Six-year-old Mariah Simone clutched her knees together, resting her head on them, as she slowly rocked back and forth. She had been awaken by her parents fighting, something that had been going on recently. She closed her eyes, as she heard her parent's voices echo through the wall.

"Beverly! Damn you woman! Will you even listen to me?"

"Karyl, I am listening. You just need to calm down!"

"Calm down! You think I need to calm down?" Followed by her father yelling, she could hear her mother scream, which was not a good sign. She heard footsteps echo through the empty hallway towards her room. She quickly laid her head against the pillow, tossed her Hello Kitty comforter over her, and she closed her eyes.

Mariah opened her left eye, to see a crack of light enter the room. Her father entering her room followed the familiar squeak of her door. He glanced over at her, before muttering some words that Mariah knew not to say. He left, slamming the door behind him, as Mariah was thrown back into the darkness of her bedroom.

She listened, as the footsteps were growing fainter and fainter until she was left in silence. She threw the comforter off of her as she headed towards the window half way across the room. She opened the curtain, to reveal the night sky, the crescent moon hanging overhead. She smiled; she liked the moon for some strange reason.

She squinted her gray eyes to notice that the familiar portal was opened up. The small hole opened up wider, as it consumed Mariah's world. She opened to eyes to see that she was in the strange world. Fog hung low to the ground, and the sky was deep red, with gray clouds hanging above. A small city was ahead of her. She walked towards it, as her slippers made a soft echo behind her.

The city was bleak and dark; something that Mariah felt was hopeless. Hopeless. That's what everything in this world seemed. A few figures walked around, with black long robes on, or that's what they looked like. A few managed to snicker at her, as they were followed by younger kids, probably around sixteen. The kids glanced at her harshly, before following their 'masters,' as many called them.

"Hello, back so soon?" Mariah quickly turned her head to see a young man with bleach blonde hair behind her. He looked about sixteen and his voice was as cold as snow, and as sharp as nails. He was pretty tall, and had good muscles. He was pretty cute, besides the fact that he was many years older than her. While he looked sixteen, he seemed much older than that. That always had confused Mariah.

"Yes." Mariah continued walking, as if she had seen nothing. She brushed a strand of white hair from her eyes, as she looked ahead, wondering where to go. "Stop following me," she whispered, not turning her head, yet she knew that the man, Tymmie was his name, was following her.

"My, my. So young, yet you seem so harsh." He walked next to her, twirling a curly strand of her hair in his hands. "Why?"

"Back off," she hissed, walking a bit faster. Yet Tymmie didn't have trouble keeping up with her. "I said," she turned around to face him. "Back off," She said through gritted teeth. "I am not," she paused. "Turning over to the Atrox, whoever that is, so just forget it."
Tymmie toyed with the moon amulet hanging from her neck. "Where did you get this? You are a Daughter of the Moon, I see." Mariah snatched the amulet from his hands before continuing her walk.

"Back off!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as her hair began to flow wildly. She smiled as the wind began to pick her up off the ground, and place her on her feet, in her own room. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, unaware of the fighting in her parent's room.

"Okay class," Mrs. Martinez, one of the first grade teachers clapped her hands together. "We have students from the high school, that will be partnered with each of you. So when I call out your name, I will say your partner."

Mariah Simone took a quick glance at her best friend, Bridgett Contaba, who frowned. Mariah frowned and she scanned across the teenagers. Many had piercings, and few looked as if they had walked right out of Hollywood.

"Bridgett Contaba, and Rachel McDonald. Tiara Cunningham and Millie Reynolds." Mrs. Martinez continued to drag on with the names, and she finally came across Mariah's. "Mariah Simone, and Jimena Castillo." Mariah frowned.

A seventeen-year-old girl stepped forward. She had black hair, and looked Spanish. She had a moon amulet, and two tattoos of teardrops under her right eye. A moon tattoo was also on her right arm. "Hola, how are you chica?"

Mariah frowned she didn't know Spanish. "I don't know what you said but I'm fine." Jimena glanced harshly at her. Mariah crossed her arms, something she did when she was angry. This could be fun, Mariah thought as she turned her head towards the teacher.

"Okay, teenagers, I want you to read the kids papers they have been working on." Mariah frowned, took a seat, and crossed her arms. She handed over her paper to Jimena.

My name is Mariah. I am 6 years old. My parents always fight, and I don't like it. I am able to go to a world called Nefandus, as people call it. This guy named Tymmie, who is mean, and keeps bugging me to cross over to the Atrox. I have two friends in Nefandus. Their names are Vanessa and Serena. They have special powers.

Jimena gasped, as she looked over at Mariah, who was busy twirling a strand of white hair in her fingers. "What?" Mariah crossed her arms, and stared Jimena straight in they eyes, as if challenging her and saying, 'I am not afraid of you.'

"Mariah, so you can travel to Nefandus? Are you sure?" Mariah rolled her eyes.

"Of course I am sure." Mariah saw that a twinkle of hope flickered on Jimena's face. "What?" Jimena sighed.

"If I meet you after school, can you take to Nefandus? I need to rescue my friends; their names are Vanessa Cleaveland and Serena Killingsworth. Vanessa can become invisible, and Serena can read minds." Mariah stared at her in awe.

"That's them! That's them! Those are my friends in Nefandus. I can take you there, but only after school. Meet me outside the school, near the playground, and I can take you there." Jimena smiled, she was getting her friends back.