Prologue

Cassandra drifted in the darkness, unable to move, unable to speak, just drifting. Her body felt numb, cold, and weightless. Calmly she turned her head, looking around her once more, hoping to see something, anything, but all she saw was the darkness. It was more than shadows, it was so much more, but what, she didn't know. She wasn't sure how long she had been floating there, minutes, days, months, or years? Time just blurred together. She sighed softly, unsure why she did this to herself. Why am I always asking questions? she thought, Why must I always question this, knowing I can't get answers? How did I get here? Why am I here? Where is here? How long have I been here? It was always the same questions, and always the same result, the darkness. Never changing, never moving, just existing. Cassandra knew very little about herself, she knew her name, but she had drifted for so long that she seemed to of forgotten what she'd looked like, what her skin felt like, what her hair smelled like, did she eve have hair? How old was she? Where did she come from? Was she born in the darkness? If so, where were her parents? Is this death? Limbo? Did she even believe in these things? She didn't know. It should bother her, it should scare her, worry her, make her angry. But she felt nothing. There was no emotion, no movement, only thought. Was that all she was? Just drifting thoughts? She couldn't be, she had a name. Surely she existed on another plane than mental. She remembered another world, green grass, blue skies, she remembered warmth, and cold, but at times, she'd forget. Was that why she was in the darkness? To forget? What was she supposed to forget? Had she already forgotten it? She didn't know, if she had, then why was she still there? At moments, the darkness felt maddening, she didn't want to be there any longer, but she couldn't leave, she didn't know how.

White. There was something white above her. It was getting bigger, it was coming closer to her. No, it wasn't white, it was light. Light. It was the first light she'd seen in…she didn't know. She had no idea when she last saw a light. But she knew she'd seen it before. The light was beautiful, it shined so brightly, casting away the darkness. She wanted to touch it, she wanted to touch it so badly. Cassandra wanted to cry, she felt warm, she loved how it felt. Like ice was melting off of her body, the light was warming her, soothing away the numbness. Fingers. There were fingers stretching at the light, ten of them. Hands, her hands. Her soft pink hands, stretching up to the light to touch it. Her slender fingers stretched until they were around the light, it lowered gently into her hands. She leaned forward to look at the light better, she felt something wet on her, she moved her fingers to touch the wetness. Her cheeks were wet with tears, she had a face, and she was crying. She was happy, she felt her lips spread wide into a smile, her first smile while here. It was the light, all thanks to the light. She could move, she could feel, she was happy. Cassandra then looked at the ball, it was small and so bright. It was warm to the touch, and yet she wasn't touching it, it merely floated in her hands. She looked closer at the light, it was in a glass orb, she looked closer at it and saw a face. Her face. Her crystal blue eyes, and her long dark lashes casting shadows on her rosy cheeks streaked with tears, and her long dark locks that flowed and bounced as they surrounded her ebony face and creamy shoulders. She smiled, her face, it was all her own. She remembered now, her face, she was so young. Cassandra heard a small sound, it was bright and twinkled like a bell, a giggle? She just giggled. It seemed so strange to her that she began to laugh, her first laugh! Her heart pounded, the feeling so strange and yet welcoming. All of it, her memory flooding with these new things, her body, her heart, her laugh. It was all new to her, and yet felt like welcoming an old friend.

As Cassandra thought of the next thing to do, she looked to the glass orb, the light was moving. It was swirling within the orb, turning over itself, pushing and pulling at itself, it's as if the light was alive and couldn't stop. It then slowed, and it changed, the light was forming an image of a face, it wasn't Cassandra's. She now knew her face, this one was different. A man. It was the face of a man. But who? Her mind twisted, as if she knew but couldn't remember. She had seen him before, but where? When? Why couldn't she remember? Who was he to her? Her mind searched for answers, but as she looked at his face deeper, her heart raced, her cheeks flushed with heat. Why was she reacting this way? Who was this man? His shaggy red hair was swept back from his face, his eyes were shining and colored silver, his face exuded strength and power, but his smile shone through with devotion and affection. As she looked at him more, she noticed his eyes were looking directly at her, and she heard a sound come from the light. No, not the light, from the man. He spoke to her, she was unsure what he said at first, but then he repeated it. "dove…" she felt strange hearing the word. It filled her with hope, but at the same time hurt her. She was confused, she knew that a dove was a bird, but why did he say it like it was more? Why would him saying it affect her like this? "…dove…" he spoke the word again, she watched as his eyes sparkled and his grin widened, "…my little dove…". At that moment, she felt her heart stop. Her mind finally began to work, she remembered now, it is something more. He is calling her dove. Tears poured from her cheeks, her face burned with pain, how could she forget him? Her lover, her friend, her world. Her heart ached, her face burned, and her head spun. His face filling her mind, his laughter in her ears. She wanted to scream, she couldn't stop the tears, the pain in her heart, it became too much. "Daniel…my Daniel…please come back."