The Runaways

The Runaways: Chapter 3: Cathlina

“Siana, Mr. Leight left me in charge. What am I going to do? I can't do this by myself,” I complain to my sister.

“What? But you're only fourteen! You can't run this place! If anything, I should,” she says, astonished.

“That's exactly what I said. Why did he ask me? I'm not even responsible!” I say. Mr. Leight must be going insane. He probably just mistook me for Siana. His eyesight is beginning to go.

“Well, our meeting starts in ten minutes and you have no plans whatsoever. Maybe Mr. Leight is doing this one and you take the next one. He shouldn't leave you in charge right before the meeting.”

I begin to walk to my little cabin. It's like a dorm, but it's only for me. I also can eat my meals in there. I have a table and chairs, but it gets lonely, so I usually eat in the cafeteria.

Siana doesn't stop at my doorway. She invites herself in.

“Come in,” I say sarcastically.

She doesn't understand my sarcasm. “Thanks,” she says. She sits in the beanbag chair in the corner of my room. I click the door shut.

I sit at the edge of my bed. I face the mirror across from it. I hardly ever look at my reflection. Only a small space of the mirror isn't covered in old pictures and sticky notes. My face fits in the spot perfectly.

My hair is bland. It's a color between brown and black, though I'm not sure what it's called. I cut my own hair with scissors I find around the room when it gets too long. I see now that it needs to be cut. Right now, it's past my shoulders. It's about a quarter down my back. But, not for much longer.

I've noticed it gets in my mouth a lot lately. Time for it to go, as soon as I find the scissors.

Siana doesn't like it when I chop it off unevenly, but I don't care. I can be chased down the street with choppy hair if I want.

My eyes are not so dull. I wish they weren't so distracting. A dark indigo iris surrounds my pupil. It's so intense, some boys in the halls stare at them until they run into a wall. Sometimes, I think my eyes are the curse, not my disappearing body.

To help my curse, my skin is extremely pale. Not quite like a vampire, but really close. Some people say I look like Snow White. I think they need to watch that movie again.

I hear a knock on my door. I don't answer it. Nobody should be in here to begin with. It's my room, so I shouldn't have to let people in.

The knock is repeated. I look away from my reflection. Siana is getting up to answer the door. She looks to me. I mouth, “No,” but she opens the door anyway.

The person at the door is Mr. Leight. He had wheeled himself down to my cabin.

I get up from my bed to greet Mr. Leight.

“Mr. Leight, why are you here? You didn't need to wheel yourself down here,” I tell him.

“Cathlina, can I come in? I need to speak to you,” Mr. Leight asks.

I nod slowly. “Yeah, Mr. Leight. Sorry I didn't answer. I was just thinking.”

“It's fine. It isn't going to make a difference. I'm dying soon anyway,” he sighs.

“Mr. Leight, don't say that! You have plenty of life to live,” says Siana. You thought I would've said that, right? Well, I'm not that positive.

“Siana, you mustn't worry about me. You don't need me anymore. Cathlina is taking over, remember? It will be okay. I'm slowly dying, and it is painful. I can feel my heart slowing. I will be gone by tonight. I should be able to help with announcements and the meeting,” Mr. Leight confirms.

“Thank you, but why did you choose me? I'm not smart or responsible like Siana. Why don't you leave her in charge?” I wonder.

“Cathlina, don't be rude,” Siana whispers to me. She is always telling me to be polite and responsible. Well, I'm not that kind of person. I'm one to act, not think.

“Siana, don't worry. Cathlina is curious. I've picked her because she has a wonderful gift. She can use it to help all of the unwanted children.”

I interrupt, “But you told me it's a curse. How can it help? All it can do is turn me invisible.”

“Yes, but there is another part you haven't discovered.,” he tells me mysteriously.

I'm too anxious to figure it out myself. “What is it?”

“You'll just have to see for yourself. It is from your father. He died shortly after you were born in a crash. It really is sad.”

I'm stunned. I've never known anything about my parents. For about four years, a family adopted my sister and I. She ran away when she was six, when I was four. She knew our parents, but never spoke of them. She said they didn't like us, so they got rid of us.

“And my mother? What about her?” I ask.

Mr. Leight shrugs. “Don't know. There's no record of her.”

“Cathlina, don't worry about it. It's time for the meeting. We're late.” She gets up and runs out of the room.

“Go, Cathlina. I'll catch up.

I want to just go without him, but I know that it isn't the right thing to do. “I'll push you, Mr. Leight. You shouldn't be late either.”