Kinessa Suntree was always different and she started noticing it at an early age. Her eyes, skin and the way she seen the world all the way around. Kinessa’s parents would never talk about the changes she was going through, they just ignored them and went on with everyday life, until it couldn't be ignored any more, when she came home from school early after an incident that Kinessa was unable to explain.
It was the first day of school and Kinessa was thirteen she had become so angry at Mary Hollaway, Miss popular and the biggest bully in the junior high, if you didn’t meet a certain standard for her you were a target for her and her friends. Kinessa was one of those targets. Her skin became blistering hot as she watched Mary pointing at her while laughing and calling her a freak when she seen Kinessa’s eyes changed from brown to violet. “What are you a radioactive freak? Did your mommy do acid while she was pregnant with you?” Mary got her kicks from making people feel worthless and trashy. However this time she had pushed Kinessa too far. It just happened; she had no idea why, Kinessa had woke up one morning and the same old arguing could be heard down the stairs, coming from the kitchen. Her mom complained about being left at home all the time with a child that was having issues that she didn’t understand and blamed it all on Kinessa’s father for staying out on business trips so much. While her father blamed it on Kinessa trying to gain attention and that they shouldn’t give in to it and simply ignore it. Her mom and dad had fought a lot in the past few months. Kinessa listened to the screams and cries until she just couldn't take anymore that’s when she felt the first change. At first she thought she was just seeing things but while walking to school Mary began to spread cruel rumors about Kinessa’s parents and that’s when it all seem to go haywire.
Even though she had never laid a finger on Mary, her shoes and clothes began to smoke as if she were a house on fire. All the students began to cry out for help and teachers came running. Kinessa didn’t help things by standing there with a guilty grin on her face. The teachers and the principle asked her if she had anything to do with the incident while searching her bag and locker for anything that could connect her to what happened, considering it a cruel prank to miss perfect cheerleader. She never answered because she could hear Mary out in the office lobby crying out that Kinessa was a witch and was out to hurt her. Kinessa decided to use it to her advantage as they walked her out of the office she just stared at Mary and smiled as she could feel her body shift and her eyes began to change in front of Mary’s eyes and she started screaming as Kinessa walked out the door.
After that, Kinessa’s parents removed her from school and hired a private tutor, she went nowhere without an escort and now at the ripe age of eighteen she looks out a window catching a glimpse of bright green eyes in its reflection. She never seen any other color anymore. She couldn’t even remember what her real eye color was. She thought of everything she was missing out on such as homecoming and prom, hanging out with friends at the mall, having a boyfriend and her first kiss. “Kinessa, Kinessa are you listening to me?” Ms. Poppy said snapping her out of her thoughts again. “Yea, I hear you Ms. Poppy.” Kinessa spoke sarcastically. “Kinessa, you must stop all this daydreaming, that’s all you do anymore.” Ms. Poppy spoke strictly. “It’s not all I do. All you teach is not normal and boring school stuff” Kinessa snapped back.
Ms. Poppy wasn't your traditional teacher. She looked almost like Ichabod Crane minus the big nose and the huge appetite. She taught most of the things that a high school would but she hung on the teachings of the old country beliefs. Kinessa didn't know why Ms. Poppy was so convinced that she would need this in the future. Her tutor was in her mid-thirties with an Irish accent, short blonde hair and dark blue eyes. She dressed as if she was always on the way to a funeral and her humor was as dead as her wardrobe. Kinessa tried to drop hints that she if she brightened her clothes up she might be able to land a boyfriend. However her teacher was not amused by her attempts. “Why do you always dress like you’re part of the Goth community? You know I heard it’s not healthy for a relationship if you always dress like you’re attending a funeral.” Ms. Poppy tapped her fingers on her desk. Her patience had worn thin with Kinessa’s attitude.
“Kinessa, we have finished for the day. I need to speak to your parents about some of your lessons."
“What that's all? You think you are too g.” Kinessa’s voice had never done that before, it was as if her brain had told her voice to turn off and for her to become silent. Kinessa retreated to her room and sat down on her bed, finally she opened her mouth and there was sound again.
A soft knock came upon the door and her dad stepped inside. She had seen that look he wore on his face before, it was the look of disappointment and a heavy decision being made.
“Is it okay if we have a chat?” Worry rolled off him like fog off the bay.
“Sure dad.” Kinessa ducking her head down with shame of how she acted toward her teacher.
Her father stood silent for a moment then took in a breath and what he said she was so shocked that she had to ask him to say it again to make sure she heard him correctly.
“You’re sending me away!” She shouted at her father.
And at that moment he saw it was time. Her eyes had changed from green to blue to dark violet within the five seconds it took to say she was leaving.
“Kinessa you must calm down please.” Her father spoke softly but firmly.
“No!” Kinessa snapped back.
“I won’t allow you to shi.” Her voice went silent again.
There was no discussion of what she wanted at all. Her parents told her, she and her teacher Ms. Poppy would be traveling to Ireland to continue her studies and a report would return back to them every week of her progress. Kinessa packed her things. She went through her clothing and grabbed the essentials like her favorite hoodie, jeans, and shirts. She only had two pairs of shoes she cared about and that was her flip - flops and her Justin’s Roper boots, even though her mother insisted that she take her black Nikes that she only wore when she got to go out to play basketball. She walked through each section picking up things that she knew she wouldn’t be able to live without. Her MP3 player was a must, as well as her sketch pad and pencils.
As she boarded the plane Kinessa looked back hoping this was a big prank her parents were playing on her, but it wasn't. Kinessa took her seat along with her teacher and began their trip from sunny Florida to Ireland. She felt like the flight was taking forever, she tried reading, school work, and even sleeping but nothing was helping. When she finally did get to sleep she wished she hadn't. She found herself dreaming which was a rare thing for Kinessa. As she stood in an unfamiliar place just under a dim lamp - post Kinessa looked around and almost just out of sight near a fountain she seen a man watching, just standing there, he never moved and he never spoke inside courtyard and she had the odd sensation that there was something important he needed to say but he just stood there watching her. She tried to see him but she could barely make out any of his features other than he wore a long, dark coat and his eyes were shimmering. As she went to take a step toward him something pulled her from her dream like being zapped by a Taser in the stomach. She sat up and heard crying coming from a few rows behind her. A young woman was trying to calm her child while a man in the row beside her was shouting at them because the child was disturbing him. A flight attendant was trying to calm him. The man, drunk and being a complete ass continued to call the mother and her infant vulgar names and throwing paper at them. Kinessa stood up and walked up to the young mother and asked if she could help with the baby and without a worry in her mind she handed the baby over to Kinessa. She walked back to her seat with the child and sat there watching and thinking to herself, “I don’t know the first thing about babies. What am I thinking?”
And as if it were instinct she took and placed her hands over the baby’s ears and placed her head against the child’s head and softly spoke to the baby.
“Pain, remove yourself from this child and do not return.”
Kinessa’s hands began to tingle with a warm sensation then with a shock of pain and fear. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before in her life. It was like every ounce of what was making the child uncomfortable flowed from her to Kinessa. When the pain subsided from her body she lifted her head and removed her hands from the baby to find the child was smiling. She was left with an odd sensation of gratitude and relief.
She returned the child back to her mother and turned and looked at the man who was still acting rudely and reached out once again like it was instinct and touched him. No words came from her mouth just pain, fear and electricity. It took less than a minute and when she removed her hand from the man’s shoulder he was silent and still.
