I noticed that I was different a long, long time ago. These pictures started happening when I turned 8. That's when my mother found out she was pregnant with my sister, well, I told her. It was like pictures in a book, flipping those pages through my mind. I was sitting in the living room with a beautiful little girl on my lap. I told her that I saw another picture of my little sister writing her name, Cynthia, on a piece of paper. She was beautiful.

My mother ignored me until she started getting really tired and was putting on some ridiculous amount of weight. So she called the doctor and went to see him. That was when she was informed that she was 2 months pregnant. My mother then told father of what I had said about these pictures in my mind. He came to me and questioned me about them. I told both my parents that this was the first time I had these pictures. They told me that I need to stop lying and not to mention it ever again.

I continued to have these visions; that's what I called them and I never said a word about them. I knew the exact date that my sister was born and had everything ready for her. It was great having these visions, but sometimes I wish I didn't. I sometimes didn't see happy pictures, sometimes I saw bad things. Horrible things which I really needed to protect my family from but how do you when they didn't want to hear? One day in the winter I made them listen but to what cost?

I had a vision of a fire, which was going to start in the living room of our home. The fire that was started in the chimney that evening was not extinguished all the way. A hot cinder came out and landed on the couch. When I told my mother and father they ignored me. It was early morning, the day after my vision, when I woke up with another vision of my sister, Cynthia. She was trapped in our room due to the fire. No one could get to her. I jumped up out of my bed and grabbed Cynthia. I looked over the railing and saw that the fire had just started down stairs. I yelled at my father and mother's bedroom door when they came out, we got out of the house in time.

After that my father was concerned about me, and took me to several doctors to see what was causing these visions. He finally took me to our family doctor, Dr. Samuel Smith. He was a nice man, and he had a beautiful accent. He was born and raised in Georgia but moved here to Biloxi, Mississippi due to the growing city and the business of the gulf. Biloxi was very well known for their crab fishing and the great harbors.

Dr. Smith listened to my story of visions, examined me and then told my father that there was none physical signs of why this was happening. He explained to my father that he has heard of people like me. He said that there is a special hospital for people like me and that these visions would not get better, they would just keep coming and would get worse.

When we returned home, my father told me to sit in the living room, while my parents talked about me in a whisper in the hallway. Both my parents returned to the living room with sadness upon their faces. Then father hit me with a blow.

"Mary Alice, your mother and I have been talking and we think that you are in need of some help. That hospital that Dr. Smith was talking about…", but before he could finish I was crying and yelling at him.

"I don't mean to hurt you Papa. I just see these things and I try to stop them from happening. I don't know why I can't stop them but please don't send me away. I want to go to school and I want to be a nurse. Please Papa, don't do this. I won't see these visions anymore. I won't listen to them. I won't scary you anymore Papa. I won't scare mom or Cynthia anymore." I was crying so hard I don't really know how much of that dialog they actually understood.

"Okay, Mary Alice. Okay! We will give you one more chance. If you start scaring your mother and sister again,…I'm going to have to take you there. I will not tolerate this in my house. Do you understand?" "Yes Papa." I said to him through the tears. "Now, go to your room until supper. We will call you when it's ready."

I returned to my shared room with my sister and threw myself down on my twin bed. What am I going to do? I have tried to stop these visions but I just couldn't. They continued to come no matter if I try to focus on other stuff or nothing at all. I sighed and my little sister was at my side. "Mary Alice?" She asked in her little high pitch voice. She was still to young, my little 6 year old princess. "Yes, Cynthia?" I answered her back still glaring at the ceiling. "Thank you! Tell me what will happen tomorrow? Is there going to be anything exciting?" She loved to listen to my visions. She thought of them as stories and adventures. I used my visions with her as a calendar. What I see her doing at school and what will happen when she gets home. She loved hear about it. I sighed up at the ceiling and then rolled over on my side to look at my sister.

"I'm not aloud to talk about it anymore Cynthia. Papa and Mama are really scared of my stories. So we can't talk about them anymore. Okay?" I saw the sadness hit her eyes. She looked down at the floor and just nodded then sat on the edge of her bed. I turned and stared back up at the ceiling. Why is this happening to me? Why couldn't I just be normal? Why did I have to see these visions? I let out a loud sigh.

"Sis, are you okay?" Cynthia asked. "Yea Cynthia, I'll be alright." I turned my head and gave her a half-heartedly smile. That's when I noticed how much we looked alike. Yes, she was a blonde hair and blue eye beauty but she was just as tiny as me. She will probably be just as short.

I was only 4'10", petite, had brown spiky hair that was almost black with deep brown eyes. A lot of people told me that I looked like a little ballerina. I had thought a couple of time about going to a school and learning that skill but just never did. Maybe I should, maybe that would take my mind off things. I continued to think about that and then decided that I would give it a shot. What the hell, what's it going to hurt right? Learning something new and having some fun doing it. When I start back in the fall, I'll sign up for a dance class.

My mother called up the stairs, "Mary Alice! Cynthia! It's time for supper." Wow! It felt like I had just got up to my room. I turned and looked at my sister, with a big smile on my face and ran out the door and down the stair for supper.

It had been awhile since a vision, or at least I wasn't saying anything especially to my parents. I was still seeing them but nothing bad. They were just happy flashes, of my family and events that we were doing. It was hard to keep them to myself, but I was doing very well. Years had past with nothing said out loud about them.

It was middle of August, and school was going to start tomorrow. Things were looking up and I would be starting a new class for ballet dancing. I couldn't wait and was really hoping that it would help distract me from the visions.

That day I had a vision of taking Cynthia to play in the backyard on the swing. There was another vision, of us fishing on the dock down by our father's office. I told Cynthia to get dress and that we were going out for the day. Cynthia was starting to become a young lady, the age of 11 now. We were starting to have a little more fun now. We could dress up and do each other's makeup. We went running outside, playing and laughing just having a wonderful time together. We adventured down to the harbor after lunch. We did some fishing, and laughing. It was always entertaining to watch her with the fish. She didn't like the feel of them. I just laughed at her when she would squeal while I pulled the fish out of water and put it up close to her. She would always yell, "Get it away Mary Alice". Just like a little princess, which she was.

That's when I noticed the gentlemen standing in the shadow. All I could see what his gorgeous long blonde hair. I could tell he was wearing a suit that looked like it was a little too big for him. I stared at him for a long time just taking in his beauty of his silhouette and hair. That's when my sister Cynthia said, "Sis what are you looking at?" I blinked and the man was gone. Weird, I thought to myself. I had never seen that man before. I wonder who he was. Maybe I should ask father if he knew him. I didn't realize that I had stopped breathing for a moment. I took a big gasp of air when someone grabbed my arm. I snapped around and saw my sister's worried eyes staring at me.

"Sis, are you okay? Did you have another vision?" She asked in a whisper. "NO!" I yelled. "I just saw a man over there in the shadows that I thought I knew. That's all." I turned back to my pole and took off my fish to put back in the water to let it grow some more when I notice that there was a beautiful sunset off in the horizon.

"It's twilight sis. We better hurry, Papa will be home soon." I grabbed my little sister's hand and started walking towards home. We were not to far from the house but far enough that we had to hurry a little. When we came around the corner of the harbor, I saw the man again in the shadows. Was he following us? This is starting to get creepy. I picked up the pace with my sister yelling at me to slow down. When we reached the next corner, I looked but the man wasn't there.

"Hmmm…" I wondered. "What is it sis?" Cynthia asked. She really didn't like me keeping things from her. "It was nothing, let's just get home." I said in a very calm but worried voice.

Once we got home, supper was ready and father had just got home right after we did. I was still thinking of the man that I saw earlier. He was just watching us. My father noticed that I was distracted. "Mary Alice, you need to eat. What has your attention else where? You should be worrying about eating right now."

I then realized that I had not touched anything on my plate. I just moved all my food around on it. I had to ask him, "Papa? Do you know of any new people that came into town? I know it's hard for you to say with all the ships coming in and out of the harbor. I'm just curious."

He looked at me puzzled. "You wouldn't be curious about it unless you saw something or someone that you were not familiar with." He pushed on, "As far as I know no new travelers on the boats or at least the crews haven't told me. I haven't seen anyone that I didn't know down there. Why do you ask?"

My father was what they call a dock master. He is responsibility for directing the boat and directing his employees to get the supplies off the ship. He also helps place the supplies into a storage building to await the companies' pickups. He had a nice desk job, no dangers with his line of work.

I wondered how I could ask without them thinking I had a vision or that I have seen something strange. "Mary Alice, what is it?" My father asked looking impatient. Some time must have past since I first asked and his answer. "Oh well,…Cynthia and I were down on the boat dock and I saw this gentleman standing in the shadows near us. I don't remember ever seeing him down there. I just was wondering if you knew who he was." That sounded well, no details. It just sounded like I just saw him and then ignored him.

My father looked at me suspiciously. I knew what he was thinking, my visions were back. He sat there for a moment and then asked, "Did you see what he looked like?" Damn, I was hoping he wouldn't ask. "Well, he was probably 6 foot and had long blonde hair. He was wearing a suit, that's why I figured you might know him."

Father just stared at me. I didn't know what to do. Did I say too much? Is he thinking that I'm having visions again and they will send me away? I was starting to get uneasy until father spoke. "Hmm…, blonde you say? Wearing a suit?" I nodded to him. He turned and looked at Cynthia. "Did you see this baby?"

She looked at me but I didn't look in her direction. I didn't want father to think I was telling her to go along with it. Cynthia just nodded to father. "Hmm…" He said again. "I'll look into it tomorrow. I have to go in early anyway. There are papers that I need to get caught up. Hmm…blonde hair, man in a suit you say?"

I just nodded again and looked down at my food. I didn't know if he believed me or not. Since Cynthia agreed that she saw the gentleman, even though she really didn't, he might just believe. I owed Cynthia my life. She just saved me from going to that hospital.

The next morning was when my life changed. It was the day that everything that could go wrong, did. Everything that could go right did, eventually.

The rain had just stopped but they said that more was coming. It was very warm for this time of the year. I came down the stair of our two-bedroom home just humming to my self. As I came around the corner to the kitchen and saw my mother was making breakfast. That was when the vision hit me. It blocked my whole vision, so I couldn't see anything or everyone around me. I gasped, which then caught my sister and my mother's attention.

"Mary Alice, what is wrong?" My mother asked me. I don't know how long I was in this state. I didn't even notice that she was shaking me and screaming at me. Until I heard, "What's wrong?" Her hands on my shoulders, her face was red. Her eyes had the look of terror and rage.

"Cynthia, you can't go to school today! You are going to get hurt!" I shouted at my little sister. By that time my father had arrived, "What is all the commotion about?" My mother let go of me and glared. "Mary Alice is trying to scare Cynthia. I'm so tired of this!" She turned away from me and went back to her cooking.

"But mama……" I started to say but my father interrupted me. "ENOUGH! Mary Alice I don't want to hear another word. Stop scaring your sister." I knew that they wouldn't listen. My parents didn't believe that I could see the future. They have made it clear that if I said anything about my visions that I would be sent away. I was hoping though, since it has been so long, that they might listen to me. I guess not.

I let out a sigh while staring at my food. I had to try and figure out what to do. I had to stop this from happening, but how. I saw the vision of Cynthia getting hit by a car. The only thing I could think of was to talk to Cynthia and see if she would take another route to school. I sat there just staring at my food, not eating it. I was to busy planning out what to tell Cynthia when we went to get ready for school.

As I watched my sister walk up the stairs to get ready, I excused myself from the table to do the same. When I got up to our room I closed the door. "Please Cynthia, don't go to school today. Tell mama you don't feel good. Or take another route to school. Please, please, please, don't…" Cynthia yelled "STOP IT MARY ALICE!! They will take you away if you keep this up!" She was crying now. "I don't want to them to take you away!" Then she ran from the room.

I was to start a school today, but I couldn't focus. All I could see was that vision playing over and over again in my mind. What am I to do? I sat there as I heard whispers from down below. They were talking about me again. I sighed. Maybe I should just let it go. Just go to school and if something happens, it happens. My visions have been wrong before. Not by much, but they have been wrong. I sighed again. I looked around the room and saw pictures of my sister and me playing on the swing. There were pictures of us hugging and just being silly. I couldn't let anything happen to her, she is my princess. I had to do something and that's when it clicked, I'll follow her to school. I have enough time. When I see her getting to that point where the car hits her I just direct her elsewhere.

As I came down the stairs, I realized that Cynthia already left. "Oh, no!" I whispered. I ran out the door and went the direction she normally goes. I got about a ½ block when I saw it happen just like in my vision. I yelled for her, she turned to look at me but it was too late. The next thing I saw was her lying on the road. I ran to her and the gentleman in the car got out. I leaned down and felt her breath and she her chest rising. I called her name but she didn't answer. She was breathing! I sighed a little when I felt her breath on my face. I looked up at the gentleman and asked him to stay with her while I ran home. We lived not to far from town but far that not a lot of vehicles came down our road.

I ran as fast as I could. I got to the house and busted through the door. "Papa! Papa!" I yelled out of breath. "Papa, Cynthia's hurt!" Both my mother and father came out of the kitchen. "Mary Alice, enough of this!" He yelled at me. "Papa, I followed her to school and I saw her get hit by the car. She's breathing but she's not answering me. Papa, please hurry!!" I turned and ran out the door. I needed to get back to her. Why don't they listen to me? I wish they would, this would have been all avoided if they would have just listened.

The next thing I knew was I was lying on the ground in front of a car but no one was there. What just happened? Did I just loose track of time? Where is everyone? Why can't I hear anything? Next thing I knew is this vision came to me. I was in a dark room, then I saw my mother and father crying over a grave but I couldn't see the name on it. Then I heard something, "She must be in hysterics. Maybe I should slip her?" I woke up a little to that comment and blinked. That voice I know it, of course and then I said, "No thank you, Dr. Smith". I heard him snicker and then he asked if I was okay as I sat up.

"I think so. Where are Cynthia and my parents?" I started to look around from them and I felt pain on the back of my head. The only people that were there with me, was Dr. Smith and the deputy. I was trying to figure out this whole situation. Where are my parents and sister? What happened to me? Why does my head hurt? I guess I must have slipped and fell. I must have hit so hard that I blacked out or something.

Dr. Smith stared down at me; I then remembered that I was on the cold, wet ground. The cold felt good since it was starting to get hot but the wetness made me shiver. Dr. Smith asked in his Georgian accent, "What was the last thing you remember, Mary Alice?"

I knew better than to tell him about my visions. He was the one that recommended to my family to put me in some kind of hospital for crazy people. I just told him that I that didn't remember anything that it was all dark. "Hmmm…," he looked at me puzzled. "No visions, as you call them? No movies in your mind?" He pushed. "NO!" I said with probably a little to much force. "Hmmm…," he said again. "Well, I should take you to the office and make sure you are okay."

That's when I realized that he had not answered my question.

"Dr. Smith, where is my family?" He paused and then said, "Oh! They are with Cynthia, on the way to the hospital. They asked me to take you to them after I'm done making sure you are okay. "

I thought about this and something just didn't feel right. The deputy was standing there just watching me with anxious eyes. I had the feeling that he thought that I would snap at any moment. I don't know why he would think that. I wouldn't hurt a fly even if my life depended on it. I'm so tiny; the deputy could easily pick me up and throw me over his shoulder. He was at least 6'2" and close to 200lbs. As I looked at the deputy I said to Dr. Smith, "You're not taking me to your office, are you?" He stopped picking up his medical equipment and looked down at me. "What makes you think that Mary Alice?"

I knew what he wanted. He wanted me to tell him about my vision. I wouldn't, because I knew what would happen to me next. I just sat there on the cold, wet ground and stared at him. After, what felt like hours, he spoke again, "You have to be hot, I know I am. How about we go to my office and cool down? I can check you over and make sure you are hydrated and hurt in anyway. Then we can go see your parents and Cynthia. What do you say?"

I still didn't feel right about the situation. What if he was just trying to take me away for some experiment? What if my parents didn't tell him to take me? What if this is just a hoax to get me in the car and then he will take me to that hospital? I'm sure father and mother told him about the vision. What if he is telling the truth thought? I did want to see Cynthia and make sure she was okay. So what do I do? I sat there and thought about this for a moment and decided that I had to go. I needed to see Cynthia and if I had to go with Dr. Smith to get that, then fine. I just nodded my head and stood up. I was a little wobbly on my feet. Dr. Smith grabbed my elbow and helped guide me to his car. He opened the door for me to get in. I sat down and looked out the window after he closed the car door. That's when I gasped.

That blonde haired stranger was standing in the tree line near the accident. He was staring at me. I couldn't believe that he was there. He smiled when he saw that I saw him there. I could finally see him, this beautiful angel. He wasn't in a suit today. He was wearing what looked like work clothes. Something you would see metal works, or coal miners wear. The next I saw was his face. The skin was pure white, almost transparent with a strong jaw line. There was a slit angle to his nose, looked like he had broken his nose a few times. His lips where thin, due to the smile across his face. His eyes were a color I have never seen before. They were almost a garnet, they were beautiful. He was breath taking, this angel that stood in the shadows. I wanted Dr. Smith to see him and ask him if he might now who this stranger was. I was afraid that if I took my eyes off him that he would disappear. Then the stranger winked at me. What? Was that a wink? Then the stranger looked like he was laughing. What was so damn funny?

I continued to stare until I had to blink and when I did, he was gone. Then all of a sudden I felt pain in my left arm. I looked over at the doctor and he had a needle in my arm and was injecting me with something. His eyes were very sad and he just whispered in that gentleman voice, "I'm so sorry Mary Alice." Then everything went black.

Then I woke up and I was in a dark room. I couldn't move my arms. What is going on? Where am I? Am I asleep? Is this another vision? I blinked a couple of times trying to adjust my eyes and to make sure I wasn't dreaming or wasn't a vision.

"Hello?" I called out to the darkness. I saw a little square shape up ahead, that had some light coming from it. I blinked a couple more times to get my eyes to focus on that square. "Hello? Can anyone hear me? Where am I? Where is my family? Hello? Someone please answer me!"

I heard a bang and the door open. The light coming in was so bright that it hurt my eyes. I was squinting to see who it was standing in the door. All I could see was a silhouette of a person. Then this beautiful voice came from that black silhouette, "Good morning Mary Alice. Welcome to Mississippi State Lunatic Asylum."