Chapter 4: Marla

We all rushed to the infirmary where Zoey was. I'd gotten a call from Stark to get the rest of the gang and head there. So I obeyed. We burst into the room at the same time to see Stark staring at his wrist and Zoey laying back, breathing hard.

"Zoey! Are you okay?" Aphrodite exclaimed as she rushed to Darius's side.

"You drank!" Shaunee almost laughed.

"From Stark!" Erin did laugh.

"Which means," Shaunee continued.

"Your Imprint with Heath is-" Erin almost finished the sentence when Darius interrupted.

"And, that doesn't matter at this moment, because Zoey has just been attacked by a Raven Mocker. You need to stay here and comfort her while Stark and I go search the perimeter. Come, Stark." I saw Stark lightly kiss Zoey and reluctantly stand up and leave the room with Darius, and Karissa tensed beside me. I'd heard about the Raven Mockers, but I didn't actually get the full detail of what Zoey and the House of Night had been through. And I was glad that I wasn't part of the House of Night students, then. But I sure remembered being stuck at home with no electricity whatsoever.

"Zoey, you're okay, right?" I walked up beside her and examined the bandage wrapped on her upper arm. She smiled hesitantly.

"Yeah. I'm alright. Thanks for the support, guys. I couldn't imagine being here without you all." She met each of our gazes. I was actually part of the 'you all'. I felt accepted.

"No problem, Zoey." Shaunee and Erin said together.

"Don't mention it," Aphrodite said.

"Yeah, Zoey. We'll always be there for you." Damien smiled.

"Always." Jack emphasized the word.

"Definitely, forever." I added. Everyone turned to stare at me, and I felt awkward. "What?"

"Shit, Marla, we're not looking at you. Quit being so self-conscience. Karissa just left the room." Aphrodite answered. So they were looking over my shoulder. I turned. Karissa had left. Why would she walk out on Zoey like that?

"I'll go see what's up with her. I'll be right back, okay?" Everyone smiled and nodded at me, and turned back to Zoey and dissolved into conversations as I left to find Karissa. What was up with her? She never spoke to Zoey, and I wondered if she despised her or something.

***

I walked outside to head to the girls' dorm. Just in case she was outside or something, I called her name. "Karissa!" I shouted. "Karissa!" But there was no reply, and I became angry as much as I became worried.

"You are sssssso unaware, young fledgling," a hissing voice spoke as a large raven came and slashed my neck. Suddenly, my whole world became black.

***

Marla Marie Cosme, a far away voice called my name, which I'd decided not to change. My name was me. I couldn't change me. I was still in black, but the voice still came from all around me, and it sounded totally unfamiliar. You are different. There are the normal fledglings. There are the Red Fledglings. And then there's you. You are the beginning of a whole new species, completely different from them both.

"Who are you?" I managed to ask. My voice echoed like it would on a quiet, snowy morning. This somehow frightened me.

I am the spirit of an ancient one. I realized the voice was male, and it had an icy tone to it.

"Am I dead?" I asked, quite cowardly.

No, you aren't. You have just been Recreated. You've been remade into a whole new being. You are the most advanced vampyre that shall ever be known. You are the New Goddess.

"Who the heck is the New Goddess?" I asked. "And I'm just a fledgling. You've got it wrong. Maybe you've mistaken me for-"

I do not mistake, Marla Marie Cosme! Believe it! the voice hissed. And then it calmed and spoke as it had before. You will awaken and discover who you are. There shall be no need of an explanation from me. And when you discover, I shall return. Now, AWAKEN!

I sat straight up from the ground. Reality and memory rushed back to me. My neck wasn't hurting. I felt around for the deep cut that I expected. I felt nothing. So I quickly ran into the girls' dorm and ran down the hall to my room. Karissa wasn't there, but that wasn't what I was worrying about right now. "You will awaken and discover who you are ," the voice repeated. I ran straight into the bathroom and stared into the mirror. And it wasn't the fact that there was no cut on my neck that sent me into panic mode.

There was a large pattern of multi-colored and black tattoos that spread across my face, neck, and down my arms. I could feel the tingling sensation all over my body. I knew what I'd find later, when I would take a shower. Now I think I knew how Zoey felt.

***

I picked up my phone and dialed Zoey's number. She answered on the second ring.

"Marla?" she answered. "Did you find Karissa yet?"

"No." I was out of breath. "I need to ask you something important."

She sighed. "What?"

"Are you recovered?"

"Yeah."

"Great. You need to bring the whole gang down here. Especially Damien."

"Okay. We'll be there in a flash."

"Thanks," I replied, and hung up. I waited for them to arrive.

Chapter 5: Marla

I could hear a bunch of voices on their way to my room. I opened it to let my new friends walk in. Zoey, Erin and Shaunee, Aphrodite, Jack, and thank Goddess, Damien. Stark and Darius finally trailed in after them, and at that moment, they all gawked at me.

"Oh shit!" Erin nearly screamed.

"You're marks are..." Shaunee couldn't say anything else.

"Shit, Marla! Your tattoos are just like Zoey's! Except they're three different colors and..."Aphrodite's sentence trailed off.

"This is...unexplainable..." Darius spoke. "You can't be-" and he stopped.

"Marla. You're very...pretty." Was all Jack said. Stark and Damien hadn't said anything at all. Neither had Zoey. She just stared at me like she'd just had a nightmare that came true. And Damien's look meant that he knew something.

"I'm scared." was all I said.

"Marla, tell us everything that happened," Damien demanded. And so I began.

"I was headed to the girls' dorm when a Raven Mocker attacked me. It said something like 'You're so unaware' and it slashed my neck. I fainted and suddenly, I had a dream. A nightmare. A vision, whatever. It was pitch black so I couldn't see anything, but a voice came. He said that I was Recreated. It was a male's voice. He knew me. He called me by my full name, Marla Marie Cosme. He said that I was something called a New Goddess," then I turned to Damien. His eyes were wide with shock. "And I figured you'd know, Damien. He said that I'd awaken to see this," I pointed to my markings and everyone gasped.

"Marla, the New Goddess was one from a prophecy. You wouldn't know about her yet. The prophecy states that the New Goddess will be the ultimate savior of the night. Here," Damien pulled a large book from my computer desk and opened it. "Read this."

The book was open to a picture of a beautiful stained glass window. It had a picture of a woman with multi-colored tattoos just like mine. She had black hair...just like mine. And super pale skin...just like mine. She looked...just like me. "Impossible..." I whispered.

The prophecy states that the night will collide into the day. The moon will combine with the sun. If this shall be allowed, the existence of all species will end. However, the New Goddess shall rise from the Recreation of a fledgling. The prophecy of the New Goddess states that it will be she who ends the collision of night and day. It shall be she who saves Earth as we know it.

And under the picture of the written script, the book read, "This prophecy has been known to be a myth, but vampyres still keep a close eye on it..."

"I'm supposed to save the world??" I squeaked.

"Ah, hell," Zoey stated when Heath burst into the room.

"Oh, shit, Marla!" he gasped when he saw me.

"Yeah. Oh shit, indeed," I muttered.