I had my first kiss when I was in the 4th grade.

I’d known her since kindergarten, and we’d been dating for all of 12 hours by then. We were on the swings at recess, side by side, as we tried to go as high as we could. We were both laughing and joking around, and that’s when I did it. I turned to her, and there sticking halfway out of my mouth was a big piece of bubblegum. She laughed as I put it in her mouth and we went back to swinging.<br><br>I know that doesn’t sound like any normal kiss, but hey, I was 9. I didn’t know the first thing about kissing a girl. I still remember the look on her face, the biggest smile I had ever seen. That moment stuck with me for my short life.<br><br>We were both in the 6th grade now, in the same class. We were sitting together at our desks, as we usually did, and we were both chatting, totally disregarding our teacher as she tried to explain fractions to the class. As I was whispering something to her, I noticed something strange about her. Her face seemed… pale.<br><br>I pushed the thought aside. I figured she was just sick or something. We continued to talk, and we were planning on going to the park after school to play on the swings. That’s when we were caught by the teacher. I was given a blue slip, which means you have detention after school with a teacher of your choice, and she had detention with the principal.<br><br>When the lunch bell rang, we were both taken out of the classroom and had to go to our lockers to grab our lunches. She was across from me, and as I saw her face, I got that feeling of her looking pale again. As I looked closer, her skin looked almost translucent. I could see what appeared to be blue lines under her skin, like veins.<br><br>She noticed my staring and asked me what was up. I told her that I was a little worried about her because she looked like she was sick. Any expression on her face immediately disappeared, and she looked frantic. She asked me what I meant by that. I told her that her face looked pale, and I could see these blue lines under her skin.<br><br>That’s when she started panicking. She told me that I had to get out of there as soon as possible. I didn’t know what was going on. I asked her what was wrong, but she just repeated herself and told me to go to the cafeteria.<br><br>I did as I was told and walked to the cafeteria. I grabbed my usual seat with my friends and started eating. I noticed she wasn’t here yet and was starting to get a little worried. That’s when I saw her walk in, with a big smile on her face. She waved at me, and I waved back.<br><br>I was starting to feel a little better, but then I noticed something. Everyone around me was also pale, with the same blue-ish lines showing underneath their skin. I started scanning the room, and everyone was like that. I was the only normal one there.<br><br>That’s when it clicked. Something was very wrong. I finished my food as quickly as I could and got up, then made my way out of the cafeteria. I had to tell someone about this. I didn’t know who would believe me, but I at least had to try.<br><br>I ran towards the main office, looking behind me to make sure no one was following. That’s when I saw her. She was walked towards me at a fast pace, but she didn’t seem to be moving her legs. She was here in just a couple of seconds, and she grabbed me by the arm, holding me in place.<br><br>“What are you doing,” she asked. “I thought I told you to stay in the cafeteria.”<br><br>“I had to go tell someone,” I replied.<br><br>“Who would believe you,” she said as she looked me dead in the eyes.<br><br>I noticed that hers were black as coal, with vertical pupils. I froze in fear. Who, or what was this lady? She pulled me towards her and started dragging me back to the cafeteria. I tried to resist, but she was too strong. I couldn’t move. That’s when everything went black.<br><br>I woke up in the cafeteria, alone. Everyone else was gone, and I had no idea what time it was. I got up from my seat and walked outside. It was dark, and I could see the moon. I had no idea how I got here. It was only noon when I last remembered being in lunch.<br><br>I tried to open the school doors, but they were locked. I had to get out of there, and I had to get out of there fast. That’s when I remembered the swings. If I was going to find any answers, they would be there.<br><br>I ran through the parking lot and into the park. I didn’t see anyone. I reached the swings and just stood there in silence. I called out for her, but she didn’t answer. I stood there for what felt like hours, but I had no response. I was starting to lose hope.<br><br>That’s when I heard something behind me. I saw her standing behind me, and I should have been scared. But the moment I saw her face, I didn’t feel any fear. I saw that smile, and I forgot about everything. I was happy.<br><br>“Am I ready,” I asked her.<br><br>“Yes, you’re ready,” she replied.<br><br>As she said that, I felt something take over my body. I could feel myself changing. It didn’t hurt, but I knew something was happening. When she smiled at me, I understood.<br><br>This was the first day of the rest of my life.<br><br><br>My mom told me that when we moved here, a girl in my age group had gone missing, and they never found her body. I wonder if it was her.