Chapter

           I sat at the end of the stairs cold and wet. I watched the fleeing image disappear like out of thin air. I sat there until the pastor found me . He looked confused as he said there was no water in the baptism pool. I maintained my story as he brought me to the pool. It was dry.
       What just happened. I was so confused. I had a lot of questions now that needed to be answered. Zack came running behind me as Paula chased him.
       " Please keep her away from me." He begged.
        I looked at Paula as she smiled a devious smile. I knew that smile it was the same smile my father had when he was in one of his moods. I felt protective over Zack. I wasn't going to let Paula hurt him.
            " Move , Melina." She demanded trying to push past me to get to Zack.
              " He don't want to play with you. Go away." I yelled. Somehow . I knew those were the wrong words. Somehow I was going to wait for her retribution for me denying her what she wanted. I got in her way.
           After that day Zack stuck by me Everytime I was near him. I got to sit on the stage as his mom performed hymnials. I helped her make banners for the church . This went on for a while but that building felt evil. Like something was lurking inside it waiting to be unleashed.
              The following night I woke up. I began to scream about the horses running in the road . Blood and a broken truck. The gates were not locked. The house parents took me to a child therapy. Where I got to discuss my feelings with family faces on a poster on her closet office door.
                The therapist thought my dreams I was having was night tremors due to trauma. The fact I would lose focus and come back . I went to many specialist and was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. Place on experimental medication that hadn't hit the market. I remember my house mom taking me to the pantry and cracking open the capsule and poured the white powder in a spoon full of water and used her acrylic nail to stir in the medicine. Then hold my nose and tilt my head back and pour the medicine down my throat. On the food nights I would get cold pasta sauce instead of water. No matter how I fought it I was made to take the medicine every morning and every night .
          Soon I became a medical experiment . Mondays was reserved for me going to a clinic to test my blood. The put a butterfly needle in my arm and put blood out of me and run test on me. A month would pass and they still couldn't find a trace of medicine in my blood. They would up my medication. Some medications made me more angry and others made me forget and numb. The medicine made it when I had to be placed in permanent special education classes.
                   I sat in the woods staring off in the abyss. Not sure how I got there just knowing I needed to be there. The large yellow cat sat beside me silently. He lifted his nose in the air smelling me . I stared in the distance.
          " What is the matter with you." Said the yellow cat anxiously.
           " I don't know. They give me white medicine. Said my dreams are making me not be able to sleep or focus. I...I... Am Not sure." I repeated slowly looking at a tree that wasn't in clear view.
            " Those aren't dreams you have a gift of sight. They don't understand. You were having visions . You need to get off that medication." Reasoned the yellow cat.
              " I can't . She spoon.spoons .feeds. me it."I slurred trying to form the words.
             The yellow cat layed his head on my lap as he tried to comfort me. I sat there not touching his head . The sadness I felt not knowing how I felt made the cat wine in response. We sat there for a long not saying a word. Just sitting there.
                 " You should go. It's time they should be looking for you." Said the cat pushing my leg over. I didn't want to move I wanted to curl up in the woods and sleep and never wake up. I wanted just to be normal.
                     " Go!" He demanded more forceful.
             He growled and nipped at my ankles as I ran away from him. I ran looking back at the cat wondering why he was so docile now.
                That night I saw the same dream . I woke up screaming about the horses . The house mom called the on call doctor and told her to give me another dose of medicine to make me sleep. I sat up rocking back and forth in a chair crying telling them something was wrong the gate wasn't locked.
                      Church was a thing we were consistent with. The church opened in Sylacaga. We went to see the church as it was opening day. There was pews and lots of music . But my mind was exhausted. I didn't sleep last night I cried seeing what I saw the extra dose of medication didn't help me relax . It made me focus more on my dream. Keeping me awake and alert .
                We were driving home and finally the lack of sleep took over me. I drifted off in the  seat. When we stopped I thought we were home. I woke up with blue and red lights as the van we were in drove past the scene of an eighteen wheeler covered in blood and the remains of two horses splattered on the road. I cried out of the sight remembering my dream. I began to scream . The gate was let open I told you it was .
                  The house parents put me in my room to calm me down as they administer another dose of medicine to me. I continued to tell about the gate.They sent  the house dad to drive down the barn and the gate  was wide open. The other horses were in the barn . When the house dad returned he glared at me . Not in anger but in fear. He spoke to the house mom and both looked at me with concern.
          The next Monday the doctor talked with my house parents and they changed my medicine to a liquid medicine in an amber bottle I took once a day.
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