Nova and the Three Worlds

Chapter 1: My Homework Becomes Deadly

I was not expecting this. Wow, that's not a way to start but I wasn't expecting it. Well I guess you want to know what "it" is. I'll get to that in a minute. This is my story. I have been trusted to tell it to you in the form of a book. I know it's boring right? I'm just kidding. I love to read. I also can read your mind like how right now you want to know about me. I guess I should start with a name. My name is Nova Saldana and I'm 14 years old. I live in the wonderful state of California by the coast. I don't like my past so don't ask about it.

 I've been told I'm really smart. I guess that's why I'm in high school already. I do have big plans for the future. I mean with forgetting your past and stuff you kinda let your mind wander. So instead of thinking of my past I think of my future. So I guess you still have that burning question about what the "it" thing is and at this point I frankly don't know. Imagine a creature with a short, black body and scary huge wings. That is what I'm seeing and to top it all off, it's trying to kill me with a fork from my kitchen.

Wait. I should backtrack and tell you how this all came to be. Hey don't get mad at me this is still kind of new. It all started when I was laying in my bed doing math homework for school and I got this weird feeling that I had to move. We all get those at least once in our life and last time I ignored it something bad happened. 

So, I got up and went to sit in the blue chair on the other side of my room and before I even got within 3 feet a portal opened up right where I was laying down. Out of it comes the creature if you can even call it that. The creature almost looks confused like it wasn't supposed to be here. Then it shakes its head and looks focused again.

I just stand there, too frozen with fear to move until the creature lunges at me and I take off. I run out of my room, down the hall, and down the stairs until I'm in the kitchen. The monster was right on my heels so I jumped the counter to the other side. Then, I started dumping out my kitchen drawers. Towels, species, and a random mixer are all useless against this thing.

The monster is still there, of course like it would ever give me a break. Well then just because it's friendly it picks up a fork from the silverware drawer that I dumped and starts chasing me again. Like can I get a break please? I ran into the family room. It's a huge room with cream colored walls, a tv, a coffee table, and a few couches and chairs. Honestly I hate the cream colored walls but that's another story for another time. 

I don't know why I call it a family room since I don't have any family but that's what mom always called it and I guess I want to keep her with me. Then, the monster roared that if it wasn't trying to kill me I might've found it funny. I sprinted to the other side of the room and turned around to see the monster staring back at me.

That's when I get a good look at the monster's eyes, they're like pits that lead into an abyss of no return. Black, dark pits, almost on the edge of having no thoughts and going mad. Though it did seem to have one thought. Kill me. 

I feel myself going into an abyss almost like prue chaos. The strange thing? I felt a longing to go into the pit. Like it would fix everything and I could see my parents again. I thought about Summer, my little sister. Her sweet smile and innocent bright blue eyes. I look away to stop the feeling but it's still there, not as strong, but still there. I long for my family.

That's when I heard a loud bang almost like a gunshot, that's at least what I thought it was, and just then, the monster crumbled to the ground and faded. When I looked back up, a strange sight of a teenager that looked maybe my age standing there with a small weapon of some sort. He looked normal enough, with blonde, almost white hair and dark brown eyes with little light brown specks that caught the light at the right angle so they sparkled. 

The most out of place thing about him was not the fact that he had just killed a monster and appeared out of thin air, but the fact that he was wearing a winter coat and boots in California. A million questions go through my head but I choose one. 

"Who are you?" is my brilliant question. Out of everything to say that's what I say. Man, I feel like an idiot. Wow I must've really not been thinking. Like this kid was in a winter coat and I ask that.

"Hello, my name is Ethan White. I'm a monster hunter, but we can't talk now." He said this so casually that you would think he said it every day.

"I'm Nova Saldana and what did you say?" 

He glared at me but then repeated,"I said that we can't talk now so would you want to come with me or wait for another monster to come and get you?" I just stood there staring at him.

Then, he has this stern expression and it reminds me of my little sister's when she wouldn't get her way or when she is annoyed. I feel a vision coming. Think of your future Nova. Think of what you love about being independent. I tell myself and luckily the vision goes away and I stumble. 

Ethan then reaches out and steadies me. I feel his glove brush my skin. I look up and see the concern in his eyes as he stares back at me. His eyes are like ones who have seen the world but know so little. I slap away his hand. I haven't been touched in so long that it sends shivers down my spine and I remember my mother before she died. She hugged me as I left. She asked me to get stuff for dinner and I had a bad feeling about it but I ignored it. I feel the vision coming back. No it can't happen not now. So I ran.

I don't even know where I'm going but I just start running as fast as I can. I hear Ethan yelling my name but I just keep running. I turn down an alley and catch my breath and I sit along the wall trying to process what just happened. I think of made up memories that don't exist but they normally stop the visions from happening. Then Ethan is there again in his winter jacket and he sits next to me. He takes off his coat, hat, and gloves but leaves his boots on. He gives off a warm presence and I find myself calming down. We just sat there in silence for a while. I watch the shadows move and he just sits like things are going through his mind and he's lost in thought.

Once I'm calmed down I turn to him. "Can you explain what that thing was and why it was in my house?" 

"Well I can answer your first question. You know all the stories about how kids say there is a monster under the bed? Well they're not lying. They do see the monsters under the bed but because of the dream fog adults don't see the monsters. My job is to kill them and there is an entire organization that fights against them. The monsters are actually people's nightmares. For your second question about why it was in your house I don't know but I know some people back at Command who might be able to help." 

"How come I can see them?" 

"Well most kids can see them but once they turn 5 they start to not see them as much. Then by the time they are 10 they see them even less. Once most kids hit age 13 they don't see that at all. There are special cases where some kids see them because they never stop believing or there are other cases where a person has seen something so sad that they are filled with sorrow and hatred. Anything else ?"

 "One more question: what idiot wears winter clothes when it's summer in California?"

 "A cool one. So about my offer. Will you come to Command with me?"

 "No. Look I thank you for the whole saving my life thing but I just don't leave with strangers to go to their mysterious Headquarters." 

I turn to leave but he grabs my hand with an iron grip. I try to shake his hand away but I'm unsuccessful so I'm forced to look at him. "You are going to Command with me whether you like it or not."

 And without waiting for my response he opens up a portal and drags me in.