I always thought my life was ordinary-stuck in the hum ofschool halls, the low murmur of neighbors gossiping acrossthe street, and the occasional jolt of chaos that seemed normalin every seventeen-year-old's world. But lately, somethinghad started slipping past the edges of ordinary. Small things-shadows bending in ways they shouldn't, whispers I couldn'tplace, a tug in the back of my mind that pulled me towardpeople, places, and events before I even realized I wanted to.
It was Tuesday morning when it hit me first. I sat on the edgeof my bed, brushing my long, rose-tinted hair into a braid, my reflection fragmented in the cracked mirror. The sunlightstreaming through the blinds fell in streaks across my face, and for a moment, I thought I saw a crown hovering above myhead-like gold threads spun from the sun itself. My breathcaught. I blinked. Nothing. Just me, messy hair and my wornhoodie staring back.
I always thought my life was ordinary-stuck in the hum ofschool halls, the low murmur of neighbors gossiping acrossthe street, and the occasional jolt of chaos that seemed normalin every seventeen-year-old's world. But lately, somethinghad started slipping past the edges of ordinary. Small things-shadows bending in ways they shouldn't, whispers I couldn'tplace, a tug in the back of my mind that pulled me towardpeople, places, and events before I even realized I wanted to.
It was Tuesday morning when it hit me first. I sat on the edgeof my bed, brushing my long, rose-tinted hair into a braid, my reflection fragmented in the cracked mirror. The sunlightstreaming through the blinds fell in streaks across my face, and for a moment, I thought I saw a crown hovering above myhead-like gold threads spun from the sun itself. My breathcaught. I blinked. Nothing. Just me, messy hair and my wornhoodie staring back.