Cursed

1: The Dust Is Glowing Really

Candles, cake, party, and fun were not the words to describe Rebel's 12th birthday experience. The Stone's were poor after all. They couldn't afford the flashy shiny stuff. So, despite her mother's promise that Texas would change everything, Rebel was let down, again.

Why do I even hope, Rebel thought to herself. I just get disappointed every time. It's a good thing that Rebel was creative, or she wouldn't have a birthday at all.

In her room, Rebel traced a cake in the dust (kind of Harry Potter style). She waited till midnight and made a wish against her negative instincts: that Texas would be different somehow. It was a silly wish. How could anything different ever happen to Rebel Stone, the queen of loneliness and boring lives? She'd gone through enough birthday let downs to know that her life would never change. She would always be poor and her mother would never try to pay attention to her daughter. But she wished anyway.

Rebel blew the dust away. She watched the little particles glow in the air. Wait, glow? She had to do a double take. Dust doesn't usually glow, she thought. Does it? But it is. The dust is glowing, really.

Rebel watched as the dust floated into the air, giving her dark room light for the first time, since her mother couldn't afford to pay for that much electricity. The warm glow would've almost comforted her if it weren't strangely familiar.

The dust circled around Rebel's head with alarming speed. The warmth turned to a fiery burn that lightly singed her eyebrows. When Rebel tried to scream, all she managed was a croak. Then everything went black. She was sucked out of reality. A dream world engulfed her vision, or what seemed like her vision.

What Rebel saw was a figure made of color-changing light. Kind of like the spots people see when you press your palms lightly up against your eyes. The landscape was pitch black.

The figure shifted into the form of a beautiful woman. She wore a shimmering ivory dress with long sleeves that were made from a see-through material so her arms were visible. Perfectly sculpted wings sprouted from her back. Her hair was sandy blond in front of her shoulders. She looked like the opposite of anything ever found in Texas.

The woman turned to Rebel and smiled lightly. Her face looked like it was made of china. Her lips and cheeks were a soft rosy red. And her eyes the color of silver.

"It is fortunate that my magic worked," she said in a voice that sounded far away. "For if not, Rebel, you would cease to survive the night."

"How- how do you know my name," Rebel stammered.

"I know everything about you. I was present for your whole life. I am Ella. You could call me your guardian angel."
"That explains the wings," Rebel muttered. "How have you protected me?"
"Like I've said." Some glowing dust weaved it's way around Ella's fingers. "I've been watching you."
Suddenly, Rebel remembered where she's seen the dust. It was everywhere she remembered. Like it was following her everywhere she went...
"You're the dust," Rebel realized. "But I don't need protecting."
"Quiet the contrary, my dear. You need to be kept safe for the sake of your birthright."
"My birthright?"
Ella sighed, obviously annoyed that Rebel didn't know. "Yes. Every few years or so, a couple of children are cursed at random by monsters or evil spirits. To protect that child, another spirit must volunteer to watch them until their 12th birthday. Then, they are granted magical abilities and training to protect themselves from the curse." She said the whole thing like she'd said it a million times. Then, Ella's expression became cold.
"Every curse is different," she explained. "Some more powerful than others depending on the monster. Not too long ago, some children were cursed by the most wicked of spirits: Winnia the Terrible. To truly be safe from her wrath, those children have to travel to her sanctuary and destroy her power source: her staff. If they destroy this, Winnia will no longer terrorize the spirit and mortal world. The children can go back to just being cursed. But be warned, it is a very difficult journey. For you are one of those 4 children."
Rebel felt her cheeks get hot. For all this time, she had been cursed, guarded by Ella and destined to destroy an evil spirit? Her life just became 100 times harder. And she thought she had it bad before.
Ella gave her a look of sympathy. "I know it's a lot to take all at once," she said soothingly. "But you have know choice. You must go train immediately. There was word that Winnia would try to kill you tonight with her monsters. And the sooner you begin your journey, the less lives will be lost."
Ella's image flickered. "You must go," she urged. "When you wake up, you will be where you need to be. Good luck, and don't die."
Ella dissolved into glowing dust that smothered the darkness with light. The light was hot and bright. Rebel felt that it would burn her until she realized it was just her opening her eyes. But they both had the same panicking experience.