Starlight; my main story, main concern, main source of artistic frustration. Starlight, for four years written only in my native language, Polish, now comes in translated into English for everyone else to see and read.

After two failed attempt to get someone to translate it for me, I just got mad and decided to translate chapters all on my own, true to the saying 'you want something done, do it yourself'. So, here I present you, first chapter of Starlight.

Enjoy!

|CHAPTER ONE|

|An event that was completely unexpected|


June, a month so awaited by everyone, especially by students of all possible types. So beloved; the time of end to those all cursed school and its responsibilities, foretelling two months of salvation – incoming in big steps summer holiday. And also, for some, a month hated like no other; full of stress and hectic tries to finish all unfinished causes. Time, where all the tasks shoved away 'for later' now had cumulated and had to be done. All of them, at once. On one hand, summer holiday just behind the doorstep, but on the other, it was not so bright and colorful anymore. Especially to all kinds of students attending all kinds of school, from elementary school starting, to college and beyond.

Let's start with the fact, that all students can most likely in most of the cases can be divided into three groups. First group consists of people that are fully content with their final marks. They can relax, stop thinking about school and basically already have holiday, perhaps taking very last tests. The second group consists of people who are not endangered by their marks in any way, but are not content of them at all, yearning to have a better mark, because they're not really content with what they have, so they try to somehow make it. Here is where stress and oiliness starts; getting to teachers' asses and basically begging for better marks which, as predicted, usually fails. The worst case is, though, the third group, which means people who are practically forced to correct their marks (unless they don't want to proceed to next class).

But in the small Jasper – city placed in deserted state of Nevada, there was a school that was very specific about that certain case; Memorial High School. Absolute most of students had suspected since forever that both director and rest of school faculty of the school are not quite examples of sane people; not only by the fact that the schooling system was absolutely ineffectual, there was no case of someone not passing to next class in years. That was a bad thing, though; because school during June was ruled by the so-called 'reports' – written works about certain topic for certain subjects, who were enough to be scored for an E to pass to next class. Only, the sole fact of having it allowed student to score an E.

But, did those who were threatened by failing class did those reports themselves? Of course not.

And what did teachers say about it? In some cases they were the ones who had searched for and asked those better students to make reports for their less smart pupils. And this is where, most often, the first group of students suffered.

Natalie O'Correl, first year student in Memorial High School was just exactly, to her own bad luck, one of school's aces; placing in top five schools students (which, to be honest, weren't may and all, and even less was at least a bit interested in actual studying). And this is exactly why now, after classes were finally dismissed, clothed way too thick and way too black for summer on the desert, she was walking through the school hall and radiating dark, hateful aura; sensation so thick and overwhelming it was nearly visible. And Natalie in bad mood was something that everyone in this school learned to fear throughout this short year. Her steps were fast, hectic, and sound of metal sole of her combat boots that reached nearly her knees was thundering; effectively scaring away anyone in radius of hearing or seeing her sulking form.

Few people ran next to hell, quickly and nervously, as if startled birds fleeing from a hungry predator; it was the very last wish of anyone to become subject of rage of this lanky, skinny, seemingly harmless girl in glasses, with eternally tousled bangs.

This morning she came to school in pretty good mood, to be honest (it was, after all Friday; and if that wasn't enough, it was also June!). And of course, that good mood was brutally murdered nearly instantly after she made it past the doorstep, where the PE teacher caught her and announced, that Natalie just must help her favorite students to get out of F-trouble. Because of course, when she was giving her that B, hardly fought in pain and tears, she did not care for girl's other marks the slightest; but now, when her pupils were in trouble, she magically remembered, that Natalie is one of the best, if not the best, students in school! But this is life, and what you can do? People care about you only, when they want something from you. Thus is why, to great irritation on girl's part, she was nearly instantly fooled into making reports for three people she couldn't care less about. And she wasn't even really asked if she wants, to be honest. It was just announced to her, and if she was to be perfectly honest, she would preferably just let it all go to hell and go home as she stood, deciding that she doesn't give slightest shit about such school. But this was Natalie, so, after shaking off the initial shock, standing alone by the entrance with a piece of paper on which three names were scribbled that she did not care about anyway, and green bag patterned with black cats, she just automatically went further into the building; not, as she should, walk far-far away into the distance back home and forget about the deal.

It was June after all.

And that was why, unintentionally, she didn't went knee-deep into that shit, but belt-deep instead. This time nearly from her own will, if previous wasn't enough.

Just by sole walking by faculty room, her favorite physics teacher – Ms. Collinson – included, Natalie felt unpleasant knot on her stomach, when woman smiled towards her in way too sweet manner, halting her chat with chemistry professor. That was just about enough for Natalie to deeply regret the fact that, like sheep for the slaughter, she just went deeper into the slaughterhouse instead of running like hell when she still had a chance.

All black thoughts Natalie has came to life two breaks later, when she was calmly sitting on the windowsill, munching homemade cake her grandmother gave her as a second breakfast today and surfing through the internet via her phone, comfortably placed within a case with Skyrim logo on the back. That was when Miss Collinson walked up to her, slightly uncertain, nearly as if a predator rounding its prey; only not. The predator was sitting calmly, bored, and the prey was checking the ground, as if it's really safe to come closer. Natalie just, absolutely resigned, informed the teacher about 'round-up of F-students' in room number 36 after classes.

Natalie was certain that no one she was supposed to… Let's call it 'work' with wasn't happy about the fact at all; it was, after all, Natalie O'Correl – what of the fact that she's one of the best students, if she's also one of most frightening people in school? Sometimes even more than worst of the teachers; nearly a legend, even if she attends the high school only for one year. But everybody knew the story that happened at the very beginning very well; in September, when Natalie forged herself opinion of person so frightening, that even some bullies from upper classes shivered at sole mention of her name. And it happened actually because of one of fourth year student, James Allen, who decided it will be nice to bully that lanky, unnoticed, forever-alone first year. He should've known better; he should've backed, when he noticed glimpse of something very, very bad in Natalie's eyes. He really should have. But he didn't, and he continued to bully her (even if Natalie didn't seem to notice it at all) and he realized that something is very wrong when she had sent him very unpleasant, awfully nice smile.

It was about a week before a certain event had occurred in school, something that students now called 'Little Apocalypse' – not really even known why; high-schoolers are weird. Because very next day after Natalie smiling to him, James started getting very, very unpleasant calls, threats, he had grown paranoid. And then, suddenly, with no warning, all his wrongdoings, everything he possibly had to hide has been mercilessly dragged out. And not only in school; many people in town got very interesting info on him, it started appearing on public sites. His life was ruined. He instantly became impossibly nice; and for next half of a year, each time he saw Natalie he instantly ran away, absolutely frightened.

Of course, no one tracked the anonymous informatory who did it all; not officially, at least, because everybody knew that it was Natalie herself who had done it; girls herself wasn't exactly hiding the fact, but neither was she openly admitting it. She just did what had to be done.

And now, after whole school year had passed, Natalie walked the hallway, looking for that cursed room with door adorned with number of thirty-six; the historical class. She always liked this class, for no particular reason, really. It was calming, kind of, and maybe Natalie had hoped that being in her favorite class will stop her from committing a cold-blooded murder. Especially since one of names listed by her PE teacher she really, really didn't like.

Gaze of olive-colored, nearly catlike eyes kept sliding from door to door, looking for two-pieced number that was thirty-six; and even if Natalie hoped from the very bottom of her very black and very rotten heart that they all will just plain ignore her she knew deep down that it's not going to happen. Simply because life hated her (and vice fucking versa).

She nearly bolted into the class, opening the door with force so great that it the wall hard, and wood (yes, actually wood, not that weird paper-leftover mixture) moaned in protest. This was what she really liked in this class; the fact that it was the only room (available for students, that is) which was actually neatly furnished, unlike all the other classes 'just to be' – here, there were no desks, with actually tables instead, and real, comfortable chairs. One of the walls was practically transformed into one big bookshelf, whose shelves were bending under weight of many books and everything else about history. Second wall was adorned with paintings and maps of all shapes and sizes, and on the wall behind the desk, of course, was hanged a board. Last wall was basically one big window but oddly enough, Natalie did not mind at all. Perhaps she liked the class so much because the windows faced straightforward to the northern side; which meant that sun never really shone through them.

But as of the now, nearly all the blinds were down, and room drowned in pleasant dimness, which, though, had no chance to hide one sad fact; all four people signed for reports were sitting down nicely, each in their own desk; of which two looked at Natalie as if she was the Satan himself and other two couldn't possibly care less. All of them, if the sole fact that they were there wasn't enough, were also Natalie's classmates.

Amadi Martin, black-skinned boy of frightened eyes of a doe was looking at Natalie as if she could turn into a hydra at any moment and devour him, which was extraordinarly amusing to the girl, given the fact that Amadi was damn close to being seven feet tall captain of basketball team. He could also run ridiculously fast, and his passes were so strong that he could knock down person of his own size, had the ball hit them.

Mike Lowel then, blonde with slightly dreamy eyes in color of clear sky, was the goalkeeper and basically a beefcake. Just simply beefcake; only slightly shorter than Amadi and nearly twice as wide and his biceps were as thick, as Natalie's thighs. And, along with Amadi, was one of two people that were really, genuinely scared of her.

Yusuf El-Amin was the one that Miss Collinson asked Natalie to help with; he was seemingly asleep, practically lying on surface of the table next to the window and did not care about anything. He was an interesting case, honestly; usually alone, just like her, weird Arabic guy in hippie clothes with dreadlocks nearly to the waist and forever-dreamy gaze. Natalie did not let it fool her, however – that guy did, after all, get better scores than her from science subjects than her. Then why was he here? Because in school, aside science subjects there were also humanistic subjects; and there was where he had miserably failed.

Sadly, there are no roses without thorns, are there? Because the fourth person was the person Natalie was eager to meet preferably never; the one of whose life Natalie started to be genuinely afraid, because she felt like ripping her apart from just being in the same room. Fourth person and the only girl in the 'team' was, after all, none other than Lisa Gaarland; golden-haired beauty, who was subject of adoration of half of male students from the school and few other from beyond. Placed next to Lisa, Natalie, usually just plain and normal Natalie maybe with some feral and some noble features now suddenly wasn't really pretty at all; to not to say ugly. Lisa was very beautiful; but only outside. She was a bitch – she was such a bitch that sometimes Natalie felt sting of jealousy seeing just how awful person this petite, delicate blonde can be. This was, though, also the biggest issue here; Lisa lived in (false) conviction that everybody is her lowly servant and must do all she wants them to do.

"Well, finally! How long were we supposed to wait?" beauty hissed scornfully. Natalie nearly choked on curse that was really wanting to jump out of her throat, pulled stand of her very dark brown hair back and sighed heavily, repeating mantra of 'don't get pissed off' in her head.

"Dependant on what you're waiting for" Natalie started in seemingly polite tone. "If you meant me, you didn't have to wait at all. It's not like I want to help band of cretins, so, yeah, you know what I mean" she smiled forcefully, her smile slightly crooked. Lisa, which was to be predicted, at first did not realize at all that brunette just, as simply as it can be, mocked her. During the time blonde kept processing the information, Natalie managed to walk over to Yusuf, lying on table and seemingly very interested with the blind on the window; he was slipping away, because he was battling with himself very hard to keep his eyes open and head up. Natalie choose to talk to him first, because he wasn't only the least interested one, but also least problematic.

She managed to raise her hand with full intent of nudging the boy, but the whole action had no time to actually take blace, because there, in that moment, a miracle occurred; Lisa understood she was mocked. Lisa actually understood.

Chair (perhaps chair, but Natalie cut not be sure, being turned back to the source of sound and all) fell down with a crash, instantly followed by loud steps of feet clad in ridiculus high heels hitting the floor. After very short time Natalie felt something digging into her arm and it wasn't hard to guess that those were Lisa's nails (claws!). Natalie hissed, turning around to look down at the blonde. Mad blonde, in whose big, maybe childlike, brown eyes anger burned high. Lisa was already parting her lips to speak, but the same second Natalie put her hand onto blonde's neck, to what the latter squeaked in surprise, jumped back and fell onto Amadi, who looked as if he was going to faint.

Natalie's hands were, as always, ice-cold.

"C-cold" blonde whined softly, looking at brunette with wide eyes, still holding her neck, where Natalie's hand was placed seconds ago.

"You don't say?" cat-eyed girl snorted, adjusting her glasses and looking at blonde with pity. Subconsciously, she started rubbing her hands in futile attempt to warm them up.

"As if of a spook!" Lisa squeaked, standing up using back of nearly stiff from fear Amadi.

"As if of a spook" Natalie agreed, and allowed her lips to be bent with very unpleasant smirk, upon seeing which Amadi crawled away, nearly tripping Lisa over.

"But… Why?"

„Because I have slightly distorted bloodstream; although I don't expect you to understand what I'm saying" Natalie sighed, shrugging. Lisa understood very little after all, and was the only one in class Natalie was not surprised was In F-trouble; she was your stereotypical blonde who was getting hurt by thinking.

Sometimes literally, it would appear.

"Fine" Natalie sighed, walking past stoned Lisa, who was still trying to process information she was given. "On Monday we have only six hour, so I want to see here all of you four interested in really getting group mark corrected on break after classes" and she was answered by muffled groans coming from both goalkeeper and basketball player. "I know, training, yes. You don't have to come, though, waste your time and money. But for those that want; one F corrected is twenty dollars for me. That's all, I'm not going to waste my Friday on you."

Natalie adjusted her cat-adorned bag and headed out of the school, keeping fast pace and leaving the four in historical class. There was freedom beyond school's doorstep, two days of the blessed weekend; and there was nothing more she had needed more than calmness and rest before the screen of her PC, eating whatever her grandmother had cooked, since morning till'… Well, morning. Whatever the others wanted to do, at least until Monday, she couldn't care less for.

Natalie O'Corres stepped outside of Memorial High School in Jasper nearly squealing in happiness, holding her tongue only because there still were people around. People from her class she could barely stand; Jack Darby, gray mass with absolutely no personality and Miko Nakadai, hyperactive, rather stupid Japanese girl. Natalie liked (loved) Japan and all connected to it (games and anime especially), but that cretin from an exchange program was beyond her tolerance levels; to annoying with her 'hey, I'm from beyond the sea and all' attitude.

But instead of going home, she headed, as every Friday (and not only Friday) towards the canyon, beyond the city. She kept spending time there quite often and even had her own place to hide from the world; hard to get to and much harder to spot; skipping of course the fact that she had a chain placed there, for the sake of comfort. She kept going there very often, even if it was outside and Natalie hated outside. That stone shelf, her stone shelf was placed high, facing northwest, forever in shadow and up, where wind blew in pleasant manner. And there was always Wi-Fi there; and not just any. The best in whole goddamn area. And the whole place was one big solitude, far from any road and few fancied walks through the desert.

But nothing could've possibly prepared Natalie for what she was to face on her way. Something that paralyzed her as she stood, opening her eyes and parting her lips as if fish pulled out of water, desperately trying not to choke, nearly unable to move at all. Only after blue missile, shining like a lightning, flew right next to her head and nearly dissolved a boulder behind her she decided that it might be wise to hide somewhere.

Giant robots were fighting in the canyon.