Chapter 4 I Feel Like Someone Is Watching Me

The King and his Advisor watched in torment as the female's family berated her, beat her, left her to starve, and forced her to do all of the work a male was supposed to do. The King snarled, clenching his fists,

"I must go rescue her before they end up killing her," he growled through his teeth.

Ihloi grabbed onto the Kings shoulder, "You mustn't interfere in the affairs of the humans," his advisor held up his arm stopping the King from kicking down the door and grabbing the female.

"I feel just as tormented as you, but if we are seen, or they report her missing their government will come after us, not to mention the female still doesn't know who we are yet. She might not trust us or turn us in if we frighten her. You must somehow gain her trust, woo her, before we take her with us."

The King stewed in his anger, gnashing his teeth, how could these humans treat a female child so? It pained him immensely, having to sit back and do nothing to stop them. But Ihloi was right, if he took her now she would bolt like a frightened animal. But still there must be something he could do. He watched through the windows as the female child snuck out of her room, this was his chance!

He snapped his fingers and two blank sheets of paper appeared before him, he wrote a note on one of them and sent it on its way, a few minutes went by when there was a blinding light and a plate with a piping hot steak dropped in his hands.

"Sire what are you doing?" He asked curiously.

"I am going to leave her something to eat. Those vile humans refused to feed her. I'm not going to let her go hungry."

Ihloi nodded in agreement, the poor child needed something to eat. He wrote another note on the second piece of paper

"eat up little one, please accept this food, I am sorry about the flowers in your hair, I was reckless and it's my fault you got hurt,"

snapping his fingers the plate of food and the note landed on her desk with a soft thud. They sat waiting for her to return to her room. Thirty minutes later she returned, they watched in silence as she stared at the steak on her desk. She came over to the window and peered out, fear written on her face. They watched as she checked her windows, and tossed the note and the flowers away. She picked up the plate and was about ready to toss it away along with the flowers and the note but for some reason she hesitated.

They could hear her stomach rumbling from outside as she bit her lip holding the steak over the bin on the floor. She was clearly torn between trusting the food offering and frightened by who had sent it. The King held his breath hoping she would accept it. A moment later they saw the child's hunger had won out over her fear. The King smiled watching as she glanced out the window before sitting down to eat.

Neglecting the silverware that he had left her, she tore into the steak with her bare hands, like a starved animal. When she was finished she even licked the plate clean, a smile spreading across her face, letting him know that she was no longer suffering from hunger. He sighed in relief, watching the female child, she closed the blinds to her window still visibly frightened of who sent her the food. The King frowned he wanted to see more of her, but she blocked him from being able to see her.

He waited impatiently until her breathing slowed before snapping his fingers and the blinds to her window opened back up and the window unlocked. He slowly lifted her window and flew into her room. Leaning over her, he saw the giant bruise that had been left behind from her beating. His heart ached, pulling out another healing cream from his pouch he dipped his fingers in it and wiped the cream across her cheek. A moment later the bruise on her face disappeared completely.

"I am so sorry, my little one, my recklessness has caused you great pain. I only meant to bring a smile to your face when you saw the flowers in your hair, but instead you took a beating on my behalf. I hope that one day you can forgive me," he whispered softly. Glancing at her door the King cast a spell on the door so that they would not be disturbed by the monsters lurking outside.

Wanting to know more about her he helped himself in looking around her room, it was a tiny room, with not much in it, there was a bed, a desk, and a cracked mirror on the wall. He opened her closet and saw that there were only a few articles of clothing hanging up. On her desk there were a few books and some pencils. Either than this there was not much else in her room. She had no toys, or trinkets, no jewels, or baubles like the female's had back in Kosea.

Her room was dreadfully bare, did her family refuse to even let her play? She was but a child and all she had was a couple of books to keep her entertained?!! Anger welled up inside of him again, this female child was nothing more than a slave to this family the way they treated her. When I take her back to Kosea with me, I'll make sure that anything she desires, will be hers.

He pulled up her desk chair and sat down beside her bed keeping watch over her as she slept. She was so small hidden under her blanket. He wanted to scoop her up blanket and all into his arms and hold her while she slept, but he didn't dare for fear of disturbing her. Leaning in he sniffed her scent again wondering when her estrous cycle would come. He would not be able to mate with her until after her first estrous cycle.

When a female goes through her first estrous cycle she is considered mature and can then find a mate and reproduce offspring for their tribe. It is considered a joyous occasion when a female from his tribe matures. Males will celebrate and fight for the right to mate with the females. Only the strongest males were allowed anywhere near the females. This would ensure not only their protection but the survival of their tribe as well.

But as King of Kosea he had first rights to any female he desired because as King he was considered the strongest male of the tribe thus most suited in protecting the females no questions asked. No one ever dared challenge a King for mating rights. The only problem was, there was only one female left in his tribe who hasn't found a mate but he turned her down because she wasn't his soulmate.

I have been searching the ends of many universes my entire life to find my soulmate and here she was sleeping in front of me and she doesn't even know I exist yet. If there was some way I could manipulate her dreams so that I could introduce myself in her dreams I would but I wont have that ability until after mating. This ability was used in Kosea to chase away bad thoughts and fears since our kind doesn't sleep, but it could also be used for dreams and chasing away nightmares as well for those who do sleep.

Leaning back he quietly cast a spell toward her ceiling, shooting stars, comets, asteroids, the Milky Way, nebulas and supernova's appeared swirling and twinkling above her head, illuminating her beautiful face in a pale dusky glow. The skies back in Kosea were much more beautiful than the night sky around the Earth. He cast this spell in hopes to be able to enchant her with the beauty of how the night sky looked back in Kosea, when she awakens.

He watched in rapture raking in every detail of her face trying to engrave it to his memory as her eyelids twitched, her dreams becoming active. Her chin trembling, a single tear streamed down her cheek. Reaching out his hand he caught the tear on his finger and held it to his lips, "hmm salty," he whispered his heart wrenching. I wish I knew what she was dreaming about that made her cry so, in her sleep.

Looking over his shoulder he saw a pile of clothes laid out neatly, he reached over and picked up the dress, then glanced at her body, he frowned, this dress was way too big for her tiny frame. I must fix this for her. Casting a spell he shrunk the dress two sizes. "There this ought to fit her better," he whispered. Gazing at the dress it still seemed like something was missing, it seemed a little plain and couldn't be compared to the female child's beauty. The dress was a simple plain white tank top dress that had a green sash wrapped around the waist. Snapping his fingers he decided to add a three tiered layer of green ruffles at the waist on each side of where her hips would be but was cut out up the center, he changed the color of the sash to gold and added a giant bow that would be tied around her back.

Next he added gold leaf star trim around the neckline to highlight her bust since she still seemed to be lacking in that department and then gold stars along the bottom of the dress. He then procured two gold bands that she could wear on her biceps, and a gold star choker necklace for her neck. He then made a hair ribbon out of the extra fabric from shrinking the dress and adorned it with green strips of fabric and a solid gold star as the center piece.

Last he took her sandals and shrunk them down, and settled for them to wrap up her slender legs like ballet slippers and at the top of each one would be a gold and green star as well as a bunch of littler stars around her toes. He stood back and admired his handiwork. Now his mate will look like a Queen when she puts this on.

Remembering how the older male yanked the flowers out of her hair earlier he cast a spell on the dress so that the people in this house aside from his mate would not be able to see its beauty. He laid the dress back in it's original place and came over to fix her hair. Leaving the majority of her hair down he took some of her curls in his hand and brushed the hair to one side and braided a small braid down one side of her head, he took the hair ribbon and tied off the braid.

Summoning a piece of paper he wrote, "I hope you find this dress to your liking my beautiful Queen, you deserve to wear something that will rival your beauty." He then placed the note down beside the dress. Glancing out the window he could see the first rays of the sun shining over the tops of the houses. He cast the spell of invisibility and went to sit in the corner of her room silently waiting for her to awaken and see the dress he had made for her.

Ring Ring Ring, my alarm clock blared signaling for me to wake up. Stretching I sat up in bed rubbing the sleep from my eyes, thinking about the day ahead of me. Today is a new day, a new year, a new school and hopefully a new start. I hope that since it was a new year I will be able to make some friends and maybe just maybe I will find the courage to ask Kaleb out! Today I'll be starting school at TC West Middle School home of the Titans. Trying to wake up, I heard my Aunt pound on my door,

"hurry up and make breakfast or you'll be late for school."

"I'm coming," I hollered toward my door... seeing something whiz by over head I looked up... wait what happened to my room, I bolted up, glancing around my room, what the heck happened to my ceiling!!! It looked like outer space had entered my room and took over my ceiling. Stumbling I tripped over the hem of my nightshirt falling out of bed, "ouch!" I cried standing up rubbing my elbows.

I looked up at my ceiling dazed by the shooting stars whizzing by overhead. How in the world is this possible? Who did this to my ceiling? Fumbling for my lamp switch I bumped into my desk chair.

Ugh "What are you doing here?" I cried from stubbing my toe on the chair. It was positioned as if someone had been sitting beside my bed facing my direction. I shuddered glancing at my window, the blinds that I had closed were wide open, walking over I tested the window. It was still locked. My jaw dropped open. Who the heck was in my room, and what do they want with me? I ran my fingers through my hair puzzled, that's when I felt something. Pulling my hair over I saw a hair ribbon tied in my hair that held a braid together.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins, my chest heaving. I looked over from the chair that was positioned in front of my bed to the outer space on my ceiling, and back to the braid in my hair, what kind of sorcery is going on here? At that moment a shooting star shot across my room and landed on my desk, illuminating a piece of paper folded teepee style on top of my dress I had laid out. Legs shaking, I walked over to my desk and picked up the piece of paper and opened it, the same beautiful foreign letters were printed on the paper.

"I wish I knew what you said, I don't understand this writing," I whispered my hand trembling around the note. I sat the note down and picked up the article of clothing. It was my dress! My eyes widened in shock, only this wasn't my dress, it had been altered into a beautiful baby doll style ball gown. It was absolutely beautiful!

I picked up the note again, trying to make sense of the writing, "are you telling me to wear this?" I spoke directly to the note in my hand. "What are you? Who are you? Are you some kind of a ghost or a secret admirer? Please don't be a demon of the undead, I don't want to be a zombie bride," I whispered to myself. Taking the dress I walked over to my mirror and held up the dress I peered into my mirror, my jaw dropped the dress slipping through my fingers, my bruise, it was gone!

Touching my cheek it didn't feel tender or sore like it did last night. There was no way that bruise could have healed over night. Bruises don't heal for at least a week or two and yet it was completely gone pain and all. Whoever this mysterious being was even took the time to heal me. I thought back on everything this mystery person has done thus far.

This person weaved flowers in my hair, fed me when I was starving, altered my dress into a beautiful ball gown, fixed my hair with a hair ribbon and braid, and now they have healed my wound. Who was this mystery person that seemed so kind and generous, I was completely at a loss for words. I shook my head scooping up the dress, I sat it down on my desk and walked over to my trash can and fished out the flowers and the previous note.

Opening my desk drawer I fished around until I found my diary and a glue stick. I turned until I found a blank page and I glued the flowers and the two notes into my diary. Whoever this stranger was, I just could not ignore or forget their act of kindness no matter how creepy they were acting. No one has ever done so many nice things for me in the span of two days that can be combined my entire life. Peeking at the dress I was torn, it was a beautiful dress, but I couldn't wear something like this for school.

I could maybe wear it for a school dance, but it was way too nice for just a normal day at school. Kids might make fun of me for being overdressed. I bit my lip, staring at the beautiful dress. Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it on. I have never owned a garment as beautiful as this one and I may never get another chance, so tossing all my morals out the window I pulled off my night shirt, standing completely naked in front of my mirror I slid the dress over my head shimmying until it fell around my waist.

I pulled my hair out letting my curls fall over my back, the hair ribbon resting on my shoulder. The dress fit perfectly, it wasn't too big anymore. Peering into the mirror I gasped, "I look like a princess!" I said reaching out to touch my reflection. Tears streamed down my face. I never once thought myself as beautiful until now. I spun around taking it all in.

Feeling a weight in the skirt I reached in and felt something in the pocket. Pulling three items out, I saw two golden bracelets and a choker necklace. Excited I put on the necklace and the bracelets. "Hmm these seem too big to be bracelets," I said holding my wrists up in front of the mirror. I took one of them and slid it up my arm. It rested perfectly on my bicep. I repeated the same thing with the other one. I quickly turned to find my sandals, and to my surprise they had been altered too.

They looked like Roman sandals that crisscrossed up the legs and had stars all over them. I slid them on and looked into the mirror again. Admiring myself I just now realized something, the dress matched my eyes. It was green and gold just like my eyes. How did my secret admirer know what my eyes looked liked?

Have I seen this mystery person before? The only way they would know to match this dress to my eyes is that I had to have been awake for that person to see them. It was at that moment I felt a pair of eyes on me, watching me from behind. I felt a cool breath on the back of my neck, every muscle in my body tensed up feeling my soul leave my body, shuddering I glanced into the mirror just in time to see a blurry movement of some kind before it vanished.

I spun around calling out, "who... who is there? Show yourself." But no one answered. Many thoughts ran through my mind, can my secret admirer be invisible? If my secret admire is in invisible and is still in here with me... I clutched my cheeks my face turning beet red, the mysterious person must have seen me naked! Trembling I let out a shriek of horror just as my cousin flung open my bedroom door.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you shouting so early in the morning?" Sarah winced plugging her ears. Oh no she's gonna see my dress, and my ceiling. I ran to the door trying to block her view. "Noth...nothing, you startled me, I was getting dressed." "I don't know why your so freaked about about me seeing you, it's not like you have anything worth seeing to begin with," she sneered staring at my breast-less chest. I was confused she didn't comment on my dress, can she not see it?

"I came here to see if you were making breakfast yet. I'm going to be late for school, so get a move on." I grumbled slamming the door in her face,

"I'm almost done go wait downstairs." Sarah shrugged heading downstairs. Putting my ear to the door I listened for Sarah's retreating footsteps making their way downstairs. Breathing a sigh of relief I fell to my knees letting the anxiety of this morning wash over me. What am I going to do about my ceiling? If my Aunt walks in and sees it she's going to freak.

Gathering myself together, I stood up and walked to my closet, I had to find something else to wear because I couldn't wear this ball gown to school. I picked out another sundress that was pale blue and had a white sash around the waist. Glancing around I slipped this dress on below the other one and pulled it up before taking off the elegant ball gown. "There take that you pervert, now you can't see me naked,"

I shouted into the void of my empty room, taking one final look around my room, I turned and headed downstairs. I quickly made some scrambled eggs and toast and sat them on the table, watching them dig in. Once they were finished eating I washed the dishes and grabbing a piece of toast for myself I walked outside waiting for my Aunt to finish fussing over Sarah's hair.

A few minutes went by and Sarah and my Aunt Marge finally stepped outside still fussing over a loose strand of hair while climbing into the car. I was about to climb into the car too when Sarah cried out,

"Umm what do you think you are you doing? You are not riding with me to school. I can't have you embarrassing me on the first day of my last year of middle school. This is my final year to get Josh to notice me and I won't have you screwing it up. Oh and you are not to sit with me at lunch nor talk to me in the halls. In fact don't even approach me at all. Just pretend you don't know me," Sarah retorted pouting in the back seat.

I looked over at my Aunt Marge with a pleading look in my eyes and begged, "please don't make me walk to school. It's too hot outside. My skin will burn in this heat. My skin is too sensitive to the sun's rays in this heat wave. Can't you drop me off a block from the school and I'll walk the rest of the way that way I won't embarrass Sarah?"

"Sorry dear you'll have to walk. It's not that far. Besides consider it as a way of getting some fresh air since you don't go outside too often. I don't want Sarah to kick and scream all the way to school. It will ruin her pretty little face and her hair that I spent forever on this morning." With that my Aunt shut the door. Starting up the car she backed down the driveway and drove off toward the school without me. Angry tears fell from my eyes, my family didn't care about me at all. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand telling myself, if I didn't hurry I was going to be late for my first day of school.

I ran back inside grabbed an umbrella and started the two mile long hike to school. "So much for having a great start to my morning," I muttered tears streaming down my face again. My curls started to frizz up a little due to the heat while my pale skin melted in the sun. After about twenty minutes of walking I finally reached the school building. Kids were flocking in from every direction with parents hugging and kissing their kids goodbye as they got dropped off on their first day.

Staring at the others kids, jealousy welled up in my heart, when I overheard one kid shriek, "stop mom your embarrassing me. You can't kiss me in front of the girls. It's not manly." I wish I had parents like his that doted on me and embarrassed me kissing me goodbye in front of all my friends, sending me off crying knowing I was one step closer to becoming an adult.

"That boy has no idea how good his life is," I muttered to myself. Hearing the first bell toll, I shook my head, it couldn't be helped, I was never meant to have a family or be happy. As I continued to stare at the other kids and their families I accidentally bumped into a boy about my age from not paying attention to where I was walking. I looked up and stuttered out an apology before I continued on my way.

"Hey you better watch it umbrella girl," the boy thundered. "Hey wait a minute you weirdo why are you carrying an umbrella. It's not even raining outside. Are you some kind of vampire? Will you burn in the sun if I take your umbrella? Hey why aren't you answering me? Are you deaf? The boy ran after me, trying to catch up, but he ended up knocking over a girl who was carrying a huge stack of books and papers in her arms.

Sighing I kept up my brisk pace entering the front doors to the school. I walked into the office and picked up my new class schedule, taking a look, my jaw dropped, seven classes! We had seven classes to attend! Why did middle school have to be so intimidating? Looking back at the schedule it said I had a total of seven different teachers.

My first class of the morning was Math, ugh I hated math. Next was History, followed by PE, and then an hour of study hall, then there was a break for lunch followed by Science, English, and for the last class of the day, my favorite which was Choir the elective class I had chosen. Walking to my locker I placed my book bag and umbrella inside and grabbed my textbooks for the morning round of classes and off I headed toward Math class.

I walked into room 304 B, Mr. Sullivan's class and headed to the back of the class. If it was any other class I would sit in the front but math wasn't my greatest subject so I didn't mind sitting in the back. I had just placed my books on the desk when two girls headed toward me not looking too thrilled.

"Hey new girl your in my seat!" I looked up to see two girls towering over me glaring down on me and my short self.

"What is this? Oh it's a midget I see," the girl on the right giggled. The girl on the left piped up.

"My names Vanessa and this is Jessica. The back row is ours. Midgets sit up front. Now move it before we dump your books out the window."

"Yeah move it miss no boobs," Jessica chimed in like an echo chamber.

Not wanting to start a fight first thing in the morning, I looked up with a smile and replied,

"sorry I'm knew here I didn't know this was your seat. I'll move out of your way." Grabbing my things I headed for the front row, I was so exhausted from all this heat and walking. All eyes in the room were on me as I walked to the front.

"Wow just what I expected from a pariah. Hey maybe you should stop bowing down, maybe you wouldn't get bullied so much," Vanessa jeered, the class snickering with her out of fear of getting bullied by her next. I sat down and thought to myself. I think I just ran into the schools two biggest bullies. Gosh I hope I don't have anymore classes with them. At that moment the teacher walked in, all the students rushed to their seats, my first day of middle school had officially begun.