Birthday Magic

16, that's how old I'll be in just less than seven hours. I'm supposed to be asleep right now but there's no way I'm going to fall asleep anytime soon, not when in less than twelve hours I'll find out what makes me special. That is, if I even am special. In less than twelve hours I will find out my magic power.

I lay in my bed, tossing and turning, trying to sleep. The air around me is suffocating, I can't breathe. My blankets are making me too hot, I take them off. I still can't sleep. Nothing is working.

Climbing out of my bed, I walk towards the window on the other side of the room. The cold floor feels nice on my feet. I reach the window and open it. Maybe some fresh, cool air will help me sleep. I breathe in the night air. I was right; it helps calm me down. I stand there for a few more minutes, breathing in the cool air. Slowly, my breathing goes back to normal, I no longer feel like I'm suffocating.

I head back to my bed but I leave the window open. I lay down and I can finally sleep.

            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I wake up, I look at the clock on my bedroom wall to see that it says six. I slept for five and a half hours. There is, technically, still about an hour before I am officially 16.

I climb out of bed and get dressed for the day. 16th birthdays are supposed to be special so my mom laid out a silver-colored dress for me to wear. I look in the full-length mirror on my wall and see that in goes perfectly with my auburn hair. I pull my hair back and braid some strands in front then I pull it back into a ponytail. I actually look somewhat good for once.

I take a deep breath, mentally preparing to leave the comfortable silence of my room.

I sleep on the top floor of my house so I have to head down the stairs in order for me to get to the kitchen. I suspect that everyone in my house heard me come down the stairs because, when I enter the kitchen, my entire family is waiting near the counter. They all have huge smiles on their faces when they greet me.

My mother steps towards me and engulfs me in a hug. "Happy birthday, Anthea!" She says as she lets me out of her embrace.

Following my mother's example, the remaining three members of my family gather around to give me hugs.

My older brother, Acton, claps me on the back when it's his turn. He is two years older than me, so he's already got his power. His power is something I would not want to receive. Mind reading. I completely dislike the idea of invading people's privacy. Some thoughts are meant to be a secret. Luckily, Acton has developed his power enough that her can choose what he listens to. 

When it's her turn, my younger sister, Astra, gives me the tightest hug I've ever felt. "I can't believe it's your special day! I can't wait for mine!" She squeals in my ear. Astra is a year younger than me, so she'll get to do this next year. I almost envy her, I wish I could wait one more year before this day came. I'm not quite jealous though. A tiny part of me is excited.

After a round of hugs, I can finally sit down and enjoy my breakfast. My family waited for me so none of them have eaten either. We sit down to a meal of bacon, toast, and eggs. As soon as everyone has their food, the conversations start.

"What kind of power are you hoping for?" It's hard to tell who asked the question because everyone is talking, I think it was Astra though. It seems like something she would ask.

I shrug in response. "I don't know. I haven't really thought about it." It's true, I've spent almost every waking minute since I turned 12 thinking about the powers I don't want to get, not the ones I do. I never really thought about what powers I might want. It's interesting to think about.