There are many worlds the human race hasn't yet discovered. Unknowingly, humans, while making their animated films, created an alternate universe for the characters they invented. The cartoons could not leave their world and the humans could not leave Earth. That is, until a human with more imagination than her world could handle found a way inside.

My name is Mia Démone, the Earth specialist on the alternate planes and their activity. While the world of animation began with the first cartoons in the early 1900's, the characters never age, just as they rarely age in the animated films due to idolization. My mother, Mona Démone, was the first of the six original humans who entered the animated alternate world within a twenty-five-year period. My father, whom I didn't meet until my tween years, was a cartoon. However, I did not know this until I was six.

Before I continue, I must make one fact clear. There are several individuals who watched the films Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which was set in 1947, and The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle movie, set in the year 2000. Please ignore these films for the time being. While these films give the idea that humans and cartoons were able to communicate with each other back when all cartoons were in black and white, they are inaccurate and pose a fraud on the truth of my story. These films were created through the limited imaginations of human directors and producers who did not yet know of the Alternate World, and have no connection whatsoever. With that being said, I will continue.

My mother was twenty-one when she traveled from Earth to the Alternate World. We, as specialists, are still unsure exactly how the Tear in time and space appeared, and we will probably never know, but that is how Mona escaped Earth to the Alternate World, more affectionately known to its inhabitants as Animatown. There she met and married my father, whom I knew only as Ozzie until I met him. After living in Animatown for four years, Mona was pregnant and in danger from a fiendish organization for world larceny, or F.O.W.L. In order to protect Mona and their unborn child, Ozzie opened up the Tear and sent Mona back to Earth. Hopefully, she would be safe on Earth from even the organization's best field agents.

After a harsh eight months without her husband, Mona gave birth to me, Mia Angelina Démone, on October 25th, 1993 at 7:06 a.m. I grew up in Corry, Pennsylvania, a small, dying town. As I grew up, I watched cartoons I had no idea my mother had met during her stay in Animatown. The one I loved to watch most was Batman. I didn't know why, but for some reason I felt I needed to watch the show every Saturday morning.

In 1998, I started going to Kindergarten at Wright Elementary School. I immediately realized I didn't fit in with the rest of the class. None of the other children had a birthmark like mine. On the top of my right shoulder was a red, circumscribed letter A in comic sans font. My teachers asked my mother about it, who simply told them I was born with it. Oh, I almost forgot! Not only could I read and annotate college English material, but I could read it in three other languages.

A few days before my sixth birthday, I came home to find my mother sitting silently in her favorite green armchair, staring at a letter in shock. I went up to her and asked, "Mommy, what's wrong? You look surprised…and a little upset."

She picked me up, sat me on her lap, and kissed my forehead gently. "Mommy's fine. Mommy just…got a letter from an old, old friend."

I didn't ask who the letter was from; it wasn't like it was any of my business from whom she received mail. However, she told me later on, much sooner than I expected.

Three days later, on a very special Saturday morning, I woke up at ten o' clock with a smile on my face. I was now six years old. I ran down the stairs and into the living-room to find Mommy waiting beside a pile of wonderfully-wrapped presents. "Go ahead and open them, sweetie."

Within the next hour, I found my mother had bought me a new dress, more books, and a science kit. "Thank you so much, Mommy." I hugged her lovingly.

"I still have one present for you to unwrap, Mia." Mommy pulled a very small gift wrapped in Batman wrapping paper from behind her back. "This is a very special present, Mia."

I took the present and ripped off the wrapping paper to find a small velvet box. I took the cover off the box and inside was a beautiful 24 karat gold locket necklace imbedded with four ½-karat diamonds. I opened the locket and softly it began to play the melody of Memory, the song my mother sang to me to help me sleep at night. Inside was a picture of my mother and…a funny-looking man. "Mommy, who is that?"

"That's your daddy," she explained, "His name is Ozzie."

I frowned a little. "Mommy, he looks like…"

She interrupted me before I could finish speaking my observation. "I know. He looks like a cartoon." Mommy sighed. "I believe you're old enough to know about this." She handed me the letter she had been reading three days earlier. "This was from your father. Go ahead and read it, Mia."

I took the letter and began reading aloud:

"Darling Mona, October 17, 1999

I can't wait for the day we see each other again. I have spent the past six years dreaming of our reunion and whom our Mia resembles. Does she look like me or you? I hope she looks just like you. How smart is she? Is she fitting in well at school? Did you give her the locket I sent for her yet? Did you tell her about Animatown?

Mona, darling, you haven't written to me in four years, probably because I never replied to the last letter you wrote in 1995. I know it may have seemed rude to you at the time, but F.O.W.L. agents have been hot on my trail for the last couple years, so I'm sure you now understand the delay. I believe they intercepted one of our letters, one where we spoke in detail of Mia's peculiar birthmark. At least, I'm sure that's what Steelbeak was talking about when he almost had me cornered. If their suspicions are correct, Mia will fulfill the prophecy. Please, Mona, keep an eye on our daughter whenever possible. Make sure she understands not to talk to strangers and to let you know if someone approaches her. If F.O.W.L. gets hold of her, it's very unlikely she'll survive.

Here's another important warning to heed: The Decepticons have grown wary of Mia and believe she will fulfill their prophecy. I'm quite sure we both know how seriously endangering that is for the Chosen One. All the good citizens of Animatown have agreed to protect Mia in any way they can, so don't be afraid to ask them for help.

I have to go now, my peach. Wish dear Mia all my love. I'll wait for eternity to see my little girl if I have to. Don't worry; I still love you, mon coeur.

All my life,

All my love.

Ozzie "

"F.O.W.L….Steelbeak…Decepticons…?" I looked up at my mother. "I'm a cartoon?"

"Actually, you're half cartoon, half human." Mommy sighed. She sat in her green armchair and sat me in her lap. "When I was twenty-one years old, my life had been ruined, and I wanted nothing more than to leave this wretched world behind and live in a magic world of my own. One day, I came across an opening to another world on a brick wall. Curious, I climbed through the Tear in Time and Space and landed in Animatown. That's how I met your dad."

"What's Animatown like?" I asked her.

Mommy laughed warmly. "It's a beautiful place, Mia, filled with every cartoon character ever created. While I was there, I met Batman."

"Really?" I was thrilled.

"Yes, and I met Mickey Mouse, Tarzan, Penguin…"

I gasped. "You met Penguin?"

She laughed again. "Well…" She didn't get to finish. A knock on the door startled both of us. "I'm not expecting anyone," she mumbled to herself. To the visitor, she said, "I'll be there in a minute." She set me down on the floor. "Go wait for me in my bedroom until I'm done talking with our guest."

I ran to her bedroom and hid under her bed. When she opened the door and started talking to the stranger, I could hear the conversation perfectly. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Hello, Ms. Demone." The voice of the visitor was male and sounded gangster-like. "My company and I are here to inspect your home for possible leaks." In my opinion, he pronounced his e's in an odd fashion.

"What kind of leaks?" asked Mommy. She sounded nervous.

"Gas leaks, water leaks…" I heard him pull something out and make it click. "Animatown leaks."

"St-St-St-…"She stuttered.

"Long time, no see, Mona." I heard him laugh an annoying laugh that sounded more like a cough. "Six years since ya been in Animatown and you're still de most beautiful girl I've ever had de pleasure of layin' eyes on. You haven't changed one bit, Mona."

"Neither have you," Mommy said coldly.

"Now, now, Mona; is dat any way treat an old friend? I mean, we came all de way to Eart from Animatown just to pick up sometin'."

"You're no friend of mine, and I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Oh, well, dat's not what we're here for. We've come to Eart for your darlin' daughter, Mona. Now, where is Mia?"

"Try her grandmother's house," she replied icily.

Steelbeak laughed again. "We bot know Mia ain't got no family odder dan you and Ozzie. Now, tell me where she is before I get angry."

Mommy was silent.

"Where is Mia, Mona?" He sounded very annoyed. "Eggmen! Search de house and if you find Mia, bring her here."

I could hear things being torn apart in the Eggmen's search for me. It was a good five minutes before the door burst open and a figure in an orange jumpsuit and white helmet stepped inside the room. I watched his every move, making sure he didn't ruin anything that belonged to my mother. The figure dropped down on his knees and stuck a hand under the bed, which I skillfully avoided for about ten seconds. It was then a finger brushed against my face and I reacted in a way I never thought I would; I bit him, and I bit him hard.

The man yelped and jumped back in shock. Knowing more Eggmen were going to be in here soon, I fled. Eggmen filled the hallway, so I ran toward the living-room in hopes of escape. I turned to see if any Eggmen were following me and ran smack into another figure, only this one was dressed in a white jacket and black slacks. "Nice of you to join us."

Two Eggmen grabbed my arms and lifted me to my feet as the figure, which I identified as the cartoon rooster Steelbeak, continued to talk. "So this lovely little tyke is Mia Angelina Démone. Nice." He looked me over from head to toe, holding his gun carelessly. "She looks just like you, Mona."

I wouldn't look up into his face, so he lifted my chin so he could see my face. His eyes were dark and sinister enough I couldn't tell their true color. That wasn't what terrified me, though. Instead of having a normal beak, or what was accepted as a normal beak in the cartoon world, he had one made completely of metal. "She has her fadder's eyes."

"She has his spirit, too."

The rooster laughed. "She hides, too, just like her mudder and fadder. After all, Ozzie is hidin' somewhere in de Orient right now."

"Leave my mother alone, vous le coq incompétent avec une bouche plus grande que sa tête!" I yelled at him.

"Mia!" My mother was shocked to hear me use another language to insult someone.

"Vous sentez et votre tête est la façon trop grande pour votre corps!"

"Mia, stop that!" she told me.

I couldn't stop though. "Je vous déteste, Steelbeak! Partir ma mère seul maintenant!"

"Kid, you're a lot braver dan any kid I've ever come against, and certainly one of de most intelligent I've met, but you're being too loud." He back-handed me across the face and I did everything in my power not to show my pain. "You know, Mona, she'd make a great agent, especially for translating for the foreign exchange agents."

"Leave my daughter alone!" Mommy rushed at the villainous rooster, hatred filling her eyes. The two enemies scuffled on the floor, a gunshot rang through the house, and all were silent.