Prologue

I noticed the symptoms when I was 9 years old. I was out playing with my friends, Sky and Rex, when it occurred. The pain was sudden, and sharp. Something screeched inside my head. I forced my eyes closed and collapsed to the floor. I tried to scream but nothing came out of my throat. I felt a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it tight and pulling me up. "Keith!", it was Sky's voice, "Keith, please get up. Are you alright?". There was a long silence. Sky's voice, but softer and shaken, "Please get up, you're scaring me."

She took my hand off of my eyes and I fought back. Why am I fighting her? She's just trying to help me. I couldn't control my movements anymore, I couldn't feel Sky's hand on mine anymore. It was all numb and cold despite the 80 degrees weather. I felt something tear in my chest and finally the scream that was kept in all this time was unleashed. I screamed and thrashed my arm out. My eyes were closed, and I didn't feel the contact or hear the crying over my screaming, but I did hear a deafening crack. I forced my eyes open, the sudden brightness burned. I turned to face Sky and saw her on the ground, crippled over, legs in an unnatural position.

     Scrambling over next to Sky, I grabbed her wrist, her pulse was slow, but it was there at least. Suddenly feeling light heading I put my head to the ground and closed my eyes. Sirens I hear sirens. I felt someone picking me up and placing me onto a surface. A stretcher? I heard voices, a lot of them. In fact, it was too much. The noise surrounded me, ensnared me in a fixed position unable to move. Every breath I took cut my lungs, burned my esophagus, tore my rib-cage. It was all too much, I couldn't think, I couldn't get myself to open my eyes. 

I'm not sure how long it took to get to the hospital and I probably passed out in between anyways. Sky suffered from a broken jaw and tibia, but I was relieved to see that she didn't lose too much blood. I apologized to her and I was crying as well from the guilt and confusion, she smiled and told me, "I'm fine, but promise me that you won't scare me again." She closed her eyes to go rest. The doctors escorted me to another room for some "diagnostic".