I ran into Diane in teh hall before reaching my next class. She didn't look too happy. "Hey.."

"What." She looked up at me.

I glanced down for a moment. "I'm Kate, from PE class...?"

"Yea, I've seen you around." She sighed as we made our way through the hall.

"Well.. I saw you during lunch.. what happened?"

She paused for a moment and looked at me. "Don't you ever hate it?"

"Huh?" I gave her a surprised look. "Hate what?"

"Being woren." She growled. "The names, the taunts, the threats... Just earlier my teacher told me I wouldn't be able to understand because 'it's not in my bloodline.'" She gave another angry growl. "I HATE IT!" I watched her go storming off down the hall. With a sigh, I ducked into my classroom and sat down. Ray was already in his seat.

I dunno Tellka.. I kind of like being me..

'Kate, there are a lot of things out there that you don't see...'

What do you mean?

'Well Kate.. You'll see what I mean later.'

I'm confused..

'Kate, you've spent about 15 years of your life in the woods with your parents.'

Yea...

'You have no experience with real life.'

But...

'No Kate, listen. Life is not how you think it is. People are not all honest. Others hate for no reason. Kate, most people in life aren't you.'

What do you mean?

I could feel Tellka sigh. 'Look at you. You're happy. You're young and innocent. You have a good home and food. A lot of people aren't like that.'

What?

'Kate, look.. I'm sorry. I'll explain it later.' And with that, Tellka managed to leave me in confusion for the rest of the day.

* * *

We had just walked into the practice room of the Colosseum when I turned to Tellka.

"What were you talking about earlier?"

Tellka sighed as she closed the door and sat down. "Kate, just listen to me for a moment. I have some things to explain." I gave her an odd look and sat down. After a moment she continued.

"Kate, do you remember when you were six? What is was like back then?"

I shook my head. Tellka sighed and nodded. "I didn't think so. You were different back then. You could... do things then that you can't do now."

I gave Tellka an odd look. "What do you mean?"

Tellka just shook her head. "I'm trying to think of how to explain it.. Kate. I don't know how to explain this but.. you know, that you and I, we're the same?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever wondered how?"

"Not really."

"Well look. It's like this." She bent down and drew a circle in the sand. "This is your mind at age 6." Then she cut it in halves, labeling one side K, and the other side T. "This is your mind now. Actually, it's our mind. It's the same mind, same thought patter, and same emotions split between us."

"Split?"

"Yea." She sat up. "Your mind can't comprehend sending the same emotion to both of us at once. So it splits the emotions instead. That's why you can't hate."

"Huh?"

"You're always happy. You're never angry. At the same time, I'm almost never happy. The mind has split the emotions, allowing you one and me the other."

I gave her an odd look. "How does it do that?"

Tellka sighed. "I'm trying to explain.. When I was alive, I had the same mind I have now, and the one you have. In order to bring me back to life, I had to be able to have that mind again. But, I only used certain emotions. Courage, hate, anger, apathy.. things like that. That's why you can't feel those emotions. Your mind has given them to me to use, along with my memories and experience."

I blinked. "So, if you weren't here, I wouldn't be like this..."

Tellka shook her head. "No, you might be more like me. Kate, if I ever left, do you know what that would do? That would open you up to new emotions, feelings, thoughts.. and even my memory."

"Then.. what did you mean when you said that I can't see the world?"

"What I ment was, until you can feel things like jealousy, anger, mistrust, and other things like that, you wont be able to understand the world, just like I can't."

"You can't?" I gave Tellka an odd look. She just shook her head and smiled.

"I can only see half of the world too. That's why I am who I am. I suppose if I had grown up more liek you, I'd be different." Tellka shrugged.

"Now come on, we need to practice."

e-mail author, talonr@hotmail.com