Everything started when I was struck by the train.

I awoke screaming, startled, and afraid. I fell out of my bed and onto my floor. My bedroom was small, fitting a bed and a few dressers. My clothes were tossed all over the room. Light poured through the closed window.

I got to my feet, my head spinning. I couldn’t remember my dream but I knew it was important. I groggily made my way over to my dresser. It was messy and clothes were overflowing in the drawers.

The top of my dresser was riddled with junk. I pushed a few nicknacks onto the ground, including a “Happy 18th Birthday” card from my grandmother. I noticed it and smiled because it was from her.

I stared into the mirror, my eyes were wide and my brain was still rattling from waking up startled. My hair curled down to my shoulder in a lion’s mane. It stuck out so far it was as if it wanted to escape. I picked up a hairband and put it on my wrist while I attempted to tame it. After a failed attempt I took the hairband and put my hair back into a ponytail revealing my left eye.

*Knock Knock*

“Anna!” my mother called from outside my door. “You need to leave in 15 minutes or you’ll miss your train!” I ran to my door quickly before I could finish my hair.

“There you a-” My mom stopped, her eyes focused on my ponytail. A worried look fell over her face. It was as if anxiety just flipped a switch and now the world was going to end.

She looked just like me, a little older, definitely wiser, but the similarities were striking. Deep tan skin, golden blonde hair, and a medium athletic build. She looked very young, and many people confuse her with my older sister.

“Is everything okay?” she stared directly into my dead eye. I instinctively covered it, recoiling out of shame

“Yes,” I said quickly. “I’m sorry, I just woke up. I feel disoriented.” She held a concerned look on her face.

“Anna, you don’t have to hide it from me.” She referred to my dead eye as an ‘it’. I scowled. “I think you’re beautiful no matter what.” Her bright smile returned, but I wasn’t convinced.

“I hate it just as much as you do!” I snapped quietly without much thought. “I’ll be out in a minute.” I shut my door in her face.. I felt kind of bad. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so rude. It wasn’t fair though! It’s not like I don’t hide my dead eye every day of my life. She doesn’t have to point it out like it’s some disease...

I walked back over to the mirror on the other side of my room. I stare at my left eye. It was completely white, with just barely any shade of green shining through. I tore out my hairband and put it down on the dresser. My hair naturally fell into a position that completely covered my left eye. My hair was still a complete mess, but I really didn’t care anymore.

I opened the drawer, grabbing some jeans and a shirt. “Dark blue it is, I guess.”. I changed out of my pajamas and applied some thick black eyeliner before leaving my room. It had already been 10 minutes. I lazily tracked through the main hallway of my one-story house grabbing my backpack and my duffle bag filled with foils and other gear. I headed for the door for my train but my mom stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

“Forgetting something?” She said, and I turned around. My mom was smiling. Her smile would normally comfort me, but then I remembered what she had said about my eye. I scowled again. I know she didn’t mean it but it still hurt. She held out my phone with her hand.

“Thank you.” I managed under my breath. My voice filled with disdain. I grabbed my phone and headed out of my house. I thought about running, but with the number of things I had to carry it really wasn’t worth running all the way to the train station.

I kept a brisk pace on my way to the station, passing buildings and food stops. My stomach growled as I passed my favorite breakfast place, but I didn’t have the time to grab anything. I growled ever so softly as mixed feelings hit me about missing breakfast.

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My phone rang. Great. More people to bother me. I reached into my pocket and it was Jake. A small flame seemed to ignite in my stomach, I couldn’t help but smile. I slid the phone to unlock it quickly, before putting my phone between my cheek and my shoulder and adjusting my duffle bag as I continued to walk quickly.

“Hello?” I said in an upbeat tone.

“Hi! This is Jake from State Farm!” Jake’s pleasant and quirky voice filled my eardrums making my smile widen.

“Shut up you dork I know it’s you,” I said giggling a little.

“Are you almost at the train station? Our train is bound to arrive any minute,” Jake said, his voice becoming serious. He seemed concerned, as anybody would be for the tournament we were heading to. I wasn’t concerned though. I couldn’t care less as long as I get to fight.

“Yeah, I’m on my way right now,” I said, picking up my pace. “I’m just passing Broadway Street, so I should arrive in less than two minutes.”

“Awesome, see you soon.” He hung up the phone quicker than I would have liked, but his voice seemed joyful so I thought he was happy to talk to me.

I rushed down the steps into the train station right on time. I almost tripped over my legs because the weight from all of my gear was wearing me down a little bit, but I pushed through it, keeping my balance.

I was so ready to meet with Jake, he always knew how to make me smile.

The train station was large. I finally made my way to the bottom and was immediately kind of sketched out as the train station was mostly empty. There was a hooded homeless man to the right who I’d never seen before. He asked me for spare change but I swiftly moved past him and over to my station.

It was very odd that nobody else was here with me. I felt a little scared, but I knew I could protect myself if necessary. Then I saw Jake. He was standing in front of our stop with a few of his buddies.

All of them towered over my short stature. Jake was the tallest of their group. He had dark brown hair and green eyes. He was fairly skinny. Despite how tall he is he always says how I could beat him in a fight.

“Hey, Jake!” I said with a big smile on my face as I made my way over to the area where they were hanging out at. His two friends looked older than both of us.,. They both had dark hair and sports outfits on.

“Oh! Anna! Hey!” Jake’s face lit up, and that made my stomach warm. I was always so unbelievably happy to see him. He’s my best friend, and I would do anything for him. His friends gave me a confused look as I put my bags down on the bench they were by.

“Uh Jake,” one of his friends began. “I don’t know what kind of morals you have, but being friends with a first grader isn’t something you should do.” The two guys laughed at each other like little school girls. My expression became serious as a fire boiled within my gut.

“Hey guys she’s not-” Jake began but I cut him off.

“I am not a first grader. I graduated a year after Jake did, and I have three different kinds of swords in this duffle bag. I’m not having a good morning, so by all means I will gladly make my day better with a little bit of fencing practice with some real targets.” I smirked, confidence boiled under my skin. I understood my strengths and weaknesses, I was ready to fight both of those guys right there.

“Hey, you heard the lady,” Jake said laughing. “She also got a black belt in martial arts, don’t let her size fool you.”

“Hey! I’m not small!” I said, pouting like a kid slightly.

“Oh yes, sorry, you’re just vertically challenged.” Jake smirked back at me “You know, Jake, you go have fun with this,” one of his friends said, looking down on me like I was some sort of thing. “I think we’re gonna take off, but it was nice catching up with you!” The two idiots started to leave, and I was so thankful.

“Yeah, see you guys around!” Jake said, sitting down on the bench. I sat next to him but made sure not to be too close.

“I’m not small.” I reiterated sort of giving off the immature expression I was trying to go for.

“I don’t know Anna, 5 foot nothing is kind of small.” He stood up, towering over me. “I’m a whole foot taller than you.” He laughed a little.

“So! It doesn’t mean I’m any less than you!” I argued, stupidly assuming that

he was looking down on me.

“Anna,” he sat back down next to me, bringing himself to my level. “I don’t think you’re less than me,” he smiled. My face burned red as his smile poked at my chest.

“Besides!” His tone turned from charming to mocking in an instant. “We both know you’d kick my ass in a fight. You’re the badass good guy, and I’m the tryhard sidekick,” he laughed.

“Everyone will know your name one day Anna.” His tone turned sweet again. “You’re like a superhero!” he exclaimed.

I loved the attention. Jake always said good things about me. He’s the only person who doesn’t think I'm weird, even with my emotional outbursts or dead eye. He’s never looked down on me or intentionally hurt my feelings. Maybe that’s why I care so much about him. Our train was pulling up soon, so I gathered my things and stood in front of the gate with Jake.

“Are you excited about the tournament?” He asked me.

“Excited to win you mean!” I said confidently.

“There’s the confidence I like!” Jake exclaimed.

A wind blew quickly towards the back of my head, causing me to turn around. I noticed the homeless man from before looking straight at me from a few feet away. I instinctively backed up before realizing that if I did I would have fallen onto the tracks.

I squinted with my one good eye towards the man, then back at Jake. Jake was on his phone, so he didn’t notice this man. I pulled at his arm suddenly, almost frozen in fear. I could feel the power radiating from the man, like waves of heat flushing over my skin. He held out his hand.

“Jake!” I shouted. He looked down at me, and then at the man. He thought the man had a gun. He grabbed me but not quick enough. The man extended his fingers and an extremely powerful gust of wind radiated forward, pushing me onto the tracks. I hit the gravel with a thud.

“Anna! Hold on I’ll get you!” I heard Jake shout in fear as I became crushed by the weight of an invisible force. The loud honking of the oncoming train came closer and closer. I was face down, I could barely breathe. I felt pain all over.

I cried, begging that if there was any god out there or anything, please save me! Fear overtook me as I struggled. Even with all my years of training, I was unable to even stand up.

‘I can’t believe it... I’m going to die.’ The pain grew deeper. I thought about my Mom and regretted how rude I was to her. I saw an extremely bright light surround me and almost cover me. My vision went black and the last thing I heard was the loud train horn ringing in my ears over and over again.