"Zo, babe, this is the Otherworld. It's not me who doesn't belong here – It's you!"

Memory crashed over me, drowning me with despair and darkness and reality as my world shattered, and everything went black...

Zoey

Could this really be happening? No, it's all a dream. I'll wake up from this nightmare any second now, just you wait... But the awful truth was, I knew it wasn't a dream. I was sure this was reality, just as sure as I was that my name was Zoey. Don't worry, Zoey, I told myself we'll get through this, everything will be just fine. But then again, I have been wrong about a lot of things lately, and this could very well be another one of those things.

"Zoey?... Zoey?!" A voice broke through the terrible things that were running through my mind.

"Heath!" I shouted. I could hear him perfectly fine, but I couldn't see him at all. And now that I was looking around, instead of babbling to myself in my head, I realised I couldn't see anything. Just pure darkness. "Heath, where are you?"

"Don't worry, Zo. We'll get through this, just stay where y-"

Heath's voice was cut off by the sound of pure sadness floating in the air. I could hear the cries and screams of people all around me, but once again, I couldn't see anything but darkness. After a couple seconds, I didn't think I could stand it anymore; I wanted to break down and cry right where I was, even if I didn't even know where that was... But the thing that did make tears flow freely down my cheeks was the fact that I recognised the voices, I knew who they were.

"Shaunee! Erin! Jack!" I called. Was it weird that I couldn't remember all the names of my friends?

"Yes, it is them," Came a soft, warming voice from my side. I turned to see a beautiful Goddess who is said to be night personified.

"Nyx!" I blurted and as she floated – yes, I do mean she floated – closer to me. Then I realised, as she grew closer to me, the crying and screaming started to die down.

"Yes, Zoeybird," She said. The use of my Grandma's nickname brought tears to my eyes. Wait, I think it was Grandma who gave me the nickname. Now that I think about it, I wasn't too sure. "I have come to help you return to your friends and Earth."

"Uh, thanks, I mean, thank you..." What was I meant to say to that?

"Are you ready, Zoey?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. Me and Heath are ready to go home!" I said moronically.

Then Nyx sighed and took another step towards me so she could put a hand on my shoulder. Oh no. This can't be good. I already half-knew what was coming, but I put on a smile just in case the worst wasn't to come... "Only you can return, u-we-tsi-a-ge-ya. Heath must come back to my realm with me and, hopefully, live a life in peace."

"You mean Heath can't come back with me?" I sobbed. Okay, I know she pretty much already explained that, but I was in shock, give me a break.

"I am sorry, Zoey, but you must learn to accept the strange ways in which destiny and fate work together." She said, letting go of my shoulder and taking a step back.

"Then I don't want to go!" I screeched, even surprising myself with my anger.

Then, without saying anything, Nyx lifted her arms above her head and started to wave them about in the darkness. Without any warning, the horrible crying returned, only louder than last time.

One of the voices appeared closer than the others. And although he wasn't crying, I knew his voice was overwhelmed with sadness. The voice just kept whispering one thing over and over again...

I'm sorry