A/N: Next chapter! Hmm, if I keep up this pace all summer, I might even make some progress before school starts up again. At any rate, I hope you guys enjoy this story, and I hope my writing has improved in the intervening seven or so years since I first posted the original story. Enjoy, and please review!

Chapter 1

Kathara couldn't help but glare at the ground as she walked home from school, kicking at the pieces of gravel that had migrated onto the sidewalk. She felt like the note in her pocket contained a message that would spell her doom.

After class that morning, Kathara's chemistry teacher had stopped her and given her the note. She'd gotten similar notes in the past few weeks, and had simply not delivered them - However, this time he had promised that if he didn't hear back by the next morning, he would email her mother, so there was no avoiding it.

The problem was, Kathara's grade had dropped to a D+ in the months since Christmas. This was definitely not a good thing, not when you were a senior hoping to get into a good out-of-state college. She had tried to keep her grades up, she really had, but it seemed impossible. She just couldn't concentrate. Over the course of the last few months, her cat had been eaten by an owl, her best friend had moved two states away, and her parents had gotten divorced - which somehow, she had not seen coming. If she tried to escape into her books, or space out, her grades dropped even further. Kathara felt like there was no way out.

At least she wasn't being bothered by the rest of the kids at school. Truthfully, she could probably be fairly popular if she tried, and had been last year. But that wasn't what she wanted anymore. Kathara just wanted to get into a good college and become a scientist, or an author, or something she could spend her life enjoying and being respected for.

Kathara brushed her auburn hair out of her face and considered digging her current book out of her backpack. She was currently re-reading the Lord of the Rings, her favorite books in the world. But although she could readily lose herself in the world of Frodo and the elves, it would only be putting off her problems. Kathara knew that if she couldn't get her grades up by June...and she almost certainly couldn't...then she almost certainly wouldn't get into one of the universities she wanted, and would be doomed to an uneducated, boring, normal, useless life. That was one thing she wouldn't be able to stand. She kicked at a piece of gravel extra hard and watched it go flying and hit a tree. Her mother had always said that trouble came in threes, and she hoped it was true, so that this would be the end of it. Maybe it would be followed by a phenomenal good luck streak, and she would get her grades up after all!

Cheered by this thought, she walked a little taller and faster, a half-smile beginning to form on her lips. So what if Liana had moved away? They might wind up at the same college anyway, and even if not, there was always email... Kathara's thoughts were interrupted by a splash and a suddenly wet sock. She looked down in surprise to find a fairly large puddle that she could've sworn wasn't there before. Why would there be a puddle there anyway? It hadn't rained in two weeks, and this stretch of sidewalk was too flat for water to collect in one spot...The redhead shifted her foot and winced. It felt like something had cut right through her shoe.

Bending over, Kathara carefully felt through the murky water. Whatever it was, it wouldn't do to leave it there for someone else to step on. It didn't take long for her fingers to encounter something smooth and sharp. She lifted it up, and was instantly fascinated by how dark the apparent shard of glass was. It was tear-shaped, and as dark as night, when clouds covered the sky and you were far from any city...whoever heard of glass like that? Still entranced, Kathara began to stand back up, only to be yanked off her feet as her backpack was torn off.

Kathara gave a short cry, scrambling backwards as she looked up, trying to see her attacker. Her eyes locked with those of the ugliest creature she had ever seen. Thoughts raced through her head, seeming to take over her mind and leave no room for reaction...' What IS that?...I've never seen anything so ugly...claws, teeth...reaching for me...MOVE!'

Breaking free from her shock, the Kathara threw her fist in the creatures face and used her momentum to roll over and start to stand. Before she could do more than reach her knees, a burning pain tore into her back. She couldn't differentiate the points of agony, but somewhere in the back of her mind, a thought ran through that those must be its claws. Screaming, Kathara kicked backwards. Hopefully she'd hit a knee or something - but even if she didn't, the motion thrust her forward and away. She began to run, but it grabbed her head, its hand like a vise, lifting her off the ground and carrying her back towards the puddle. She tried to punch the creature again, but it held her too far away...she couldn't reach...then her knees crashed painfully into the ground as she was suddenly forced down. She had no time to react as her head was slammed forward. Kathara could only tense for the impact as her head was forced down...

...into nothing.

A/N: I hope you liked it! And remember, the more reviews I get, the faster I update!