HAZY DUSK

Roxie’s eyes opened the next morning to the comforting sight of her bedroom surrounding her, which calmed her little heart, behind her ribs. Still breathing, it received the message her eyes sent and with a sigh of relief she sat up, stretching her legs out in front of her on the bed. She wasn’t sure why her heart needed this message from her eyes or why her lungs exhaled such relief; her eyes just blinked. She was slightly confused. As she walked down the stairs, she left her fingers to trace unseen trails on the staircase. Roxie’s feet quietly touched each step until she reached the bottom; she was careful to leave her parents asleep upstairs in their room. She entered the kitchen and put the kettle on to make herself some coffee. As she sipped her warm coffee, heat trickled inside her, spreading confidence into her heart. Therefore, she put her jacket on, and opened the door. She stepped out of the house and walked. I have enough time to go for a walk before college starts, she concluded. Roxie couldn’t hear anything; she was expecting to, but at the same time she wasn’t certain whether she wanted to or not. She kept on walking, very slowly. She pulled her hood up and studied every movement on the road. The task was easy, as everyone was still asleep and there was hardly any noise. Before her thoughts could wander further, Roxie heard a noise that she recognised. It was one that she thought she had heard before. She suspected, but was not definite, that it was the baby’s voice. As she moved in the direction of the sound, it became clear that it was the sound of a baby, a crying baby— the exact same baby. She blinked and found herself hurriedly chasing the baby’s voice. The baby wasn’t to be found anywhere near her— she walked a long distance, as it took her about fifteen minutes till she stopped. Although the baby was far away, she was still able to hear it. She passed through wood after wood, yet the baby was out of sight. Like before, Roxie felt the baby calling only her. She, however, didn’t know a baby around this area. So, how come the baby knew her? And how could a baby still be out there, on his or her own? She continued walking towards the voice when, abruptly, the voice stopped. Our thoughts… Disappointed, Roxie walked to college the next day, dragging her feet until she reached the college gates. She was thinking, unbreakably, about the events of the previous morning. Why did the baby stop crying? I was almost there!— the loud school bell cut through her thoughts, prompting Roxie to rush to class. Seated soundlessly at the back of the class, she let her mind take her and her thoughts away once again. She didn’t feel good enough to sit with her classmates; if either Taylor or May had been there, she may have sat with them. Without either of them, she took the chance to let her mind wander. Meanwhile, the teacher introduced a new girl to the class. Unlike the other students, Roxie gazed out the window by her desk, uninterested in meeting or even glancing at the new student. As the day went on, her thoughts were constant and her head kept spinning. Luckily, the chaos in her mind was visible to no one. Are you okay? Her eyes blinked and blinked, uncontrollably. A shiver of fear rushed through her body. Surely, it wasn't the baby, but who else could she have heard and how? She turned around to glance at everyone in the classroom, but no one else seemed to have heard anything. Just then, her English teacher asked the class to quietly read the textbook they were studying. Roxie sighed with relief and looked down at her textbook, but she was not able to neither read nor move her head at all. She heard the voice again. Oh, sorry, I must say hello first. Roxie froze, her head spun even faster and not just on the inside this time— she could even feel her head rocking from side to side. “Are you alright, Roxanne?” By then her teacher had noticed too and was looking straight at her. Roxie nodded in reply to her question. “Do you need to go to the school nurse?” The teacher asked again. “No, I’ll be fine. Thank you.” Roxie replied and rested her head, laying it down on her desk beside the textbook. She closed her eyes and swam into her thoughts. Who are you...? She didn’t have to wait long. The voice answered more gently than before. I suppose you know nothing about yourself… Roxie kept her eyes closed, shutting out everything around her— but what was there to shut out? Everyone was quiet. She decided to squeeze her eyes shut even tighter, swimming deeper into her thoughts. Of course I do, what do you mean ‘nothing’...? Your powers— you have powers that you don’t know about… What? We’re not living inside a book or a fairy tale. I’m not a superwoman— I know that for sure. The voice laughed, only quietly. Roxie opened her eyes to look around her; is it possible that no one has overheard their conversation? Then the voice answered again. Of course, but I think there are a few things you don’t know about yet. I can help you, if you want… But who are you? Why can’t I see you?