My vision went from black, to a blinding light that had me shrinking away from the hands that gripped me, hands that were not very gentle. With the light came an overwhelming blast of cold air that numbed my senses, and it settled around me like an impenetrable blanket. The sudden change in environment, along with the confusion as to what was happening to me, caused a loud wail to rip from my throat.

Although muffled, I could hear voices around me, I just wasn't able to make out what they were saying. I could hardly see, either, only blurry figures standing about. Someone wrapped a blanket around me, in what seemed to be the color pink. A cool cloth was wiped across my face, and I huddled into the blanket to try to keep warm.

The cold was slowly replaced by the warmth from the blanket, and my wails quieted to a whimper. A voice I didn't recognize, that was oddly soothing, got louder as I was placed into something uneven but comforting. I could tell it was a woman's voice, and she was whispering sweet nothings as she cooed to me.

With all my might, I opened my eyes as wide as I was able to, and took in the white walls and tiled ceiling, stopping to rest on the sweat drenched face in front of me, looking at me with pride in her eyes. I paid no attention to the figures around me, zeroing in on the woman in front of me.

Her face, although drenched in sweat, was beaming down at me in pride. Although she was panting from exertion, she didn't seem to mind, and it didn't hinder her beauty at all. Her plump lips revealed straight white teeth, with a small gap in between her two front ones. Her hazel eyes had tears in their thick lashes as she looked down on me in pride. She was a dark haired beauty, and I stopped my crying as I stared at her in awe.

"My sweet angel," She murmured, and a man's face popped into my line of vision.

The man's hair was long, and tied back away from his friendly face. His brown eyes held the same pride the womans did, and as he smiled, I noticed all the laugh lines that had to have been acquired from years of happiness.

The man said something that I didn't catch because I was starting to panic. I had no idea who these people were, or why I was here. The last thing I remembered was lying on what had obviously been my deathbed, with loved ones surrounding me as I took my final breath. Had someone kidnapped me? No, that wouldn't make any sense, no one would kidnap an eighty-four year old woman.

In my panic, I vaguely registered being taken out of the comforting arms of the brunette beauty, and whisked out of the room. I felt something jab into me, and I lost consciousness.

-o-

When I awoke again, my thoughts were a bit more clear. It was easy to see that I was in an incubator, ones that newborn babies were placed in. Which, after I lifted my arm and saw its infant size, lead me to the next conclusion that I had been reborn into a new life. That realization, of course, sent me into yet another panic, which lead me to once again being poked and prodded with needles until, eventually they realized nothing was wrong with me.

Once I had gotten a control on my emotions, the doctors deemed me able to go home with who would be my new family. I stayed in the hospital for three weeks while doctors attempted to figure out the problem, but the woman and man visited me every day. They also would bring along three other children with them, a boy and two girls. All of them had the same russet skin, the same skin that I now had. I felt myself growing attached to them all, a love blossoming for them the same I had felt for my past family.

When I was taken home, I learned that my mothers name was Sarah, and my fathers name was Billy; my siblings were Jacob, who was a year and a half older than me, the twins Rebecca and Rachel, who were four years older than me.

When I first arrived home, there was a rather large welcoming party. Throughout the evening I heard the names of most everyone; the Clearwater's, the Ateara's, the Uley's, and the Swans. Several times, while being passed around from person to person, I almost panicked again from the overstimulation, but managed to stay calm, not wanting to go back to the hospital.

Then, once I had been handed to my mother, I reached out and held onto her long hair as tightly as I could in my infant state, and nuzzled into her chest in an attempt to stay in her arms. I let out a coo of delight when she brought me up to her face, rubbing her nose against my tiny one, and apparently that was adorable because everyone in the vicinity 'awwed' audibly. I was content to stay in her arms for the rest of the evening, which I did.

Sarah had wanted me to be breastfed, but since I wasn't a normal newborn and felt uncomfortable about feeding from my mother's breast, I refused until finally I was given a bottle in order to eat. I believe she used her own breastmilk, but that didn't bother me too much.

In this new family, they were very social. The Swans would come over regularly for dinner, or we would go to their house, and the Clearwaters more often than not would join us. They all loved to fuss over me, and there was hardly a moment when I wasn't in someone's arms.

Yet, as everyone knew, I preferred my mother over anyone else. When I would start to get annoyed, they would bring me right to Sarah, and I would calm down. I wasn't sure why exactly Sarah calmed me so much, as I wasn't this attached to my mother in my last life.

Which brings me to wonder why, exactly, I was reincarnated. My last life hadn't been anything spectacular. In my last life, I was born as Magdalena Winona, in the year 1905 to very wealthy parents, ones who felt giving money in place of love was the best thing to do. It wasn't because I had grown up as a lonely only child searching for someone to fill the void in my heart. That was a simple way of saying I slept around a lot. Eventually, I found out I was pregnant and ended up marrying the father in order to avoid bringing shame onto my parents. Of course, he wasn't objective to marrying me, since I was wealthy. Other than that, I was rather plain looking with a high sex drive. I ended up having three other children, and eventually died surrounded by my children, grandchildren, and husband.

Then for some reason, I was now reborn as Rayna Jane Black, a member of the Quilette tribe. In my last life, I had been pale as paper, so it was both refreshing and a shock to have darker skin.

ages 0-1

My new family was loving, loud, and everything I had lacked in my last life. Perhaps this was the way of God fixing the lack of love from my first time around.

Sarah was an amazing artist, and often painted the scenery outside while I watched with wide eyes from my high chair, the sounds of Rebecca and Rachael running around the house while Jacob attempted to keep up with them on his little legs being the background noise. The house was rarely ever quiet.

Sarah also loved to sing, and did so quite often. Sometimes, when Billy came home after work, he would join in with his awful voice and everyone would laugh, and then he would spin Sarah around the kitchen, smiles on both of their faces. Since I hadn't yet developed too many motor or language skills yet, all I could do was wave my fists, smiling and cooing to show my happiness. It was frustrating not being able to form coherent sentences, when in my mind I had the same abilities as my mother and father.

Not being able to speak was frustrating, but not being able to walk was worse. It was great to be carried from place to place, but when I wanted to go from my highchair to the floor, or vice versa, I was on my own until someone noticed. Not being mobile was very annoying very quickly.

Although I couldn't talk, and Jacob couldn't understand much, since he was only two, he seemed to understand I wanted to walk very badly. Often, when I was on the floor for 'tummy time', he would shakily stand up, and deliberately walk a few feet, keeping his eyes on me the whole time. Then, he would plop down in front of me, and do it over and over again until he got tired. I figured that was his way of trying to teach me to walk.

With my determination, I was able to stand up and take two steps on my own with Sarah and Billy watching me and cheering me on within five months of being born, and from then on I explored my little house as much as I could.

A few weeks after my first steps, the Clearwaters had their second baby, who they named Seth. He was a small little thing, even smaller than I had been, which was saying something. He and I would have playdates, which meant his mother Sue would drop him off on her way to work, since Sarah worked on her art from home, and then either her or his father Harry would pick him up.

Jacob was very interested in Seth, and liked to poke his cheeks and play with his arms. This would cause Seth to cry, and then Jacob would have to leave the room Seth was in since he wouldn't behave.

Rachel and Rebecca enjoyed playing dress up, and whenever possible, they would dress me up with them. One time, they put makeup all over my face, and although I knew it was harmless, my infant instincts kicked in and I started wailing. Sarah yelled at them, and she rarely ever yelled, so they never did it again.

A day before my first birthday, I said my first word. Everyone, including myself, thought I would have said some variation of the word mother, but instead, I said "Paint."

I had been watching Sarah paint woodland creatures, and wanted to paint something of my own. I apparently wanted it so intensely, that I demanded paint for myself. Sarah had been thrilled and surprised, but I wasn't able to paint because she didn't have any that was lead free at the time.

My first birthday was loud and happy and full of love, surrounded by family and friends, and I could tell that would be the theme for the rest of my days to come.

trying out my first reincarnation fic, and I'm really feelin it. I have the next three chapters written already, and ill post the next one if you guys like this one. lemme know what you think in a review :)

-TheFlyingGraysons