The Gifted Curse: Chapter 1

Intro:   I thought it would be a gift, but as I looked at the padded walls around me… I realized it was a curse.

It all started when I was 10. I woke up in the middle of the night because I heard someone scream. My mom came into my room because she heard me yell her name. She asked me what’s wrong so I told her.

“ No one is screaming honey,” Mom said. I knew I heard a scream so my mom investigated. When she found out that our neighbors were being robbed she called the police straight away. The police came quicker than they usually do, which is shocking since I live in New Orleans, Louisiana.

After the robbers left in the police car, a few officers came inside to question us. I told them the truth.

“I heard someone scream so I woke Mommy up,” I said.

The police nodded and then asked my mother to go in the other room so she could be questioned alone. I could still hear them through the vents of my house.

“Mrs. Walter,” the police officer said in a stern voice, “ Your daughter…”

“Katherine,” she knew he didn’t know my name.

“Yes Katherine said she heard a scream. Well… when we arrived in the house the owners had cloths in their mouths so they couldn’t scream, so I don’t know what your daughter heard.”

They continued talking but I wasn’t listening. I was in complete utter shock. I heard a scream. At least I thought I heard it. Maybe it was in my my dream. Maybe… it was in my mind. I shook that thought out of my head. Yeah right, I could hear things in my mind, totally. I went back to listening to the officer. Nothing… I heard nothing, when someone cleared their throat behind me. I jumped and my mom laughed.

“Well…what do we have here…an eavesdropper? Well I guess you have to be punished… Here comes the tickle monster!”

“Oh no!!” I screamed running to my room, but Mom was faster and tickled me like crazy. My dad was up by then and asked what was going on. I was about to tell when my mom cut me off.

“Oh nothing dear, ‘Kitty Cat’ (Kitty Cat was my moms nickname for me) just had a nightmare,” I looked at her confused and dad shook his head with a sad face.

“It’s just a dream honey, think of nice things instead,” he said. ”Well goodnight Katherine, it will be better in the morning.”

As dad left the room mom got up to leave as well.

“Mom…,” she turned around to face me.

“Yes honey”

“Why did you lie to dad,” I asked.

“Well… some things are better left unsaid.” She said it with such a heart warming smile that I just nodded.

When my mom left I had questions swirling in my head. When did the police officer even leave? How did dad sleep through all that? How did I hear the scream? And the most importantly…Why did Mom lie to my Dad?