiled back.
    “Whatever. Not like you can’t see the freaky glowing light.”
    Daniel gave the confused look. I mirrored his expression.
    “What light?” he asked.
    I was shocked. He’d have to be blind if he couldn’t see that light. My eyebrows formed a line. He shook his head.
    “Don’t see it,” he said sounding disappointed.
    The light went through my window. I was in a daze. I mouthed the words: “whoa.” It came towards me, going through Daniel as if he wasn’t there. I reached for it, to confused to think my actions through, on what it might bring. The light was blinding, but I stared intently at it.
    “W-what’s goin’ on?” Daniel asked, uneasily.
    “I don’t know,” I answered.
    I reached forward without hesitation and grabbed the light. It made a fit in my hand. Kept moving and squabbling.
    “Hmm?” I shook the light.
    It started to burn in my hand. It was on fire. My eyes popped wide open, and my breath was caught in my throat. I couldn’t retreat my hand, so I stood there waiting for it to stop. It didn’t. The light kept getting hotter and hotter. I screamed. Daniel made a quick movement and was instantly at my side, putting his hand on my waist and pulling me towards him. I put most of my weight on him, hoping I wasn’t too heavy. Then, nothing. Blank. A voice came at me, suddenly.
    “Sometimes you shouldn’t mess with things,” it said. Someone must've brought this gift upon me. I narrowed it down to two suspects: The white blob or the black one. But, which one was it? I wanted to believe it was the black one. He was the more evil one, I decided. No matter what happened, though, I couldn’t not suspect the bright halo.