Chapter One

The girl walked through the crowds of people, each person different in their own way and yet somehow not that different at all. The girl felt that even though they were all different, no one was truly special, not really. The girl knew that to another, that thought process would sound quite cynical even though the girl meant no harm in it. She did not wish to hurt anyone; in fact, the very thought of anyone in pain put her heart in turmoil.

Her thoughts were only like this because she had spent her whole life reading about worlds and people with special powers that didn't exist. After being cooped up in the world of imagination for so long, she had come to find the world somewhat boring. Sure she enjoyed it when her parents brought her to many different places such as animal reserves and amusement parks. She loved her parents to death because they went out of their way to try and find time to bring her the closest to magical things you could find in her world. Still without those attractions her world would be boring.

The girl snapped out of her thought process when her best friend, Lucy, spoke to her, "I can never believe how big the crowd is at the Community, Family Gathering ever year. All these people being connected in some way never ceases to amaze me."

It's true. Everyone at this gathering was connected in some way, whether they be neighbors, friends, cousins, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grandparents, etc.…

The community was strange that way. Every year on the day the town was created everyone who even had the smallest connection to the town would come to the gathering. Wherever they were, whatever they were doing, even if a close relative was dying, they'd still come. They didn't know why they felt so compelled to come, they just did.

That's why the girl loved this day the most; there was just something so magical about it. Lucy continued to speak, not noticing the far off look in her friend's eyes, "It also amazes me how this was the very day you were born Annie"

The girl twitched in annoyance as her friend addressed her using her middle name. Everyone did and the gi-Annie hated it. She would rather be called by her first name since it was so unique and uncommon. Even the way it was spelled was different. However, Annie knew how people forgot her name all the time and they thought it was easier calling her by her middle name. She hated burdening people and keeps all her troubles, pains, and annoyances to herself; wearing a fake smile the whole time. So Annie just bit her tongue and let Lucy call her whatever she wanted. She smirked at the other part of Lucy's sentence though.

Lucy just rolled her eyes as she saw the smile creep up her friends face. She knew how much Annie loved the fact that her birthday was on the same day as the annual gathering, April 30. Lucy also knew that many people thought her friend was strange since Annie's nose was always stuck in a book, but Lucy didn't really care. She knew her friend would throw herself in front of a bullet to protect her and Lucy would do the same. That kind of trust was hard to find.

Lucy heard familiar voices and scanned the crowd until she found her targets. She grabbed her Annie's wrist and pulled her towards their family and friends who had already gathered, sitting in front row seats in front of the large crowd.

The crowd was waiting for a magic show to start. It was different every year and always the highlight of the gathering. The Annie's family and friends knew she loved the gathering, but they also knew the magic show was her favorite part of the whole event. Unfortunately, no matter how early she got there, Annie was always seated far from the stage. That's why for her birthday present this year, her family and friends decided to surprise Annie by getting her reserved seats for the magic show.

They trembled with excitement as they watched Lucy pull Annie towards them. The girl in question had a confused look on her face since she had no idea of her family and friends plot.

"What's going on? Why do you all look like puppies who have discovered the wonders of flying discs," Annie's question was leaked with sarcasm and even though it sounded cruel, her family and friends knew better than to take offence. She never meant anything by the things she said, she simply spoke her mind.

They all looked at each other, then turned simultaneously towards her, their smiles beaming so brightly the girl began to twitch nervously, wondering what they had planned.

"Happy 16th Birthday Annie! Enjoy your present!" they yelled while continuing to smile and waving their arms around them.

Annie stared at them blankly, looked around, and then returned her gaze to them with a blank expression still present on her face, "Are you nuts?"

Lucy looked at her friend for one second then burst out laughing, the others having disgruntled looks on their faces.

"What?! Why are you looking at me like that? I'm just saying you've got to be insane if you think there is a present of any kind within a thousand feet of this place," Annie stated while crossing her arms and looking slightly annoyed at Lucy, but anyone could see the small tender smile that played across her face as she watched her friend in a fit of laughter.

Lucy stifled her laughing long enough to answer her friend's question, "Thi…this spot is your gift."

Annie looked at her for a moment, then another, then another, until finally…, "Are you freaking kidding me?!"

At her outburst her friends and family started laughing with Lucy too. "Nope," Lucy said between her giggles.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! This is the best birthday gift every!" Annie exclaimed as she hugged everyone in the large group. She made sure to hug her big brother Jack tightly. They were extremely close but ever since that incident he had been acting differently. Heck, who wouldn't? Annie watched him smile down softly at her and then a strange expression crossed his face. She couldn't figure out what it meant and it passed as quickly as it came. Annie wondered if she just imagined it.

"Okay, okay enough. The show is about to start and I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss it," Lucy sighed after looking around and realizing most people had already taken their seats. The group nodded and each began to take his or her seat; they made sure to leave the best seat for Annie.

Annie was jumping in her seat, thinking, "This is the best birthday ever!"

Seconds later the show began in a rather odd way. A swirling purple vortex that had winding clock hands appeared on the stage and from it a human figure appeared in a dark purple cloak. The cloak prevented the audience from seeing any definite features, but they could tell that whoever it was, they were looking for something or someone. Annie, who was observing the figure closely, realized he seemed to be floating.

Then he started muttering something in Latin that sounded like, "Inveneris inferni die dimicare vellet electos. Et pugnabit tenebris ambulant levis."

"What's with this weird show? Never been this crazy before. What's he even saying?" Lucy mumbled.

"Find them, the chosen ones meant to fight on hell's day. One light and one dark shall fight for their way," Annie said without taking her eyes off the figure, she was getting bad vibes from him, her, it…whatever.

"You know Latin?" Lucy asked in surprised. Annie merely shrugged and Lucy gave her a questioning look.

"I guess, creepy rhyme though, I know I should be excited but that person is giving me a bad feeling," not even caring she could speak Latin when she couldn't even pass Spanish.

Lucy just returned her gaze to the stage, believing her friend had picked it up in one of those dusty old books she reads. It was then she realized the figure was looking at her and Annie.

"So one of you is the one," you could hear the smile in its voice as it spoke.

It lifted its hand and it spoke one word, "Come."

Without any warning at all other than that one word, Lucy and Annie's bodies shot forward. The two came to an abrupt stop in front of the figure and it asked rhetorically, "But which one is the one."

Lucy squeaked in panic, while Annie seemed calm but worried. The figure closed his hand and the two slammed on to the ground, Annie yelping in pain because her ankle twisted into an odd angle. After hearing her friends yelp, Lucy quickly regained her composure and started glaring at the figure in front of her, concerned with getting Annie out of danger.

"What do you want?!" Annie snapped, Lucy sending a nervous glance her way.

"Feisty one aren't you, but even if you are the chosen one I should show you your place," with that the man started speaking in Latin as he lifted his hand towards Lucy. Lucy just flinched, not understanding what it was saying while her friend paled.

Annie understood exactly what he was saying and it was not good, she couldn't let Lucy go through that.

Annie didn't even think, she just sprinted forward to stand in front of Lucy as the enchantment came to an end. As a blinding light surrounded her, Annie looked at Lucy and her friends and family. She saw shock, pain, and fear. However the worst thing that she saw was Lucy's guilty expression. Annie hated what she was doing. If there is one character in her books she hates most, it's the character that uses there life to save their loved ones, because she knows it's causing the loved one they saved extreme pain. She didn't regret it though, she couldn't. She just hadn't thought about it before she acted. She had to fix this.

Before she completely disappeared in the blinding light, Annie beamed at them and said, "Don't worry. The spell isn't going to kill me, just send me to a faraway place infested with magic."

The last they saw was Annie's excited smile. Then…she was gone.

I know! I know! There were no heroes in this chapter, but they're going to be in the next chapter. I swear. (1,751 words!)