My eyes darted from one thing to another, and in a second I had scanned the sparkling blue ocean, the numerous coconut trees, a scattering of smaller islands and a warm, golden sun. This was the type of place I'd always wanted to live in…

Putting my head in my hands, I thought, Then how come I'm not happy about it?

I rose from the step I was sitting on, which was located in the front of my new house. It had a strange architectural layout, and I wasn't very fond of it.

Desperate to get away from it all, I went upstairs to change into my favorite outfit, which consisted of tight blue jean shorts and a white T-shirt, wrote my dad a note explaining where I was going, and left the house.

I had passed small shops and many other residences before I reached the uninhabited shoreline. The sand looked inviting, so I slipped off my sandals and walked down towards the ocean.

When I arrived at the water, a strong wind whipped my long, wavy brown hair off my face and my bare legs began to sting with cold. I closed my eyes and just stood there, letting the harsh air take me away from this island, away from this world, back to where I belonged. My old friends, one by one, flashed inside my mind, only increasing my sudden feeling of homesickness…

Evaporation… I felt my body, piece by piece leaving the world behind…my spirit, bit by bit dwindling away into the air…

I was falling…opening my eyes, the last remnant of my soul on this earth, I saw the sand was coming closer; the ground was coming nearer, and…?

- - -

Dark…

"Do you think she's okay? She's been out for awhile now…"

Blackness…

"I don't know, Sora. It looks like she just passed out."

Shadows…

"But she hasn't moved, she could be—!"

There's a light, just out of my reach…

"Calm down! She's breathing…well, at least I think…"

My hand's outstretched…just a little further…

"I hope you're right…"

I lunge at the light and miss… Just once more…

"Still… Who is she? I can't figure out why, but she seems different."

Reaching… I can do it…

"What the—? Look at her arm!"

The glow is brighter, the darkness is fading…

"Don't touch her! I think she's trying to reach something!"

My fingers grasp the light, I pull myself out of obscurity, and—

"Riku, she's alive!"

Now, instead of a brutal wind, a soft breeze flowed soothingly across my eyelids, urging me to open them. When I did, I saw that same gleaming sun, now sinking down below the sea, a few soft waves falling onto the beach, and two unfamiliar boys sitting beside me, staring.

I jerked abruptly into a sitting position, giving them a start. The boy sitting on my right didn't seem all that taken aback; he grinned at me and said, "Hey, take it easy! You've been unconscious for at least two hours, just relax!" He eased me back down gently and added in a concerned voice, "But really, are you alright?"

My mouth was parched and dry, so when I tried to answer, all that came out was a sort of weak gurgle. While I was clearing my throat to try again, the other boy snapped, "C'mon, is that even worth asking? She's been out for two hours, can't talk, and needs water."

I blinked in surprise as I noticed that both of the boys' hair was unusual. One of them had grayish-blue hair that reached his shoulders while the other had brown hair that was spiked all over the place. Their clothes were kind of weird too…

"Good idea, Sora," the gray haired boy replied. He then shifted his gaze to me and said, "I'll be right back," and walked up to the nearest abandoned, seaside shack.

Being left alone with a teenager that I didn't know at all wasn't exactly my idea of fun. Still, I figured I should stay considering they did found me unconscious on a deserted beach. Maybe I owed them.

"Anyway," the spiky-haired Sora said, glancing down at me with gigantic, deep blue eyes, "I'm Sora, and that was my…my friend Riku." He gave me time to comprehend this information and then continued. "We've lived here all our lives, and him, me and our friend Kairi always hang out together." I nodded, so he asked, "You know, how old are you? Me and Kairi are fourteen and Riku's fifteen. Just show me with your hands," Sora added when I appeared confused.

I held up all ten of my fingers and then another four. He looked satisfied.

"Here, I'm back," Riku said, handing me a small glass of water as I sat up. "Sorry I couldn't find a larger cup."

I smiled in thanks and sipped the liquid slowly. After my strange ordeal, I wanted to savor it.

They watched me somewhat eagerly as I drained the glass and placed it on the sand beside me. After clearing my throat again, I was hoarse, but at least I could talk.

"Thanks. I don't know what would have happened to me if you guys hadn't found me," I said softly. Riku gave a small smile and Sora grinned widely.

"So," Riku said amusedly, "What's your name, anyway?"

"Mierielle," I answered, slightly embarrassed. A slight blush began to creep up my cheeks, and it only got worse when Riku whispered, "That's beautiful."

Shaking my head, I said, "Actually, it's not my favorite, so I have people give me nicknames. Most of the time, they range somewhere between Mieri to Elle."

Sora remained silent, but Riku queried, "Can I just call you Mierielle? Even though I haven't known you very long, you don't strike me as a 'Mieri.'"

I shrugged. "Sure, just as long as you remember it. I hate being called the wrong name."

Riku murmured, "Don't worry, I'll remember all right."

Maybe I wasn't supposed to hear that…

Sora, an annoyed look on his face, asked, "Can you spell it in the sand?"

With my index finger, I wrote M-I-E-R-I-E-L-L-E in script. For some reason it looked rather bare, just written there in the sand…all alone…

While they both stared at where my fingers had been moments before, I decided to preoccupy myself by attempting to stand up. Shakily, I rose to my feet, and I knew right away that it hadn't been a good plan.

Sora tore his gaze from my name just as I stood, and he said warily, "I don't think that's such a good—!" He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence, as I collapsed back on the ground just as the word "idea" slipped from his lips.

The world seemed like it was spinning around, and I felt lightheaded and dizzy once more. Vaguely, I made out Riku leaping up and racing towards the beach shack yet again. A blurry Sora was laying me back into a flat position, and the sunset had flipped upside-down…?

- - -

Cold…it pressed onto me on all sides… I felt the chill spread like a deadly disease all over my body. Warmth was nonexistent… There was no sun for me to bathe in at this level of darkness.

I had sunk too deep; there was no turning back…

"Mierielle?"

The shadows parted and gathered at the corners of my eyes. Gradually, I opened them only to find myself in a spacious, unfamiliar house. Automatically the first thing I thought was, I want to go home…

"Does she normally do this?"

At that remark, I turned my head to see who had spoken. It was Sora, standing in the shadowy doorway leading from the living room to the kitchen. He was talking to my father, who was sitting on a lounge chair across from me.

"Good, you're finally awake," said my dad, leaning forward over the gap separating us and holding his hand to my forehead. The moment he touched my skin, I felt a shiver run up my body, and he recoiled in confusion. "Strange…" my father murmured. He seemed to come to the conclusion that I was alright though, so he rose and walked to the doorway, where Sora was craning his neck to get a better look at me.

"Thank you very much for taking care of my daughter," he stated, shaking Sora's hand.

The spiky-haired boy nodded and glanced at me, "I'll see you around," said Sora, and he let himself out through the side door, which shut with a creak behind him.

I got to my feet, cautiously this time, and found to my relief that I didn't become faint. About to climb the stairs to my new bedroom, my dad called me back, saying, "Mierielle! I need to talk to you for a minute."

My arm resting on the banister, I asked, "What is it?"

He shook his head slightly, and I noticed that his scarce brown hair was showing even more strands of gray than usual. More lines had weaved themselves along his face, and the shadows under his deep brown eyes, that were so much like mine, had intensified. "That boy Sora told me pretty much all that happened: that he and his friend found you passed out on the shore, they woke you, and then you fainted again." My father paused and the silence felt thick and dusty between us. "Did he happen to…you know, leave anything out? Like, maybe things that he didn't know about?" At my puzzled expression, he said, "Okay, here's an example: Why did you pass out? Do you remember?"

I thought back to my strange experience on the beach… I recalled that the wind was strong, so strong that it hurt… Also, how I had been wishing that I could get out of this new place and go home.

But after that…?

"No, Dad," I reassured him, ascending the stairs, "He didn't leave anything out."

I couldn't help but notice the suspicious look he gave me as I turned and strode down the hall to my new bedroom.