Chapter 1

The sun was setting as a slim figure ran through the street, crunching pebbles beneath her feet with every stride. The tending of the gardens, sweeping of the porches, and playing of games was ceased as all eyes were shot at a young woman sending dust particles every which way in her hurry. Despite all of the attention, the only detail that vividly left the onlookers in awe was a blur of fiery redness, almost the color of the sun as it met the horizon to bid it farewell before nightfall, almost the color of the last spits of fire formed by burning embers before their life span reached its cessation.

It seemed as if nothing would stop this girl in her haste. Although her destination was unknown to the audiences that stopped to admire her unique beauty, they easily interpreted that she was needed there immediately. Her crystalline sea blue eyes, that almost seemed transparent due to their clarity, were determined in a way unexplainable to many.

As if losing all of the strength within her, the young woman slowed herself as she approached the rounding of a corner. Her pants for any trace of air became quick, heavy, and methodical, like the ticking of the clock strapped on her left wrist. She glanced down at the smooth glass frame and almost groaned in frustration. There was no time to waste. All she wished for at this moment was the strength to run, run, and run.

Oh, finally. It came into view. Just a few more leaps and she would be adjacent to the quaint, newly built home, with blue shutters, doors, flowerboxes and gray vinyl. Any moment now, she would have the chance to flop down on the grass cut so strictly that it resembled the finest of silk rugs. Its smoothness would envelop her and carry her away to the world that kept her sane, where she could dream and leave her worries behind her as she embodied a spiritual form….

"Oh..umm..well, excuse me?"

Huh? Oh no, please don't let it be him. Not him, I beg of you, not her. The girl sat up quickly and abruptly in a way that made the houses surrounding her spin. To her complete and utter surprise, her eyes locked with a boy wearing dark blue faded jeans and a brown tee-shirt. He was quite tall, taller than she was, at least. He seemed to be a few years older, possibly two or three. His golden hair fell to about his ears, and it swayed with each gust of fresh wind. His eyes of blue were ones that were easy to fall into, float away, and drown. But it was a peaceful drowning, one in clear waters, not the black and murky depths of the unknown where she usually found herself.

When the young man realized the girl's confusion, he extended his hand in an act to hoist her up to his level. She latched onto his fingers and was brought up from her lying position and brought back from her secret world.

"I'm sorry. Did I startle you?"

"Oh..no…"

"Oh, well, good. I just came over to see if anything was the matter."

"No, no. Nothing's wrong."

"Good, then. It's just that I saw you running quickly, very quickly, at that, and I was just wondering if anything was the matter. It's not the greatest neighborhood here, or the safest. But I'm sure you know that."

He stood casually, with his hands in his pocket, eyes eager for a response. However, the girl could not give him one. Well, she could, and she wanted to, but she was not able; for her own sake. From the corner of her eye, she saw a figure slightly adjust the blinds of a window on the second story of the house.

Awkwardly and with a dazed expression, the young man said, "Right. Everything seems under control. I'm just a street down from here, anyhow."

The girl nodded about a millimeter, scared to make any of her moves too significant. However, the nod was so hidden that even the boy hadn't seen it, despite staring directly at her. He took one last gaze at her, but stopped himself before turning away. Her eyes shone like the purest crystals of the world. Why, then, was she so cold? He noticed that her lips were quivering, but from what, he did not know, for it was the beginning of summertime. The shadows of the trees encased half of her beautiful face, and he wanted to cup his hands around it and turn it so that it could be glorified completely by the sun's rays. Instead, he turned away, without looking back.

There were two choices that the young lady had at this point in time. She could run after the boy and thank him for his concern, or she could go into the house and accept what was to come. In her heart, she knew that her first choice was not a possibility if she wanted to see the light of the next morning shining through the cracked glass of her window. Oh how she dreaded that window. So many situations, so many past events included that window. The memories were almost as painful as the repeatedly patched up glass of the window, the same glass that scratched her body and soul time and time again.

"THEA!"

Oh, please don't let it be! Thea quickened her pace across her lawn of grass. She almost wished at that moment that devouring plants would sprout up in front of her, to prevent her from reaching the blue door with chipped paint. For it was true that this poor young woman would rather battle the monstrous creatures outside, rather than the one awaiting her within her prison.