I woke to the sound of birds. This was it, today was the day. By this time tomorrow, I would be the newest student at Woodbrook Academy.
   
My name is Ember Hart. I am sixteen years old, and ever since I was small I have been able to do things most people in my village can't, mainly the ability to control fire.
 
 I can still remember the day my parents sat me down and told me about my abilities, and in turn Woodbrook Academy.
   
  At first, I had been terrified of myself and what I could do thinking of every little thing that could go wrong. I imagined my house burning down, or even the whole village. As I got older it got worse. I had nightmares each night of a hooded figure holding a lantern. 
  
  When I was seven the dreams abruptly stopped, it was like a heavyweight had been lifted from my chest taking with it my doubts.
 
   I started practicing the next year trying to light a  candle with just a thought. When I had mastered that to the point that I could be sitting on one side of the room with the candle on the other and light it, I started to try to put it back out as well.
   
  I worked at it for years, until I could light or snuff a candle with a single thought or even call fire into my hand with a single flick of the wrist.
   
Then I turned sixteen and things started to change, I've been having that dream again lately, and my powers have been out of control raging like wild fire's in my very soul. In the last few months, I have felt a dreading fear like I haven't in years.

When my parents told me they had contacted the headmaster of Woodbrook Academy, Mr. Woodbrook, I was relieved not for myself but my parents. I worried that if this went on I would end up hurting them, and I can't say that I wasn't excited to learn more about my powers from the very best in the field and meet people with abilities like mine. My grandfather was the only person I had ever met that was like me, and he died when I was little taking away the only person who knew anything about controlling powers like mine.
 
I jumped out of bed reflecting on my thoughts and headed downstairs. My father was in the kitchen. It was his favorite place in the house. He loved to cook anything and everything, and from the delectable smell coming from the stove he was making bacon and eggs.

As I walked in he smiled and gestured towards the table, "this is almost done can you put out the plates".
   
"Sure." I nodded trying to be my usual upbeat self, but now that I was looking my father in the eye it was so much harder than I thought it would be.
 
  Was this how it would feel every day at Woodbrook Academy, I hoped not. I was looking forward to it way too much to be sad the whole time.
 
I grabbed three plates from the top right cabinet. They felt warm and familiar in my hands. I set them lightly on the table along with three forks, and sat down.
 
 My mother walked in a minute later, just as the bacon was sizzling out of the pan.
   
She always walked as though she was walking on the very air itself. But now, it seemed like there was a weight on top of her pushing her down. Her sun blonde hair that always seemed to be filled with life now hung limply at her shoulders, and her usual bright emerald green eyes seemed dim and sad.
        
As she walked past me, her hand grazed my hair ruffling it. She pulled up the chair next to mine sitting gracefully.

A minute later my father walked out of the kitchen carrying the bacon and eggs. They smelled wonderful, I would miss mornings like this.

My father sat down in the last chair, offering us both some sunny-side-up eggs, perfect to go with bacon.

I chowed down happily barely stopping to take a breath, I couldn't explain it but I felt famished like I hadn't eaten in days.

As I finished my father looked over at me from the other side of the table."You were certainly hungry this morning." He joked lovingly.

I smiled sheepishly. "It was really good."

My father let out a big roar of a laugh and ruffled my hair. I didn't even want to imagine the mess my hair was at the moment.

My mother cut in. "Have you finished packing yet?" she sounded worried. "It's already half-past nine."

I jumped up, how was it already so late. "I gotta go!" I called grabbing one last piece of bacon as I did, and rushed upstairs.

It wasn't that I needed to bring much, Woodbrook had a school uniform. It was that all I had done the night before was throw a few things in a bag and leave it.

I walked into my room and headed straight to the corner I had left my bag in. I pulled it open just a sliver. Inside Jade was sleeping intently.

She was a lovely if rather small dragon. I had found her in town without a trace of her mother.

I have no idea how long I watched her that first day waiting for her mother to come back for her. At some point, I bought some bread at the bakery and split it with her. Dragons may be mostly carnivorous but like many other animals often enjoy a bit of bread.

When her mother didn't come for her at the end of the day, she followed me home. She had been rather pleased with me for giving her food and followed me around everywhere I went. I've been sneaking her food for months mostly bits of what I had for dinner along with the occasional treat.

I pulled the bacon out from behind my back, and waved it over her nose. She sniffed the air tilting her head. She blinked open her eyes yawning.

She sat there for a moment studying me with amber orbs. Her eyes flicked over to the bacon I was still holding, she reached out a clawed foot grabbing it and pulling it into the bag with her. Hungrily gobbling up every last crumb.

Inside the bag, itself was nothing but a few t-shirts and a single pair of jeans. I really hadn't done much packing. I grabbed another pair of jeans and some candles from the dresser along with a few other things I might need placing them rather haphazardly into the bag. Lastly, I went back over to the dresser and grabbed the single thing that meant the most to me.

It was a picture, in it, I was maybe four beaming happily up at the camera. My mother was holding me in her arms a brilliant smile gracing her face. On either side of us stood my father and grandfather.

It was one of the few photos that my whole family was in, and I couldn't help but smile at how similar my father, my grandfather, and I looked in the photo. Messy red-brown hair and hazel eyes seemed to run in the family.

I tucked the photograph into a shirt as carefully as I could and set in gently into the bag next to Jade, it wasn't like I was just going to leave her. I slung the bag over my shoulder and headed once again down the stairs.

At the bottom stood my mother, she stood taller now. More reassured looking than she'd been at breakfast. When I hit the bottom step she pulled me into a hug. I won't lie standing there in my mother's warm embrace I melted letting myself sink deeper into the hug.

I felt a single tear slip down my face as my mother pulled me closer, deeper into her love, a mother's love.  I leaned in closer. "I love you mom." My voice was barely over a whisper as I returned the hug.

My mother pulled away, her eyes shining with what I hoped was pride. "I love you too." she sounded quiet like she was trying to keep her voice even. "Now get going or you'll be late."

I gave my mother one last hug. Wiped my eyes, and headed to the door, where my father was waiting for me.

He looked me up and down, studying me from the top of my head down to the base of my shoes, then back up to my face. "Be safe." That was all he said, it was all he had to say the meaning behind it was clear.

I hugged him, a big bear of a hug holding him as close as I could. It would be months before I saw either of my parents again so I might as well make it count.

I pulled away looking him in the eye and nodded, knowing I couldn't wait any longer or I would miss the bus.

I turned the doorknob, and pulled my bag up a little higher on my shoulder. takeing my first steps on a path there would be for better or worse no turning back on.

A/n

Sorry, it took so long to write this, as I said in the description I am not a fast writer so if you like it I guess you'll have to bear with me.

I promise I will try to get better, and if you are reading this let me just say thank you so much this will be my first time really sharing a book that I created with someone other than my sister