Hey to new readers, hey to old ones. Not referring to age, but hopefully you got that anyway. So this is a story that's been in the works for- wait for it- nearly a year now. It's the best thing I've ever written, and I've decided to share it with you all. I'm rewriting it as I post it, possibly causing delays, and I'm going into year 12 as well. It'll be fun to try and juggle this along with everything else... so enjoy this first chapter. I know that I did.

Rated T for bloodshed and violence later.

Hello ladies and gentleman, I am Emilia Freig, and I will be your narrator this story.

Well, the story is really about myself and how I had this incredible adventure with people that I had no right to meet or be friends with. Not really narcissistic, is it? I just really... I really want to tell you all, or any person who opens this journal, about what happened to me.

Something incredible happened. I was taken- no, I won't say just yet. I like a good story. Might as well drag this out for as long as possible.

Uh, yeah. Anyway.

This is a bit of a forenote to you guys- you might not be interested in my little journey of self-discovery. If so, then go away. I'm not interested in people that'll run at the first sign of intelligent life. If you wanna keep reading, then go ahead and read. No prizes for finishing, though you might like to see through my eyes for a little while and escape your personal lives. If you're into escapism.

Everything began at school, oddly enough. Our hall is basically the same you'd find in any Australian school- and some American ones, though America won't be part of this story. I'm an Aussie, you see. Born and bred in the sunburnt country. An assembly was called and we were all 'summoned' as a great wave of chattering kids. The teachers probably hated every second they had to force us to behave, but most didn't show it. I was in year 7, the first year after Primary school. That means I'm in High School, for anyone who isn't familiar with our schooling system.

It wasn't the ordinary assembly, which happened once every week. That assembly was often short-notice, since organisation was handled so badly by our teachers. The 'official' assembly had been held yesterday; Monday. The lack of backbone amongst our teachers didn't help our rowdy behaviour as we all crushed into the Hall, eager to waste time rather than waste mind. See what I did there?

Well you're a smart beggar, aren't you?

So when everyone was sitting in their uncomfortable plastic chairs, we were lectured on how we should all be wearing our complete school uniforms and, as a passing note that our principal wouldn't be coming back. We were all taken rather off guard by that, so everyone fell silent for a moment as the news sank in.

Then, everyone began talking at once.

"Gone? Where?"

"He was gone? I didn't notice..."

"What happened?"

The supervising teachers looked fairly surprised as well, but they despised chatter and hushed the youngest kids with the hope that the seniors would follow suit.

I was in year 7, the first year in high school. The basic rule of school for year 7 kids was that we were timid, easily herded and mouldable. I was the exception to that rule. To be honest, I had never been the smartest or the most obedient of children; I liked to be rebellious, and the frustration of a teacher that couldn't keep me under control was addicting. I gave my sweetest smile to turn the nearest sentinel's head away, but still whispered to my close friend.

"Our principal was Mr. Kimbley, wasn't he?" I asked Jack, the guy beside me. We had been best friends since childhood. I knew every side of his personality, especially the troublemaker hidden under his peaceable smile. His mother and mine were friends since before we were born, which was why we had known each other for so long.

He glanced around and nodded. "Yeah. Of course, you'd know that if you ever took the blame for some of our pranks. We knew each other too well," he said with distaste.

"Oops," I giggled.

"It's sort of weird, though. I wonder why he went away?" Jack pondered. "Yeah. Maybe he's sick of seeing you every day," I mused.

There was a small commotion up on the stage. Everyone tried to crane over each other's head to get a better look, making a sort of Mexican wave as people in the back rows stood on their chairs unabashedly. "Sit down," hissed one of the more active teachers, flapping his hands like a panicked chicken. We ignored him, of course.

A gorgeous woman, platinum-blonde curls framing a stern expression, and a tight red dress that showed off pale shaved legs; she floated up to the stage, trailing a cloud of silence behind her. I felt myself swallow without meaning to. Every person in the hall stopped chattering.

There was a faint glow around the woman, as if she was in some way divine. It was really… freaking weird. Jack was openly staring.

"Thank you," she said crisply into the microphone. There was some scattered feedback from the speakers. Absolutely no-one made a sound.

She straightened her shiny red dress and smiled a cold grin. Her eyes and teeth somehow reminded me of a shark.

"Thank you," she repeated. "I am Ms Pond- but of course, you may all call me Serenity in times of informality. However, I expect every student and teacher to use my surname when addressing me within school hours."

"Wh… wha?" I stuttered. Jack turned to look at me, and I flinched back from his cold eyes.

The hell?