The Locket

By Amanda Kessler

Chapter One

The whispers floated through the silent halls, students cowering behind others, lining the locker covered walls. Kyle knew it, and though the students didn't want to admit it, they knew she knew. It was her eyes. They changed colors. Purple some days, blue the next, and on very rare occasions red. In the first grade her parents told the teachers they were colored contacts, but when they started changing colors more rapidly and during the day Kyle's parents switched to saying that she had a rare disease that caused the pigments in her eyes to change. Only Kyle knew the truth, she was Gifted, not as in the abnormally smart way, but in the real way, she could see the future, read minds, respond mentally, move objects with her mind, and most important- cast spells.

But it wasn't just the eyes. When she was 10 she started having horrible nightmares, and they would come true, it came in handy- like the time she had saved her mother's life by telling her not to drive that day. Then came the unspoken sentences that Kyle could hear, the first time had been when she answered the teachers unspoken remark. And just recently she found her magic abilities. And people knew. They cowered in fear, afraid that she would snap and they would get hurt, and they were right to keep their distance, not because she was dangerous, because she couldn't ever let people get close enough to hurt her. Her best friends turned on her in the 4th grade when she started to see the future. They thought she was a freak. They made up horrible lies and stories about how she had hurt them or she would use her powers to hurt others. A grim smile flashed across her face as she realized that's how the Salem witch trials must have started. Another student hid.

Creep, stay away from us, just go back to whatever planet you came from! Nobody likes you!!

The funny thing was that most people just plain forgot that she could read minds. Or that she could communicate back. Red flashed in her eyes.

You know it's not very nice to say stuff like that to people!! She responded

The student flinched.

She didn't do anything more though. Today was her 17th birthday and her parents were known for giving outrageous gifts. She walked slowly to the bus stop, all the students in one big group and Kyle by herself. It was odd how they found safety in numbers because if she really wanted to hurt them then it would be easier to do in a big number, she would only have to cast one spell. She shook her head, she couldn't think like that, that's what got her kicked out of her old school. Even though the student was threatening her with a knife, and all she had done was stun him and take the knife, the principal didn't like her already and this was the perfect excuse to kick her out.

The big yellow monstrosity came barreling down the street, brakes screeching when it stopped. The students filed in filling up the front row, though only 2 students per seat they squeezed 3-4, the bus driver didn't say anything because he could feel the tension in the air. That was Ok with Kyle, it meant she got the back of the bus to herself.