Myths: The Folklore Trilogy

Chapter 2- In Which there is Confusion and Pain

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.'