I was twelve when it happened. When I was taken away.

Heavy, pearly clouds hid the sun from the earth. Buckets of rain were being dumped upon the small neighbourhood where I grew up. Violent winds threatened to bend trees too far as they howled in the air. Yet the bad weather didn’t stop me from talking a walk down to the river.

I slipped a coat and boots on, then exited the house. I immediately began to shiver, but I still yearned to be there, for some reason not within the grasp of my mind. Rain splattered the grass and my boots squelched as they stepped on the mud. I stuck my hands in my pockets and moved away from my street, aiming to go in the direction of the woods.

I couldn’t see any cars moving down the street. Within an hour, the trees of the woods were in my view and I slipped into them. The rain was lighter because of the shelter of the trees, but I still felt heavy raindrops on my red, wind-slapped cheeks. A few minutes passed and I found myself beside the rushing, foamy river.

Still shivering, I sat down on the grass and fingered around the grass for stones. My arm threw them into the river against my will. My brain seemed unable to take control of my body. For the last few hours it had been acting of its own accord.

When no more stones were within my reach, I stood up (again, against my will) and started to proceed further into the woods with this strange feeling, as if I needed to hide because I did something one would not approve of. But what was it? My question was answered almost immediately.

“Miss Stone?”

I didn’t turn around.

“What?” I said, but my voice sounded different to my own. It was slightly deeper and lacked any graciousness.

“I have some extremely sad news. Your… your parents were found a few hours ago in their bedroom… dead.”

I turned around to see a balding man with a tummy that threatened to rip out the buttons of its shirt. He had a squashed nose, like a pig, and his neck was hidden under a fat chin. Small beady eyes looked carefully at me. Then they opened in shock. He was frozen to the spot.

He gaped at my red irises and I smirked.

“I know. I did it.”

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