The year 3013

Paris, France

Mademoiselle Alexandriella", Clarita said. "S'il vous plait, ton père et ta mère attendre tu dans la salon de thé. Et ton frère monsieur Alexandèr est dans sa douche. Il dit ce c'est vous devriez retrouve dans son chambre.'' 'Merci, Clarita'' Alexandriella replied. She could have guessed that her mother and father were waiting for her in the tea room as her they spent practically half their lives there, especially her mother. Her parents were well-connected, as her father was a well-known businessman, Vincent Igor Powers (V.I.P) but her mother, Vinolia Indira Powers (V.I.P) formerly Vinolia Indie (Indira) Marriot was a socially well-connected woman, who grew up in the second most wealthy home in France. Her father, Vincent, was the owner of Powers Productions, where many new inventions and gadgets were created.

Being a twin, Alexandriella was expected to outshine, or at least try to outshine her brother in everything, but the only thing she could surpass him in was karate. With her waist length charcoal black hair, her pale, ethereal and translucent skin and her black eyes that looked like they had been highlighted with kohl, she attracted many guys even though she was not interested. As she climbed up the spiral staircase, she remembered the days she and her brother spent counting the number of marbles embedded in the stairs. When she got to the top, she took a left and knocked on her brother's door.

The cold shower pounded unto his shoulders and trickled down his back. Alexandér did not want to accept what his parents had told him. He couldn't believe that his sister was a special child. He was the good one. He was the one who won all the contests and competitions. And even his girl friend, Suzanna Mistry hated his sister, which showed how insignificant she was. He would gloat to Alexandriella, and when she felt sad, he would feel better.

As he heard a knock on his door, he tied a towel round his waist. He grabbed his swimming trophy and walked over to the door.

In New York

Star woke up with a start. Her bed was cold. She opened an eye to see why, and realised, her bed was covered in ice! She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't asleep; her hand was cold. She sat up, and even though she was dressed in only a spaghetti strap top and boxer shorts, she wasn't cold at all. She grabbed an icicle to throw in the bin, and suddenly her hand glowed and the icicle melted! Oh my GOD! She screamed, shocked at what had happened. She heard her parents running up the stairs to her room. 'What do I do, what do I do' she thought. "Star is everything all right?" her father yelled as he banged on her door. She opened the door a fraction and stuck her head through it. "Yes Daddy, everything is fine." She replied. "But sweetie," her mum said "we heard you scream." "Oh no mum, it was just a daddy-longlegs. I'm fine." She said. "Are you sure?" her dad asked. "Yes, yes am fine," she reassured them. 'This is so weird. I don't know what's happening but one thing I do know, things can't get any worse.' Star thought. She turned to lock her door and as she touched it, the doorknob froze! 'I was wrong' she thought wryly.

In Mombasa

2:20am

"Who's there?" Amaka asked. She peered into the darkness. Suddenly a bright light blinded her. She blinked many times until she got accustomed to the light, and there she saw a bare-chested man sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Kabukabo!" she exclaimed. "I'm here to tell you about a strange dream I had." Kabukabo held up a hand to stop her. "I know your dream," he said "and I am to tell you what it means… Listen very carefully as you must learn this on your own. You are a chosen one. You have abilities like none other. You are not alone. There are two others. Your dream was not a dream, but a vision. You must find the other chosen ones and do what you must. You cannot know any more for now. Go."

New York City

After lectures

"So what's up in your geek class?" Natasha, Star's best friend asked. Fill me in so I can dazzle a few of my friends in my senior class. Why not tell me about the Greek gods, because that's my next project." "We're not geeks and it is not a geek class but … well, we have done it in class." Star said as she opened a bag of potato chips. Zeus, in Greek mythology, is the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. When the three brothers they disposed of their father, Cronus, they divided up the universe. "Zeus rules the sky. His brother Poseidon rules the sea, and his brother Hades, the underworld. There, Hades, with his queen, Persephone, whom he abducted from the world above, he rules the kingdom of the dead. Although he is a grim and pitiless god, unappeased by either prayer or sacrifice, he is not evil. In fact, he is known also as Pluto, lord of riches, because both crops and precious metals are believed to come from his kingdom below ground. It is a dim and unhappy place, inhabited by vague forms and shadows and guarded by Cerberus, the three-headed, dragon-tailed dog. Sinister rivers separate the underworld from the world above, and the aged boatman Charon ferries the souls of the dead across these waters. Somewhere in the darkness of the underworld Hades' palace is located. It is represented as a many-gated, dark and gloomy place, thronged with guests, and set in the midst of shadowy fields and an apparition-haunted landscape.

"Wow! That's real strange. Thank God it's not real. Imagine if it were. Life would suck. Anyway changing the subject, I went to the mall yesterday when you were in Mr Braiser's class. I found this low-cut sheath dress with a tight fitting bodice that goes excellently well with my skin and eye colour." Natasha said. Natasha was a black American who was too tall for her age, and a year older than everybody else in her class. This made her two (2) years older than Star as she was in second year. Her skin was the colour of hot cocoa, and even though she ate as much junk food as she pleased, there was not one blemish on her skin. Her eyes were almond-shaped and chocolate. She loved shopping and taking care of Star.

"Where are you going to wear it?" Star asked her. "To the senior ball of course, and you're invited. I pulled some strings even though am just a junior. So you have to look gorgeous or I'll be so humiliated." Natasha replied. "It'll be a first" she joked. Star playfully punched at her and she ducked, laughing. They gabbed on and on till 5:00pm and Star had to leave as she had to catch the 5:10pm bus to Queens.

The year 3013

Paris, France

"Hiyaa!" Alexandriella screamed as she did a triple bungee kick and punch. "Excellent work Miss Alex. You are just two steps from becoming the best karate woman in France. Miss Alisa said as she smoothed down her black hair streaked with bright red lines. This Chinese woman had sharp green eyes that made one get the feeling they could see through you.

Alexandriella changed from her karate black belt uniform into a peach spaghetti strap top, with a white and black mini skirt. She advanced to the limo and as she was about to sit, she slipped and as she was about to fall she reached out for the limo door handle. "Aaah!" she screamed as she fell flat on the sidewalk; but she noticed something was in her palm. She unclenched her fist and saw the silver door handle in her hand! "Is this a new gadget?" she asked Sindo Kandra, the chauffeur.

"Non, mademoiselle. Je ne comprends pas; I do not unnerstand zis." "Well, never mind." She told him. "Just get me to my yoga class on the double. Dépêche-toi!" she clicked the button that made a dark glass window rise between her and the chauffeur. As it rose she looked in the portable wardrobe installed in the limo and picked out a gold square necked tank top and a pair of gold and black leggings with lace ribs at the sides. As she carefully wiped off her make-up, she wondered,

What happened back there? I reached for the handle, and there it was in my hand. It was like I willed the handle into my hand, but that's not possible. I can't understand why, but I'll find out why. I'll have to ask Thula and Lee.

3 weeks later

In Mombasa

Amaka saw the bus drive into her village. The head chief of her village, Chief Baninya, explained that some people from America would be visiting their village. Everyone had gathered to see and welcome them into their village.' These people are really strange'. Star thought. 'They all act so interested in us.' Suddenly Star realised one girl was absentminded and didn't seem as interested as the rest of her village. This girl seemed different. Meanwhile as Amaka watched the tourists, one girl caught Amaka's attention as she walked out of the bus. She had long blonde hair and pale blue eyes. The girl was walking with a tall dark-skinned girl, but she looked distant and far. Amaka caught Star's eye, and quickly looked down. "I'll be right back." Star told Natasha. She walked to the place Amaka stood, did the Swahili hand sign greeting her teacher taught her. Amaka saw something on Star's wrist. 'Was that what I think it was' Amaka asked herself? 'I had better make sure' .Amaka did the hand sign in reply. The skull on her bracelet jiggled and Star looked closely at it inquisitively. "Can …I …see that?" she asked Amaka in a shocked state. She slowly added, "Sorry. I- aaa-m-St-aa-rr. Wh-oo-are-yo-u?". "Am Amaka." Amaka replied, "And I do speak English."

"Oh." Star said. "Sorry again. So can I? Please see that?

Amaka drew back her wrist. She was awfully protective of the bracelet. But the American girl looked at her with such earnest in her baby blue eyes, Amaka reached out to show it to her. Amaka put out her hand and put the skull on her bracelet right next to the skull on Star's bracelet.

Suddenly, there was a rush of wind. The skulls danced wildly and an eerie glow surrounded Star and Amaka.

Star jerked her hand back. "What just happened?" she asked Amaka. "I don't know" Amaka replied. "But that was weird." She said. Star felt strange. Now almost everything around her was weird. She remembered something that had happened just two days before, when an old man came up to her and said, "You are a chosen one; you, you, you." She guessed that he was a psycho, but then, she was the one emitting ice and fire from her palms of her hands. She didn't know how it happened, but for the past weeks, she noticed that nothing was impossible. Suddenly, Amaka spoke, breaking her train of thought.

"Follow me. I know the reason why all these strange things are happening." Amaka said. "Wait, where are you taking me? Star asked as Amaka kept tugging her. "You'll see." She said. Star looked back at Natasha. She was busy flirting with a tall African boy. So Star placed her hand in Amaka's as Amaka led her away from the bus and everyone else. They walked on a footpath until it reached a stop. Then, they went to a river where Amaka instructed her to take of her shoes and bathe her feet because it was a sacred river and in it was a goddess who was worshipped by many people in the village. Cleansing the feet was said to be a way of showing respect to the goddess and brought one blessing and good fortune. Then, they sat down and Amaka began, "You see, I am a chosen one, as are you." "How do you know this," Star interrupted. "Hush and let me finish" Amaka snapped. "I've had this bracelet since birth, and I see you have one too. Sometime ago, strange things started happening, and I was told by Kabukabo, a wise man in our village, that I was a chosen one and that there are two others." "Kabukabo, a wise man? Hahaha. Sorry but I don't really believe in those kind of stuff." Star laughed. "Whether you believe it or not is not the problem. It is happening and no matter what, it is what we do about it that counts. I had a dream, well, a vision really. I deciphered it to mean that a girl most likely a princess has been kidnapped for marriage. She was to marry this other prince, and if not a war will break out which would pull other countries in leading to a huge war- end of the world kind. This must mean that we and the other chosen one have to save her. So we need to find the person who will help us and the last chosen one, save her and save the world. Get it?

"Whoa!" Star gasped. "What! Wait, what are you saying? I never knew that my life would be so complicated. I'm sorry but no. But I'm not ready for this. This is too much for me. I mean I just came here on a field trip not for all this. I don't want to be the one to save the world, and I think my friends might be looking for me. Star said shaking. "Fine, but wait, don't go." Amaka replied. "Please." "Just give me some time to think." Star said.

Later on in the village, there was a feast being held for the visitors from America. Around a blazing fire, Amaka and Nshira and some other village girls in dry-grass skirts were dancing. They danced and by the firelight, their shadows looked like paintings, and the rhythm of the drums haunted all those watching and listening.

Chief Ngugi watched Amaka dance. He took no notice of the girls she was dancing with. He knew he had to make Amaka his sixth (6th) wife. Not even what he had heard Kabukabo say about her would stop him. Yes, he heard everything, but then he knew that was what made her special. Nothing would stop him from getting what he wanted.