There is a reason that witchcraft has become practically nonexistent. People shouldn't have the power to rip apart the very fabric of the universe and still be able to step through it. That's a job for daemons and half-daemons. Not a human. And yet, here I am, sprawled across the thick carpet of a rather extravagant office with the charred remains of paper fluttering around my head like snow.

My fingertips were tingling, but not in a pleasant way. Tingling in the way that a limb does after it has been numb. My back ached from landing on my backpack, even though it was filled with a change of clothes, my head even ached from where it had smacked against the floor. Frankly, everything hurt, and I wasn't in a good mood.

Normally you'd expect someone who had popped (exploded) into a new place to be scared shitless, perhaps sitting in a corner crying, maybe even ordering the poor person they intruded in upon to fix them something to eat, maybe that was only in fantasy novels. But not me, I was angry that the stupid spell actually worked and I was now in an unfamiliar place, covered in ash, and in pain.

A cough that shook my body and made my chest ache, great, and more pain I thought glumly while attempting to pull myself into sitting position. It hurt like a bitch, but I managed. "I'm so not doing that again," I groaned while stretching the sore muscles of my shoulders. I felt like I had been put through a meat grinder, or a woodchopper. Either way, I hurt. And the fact that I was holding a cat that was freaking the fuck out and ripping my arms to shreds didn't help any.

Looking around the poor place that I had popped into my eyes landed on a rather disgruntled, very odd, looking man sitting behind the expensive looking oak desk. Even from my slumped position on the floor I could see the vivid green of his droopy eyes, which were narrowed dangerously in my direction. Framing those acidicly droopy eyes was equally strange colored hair. I didn't know very many men who dyed their hair, let alone a color that was that flamboyant. Everything about this man (that I could see) was bright and happy looking, stark contrast to the almost murderous look on his pale face.

Several Hours Earlier:

I wanted to bash my head against the cafeteria table, I wanted to run around and rip down the overly peppy homecoming posters and set them alight. I wanted to watch the pink abominations burn to a crisp, nothing would make me happier than that at that moment. Well, maybe a cup of nice strong coffee that would work too. Coffee and setting the pink posters on fire.

Homecoming week had to be my least favorite thing that schools did, besides the food, no one likes school food, and I mean no one. But homecoming week was pure hell. Sure, people gave out free shit, but it wasn't really any useful shit. Toys mostly, yo-yos, plastic slinkies, you name it.

I groaned and rested my head against the slightly rough fabric of my warn down blue hoodie. I had my headphones in, so I couldn't hear the Homecoming Queen candidates, but I could still see them. They all looked alike, you know, the almost stereotypical popular girls.

I hear you buzzing, a fly on the wall

In through the window and up through the hall

Flying in circles just trying to land

I see you hurting I do what I can

'Skip' I thought while swiping my finger across the screen of my phone. Well, it was less of a phone, I didn't ever use it for anything except music and Wattpad. My parents had actually ended up cutting the plan we had, not that I minded, I never talked or texted anyone.

When you speak I hear silence

Every word a defiance

I can hear, oh, I can hear

Think I'll go where it suits me

Moving out to the country

With everyone, oh, everyone

Before we all become one

'Skip'

Step out beyond the edge and start the motion

Look out below, I know there's no decision

Just collision

It's all arranged

Too late for me, no reason to recover

If I should choose to rise I'm still descending

Never ending

I fall

I fall

'Skip'

Seconds march into the past

The moments pass

And just like that they're gone

The river always finds the sea

So helplessly

Like you find me

We are paper boats floating on a stream

And it would seem

We'll never be apart

'Skip'

I eventually unplugged my headphones and tucked my phone into the large pocket of my hoodie pocket along with my headphones. School had just started and I was already ready to go home and cuddle with my old cat, Perseus, or Percy as we so fondly called him. I had always been a huge mythology nut, Egyptian being my favorite wit Greek following close behind. I would have named Percy after an Egyptian beast, but those names were hard as shit to pronounce.

And so began my day of sitting through boring classes while freezing my ass off. By the time third period was over my fingers felt like they were going to fall off from the cold. At least the halls are warmer for which I was grateful. But it didn't help when you walked from the warmth of the hallway and into the freezing glacial air of your English class. Or as I explained it one day to one of my friends: "It's like walking from the scorching heat of Satan's asscrack and onto the icy tits of winter."

Yes, I said that, yes, I'm proud of that statement.

English, was one of the only subjects I was remotely good at. It and science. Anything that had math in it and I was up the creek without a paddle, shit outta luck, any of those would fit.

Even with how much I loved English, nothing could stop me from falling asleep in the middle of taking notes. To which I woke up with inkstains on my face and pentagrams on my arms and probably neck from my friend sitting behind me*. Ahhh yes, the joys of falling asleep in class.

As soon as the bell rang for fifth period, the last class of the day, I bolted out the door before the teacher could scold me for sleeping in his class.

Being a Senior, I didn't have a fifth period class, meaning that I could go home, and I would, that is if I could drive. But I can't, so instead I usually sit in the library and read up on whatever had captured my attention at that moment in time. Which could be anything.

I tossed my books on one of the wooded tables of our small library before practically skipping over to the computer that I usually occupied. Everyone that came to the library knew that this was my computer, so no one bothered me while I was doing research, which came in handy when you just happened to be reading up on something that just didn't fly when you lived in the middle of the 'Bible Belt' of the U.S.

Daemons or demons depending on your preference. I preferred Daemons, much like how I liked to spell 'fairies' 'faeries' it's just something that I have done for just about ever.

Yesterday while I was searching, I stumbled across a website of spells, which me being just as curious as a cat or even more so, wanted to read more into it. So, I ended up emailing the link to myself, just in case you know?

"A common spell that can be relatively easy or very, very difficult. A portal is a connection between otherwise discontinuous points in space or time." I hummed as I continued reading, practically drinking in the information. I ended up clicking on multiple links and opening several tabs to the point that the schools computer was beginning to run extremely slowly.

I eventually stumbled across what looked like a spell, one that looked vaguely like one that they'd use in Charmed back when I would watch it with mom when I was a kid. It was in Latin, that much I could tell. I had took Latin back in my freshmen year, and though it was hard, it was fun. Though I only took one year of it, I did recognize a few of the words. I really should have paid more attention in that class.

Shrugging, I hit the print button. What can I say? I was curious to see if it would actually work. I wasn't expecting it to work, but I was curious. And curiosity killed the cat. But then again, the cat has nine lives, so I can afford to be curious.

Waiting for the bus was always a hassle. I had to stand in the freezing rain around a bunch of screaming idiots, while waiting for a bus that would be filled with even more screaming children while fighting tooth and nail to nab an empty seat to sit in while waiting to arrive at the house. Never much gun, especially when it's raining and some idiot decides to put his window down and you end up getting drenched with icy rain.

The mustard yellow bus rolled to a stop before my obnoxiously long and steep driveway, which had turned into a small river from the rain. A muddy river. Groaning, I pulled my hood over my head and began the journey to the small three room trailer my family and I lived in. It was a decent place. It was surrounded on all sides by trees, pine trees to be exact. We had planted flowers around the beige trailer to give it a little more color, not that it helped much, but at least it smelled nice when it rained.

Fitting my key into the lock and turning it, I quickly stepped into the house and dropped my bag onto the floor next to the door and kicked my shoes off before stripping my soaking hoodie off and tossing it into the wash before heading into the living room.

Boredom began to sink in while I flipped through channel after channel. Remembering the papers I had printed out earlier I pulled the messily folded up papers out of my jeans pocket. Now that I was looking back over it, it was looking a whole lot harder than it had originally looked.

A hell of a lot harder.

Shrugging, I tossed the papers onto the old, mug ringed, coffee table. I would worry about that after I finished my chores.

After cleaning, vacuuming, and dusting the small living room, I moved onto the kitchen. There weren't many dishes, so those could wait until after I ate to be washed. I moved back to the laundry room to switch over the laundry and fold the dry clothes, put those away, we all know how laundry goes. I was more interested in getting my hoodie dry. That thing was one of the warmest things I owned that didn't look like it belonged to an old woman.

Once my hoodie was dry and I was basking in the just-out-of-the-dryer warmth it provided, I curled up on my bed under the layers of blankets. Though I didn't mind cold, I actually preferred it to the hot summers of the south; I didn't like the cold that you could feel in your very bones. That cold I didn't like.

Several hours passed with me curled up under my blankets with my cat, who had wormed his way under them once he found out where I was hiding, listening to music and watching the rain beat against my window. Normally I would have fallen asleep, and I really was close to it, but the nagging feeling in the back of my mind kept me awake.

What if the spell did work? What do I do then? Could I take things with me? Could I take Percy with me? Where would I end up? Would I get hurt?

I shook my head and flung my blankets to the side, disturbing Percy who looked very angry at having his source of warmth removed. I shrugged to the yellow cat and swung my legs over the side of my bed. I shrugged at the cat before leaving my room, kicking a pair of pants out of my way. I really should clean my room, but it always got messy no matter how much I cleaned it. Never fails.

Now, for dinner. I hummed quietly to the tune of The Devil Went Down to Georgia, what can I say, I was a southerner to the core. What I wouldn't give for a big ol' bowl of chicken n' dumplings for dinner. Oh! With mashed potatoes, and green beans. All my yes. Just take all of my yeses. I shut the freezer and moved on to the cabinets and pulled out a can of beef stew. Eh, close enough.

Percy and I ate our dinner in silence, me the bowl of hot canned stew and him a can of wet cat food that I had heated up. What? It was cold out! He deserved a bowl of hot food too!

After we finished our dinner and I had washed and put the dishes away, I pulled out the papers again to read back over them. Okay, Dani, let's think now, if this does work, you're going to be in an unfamiliar place, so we'll need…. My thoughts trailed off, something to carry things in. Yes, bag, bookbag, that'll work.

Going back to the kitchen/dining room, I picked up my bag and dumped my textbooks and folders out once I returned to my room and repacking it with a change of clothes, several novels, my sketchbook, pencils, an extra set of headphones, chargers for my DS and phone (there was no what I would be leaving those behind.) and on a second thought, my shampoo and conditioner. Like I said, there was no way of knowing where I was going to end up at, if I ended up anywhere.

Now was to draw out the circle and light candles, which we had plenty of. I sat back on my heels to admire my work, all the lines and words were in place, candles were lit and were placed in their place, now was the incantation. But before I said any of that, I grabbed Percy and held him close to my chest. I wasn't leaving my baby behind. No way, no how.

After making sure my grip on the half asleep cat was secure, I began to recite the Latin words, stumbling over every other one, but I was still reciting it. Halfway through the spell I began to feel sick. My vision was blurring like tears were forming in the corners of my eyes, but my rapid blinking told me otherwise. By the time that I had finished I felt like I was going to puke and the darkness that had begun to slowly creep in had picked up speed and was practically dancing around. Percy was hissing and spitting at the darkness, no, shadows. They danced around my room; the only light left was the candles I had placed down.

Percy swatted at one that ventured too close, but it danced back away from the frightened cat. That was about the time that the paper I had drawn the circle on exploded, flinging me, and Percy, flying back through the shadows, who were now laughing at our misfortune.

And that was how I ended up on my back, clinging to a squirming cat who was trying, and succeeding, on turning my arms into Dani colored ribbons. And that's how I came face to face with possibly the most threatening, and unthreatening, person I had ever met.

I released the terrified cat, who scurried under one of the many plush armchairs. I, however, was stuck under the unimpressed, and vaguely irritated looking man sitting behind the desk. I laughed, nervously picking at the cuff of my shredded hoodie sleeves. Percy had done a real number on the poor thing.

"Sorry 'bout yer office man, didn't think the thingy would actually work, ya know?" I slipped the my bag of junk off my shoulders and set it next to one of the chairs so that I could begin the task of coaxing my cat out from under the chair without losing a finger in the process.

"An American, I'm guessing by your….charming accent?" The man asked once I had managed to pry the yellow ball of fur out from under the chair.

"Yeah, what of it?" I hadn't missed the slight pause in the way the man spoke, and I sure as hell didn't like the way he talked. It was too smooth; it reminded me of the way a lawyer spoke. Or maybe the way some teachers who thought little of their students spoke. Either way, I didn't like it.

He chuckled, a sound that made my hair stand on end. "No need to get feisty, I was just asking." He rested his head in the palm of one gloved hand. "I would very much like to know how you ended up in my office, in the middle of the night, with that…lovely ball of fur."

"Th' hell if I know bucko, all I did was say some mumbo-jumbo and BAM I ended up here. And the cats name is Perseus." I growled, putting emphasis on Percy's name. I wasn't normally like this, but there was something about this guy that sent my nerves on end and made me want to beat the shit out of him. Not something that I would normally do to someone I had just met.

Infuriatingly enough, he just 'Hmmmm'd at me and returned his gaze to the papers he had set off to the side. I huffed, but decided to use this time to look around the room. Expensive looking plush armchairs and couches were placed everywhere along with what looked like low coffee tables. Jars of multi-colored wrapped candies were as numerous as the papers that lay on his desk. So, without thinking much of it, I took one off the closest table and began unwrapping it.

I had the small candy partially to my mouth when I felt the gaze of a person, someone that wasn't all that happy at the moment, practically burning into my forehead. I smirked and popped the candy into my mouth, cocking an eyebrow at the clearly angry man sitting at the desk. "What don't like sharing? Ya got plenty over there, won' kill ya to lose one or two, will it?"

You know that saying "If looks could kill'? Yeah, I'm pretty sure that applies right now.

* This actually happens sometimes at school, except he never does it when I sleep, noooo, he'll do it in the middle of class. So I always end up going to the bathroom to wash the damn things off.

Okay, so, that's the end of chapter 1 of Portal of Blue. The word count is 3,179 opposed to the original 1,673 words, so yes, I'm proud of how it ended out.

The songs that Dani was listening to in the beginning are:

In Circles- Ashley Barrett

We All Become One- Ashley Barrett

Signals- Ashely Barrett

Paper Boats- Ashley Barrett

Yeah, I really like listening to her, deal with it bruh.

Anyways, I'm looking for someone to beta (that's what that's called, right?) my chapters, really I just need someone to look over them and help me with my mistakes, I'm really bad at catching those in my writings.

Here are the songs that I listened to while writing this chapter:

The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Before Time- Thomas Bergersen

Blackheart- Thomas Bergersen

Dragon Rider- Thomas Bergersen

Archangel- Thomas Bergersen

Creation of Earth- Thomas Bergersen

Sun- Thomas Bergersen

Cry- Thomas Bergersen

New Life- Thomas Bergersen

Final Frontier- Thomas Bergersen

Colors of Love- Thomas Bergersen

Always Mine- Thomas Bergersen