a_time_slip | All of time and space

"I don't like that school, Mommy." said Lynn, perched on the counter in the cheap hotel room. Behind her was a towel rack, and a tiny bathroom stood to her left.

"Lynn, it's supposed to be a very good school, and I can't send you to public right now. Not until we have papers." Janie went through the dark blue backpack, ignoring the tiny silver star stickers pasted all along one side. She pulled out books, and papers, and candy wrappers, before giving Lynn a look.

"They serve terrible food at the school." Lynn proclaimed. "I had to get candy. Did you know there's a girl who told me that I need to get exorcised? She splashed holy water on me."

"...Did you tell a teacher?"

"No." frowned the girl. Her eyes got a bit dark as she sat there, thinking of how mean her new classmate had been.

"I'll call the school. Were you hurt at all?"

"NO! Stop treating me like I'm evil! I hate you, and I hate everyone there. NO ONE LIKES ME!" as Lynn yelled, Janie frowned and told herself that it would be best to take Lynn out of school, until she found a place without bullies. Nevermind the fact that Lynn could handle them on her own, and was probably being dramatic for no reason. "You're evil and we're going to make sure you know!"

A second later, Janie was overcome with- well, with everything. All of her deeds, good and bad, the past, present, and the future. All at once. The backpack dropped to the cheap carpet, and Janie curled into a ball on the bed.

Lynn, whose eyes were now black, and her mind no longer her own, stared down at her backpack for a moment, and the bright pink envelope that had fallen out. A birthday party invitation.

Instead of calming down, she ran into the tiny bathroom and slammed the door shut.