The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes, Vocabulary List Chapters 1-3

very tired and unable to see clearly

I had a pounding headache and bleary vision.

something that causes great destruction, violence, etc.

Or maybe Holy Ghost (who named that school, anyway?) would disappear off the face of the earth in a freak cataclysmic accident.

to feel the effects of an emotion (as fear)

It was all quiet, except for the crickets and my guts churning.

not having enough space for people to feel comfortable

Seemed a pretty lame (and claustrophobic) place to live.

to declare not to be true

"You were afraid, don't try to deny it."

a complete or partial hiding of the sun caused by the moon's passing between the sun and the earth

You're invited to the Great American Total Eclipse.

causing fear and uneasiness : STRANGE

An eerie yellowish-blue light.

feeling or showing a lot of fear and worry

I got to my feet, frantically scanning the dark.

to complain about something

There was no point in my griping about the uniform.

the seeing of objects or the experiencing of feelings that are not real but are usually the result of mental disorder or the effect of a drug

Except what I saw had to have been some kind of a hallucination.

a list of items (as goods on hand)

My head was pounding and, after a quick inventory.

to study by close examination and questioning

Naturally, I went to investigate, half expecting to find a hurt animal.

a place that has many confusing paths and passages

It led to a whole labyrinth of caves, and for half a second I'd thought about calling National Geographic or something.

to make fun of by imitating

Most of the time he was pinning me in the dirt and mimicking a roaring crowd like it was some big deal to beat me, the Freak.

a story often describing the adventures of beings with more than human powers that attempts to explain mysterious events (as the changing of the seasons) or that explains a religious belief or practice

On my nightstand was the Maya mythology book Mom had given me for my eighth birthday.

expecting good things to happen : HOPEFUL

Yeah, you could say I was super optimistic.

to look curiously or carefully

I tossed off the covers, got up, and peered out the window.

to say that (something) will or might happen in the future

"Did you predict the plane crash?"

existing from the beginning of time : very ancient

I wished I could turn into primordial ooze and seep into the ground.

to be in a confused or dizzy state

My mind was reeling too much to be sure.

to look through quickly

My mind went into hyper-speed, riffling through all the words that could describe my leg but not define me.

highly valued and important : deserving great respect

Mom called it a sacred ancestral blessing.

easily frightened

She was all skin and bones, and she acted skittish at first.

a forward or upward push

The plane's thrust shook the ground, sending me stumbling, but I caught myself.