„People always said that I am weird. That I must have been casted out of hell on Earth. You bring only pain, troubles and problems. Even your mother left you to die in the snow, so why didn't you. It's not like I wanted to be like this. Even I don't understand what's going on so why will no one help me, why no one understands me?"

It was December 24th. A heavy snowstorm hit the streets of New York. During this busy night, when everyone was singing Christmas carols, wishing everyone a beautiful Christmas Eve spent with family and friends, stuffing their stomachs with baked turkey and salad, or kids munching on cookies, leaving some of them on the table with milk for Santa to also have a snack. There was one person no one saw, no one heard. Her little body covered only in a thin blanket slowly freezing to her end, crying so softly, no one stops themselves to help her. Her voice is starting to get weak, her eyes slowly closing and the life gradually leaving from he small body. The little girl was taking its last breaths when a bright blue light illuminated a dark corner of this alley. From the light comes out a shadow of a person, slowly walking towards her.

And that is the last thing I remember from that night. That is the dream I haven't had in a while but it started to haunt me more and more frequently in the past days. I closed my eyes back then and when I opened them again, I woke up in a warm bed, in a strange room I have no memories of. People were frantically running around the big room. It was full of more children than adults. They were all of different ages and races. Two of the adults hovered around me, patting my shoulders covered in a thick blanket and the other one handing me a cup of some warm liquid that smelled really nice. She asked me multiple questions but I was tired and scared. And since then that is how this terrible life of mine continued. The place I found myself in was an orphanage as a found out later on. Years went on and I kept going from one family to another. I was still young so it was easy for me to get adopted fast. But people are so fake. At first, they welcome you to their house with open arms, a smile on their faces. The promises to become your new family. But after one small incident, they send you back. I stopped counting how many strange things have happened. And I tried to explain myself as much as I could but even I didn't understand what happened. Then at the end, no one believes me anyway. Spontaneous fire, walls shaking, things moving around and appearing in strange places. They started to call me a demon child, a spawn of Satan itself. Some of the families even dragged me to local churches and begged the priest to do something. To help them. I was dunked in water or beaten sometimes and they called it exorcism. And some of those people didn't even bother to hide their disgust. They brought me to the church but not for some non-existent religious mumbo jumbo to expel the thing from inside me. No. They did it to just dump me to the nuns, to get rid of me and return me to the orphanage. But they chose the church to do so because they used the exorcism thing on themselves, to "cleanse" them from my influence and save their family line or whatever. And then didn't even bother to return me through proper lines back to the orphanage.

I grew up most of the time in the orphanage. Didn't last even a few months in the new family that tried to foster me or to adopt me and I was back there, in my little bed, in my little corner of that huge room full of kids. I became a regular at this place. Not that it gave me anything. The only upper hand I had was that I was the OG kid and I knew my way around. After years, I became somewhat friends with the older kids that remained in the orphanage because they were too old to adopt already and they were also "problematic" in their own ways, different from mine, but still they were rejects, same as me. At this point we were the ones running the orphanage behind the scenes of the adults, nuns or volunteers. I wasn't interested in being "the boss" but the kids heard some rumors and let me mind my own business.

I still had to go to school. I attended public schools that took orphans under some local project to help the kids but I think it did us more damage than good since everyone knew we were from the orphanage. Nice label they unintentionally put on us. It was a big complex of buildings for all levels of education. From elementary school to highschool or college. So basically it was like my second orphanage since I been here since I was a kid and continued to study until college. Didn't make it easier though. People were giving me strange looks, talking about me behind my back. Some of them even started to talk about me right in front of me. Like I wasn't even there. I was invisible but I wasn't at the same time. The famous pariah of the Hatherwood High. Kaitlin Holland. I somehow managed to get to the senior year. Last year in this hell hole and I will be free. From everything and everyone. And I can finally leave this small neighborhood at the outskirts of the York City.

It's time right before the last class. I see Reilly waving at me from the other end of the corridor. My one and only friend. I start to walk to get to her but then my legs hit something hard and I fell on the ground. I push myself from the ground on my knees and start to pick up my books. Everyone starts laughing at me, calling me by many stupid nicknames. One of their stupid jokes they do to keep them entertained from time to time. I stopped giving them any attention long time ago. I pick my books and stand up. Then I look back to see Jason, one of my "amazing" classmates, standing behind me in his brand clothes. Just your basic Nike t-shirt, basketball shorts and some sneakers. His leg was still stretched into the corridor, the direction I walked through and he was pointing at me.

Jason: Ohohoho...did you see that fall? Damn, she hit the ground so hard.

Jason. That stupid mongrel Jason. He bullied me since the beginning of the freshman year for no reason and he still doesn't have enough. I never understood why he had the need when we've never really crossed paths. He was from a well-off family in the neighborhood, a little bit handsome if you were into that and besides sharing a few classes, we didn't talk once. I feel my blood starting to boil. I was so fed up of his dumb idea of fun during breaks. I tried to ask what his problem was, I did yell out the question but he always brushed it off, scoffed and went his own way. It was the last weeks of school, I am almost free from them but enough is enough. Can't they just let it go? I look at him with so much anger.

Jason: Aww how cute. She looks like she might bark. What are you going to do, freak?

My breaths got heavier and quicker. Lamps at the ceiling started to flicker and the yellow and orange doors of the metal lockers started to shake. The half wooden half glass window door in the main school entrance swung open and hit the walls with an impact, almost shattering the glass in the process, making everyone turn around and then back. Then strong wind starts to blow and everything turns darker. Electricity in the building turns off and the lights black out. Everyone is panicking and screaming, trying to find the way out of here to the shelter, thinking it's a tornado or something. People start running away, including Jason. But he couldn't get far. No matter how much he wanted to run, he was stuck in place. Jason turns around to look at me with such fear in his face. I almost felt sorry for him. Lockers swung open, everything flying out of them. Papers, books, clothes flying around. Wait? What is going on? What is this? I finally stop thinking about the bullying and my mind is back to present. I try to find a reason behind what's going on but my mind seems to be uneasy. Then I feel someone's hand on my shoulder. I look back to face the person who grabbed me and I see Reilly smiling at me. She then takes my hand and drags me away to the empty biology classroom. I try to catch my breath in the dark room decorated with dead stuffed animals and microscopes while everything outside gets back to normal. The lights turn on, illuminating the hallways but leaving the classroom we were in slightly dimmed. The wind stops blowing and all the belongings, papers, books, stuff from the lockers that were casually flying around the hallway just drop on the floor and stop moving. There are only a few scared people in the corridor with a mess made from all that scene.

Reilly: Are you okay?

Me: I am... I don't...what happened? I don't understand. There was no warning of a hurricane on the school announcing system or any messages. Was that me, again?

Reilly: It's okay. Everything will be okay.

I thought it stopped. Months went by without any weird accident that happened around me since I was a kid. Accidents that made every family return me to the orphanage. Why is this happening again? And why is it happening at school? It never happened at school. Was it me doing it? No way.

Reilly: Don't worry. You will learn how to control it.

Wait, what? What did she say? Control it? Does she know something more about this? I asked her how can she still be my friend even with the freaks happening around me but she never said anything, or tried to push a conversation about it. She seemed okay with it like it's just a casual thing to her.

Me: What do you mean? How come you are not afraid? How is it that you are my friend even though you know that weird things happen around me?

Reilly: Hmmm? Good question. Maybe it's because I am weird too? Ahahaha.

Reilly starts to laugh. It somehow made me happy. To see that one friend being always on your side despite the weird things happening around me. I was sitting on the ground, my back pressed to the door from the classroom while Reilly was crouching in front of me. She lifted herself up a little bit to take a peek through the glass embedded with a grid and check the situation. Most of the chatter from the hallways subdued by what I could hear and then Reilly informed me too about the hallway being clear. The bell rang and the remaining students ran to their classes while we were still hiding. After the outside of the biology room was completely empty, Reilly extended her hand and helped be to stand up. I adjusted the backpack I had and hardened the grip on textbooks in me right arm, ready to go to our next class.

We got to the last class barely before teacher who was now walking from behind the corner. Reilly quickly opens the door and we slide in. Everyone looks at us. It wasn't something new to me, but this time they looked more terrified than usual. Well, I don't blame them. I was scared too. I still didn't know if it was my doing or some random hurricane forming around our school suddenly. But judging what Reilly said about me learning how to control it, whatever that it is, it must have been me. The teacher was grabbing the door knob to open the door so as fast as we could, we ran up to empty desks in the classroom and sat down. After the teacher, male in his late 40s maybe, walked in and saw everyone staring at him, he adjusted his glasses and walked to his desk in front of the chalk board while holding a textbook of his own under his armpit. He cleared his throat and explained to us that some weird air currents merged in the school creating a small hurricane but it seemed to have been under control after closing certain doorways and windows. And like nothing happened he stood up, adjusting his brown tweed suit jacket he takes a chalk from the cup on his desk and starts his lesson, writing down some Spanish words on the board and explaining the grammar. I groaned and laid down on my desk, not bothered to take any notes because I hate studying languages and I would never master Spanish to speak even at a toddler level so I didn't bother.

There was no other incident after what happened with the small hurricane, as what the school ended up covering it, and I just went through all the remaining classes normally. I studied for the finals and passed all of them, even Spanish somehow. Then it was all just free time, summer activities and end of the school parties at the houses of rich kids like Jason. I didn't bother to go to any of them, not that I was invited or anything, and instead just took a few extra hours at my part time job in this small coffee shop that was tucked inside a hidden alley almost hidden from the outside world. I always wondered how they managed to get money to stay open and pay even me as a part-time worker since it was mostly quiet besides an occasional customer or two. The money was good and I need some budget to start after graduating and leaving the orphanage since I was an adult now.

A week later of the students partying we had our official graduation ceremony. We walked one by one on the podium that they built in the school areal after they called our names. Dressed in the graduation robes, I got my diploma and returned to my seat next to Reilly and her mom. After everyone got their diplomas and the official speeches ended, the student stood up and threw their graduation caps into the air. I kept mine on even though Reilly nudged me to get up and throw it with her. Everyone had their parents there. Or even extended families like aunts and uncles, siblings. My classmates were hugging their families who were congratulating them on the graduation, saying goodbye to friends, making empty promises about meeting together even after school which I doubt anyone is going to keep after we leave this neighborhood for college or work. I got kicked out of my 23rd family so no one came for me. And the workers at the orphanage were "busy" as they were during every gradution one of the kids who remained in the orphanage had. So I knew they wouldn't come to mine, especially as the problematic demon child I was marked as. I sighed and started to walk away from the crowd. Suddenly someone jumps on my back.

Reilly: Where do you think you're going?

Me: I don't know.

Reilly: Mom. We should celebrate together with Kaitlin.

Reilly's mom: Yes. Definitely. Come with us, Kaitlin.

They both smile at me. Their warm smile always makes my heart beat again. Even though Reilly was raised only by her mother, she was always so happy and positive. And she always welcomed me anytime I got kicked out of my new foster home and didn't want to stay locked inside the orphanage room or the empty backyard they had for us to play after Reilly basically dragged me to their apartment without asking her mom. They let me even crash a few nights when we became older and the nuns didn't even bother to look for me. They were just glad that they could save a little bit more food and I would always come back since I didn't want to impose on Reilly's mom. I never asked the question, which is that if they could be my foster family. even though one time Reilly did and got angry since her mom said no and she stormed out the apartment saying she will live with me in the orphanage then. I talked to her and she was so stubborn about it but she went back anyway and after the two of them talked, she agreed with her mom and we never spoke about it again. I would love to live with Reilly. She is my best friend, already felt like a sister to me even but since they couldn't for some reason to take me in, I was just happy to remain her friend. She helped me through everything since the first day we met in middle school. She was also bullied for her luscious red curls like it's something bad but that ended soon enough as Reilly would punch every kid who wanted to make fun of her and then they never bothered her again. I envied her and wanted to be her friend but it was hard to start a conversation and I never really cared for having company that much so I only looked at her from the back of the class. One day, the kids try to bully me instead since they couldn't bully Reilly anymore, but she saw it and interrupted. We started to talk afterwards and became friends. Somehow she knew about weird things going around me and she was still okay with it.

We left the school premises and we walked to the parking lot where Reilly's mom had her car. She drove us to a small but fancy restaurant and treated us to anything we wanted to orderer to celebrate our graduation. We stuffed our stomachs with chicken soup, Caesar salad and potatoes, Reilly had her favourite steak dish and then we topped it with some ice cream and fruit desserts while Reilly's mom ate a normal portion of her salad and then just drank coffee and watched us as we were ordering yet another bowl of fruit. After the lunch with Reilly and her mom we were so tired and basically in a food coma but we somehow managed to walk to the car and get to Reilly's apartment. Her mom made them coffee and a tea for me since I couldn't drink that bitter bean water from hell and we sat down in the kitchen at the table talking about what are we going to do after high school. Reilly said she wanted to study more at some university but she didn't say a name and only looked at her mom, then cleared her throat and continued to explain her plan about working with her mom at their company. There was nothing much to talk about with me. I didn't plan anything. I just try to live from one day to another. I saved up some money to find a place to live in the meantime and I wanted to ask the coffee shop owner if I could work there as a full-time employee for the time being until I find something else in the city. I planned to just get a basic job and live my life ordinary as much as I could with the accidents around me. I could tell that the two of them were concerned about me but they didn't say anything. I finished my cup of tea and then decided to head home. If you can call that place a home. I say goodbye to my friend and her mother and leave their apartment. Walking through the streets of New York, I was thinking about not going back to the orphanage at all since it was my last days there and I was meant to pack up my things and leave. Lost in my thoughts I wander through the city. A few minutes ago, I could hear people talking, cars honking, but suddenly the busy streets of the outskirts neighborhood of New York became so quiet. I look up to see where I was but I couldn't tell. I didn't know such a place existed around here. Old buildings that were more of an abandoned ruins surrounded me, big trees standing tall making an alley of their own. A heavy fog started to build up. I walk in the dark, trying to find my way back, but with no luck. I was lost. I rummaged through my backpack to take out my phone and try to find a GPS coordinates to where I was but my phone was frozen. I could unlock it and it was on but I tried to click on any apps and nothing happened. I put the phone back into my backpack since I was wearing this stupid dress to look nice for the school ceremony. Wandering around in the fog I walk and walk, trying to find an exit or at least someone to help me to get out of here. I walk past the trees, looking around. This place gives me weird vibes. As I look down again to see what it's in front of me, the fog starts to fade away and I can see a clear path. There is no reason to turn back now since I might have found a way in that direction. Maybe someone will help me there. I stride alongside this path. The way seemed so long but also so short at the same time. At the end of the road, there is a big black metal gate with two strange-looking statues at its sides. Both statues and the gate were at least 10 feet tall. The weird thing about this all was that there was a gate but nothing else. It was just standing in the middle of the black nothing. I tried to go around the gate but I couldn't. Weird enough, even for me. Let's try the gate then. I stand in front of the gate and I put my hands on the handles that looked like flying dragons with red crystals as their eyes. I try to push it, then pull it but nothing happened. The gate didn't move at all. I sigh and then decided to give up and try to go back where I came from to go home. As I turn around and start to walk, I hear a loud screeching of metal and rattling of chains. I look back to see the same blue light I saw when I was little. I blink a few times and then I start to feel dizzy and I fall on the ground.

"The gate opened?"