Cyber Fairy 17: Hello! And thanks for deciding to give this story a shot. I worked very hard on it, so please R&R when you’re done! Also, a few notes you should be aware of………

Okay, so I hate to do this, because I like it better when my stories are more mysterious and answers to questions are in later chapters or just expressed how they are without explaining it, but because of a few complaints and questions about it I will explain what some of this means. ( More authors notes about this might be added on in later chapters, if this story gets enough reviews so I’m inspired to continue : sweatdrop :).

Italics in Flashbacks.: First of all, Flashbacks are clearly expressed, just so you know. But when there are italics that seems to interrupt flashbacks, there is a pause signaling the before and after of the “ interruption ( AKA flashbacks within the flashback )” shown as this : ………

Usually, when this happens the person who is looking back into a Flashback are thinking about another thing that is inspired by the flashback, like a previous conversation that is separate of what’s going on in the regular flashback itself. It WILL most likely be a conversation ( unless stated otherwise ), and probably no other details to accompany it, to make it simple and less confusing. If this doesn’t make sense, please refer to this when you get to the proclaimed “ flashback within the flashback.”

This story contains: Some angst, a little bit of mystery, maybe something a but spiritual……… stuff like that.

Rating may go up: I’m not sure yet, but it might hit the PG13 mark.

Alright! Enough talk! On with the story.

Introduction: What Used to Be My Life.

January 22nd

10th Journal entry.

1 month since the accident, 4 weeks since I’ve been out of a coma.

Journal: 3 weeks old.

Dear reader,

When I had my family, it consisted of my parents, my brother Sam, and my sister Christine. We came from a good family, but the kind where you family expects you to always be ‘ perfect’, ‘proper, and ‘neat.’ I didn’t mind it—too much. I was the daydreamer, never really paying attention to my parent’s wishes. They tried, did everything they could; bribed me, punished me, and even tried to negotiate with me to get me to act at least remotely responsible and respectful—especially to them. I never realized that—I ignored them, and looking back now, I regret it. Hey, I was only ten at the time, and the little ‘ rebel’, unlike by brother and my sister.

Also, I used to always believe in magic and fairies and the like, and thought everything would be fine, and that I’m being watched over by some sort of supernatural being or another. My parents thought it was nonsense, so most of the time I had with them I would just lock myself into my room and be isolated for hours on end. My parents—well, I think they gave up on me after awhile.

I’m thirteen now, and I remember how much I had, how good it used to be, and how much I took for granted and never even bothered to say ‘ thank you.’ How much more foolish could I have been? ……… Anyway, back in those days, my family thought that for something to be gained, something with equal value must first be returned, and that that was the world’s first, and only, truth.

Looking back now, I think maybe, they were right after all.

………But, with them gone, now what………?

I wish I had more answers, so now, I will try to look for them. But how?

Sincerely,

Katie ( Kate ) Rodgers.

Chapter One: New Visitor, Old Memories.

A white door opened very slowly, creaking a bit, creating some of the only sound in the room. Once opened, it revealed a small hospital room. Inside was a white bed with white woolen sheets. The bed itself was propped up, showing a girl with long fair hair, writing in what seemed to be a spiral notebook/journal. The girl occasionally looked out the windows, then scratched something on the notebook paper.

The curtains to the window were drawn back (but the window itself was closed), allowing a few dulled rays of sunlight that pierced through the clouds waft throughout the room. Snow glittered outside; a light frost, creating a scene of endless white sparkles that shined in a rainbow of colors like diamonds everywhere; on the ground, on the cars, on the buildings, and on a few gnarled apple blossom trees outside.

Looking back inside there was also a side table, containing a desk lamp, a bouquet, tons of get-well cards, some gifts, and wrapping paper here and there. But most of the presents were still un-opened, most of the cards untouched.

The bouquet was set in a beautiful glass vase and had red, yellow, and pink roses in it, but it had begun to decay; the table underneath was littered with wilted petals.

Then, the door opened up all the way, and in stepped a nurse, in her late twenties, carrying some fresh sheets. She walked over to the girl’s bedside, and spoke as she began to change the girl’s sheets.

“ Kate, you have a visitor.”

Katie looked slowly up from the journal she was writing in from her hospital bed, stopping in mid-sentence, the scratch of pen on paper now silenced. She stared at the nurse for a moment, taking in what she had said.

“ Kate,” the nurse said again, looking up from her work, worried after she received no response from the solemn girl in the past ten seconds, “ would you like to see them?”

Katie sat up, and gave the nurse that blank stare she wore so often, so unlike her former cheerful self.

Finally, Kate sighed, and took her eyes off the nurse, laying back down with a quiet thump! on her hospital bed, staring at the ceiling as the sheets fell into alignment around her now dangerously skinny and frail body.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Kate answered the nurse, but still stared at the whitewashed ceiling,

“ Visitor?”

“ Yes,” the nurse said hurriedly. “ It’s a friend of yours. Her name is Carie, I believe? She’s waiting outside the door.

“ Carie?” Katie knew that name, but it sounded so strange on her tongue.

“ Mmmhmm.”

With that, the nurse placed more sheets on Katie, and took away the ones that she had removed a minute ago. When she had reached the doorway, she turned and said,

“ I will tell her to come back another time, if you want.”

“ No,” Katie said, her voice firm, but barely above a whisper. “ I want to see Carie.”

“ Alright,” The nurse said, her voice trying to be fairly cheerful, but uncertainty was clearly plastered on her face.

As the nurse stepped outside Katie’s room, she was met with a girl standing patiently in the hallway, staring at the ground, holding some flowers and what looked like an invitation. The girl, which the nurse immediately recognized as Carie, was a petite young lady, with short, auburn hair, large blue eyes (rimmed by glasses), and was wearing a sun yellow shirt and a denim skirt. She looked up at the nurse, worry reflected in her eyes.

“ Any changes, nurse?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, for fear of the answer.

The nurse gave her a nearly dead look.

“ I’m afraid not,” she whispered back. “ She is recovering, slowly, but we fear there may have been damage to the brain and nervous system. She can’t walk, and is slow on reaction time. She is waiting for you inside. She wants to see you, but make it quick; she fatigues easily now.”

“ Thank you,” Carie whispered again, looking back at the floor. And without another word, and without another glance at the nurse, she walked inside.

Carie wasn’t too surprised to find her best friend fast asleep in her bed. The nurse DID say that Katie fatigued easily.

Carie eyes filled up with pity as she gazed at Katie’s frail form. She watched as Katie’s breathing slowly heaved her chest up and down, each rasping breath racking her body. Cautiously, afraid she would wake her, Carie crept over to the nightstand and placed her gifts on it, noting all the other unopened gifts.

Noticing a plastic chair folded up against the far wall, Carie snatched it up and pulling it up to the hospital bed, she sat, occasionally glancing outside or around the room, but she mostly just watched her slumbering friend………

---Flashback---

“ Hey, is Kate home?”

Carie stepped onto the white porch and had knocked on the screen door, hair (which at the time reached her waist) rippling gently in the breeze.

………

“ Why did you cut your hair, Care-care?”

“ Hey! Don’t call me that, Katie.”

“ Well?”

“ I just wanted a change…”

………

It was a beautiful summer day; humid and warm, but with a slightly cool breeze accompanying it. Rays of sun filtered gently through the trees in the nearby yards, casting bands of sunlight to dance on the porch. Flies, cicadas, and lawn mowers buzzed, hummed, and clicked all around her.

A girl, who looked about fifteen, had answered the door. She also had long auburn hair, but her eyes were small and black. She had arched eyebrows and high cheekbones and ugh! too much mascara on. She wore a yellow and pink flower-printed skirt, sandals, and a plain white tee. When she spotted Carie, her eyes narrowed and she asked suspiciously, “ Who are you?”

………

“ Is your sister always so………mean-spirited, Kate?”

“ No, she’s just overly protective, like my dad. Give her a break.”

………

“Carie. Katie’s friend. I live three blocks down. You’re Catherine, right?”

“ Yes.”

“ I was wondering if she could come out and play. She rarely comes outside often, and I’m bored.”

“ No, she can’t. She’s up in her room and busy, and can’t come out right now,” Catherine said briskly, turning away. And Carie could’ve sworn she’d muttered under her breath “ Stupid girl won’t stop wasting her days and daydreaming about supernatural stuff and the like.”

“But……… wait! Please! Can’t you just ask her? It’s a beautiful day!” Carie pleaded, reaching out for the doorknob to the screen door.

“ What’s going on out here?”

It was Sam. He reached the door and looked at both girls standing there. He then focused his gaze on Catherine.

“ Cath, are you harassing Katie’s friends again?”

“ No!” Catherine said, placing her hands on her hips and looking indignant. “ She just has work to do, so she can’t come out and play! Besides, all she does is lock herself up in her room anyway.”

Sam turned his gaze on Carie.

“ Sorry, Katie’s friend. Catherine doesn’t like it when sis goes out to play. Our parents are very proper, even though we live in a small, carefree, community and open idea-based town. I don’t really listen to them either. Please, come in. I’ll go get sis.”

………

“ Your brother sure is nice. He kinda reminds me of you.”

“ Really? Well, I guess we have a lot in common. He cares for me and supports my ideas the most. I trust him with my life. I wish my parents would accept me for how I am.”

“ Why don’t they?!”

“ I don’t know. I guess they want them to be like me, but I don’t like to be controlled.”

“ Is that why you spend most of the time in your room?”

“ Yep! (giggles) You’ve got me all figured out.”

………

As Carie sat down at a table in the simple, un-lit (except for the rays of sun filtering through the window), yet pretty, kitchen, she watched rainbows dance across her fingers, until she felt someone entering the room. Looking up and adjusting her glasses, she saw a girl with long fair hair done up in two ponytails (one on either side of her head, with rest of the hair hanging down), a huge grin plastered on her face, and hands on her hips as she saw the sight in front of her. Twirling around, the former Katie reached Carie and pulled up a chair next to her. With still a big goofy grin plastered on her face, she sat down propped her elbows up on the wooden table and gazed at Carie with the excitement of a little child.

“ Heya! So, what are we gonna do!? I was getting bored in my room anyway, and the summer heat isn’t all bad.”

“ Speak for yourself,” Carie retorted, pretending to fan herself. “ I’ve been outside just about all day. It’s also near the peak of noon, so why don’t we eat something here, play in the park or something, and then get smoothies at the local store?”

“ Sounds good to me,” Katie grinned, and got up, rummaging through the refrigerator.

“ Bologna sandwich sound good to you?”

“ Yep!”

Reaching inside the refrigerator, Katie got all the necessary items, and began to make it on the countertop by the sink, her back to Carie. The window was open, and birds chattered happily outside of it.

“ So………” Katie said as she slathered mayo on her sandwich, her back still turned to Carie, “ What’s new?”

“ Nothing much……… I was bored so I thought I’d come over. Catherine was being mean again.”

“ Don’t listen to her,” Katie retorted. “ She enjoys being stubborn about things. She not that bad of a person, though.”

Katie, by then, had finished making the sandwiches and sat down beside Carie, and handed her a sandwich, and began to work on her own.

“ There, chow down and enjoy.”

“ Thanks, Kate! And.……..mmm delicious! You really know how to cook, you really should enter a contest sometime.”

“ Really? You think so?” Katie said, her mouth full, and wonder in her eyes.

“Yep! And eww……… you like mustard on your sandwich?!”

Katie swallowed her food and laughed, a cheerful laugh that echoed around the room, and bounced off the walls.

“ Yeah. I’m the only one who likes it, besides my dad. You should try it sometime”

“ Ick. No thanks.”

Katie soon finished off her sandwich.

“Done?” She asked.

“ Yep,” Carie answered, finishing the last bite. “ It was delicious, thanks!”

“ Anytime,” Katie answered, fishing up both empty plates, and heading over to the sink. Dumping them in, she quickly splashed some water from the tap on it. Reaching in the cabinet under the sink, she quickly dried her hands on the towel that was there.

“ So…… ready to go?”

“ Yeah! Let’s go!”

Katie laughed again, and grabbed Caries hand excitedly, began to drag her towards the front door.

“ Hey, Cath, me and Carie are leaving now!”

A grumble from a nearby room was the only answer.

Once outside, Carie was once again blasted with a shot of warm air.

“ Sheesh. Does this endless heat ever end?”

“ Wait ‘till you see winter,” Katie joked, hopping down the stairs of the porch and out of the shade. As she hopped down the short driveway and onto the hot pavement of the street she grabbed her sandals and made short work of them. Walking calmly on the hot pavement, barefoot, with sandals in one hand, she looked over at Carie, who was still in the safety of the shade on the porch, staring at her as if she was crazy.

“ Come on,” Katie called. “ Don’t just stand there! Let’s go! The store’s this way!”

“ H-how can you do that?” Carie almost shrieked as she caught up to Katie, who was happily skipping down the street, humming tunelessly.

“ It’s easy!” She replied. “ Come on, try it! Please? ” She flashed Carie her famous puppy-dog eyes.

“ Ah! Okay, okay! I’ll do it, I’ll do it! Just stop it with the eyes!” Carie yelled in defeat, throwing up her hands to shield her eyes from Katie’s puppy eyes of doom, leaving Katie smirking in victory.

“ Eek! Hot!” She yelped, when her bare feet hit the pavement. She skipped from one foot to the other, trying to avoid the blistering concrete.

“ Haha,” Katie said, grinning. “ You’ve been here for 5 years, and you STILL aren’t used to the hot pavement?”

“ You’re crazy!!” Carie replied as she glared at her best friend, who still stood calmly on the pavement, silently taunting.

“ Maybe, but for now, if it’s so harsh, walk on the grass for all I care! I’ll catch you later,” the still smirking girl said. And with that, she took off down the street and down the hill.

“ He-hey! Wait up!” the other abandoned girl yelled after her friend’s retreating back.

No answer, just laughter.

Sighing and grumbling all the way, Carie followed her way-too hyper friend.

………

“ Hey, what did you get on your paper?”

“ You mean the one where each of your classmates puts something they think you’re good at/ like about you?”

“ Yeah! That’s the one!”

“ Ummm……… I got admirable, athletic, nice, caring, cool, outgoing, and a few others. But I’m not really like that!”

“Katie, you underestimate yourself. I swear, you’re way to humble at times!”

“ So?”

“ So……… don’t be afraid to be who you are!”

“ But I don’t see myself as that, so how can they?”

“ Katie, I know I sound like our Guidance teacher, but you are very creative and more. People look up to you. If you lost everything, I bet you would be the person who could keep it together the most.”

………

---End Flashback---

Carie sighed, remembering all the good times they had together these past summers. It was amazing how in one moment, everything changed.

As she was brooding silently on her thoughts, the only sounds were feet going through the hallways the slow tick tock of the clock on the wall.
Then, out of the blue, Kate’s eyes snapped open and she sat up with a start.

Blue eyes widened as the girl in the chair snapped out of her reverie and jumped up with a start, knocking the chair over, then wincing at the crashing noise it made on the floor.

Leaning down and picking up the fallen chair, Carie looked up and froze.

Katie was facing her, but she had blank stare; one that seemed to pierce through the other girl who was staring right back.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Katie opened her mouth, out came a rasping whisper; so quiet, Carie almost didn’t hear her.

“ Who………who are you? And what are you doing here?”

Carie stared, her eyes wide, and her mouth hung open.

“ ………WHAT?!”