Rebecca Moon & the Magical Monster Hunt

Chapter 1: A day at the Hotel

Rebecca Moon loved naps, mostly because it allowed her to sleep, and outside of her magical boyfriend, her magical boyfriend's magical twin sister, her talking cat, a friendly trio of Fey creatures, and the Lady of the Monastery she now called home, Sleep was by far her best friend.

Inside the Phoenix Hotel was this young and pretty girl who happened to be the vessel for the very spirit that the temple was built to honor, the spirit of the Phoenix. An entire temple was built to one of two entities that created the whole universe. All of creation, all known existence, was as it was because of what lived inside the young pretty girl sitting on a pillow in the grass, within the penthouse of a hotel in the city.

Rebecca reflected on the small town to the south, and the autumn before, how she was unknowing of her true power, and her real origin. This girl, with her long dark brown hair, braided into long pigtails, sat feeling the sun rays beat through the windows of the massive room crowning the Phoenix Hotel. Rebecca loved the sun, and the warmth; she was breathing in and out, steadily and slowly, her eyes closed and her body slowly coming to rest.

Then something occurred to the young girl; she realized that she was too relaxed. No longer was she meditating on the universe and all things that she allegedly created in a past life, but in fact she was slipping from consciousness. Rebecca Moon was falling asleep.

In her mind, she could feel the falling darkness that came with slumber, and realized that she needed to wake herself up. The world, the whole universe, required her to wake and study in the magic of the Magi. She had to stay conscious so that she could understand the puzzle of existence and help the world understand True Love.

Rebecca was far too burdened to fall asleep, there was no time for it and she had to wake herself up so that she could continue in meditation. But sleep called out to her, and its voice was sweet.

Rebecca opened her eyes, then looked at her watch. She didn't wear a watch, but it was there, as big as a computer, it flashed with the time. "TOO LATE." It was too late-o-clock. She tried to stand, but her body was a sand bag, her legs like Jell-O.

No, she wasn't awake, she was dreaming. She had fallen asleep, and only dreamt of her wakefulness. The moment was surreal when black took over the dream to leave only the knowledge of sleep. Rebecca could feel her body sitting in the rays of the sun, limp from lack of intelligent thought. She screamed in her mind, trying her hardest to wake herself from the darkness. The universe needed her, the people of the world needed her, but sleeping was so nice.

She pressed, like swimming, toward wakefulness. Swimming in a tar pool at midnight, she felt her body pull upward toward her mind, away from the dream, and she pulled herself away from the sleep that had wrapped around her. Fighting, pressing, struggling, Rebecca pushed to wake up, because she knew she needed to be awake and not asleep.

Now, Rebecca's eyes opened, knowing it was real because she hated it. Her puffy sleep encrusted eyes broke open and summer light flooded her brain. A small droplet of drool hung off her lip, and she moved her heavy hand to wipe it away. Her face was red, and her body covered in a blanket.

As her vision focused and she began to see clearly, the realization that she was not alone ran through her mind. There was another woman sitting on a pillow in the grass next to her. It was Lady Erin, of the Phoenix Temple. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing relaxed, and Rebecca wondered for a minute if she might be asleep, as well.

"I was wondering if you were gonna wake up in time," Erin said with a smile cracking her deeply tanned and lovely face. Her voice was deep, but friendly, welcoming like an aunt, and taunting like a sister.