Awakening

Chapter 1 After the Storm

In the early hours just before sunset, a tiny white star bobbed its way through the town of Shark’s Valley, floating over once-manicured now-blackened lawns, between trees, their bark and branches still smoking, and houses, some still standing, others partially charred or completely destroyed. The fire had swept through two days ago,
destroying everything in its path. The tiny star moved with a military
precision, travelling up and down each street, covering each block, searching.
It had to find her.

It had seen her once, standing among the flying embers and roaring flames. Then the hot wind had come and it could barely keep airborne. It had lost sight of the girl as it had tumbled down the valley. Disoriented, the star had struggled to make its way back up to the now unrecognizable town. Somewhere here was the girl. The one it needed. The one who would help it to return. Return through the same hole that had brought the
fire to the valley. Return it back to where it would have its freedom and its
revenge.

Doors slammed nearby. The tiny star dashed into the blackened branches of a large oak tree and became very still. It found if it remained unmoving then most people did not see it. And this was important to it for they were already coming. Through the fire hole. Searching for it. Wanting to take it back. Put it back in its prison. But it couldn’t go
back. Not yet.

A girl rode her bicycle down the dark drive leading to the street, turned and headed downhill toward the town. The star flew out to follow the girl. She was not the one but it had discovered the young people of this town congregated in a large building during the day. It followed the girl, staying close as she made several turns, finally stopping at the large red-brick building. It too had sustained some charring but the
fire had pretty much left this building alone.

Loud voices carried to the star. It tried to decipher her voice from the hundreds but it could not. Deciding she had not yet arrived, it lifted high into the sky and surveyed the area. In the distance, it spied more girls walking toward the building. It waited. As the
crowd grew at the base of the building, it tried to find her. It was becoming
more and more difficult. The boys didn’t help. They were even louder than the
girls and confused the tiny star. Then almost all as one, the crowd turned and began
to enter the building.

Still it had not seen the girl. It floated down toward the shiny walls that it could see through. Somewhere in there, she had to be. A loud screech of tires made it turn. It was her. She was hurriedly locking up her bicycle among all the others. It dove toward her but she was already running up the stairs. It had to get to her. But she was now running up the stairs. It flew in front of her face, making her stop. She barely glanced
at the star and instead squinted and covered her eyes with her hand. Of course,
its brilliance was too much for her to accept. But she would learn though to
accept it. She was the One. It just knew.

The star swung around and came back to the girl. The metal door opened, cutting off the star’s path. The star would have hissed had it a mouth. Metal. Cold, sharp, painful. Only the people can touch it. The girl passed through and the door shut. The star moved to the see-through walls but it couldn’t see her any longer. Hovering, it began to
feel this world’s own yellow star burning down. It would have to move into the
shade or succumb to the larger star’s power. It had been so close to her. To
touching her. Soon. Later. When the yellow star had moved on. It would come
back to find the girl.

Alaysa hurried down the school’s hallway, to her classroom, just barely making it into her seat before the final bell rang. Mr. Billings stood at the chalkboard writing out the day’s lesson so she thought she was safe. Pulling out her books, Alaysa glanced over her shoulder. Her best friend, Sasha, looked at her, puzzled. Alaysa just smiled
and shrugged her shoulders, mouthing the word later. She’d explain at lunch.