I was ten when I realized that I didn’t actually kill him. I was walking home with some friends because my mom couldn’t pick me up. It was rare for me to walk, but I always had someone to walk with.

“Wow, check it out!” Todd cried out

The four of us gathered around to look at Todd’s discovery. It was a bird, laying on the ground with its legs in the air. But that’s not what I saw, at least not at first. The bird I saw, was still twitching heavily. It was trying to flap its wings and chirping pitifully. I heard the girls squeal as Todd poked at it with his stick that he’d found a couple paces back.

“Stop.” I scolded grabbing the stick from his hands

The bird’s light was dimming as I reached out to it. I just wanted to hold it, to help it, but the light dimmed, and it stopped twitching.

“You’re such a weirdo!” Todd said

I gulped as I came to and realized that I was willingly touching a dead bird. I looked to my friends and they all looked at me with disgusted faces.

“Why would you do that?” Missy whined

“I-uh-“

I couldn’t even finish my thought before I was on the ground. I looked up at my best friend who had pushed me, Austin Davidson. He had a very mean look in his eye as he towered above me. He crossed his arms and sneered at me. “You’re such a-”

“Fucking freak!”

I was fourteen when I first saw them. It was a boy, with short, curly brown hair. He was dressed in all white clothing that made him glow brightly. I was still lying on the ground from being pushed. I made no movement to get up and placed my hand over my chest as I watched him. He was outside of the coffee shop across the street. His hands were cupped around a wilted flower that’s been there for a while.

It looked like he was speaking to the flower. I couldn’t hear what he was saying but his smile was radiant as he removed his hands. I pushed myself up to rest on my elbows as the flower began to stand on its own.

“Wow.” I said softly as I stared in awe at the now alive plant

His hand snapped up as if he had heard me. He was looking directly at me with curious eyes, before tilting his head slightly. His gaze made me nervous, but I managed a wave. His glance hardened suddenly before he began speaking fiercely. I sat up fully as he had begun to step towards me. Suddenly a hand thrust into view, and I jumped back slightly.

“Hi! Sorry about those guys, they’re jerks.”

I looked up to a warm sincere smile, with the kindest set of brown eyes. I slowly took her hand in mine and let her help me up. Her skin was soft, but her grip was firm. She helps to dust me off as I stand on my feet.

“I used to date Tate, you know, the tall one. But I broke up with him. So, what did you do to end up on their shit list?”

Her name was Tasha. She had light brown skin and long curly brown hair. Her voice was light, and her laugh was airy. She was the sweetest and funniest person you’d have ever met.

“I’d rather not talk about it.”

“That’s fine.”

After that day, we quickly became best friends. We spent nearly everyday together and told each other almost everything. Which is why I took it pretty hard when I found out the secret she’d been hiding.

I was seventeen years old when she died. I was sleeping soundly when I was awakened by a bright light, like a flashlight shining in my face. I groan as I try to roll over in my bed but stumble as I realize that it would be impossible. I was no longer in my bed. I wasn’t even in my bedroom anymore. I blink a couple of times so I can get my eyes to focus on the surroundings in the dark room. This place feels familiar and I knew why. I was in Tasha’s bedroom, but she wasn’t.