Blinking her eyes repeatedly, Cara looked around trying to get her bearings. She realized that she was now sitting on the couch in her family's living room. Tara sat patiently at her side. Sighing she allowed herself to fall back into the cushions and tried to relax. She felt as though she had an impossibly huge load on her shoulders. Because she was burdened with an ensurmountable task she did not understand. She was feeling so overwhelmed and like the situation at hand had already defeated her. She found herself again longing for her mother. She desperately needed her mother's comfort. Cara closed her eyes and released another deep breath. This, all of this was just too much. She was just a girl. A normal teenage girl who's biggest concern should be wether she was going to pass the next exam. She wasn't supposed to be here.. Wherever here was. She shouldn't be so lost. She was so tired of the constant confusion and searching for understanding. Cara felt like giving up. She wondered

"Cara, you need to wake up honey. Come on now. Wake up." Cara's mother called to her softly. Cara wasn't ready to wake up yet. She laid there stubbornly holding her eyes shut. "Cara, come on dear. It's time to wake up. You'll be late. Let's go, wake up now." Cara felt her mother gently push on her shoulder, but still she laid there refusing to open her eye's. She was tired. She wasn't ready to start her day just yet. Was it a school day? She couldn't remember. She thought it might be the weekend. But if it was the weekend, then why was mom making her wake up before she was ready? As tired as she was it had to be early? "Oh! If it's the weekend then it's my birthday!" Cara excitedly opened her eyes and sat straight up. But she was shocked to see that her mother was no where to be seen. She sat there on her bed looking around confused for a bit. Did she dream that her mother was trying to wake her up? Then she remembered that she had in fact had some crazy dreams all night. Something a

Cara approached the entrance to the hospital cautiously. She was unsure of what to expect. But also excited that this was at least something new. She half heartedly pondered exactly how she had ended up on the opposite side of town. Nothing about what she had been experiencing made any sense whatsoever to her. She was afraid to get her hopes up, but she was silently hoping that someone would be inside the hospital. Cara's heart sank as she stepped into the main lobby. One look around the atrium and beyond and it was obvious that there wasn't another soul around. She continued to walk through the large area. In the middle there was a fountain surrounded by greenery. The hospital was six stories high. Here in the atrium vines and other plants ran all the way up to the top floor with a huge sky light above the fountain. Every floor had a railing which allowed the atrium to be viewed no matter what floor you were on. All around the atrium there were small waiting areas scattered here

Cara felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck, causing her to reach up and rub it as she opened her eyes. She began blinking repeatedly to bring everything around her back into focus. Looking around her she realized that it was a nice sunny afternoon and that she was sitting in her mother's rocking chair on her own front porch. Having nodded off, her head had been hanging in an odd way for too long causing the sharp pain. She slowly picked her head up and returned it to a more natural position. She had to move slowly because it was so stiff. Above her birds were chirping in the trees and a cool fall breeze was blowing gently through her hair. Cara loved evenings such as this. Autumn was her favorite time of year. Not just because of her birthday, either. There were so many other reasons. This time of year was still warm enough for so many different outdoor activities, but not as hot as summer. She loved pumpkin patches and craved everything pumpkin spice! Hay rides and fest

Cara's eye lids felt so heavy. She wanted to open them, but was unable to do so. She tried to sit up, but couldn't. As she laid there trying to figure out her current situation she heard the sound of a door opening and closing somewhere near her. That was followed by the sound of sneakers on linoleum. She struggled to open her eyes again. But again she failed to do so. "Hey, I see you sis", a familiar male voice said from somewhere in front of her. She was trying to place where she knew his voice from when he spoke up again. "Mom. Hey, mom. Mom, wake up. She's doing it again." Cara scrunched her brows at his words. Who was doing what? Who was that guy? "Hey! She just... she just did it again! Mom! Look!" The familiar guy's voice called out again, more excited this time. Cara heard a chair slide across a floor and the noise was then followed by the sounds of footsteps approaching her. Once more she struggled to open her eyes. Once more it was impossible to do. "Cara. Cara, honey,