Warmth is the first thing I notice when I come back to my body. The next is noise. Nothing too loud, but since my bed is above the kitchen I can hear pots and pans moving down there. I open my eyes and gasp.

“So it seems you do live.” Autumn says.

She’s in a chair next to my bed, watching me. I have no clue how long she’s been sitting there. The ghost that saved me is behind her, looking around. Of course, she doesn’t notice him.

“I didn’t hear you breathing.” I say. I should have heard her being this close to me.

She smiles. “I’m a vampire, child. I do not need to breathe. I am dead.”

I snort and sit up in my bed. “You’re more alive than you think you are.”

She keeps that smile on, looking at me. “And you are more loved than you think you are.”

I look away, uncomfortable, and get off the bed. “Why are you here?” I ask, walking around the ghost to get to my dresser.

“I wanted to talk to you and see you. Jayden had mentioned your…trance that you take while sleeping. Is that your power?” She asks.

“No. I don’t know. I just…go somewhere else. But I’ve always been able to. I never had to use any power to get there. But…” I stop, remembering what my actual power does.

“But?” She whispers.

“You should never touch me. Ever.” I tell her.

“Yes…Ari mentioned that Fenris told her you can kill people on touch. I’m assuming you can’t control that?”

“No. In fact, if you’re really dying to know, I can’t control any power that I seem to have. They’re just always on, all the time.”

The orange ghost looks at me. “You really are an amateur, aren’t you?”

I turn on him. “Shut up! Shut up, shut up!” I scream. Why can’t they all just leave me alone? I just want to be alone.

Autumn stays calm and the orange ghost just smirks. “Who are you talking to?” She asks.

“No one.” I growl, “Can you leave? I just want to be alone so I can change.”

“Whatever. Good luck with your powers, Zoey. I do hope I don’t have to fish you out from Death again.” The orange ghost says, floating off through the wall.

“Of course, child. I’ll be waiting downstairs. I have a present for you.” Autumn says, getting up and leaving me in peace. I sigh and take my time changing. For a moment, I think of just staying in my room forever but the smell of breakfast makes my stomach growl. I take a deep breath, preparing myself for the people that waited me below, and leave my room.

“Good morning, Zoey!” Tilly exclaims with a smile. I just look at her. “Uhm, I made pancakes. But if you don’t like them I can make you something else.”

Pancakes. Dad said he was going to make them for me the night he died. I swallow the lump in my throat and shrug, taking a plate.

“Awesome! Pancakes!” Mordecai, my cousin, exclaims. He rushes past me to the table and I instinctively flinch away.

I sit at the table and pick at the pancakes, taking bites and chewing slowly. They’re good, but not as good as dads were. Tilly watches me, talking quietly to Anton. I glance away, pretending that my pancakes suddenly got very interesting. I wonder if they’re talking about my apparent insanity. I never should have told Mordecai that I hoped I’d see mom or dad appear. Tilly comes over to the chair next to me and sits down.

“Zoey, honey. I know the past couple of days have been hard for you.” Tilly says. “But tomorrow is Monday. Anton and I are going to have to take you to register at Hidden Spring Elementary tomorrow and…and we want to find a psychiatrist for you to see. It might help if you have someone to talk to besides us.”

I swallow the pancakes in my mouth, fear prickling at my stomach. I’m suddenly not very hungry. Elementary school? There will be so many people. So many that can just brush against me and die. So many people I don’t know, asking questions I don’t want to answer, trying to become friends I don’t want to have.

“Please, don’t make me go there. I don’t…I can’t be around them. What if someone touches me? What if I hurt someone? Can’t I just be home-schooled? Please?” I beg.

Tilly looks uncomfortable. “I’m sorry honey, but Anton and I work. We don’t have the time to home school you.”

“I do.” Autumn says, coming into the room. “She’s right. If someone touches her, she could kill them. Power is power, and uncontrolled it can kill. I’ll come get her in the morning and homeschool her. Part of her lessons will be how to control her magic. She can also talk to me. There’s no sense in making her go see a therapist unless she wants to.”

“Autumn…” Tilly sighs. “We can’t shelter her forever. She has to get out in public eventually.”

I quickly try to think of something that will allow Tilly to let me go to Autumn’s for school. “I will. I promise, I will. Let me study with Autumn for now and I promise when…” What was really far away? “When high school starts I’ll go to public school.”

Tilly looks to Anton who seems to shrug with compliance. Tilly looks back to me then Autumn. “Fine. But we will not be having this conversation again when you start high school. You will go to public school in high school.”

“Okay.” I mutter. A few seconds ago, high school seemed really far away. But now that there was no getting out of it, I feel like I’ll be there in no time.

“Come with me, Zoey. I have a present for you.” Autumn says.

I nod and get up from the table to follow her. She heads into the living room and stops by one of the loveseats. I stop too and look around, waiting for whatever she wants to give me. But she says nothing, just smiles. After a moment I hear a small noise from the other side of the couch. Confused, I step forward and frown.

A kitten stands on the floor, looking up at the two of us. It’s got eyes in a bright green I’ve never seen on an animal before. There’s something unsettling about them. Its fur is mostly grey with some black stripes on its head. I look at Autumn.

“I can’t touch it. I’ll kill it.” I tell her.

She shakes her head. “No. This cat is…special. Like you. I have a friend in town that was able to…allow this kitten to be immune to your power. It cannot die.”

I frown, not believing her. What does she mean, immune? How can something living not die? Even vampires can die. I look up at her to refuse again, to try to make her understand. When I do, the kitten pounces and before I can move it lands…on my uncovered foot. My heart drops as I look at it, unable to look away even though I know it’s going to drop dead any second. But it doesn’t. Instead, it looks up at me with those strange green eyes and mews.

“Pick it up.” Autumn says. “No child should grow without physical affection. While so far I have found no way to allow other humans to be immune to your power, an animal’s touch will at least be something. Name it what you wish and take care of it. As a witch, this can will become your familiar if you grow a strong enough bond, which I have no doubt you will. Until tomorrow, Zoey.”

With that, she walks out of the house, leaving me with this kitten that is definitely not a normal kitten. But excitement and hope grow in me and I smile. I can touch something alive again. I reach down and pick up the kitten, looking at it in my hands, still amazed it’s not dying.

“Hello, Mogget. You and I are going to be best friends.” I tell him.