Chapter 1 The Awakening.

The morning sun had just passed through the thin curtains in my bedroom, illuminating the room softly. The chirping of birds from outside my window served as a gentle reminder that the day had begun. I rolled over, burying my face into my pillow and holding tight, trying to get a little more sleep. "Jessica! Get up, you're going to be late for school!" my mom's voice rung through the hallway, jolting me from awake. I groaned and sat up in bed. Noelle, my mother, could do this thing where she woke me up at the last second. I glanced at my nightstand clock, and my eyes grew wide with panic. It was already 7:45 AM. I had exactly fifteen minutes to get ready and make it to Ashwood High, which was at least a ten-minute walk from the house. "Coming, Mom!" I hollered, and I bounced out of bed. Stumbling around in the dark for some clothes, I leaped into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I whisked a brush through my tangled hair and cleaned my teeth in record time. Backpack in hand, I flew downstairs to join my mother, who was standing with her arms crossed and a disapproving expression on her face. "Jessica, you really need to start waking up earlier," she called, passing me a piece of toast. "I know, Mom. I just overslept," I mumbled, grabbing the toast and taking a bite as I headed for the door. My sister Hertha and brother Ethan were already at the table, eating their breakfast. "Good luck, Jess!" Ethan called after me, a wicked glint in his eye. "Thanks, Ethan," I replied with my healthy dose of sarcasm, adding a dash out the door. The fresh morning air greeted me as I started running down the street, the toast barely eaten. With each step, my heart was pounding to the mix of adrenaline and panic fueling me. By the time I arrived at the school gates, it was already after 8:00 AM. The gates were closed, with a few other latecomers milling around, all of them looking as nervous as I did. I crept up to the gate, hoping to slip in unnoticed, but the stern-faced school secretary, Mrs. Harkins, was already on lookout. "Jessica Martin," she called out, her eyes narrowing at the sight of me. "You're late again." "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Harkins. It won't happen again," I pleaded to her for the impossible. "This is the third time this month, Jessica. You know the rules." She was firm. "Go home and come back tomorrow on time." My face flushed, as did all the other students' faces in front of me. "Yes, ma'am," I mumbled, turning to leave. Walked home slowly, weight of disappointment heavy on my shoulders. Stepping inside the door at home, Noelle was tidying up from breakfast. She turned, looking up in surprise at seeing me back so early. "What happened?" she asked, concern in her voice. "I got sent home for being late," I admitted, dropping my backpack onto the floor. Noelle sighed and wiped her hands on a dish towel. "Jessica, this can't keep happening. You have to be responsible." "I know, Mom. I will do better," I promised, a knot tightening in my stomach with guilt. She gave me a sympathetic smile. "Why don't you take the day off, catch up on schoolwork, and get some rest? You are looking a bit tired these days." "Thanks, Mom; I appreciate that," I replied to her. I went upstairs into my room, trying to brush off the feeling of failure. As the day wore on, I grew more and more restless and ill-concentrated on my homework. My mind wandered moment by moment with a thought about those odd dreams that had caught me up during the past week. Running in the woods, feeling the air blowing by me, and the earth right under my feet. They felt so real, so vivid, that sometimes I woke up with a racing heart and a thin layer of sweat coating my skin. I shook my head, trying to get back on the math problems. The more I worked on the math, though, the antsier I became. By evening, I was just plain worn out from fighting the weird energy still buzzing under my skin. That night I lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling. The moonlight cast weird shadows across the room, and I lay wide awake, unable to sleep. I lay this way and that, trying to get comfortable, but it wasn't any use—sleep had fled. Finally, I got up, walked over to the window, and looked out over the silent streets of Ashwood. The town was too quiet, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change. Sighing, I crawled back into bed, pulling the covers over my head. Eventually, exhaustion won out, and I fell into a fitful sleep. Again, I found myself running through the woods with feet that barely scraped the ground. Trees whizzed by as I went faster and faster. Freedom and elation pulsed through my blood as my steps quickened. The howling was afar in the woods as my heart pounded against my chest. I had never felt so alive before. Suddenly, I stumbled; my foot caught on a root. I fell to the ground as the impact woke me up. I lay in bed, sitting up, breathing heavily as my heart raced from the episode. My room was darkened with only a thin streak of light originating from the moon through the window. I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the dream's fuzz. It was only a dream, I kept telling myself. At the back of my mind, however, I knew it was more than that. Something eluded me. I woke very early the next morning, determined not to make the same mistake as the day before. I woke up, dressed quickly, and went downstairs to join my mother, who was already making breakfast. "Good morning, Jessica," she said, brightening her face with a smile. "You're up early." "I didn't want to be late again," I replied, taking a piece of toast and a glass of orange juice. "That's the spirit," she said and smiled back at me with encouragement. I wolfed down my breakfast and headed out, visions of yesterday's humiliation still fresh in my mind. I walked to school feeling like I was being watched. I looked around, but the streets were empty. When I arrived at school, the gates were open, and there were some milling students around, which was good. I hastened to my locker, grabbed my books, and began to head to class. As I walked down the hallway, I could not help but notice the whispers and glances from my classmates. Word had clearly gone round about me being sent home the previous day. I jerked around them and bulldozed my way through to get to my first class on time. I plopped down into my desk, taking a deep breath, determined that today was going to be better than yesterday. The weird dreams and the unsettling feeling of being watched stayed in the back of my mind—a continual reminder that something was different, something I couldn't quite frame. The day was a scramble of classes and homework assignments all run together. After the last bell, I was exhausted. I had my things together, and I started home, deep in thought. The weird dreams and that feeling of unease just wouldn't leave me alone. No sooner had I walked in the door than Mom greeted me with a worried glance. "How was school today?". "It was fine," I lied, offening her worries. She looked at me a second before nodding. "Alright. Dinner will be ready soon." I trudged upstairs to my room and dropped my backpack onto the floor before flopping down onto my bed. As I sat there, this really weird feeling had overcome me, like my life was just about to change in ways that I could hardly imagine. Deep inside, I knew that the dreams and the weird feelings and all of this restless energy all fit into something bigger—something that would soon reveal itself.