Alenia Paetzold - Five Years Old

"Woah," I exclaimed while mommy parked the car. "This place is huge!"

"Yes, yes it is," Mommy said as she unbuckled my seat. She seemed sad, but I knew she was just nervous.

"Don't worry mommy, I'll make friends here," I said, jumping out of the car. I grabbed her hand. "The other kids are like me!"

No more kids getting scared because I accidentally caught something on fire and bullying me when I accidentally put up a forcefield and locked myself in the bathroom. No one would call me a freak or a monster because this wasn't daycare, this was a school, and I was going to a school with a bunch of other special kids like me.

"Yes, yes they are," Mommy said, leading me up the stairs to the front entrance. She still seemed nervous, so I did my best to calm her down.

"Maybe there will be other dragons," I said, bouncing up and down. "Ms. Allison said all monsters like me go here, do you think-"

Mommy stopped walking and crouched to my level, speaking very sternly. "-You are not a monster, Alenia, do you hear me? Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"O-okay," I said, surprised to hear her use her mad voice. "I won't, I promise."

Mommy smiled and pulled me into a hug, holding on longer than she usually did. When she let go of me she was crying.

"Mommy?!" I asked, feeling myself heat up as I looked around for the meanie who hurt my mommy but there were only other kids with their mommies and daddies. "Mommy, what's wrong? Who did this?"

"Alenia, honey, I haven't told you everything," Mommy said. She ran her hand through my hair, her face still wet. "This isn't a normal school. In this school you- you stay overnight."

"What?" I asked, confused, "But then when would I see you?"

"Well, you can call me or do a video chat like we do sometimes with your Uncle Tony." Mommy said, "But I won't be here in school with you."

"But... but for how long?" I asked. Beneath me, the carpet was beginning to smolder and I could feel myself crying. Mommy was saying goodbye, but I didn't want to say goodbye.

"I can visit twice a year," Mommy said, starting to cry again. "And when you graduate you can come back home."

"But that's forever away!" I exclaimed, wiping my face. "Mommy, I change my mind, I don't want to go to school. I'll go to the daycare, I promise to stop scaring the other kids, mommy, I promise."

"Alenia, you have to go to this school, it's the law," Mommy said. "But look on the bright side- you'll get to make all new friends with other kids like you. Time will fly by so fast, you won't even notice I'm gone."

"Yes, I will! Yes, I will!" I yelled, hugging her tightly.

She hissed, "Alenia- Alenia, honey, remember what we talked about?" She used her calm tone, the one she used when I did something bad on accident. "I'm not fireproof."

"Oh!" I yelped, jumping back off of her. Her skin was bright red, "I'm so sorry mommy!"

"It's okay, it's okay," She said but I could tell it hurt her. "Now I have to leave you, it's the law, but I want you to know that I love you so much and I will come as much as I can."

"Mommy, no, no-" I said. I wished I could hug her but I could see my arms were bright red and the carpet was still smoldering. I was going to hurt her. Like I hurt everyone.

I deserved this. I was a monster, no wonder they were locking me up.

"Will all parents and family members please leave at this time, new students must congregate in lecture hall C."

Mommy frowned, "I have to go." She set down my duffel bag- I hadn't noticed it before. "I put a note in here, it has my phone number and email so you can call me tonight okay?"

"Again- will all parents and family members please leave at this time, new students must congregate in lecture hall C."

"I love you, be brave," Mommy said, pulled me into a hug even though it hurt her, and suddenly I was standing alone.

"C'mon!" A boy grabbed my attention. He had brown hair and didn't seem to mind that the carpet around me was on fire. "You'll get in trouble if you stand out here!"

I took a deep breath, be brave, and followed him into a giant room filled with chairs around a big stage. We sat down somewhere in the middle, surrounded by other kids like us, waiting for the man on the podium to speak.

"Don't be scared," The boy said. "I've been here my whole life, it's not so bad."

I smiled but of course, I was still scared- years without my mommy!

The man at the front cleared his throat in front of a microphone, but everyone kept talking nervously. "Excuse me," He said, meanly. "I expect your undivided attention- excuse me!"

"He's always like this," The boy whispered, but then he had to stop because the man had gotten enough of us quiet to speak.

"My name is Director Locke," He said. "Upon graduation, you will be returning to the general population but in the meantime, while you learn to control your dangerous and destructive abilities you will be enrolled here full time. We do not tolerate violence or disobedience and highly encourage students to join organizations within the school to ensure they dedicate the necessary time to taming their wild traits."

My mouth gaped open. He was being so mean- and he used so many big words! I wasn't the only one surprised but he kept talking as if he didn't know.

"Students are required to maintain a minimum 3.0-grade point average in their classes to continue from one semester to the next. If you do not continue at the end of the semester you will be executed so I suggest you focus on your studies." Everyone whispered, no one seemed to know what 'executed' meant but it sounded bad. "In addition, your semi-annually family visitation days are dependant upon your grades and behavior throughout the semester. These days are a privilege, not a right, earned to those students who..."

He continued but I couldn't focus anymore. He was so mean and boring. I missed my mommy. Why couldn't she stay? Why couldn't everyone's mommies and daddies come to school with them? Why couldn't we stay at home like all of the other kids? Sarah from daycare didn't have to go to a special school, and she hurt people way more than I did.

"Did you pay attention at all?" The boy from before asked, mad. "Well, come on, they put our dorms on the back wall."

Once again he led me through the crowd. I frowned when we got there, the text was so small and I wasn't very good at reading yet. (Mommy said I had more of a 'doing things' brain. Sarah said that was mommy's way of saying I was dumb.) It took me a while, and by the time I was done the boy was gone, so I walked to my new room alone.

When I got there I didn't care that the day had just started. Usually, I would go play but instead, I crawled into bed and for the first time went to sleep without my mommy to tuck me in. I didn't sleep well.

Michael Pias Jr - Five Years Old

Mama and Dada left yesterday, their last day of school, and they didn't let them come back. So I was alone on my first day of school. I stood back from the crowd and remembered what Mama and Dada said- stay calm, stay safe. I couldn't get mad or sad or jealous, because if I did everyone else would feel it too. Then the director would execute me for being out of control.

It was hard to stay calm when I could feel the sadness from everyone else, I needed something else to focus on. So when I felt anger from another kid, all the mama's and dadas were angry but all of the other kids were just sad, I couldn't help but stare.

I recognized the runes on her shoulders and the red hot heat from her skin. She was a dragon. Mama and Dada always kept me away from the couple other dragons, because their emotions were too strong for me, but I was a big kid now. I could handle it.

"Again- will all parents and family members please leave at this time, new students must congregate in lecture hall C."

"C'mon!" I yelled to get her attention after her mama left. "You'll get in trouble if you stand out here!"

I led her to the lecture hall and we sat down. She didn't say anything, a sadness came from her now more than anger. I frowned. She was scared, too. I had been scared all morning but suddenly I felt like I could help her- like I wasn't so lost.

"Don't be scared," I said. "I've been here my whole life, it's not so bad."

She smiled but was still scared, I wished I could help her. Mama and Dada could make people feel better, they didn't even have to touch them, but so far I wasn't any good at it.

"Excuse me," Director Locke said, with his usual meanness. "I expect your undivided attention- excuse me!"

"He's always like this," I whispered to the girl. Before I could say not everyone was like that Director Locke spoke again.

"My name is Director Locke," He said. "Upon graduation, you will be returning to the general population but in the meantime, while you learn to control your dangerous and destructive abilities you will be enrolled here full time. We do not tolerate violence or disobedience and highly encourage students to join organizations within the school to ensure they dedicate the necessary time to taming their wild traits.

"Students are required to maintain a minimum 3.0-grade point average in their classes to continue from one semester to the next. If you do not continue at the end of the semester you will be executed so I suggest you focus on your studies." Everyone whispered, apparently no one knew for sure what executed meant. I wasn't going to tell them. "In addition, your semi-annually family visitation days are dependent upon your grades and behavior throughout the semester. These days are a privilege, not a right, earned to those students who behave themselves and properly dedicate themselves to their studies."

I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, trying to remember what Mama said about calming down. It didn't help though, because it just made me think of Mama and Dada and how they weren't here anymore.

I forced myself to listen to Director Locke, maybe it would distract me. "Today is the annual club day, where all the clubs will be presenting themselves for interested students to join. A teacher will come to your dorms before lunch to lead you to the cafeteria, where the event is hosted. Do not attempt to go early, as this is a large campus and none of you know where you're going."

Except for me, because Mama and Dada had me before they graduated. According to Mama, empaths were special and could have kids while still at school because of our magic. She told me to be very careful but when I asked Dada what she meant he didn't answer.

I'd been in this school since I was a baby, I knew it better than some of the big kids. I could tell you where every classroom was, which cafeteria lady made the best lunch, and the closest bathroom from anywhere in the school. Dada made me promise to help other students, and not bully them because they didn't know.

Director Locke went on and on before introducing Emily Fields and Vance Dorset, the best-behaved kids in year 12. They told us about how it wasn't so bad because Director Locke would punish them if they didn't lie. They said we could come to them if we needed something, and Emily smiled like our big sister.

When they finished, I looked at the girl next to me. She was daydreaming, obviously, and very sad. I frowned, how much had she heard? Did she know what to do now?

"Did you pay attention at all?" I asked. She just looked at me with shock. "Well, come on, they put our dorms on the back wall."

Once we got to the back and she found the list I turned around and left. I already knew where my room was, I'd stayed in it last night. I jogged ahead of the others and made my way to the top bunk, wanting to claim it before any others came in.

"Hi! I'm Tom!" Tom smiled and seemed happy to be here, which was good. I liked being around happy people. "What's your name?"

"I'm Michael," I said, letting his happiness spread to me. I wasn't supposed to, Dada always said I couldn't let other emotions control me, but this was a good emotion and Dada wasn't here. "My stuff is already in the top bunk."

"Cool," Tom said. "You shouldn't listen to your dad if it makes you happy."

"What?" I jumped up in surprise. "Did you-"

"-Oh- sorry, I hear thoughts," Tom said. "I can't help it but sometimes, if I have heard them a lot, I can tune them out. I promise to keep your secrets though!"

"Oh, um, that's okay," I said. "I can feel people's feelings so I know what it is like."

"Yay!" Tom exclaimed, "I'm gonna take this bed, I don't like having things above me like that."

I smiled and sat down on the couch, "Why are you so happy to be here?"

Tom smiled but whatever he was thinking made him scared. "I'm just excited to go to school is all."

"We are gonna be here for years," I said and he felt relief.

"Oh, um, hi!" A new boy came into the room, "My name is Wesley but everyone just calls me Wes."

"I'm Tom!" Tom said, smiling. "I can hear thoughts and Mike can read emotions. What can you do?"

"Um, I can see your dreams," Wes said, still nervous. "But I pinky promise I won't tell anyone! And if I can help it I won't go into your dreams at all!"

"We can all do that!" Tom said, his bottom lip pushed up and he oozed determination. "Let's make a pact now!"

"A pact?" I asked. I hadn't heard that word before.

"Like, um, a group promise," Tom said. "We all promise to never use our powers on our friends."

"Our friends?" Wes asked, surprised and confused.

"Well, yeah! We're all going to be friends, right?" Tom asked, beginning to feel embarrassed.

I looked between Tom and Wes and decided Tom was right. We were going to be friends. Best friends.