LEAVES crunched under her every step, and air rushed in and out of her lungs at an unnatural rate as she darted around in the darkness.

In other circumstances, the scent of trees, pine, and damp moss would put her at ease, but that was not the case. Now, it wasn't relaxing; it was suffocating.

The reason she was running was a sight unlike any she had seen. The scream that emerged from the lowest depths of her chest pierced through the silence of the night as a gripping chill seeped into her bones and held them hostage. Although she couldn't recall what had prompted such a reaction, she knew it was bad enough that she had to put as much distance between it and herself.

Each step sent shockwaves through her body, jarring her bones and muscles to life as she pushed herself until she had to stop and catch her breath. Every breath of air felt like acid scalding her lungs.

She rose from her bent position and turned, with wide eyes that scanned for any movement. No sound, but her ragged breaths resonated around her. For a forest, it was eerie how quiet it was. There was no rustling of trees. No sound of water rushing in a nearby stream. No distant chirping of crickets or other nocturnal creatures.

When she turned back, a hooded figure stopped her progression. She couldn't see the face, but she could make out the bright red lipstick. Her stomach churned at the sight and her feet felt like lead, rooting her to the spot.

In an instant, the darkness surrounded her.

"Prepare yourself for their arrival and your return," the lips moved as its silvery voice reached out like snakes, wrapped around her, and sent a chill down her spine. She found control of her feet and forced them to take steps back. The world shifted, and she awoke.

With a sudden jolt, she bolted upright, her eyes darting wildly around the room. The smell of the forest still lingered in her nostrils. Strands of her brown hair clung to her forehead which glistened with sweat, and her ragged breaths echoed through her small room as if she had been sprinting and not sleeping in her bed.

Despite the familiar layout of the room, she couldn't help but feel the hooded figure's presence around her.

Her eyes met her alarm clock, reading 4:59 a.m., a minute before it would ring. Yet, as always, it never did. She reached out and switched it off before it could disturb the baleful silence.

This had been the regular start of the day for a while now, and years of this type of dream had pushed her to the conclusion that these were some sort of visions. As strange as it sounded, that was the only way she could understand it.

"I need to figure out how to stop these dreams," she said when her breathing had slowed to a near-normal rate.

"Maybe it's because you're not preparing enough," a familiar voice said.

She raised her head to see her lifelong friend and twin, Kara.

It wasn't a normal thing to see and talk to yourself, at least not when you weren't looking at a mirror and she knew that. Even Kara knew it wasn't normal that Karyn was the only one who could see and hear her. Though Kara didn't recall how it had happened, she knew she was dead.

It was not surprising to hear her aunt Helen's account of what happened. Her aunt had blamed her parents for the tragedy, stating that they caused the fire that claimed them but somehow spared Karyn.

"What should I do with one statement?"

"First, your aunt Helen became a different person overnight. Then the car accident you escaped by a cat's whisker, and don't forget the food poisoning that got you hospitalized for weeks. Those were huge periods of your life and you only dreamed about them for some weeks. This one's been going on for more than a month. You should prepare."

A gasp escaped Kara's lips as her translucent eyes glistened with a newfound radiance. "What if it's the love of your life?!"

Karyn chuckled. "Why should I prepare for the love of my life?"

"Their love could be so big, it would sweep you off your feet, take you 'round the world, and leave you happier than before. Forever," Kara said with exaggerated and animated hand gestures, as her glow illuminated the furniture around.

She laughed at her sister's actions. "How do you form these thoughts?"

Kara dropped onto the bed without a sound. "There's a section for novels in your school's library. Did you know that?"

"Huh, well." Karyn shot up. "If there's anything I should prepare for now, it's cooking breakfast and leaving as soon as possible. We've got a committee meeting this morning and I can't be late."

The soft thud of her bare feet resonated against the polished wooden floor as she padded across the room.

"Why are you doing all this? Your aunt and uncle took you in, but you have to stand up for yourself. You wake up at five every morning, cook, and clean for them. You're like their maid."

Kara always referred to them as 'your' aunt and uncle. The reason was not because they didn't know of her, but because they never treated her sister right. Although Karyn's uncle was nice to her, he never defended Karyn from the mistreatment she received from his wife and children.

"They gave me a home and for that, I would be forever grateful-"

"Karyn, listen to yourself, you-"

"Nope! I will not add having this conversation with you to my daily morning routine. Yes, everyone is mean to me except Uncle Jack, but I'll have to bear it until I graduate. I'll be eighteen and I'm sure aunt would expect me to move out by then. Also, I spend a lot of time in school and I'm happy there, so leave it at that."

Only the sound of Karyn rummaging through her austere closet filled the room until Kara spoke. "You can't remain in this town, I know it."

"Oh please, like there's anywhere else I can be but Emerfield. It's all I've known," she said with a shake of her head. "And how are you so sure? Do you have dreams, too?"

After she set out her clothes, she crossed the room and began tucking her bedsheet with no hassle despite Kara sitting on it.

"You know I don't sleep and thank goodness for that. If dreams are as bad as they make you feel, then I don't want to have them. Let's just say I have a feeling. You have the dreams and I have the feels."

Kara burst into laughter, while Karyn, who couldn't find the joke in her sister's words, sighed and went about her day.

When she was about to head out, her uncle ambled into the kitchen. His soft footsteps were so silent that she flinched in surprise when she saw him.

"I didn't hear you come in. Morning, uncle."

"He's even more silent than I am," she heard Kara mutter from the corner.

"Morning dear. Do you mind making me a coffee while we have a quick chat?" His nasal voice was something she'd gotten used to, even though it still rubbed her off the wrong way.

"Sure."

She dropped her bag with a soft thud and moved around in haste. She wanted to leave early to avoid pedaling hard on her bicycle and arriving drenched in sweat. That was not the entrance she wanted to make to the committee meeting.

"Isn't it part of the whole coffee-drinking ritual to do it yourself?" Kara stated from behind her.

"Are you rushing somewhere?" her uncle asked.

"No." Her voice came out a pitch higher, and Kara scoffed.

"Karyn, don't take this the wrong way, but I know you've been planning to move out once you're eighteen," he started. "I've heard you on your phone."

Of course, he would conclude that she was on the phone, not talking to her ghost of a sister.

"You know you can stay here even after you graduate. I know that your aunt and cousins aren't easy to get on with-"

"Easy to get on with! Is that his excuse?" Kara exclaimed, while her uncle continued.

"But trust me, they'll warm up to you."

"After how many years?! Are they just going to do so when you turn eighteen?" Kara threw her arms up.

"You don't have to conclude now, but know that this will always be your home." The intense gaze that followed his words pricked at the hairs on the back of Karyn's neck. "And there's nowhere else you should be."

His words didn't sound like a threat, but they didn't sound well-meaning either. The tense air his words created fled as soon as it came, and he shot up from his seat. If he saw her flinch, he didn't mention it.

"Alright kiddo, thanks for the coffee. Off you go."

"What was that about?" Kara asked once they stepped out.

Karyn tried to shake off her unease with a shrug. "What happens at home, stays at home," she said as she hopped on her bike.

She glanced up at the house and found her aunt staring down at her from the window above. She had a brown complexion, smooth and rich, a sharp contrast to the white curtain beside her. The look in her eyes was something Karyn still couldn't interpret, even after all these years. There were times when it felt like her aunt was trying to tell her something. But she never got the message and her aunt never said a word.

Regardless, she still raised her hand to wave, but her aunt simply turned around.

♛ ♛ ♛

EMERFIELD High stood tall, just a stone's throw from the bustling heart of the town, The City Hall. Commuters from neighboring towns passed through Emerfield daily to get to their destinations, so the gridlock that came with was understandable. Usually on her bike, Karyn would breeze through and never got stuck until today.

When she finally arrived, later than she wished, her phone chimed again like it did throughout the ride and she knew who the messages came from, even without checking. She got to her regular parking spot to see a blue truck opposite it. The blue truck was a sharp contrast to the black Toyota she had always seen in that spot.

"That's new," Kara said as Karyn got off her bike. "It could be a new student," her sister added with a wink.

"You didn't see who it was?" she asked.

"Nope."

She narrowed her eyes at Kara but said nothing. After securing her bike, she broke into a jog toward the four-story building that was their school.

The traditional Emerfield colors, green and gold, adorned the walls and beams of windows that glinted under the morning sun. She pushed through the large double doors to find the halls littered with a handful of students.

Fifteen minutes before classes started was early for a regular high schooler. For the Vice President of the Student Affairs Committee, SAC, that was late, especially when they were having a meeting.

After a very awkward entrance, an apology directed to everyone, and a stern look from Jordan, who expressed her displeasure at the slight interruption she caused, she settled beside her best friend, Elowen.

"I sent tons of messages. What happened? Jordan tried to use your tardiness to her advantage, but Elowen here saved the day and your reputation. You're welcome," said Elowen with a proud smile.

"What would I do without you?"

"Don't worry. I'll always be here. What was the deal, anyway? Your aunt?" Elowen whispered.

"No. A bad gridlock and before that, my uncle had a weird chat with me," she said with a slight frown as she recalled his words and the atmosphere they created.

"You know, if they give you trouble, you can always come over. Dad and Mom are always glad to have you stay."

Elowen's parents were the only ones her aunt and uncle trusted enough to let her spend sleepovers with. She compared the relationship she developed with them over the years to the one she would have had with her parents if they were still alive.

After the meeting, most of them remained to catch up on any weekend gossip. Aside from being the useful committee it was, and a connection between the authorities and the students of the school, it was also the rumor mill of the school. Where rumors were generated, packaged, and traded. Everyone here knew everything—or the major things about most students.

SAC members were the elite of the school, which was why SAC campaigns and elections were a big deal. Everyone wanted to be an elite.

"I'm pretty sure Jordan hates me by now," she said just outside the meeting room.

Elowen snickered. "You know she's always hated you since you took the position she was ready to die for."

"But being the secretary is... not as good as being the VP, but it's good enough."

"If Maria didn't have the connections, we know Jordan would have gone for President instead. At least she was smart to know she couldn't take on Maria, unlike Luke."

She sighed. "Poor Luke."

"More like dumb Luke-Ow!" Elowen winced as she rubbed her shoulder where Karyn had just smacked her.

"Don't say that. He deserved it more than Maria."

"Yeah, yeah. You don't want to admit it wasn't a wise thing to do 'cause of your feelings for him. I get that."

She didn't bother disputing Elowen, who was the only person who knew of her feelings for Luke. She'd only admitted it once during a sleepover in Elowen's room but never did after that. Luke had been her friend since grade school and she couldn't watch the great friendship they'd built get ruined by her feelings.

"Karyn!" she heard and turned to see Lisa, another SAC member. Her straight black hair, which was up in a tight ponytail, swung lightly behind her as she sauntered toward them. Her face, which usually held a smile that made her eyes almost invincible, was now contorted into a frown.

"Why are you pissed?" Elowen asked and Lisa passed her an incredulous look.

"It's Monday morning," Lisa said, then turned to Karyn. "You've got some work. Four new students start today. Can you be a guide for two?"

"But-"

"And before you refuse, no one wants to have new students tailing on them so they're giving terrible excuses. I would have done it myself, but with the fundraiser coming up, I can't. I know you're very good with people and they find it easy to—"

"Okay Lisa, take a breath," she instructed, at which Lisa took a deep breath.

"It's fine. Of course, I'd love to help them get settled."

"Tsk. Lisa, you amaze me sometimes. You know how my best friend is and yet, you still bother."

"Who's going to be with the other two?" Karyn asked.

"Jordan, of course. You know her, getting in good graces with everyone so she can have more people rooting for her in the next election," Lisa said.

"That girl never takes a break, does she?" Elowen shook her head.

"I kinda like that about her. That hunger for more!" Lisa exclaimed with a clenched fist. "If not that she acts like a stick is always up her ass, she would be a great motivator and friend."

Lisa dropped her fist with a shrug before she said, "Anyway, they're on the admin floor."

When Karyn arrived, she found two boys and two girls with Jordan clutching a notepad to her chest and speaking in a commanding tone.

But one of the boys who stood at a distance immediately captured her attention. He casually leaned against a pillar with his scowling face and hard gaze fixed on his phone. Although his dark blond hair appeared as if a wild wind had swept through it, it complemented his careless demeanor. Karyn's eyes covertly admired his chiseled jaw, and she didn't realize she was staring until Jordan acknowledged her.

"Karyn, why are you here?"

She averted her eyes from him and directed them at Jordan and the other new students with all four pairs of eyes on her.

The boy beside Jordan stood with his hands tucked in his blue jeans pockets. One girl had fiery red hair and wore black leggings underneath a brown skirt with a red shirt emblazoned with the word RED in bold letters. Karyn tried not to scrunch her nose at the sight of red like she always did. The last girl had an olive skin tone and thick black hair that cascaded in luscious waves below her shoulders.

"Lisa said the new students were here, so I—"

"I can handle it myself, thank you," she cut Karyn off with a stiff smile.

"It's fine if she wants to assist," the girl with red hair that seemed unnaturally bright offered.

"It would be a burden, if you had to deal with all four of us, no," said the second girl, her voice tinged with an accent. Karyn couldn't tell if it was Italian or Spanish.

Jordan turned to them, and her stiff smile stretched to a radiant one. "That's so considerate of you. I guess I'll be with Marcela and Jamie," Jordan said, looking between the girl with an accent and the boy with cropped black hair.

"And we'll be with you!" the red-haired girl said.

The brooding boy and the red-haired girl. She could handle that.

At the sound of the bell, Karyn asked, "What do you guys have now?"

"We have biology," Marcela replied while gesturing to Jamie and the red-haired girl.

She turned to the second guy, who was already staring at her. Her words died in her throat when she met his soulful gaze. She hadn't seen his eyes because he had them on his screen. Now with them trained on her, she could see they were a mesmerizing dark shade of green. Something unrecognizable swirled within them, and Karyn couldn't understand how it made her feel.

She cleared her throat and flashed a bright smile. "And what do you have?"

"Arts," he said after a glance at the paper in his hand.

"Me too. Jordan does AP Biology, but that's close to regular biology class, so she can take you guys there."

"No need for the explanation, Karyn, I've got it," Jordan said with a tight smile before she led the three students away.

"I'm Karyn. Karyn Whyte, with a y in both names."

"Zack Black."

"Oh, look at that," she started as they fell in line with each other and headed down to class. "I'm Whyte, you're Black. That's quite a combination, don't you think? I love the two colors on their own, but the gray they form together doesn't do well with me. Or I just haven't figured it out yet. Even if I do, I'll always feel the gray isn't as great as either of them individually."

"You're a color enthusiast?" His voice, low, deep, and alluring, floated through Karyn's ears like gentle waves lapping at the shore on a cool summer evening.

Her smile remained. "You can say that. But you and I aren't colors, so I'm sure we'll get on just fine."

♛

In the next chapter (ITNC): Zack gets some insight into Karyn's feelings as he deciphers a conversation she has with a 'friend', while Karyn wonders about his newfound interest in Gema.

♛

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The Sparkling Authoress,
Mis. A
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