Ashes to Ashes

At 7 on a Tuesday morning, I woke up to my alarm blaring and the ceiling right in front of my face. With a shriek, I fell back to Earth, landing bodily on my bed with a thump. Mom heard the noise and came to check on me. "Ashlynn, what -" She stopped. She looked bewildered, like her kid laying winded on a broken bed was something new. "Good morning," I coughed, wheezing as I tried to catch my breath. "Is breakfast ready?" "Breakfast is in the kitchen, but- what happened?" she asked. "I woke up on the ceiling. It happens sometimes," I replied. "I think I'm going to get dressed and eat." "Okay," she said. She looked at the dent in the bed, then shook her head and walked out, closing the door behind her. As soon as the door closed, I picked myself up, brushing myself off gingerly. This wasn't the first time this had happened, but it was the highest I'd ever floated before. I limped over to my dresser, cursing as my ankle twinged; I'd probably landed on it wrong when I fell. Grabbing the first shirt and pair of pants I saw, I dressed quickly, avoiding touching my ankle. I limped out of my room and down the hall to the kitchen, where Mom had set out plates of scrambled eggs, waffles, and maple sausage. I pulled out a chair and grabbed the fork next to the plate. "Thanks, Mom," I said. Mom sat in front of me and took a sip of her coffee. "No problem, sweetheart. Need a drink?" "No thanks." We ate in silence, Mom texting someone - probably her friend Jeanine who she talks to at the supermarket and the park - and me flicking through my notifications. We stayed like that for a good twenty minutes, until Mom checked the time and frowned. "We need to leave in ten," she said. "Go use the bathroom and get in the car." I did as she said, then grabbed my bag and stepped outside. But before I could get to Mom's car, I noticed something strange: a foggy haze seemed to be covering the body of a sleeping cat. Weird, I thought, then I opened the door and slid into the car. "I'm in the car!" I called back to the house. "I'll be right out," Mom yelled back. After a few moments, she climbed in and pulled out of the driveway. As we headed down the street to the YMCA Mom worked at, I tried to ignore the feeling that something big was about to happen.