"Willow, help!" Buffy cried out desperately.
She sent mind waves to her friend. She recounted the story of their soon-to-be end. They were out loose. She needed aid.
"Okay then, Buffy, let's hear your story."
Like fleeing refugees, people were running haphazardly, this way and that. It was complete confusion and chaos. Just a minute ago, the neighborhood life had seemed so calm and peaceful.
"Come on! You were selected, too," shouted Riley as he ran with the mob.
I felt there was nothing to do on the humid summer day. Out of curiosity, I followed the crowd, running to catch up. Why on Earth would people be racing to some strange destiny that I seemed to be included in? I considered I was hallucinating but followed the mirage anyway. Why not?
Later I learned that this was an enormous mistake. We were not running to a place on Earth.
They were gathered in the central woods of the neighborhood. A bizarre metallic door had been transported there. Two by two, the people walked inside the portal. I was shoved in last by a little girl with blue teeth and a menacing twinkle in her eye.
"Have fun," she called out, "in the adventure of a lifetime."
I entered slowly and gasped out of surprise. With skies painted green, a valley of marigolds and daffodils, and strange creatures with three feet and pink stripes, this was definitely an illusion.
"Welcome, my mortals. Everyone here has been selected to have the honor of coming to the land of Queen Sareina, Lucifer's bride. Fate has blessed you all for this opportunity. You may leave now or leave in a few days when the flying saucers have been repaired. Welcome, welcome to reality," shouted the little girl to all the newcomers and then disappeared in a cloud of dust.
No one considered leaving. As I mingled with the other humans and sat by the sparkling stream, I knew I had found nirvana. This was a land of bliss and I was selected! I strolled near the perfect magnolia trees and the Kusuros, the weird creatures, and learned the golden language of the animals. The day was ending, and night arrived.
A sudden gloom seemed to capture this "reality". The sky turned completely dark in an instant. Strange noises filled the air, sounds of strangled cries and rippling waters.
"Run! Run if you want your lives! " screeched a phantom.
Even this time I made the wrong decision. Most of the people and I chose to remain outside to understand what was happening. As lightning struck the earth, combining with heat, oxygen, and fuel, a flame formed. Flaming objects fell from the sky and sizzled on the ground, which turned into dust. A wall of fire several hundred feet high grew larger and larger. Some of the crowd and I dashed way quickly. The others stood there, mesmerized in fear. We watched from a hill as flames encircled and danced around them and trapped them in its clutch. It burned until all vanished into ashes in the immortal blazing inferno.
From the other side, raging ice threatened us. Temperatures dropped and an avalanche followed our tracks. The dozen people remaining hid behind colossal rocks. It was then that the Queen made her first appearance, holding an obsidian staff.
The Queen and the little girl, Lucifer's daughter and the heir to this nightmare land, stood high above the mortals on a skyscraper-sized podium. Dressed in black robes of silk, the Queen smiled kindly but had hatred and infuriation in every syllable she spoke.
"So, you think you are too strong to be defeated by fire? Ice will definitely surpass your abilities. I am Queen Sareina, ruler of the Underworld. I need more recruits to control this abyss. Every one of us has a special ability, whether it be reading minds or seeing true undertones. Surrender now, or end life."
We faced the frost and dodged snow missiles and pelting icicles. In the horizon, I viewed a small shape becoming larger and larger- the flying saucer! Yelping in joy, we galloped to our mechanical saviors at the speed of light. Ice and sludge attempted to pull us down as we trekked and the Kusuros created snow barriers. The Queen shot down two of us with a bolt of ice with her magic staff. Others slowly fell back and could not run any longer. Ice surrounded them and slowly froze their insides as their souls left the bodies. The surviving four mortals and I entered the saucers. We were saved from eternal doom.
I was born to the Earth, once again.
"I thought the saucers were coming in a few days, not hours," said one boy, confused.
"A few hours?" laughed someone. "It has been a few decades."
We turned around to see who had spoken. The little girl smiled the Queen's smile and was holding a deadly Kusuro.
"Thank you for showing me the way. I want to rule this world, too."