I am a witch

Fallon POV

Shock doesn't even cover the way I feel. I am in shock, but somehow it all makes sense now. I never felt like I belonged here. Mom, Dad, and Tad have always loved me and treated me like I belonged, but I knew I was different. I guess I am different from them. Did Tad know? I wonder if this is what my mother wanted to talk to me about when she came home from her visit with my aunt.

"We should find them," Bruce says as I walk out of my dad's office. He is still my dad, no matter what the papers say. He raised me. I am a Presley, and nothing will change that.

I stop and look at Bruce. "What do you mean?" I ask him. I know what he means, but I want to know why he thinks we should find them. What if they abandoned me and did not want to know me? I am sure there is a reason I was put up for adoption, and honestly, I don't think I can bear the reason right now.

Bruce drops the papers he is holding on the desk and rushes to me. "We should find your parents, your family, and see what they are like. Maybe they are looking for you. You never know. Maybe your mother was young and did what was best for you. You should find them, and I will help," Bruce suggests.

"I know who my family is. I do not need a piece of paper to tell me anything," I snap. I shake off the fear, the guilt, and the sadness. I hug Bruce. "I am sorry," I say as I let his arms wrap around me. I cannot take out my worry and frustrations out on Bruce. He is my friend.

"NO!  I am sorry. I only thought you might want to know who or why that is all. I would never want to dishonor your family, or suggest that they are not your family. I am only trying to help," Bruce says tenderly. Maybe I will want to know later, but not today.

"Maybe, but right now, I think I want to lay down and try to rest," I say.

I walk up the steps. "Don't leave. Please. I do not want to be alone," I say as I turn to face Bruce from the top of the stairs. I feel vulnerable and open to Bruce right now. I do not want to be here without him. I need him.

"I am not leaving you alone. I will sleep on the couch again tonight. If you need me, you know where I am," Bruce says. He walks away. I hope I didn't hurt his feelings. I didn't mean to hurt him or snap at him. It is too soon to think about another family out there. Maybe someday, just not today - not on the day I buried my family.

Right now, I have to figure out how to live without my family. I am almost 18 and way too young to be all alone in this world, here I am, alone. I guess I am not completely alone. I have Bruce in my life.

I go into my bedroom. My sheer curtains are blowing with the wind. I guess I left the window open again. I do that sometimes to listen to the rain. The rain brings me peace and tranquility and allows me to sleep. Sleep is something I need right now. I need rest, but I don't think I will sleep. I am afraid to dream.

I grab some pajamas out of a drawer. I look at the purple top and bottoms. My mother bought me these on a trip she took with my father last year. I didn't go because I wanted to stay home and be in a quiet house. I would give anything for the rowdiness right now. I miss them.

I put on the purple pajamas and put my dirty clothes in the clothes hamper. My mother will never do my laundry again. Funny how little things like laundry can make you sad, but the thought of her never touching my laundry again shakes me to the core.

I look at a picture of my mother and me from a Florida trip I took with them. I think this was my last trip. I pull the picture off the wall and pull it close to me. Tears begin to roll down my cheek again. I go to my knees, holding the picture. How will I get through this?

"Fallon," I hear a soft voice call out to me.

I stand up quickly and look around. I must be hearing things or sleepwalking or something. I am so tired. I walk over to my bed and lay the picture on the extra pillow in my bed. I take a deep breath and try not to cry anymore.

Before I get into bed, I close my window and pull the curtains closed. The night sky is starting to appear. It is still early, but I need rest. I walk across the floor to the bed and sit on the side for a moment. No more late-night kitchen cookies with my mother. It is only me now. I look at her picture on the extra pillow for a moment.

"Goodnight Mother," I whisper.

I cover myself with the fluffy purple comforter and roll over on my side. I begin to cry. I cry until I fall into a deep sleep. At least, I think I am asleep.

FALLON! A voice calls out to me. FALLON! I hear the voice again. I sit up in bed and look around. The window is open, and the rain is coming into my room. Three women come through the window and appear to me. I am not afraid. I feel some comfort in seeing them.

"Who are you?" I ask. I do not expect a response. I expect to wake up from this very vivid and very real dream.

Three women float across the floor to me. At least, I think they are floating across the floor to me. Two of them have long copper hair, like me, and the other has darker red hair. The three of them are breathtakingly beautiful. They all look alike yet different.

"Who are you?" I ask again. I still am not expecting a response from them. Maybe I should pinch myself and see if I wake up. No, I do not think I will be pinching myself. This is real. It has to be real or I am crazy.

The one in the middle with the darker red hair begins to speak, but her voice seems to be three voices. Are they all talking to me at once?

"We have come to help you, Fallon," they say.

I sit up in bed and look at the three of them. These women are my family. I know they are family. They look like me, but why are they floating? Why did they come through the window and not knock on the door? Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming. Are they dead?

"Help me. Why?" I ask.

The three women look at one another, then back to me. My room is growing warmer as they move closer to me. The rain is coming in harder, and I begin to breathe harder as they move closer. I am not scared, but not at ease either.

"We are your ancestry lineage. We are Anna, Onya, and Sonya. We hold your magic. You, my dear Fallon, are a witch. We hid you here to protect you, but now it is time for you to come home. Go to New Orleans, and find your uncles Zeb and Jeb Devour. They will help you. They will tell you everything," the three women say.

I sit in bed in shock for the second time today. My family is dead. I am adopted. Now I have three floating women in my room telling me that I am a hidden witch, and they hold my magic. They want me to leave home, go to a big city, find two uncles that I have never met and learn about my family. Yeah. Okay. Let me get right on that.

I am only 17. I cannot just leave school and work a few days after my parents died. I cannot go to a big city and snoop around looking for a family that I am not sure even wants me.

"Okay," I say in a whisper. I have no other response right now.

"You're stronger and more powerful than you know, Fallon. Go to New Orleans and find your true family. Find your calling and we will give you the magic that belongs to you," Anna says.

I watch as the three women float back out of my room. The rain stops, and the window closes. I have to be dreaming.  I lay back in bed and close my eyes. This is not real, I think as I go back to sleep.

I awake, remembering the dream. I shake my head and get out of bed. I am not a hidden witch; three red-haired women were not in my room last night. I must've been exhausted, crazy, or possibly both.

I step onto the floor, and it is wet. My floor is wet because the window was open when the three ancestors entered my room. The rain came in with them.  They really were here. I replay everything they said last night in my mind.

I walk across the floor to the window. I look out, not knowing what to expect. I doubt there are three ancestors sitting outside my window. The window is dry. I close the window and walk across the wet floor. I have to clean this up.

I go into my adjoining bathrooom and grab a towel to clean up the water. It hits me as I walk back to my room. Oh my goodness! I have another family. I have to go to New Orleans.

I am a witch!