The Age-Shifter

Chapter Two

My mother kept her promise to me and called the principal of Springwell Academy. As of this morning, I was officially a student. I looked outside to see the sun rising, only letting some light spill through my window. "Breanna, are you awake?" I heard my mother say as she knocked on the door. My mother respected my privacy as much as I did with her. "Yeah, I'm awake," I said, rolling out of bed. My hair came out of its loose bun and fell into loose waves. She walked into my bedroom and looked at me. "I just got off the phone with the principal. You've been enrolled and start tomorrow," she said with a tinge of worry. I thought that she would have doubts about it, but I appreciated that she listened to me.

"Thank you, Mom. I appreciate you doing this for me," I replied. She nodded her head and started to leave my room. She paused at the door and turned around. "I'm going to be heading out to do some shopping for you. I shouldn't be long, but remember our rule," she said sternly. "I know, don't open the door for anyone," I answered. I wasn't allowed to answer the door until my mother came back. It was safer this way. She gave a weak smile and left the room.

I knew that my mother wasn't happy with this decision. Her goal in life was to keep me safe. I didn't want that anymore. I wanted to be an ordinary teenager who made friends. I wanted to see the world and explore. I guess you can say that I wanted to discover myself in the outside world. Being a Shifter had its challengings, but it was worth it in the end.

By now, you are probably wondering what an Age-Shifter is. It is a rare ability where I can change into a different age. Only one in a million people can receive this gift, so I am the one in a million. No one knows how this gift appears, which is why it's dangerous for me. Despite Springwell being small, there is a laboratory along the hills filled with scientists. Mom has noticed a lot of their vans driving around recently, which could mean that they have a hit on research. One evening, while shopping, she overheard a group talking about Shifters. That was when my Mom became strict with rules. The scientists caught wind of my ability and have been trying to find a specimen to research on. From what Mom has told me, she believes that is where my aunt is.

My aunt Shelia also has the power to change her age. From what Mom said, the scientists came into her home one night and took her to their laboratory for testing. We don't know if she's still alive. I understand the need for strict rules in our household, but keeping me inside may do the opposite. I was thankful that Mom would let me go to a public school for a change of scenery. I heard the door close, which indicated Mom headed out to do her errands. It meant that I had to get up and get started on chores. I liked to help Mom out around the house to keep her stress level down. A sigh escaped as I changed out of my pajamas to black sweatpants and a white T-shirt. I put my hair up into a ponytail securing it with a hair tie. The first thing I did with my chores was to check for dirty dishes. Usually, Mom left them for me to do. She didn't like doing dishes after cooking, so I didn't mind. I was shocked when I walked downstairs to see the plates done. I shrugged my shoulders and continued with my list.

I grabbed the broom and dustpan and began sweeping the floors. It was amazing to me how much dirt gets tracked into the house. I went from room to room, sweeping. Finally, I swept up the dust from the floor and threw it in the garbage. I looked at the clock and noticed that only half an hour had passed since Mom ran to go shopping. The last thing on my chore list was taking the garbage out. I tied up the garbage bag and took it to the bin. Now, what was I going to do? Mom must have a giant list. My guess is school shopping for me.

I found myself going back outside and sitting underneath the oak tree. More leaves fell on the ground since I was out yesterday. The cool breeze sent chills down my spine as I leaned against the trunk. This spot is my happy place. It's where I come to think and clear my head. It feels like the wind takes the negative thoughts and brings back positive. Being outdoors brought me comfort. In this case, it will bring me comfort and worry.

I heard Mom's car enter the driveway and figured it was time to go back inside to help unload. I walked in to see my mother placing a block on the door. "Can you come to help me, sweetie? I bought more than I thought," she said. I smiled at her. "Sure, Mom. Let me put on some shoes," I replied. She disappeared out the door as I slid on my sandals. I walked out to the car and saw the trunk wide open on her Toyota Rav-4. "I was doing some school shopping for you and got a little carried away," she said with a smile. It warmed my heart to see the bags of school supplies. In one bag, there were binders and packages of loose leaf paper. There were writing utensils located in the bag next to it.

In the far back corner of the trunk, I spotted a backpack. It was nothing fancy, but it was a solid black backpack. I knew I would need one to carry items between classes. A smile tugged on my lips as I faced my Mom. "Thank you, Mom! It's perfect!" I exclaimed. "I wanted to be sure you had everything for your first day," she said. I've said it before, but I knew she didn't want me to go. It would be strange for both of us, but I'm sure we can adapt to change. "Just think, we can learn who we are as one person now," I explained. She shrugged her shoulders and started taking the bags inside. Maybe it bothered her more than I thought. She was trying to be happy for me, though.

I brought the rest of the bags in and set them on the table. I began to unpack everything when my Mom placed her hands on my shoulders. I turned around to face her, seeing the worry in her eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this, sweetie?" she asked, not sounding confident. I had doubts about public school, but I knew this was something I wanted. "I'm sure, Mom. I want to see another piece of the world," I replied. Her hands came off my shoulders and placed them back at her sides. "I just want to make sure, that's all!" she said.

We spent most of the evening setting up my school items. We made sure that everything was in the right pocket. Once finished, we ate a quick supper and went into our bedrooms. I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed, staring at the ceiling again. As of tomorrow, I'd be a student at Springwell Academy. As much as I felt excitement, I couldn't push back the fear.