• A girl, about ten years of age, drowning in an ocean. The father tries to pick up the girl from his boat, but is unsuccessful in the attempt. She is being pulled toward the waves and tries to swim away with all of her might. It is night, and the girl is so far into the ocean that in all ways she can’t see any land. Another wave, from nowhere comes up behind her and crushes her with its harsh fury. In any way, the girl could not escape. She is pulled under by an unknown source, and drowns. The sea turns blood red, and returns to its ruthless fury.

    This is the dream I have been having every night since I was twelve years old. I’m now sixteen, and I’m still frightened by the fact that this has happened to someone. I live in a town called Little Shadow, the year is 2113. The fact that I see how people die in my dreams scares me to death…almost.
    My name is Roxana, and I want to be out of this nightmare. I don’t believe in any of those things they say we become when we die. But I do believe that there are things out there that shouldn’t be tampered with. When I first started seeing the dreams of death, it was utterly frightening. I would cry and cry to my mother, but now she’s dead and I have no one to cry to. My dad was in the war before I was born, and my mother died of poisoning by some cold blooded murderer. She had known something that she wasn’t supposed to know, and that got her killed.
    I live with no one, I make a living, I paid off the rent so I owe no more, and I can feed myself. I go to school still, and I have a part time job as a secretary. And I just happened to be alone at the most frightening time of my life. What happened was my mother was supposed to tell me something, but was killed before she could. I’ve heard that goddesses do exist in the world, but never believed it.
    Until now.
    I found out a couple days ago that my mother was a goddess; it was in the newspapers about twenty years ago. Could this be hereditary? If so, then I’m in some deep trouble. I go to school without any confidence. My friend, Amy, comes up to me and tries to figure out what’s wrong.
    “Roxana, what’s got you down in the dumps?” she says in her overly optimistic voice.
    “I told you, nothing. Just a little family business, that’s all.” I looked over; the new kid was standing by my locker. He’s so cute. Can’t help but stare! He had curly brown hair, and dark brown eyes that you can see your reflection in. He was always wearing black shirts, with unknown languages on them, and he is just so cute!
    “Roxana, do you like the new kid?” Amy asked. He looked over, and I started to blush. He looked like he was trying to hold back a laugh, and I knew it wasn’t going to be a good first impression. It was weird because I was just drawn to him, it was creepy like that.
    He smiled when he saw me looking at him. I automatically straightened up, and put my shoulders back. He started walking our way when the bell rang.
    “Damn you, bell!” I yelled. I was going to walk to my first period class, when I noticed he was walking behind me. I stopped, but continued scolding myself for being so straight-forward. I kept on walking.
    When I got there, I noticed the seat next to me, where the infamous Gregory Haller used to sit, was empty. That kid must’ve finally gotten expelled.
    “Okay, class.” the teacher, Mr. Strider, began. “We have a new student. Please welcome, Adam Topper!” he said.
    “Hello, everyone.” Adam said. So that’s his name! He looked at me when he said hello, is he into me?
    “Well, since Mr. Haller was kicked out of the school, Adam, you can sit next to Roxana.” my eyes widened, and his lit up. He came and sat next to me.
    “Hello, Roxana.” he said, smiling.
    “Hello, Adam.” I said. This was getting a little too coincidental for me. But who cares? This guy is unbelievably cute!
    “Would you want to go out sometime?” he asked. I stared at him for a few seconds. No hint of humor crossed his face. In fact, he looked deadly serious, like it was vital for his life.
    “Sure. How’s Friday?” I asked. How could I say no to a face like that? I was getting glares from around the room. The next six classes I had with Adam, where I just happened to be sitting next to him. Which doesn’t look very good. It was like that 2007 film about vampires…what was it called? Oh yes, Twilight. My great grandmother always hated that movie.
    When I got home that night, I cooked myself some soup. It has been very cold lately, and I thought some nice, hot soup would calm me down. After that, I went to sleep to see what kind of haunting dream would come tonight.

    A girl, not the same one as before, was in the woods. Night was falling, and she was getting scared. The moon rose above the trees to show mysterious shadows creeping in the darkness. When she tried to run, she tripped over a root coming out of the ground, and fell.
    She tried to get up, but was caught. She looked over to see a gnarled, white hand holding her cloak. She screamed as the mysterious figure stuck a knife through her heart.

    I woke up screaming, and my alarm was going off as I did. That was about a murder, blood being spilt on the ground. And yet, I wanted more. It was satisfying having this feeling inside of me.
    I went to school with a need for more death, more darkness, more sin. But then I saw Adam. He bent down to take off the lock on his locker, but then saw me, and hesitated. He seemed scared to come near me, for once. I wondered how that could’ve happened. Did he know?

    Friday came quickly, and after school I practically ran home to get ready. I showered, and put my make up on, and styled my hair in a braid. When he came, he had that same worried look on his face.
    “What’s wrong, Adam?” I asked.
    “Oh, nothing.” he said, changing his expression. “Um, can I talk to you in private?”
    “It’s just me here.”
    “Okay,” he said closing the door. “Have you been having weird dreams lately?” I nodded. “Okay, this may sound crazy, but I think you’re a goddess. I noticed it on the first day, when I first saw you. You had a glow around you which is only around gods and goddesses. I know, because I’m a god, and my name is really Vespan. I’m looking for a goddess named…” he trailed off.
    “I’m a goddess? How could this have happened?! I’m so scared, what if my dreams of people dying have something to do with it?!” I screamed.
    “You might be a death goddess. Your name would be Zathina. And the girl I’m looking for, her name is Zathina.” he blushed. “You would be my princess.”
    I blacked out and felt my head hit the floor hard.

    “Zathina? Zathina!” I could hear Adam saying. I’m not to the point where I could call him Vespan yet.
    And I’m his princess?!
    “Zathina, my princess, you’re awake!” he cooed.
    “Stop it! Stop calling me that! I’m not your princess! I can’t be! I’m not going to be.” I looked down. He lifted up my chin, and looked me in the eyes. Then dropped himself to my level and kissed me. Tears strolled down my cheeks, and he kept on kissing me. I felt myself going cold, getting colder by the second. I left his passion and turned away.
    “Go look at yourself in the mirror. You’re already changing.” I obeyed. I had my head down as I headed to the mirror in the hallway. I took a good, long look at my new self.
    I had long black hair, black eyes, I was ghostly pale, and my lips were the color of a morning fog. I held up my hands to my mouth, and the girl in the mirror did, too.
    “What happened? What did you do to me?!” I yelled.
    “You had a dream about someone who was murdered right?” I nodded. “That’s what changed you, not me. It was the fact that you’re heading to darker cases, such as murder, and other things like that. But don’t worry my princess, I will protect you as much as possible.”
    “I guess I don’t have much of a choice do I?” he nodded. “Well, then what do I have to do?”