i was sitting in a large black velvety chair, gobbling chicken and roast and mashed potatoes and delicacies i had never dreamed of eating. my face was over my platter, which was cleaned in less than five minutes despite the skyscraper that was once there. i gulped down a glass of strawberry Fanta, then sighed. I'm sure I had just gained a couple of pounds.

Jane sat beside me looking through some papers, that were hidden behind a vanilla folder her brows knitted into hills on her forehead. her painted nails shined across a singular sheet of notes, pulling it out and placing it on the table. she moved a strand of blonde hair away and looked at me. her eyes seemed to soften as I piled more and more food onto my plate. she chuckled.

"sugar slow down! your gaining twelve pounds per second!"

I giggle quietly and set down my plate, leaning back to gain some comfort.

jane placed a fist under her chin and looked at me, inspecting me with her brown eyes.

"Why are you here?"

she asked in her slang that sounded like it was from Kansas or maybe even texas. i stopped, and looked at her. was I supposed to answer questions? nobody told me that. heck, nobody told me I was going to be fed by a nice lady that looks like a barbie in her middle ages.

"I... I don't want to say."

jane nodded and poured me some more Fanta.

" it's alright. I won't tell a soul. I take care of people like you every day.

people like me. I heard that before. a long... long time ago. my brain took me back. far back, to a small room covered in paintings made by the small grubby fingers of children. a lanky teenaged woman taught the ABC's with a smile on her face that seemed more or less a mask on top of her bored agonized face that laid behind it. i sat far back with two other little girls wondering when the snack was coming when the bell rang.

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the recess bell.

we dashed through the hall, following the woman in the floral skirt, until we got outside in the boiling summer heat. sweat dripped off the faces of the small children as they climbed and ran and gossiped about who liked who. i was positioned under the playset, playing hide and seek with five other children. i covered my mouth and closed my eyes with the other. after all, back then, if I couldn't see you, you couldn't see me. finally, I felt a little tap on my shoulder and looked up. a girl, with dark brown piggy tails waved at me. i lurched back in suprise.

" HI! my name's lily! what yours?" she asked me, her two front teeth gone.

"my... my name is Camryn."

"that's a boy name. but's your pretty! wanna be friends?!"

"s-sure...."

"can i tell you a secret then?" she giggled and leaned towards my ear, her small hand cupped around it.

"I... can.. fly..."

" me too!"

"no you cant, only I can fly!" she seemed mad now, but her smile was still there. she seemed very determined.

" watch I'll show you!!!!"

she ran from me, and I slowly followed my curiosity filling. was she like me?

she climbed to the very top of the unsafe looking climbing dome and lifted her hands up, before jumping down, and her arm flailing in all directions as she pretended they were her wings.

" see!?! i did it!!!"

I scoffed, and I climbed so that I was at the very peak of the dome, and sighed. abruptly, I felt my pulse pick up, as my back released itself of a weight. billowing amounts of smoke and feathers surrounded me, and lily coughed, but when it cleared, she gasped. her painted pink nails covered her mouth.

my large black wings stretched as if someone had just woken from a coma, and I jumped. i flew close to the ground, catching the attention of others before I soared upward. teachers cried out, several infants screamed in fear.

when i landed, lily's eyes widened. then...

she screamed.

teachers ran to her, looking at me with overwhelming fear, before picking her up and running.

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" camryn sweetheart? you good?"

I was swept away from my flashback as jane was now looking at me with a concerned look upon her face.

"n-no. I'm alright..."

her eyes dug into my facial expressions but released as soon as her cell phone rang.

she answered it, and I quietly sat, waiting.

when she finished, she snapped the flip phone closed and looked at me, her eyes weary.

"sets get you to your room young lady..."

her voice was almost sad, it was quiet and soft.

but I obeyed as soon as she began to push me out the door once more.