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loud, to nobody in particular, as I raced down the long driveway. Wanting so badly to get it out of me, whatever it was, I screamed. Just one time, as loud as humanly possible. I screamed with my arms outstretched towards the cloudy sky and just let go of everything.
    With that scream, I felt it leave me. More than that, I saw it leave me. A purple wind, thick and cloudy, shot straight up and out of my hands and into the sky.
    Relief washed over me as I collapsed down to the concrete driveway. I took in the first good breath in what felt like forever, letting it soothe me completely. The stars, twinkling above so brightly, seemed to be laughing at me – or maybe cheering me on, I couldn’t tell which. They were brighter now than I could ever remember seeing them before and there wasn’t a single cloud left in the sky.
    I lay there and tried hard to remember the last few minutes that had passed.
    I shuddered at the memory of him . But this time, in my dream, I had enough good, or strength, or power, or whatever to make him leave. And when I woke, I still felt that same – something, but I managed to somehow make it leave.
    I laid there for what felt like forever, trying to figure out if this was still a part of my dream or if I had woken up in an episode of the Twilight Zone.
    I managed to get myself up off the ground, dusting small pebbles and leaves off my oversized shirt. Walking up to the sliding glass door at the back of the house, I saw my reflection for the first time since I had woken and gasped at the sight. Could that person actually be ME?
    I was pale, much paler than I had ever been before. I always had at least a tiny amount of a light tan color covering my naturally fair skin. Living in Texas helped with that. Not now. My eyes seemed to pop out of their sockets, and my face looked nearly gaunt. But wait, my usually dark brown eyes were different too. But how the hell could my eyes change color? What the hell was wrong with me? I’d heard that brain tumors could cause hallucinations and headaches. Maybe I should schedule an appointment with a doctor to get my head checked out.
    But first, I needed sleep. Before I would concede that I had gone certifiably insane or had a life altering illness, I was off too bed.
    As I walked back into my bedroom, I saw the red light of my alarm clock taunting me. Could it really only be 3:45 in the morning? I sighed and fell asleep wondering what tomorrow would bring.
     

    Chapter 2
An Old Friend
    “Mom, are you still asleep?” Samantha said to me as she shook me back and forth in an attempt to rouse me. “It is almost time to go to church. We are so going to be late!”
    “Yes. Yes, I am awake now. What time is it, Sam?” I mumbled, still half asleep.
    “It’s already 9,” she said, exasperated. Hearing the irritation in her voice made me laugh. She always acted so much older than she was.
    “Dang,” I said, rubbing my eyes harder than I should have. “Ok, why are you up already?” I had always been an early bird, and she was the exact opposite, a definite night owl. I always had a hard time waking her.
    “The phone won’t stop ringing. I can’t believe you didn’t hear it too,” she shouted at me, frustrated at my sluggishness. Again, her reaction was just too amusing.
    I sighed. No I hadn’t heard it. I hadn’t heard anything. Who would be calling this early in the morning on a Sunday? Climbing out of bed seemed a harder task than normal today, I was exhausted. I watched Sam run out of my room and into hers realizing that she was in the process of getting ready for church all by herself.
    How does the time slip by so quickly? I clearly remembered the cute, squishy, blue eyed, blond haired baby, who had just learned to sit up by herself. The exquisite angel that I would snuggle close to my chest every night. My own beloved, the one that needed me to live.
    “Is Dad coming this time?” she asked as she walked past my room on her way to the bathroom, only