The first time it happened was in science. I was working with David and Stephanie on a project. I was gluing things to the trifold, when suddenly, in the middle of cutting out a picture of a cell, I froze. As in, every molecule of my body was instantly petrified. For a moment, I sat there, confused and a little scared.

Then pain washed over me like a wave of acid.

I screamed, and fell face first on the trifold. My vision started flashing. I could faintly hear Stephanie cry, "Sierra? Sierra! Oh my god Sierra are you ok?"

Then I lost sense of everything.

I could see a river, raging and splashing against the banks. I could FEEL the river, sliding over me. I could smell it too, fresh and sweet. In that moment, it was the best smell ever. I could taste it, metallic and cool, and soothing. It giggled, it roared, and it was alive. And then I WAS the river, slipping and sliding and totally completely, free.

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Everything was black. I heard shouts. I heard...was that my name? I heard sobbing. Who was crying? Wait, where was I?

Slowly, I opened my eyes. Everything was blurry. Someone stood over me. She was speaking. "Sierra! Sierra can you hear me? Sierra!" It was...it was Ms. Alford, our science teacher. The world focused. I blinked. I opened my mouth. "What happened?"

People gasped. Someone cheered. Whoever was crying before started crying harder, but I think it was happy. Ms. Alford smiled. "Sierra I think you're going to be ok, just relax and don't move too quickly alright?"

"Ms. Alford, where was I?"

She frowned a little. "What do you mean sweetie? You've been right here this whole time."

I tried to sit up but she pushed me back down. "But," I protested, "I was in a river. It was...beautiful..."

Ms. Alford patted my arm. "Now please relax, you fainted is all. Just sit here and wait for the nurse ok?"

I decided not to argue. Arguing with teachers is never good. So I lay there while she ushered the class back to their seats. Stephanie came right up to me. Her face was wet. Oh. She was the one who was crying.

"Oh my goodness Sierra, you scared us so much, are you ok???"

I nodded. "Yeah. It doesn't even hurt. Like, I feel fine." But inside, I was truly, horribly lost. What just happened?

I turned my head. David was sitting there, staring at me like I was an alien or something. I laughed. "Gosh David, you look like you've seen a ghost." He kind of nodded, still shocked I guess. "Your face," he whispered. "It was like you were being stabbed through the chest..."

I frowned. "Well it hurt before, but I'm fine now. I think. "

Just then, the nurse rushed in. Ah. Ms. Pinelis. I know her quite well, due to my thing with pain.

"Sierra, dear, are you alright!" she exclaimed, running up to me and checking my temperature. (Have you ever noticed that the first thing nurses do is check your temperature? I mean, even when it doesn't make sense to. Like now.) She looked at me, concerned. "Why don't you come down to the office and I'll just double check, make sure you're ok?"

"Uh, ok."

I got up, and walked to my desk to get my stuff. I really did feel fine. Well, physically at any rate. I followed Ms. Pinelis out of the classroom, looking back one last time. Stephanie waved a little, but most people were just staring.

That wasn't creepy at all.

I followed Ms. Pinelis to her office, and there she checked my temperature again (with a thermometer this time), and then gave me a protein bar to 'prevent it from happening again.'

Well it did.

I stepped out of her office and began walking down the hall toward math. Suddenly, someone hit me from behind.

"OhmygoodnesssierrastephaniesaidyoufaintedinscienceAREYOUOKAY?!?!?!"

I took a moment to catch my breath. She was staring at me intensely. I laughed a little. "Oh my gosh calm down Olivia! I'm perfectly fine!"

"But...you fainted..."

"Well I don't know what was up with that but trust me, I'm ok." I decided then not to tell her about the image. Everyone seemed to find it weird. I can't imagine how my best friend would react.

"Are you sure?" She searched my face to see if I was lying.

"Yes!" I laughed. "Now stop worrying about--"

That's when it happened again.

I froze.

I had time to think, "Again?"

And then pain washed over me, engulfing my every thought. It burned, and it pounded. It pulled me thin and stretched me until I was about to snap. I screamed in agony. I heard another scream--Olivia?--and then the world disappeared.

I was running, faster than I've ever run before. I could hear the pounding of my feet as I ran. Every muscle, every breath, every heartbeat was one. I rocked back and forth a little as I ran, and everything was natural. I could feel myself, pure and shining as if I was light itself. Suddenly I put on a burst of speed, my back extended, and my feet no longer beat the ground.

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People were screaming my name. It was black. Slowly, ever so slowly, I pried open my eyes. I tried to speak, but I only made a small croaking noise. The world slowly came into focus, and I tried to speak again. "I'm ok, I'm ok..."

Someone gasped with delight. "Sierra, oh my gosh, you scared the crap out of me!"

I laughed a little. My head cleared, and I sat up. I looked around. Olivia and Ms. Pinelis were hunched over me. Ms. Pinelis grabbed my face. "Sierra, sweetie, are you alright? Do you feel dizzy? Does your head hurt?"

I shook my head, but then realized my face DID hurt a little. "Now that you mention it, my nose and head hurt...actually a lot."

Ms. Pinelis pat my cheek. "I would imagine so, you fell hard right in the middle of the hallway. I'll get you an ice pack, and then I think you should go home for the rest of the day ok?"

I nodded. No use arguing.

She looked at me carefully. "You weren't...in a river again, were you?" She looked really concerned. I shook my head. Hey, technically it was true. She smiled at that, but Olivia just looked confused.

Ms. Pinelis turned to Olivia. "Olivia, would you be a dear and tell Sierra's math teacher she's going home and to send an email to the other teachers?" She nodded. Ms. Pinelis smiled. "Here I'll write you a pass," she said taking out a pen and paper.

I went back to Ms. Pinelis' office and sat on the cot.

And then it happened again.

I froze.

I thought, "Oh crap."

And then the pain stabbed me, from a hundred different angles, like I was being attacked by an army. Then acid came washing over over me, burning and choking me. I gasped for breath.

And then the world was dark.

I felt it. This energy. Surging through my bones and heightening my senses. I could jump, I could run, I could do anything. My vision was perfect, my hearing heightened, I could even taste the way the wind was blowing. I was stronger, bigger, braver. I could take on and army. And I could win.

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I came to a little faster this time. But that might have been because my mother was shaking me and practically screaming my name. I opened my eyes slowly. "Hey mom," I mumbled.

She sighed with relief. "Oh my goodness, Sierra! Did you not eat breakfast this morning?"

"No, I did," I said sitting up. She began to protest, but I pushed away her reaching arms. "I feel fine, really I do." She looked concerned, but dropped her hands. I didn't blame her. I was concerned too. I mean, not only did it hurt, but I could never guess when it would come. And the images in my head...what did they mean...

Also, just for the record, I was annoyed. I mean, I got maybe ten minutes in between each...attack. No rest for the weary, huh?

My mom gave me a small hug. "Well let's get you home ok?"

I smiled to make her feel better, even though I felt fine. "Ok."

We were in the car driving home, when (you guessed it) it happened for the FOURTH time.

I froze.

I thought, "You can't be serious right now. "

Then the pain came.

This time, I felt like I was burning. Every inch of skin felt like heat was attacking it and sucking out any life that was left. I screamed.

And it all went black.

I could see it. Everything. I felt the power coursing through me unlike any I've felt before. It wasn't human power, but power forgotten by our world. I spread my arms and the power burst out like a wave of light. I rose into the air, a brilliant whirl of beauty, power, and hope.

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