Inside My Head

"I'm sixteen," Snow said. "But I think I'm having a birthday soon." She cleared her throat, and I noticed she fought back the tears.

"You think?" I asked simply, putting my hands to my hips.

She nodded. "I don't belong in this time. Where I'm from, I recently turned sixteen. Since I've been here with you, I keep getting these flashes of conversations from where I'm from, and I'm hearing people I care about. One of them, Gabe, he said I had a birthday coming up, which would mean I've been away nearly a year."

She looked devastated. A tear ran down her cheek and, as though the feelings were my own, I felt an overwhelming agony.

In my mind, I saw a flash of steel, heard the clips of conversation.

Saw her in a beautiful dress.

Watched her get bitten by a hunter.

Saw her kiss a dark-haired boy who bore a striking resemblance to my Gabriel. (At least the girl had good taste in men.)

She walked through a room full of magical creatures.