VICTORIA'S POV

You know that moment when you're not fully asleep but are on the brink of consciousness? When your body just feels like jelly and you want it to feel that way forever? When no dreams plague you and you are just blissfully peaceful?

I was having that moment right now.

I was in bed......alone.

Nessa had already left for school earlier in one of the heavily guarded school buses. Poor kid was still in her junior year. Mom and dad had also gone to work leaving me alone in the house with no pressing need for me to wake up and get out of bed.

However, as much as I was enjoying this moment, I really needed to use the bathroom or else I'd be sleeping in a gallon of my own pee. Kicking the beddings off me, I padded my way over to the bathroom. When I had done my business, I went to wash my hands and looked up in the mirror. I had braided my hair into two pigtails last night, a necessity if I wanted to be able to brush it with minimal pain today, not that I would be going anywhere that would require me to brush it anyway. I was on lockdown.

I might as well brush my teeth now or else I'll forget.

I not only brushed my teeth, I went the extra mile and washed my face too.

Amazing, right?

I looked at the bed after leaving the bathroom. It was a total mess, even if I just got out of it. The pillows lay all over the floor with the covers struggling to stay on the bed. I could barely find my phone in that chaos and once I did, I sat down for a minute to catch my breath.

"Phew, work out for the day.... done"

I gave myself a mental pat on the back.

Don't judge.

Moving around in this body isn't as easy as you think.

I stood up and made my way down to the kitchen, abandoning the mess in my room.

No point in making a bed I'm going to lie in all day.

I looked out the kitchen window and realised that the sun was too bright and too hot for it to be morning. I checked my phone and realised that I had slept well past noon. I moved on to the fridge while planning what I was going to have for lunch. Make that breakfast and lunch.

I can't just skip breakfast because I woke up too late, it's the most important meal of the day, right?

I opened the fridge and gasped, my eyes growing a little wide at what I saw.

It was empty.

The fridge was empty.

There was no food. Lettuce and carrots don't count as food, unless you're a rabbit, and I am no rabbit!

I closed the fridge and took a deep breath trying to calm down. Food to most people was just an enjoyable means to keep living. It kept me alive too, but in a different way. Food wasn't just something I shoved into my mouth so that I didn't have to die of starvation. Food was my friend, my only comfort. The only thing that never let me down. The only thing that I could turn to without fear of judgement.

Now I bet you're wondering why I would need food to be my buddy when I have a seemingly perfect life, right?

Wrong!

I may have been adopted into one of the wealthiest families in this town, (you'd think that that would guarantee food in the fridge at all times) but growing up wasn't so easy for me. I know I didn't lack for anything. I had everything I needed to live a more than comfortable and happy life, and I tried......till I started analysing everything mom and dad said or did. After finding out that I was adopted, everything felt different for me......forced.... superficial. I didn't do it intentionally, but I couldn't help noticing things.

I noticed how much more excited and interested my parents were when Nessa started Kindergarten. I noticed how much more attention they gave to her and how they fussed over every little thing about her. I noticed how they went the extra mile for her birthdays than they did for mine. Whatever she asked for, she got. I knew that if I asked for something, I would get it as well. It's just that I would get it feeling like I was a burden to them. Sometimes this showed on their faces. When I asked for something, a strange look would pass over their faces so quickly, sometimes I didn't notice it. I only came to know what they probably were feeling whenever they had this look on their faces after puberty. That is when they stopped trying to hide it from me. Or maybe that's when I was old enough to understand and notice it.

Maybe it's all in my head.

Don't get me wrong, my parents are good people. God fearing, caring, loving people. I know they must love me. Just not like they love Nessa. Because I'm not their real daughter. I'm ok with that.... mostly.

Things became worse in my junior year.

Incredibly worse.

Nessa came to my high school as a freshman that year. She immediately became one of the popular kids in school, what with her amazing flaming hair and blue eyes.

The fact that she was nice on top of that and came from one of the wealthiest families in town had the entire school fall in love with her. I on the other hand, was a wallflower. I always kept my head down and hoped that no one would notice me. I didn't make any friends because that would require them knowing about me and my family, and I hated talking about my adoption. Having gotten away with no one knowing who I was in this town was a miracle in itself.

Then came lunch time.

I did as I always did and walked to my designated spot at the back of the cafeteria. As always, I paid all my attention to my food and none to my surroundings, and then heard a chair scrape back. I looked up and found Nessa along with some of her friends sitting at my table. I stared at her, mouth hanging slightly open and looked around the room, noticing that quite a number of people were curiously glancing our way.

Nessa, being oblivious to my social standing, acted like nothing was wrong. She talked to me, while I barely answered or looked at her. Then one of her friends asked how we knew each other. Nessa nonchalantly announced that I was her sister. You could almost hear a pin drop at our table.

Then the whispers started.

It seemed the table next to us had heard what Nessa said.

The news spread like wildfire and it was all everyone could talk about.

For a couple of days, people just whispered as I walked by them. I could see the curiosity in their eyes. Then they started approaching me, asking me questions like how it felt to be adopted.

Like, seriously?

How does it feel to be adopted?

Gee, it feels great.

For a while there, I thought things would be okay. I mean I knew they were only curious, and once they exhausted that curiosity, things would be ok. I thought I could finally break out of my shell and stop hiding. Nessa and I continued hanging out in school and people started paying more attention to me. I felt normal for once, part of the whole.

Nessa had made it onto the cheerleading squad, which was amazing for a freshman. So, like I always did, I waited for her in the bleachers as she practiced after school so that we could go home together. But she took so long on one particular day that I decided to go look for her in the locker room.

Just as I was about to enter, I heard one of the girls talking ".... know she's your sister, but if you want to stay at the top of the food chain, you're going to have to stop hanging out with her. She was a nobody before you got here, and now she wants to ride on your popularity train? It's pathetic."

It was Cassy, head cheerleader. Another girl chimed in, probably one of her minions, "I get your parents are amazing people with huge hearts to have adopted her, but are you really going to allow her to continue mooching off of you?"

Nessa finally spoke, "will you give it up already! I have had enough of you all trying to make me alienate my sister just so I can remain popular! If this is the price to pay for popularity, then I'm not buying!"

"You think you can stay a cheerleader if you aren't popular? The only reason you're on the team is because a lot of people know you and that increases attendance at football games. If that reason was to disappear, why would we keep a freshman on the squad?"

I didn't wait to hear Nessa's response. I left and went to wait in the car. I would have left already, but I was Nessa's ride. She didn't have her license yet. I was happy that she defended me in front of the cheerleaders, even though she was new on the squad and just a freshman. I was proud to call her my sister, lucky actually, and I was not going to get in her way. I wasn't going to get her kicked off the squad. I knew how much she loved being a cheerleader. It was all she ever talked about. I shelved my emotions because then I saw her walking towards the car. At that moment, I vowed never to hinder her from doing anything she wanted. I loved her too much. My social status could just return to the way it was before she got here.

When we got home, I cried my heart out. That was when I turned to food. I was already a little on the chubbier side, but I started eating more and more and didn't notice the pounds piling on. I avoided Nessa completely at school. For a while she tried to keep me in her circle, but she gave up eventually. I ate my lunch in the bathroom. Everyone lost interest in me as well.

I just wanted to graduate already and leave this town for good.

So, you see how important food is to me. It's been there for me these last few years when no one else has. I mean, I know I could have turned to some other self-destructive outlet like drugs or alcohol, but I didn't have any friends (and wasn't willing to make any friends) that could introduce me into that life. I had been raised as a goodie two shoes, and a damn good one at that.

I knew I wasn't allowed to go out on my own, but I was not going to force myself to eat rabbit food, no matter how hungry I was.

I wentback up to my room and took a quick shower (really, I just stood underthe shower head for two minutes while trying not to get my hair wet). OnceI was done I walked out of my bathroom and headed to my closet.

What to wear... It's not like I have much of a variety. I'll go for the black sweatpants today and maroon sweatshirt. My pop of colour.

If you haven't noticed, I'm a little sarcastic....and lazy.

Once I was dressed, I grabbed my car keys off my table and headed out. As I was about to open the door, I paused.

Is it really worth it? Everyone is going to be back in a couple of hours anyway. I should just ask one of them to bring something to eat with them. I don't have to risk my life for food, do I?

If only Maria was around. I would have asked her to get me something. Maria was our helper, and she was out with the flu since the day before.

I opened the door and quickly walked out before I could second guess myself. I had a mini panic attack as I fumbled with my keys and dropped them. I picked them up and tried to calm myself down by breathing in and out deeply. I successfully unlocked my silver BMW and got in. As I started it up and put my seatbelt on, I looked all around and noticed that there was no one lurking in the shadows, or on the street for that matter.

Everyone's probably too scared to be found out alone on the street.

"Ok Vickie, you can do this, just quickly drive to McDonalds and grab a happy meal, maybe two. You deserve two happy meals for risking your life like this."

I backed out of the driveway and made a left turn, then another.

"See, there was nothing behind that corner. You'll be fine." I continued encouraging myself as I drove.

"You're almost there, you just have to go through the drive through, get your two happy meals and drive back home. Simple. You're not even going to leave your car. No one is going to kidnap you."

Finally, I saw the fast food place ahead and noticed there were little to no cars around.

Don't panic, don't panic.

"It's broad daylight, there's nothing to fear."

I finally ordered my food and collected it from the guy in the window. I hadn't seen any female worker since the news broke out.

"Now you just have to go home. You're more than halfway there. No one is going to kidnap you. Who would want you anyway? You are overweight and tall, and you wear glasses. No one will kidnap you."

As I was about to turn onto the street that ran in front of our house, my car suddenly stopped. My heart rate rose and my breathing become shallower.

"Come down, just restart the car and go home."

I tried to restart the car but the dashboard lights didn't even go on. I turned the key again, my hands getting sweatier by the second and nothing happened.

"Ok, calm down, just get out and run home. It's just a few houses away. You can do it."

I looked around to see if there is anyone watching and waiting to grab me in the shadows. There was no one, absolutely no one on the street. I decided it was safe for me to run the few yards to my house. I got my key ready in my right hand so that I could just stick it in and get into the house. I grabbed my happy meals and cradled them in my left arm. I looked around once more to make sure there was no one around.

I took a deep breath and opened my door and stepped out. After locking the car and a last look around, I started jogging towards my house. I was halfway between my car and the house when I allowed myself to smile.

No one will get me.

All too soon that smile was wiped from my face. I was frozen in place. I couldn't move at all. Only my eyeballs could move. I looked around panicking. I tried to make my limbs obey my orders but nothing happened.

I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm too young. I haven't even been kissed yet. God please help me.

I noticed something moving in my periphery, it looked human. I couldn't tell whether it was a male or female. I strained my eyes to get a better look and noticed what the person is wearing. This person came out of nowhere. I checked that there was no one around before leaving my car.

I noticed the person had something in their hand that looked like a gun.

Oh no! Oh no! Please don't kill me.

I tried to talk but even my voice failed me. All I could do was work on not choking on the saliva pooling in my mouth.

This person was covered from head to toe. They came closer and I noticed it was a she, no man has boobs. Well, no man I know.

She (or he) was wearing some material that hugged and covered every inch of their body. I'd never seen anything like it. The eyes were shielded by what looked like a visor that curved around the face. The glass disappeared into her body suit almost seamlessly, like it was part of the suit she's wearing.

It's amazing how I'm able to take in so much detail when I'm about to die.

Then I noticed it. There was a thing, oval shaped and long floating next to her. It looked like it had some soft material on the top. Almost like...almost like a bed. A very weirdly shaped floating bed. She'd almost reached me. The sound of my heartbeat drowned everything out.

I'm too young. There's so much I haven't done yet. God please help me.

Then she held the gun-like thing to the back of my head. I could feel its cold touch at the base of my neck, but I couldn't move or do anything about it. 'Shim' didn't say anything. Not a single word.

Then everything went black.