• “Get up Desiree! Get up!” A small voice insists.

    I grunt and roll over in my bed. I need more sleep. It feels like I’ve slept for only a few minutes

    “Move it!” The voice yells.

    Something pulls a strand of my hair.

    “Ow! Alright, alright, I’m up.” I say in a grouchy tone.

    My eyes open to see Nica flying frantically in front of my face. Nica?
    Oh my goodness!
    Last night was real. I thought it was a just a dream! Just a silly, harmless dream!
    Wait, then how did I end up in my bed? The last thing I remember is Maricella blowing something at me.
    Did I faint? Great, Michael must have had a fun time carrying me home. Jeez, I faint every time something exciting is happening!

    “You have to come with me, right now. Hurry!” Nica orders.
    I jump out of bed at the urgency of Nica’s voice. She/he flies out the open window in my bedroom and I follow without question. The branch of a tree is conveniently located right next to the window sill. I take a step onto it then manage to clumsily climb down the rest. When I get to solid ground, Nica is waiting but looks very impatient.

    “This way!” Nica squeaks.

    I run, following Nica through grassy patches of land for what seems like hours, but I know is only minutes. My mind is exploding with questions of where we’re going and why we’re going somewhere, but my heart tells me to just follow Nica. Deep down, something is telling me I can/must trust Nica. Something is pulling me to wherever Nica’s leading me. I don’t know exactly where it is, but my legs seem to. I pass Nica’s flying pace with the speed of my legs. Nothing else matters right now. Not Damien, not Michael, not my lack of sleep. I just have to get there.

    My heart is racing. My head is spinning. My eyes are stinging from the wind. My hands are sweaty.
    My entire body, mind and soul, tell me something is wrong. Something is wrong wherever my destination is and I need to fix it. That much is certain.

    I see a large patch of trees a short distance in front of me and I realize that’s where my destination is. My legs speed up, to a maximum sprint. I run past the first tree, then another, and another.

    Suddenly, my sight is gone, my hearing is a jumbled mix of screams, and the ground from below my feet just disappears. I hyperventilate. I hear myself scream. WHAT THE HELL?!

    Then my feet smash into solid ground and my legs return to running. A blurry image of buildings and people running comes to my eyes. I blink and it all becomes clear. My body stops.

    I’m at my high school.

    People, my friends, my classmates, are running while screeching at the top of their lungs. Chaos and fear streak the air. Blood is splattered on the ground and building walls. I look up to see creatures with deformed bodies of humans and giant wings of eagles. Harpies. They’re everywhere, practically blocking out the blue sky with their wings. I watch them pick up students with their massive claws, then drop them high in the air. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.
    My mind races, trying to come up with an explanation. Why could this possibly be happening?! This is a school. People have cell phones. Shouldn’t the police, or better yet the army be here by now? No, why are there mythological creatures here attacking my school? Then it hits me.

    Donovan.

    He probably thought that they wouldn’t take me to his world because it’s his world. He would have thought they kept me here. He thought I would have told at least one friend where I might be going. Or better yet, maybe he thought Damien would have me play it off like that night never happened and I would be at school today. Either way, Donovan is here for me. These people are dying because of me.
    Well, if he wants me so bad, he can have me.

    “DONOVAN!” I scream above the chaos.

    My head jerks to the right and I see him standing in the middle of a crowd of students. The only still figure in the moving mass of people. He smiles, that twisted smiles, then walks forward. I walk slowly walk to meet him.

    Without warning, someone tackles me from the side. I hear them stumble to get up then they throw me over their shoulder and run.

    NO! I want this to stop! Why is this person doing this?! Shouldn’t they be getting killed by a harpy?!

    “Let me go!” I demand.

    “Never,” a gentle but firm voice responds. I know that voice. It’s the one person at school I have actually managed to hate. Zach.

    “You! YOU! YOU let me down or I will shove a ******** rocket up your a**!” I scream at him.
    A rocket? Did I just threaten him with a rocket? Ag, that is so lame.

    “You’re threatening me with a rocket?” He laughs.
    I hate him. Why is he attempting to help me? Did he hit his head?

    He runs until we get to the cafeteria. He kicks open the door then sets me down gently. I thank him by glaring at him. Him and his stupid blond hair, stupid blue eyes, and stupid jock body.

    “Ah, c’mon. Is that how you thank a guy for saving your life?” He grins.
    Have I mentioned that I hate him?

    “Screw you,” I hiss.

    “If you insist,” he smirks and pulls me into him by my waist.
    His hand firmly pushes my lower back closer to him. Chest to chest. Stomach to stomach.
    I’m about to protest when I feel his lips press hard against mine.
    Woah.
    This has never happened. Never has he shown me an ounce of respect or kindness. Now he is kissing me with harsh, desperate movements of his lips.
    No, this doesn’t excuse any of the s**t he’s pulled over the past three years. Hell no.

    I push him back with more force than I thought I had. He stumbles back a few feet, looking at me with a hurt expression.

    “Don’t look at me like that you pig. I haven’t forgotten the time you told the ONE GUY I liked at this school that I slept with the entire football team. I haven’t forgotten ANYTHING you’ve done to me. Trying to put your tongue in my mouth isn’t gonna make things better. In fact, it just made everything a hell of a lot worse! Now, I’m going to freaking kill you,” I yell in a tone that gets louder with each word.

    He laughs.

    Wrong move.

    I charge at him, screaming like a mad woman. He tries to move to the side but I grab his shoulder and throw him to the ground. My vision suddenly gets darker, but I can still manage to see his face. I jump on him as he tries to roll away, pounding him with my fists at every chance. He throws me off with superhuman strength. I fly through the air, into the wall of the cafeteria opposite of him. It should hurt, but it doesn’t. Instead, as I slowly descend down the wall, I’m struck more with curiosity than with rage.

    “How did you do that?” I yell across the large room.