Standing outside in the middle of the school piazza, I stood, musing over the events of the day. What a way to start the first day of school- with a serious injury from an animal very uncommon in the state of Maine. After that incident, I felt unsafe everywhere. The Pest Control had arrived at the school minutes after the boy was injured, and he was sent to the ER. But, the teachers didn't even think about the school being under serious danger, and the school day resumed as normal an hour after the entire event. All the students were irritated. 

I gazed around the area. The day was cloudy and gloomy. Only me and a couple of other students were left waiting for their rides. A few minutes later Henry Glade's car pulled up in front of me, and I climbed into the filthy backseat. 

Henry looked over at me, smiling. "How was your first day?" 

I hesitated a long time before answering. "Is everything alright?" Henry asked. 

"A freshman boy was injured today. We are able to sit outside in this little gated area if the weather is fine, and this one guy started screaming and he next thing I know there's a guy bleeding to death on the ground and ambulances roll up to school. But after that school resumed as normal." 

Henry glade sat in shock for a moment. "Do you know what injured him?" He asked. \

"I think it was a snake." I replied. "I saw one slither away under the gate after the guy was bit. The boy was rushed to the ER." 

"And the school didn't send everybody else home early?! I don't think that's right," Henry Glade grumbled. "More people could've gotten hurt. I might contact the principal about this." 

"No, Henry, it's OK," I said. "The boy is fine now I think." 

An awkward pause followed after my statement. Henry Glade pulled out of the school driveway and began to drive home. 

"I did meet some new friends though," I said. 

"Oh, wonderful!" Henry Glade replied. "Are they nice?" 

"I thought they were a little creepy and shady at first, but turns out they are going through some grief right now and they need friends. So, they seem pretty nice to me. I hope my friendship will help them through their tough time." I felt a twinge of guilt in my soul saying all that. I felt so proud and noble of myself, trying to help people and make their lives better. What place do I have to feel high and mighty about myself when I can't even obey my own Master? I felt like shooting myself in the face at the moment. Guilt is a very powerful enemy, and you can either choose to stomp it out and fix up your life, or let it eat away at you. Right now, I was choosing the latter. 

Henry Glade spoke again. "Did anybody... See anything on you? Does anybody know about your... Wings?"

I chuckled slightly. "No. Just our secret still." Henry Glade sighed in relief. 

When we got home, I spilled the news about the injured boy once again to Henrietta Glade, Mr. Glade's wife, and then went straight to my room to study.As I sat on my bed, I felt a painful cramp in my back. I noticed I hadn't taken my jacket off. I took it off and spread my aching wings out as far as possible. It felt absolutely refreshing. I breathed deeply and stretched every part of my body that could be stretched. For a brief moment, I felt magnificent again, like I was back with my Master and all the others. 

I felt- supernatural again. 

I exhaled loudly. I finished my "homework" for school and headed into the kitchen. I was hungry again. As I stepped into the kitchen, I heard gasps. I froze and ducked into the hallway like a frightened rabbit. I peeked around the corner of the wall, and saw Henry and Henrietta Glade standing in the kitchen, anxious expressions plastered across their faces. Then their faces softened. "It's alright Evelina. We're just still not used to seeing a normal person with such.. extraordinary features. Give us some time." 

I slowly crept out from the dark hallway, like a stalking fox, and into the bright kitchen. I closed my wings -which were quite huge actually- so as not to frighten the Glades anymore. As a strode to the refrigerator, I could see out of the corner of my eye the Glades just staring at me like somebody would stare at an alien. I heard them whisper very quietly behind my back, then they retreated to their bedrooms, afraid. Afraid of me. Afraid that taking me in was a decision that could end with their lives. I lowered my head, grief and guilt swelling up in me until I thought I was going to burst into a mushy mess of tears and anger. If only I hadn't screwed everything up There, I wouldn't be down here facing a life like this! I thought as tears blurred my fatigued vision. I sulked into the living room and crashed onto the couch and sobbed- something I had never experienced before. Not over something like this at least. 

When I was done with my pity party, I rolled over on the couch to stare at the ever-changing events on television. The news came on, displaying boring news like stock reports and whatever. But then one report caught my eye. I lifted my head up to see better. On the screen there was a news reporter guy speaking, and a picture in the corner. My entire body was overcome with fear when I saw it. The picture on the news report was of a big, black, snake. 

I sprang up on the couch and reached for the remote to turn the volume up. The news reporter was talking about how three different schools had discovered big, venomous snakes lurking around, inside and outside the premises of the schools. Today. 

Apparently, one kid from every one of those schools was also hurt and rushed to the hospital.Around the same time the boy at my school was hurt. This was getting really weird. The news reporter also said these snakes were not native to the state, and some were even foreign species- very dangerous foreign species. The local authorities were investigating on the subject to see if maybe a person had let these snakes loose, on purpose or accident. 

And little did I know, that this was just the small beginning of a series of paranormal events that were to follow.