Sapphire Eyes ~ 10 Chapter Challenge

Six Years Before The Letter

White Sphere ~ Mirna

I stop on the edge of the shortcut yard, which is overgrown with weeds and the annoying stickers that latch onto your socks and leave your fingers feeling prickly when you pick them off. The coast is clear.

I sprint toward the backyard, plant my feet into the chain link fence, swing my legs over, jump down, and make my way through the backyard.

I hear the black dog's grumbling bark before I see him, and I speed up, reach the next fence, and jump up, lean forward over the fence and spin around to land on my feet. My ear burns hot. Ouch! I'm bleeding. I keep on going through the next yard, around the house, and back onto the sidewalk, before the owner can come out and yell at me again. His lectures always make my blood go hot and my heart race.

I cross the street to the blue house my foster parents own. After a whole year, it just about feels like home to me too. Even if Roger and Angela don't feel like parents. Not sure they're supposed to anyway. My notes home say To the guardians of Mirna Conlins for a reason. So what if I don't know what a real family feels like, I've had enough foster families to know that this one isn't any different. Something's simply missing, something that would make us feel like a family instead of an arrangement made by the state.

The door isn't locked, which means Angela must be here. I go straight to the bathroom to check out my ear in the mirror. The blood is everywhere, on my shirt, in my hair, down my neck. I grab a washcloth, run it under the sink, and press it against my ear. I wince. Burning, tingling, throbbing, then a dull ache. I put the washcloth in the sink where Angela is sure to see it, and then I take the hallway down to my room. I slam the door behind me.

I go kneel on the floor over in the corner next to my crappy little white desk and plow through my pile of drawing stuff, looking for a notebook with some blank pages. These are all full. Dang it, I guess I have to get a new one.

I stand and go pull my door open. "Hey Angela?" I shout down the hallway.

"Mirna?" Her voice sounds small, coming from the kitchen all the way on the other side of the house.

"Come here." I put my back against the door frame and cross my arms.

Angela appears at the other end of the hallway. "How long have you been home?" She stops in front of me and puts her hands on her hips.

"I dunno. Can I get a new drawing notebook?"

"Oh my dear, you're bleeding." Angela puts her hand up to my ear.

"Don't." I swipe her hand away. "It's fine."

"You know, I'd appreciate it if you'd say hi when you get home from school."

"I get home the same time every day. Why's it matter?"

"So I know you made it okay. Is that so much to ask?"

"Fine. Can I get my notebook now?"

Angela looks past me, into my room. "Sure. Once you clean up your room."

Lame! "My room is fine."

"It's a mess. You might as well not have a clothes hamper, and your toy chest must be empty by the looks of things." She eyes my ear again, and I can tell she wants to help me clean it up. "You need to learn to take care of your things, or you'll wake up one day, and they'll be gone. Now clean it up."

Fine, whatever. I turn to go back into my room. Something catches my attention—a white glowing ball in the corner of my eye. I spin around to get a better look at it, but it's not there, no it's still in the corner of my eye. Getting bigger. I blink. What is that? It keeps growing. I reach out, but there's nothing there. I turn around again and find Angela staring at me, her forehead creased and her mouth moving, but I can't hear her.