"Daniella... Daniella, wake up, you're going to be late for school," Nora's gentle voice traveled to my ears. I shot up with a short gasp. I'd been tossing and turning all night with nightmares. I dreamed of my father driving his car straight off a cliff and into a river. It was like I was there with him. It was like I was him. I felt his depression, his sadness, his anxiety and guilt. I felt the moment when he decided that he'd done his job and kept his promise and life wasn't worth living anymore without his true love. I felt his loneliness. I saw him veer the car into the freezing river. I watched as the car fell under the light layer of ice and stated to fill with water. I felt him inhale the water and accept his death. As things started blacking, he was content. He wanted to be with my mother... his soulmate.

I relived the dream over and over until Nora woke me. It was painful to watch and feel. I didn't even realize I was crying. My shaking breath and runny nose provoked me to touch my cheek and feel the tears. My new room slowly came into focus.

"Are you alright, dear?" Nora asked me, worried. Her gaze was focused in on my eyes as she stared at me in wonder and worry. She was rubbing my back in a comforting manner. I sighed and buried my face in my hands for a brief moment.

"I just had this nightmare about my dad," I admitted when I finally looked at her. I told her all of it. By the end, I was in tears again. She rested my head on her chest as she rubbed my back.

"I'm so sorry, Dani. I know that your mother's passing was the hardest on you father. After your mother passed, he disappeared with you, but as you can see, he kept his promise. Losing a soulmate can make someone lose the will to live," she sympathized. I was confused and more scared than before.

"But it was just a dream... right?" I asked. She nodded.

"Of course, sweetheart. No one can know the future. Maybe you were subconsciously picking up on your father's mood and your brain created a worst case scenario," she said before she stood with a sigh. "The school is only a fifteen minute walk normally, but I'll drive you since it's winter and the temperature is only going drop, I'll drive you until it gets warmer. Dress warmly," Nora said, changing the subject before she left my room quickly. I was sensing a major diversion there, but I let it go and got up to get ready. I didn't want to be late to my first day of school.

I quickly got dressed in a red sweater and jeans with a leather jacket and gray scarf. I left my hair down for fear of making my ears beat red and on display. My pale skin made it really easy to see where my blood was flowing to. I tried tanning and makeup but it was too much effort, and half the time I would just burn a brighter red. I didn't bother with makeup. My long, thick eyelashes were pitch black, standing out just fine on their own without any extra help. My cheeks turned red if the wind blew the wrong way. And my semi-full lips were always pink. Chapstick was all I used. It saved a lot of time.

I jogged down the stairs and helped myself to the breakfast Nora prepared. Eggs and bacon on bagels. I skipped on the eggs and bacon though because I was a vegetarian. I spread cream cheese on a bagel and opted for some of the oatmeal sitting on the stove. Patrick watched my choices with confusion.

"You don't want any bacon or eggs? I picked it up fresh last night. A friend of mine owns a farm not too far from here. It's all fresh," Patrick asked. I blushed, feeling rude for not acknowledging the effort.

"I'm actually a vegetarian. I don't eat meat," I answered. He chuckled and shook his head as he walked away.

"Not yet anyway," he muttered under his breath. It didn't sound like it was meant for my ears but I heard it anyway. I ignored his weird comment and ate quickly before Nora fetched me for school. We walked outside and into the crisp air. I was glad I grabbed the extra jacket. No doubt the cold turned my face pink. We got in her beat up, gray pickup truck and headed down the cracked and worn asphalt road.

"I think you'll like the school. It's full of good kids. I heard you tell Pat that you were a vegetarian this morning," Nora admitted. I nodded sheepishly.

"I have been since I was nine years old," I said for sake of conversation. When people normally asked, I always said it was a personal choice based on a documentary I watched, or something along those lines. It was easier than trying to explain the real reason. It was easier than saying it was because Evelyn used to tie me up, make me watch as she beheaded a chicken and barely cooked it. By the time she was done "cooking", my face would be red and blotchy from crying over the bloodshed. Then, she force-fed me the meal, every bite, until I was so full that I would throw up the partially raw meat. She would then, re-feed it to me until every bite was kept down.

"I packed you a lunch, but it was a ham sandwich, so here's some money to buy your own lunch. It's the best I could do with a last minute's notice," Nora apologized as she held out a twenty. I felt bad. She was trying her best to make me feel at home and I wasn't making it that easy.

Looking around, I saw the truck was parked in the front of a very old but huge building. Kids from 14 to 19 years old were hanging around, knowing exactly where to go and when. Something I would have to get used to all over again. I reached over and pulled her into a hug as I released a breath. I felt her love for me rolling off of her and reveled in it.

"Thanks grandma," I said softly. I heard her small gasp before she held onto me even tighter. When I pulled away, I saw the tears she was trying to hold back. She looked happy; like it was something she had been waiting to hear. She held a smile as she touched my cheek gently for a moment.

"Great, now you're going to make me start blubbering," she chuckled as she tried to dry her eyes. "Go; you're going to be late for school," she sniffed as her hand fell away from her face. I took the money she offered me and stepped out of the heated cab of the truck and into the cold. I pulled my jacket around myself a little tighter as I headed towards the unknown that was my new school. My new life.