Month: August 2011

Chapter Two:

My father looked up, “What is it?”

“I have 5 servants I would like to keep with me, here.”

“5 servants? I assure you that my kingdom is capible of providing you with servants.”

“I do not doubt it, Your Highness,” Prince Braxton said, “I just wish to keep 5 of my personal sevants with me.”

My father sighed, “Very well. Follow my daughter. I will send your servants to their own quarters.”

Prince Braxton bowed and nodded to me. I opened the doors and led him out.

“Hi.” he said as we made our way down the hallway, “As you know, I am Prince Braxton.”

“Yes,” I tried using my coldest voice, “You’re here to clamp your hand on my life.”

“Excuse me?” We had reached his room now. It was for our royal guests. I hoped his royal highness would find it pleasurable.

“You know. If and when my father chooses someone, my life will be nothing except pins, needles, idle chatter and taking care of, whoever that unfortunate man is, my husband.” It was true. I had seen what had become of my older friends when they were married off.

Braxton laughed, which was the last thing I had expected. I could feel my neck heating up and knew that my face was probably pink with anger.

“You think this funny???” I cried my anger bubbling to rage, “How would you like to have your life snuffed out by a man who marries you just to be served dinner every night?”

With that I stompped away. Behind me, the prince called out, “Princess! Princess Zara! Look I didn’t mean…”

But I turned the corner and ran…

To be Continued…

. She flipped the channel to the news. How depressing… I usually hated watching the news because… well, let’s just say it shouldn’t be called ‘the news,’ it should be called ‘the bad news.’ But I realized that there was a reason she was watching. The news lady with too much make-up on was doing an overview of the whole day. Suddenly, the screen showed the theater with police cars surrounding it. A picture of me and Troy running out of the building appeared, and I barely caught the lady’s words as my mouth fell open in surprise. The picture had just caught the features of my face, looking back at Melissa, who was safely out of reach of the camera’s flash. My brain registered what was happening. The lady was saying something about how I started a fire and ran out before anyone could catch me, and how that if someone had seen me, that they turned me into the police immediately. I had a very strange reaction to this. I turned to Melissa, who was watching as well.
“I’m on TV!” I yelled, smirking. I was weird like that. My fears are confirmed that I’m wanted, and I’m just happy to be on TV.
She hit my arm. “You are so dead. You think this is funny? What if you’re caught?”
I shrugged. “I’ll tell Troy.”
“Troy already knows.” Troy said from the door. I nearly jumped out of my skin. “You can’t stay here anymore, Jenna. There’s no doubt that Mrs. Shaw is watching too. Come on…”
So, I got up and snuck downstairs while Mr. and Mrs. Shaw yelled about me, fighting over something. I opened the back door. Running away… I gulped. The hardest part of it all was taking that first step outside. I had to. I didn’t have a choice, now. Luckily, I didn’t have too much of a problem taking that first step. Melissa sort of shoved me out when I took so long. What had gotten into her? She closed the door behind Troy, and the three of us stood outside, sort of dumbfounded at what I was about to do.
“Thanks for letting me stay.” I said, nodding toward Melissa. She looked nervously around, the road, the house- everywhere. She looked guiltier than I felt.
“Yeah, yeah. You’re going to be okay.”
“Yeah, sure.” I said, but I didn’t believe it. Wherever I went I was surrounded by people- and people watch the news. And that’s when my life became a chase.
“Um, do you want me to go with you?” Troy asked.
I paused, wondering if I’d heard right. “What?” He took a sudden great interest in his shoes, looking at them and shrugging. I sighed. “I couldn’t let you do that.”
“Why not? I was in the picture too. Maybe I’m wanted. And also, it’s not your place to decide if I go. It’s mine. So, I want to go. And you wouldn’t last two seconds without me.”
“Uh huh. Very funny. But it’s not something I-”
“Too late, you’re stuck with me.”
“Troy!”
“Yes ma’am?”
“This isn’t something to joke about! I could get caught!”
“Wouldn’t let that happen.”
“I’m not letting you come.”
“Why not? I can fend for myself.”
“No, you can’t! You’re a freaking teenager!” I pushed him away, but Troy pushed me right back. What a gentlemen… Melissa took a cautious step back.
“You’re an idiot!” I called. My voice was louder then I meant, and it rang through the darkness. “Stay where it’s safe!”
“If it’s not safe running away, then why are you going?”
“’Cause I have to!” I said, pushing him away as he stepped closer. He pushed my back again. Melissa hushed us, looking around as we started yelling.
“I can’t let you come!”
“Get it through that thick hot head of yours, I’m coming!”
“At least I have a head! You don’t seem to use yours!”
We pushed each other again. “Stop that!” I yelled, as I was pushed against the house. He walked toward me with anger in his eyes.
“Why are you so annoying?” he asked.
“You wanted to follow me!”
“Well, maybe I don’t!”
“Well, maybe I don’t want you to!”
He came closer to me. He put his hand on the brick wall, above my head, leaning on it. His face fell in front of mine.
“But-” I tried.
“Shut up…” he whispered, smirking.
“You’re stubborn, aren’t you?”
“Same as you.” He chuckled, looking right at me. I began to feel uncomfortable. Melissa shifted positions, eyeing us intently.
“Same as me?” I asked, side stepping him, away from the wall. Now I was the one avoiding him. Melissa warned us yet again, yelling at us in a whisper.
“Guys, shut up! I think my mom is coming… What if she finds you two running away?”
“Okay,” I said, getting in her face. She was starting to get on my nerves… “First off, I’m more worried about police catching me then your mom. Second- the two of us?” I asked. Who said Troy was actually coming?
“Well, I assumed-” We heard loud footsteps coming our way. The noisy clonk clonk clonk of Mrs. Shaw’s high heel shoes made me want to jump out of my skin. Would she turn me into the police, or hide me away? Honestly, I didn’t want to find out. I didn’t like my chances. The more I thought about it, the guiltier I felt about leaving them. But I could just stay and live off of them forever… I pulled Troy behind a tree just as she opened the door.

The Wolf Stones: Chapter one; fire in your eyes

Chapter one:
“Hey wait up!” I gasped. My lungs burning from running to catch up with Luke.
“Come on otherwise you have to stand guard again,” he whispered over his shoulder, “anyways we’re not that much further.”
The new threat pushed me on but the thought of being caught was unbearable. My heart throbs and feels like it is about to burst out of my chest. The meadow is dark but the hours of dark are ticking into minutes soon an edge of the sun will announce dawns coming. As we near the field where the livestock are kept during sleeping hours I can see the faint glow of the shepered’s hut. We slink into the shadows to remain out of sight. I take the lead and we swiftly move towards the grazing sheep. Silently my brother produces two sacks from his bag while I remove my stone knife from my belt. Drawing the blade above my head I aim and slice through the ragged rope that holds three sheep the onto a simple wooden pole. Quickly, Luke jumps in to grab two of them while I grab for the rope to the third. But to my dismay the sheep bolts to the left and the chase is on! I run at a quick pace and try to herd the sheep into a conner bitten into a boulder.  He takes me trough mud, water, and many other places around the field but I soon corner him and push close and closer. After many attempts to escape my grasp the sheep relizes it is corner and gives up. Unfortunately for me the sheep falls limp to make it harder for me to drag it across the field. I look across to where Luke has already tyed the other two up and is ready to move and start lugging the sheep over. My arms ach with sore pain and I have to force my body to move by the time I got there.
“That was quite a chase sis!” he chuckled.
“Shut it…” I replied now relizing how a clumbsy baboon I was. We were suppose to move silently and leave fast and I had done just about done the opposite of that. Ashamed I bowed my head on sorrow.
“Hey it’s ok you didn’t do it for nothing why look at the fellow he should make alot of wool.” Luke said trying to cheer me up.
“Yeah I guess your right, plus the wool will make alot of money and we both know we need that.” I said lifting my chin up. Pride surged through me making my heat beat like a drum. We walked on till we reached the edge of the field where we sat down to watch the sunrise. Slowly a shaving of light pierced through the dark rim of the horizon growing in size. Joy filled my heart and I reached over to grip Luke’s hand. He grasped my hand firmly, and we watched from our perch the beginning of a new day. Light danced off droplets of dew on the soft grass making it seem as if the the ground where on fire. As I look over at my brother I saw the sun rising in his eyes and smiled. This I would savor forever.

*               *                *
~”Fire! Everyone run!” a voice yelled from somewhere behind me. People where running knocking into me all where yelling or screaming tumbling away from the line of fire that was approaching fast. I turned and started to run but the ground move as if it where a covayer belt. I turned back around and relizes running would not help, the ground stopped moving. I watched as the small fire turned into an inferno that grew to the size of a tidal wave.  Arrows of smoke found their way into me and my lungs stung with pain that racked through my entire body. Then fire hit engulfing me in flames something was wrong though. I looked down my clothes billowed around me looking like the embers of coal light danced around me. I waited  for pain to come but it never came. A small tingling formed in my feet that spread across my body, rippling into waves. Then I was falling, plummeting down through the darkness ashes flying of my body I tried to rip the clothing of but it remained. I ripped at my arms but every cut revealed magma flowing in my veins until my skin hardened over then turned soft. Adrenalin and fear overpowering my mind I tried to fight, to resist, to stay alive. I kept falling until my body hit water. Steam filled the cave and the light, my body’s light flashed off. My heart stopped and I felt my body sink further and further until…~

Suddenly Luke bolted up from sleep almost falling out of his netting that he slept on every night he reached for the wool sheep blanket he had been using and relized it had probably dropped while he thrashed a round in his sleep.
“It’s not real… It’s not real” he reminded himself. He climbed down from the tree and walked down to the stream to get a drink, wipe beads of sweat from his body, and look like he was standing guard while Susan was out hunting instead of sleeping. Thinking about the dream he asked himself
“Why does this dream keep replaying terrorizing me almost every night?” he scooped up a handfull of water. Lifting his hands to his lips he gulped down the water and reach for some more ~crack~ instinctively he reach for his knife and had it drawn over the imposter’s throat before they could even draw their weapon.
“Let me go, I’m your sister for crying out loud!” the wriggling figure angrily said. He released his grip and put away his knife.
“Sorry” he said.
“You better be I was just coming for a drink!” Susan yelled. She bent down and scooped up some water. “Ahh that’s better,” she looked around and spotted the fallen blanket,”where you sleeping while I went hunting instead of watching guard!?” she questioned. Luke bent his head down thinking to himself how he shouldnt have snozed off while she was out.
“Well for doing nothing while I worked my but off for the entire morning! You shall have to shave the sheep and feed them today.” she announced clearly satisfied with the punishment. Luke passed by her and headed up his tree to retrieve his wool sack. Walking through the forest Luke looked around, life buzzing around him up in the trees critters scrambled to and fro. He watched as a mother raccoon cleaned her five baby raccoons and try and get them back inside their hollow, but each time she got them in one would scramble out and she would chase it around allowing the others to escape.
“Hmph ha she’s got her hands full!” Luke chuckled. Then one of the babies climbed down and walked over to him. Luke bent over and scratched it behind the net. Then he picked it up and carried it over to it’s mother who was throwing a fit over the baby approaching Luke and set it down. And walked on. He soon at the pen that held the sheep. He tossed them some fresh grass and some hay from a pile next to the pen then he sat down and started to sheer the sheep. Soon he was done and waled over to his favorite hill to pick berries. After gathering a hand full he settled down on the soft grass and looked up at the bright blue sky. Luke fumbled some grass with his fingers and watched the cloud move across the sky while a soft summer breeze ruffled his soft yellow and red hair. Clouds were scattered in whispy strips accross the sky the sun on the edge of the horizon. Popping a berry into his mouth staring into he distance Luke wondered what life would be if he and his sister were with parents with someone who love them for who they were. Who were their parents and were where they?…

To be continued in chapter two of Wolf Stones…

Chapter one:
“Hey! Catch!” a voice called out nearby. A pig skin ball came flying towards me and I positioned myself for the catch. The ball started to fall plummeting to the earth, I lunged forward and stuck my hands out just a the ball where to land and caught it. Sweating I stood up looking around for the tosser of the ball when someone slapped my back from behind.
“Wow! Nice catch. For a girl I mean!” an obnoxious voice said. I pitfuly groaned the tosser was the all time obnoxious, Jarudje, the pest (oh and by the way the second j is sighlet).
“What is it Jarudje?” I said pronoucing his name as if it were a name of something horrid.
“I just wanted to remind you that tomorrow I will be getting my bond!” he said.
“Just what the world needs, another Jerudje” I retorted underneath my breath.
“What did you say?” he questioned.
“Nothing!” I replied and quickly walked away leaving him hanging in the middle of the sentence.
“You can leave now but soon you will be begging me to stay!” he shouted after me. Disgusted at the thought I blocked him out of my mind and focused on the reason I came here for: today I would be getting my bond. At the age of fourteen a child would receive their bond, a bond is an animal that can talk with their human the bond chooses the human the think will work well in he industry that they are built for. I check the location of the sun for the time and read that it is eleven and relize that if I do not hurry up I will be late and will never get a bond. I continue to walk but pick up a faster pace. Soon I make it to the bond hut, walking in I see all sorts of animal bonds. Slowly walking I feel the eyes of the ones interested peering down on me. I walk over to the counter to find my mother already there. She hurries me into a room that has about six other children waiting to receive their bonds. We all sit waiting for Guandra the village bonderess to come to take us one at a time into the room on the other side ofthe wall to meet the bonds, worry fills the darkened room and one at a time the kids are summoned into the room but they do not come out and I begin to worry what happened to them. Soon there are only two people left in the room another girl and me. Guandra enters and calls my name. I hesitate and she calls my name again. This time I stand and look to the girl and she smiles urging me on. I follow Guandra. As I enter the room I close my eyes and think of my garden behind my mothers house each little plant has a purpose so why shouldn’t I?

Chapter two:

I open my eyes to see about twelve animals staring at me. Then I hear Guandra telling me to close my eyes and I obey.
“Think of something you enjoy…” she says sprickling some kind of dust on me. The image of my garden pops into my mind I here my self thinking of what I thought earlier then the scene changed to me in school climbing a tree at recess in front of my entire class who where all calling my name, chanting for me to go higher and I swiftly climbed till I was on the top branch. A teacher ran over and called me down which I obeyed, I thought that she was going to punish me but instead she congratulated me and said out loud, “now this is girl who has a future!”. The picture hn change to this mowning when i was climbing a tree to grab some apples for my mother who was whimpering both feet firmly planted on the ground callin to me to be careful. It was then that I was looking into my memories. Suddenly there was a mass swirl of colors and found myself sitting down in a chair in a badly lighted room at first I was confused until I heard Guandra shoutting, “Does any one want her?!” murmurs swirls around the room and Guandra turned to face me, “sorry dear but it appears no one fits your personality and hat you will not have a bond…” before she could finish I burst in to tears. Then a small red eyed frog steped out from the shadows cleared his throught and spoke, mean he really spoke! “I would like to be her bond.” he said. I ran over to him and picked him up and placed him on my shoulder. Then I walked over to the bondness and asked, “what shall I do now?”
“What you and your bond feel is right” I ran trough the now open door and ran home to tell the good news. “Yes I will have a good new adventure”.

People all around us turned their heads a certain degree to look at us. My heart raced. I shuffled closer to Troy, looking up at the dim lights that lit the surrounding darkness. Bugs swarmed the bright lights, as if there was no trouble beneath them. The gas station was absurdly big. It looked like it might sell thing other than food, like back packs… that could be useful.

“What do we do?” He asked, rubbing his hurt arm. He tensed as I looked at it with concern. “None of that.” He said, rolling his eyes. “I’m fine.” But he looked pitiful. His black eye, his arm in a cast… I took a few steps back and just…looked at him. To see my best friend like this made my heart ache. I guess he could read my expression pretty well, because he turned around and his shoulders fell. I followed him inside the main building, where candy and snacks decorated the halls…taunting me. My mouth watered. The walls were too white, the lights too bright….And it was suspiciously crowded for this late an hour. I tensed as I realized this. One of the men locked eyes with another and made a complicated hand sign. My jaw clenched, my hands shook. My eyes darted from man to man… they couldn’t have been over 20 years of age. They started yelling at each other in an unnecessarily loud voice.

“Jolly crowd, isn’t it?” I asked, catching up with Troy as he entered the candy isle. Was he trying to torture me with this candy thing?

Troy snickered, but it got caught in his throat. One of the men, tall and bulky, approached us with a sort of flare in his eyes. If he got any closer, I’d set a flare on his body… the man chuckled at me as if I didn’t deserve to breath the same air as he did. As if I was a naïve kid, just here to buy bread for my sick grandmother in the forest, with a red cloak on my back. And he was a wolf. Troy stepped in front of me, clenching his fists (well, the fist he could clench) and straightening his back.

“You kids lost?” he asked, smacking his mouth, straightening his jacket, tilted his big head to the side. “Where are your parents? You here alone?”

“Nah, our parents are in the car, watching our every move. So I suggest you back off, before you hurt yourself.” I said, pushing out from behind Troy. At first, I took delight in the man’s expression. His eyes widened. Then that jerk turned to his oh-so-tough friends making another weird signal.  Then he turned back to me. He gave me a not-so-complicated sign, pressing his lips together, getting right in my face. I gave it right back to him. When you can catch fire, it changes you for life.

Chapter 16

Obviously, making my little peace sign to the man fired a whole new scene. The tension in the air became thicker (if that was possible.) Then, the time around me stopped. Troy froze- his face like a stone. The man had frozen mid signal. The cashier froze fanning her money. I walked around. What happened? Did a piece of the world just fall and hit me on the head or something?

“Troy! Move!” I yelled. No reaction. My first move; grab a water bottle, open and pour it on the man’s head. I thought water was too innocent, so I used a bottle of orange Fanta, using some to make it look like he had a little accident.  But, oh no! I have an empty Fanta bottle in my hand and no trash can to dispose of it! What shall I do? I gave the man a few hard whacks with the empty bottle. To my convenience, his eyes were open when I poured the Fanta, but his face showed no pain reaction. So, this means I could hit him all I wanted to and he wouldn’t scream? Bonus! I gave him a quick kick in the shin, to remember me by. I couldn’t say I was surprised by the stop in time. Again, after catching fire several times, I wasn’t the same kid. Then, I saw another opportunity open to me. You know, other than the opportunity of bullying the gangster, which was quite fun. We could stock up on food while we were here. Having food with us while we were always on the go would be good. Since it was the beginning of the year, yeah, they had one or two backpacks in the back of the station. I quickly grabbed two, not sure how long this time phase would last. I slung one over Troy’s shoulder and stuffed some food inside. I grabbed one for myself, but the only thing I found useful in the whole store was a cigarette lighter. Well, I didn’t need that.

“Stop.” Said an over dramatic, deep voice

I jumped and swerved around. A teenage boy was looming right over me. How’d he get there? No idea. But he looked like he was trying hard to look like a complete creeper. A little too hard.

“Bite me.” I spat, continuing my search through the store.

“Jenna, let’s go.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m giving you a second chance by stopping time. Are you telling me you’re just going to waste it?”

I put my hands on my hips. “Who do you think you are? Some kind of super villain or something? You know, the mascara gives it a nice touch, but your black cloak just throws the whole outfit over board. If you wanna look evil, I’m sure my gangster friend could give you a few tips. Oh, yeah. We both know your voice isn’t that deep, so why don’t you go through puberty and then come back, k?”

First, his dark eyes widened. He swallowed hard. He took a few steps back.

“You don’t want to make me mad, Jenna.”

“I don’t? Hey, trust me. You should see me when I’m mad. How much did those shoes cost you?”

“None of your business!” he snapped, but he shifted his feet uncomfortably.

“What do you want?”

“Ah, nothing much…” he said, trying his best to look bored. How old was this kid? He couldn’t have been much older than me… “Just come with me, you’ll be safe. You won’t have to deal with all this mystery. I can explain everything. I could give you a real home.”

“How long have rehearsed that line?”

“I’m serious, Jenna.”

“Oh, I am too. Okay, decisions, decisions… should I run away with a creepy dude who wears make-up, or not… See, I’m not too good at being logical, but even I know that’s psychotic.”

“You’re killing me…” he muttered, shifting positions. His fists clenched, his eyebrows scrunched together. He was wound tight, almost to the breaking point. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Hey, hey,” I said, waving my hands in front of me. “Don’t stress yourself. You might get a rash or something.”

“Jenna!” he yelled. Then he took a step back. He breathed deeply, his shoulders slumped. Then he asked, through gritted teeth (with much difficulty, I might add) “Jenna, how have you- How’ve you been?”

found this it’s great made the pic myself

Completely awesome!
Person: kitten fight!
Person2: no wait I’m allergic to adorableness!
~ fwump!~
Person2: awwwww!……

_________
|.  REST   |.
|.   IN    |
|.  PEACE  |
|. |
/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\|/\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /| /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

Rain falls pitter-pat
Falling on leaves, new music
Fall rain oh falling

The sun is coming
Bursting through the falling rain
Making something new

Oh here comes the sun
Mixing with the falling rain
Creating rainbows

Chapter Two:

My father nodded, “Very well. You shall stay here for a week and if we find you suitable you will have my daughter’s hand and when I leave this world to live among the stars, you will inherit the responsibilities of King.”

My father paused, “But tell me, son, how do you propose to be king of both Juniper Leaves and Astayron Buds?”

“Sire, I am capable of that. I plan to spend half a year in Juniper Leaves and the other half in Astayron Buds. While I am here, my younger brother, Prince Thalamus will supervise Astayron Buds.”

“And while you are in Astayron Buds, who will take care of Juniper Leaves?”

“We can arrange that.”

“Very well. My daughter, Princess Zara, shall escort you to your chambers.”

He gestured for me to go. Slowly, I rose and curtsied to my father. Then, I made my way to the large doors at the side of the hall where we would exit.

“Wait,” Prince Braxton called, “I have a request.”

Chapter One:

A knock at the door. I looked up to see my maid and friend, Friar, open the door. Her black hair, shorter than mine, was curled into a bun. Her face was smiling.

“My lady,” she said, “The Prince Braxton from the kingdom of Astayron has arrived to ask your father for your hand.”          She looked around outside, then dropped her formal manner of speaking, “I must say, mistress, he is a very charming individual. I went out to greet him for you and he treated me most politely.”

“Well,” I nodded, “That’s an improvement from last time.”

The last prince that had come was handsome enough, but his attitude towards servants and slaves brought a big problem with me. I hated putting people under slavery and  freed any slaves I had. I treated every servant as equal to anyone else as I could.

“Come, Princess, he is waiting.”

I followed Friar out of my chamber and down the grand stair case and into the large Grand Hall, where visitor present themselves in front of the King.

“At least your dress prettier than the last time,” a voice said from the corner. Oh no. I looked up and sure enough, Mildred, my father’s sister’s daughter was standing there. Mildred hated me. For what, I didn’t know. I was no fan of her’s either.

“At least you sentence is politer than last time’s Mildred. Did your mother insist on those manner classes?” I asked.

“At least I have a mother,” Mildred sneered, “My mother didn’t run off because the kingdom’s shadow problem scared her.”

That stung. Everyone said, at least everyone who I knew, said that my mother had left me and the kingdom because she thought the shadows were a bad omen. She supposedly left in the middle of the night, leaving behind, only her memory and a amulet.

I wore that locket now. My father told me that when he found me alone in her chambers he also found the amulet tied firmly around my neck. It was a crystalline sphere and inside it was a small globe of swirling colors. It hung on golden chain around my neck. Once I had tried to pull it off, but the tie wouldn’t come loose.

I looked at Mildred again, “At least my father cares about me. He loves me and wouldn’t leave me as a sacrifice to a neighboring kingdom.”

Mildred’s father was said to have left Mildred on the border between our kingdom, Juniper Leaves, and our enemies, Fern Branches. Her mother got there in time to save her.

Mildred scowled at me, “Go on in. Prince Charming must be waiting.”

I smiled at her, “What? Aren’t you going to introduce me to him this time? Didn’t you have fun last time?”

She scowled and stalked away.

“Come on your highness,” Friar tugged my arms and pulled me through the great doors. My father sat on his throne. A look of impatience washed off his face when he saw me.

“Ah, here she is! My daughter, late as always.”

He patted the smaller throne that was next to him, “Come sit my daughter.”

I slowly crossed the hall, trying not to look interested in a young man that was kneeling in front of my father.

I climbed the dais steps and seated myself on the smaller throne.

“Now, stand my son.”

The young man stood.

He was only two of three years older than me. He had fiery red hair that was thick and a tiny-bit disheveled. He wore a strong leather tunic, and a long sword was strapped to his side.

On his right hand, I noted, he wore a jeweled ring and on the left hand his fingers were bare, but on his wrisr he wore a band of leather that had designs i could not see.

“Your name?” my father asked.

“Prince Braxton, sire.” the Prince introduced himself.

“Hmm,” the king looked to me, ” And you seek my daughter’s hand?”

“Yes.”

To be Continued…

Chapter One:

          The air rushed past me as I burst through my bedroom door. The large room was quite and still, just what I had needed after that large room full of people. The large room of people expecting ME to find solutions to their problems.      

         I didn’t mind the people much, but their problems were another thing. They usually involved marriages, crop, or thieves.

I didn’t know how to solve half their problems and felt very helpless, for the ministers offered no help. The last problem had been involving a young man and woman, wanting to marry, but unable to do so because the girl’s parents wished her to wed someone else. I had wrung my hand throughout her explanation, wondering what I should say. Even though my heart went out to the girl, I knew that from all the ministers had taught me that a daughter must obey her parents and marry whom they wanted her to. The disobedience would not have been tolerated by my father; who, thankfully, dealt with matters of war and borders.

So, as you must have guessed, I went against my ministers wishes and granted the girl permission to marry her beloved. The couple looked so happy as they left the hall, that I was glad I had chosen the decision. However, that put an end to my day of solving problems.

Now, as I sat at the edge of my bed, thinking over the incident, my thoughts were interrupted by a call from outside.

“Your Majesty!”

Someone was calling the King. I rushed to the window, wondering who had made such a racket, when a heard trumpets.

Oh no! It was another suitor. My father had been calling all the noble men from all the neighboring provinces and all the unmarried princes from neighboring kingdoms. So far, none had made a striking impression on me and, thank god, neither to my father.

Then, through the palace gates, four carriages rolled in. Most of traveling princes brought an whole underage full of gifts for my father. This one must be stingy or he might not want to or need to kiss my father’s feet.

I turned from the window. Right then, I wanted to be the happy young lady who I had allowed to marry her lover, or maybe the young maid who came to serve me my breakfast; she was always happy, or perhaps my far cousin; Princess Dina. She was married to a knight of her father’s because she loved him and her father was kind man.

I wanted to be anyone but myself. I sat down on my bed, knowing that it wouldn’t be long before I was called to meet the suitor.

To be Continued…

Chapter 1

So, it’s come to my understanding that not every teenager out there can hold fire in the palm of their hands…  So it’s just me out there? Great… that little talent started at the end of the year party, where the whole 7^th grade was meeting to swim at a community pool. Yes, the whole 7^th grade. I was having a blast… Sun, friends, water…what could go wrong? Being me, everything… Melissa, Troy, and I were swimming around, celebrating the end of school.

“So, we’re out of school…”Melissa said.

“Don’t say it like that… say it like, ‘We’re finally out of that prison they call school where they hold children hostage 7 hours a day!’” I said.

“No kidding…” Troy agreed silently.  Everyone thought it was freezing in the water, but no one seemed to care. Me, well, I was boiling.

“Is it me, or is it really hot in this pool?”

They gave me blank faces, confused.

“It’s freezing, Jenna.” Melissa said. “Sun screen?” she asked. She had enough sunscreen for 3 people on her face. The white cream was visible.

“No, I think I’ll be fine.”

I ducked my head under the water, away from the sun. I was still burning up. I swam around, trying to find a cool spot in the pool, but it was warm everywhere. I sat on the ledge, letting only my legs dip in the water. Melissa followed me. “What do you think 8th grade will be like?”

“7^th grade, but more annoying, complete with more homework and Mrs. B.”

“You mean Mrs. Buzz kill… Are you staying in the boarding school next year again?”

“Where else would I go? Hey, do you have any ice?”

“There’s some at the table… But…”  I ran to the ice and popped some into my mouth. When I breathed, there was steam. Steam…There was steam in my mouth. I looked like a dragon, or like I just smoked, but no one noticed. The ice wasn’t even that cold, and melted in a matter of milliseconds. I jumped back in the water, and looked like I must’ve seen a ghost.

“You okay?”

“Yeah… So what are you doing this summer?”

As I listened to her yap on about vacation plans, I rubbed the warm water on me… because it wasn’t boiling, and I was.

“Jenna?” She asked, touching my arm. She jumped back. “God! You’re freaking on fire!”

“Really?” I said, looking at my arm. I thought she was being literal, because that’s how I felt. “Oh, yeah. I’m really hot.”

Troy treaded through the water, with a smirk on his face. “You’re hot?”

“You know I am…” I said. “Anyway, that’s not what I meant.”

“Sure it wasn’t. What are you girls talking about?”

“Jenna’s, like, burning!” Melissa said. I watched as Troy’s slight smirk disappeared, and his eyes drifted to me.

“Nah, I’m fine. Come on. Our class is playing Marco Polo over there…” but it only got worse. What was wrong with me? I tried everything from standing in front of a fan, to pouring water on top of my head. Troy and Melissa watched as I steamed when the water touched my skin. I decided to avoid the pool because I was pretty positive normal children didn’t steam when they touched water.

“Maybe the pool would help…” Troy said.

“Maybe.”

“Should we tell someone?”

“Yeah, like, ‘Excuse me, but I steam when I touch water. Please help me.’” I said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes.

“You’re so difficult.”

“It takes work to get this way, thank you for noticing.”

Suddenly, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was sweating like crazy, and Melissa insisted on getting me out of the sun. I followed her into the lobby, where she sat me down and gave me more water… which I gulped down with unnatural speed. That felt a little better…

“What is happening to you?” she asked, pacing around. “Are you sick?”

“I don’t know… but I’m not enjoying it much either. Go swim, I’ll be in here. It’s better in here.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, ‘course.” My mouth was dry, and I grabbed 3 bottles of water, two at my feet. I gulped the first one down… Melissa raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll stay, just in case.” She decided.

Troy stood behind her, silent as ever. His eyebrows scrunched together. My skin became an unnatural red… like, very red. Like, Elmo red.

“I told you to use sun screen!” Melissa scolded. There was a ringing in my ears… I grabbed them, and shut my eyes. I was on fire, I knew I was… I had to be. It couldn’t be just a sun burn. Tears streaked down my face, and they started boiling. I was going to explode. I wanted to explode. I couldn’t take it anymore. I started to scream and Troy threw water on me. I decided to hit him later… Steam rolled off of me… More boiling… I felt like the blood inside of me was boiling, too. Even my eyes… just get it over with! I was in pure @#!*% … How long would this last? The manager behind the counter ran over, scolding us for spilling water. Then he saw me… he put his hand on my shoulder, and then yelped.

“You burnt me!” he yelled, his hand red. Tough! I was the one who was burning! Help me! I yelled inside of my mind. Then, he came to his senses. “Are you alright?”

I couldn’t answer. I clutched my ears, shaking my head, silent tears streaming down my face. He grabbed a towel, and used it to pick me up. He carried me away, in his arms. “Call 911.” He barked to Melissa.

“No!” I yelled. 911? No thank you, sorry! “I’ll be fine!” I barely managed to speak, my mouth was so dry.

“Kid, it’s okay. I’m going to help.” He said. I wanted him to put me down… he couldn’t carry me forever. Then he started muttering, “Ouch, ouch, ouch…” he ran back to my chair and sat me down, rubbing his arms where’d I’d burned him. “Where are your parents?”

I couldn’t answer… I didn’t want to. Try answering stupid questions while your body starts to burn. It’s not the easiest thing in the world. Troy answered for me. “She doesn’t have any.” How’d he sound so freaking calm? What was happening? The man ordered them to call 911 again. I gave up on trying convincing them not to. No one listens to the kid on fire… In a matter of terrible minutes; I heard the sirens rip through the deafening silence. They loaded me on gurney, which rattled and made noise as I was put into the ambulance. Then, fierce as I am, I passed out…

Chapter2

I woke up with tubes connected to me… the room was too white, and it hurt my eyes. I wasn’t so freaking hot, but I was still sweating. There was water at a nearby table, and I downed it. Troy and his mom, and Melissa and hers, stood by me. They were both still in their bathing suits. I groaned. I was in a freaking hospital…

“What happened?” I asked.

“The doctors say they don’t know…” Melissa’s mom, Ms. Shaw, said.

“So, I freaked out over nothing?” I asked.

“No, sweetie. Of course not. They said you were practically on fire. They just can’t figure out why.”

Ms. Shaw was almost like my mother. She always had me over, and treated me like one of her own. She beat living in a boarding school all year long… Troy’s mom was solemn, and never around. She was today. And she didn’t look too happy about it. Now that I was awake, she gave me a disapproving look, and then pushed out of the room, leaving Troy behind.

“They want to keep you overnight… just to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” He explained.

“Weird…” I said. I’d never been in a hospital. I wondered if someone had to pay for my check in or something…  Ms. Shaw usually paid for my medicine when I was sick, and for my boarding school. I couldn’t thank her enough… She wasn’t my real mom, but she pretended to be. Troy left the room with a simple nod, and met his mom outside. Melissa looked scared and pale. Her eyes were wide, and she was jumpy.

“Are you okay?”

“Am I ok? You almost gave me a heart attack! Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better. Ha, you looked so freaked out.”

“You know I hate hospitals… And was that a laugh?”

“Uh, no. Trust me, I know you hate hospitals…” she was practically my sister.

We chatted for a while, of things off subject.  It was nice to not have to think about how I was in a hospital. Still weird… Eventually, Ms. Shaw said she had to leave, but that she would check on me in the morning. She would bring me back to boarding school, where I’d continue to live my boring life… or so I thought. They filed out and I was left alone in the hospital, with an overly concerned, annoying nurse, who checked on me and kept me awake. Life of luxury…

“Do you need anything?”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“You see, it’s my first day as a nurse, so-“

“Of course it is….”

“Are you warm?”

“A little.”

“We’ll make the room cooler.”

You’d have to make it Antarctica in here if you wanted me to be cool…. She also expressed how she never had a kid without a parent stay overnight before, just to make me feel cozy. In the end, the lights went out, and I fell asleep, having dreams about a nurse who never left my side and didn’t feed me. I woke with a start, in the middle of the night. Sweaty, dry mouth and heat: the same familiar feelings as earlier. I knew it was happening again. I couldn’t stop it. I reached for the water that never emptied, thanks to my nurse, and threw it on me. Steam sprouted from my skin. It was getting worse faster than I’d expected. I pushed a button I never thought I’d ever need to push…  The freaking nurse’s button…  In longer then I’d hoped, she hustled in and found me hunched into a ball. Why’d she pick now to be late? She called for the doctor, and a man in a white coat ran in. He ran over to me, and touched my back. He yanked backwards, into the wall.

“That’s impossible…”

“Make it stop!”

My vision started to blur, everything went fuzzy. Black spots danced around, clotting together, making everything black. I didn’t want to faint… in my limited vision, I saw men hustling quickly around me. What were they doing? Why couldn’t they make it stop? I started yelling, sweating, and freaking out. One of them pulled out a needle. Even through excruciating pain, I yelled, “Don’t you dare inject that thing in me!” and you know what that idiot did? He stuck me with that needle, and it was only seconds before I was out again. Who does he think he is? I don’t care if he has some PhD or whatever, don’t stick a frightened teenager with a needle! I don’t care if I’m screaming and kicking and yelling, you better have permission before you touch me with any sort of sharp object. Especially a needle. Ugh. I didn’t wake up until the next day, and that’s when the action started…

Chapter 3

By the next day, I’d gotten sick and tired of being in that hospital room. When I woke up, Mrs. Shaw was there, smiling at me. I rolled my eyes, and stood up. I yanked off the tubes, and examined my hospital gown. Where’d they put my clothes? I tuned out Mrs. Shaw’s urges for me to sit down. I was ready to get out. As you may have noticed, I’m not a very normal teenager. A normal teenager would’ve stayed and soaked up all the attention she could, enjoying the sympathy while it lasted. Me? I wanted out. Now. I ran through the hospital doors and hallways. Mrs. Shaw yelled after me, while doctors chased me down the halls. Exits… where were the exits? I was unconscious when I’d entered my room the first time… Elevator! I ran toward it, pressing the button. “Hurry up, hurry up!” Ding! The door opened, and I shoved past the people who tried to get out. I pressed the floor button, but there was a lady in the elevator with me. She gave me a puzzled look.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in your room?” she asked.

“Meh…” and so we stood there awkwardly, elevator music playing in the background.

“So, what are you here for?” she asked.

“The usual… I started steaming when I touched water.”

She shrugged, like this was no big deal. Her huge shoulders rolled up, then dropping. Ding! I ran out of the elevator, but doctors were waiting for me.

“Please cooperate, you’re safe here.” Did he say cooperate? Psh! Yeah right!

“Cooperate? I don’t do well with that word…” I pushed past them, and bolted down the road. They must’ve thought I was completely senile, but I didn’t care. Fresh air… I soaked it all in. Mrs. Shaw ran after me, yelling at me to stop. I winced. I hated disappointing her. She’d been so kind to me. I stopped in my tracks, letting the doctors grab my arms.

“I’m fine! Let me go!” I struggled, but their grip was tight. Mrs. Shaw was almost in tears. Suddenly, something washed over me. I almost fell limp, and I let myself get yanked across the parking lot. Steaming, they let go of me like so many other people had. They let my just lay there, on the parking lot, burning up again. But now it was so much worse. I can’t even begin to describe what it was like. I prayed for it to be over, or for me to just drop dead. I’d do anything to make it over, soon. But this time was different. I looked at my arms, and I could’ve sworn I saw fire dance over them. Then it stopped.

“Jenna! Jenna, what’s happening?” Mrs. Shaw asked. Gee, I don’t know. Maybe I just caught fire for a minute there… it happened again, and I could only hope my gown didn’t turn to ashes. That’s me! I’m in the middle of catching on fire or dying, and I’m worried about my clothes burning up. The fire grew from inside my skin again, but it lasted longer this time. I screamed and rolled around on the black concrete. It didn’t go away. Eventually, I stopped rolling and started slapping the fire, a.k.a., myself. Aren’t I intelligent?  Rolling around on the ground, complete with a self-inflicted beating. I was on a roll! Get it? Because I was- never mind. The fire grew taller on my arms, orange and blinding. I stopped slapping myself for a moment, realizing that I wasn’t in pain. Well, aside from the hitting. Oh, if Melissa could see me now… I stared, wide-eyed at my arm. Not many things went through my mind except-

A-     Catching fire wasn’t a normal activity,

B-      I still had clothes on, thank God,

C-      I was making everyone who surrounded me scream.

The last one was something I’d always wanted to do… just in case, that was sarcasm, if you didn’t get it. Since I still had my clothes- my dignity, I ran in the opposite direction, making a steam trail as I did so. It took me a while to realize that all of me was on fire. Why weren’t my clothes? I shouldn’t question it, I was ecstatic! It felt suddenly good to be on fire. (Never thought I’d say that…) I felt like I was at my full strength, and that this was what I’d been missing my whole life. Cool. I ran faster then I’d ever think possible for myself.  I could even see better then I used to… Anyway, I didn’t know whether I should thank God, or slap him in the face. I was a freak. And who knew being one meant that you had to go through all that @#!*% …

Chapter 4

I finally stopped running on a sidewalk leading to our school.  As I caught my breath, I tried to find water around me… nothing. How was this happening? Was it just an illusion? Was I going crazy? I swept my hand against my flaming arm, trying to die it down. It would’ve worked if my hand wasn’t on fire too… I gulped. What if this lasted forever? I started to choke up. I didn’t want to be a freak… then I thought- tears! Was my face on fire too? They rolled down my cheeks, but the water hurt me. I felt like the Wicked Witch of the West. Did I melt or something when I touched water? I hated not knowing what was happening to me. Somebody walking down the sidewalk, saw me, paused, and ran in the opposite direction. What if Melissa and Troy reacted like that? I sat down and buried my face in my hands. I tried to calm myself down, hoping that when I opened my eyes, everything was back normal.

“Calm down… it’s going to be alright.” And when I opened my eyes, the fire was slowly dying down. I continued to relax, letting my tense bones ease. The fire died down until it was barely visible on my skin. I ran back to the boarding school, and knocked on my door, hoping my roommate wasn’t too much of a jerk to answer. Luckily, she did. She sat my face, and my hospital gown.

“Jenna, I heard you had a spas attack at the pool. Ha, in front of everybody. The whole school is talking about it. Why are you in a hospital gown? Did they take you to the Nut House?”

“Shut up and let me in!”

She backed off, because she wasn’t used to me telling her what to do. I pushed past her, onto my bed. I closed my eyes and thought. Okay, everything’s okay now. You aren’t on fire, and you’re home. You aren’t at that stupid hospital anymore, and you can relax… I took a deep breath.

“This is weird, even for you. Where’ve you been? Didn’t want to leave the hospital, did you? Yeah, well, while you were living it up, I had to do all of your laundry.” She complained.

I groaned. Why couldn’t she shut up for a minute while I tried to think and relax?

“Kate, I’ve been through a lot in the past two days, so I would appreciate it if you would just leave me alone…” I pleaded, rubbing my temples to get rid of my new head ache that was forming.

“Since I did your laundry, you’re doing mine.”

“Fine… I’ll do your laundry. Now, will you leave me alone? I haven’t gotten much sleep.”

“Just because its summer doesn’t mean you can relax. You’re doing my laundry.”

“Yes! I’ll do it!”

“Yes, you will. I don’t care if you’re dying, you’re doing my laundry.”

“Yes, Kate, I am doing your laundry. In a minute, okay?”

She grunted, and then sat down on her own bed. Jeez, I’d forgotten how much I hated her… I don’t know how long I laid there, thinking about what had just occurred. And why? Why me? Some nobody from a small town with no parents and no clue where she came from, turns into a fire freak. I just laid there, for minutes and minutes, until… someone knocked on my door.

“Go get it,” Kate ordered. “You’ve been sitting there for forever. Get up.”

So I did. And Melissa stood there, behind the door, her whole face looking like it aged ten years with worry. I had done that? She barged in.

“You’ve had everyone worried. I knew you’d be here. You’re still in your hospital gown? Are you alright?” Melissa sat down on my bed and I joined her.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“I can’t believe you ran away from the hospital. Did the doctors chase you?” she asked. I shot Kate a look, and her mouth fell open. Well, that felt good.

“Yeah, they did. It was weird. Um… but I don’t want to talk about it. Where’s Mrs. Shaw?”

“She’s waiting in the car. I was just supposed to check if you were here. Come on, she doesn’t want you staying here by yourself. Pack your things.”

“You mean I’m staying with you guys?” I started to smile.

“Yep. Come on! Change your clothes. Troy wanted to see how you were too. He’s in the car with my mom.”

“She isn’t putting me back in a hospital, right? Wait did you say Troy?”

“I don’t know… Yeah, um, Troy’s with us. But there’s something you should know…”

I paused. I didn’t want to be in a hospital, especially now that I knew that I was a fire freak. And Troy- what was he doing with Mrs. Shaw? I packed my things, and changed my clothes. Yes! I could go to Melissa’s house! I don’t have to stay with Kate, I was free! I ran out of the bathroom, bag in hand. I ran downstairs, slamming the door behind me, just to let Kate know I was happy to be leaving. In the parking lot, there was Melissa and Mrs. Shaw. I’d never been so happy to see a broken down van in my life. I loaded into the car, silently praying our destination wasn’t anywhere with needles…

I give you warmth and pain.

A good morning is incomplete without me.

Kill me and your life will be dark.

What am I?

Now I was really shocked. How was I supposed to do this without any help of guidance. I began to talk back to the phoenix, but she had already flown away. Now I was left here no idea what to do.

I touched one of the strands. It was not sticky like a spiders web but soft like a thread of silk. Then I pulled a broken one through my hands. I pulled and pull and it kept going on and on. I looked down at my hands. As I pulled the strand it kept growing. I filled it with all I knew of the world. All the flaws and beauties were put into the web. All that needed to be saved or vanquished, all the things right and wrong flowed from my mind to my hands and into the golden strands as a repaired the web.

As it was fixed Wisdom seemed to become alive again. Since I had already repair the web she fought Ignorance. He had weakened but still up a fight. Black smoke encircled him and start swirling around him, but Wisdom light cut through even the black smoke. Ignorance shriveled at the shine of the light until his dust sunk to the bottom of the pond.

Knowledge floated over to me. Her body was that of a young girl, but her eyes looked as if they had seen all. Her hair was a golden blond. Her light gown was simple but beautiful and it shined so brightly it was only to be beaten by the sun. Opening her thin red lips she spoke to me.

“I am grateful to you. I was no longer held in peoples’ mind so I was neglected and not taken care of. I was lost. You found me Malina. Thank you.’

‘Wisdom, is ignorance gone forever?”

She answered in a gloomy voice. ” If people forget me again he will return. We will always have warriors like you Malina. He will never completely take over. Goodbye friend. I am sure I will see you again.”

She smiled again and the Phoenix flew down and again we went into the sky, this time to home. To my surprise everyone in the park playing and talking. They had finally found wisdom.

The willow tree had low branches so it was very easy to climb. I was very athletic so pulling myself up to each branch was easy. The slender top branches bended under my weight so I thought I would fall.  Somehow the remained intact and I was able to get to where the clouds touched the tips of the topmost branches.

A  beautiful bird swooped down from the heavens and grasped my shirt with golden razor sharp claws. It flew higher and higher until we above the the clouds. I loved the exhilarating  feel of the wing on my face and how my long black hair streamed out behind me. I had no fear of the beast for I knew this was a good animal.

She flew us into a land of tall trees that echoed with the musical  cries of birds. They were phoenixes. The phoenix that was holding me then gently set me down on the spongy ground below. The great bird folded her wings and looked and me with piercing amber eyes. Now that I could take a closer look I could see that her fiery red feathers were tinged with emerald green at the edges. The phoenix’s long tail ended in curled blue feathers greatly contrasting with the red.

The phoenix spoke to me in the same way as the birds. “We need you help Malina. Our daughters the birds told us of you, and how you talked to them like no other human they had seen before. That is a mark of a Golden Weaver. You are a phoenix Malina. This is why you are not like the others. You are in the form of a human because only human hands can do what we so desperately ask of you. Will you help us?“

I had no idea what to do. This had been completely unexpected. Even with the shock I knew I wanted to help so I nodded my head in the affirmative.

She grabbed hold of me again and we flew back into the sky. This time low over the trees. Gradually the landscape shifted and we were over a lake fed by a crashing waterfall. Over the waterfall was a web of golden strands. We landed on the dock that went right up to the web. Now that I was closer I could see to figures on the web. One was full of light and in a sparkling white gown. The other was ugly. It was a human, but all of its features were twisted and deformed.

Parts of the Web looked cut. The light figure also looked tired and worn out. She was too tired to fix the web, while the other figure was bursting with energy eagerly cut string. “These are ignorance and wisdom. They are both controlled by humans. As humans do not think ignorance is fueled so he cuts of what protects their world. You must weave the web where wisdom can’t because of her weariness. You must learn to weave the golden strands.

“How do I do this,” I asked

“That you will have to figure out for yourself“

My wanderings always seemed to take me under the willow tree. The willow tree stood in the middle of our town park. No one went there. All of the kids in our town were busy texting on their phones. They were way too busy to go to the park and chat. All of the grown ups were stuck inside, too busy worrying about deadlines to do the things on time. They never got out of their house either because of that. So it end up being my place to stop to think and read and do all the other things everyone else was “too busy” for.

I was glad no one came too. Others would scare away the animals that were my friends. When I was little I told people about how I talk with the animals, but they always told me that animals don’t talk, and that good girls did not lie. Now I know not to talk about it. Only Harriet ever knew, but she had moved away.

They didn’t exactly talk to me, but I heard their thoughts. Some animals weren’t too interesting and only thought in single words. Squirrels and rabbits were like that. They thought things like happy or nut. Deer were a bit better. They thought in sentences, but only things that directly involved them. It was the birds that learned to talk to me in thoughts. I was able to talk back to them regularly.

That day I had gone to the tree out of habit. I had done my homework and was just thinking. When I sat down my favorite bird landed on my shoulder. I called her Mapleseed because those are her favorite things to eat. Birds do not have names like we do, but she let me call her that. Today she had a message for me. “Malina, the phoenixes call to you. They need your help. The world is slowly dieing. The willow reaches to the clouds Malina. Climb it and they will meet you there. Go fast Malina. The world is dieing.” She flew off and I had nothing to do but climb the willow.

All my family was around me. I knew that they would miss me, but I wanted to move on. They deserved a goodbye though.  “Good bye my friends,” I said, “do not mourn my loss for I have not lost anything. I am ready to die.” It took all the effort in the world though. At peace I knew no more.

Then I knew again. I was standing in, no I wasn’t standing, I was floating. I had no arms to touch or feel. I had no ears to hear or a nose to smell. Wait, I could smell, but how was that possible without a nose? I had eyes, but even those were slits.

I was floating in a glass tube. All around me were things like me in other glass tubes either sleeping or slamming the glass with their backs. Even though they had no faces, I could tell they were scared. What were they going to do to me here? I had to get out but I could find no way to do so.

Then a figure, also like myself, came up to my tube and opened it. It seemed like a she; the little features she had seemed feminine. All of the beings, including myself, had diamond shaped faces and short bodies with no legs. Just like humans, they varied in size and shape.

Then I felt her say, how are you doing? I did not hear her voice in my head like you might think, but she just radiated how are you doing. I tried to radiate back that I was not sure. It worked.

“You have woken up for you dream state. This is what you life is. I dare say, you will have many questions,” she said/radiated.

I definitly did have questions but I had to clarify first. “So all that was just a dream?” I asked.

“Yes” she answered.

“I can smell but I don’t have anything to smell with. How is that possible?”

“Of course you have something to smell with,” she said with a laugh. These slits help you see and smell.” That really cleared things up for me.

“The last thing that was puzzling me,” I said, “was how do you eat without somewhere to put the food in?”

She laughed again, “We do not eat food as you call it. We consume knowledge. One will only die when there is nothing more to know. If that was your last question, would you like to see the outside world?”

“Wait I have one more question. How could someone have such a complex dream?”

This time she thought a bit. Slowly she answered, “Maybe this is the dream.’”

The world is measure on a scale of order and chaos.

Equal to each other they snap and snarl looking for a weakness.

A foolish man might say for paradise is the more honorable.

But answer me this, would good be in a world with no bad?

The willow tree had low branches so it was very easy to climb. I was very athletic so pulling myself up to each branch was easy. The slender top branches bended under my weight so I thought I would fall.  Somehow the remained intact and I was able to get to where the clouds touched the tips of the topmost branches.

A  beautiful bird swooped down from the heavens and grasped my shirt with golden razor sharp claws. It flew higher and higher until we above the the clouds. I loved the exhilarating  feel of the wing on my face and how my long black hair streamed out behind me. I had know fear of the beast for I knew this was a good animal.

She flew us into a land of tall trees that echoed with the musical  cries of birds. They were phoenixes. The phoenix that was holding me then gently set me down on the spongy ground below. The great bird folded her wings and looked and me with piercing amber eyes. Now that I could take a closer look I could see that her fiery red feathers were tinged with emerald green at the edges. The phoenix’s long tail ended in curled blue feathers greatly contrasting with the red.

The phoenix spoke to me in the same way as the birds. “We need you help Malina. Our daughters the birds told us of you, and how you talked to them like no other human they had seen before. That is a mark of a Golden Weaver. You are a phoenix Malina. This is why you are not like the others. You are in the form of a human because only human hands can do what we so desperately ask of you. Will you help us?“

I had no idea what to answer. This had been completely unexpected. Even with the shock I knew I wanted to help so I nodded my head.

She grabbed hold of me again and we flew back into the sky. This time low over the trees. Gradually the landscape shifted and we were over a lake fed by a crashing waterfall. Over the

So, it’s come to my understanding that not every teenager out there can hold fire in the palm of their hands…  So it’s just me out there? Great… that little talent started at the end of the year party, where the whole 7^th grade was meeting to swim at a community pool. Yes, the whole 7^th grade. I was having a blast… Sun, friends, water…what could go wrong? Being me, everything… Melissa, Troy, and I were swimming around, celebrating the end of school.

“So, we’re out of school…”Melissa said.

“Don’t say it like that… say it like, ‘We’re finally out of that prison they call school where they hold children hostage 7 hours a day!’” I said.

“No kidding…” Troy agreed silently.  Everyone thought it was freezing in the water, but no one seemed to care. Me, well, I was boiling.

“Is it me, or is it really hot in this pool?”

They gave me blank faces, confused.

“It’s freezing, Jenna.” Melissa said. “Sun screen?” she asked. She had enough sunscreen for 3 people on her face. The white cream was visible.

“No, I think I’ll be fine.”

I ducked my head under the water, away from the sun. I was still burning up. I swam around, trying to find a cool spot in the pool, but it was warm everywhere. I sat on the ledge, letting only my legs dip in the water. Melissa followed me. “What do you think 8th grade will be like?”

“7^th grade, but more annoying, complete with more homework and Mrs. B.”

“You mean Mrs. Buzz kill… Are you staying in the boarding school next year again?”

“Where else would I go? Hey, do you have any ice?”

“There’s some at the table… But…”  I ran to the ice and popped some into my mouth. When I breathed, there was steam. Steam…There was steam in my mouth. I looked like a dragon, or like I just smoked, but no one noticed. The ice wasn’t even that cold, and melted in a matter of milliseconds. I jumped back in the water, and looked like I must’ve seen a ghost.

“You okay?”

“Yeah… So what are you doing this summer?”

As I listened to her yap on about vacation plans, I rubbed the warm water on me… because it wasn’t boiling, and I was.

“Jenna?” She asked, touching my arm. She jumped back. “God! You’re freaking on fire!”

“Really?” I said, looking at my arm. I thought she was being literal, because that’s how I felt. “Oh, yeah. I’m really hot.”

Troy treaded through the water, with a smirk on his face. “You’re hot?”

“You know I am…” I said. “Anyway, that’s not what I meant.”

“Sure it wasn’t. What are you girls talking about?”

“Jenna’s, like, burning!” Melissa said. I watched as Troy’s slight smirk disappeared, and his eyes drifted to me.

“Nah, I’m fine. Come on. Our class is playing Marco Polo over there…” but it only got worse. What was wrong with me? I tried everything from standing in front of a fan, to pouring water on top of my head. Troy and Melissa watched as I steamed when the water touched my skin. I decided to avoid the pool because I was pretty positive normal children didn’t steam when they touched water.

“Maybe the pool would help…” Troy said.

“Maybe.”

“Should we tell someone?”

“Yeah, like, ‘Excuse me, but I steam when I touch water. Please help me.’” I said sarcastically. He rolled his eyes.

“You’re so difficult.”

“It takes work to get this way, thank you for noticing.”

Suddenly, I couldn’t take it anymore. I was sweating like crazy, and Melissa insisted on getting me out of the sun. I followed her into the lobby, where she sat me down and gave me more water… which I gulped down with unnatural speed. That felt a little better…

“What is happening to you?” she asked, pacing around. “Are you sick?”

“I don’t know… but I’m not enjoying it much either. Go swim, I’ll be in here. It’s better in here.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, ‘course.” My mouth was dry, and I grabbed 3 bottles of water, two at my feet. I gulped the first one down… Melissa raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll stay, just in case.” She decided.

Troy stood behind her, silent as ever. His eyebrows scrunched together. My skin became an unnatural red… like, very red. Like, Elmo red.

“I told you to use sun screen!” Melissa scolded. There was a ringing in my ears… I grabbed them, and shut my eyes. I was on fire, I knew I was… I had to be. It couldn’t be just a sun burn. Tears streaked down my face, and they started boiling. I was going to explode. I wanted to explode. I couldn’t take it anymore. I started to scream and Troy threw water on me. I decided to hit him later… Steam rolled off of me… More boiling… I felt like the blood inside of me was boiling, too. Even my eyes… just get it over with! I was in pure @#!*% … How long would this last? The manager behind the counter ran over, scolding us for spilling water. Then he saw me… he put his hand on my shoulder, and then yelped.

“You burnt me!” he yelled, his hand red. Tough! I was the one who was burning! Help me! I yelled inside of my mind. Then, he came to his senses. “Are you alright?”

I couldn’t answer. I clutched my ears, shaking my head, silent tears streaming down my face. He grabbed a towel, and used it to pick me up. He carried me away, in his arms. “Call 911.” He barked to Melissa.

“No!” I yelled. 911? No thank you, sorry! “I’ll be fine!” I barely managed to speak, my mouth was so dry.

“Kid, it’s okay. I’m going to help.” He said. I wanted him to put me down… he couldn’t carry me forever. Then he started muttering, “Ouch, ouch, ouch…” he ran back to my chair and sat me down, rubbing his arms where’d I’d burned him. “Where are your parents?”

I couldn’t answer… I didn’t want to. Try answering stupid questions while your body starts to burn. It’s not the easiest thing in the world. Troy answered for me. “She doesn’t have any.” How’d he sound so freaking calm? What was happening? The man ordered them to call 911 again. I gave up on trying convincing them not to. No one listens to the kid on fire… In a matter of terrible minutes; I heard the sirens rip through the deafening silence. They loaded me on gurney, which rattled and made noise as I was put into the ambulance. Then, fierce as I am, I passed out…

I climbed up the stairs to Melissa’s room, where she sat awake, looking at her palms. She wore her cute pajamas that always matched, while I wore a t-shirt and gym shorts. ‘Cause I’m stylish like that…
“What are you doing here?” she asked, looking up. “I thought you were leaving…”
“Troy convinced me to stay another night…” I said, passing her by. I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel… disappointed with Troy, mad or something with Melissa? I honestly didn’t feel either of those things… I was confused.
“I knew you’d be back! But what took you so long?” Ha, she expected me. Figures.
“I was practicing.”
“Wait, really? For three hours?” why was she so surprised? I could pull three hours off easily, I thought, as my eyes drooped and started closing without my permission.
“Yep.” I yawned.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh.” How’d she know something was wrong? She was my best friend, she always knew. Freaking annoying… “I was just talking to Troy.”
“Did you two fight?”
“No, Melissa. I don’t fight people that often. It’s nothing… I’m going to bed, alright?”
Okay, fine. I admit. I was upset. He had a whole romantic thing going, then just turned around and left me there. Instead of sleeping on the bed with Melissa, I took her bean bad chair and a blanket. She sighed.
“Jenna, are you sure you’re okay? What did he say?”
“I’m just tired. I was practicing for three hours.”
“But something’s bothering you.”
“Well, I was scared you wouldn’t want me back here after we fought.” I made up. She pulled up next to me, sitting in the other bean bag chair.
“My life isn’t perfect…”
“I know… but you wouldn’t understand.”
“I wish I had hands like yours.”
I paused. What? Hands like mine? She was jealous of me? Was she kidding? My hands always hurt, and every time I touched cold water, I’d fall to the floor. How could she want hands like mine?
“Why?”
“They’re cool. I wish I had powers…” I decided not to let her know how wrong that was. I rolled over in the chair, facing away from her… she turned off the lights, wished me a good night, and crawled into her bed. Her life wasn’t perfect… she had a freak for a best friend…