First Day Memories

What is the most important moment in your life ? For some , it's their first car , or their first job. Others would debate it's their first friend , or their first crush.

In the case of Maia Anderson , her special moment didn't even happen yet. Summer had officially ended and her first day of school was right around the corner. The sun would rise soon but Maia didn't pay it any mind. She would rather lay in bed and let her dream play out like a film. Everything in that moment was numb to her.

In the depths of her dreamscape , a fierce battle unfolded. Maia , accompanied by two enigmatic allies , clashed against a formidable enemy. The battleground shrouded with a starless night sky serving as their witness. The essence of their struggle permeated the atmosphere.

Though the odds seemed stacked against them , they stood their ground , refusing to yield. Their blows landed with precision , their strikes swift and relentless. Left , right , and back again , their weapons danced through the air , blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction. Maia , in the midst of the chaos , could feel the weight of her heavy wrists for the first time , and as she glanced down , she discovered the handle of a massive scythe in her hands. Adorning her neck was a silver pendant , graced with a pink heart-shaped gem , radiating an otherworldly light.

One of her shadowy allies , drawing a bow with utmost grace , conjured a crystal arrow. The arrow shimmered with ethereal power as it sailed through the air , piercing the enemy's chest. A moment of bewilderment flashed across his face , but he did not waver. His gaze locked onto Maia , tracing the source of his agony. A growing crimson stain marred his coat , as he defiantly broke the arrow and revealed a glowing blue crystal embedded to his chest , its cracks tainted with blood.

As the battle raged on , the two shadowy figures moved in unison , clutching their own pendants. One emanated a vibrant blue light , while the other blazed with an intense green glow. The three colors grew in intensity , casting a dazzling radiance that gradually dispelled their shadowy forms. Their once-blurred visages began to sharpen and clear , bringing forth a sense of purpose and destiny. As they closed in on the enemy , their pendants burning brighter and brighter–

Until an abrupt halt brought the dream to an end.

A blinding white light consumed the three radiant colors and the figures of shadow.

" Maia you better be awake ! I'm not gonna let my niece stay in bed for her first week of school ! " a silverly voice called out. It was deep , but authoritative at the same time. She recognized this voice.

Something was aggressively shaking her body , and she immediately stirred awake. Someone was leaning against the door with the light switch on. Maia's head shifted to the right where her window was , and to her surprise , it was still dark. With a loud yawn , she rolled out of bed and onto the carpet with a thud. She buried her head under the blanket and groaned at the person who woke her up.

" Auntie , 5 more minutes... " she whined. She did everything she could to settle back into her dream , but her aunt kept shaking her awake. "

Cariño , you need to get up. Your alarm clock went off half an hour ago ! I'm not gonna let you start off the school year tardy so get dressed ! " Maia mumbled a small groan and reached for the pillow beside her. " Auntie , I was in the middle of a dream " She mumbled.

After a while of groans and pleas , she felt a small but noticeable weight on her chest. She lifted her head up and on her chest was a small black cat with white spots of fur. The cat meowed and softly clawed at her cheek. " Callisto ! " Maia exclaimed in between raspy giggles.

" Even Callisto wants you to get to school on time ! Do I have to get Snowflake in here or are you gonna get dressed ? " Without thinking twice , Maia got up from the floor and held Callisto in her arms. She almost tripped on her blanket but held onto the bed post. " Please Aunt Adel , don't bring Snowflake in here. They ripped up my curtains last time ! "

Adel chuckled to herself and walked to Maia , placing something on her nightstand. A few questions came into the young girl's mind , but she couldn't find the energy to ask. " I'll make us breakfast while you get ready. Don't take too long or it'll get cold " Maia nodded and lowered her head , allowing Adel to kiss her forehead. Adel turned around and walked out of the room , gently closing the door behind her.

Maia's eyes darted to what she left behind , and on top of her nightstand was a white rectangular box with a lavender bow. ' Did she leave this for me ? ' Maia thought. She picked up the box and undid the ribbon. Opening the lid , she went through the paper filling until she came across something soft and fuzzy. She pulled out the soft fabric to reveal a fuzzy coral-pink scarf. A note was taped to the box , and it read :

" To my Cariño , Maia. Your mom wanted to give this to you when you started high school , and now felt like a good time to give it to you. Have a great day at school. Te amo "

— Aunt Adelelina

Her hands rushed to cup her mouth as if to instinctively stop herself from gasping aloud. Softly smiling , she held the scarf close to her chest and simply muttered " Thank you , mom , " to herself.

She silently stood still for a while longer before walking to the closet to grab a change of clothes.

She grabbed a white off-the-shoulder crop top with straps , black jean shorts and a pair of black thigh high stockings. She walked over to the bathroom and showered before changing into her clothes. She tucked in the shirt and untied her jet black hair from its ponytail. As it cascaded down her back , she slowly combed her fingers through the tangles as it dropped to her ankles. She stared at her reflection through the mirror , sighing to herself.

" Ok , this is your first day in high school. Your freshman year. Don't give anyone a reason to make fun of you. Keep your head low and no one will notice... "

She slowly drifted away from her sentence when she looked down to see the scarf in her hand. She looked back to the mirror and wrapped the scarf snugly around her neck. It complimented her porcelain skin , and it was somehow able to wash away all her worries.

She slipped into her black converse sneakers and headed downstairs. Snowflake , her other cat , meowed enthusiastically.

" Good morning , Snowflake ! " Maia greeted , picking Snowflake up and smothering her in kisses.

Adel looked at her with a snicker and placed her hand on her forehead. " Are you sure you're not a cat whisperer ? " Maia snickered back and playfully rolled their eyes. " I just have a thing for cats ! " Callisto came down the stairs and nuzzled her shoe , much to Adel's amusement.

" Whatever you say. Breakfast is on the table "

Adel walked away to pack her bag for work while Maia sat down at the table. What awaited her was a plate of omelettes and a glass or orange juice. " Gracias , auntie ! " Maia called out.

A loud honking caught their attention as a slow rumbling could be heard nearby. " The bus is already here?! " Maia exclaimed. She scarfed down the rest of her omelettes and raced to grab her backpack. She ran back to Adel's side and gave her a tight hug. " I have to go ! Te amo Auntie ! " She raced out the door and towards the bus stop.

The remaining students had already boarded the bus , but her confident mind refused to let the bus driver leave her behind. The bus's doors began to close , but due to some stroke of luck , she was able to clumsily hop onto the steps.

The doors closed behind her , and the driver quickly took notice of her. "Jesus , you startled me ! Do you realize how dangerous that was ?! You could've gotten injured ! " The driver exclaimed.

She nodded silently and clutched her scarf. " Sorry , sir. "

The bus driver let out a loud sigh and rubbed his temples. " It's alright. Just please refrain from doing it again. "

Everyone on the bus was staring at her , a wave of self consciousness overtaking her.

She hurriedly walked past the driver , her heart racing in her chest. Trying to avoid any eye contact with the other students , she kept her head down , hoping to minimize their attention. As she made her way towards the back of the bus , she could hear someone whispering to themselves , " That's so embarrassing "

This captured Maia's attention. In a fleeting moment , her gaze lifted from the ground to meet a pair of vibrant cyan eyes.

A girl with reddish-pink hair was busy playing with her shimmering nails and chewing bubblegum. She continued to fix her gaze on Maia before diverting it to the ground and then back up again. With an assertive tone, she inquired , " Can I help you ? "

Maia immediately broke eye contact , once again lowering her head. She softly uttered a single " sorry " and walked past her , making her way to the back of the bus. Despite feeling the girl's intense gaze upon her , she determinedly chose to ignore it. Spotting an unoccupied seat by the window , she decided to take it. Just as she was about to place her bag on the seat beside her , she heard a loud voice.

" Hey ! New girl ! Over here ! "

Maia looked to the front of the bus to see if anyone had called her , but her gaze slowly shifted to the person in front of her. A slim girl with warm undertone skin and soft blue eyes waved to her. Her caramel hair was tied into low pigtails that reached to her calf. She had to have been at least 6'1" , based on how she was towering over Maia.

" I'm Renna. It's a pleasure to meet you ! " She confidently extended her hand to Maia with a smile.

Maia hesitated for a moment before shaking her hand. " I'm Maia , Maia Anderson. Nice to meet you too , " she sighed and turned her gaze back to the window. Maia thought that would be the end of the conversation , but to her surprise , Renna sat next to her in the blink of an eye. Maia jumped in her seat and let out a startled yelp , but quickly regained her composure.

" So , what classes are you planning to take this year ? I'm considering history so that I can pursue a career as a marine biologist , or maybe even a tattoo artist. Are you planning to go to college ? As for me , I'm still unsure about my college plans , but I can answer that later. "

Maia fidgeted with her trembling fingers and forced herself to smile.

" Uh... it's a bit early to be answering all those questions. I mean , we just met ," Maia said , trying to be polite. She was excited for school , but the stress she had already experienced put her in a bitter mood.

Renna raised an eyebrow and quickly understood what she meant. Her smile immediately transformed into a concerned frown. " Oh my gosh , you're completely freaked out ! I'm so sorry ! I just wanted to make the first day of high school memorable. You only get to be a freshman once , so I wanted to make a friend on my first day ! " Maia slumped in her seat and nodded silently , fiddling with her scarf as she tried to think of something else to say.

She could relate to Renna's excitement. How could she not ? Starlight High was a well-known school in Nevada. The town was small , but the average number of students that graduated there was enough to make schools like Rosemary academy cry. At least , thats what she thought. Why else would most parents in the town send their kids to this school ?

Throughout the rest of the ride , both girls were silent. Maia and Renna were left behind after the bus unloaded the students.

Renna was full of excitement and anticipation as she stepped off the bus , eagerly waving goodbye to the bus driver. Maia followed after her , her face tight with nerves as they both faced the daunting prospect of their first day of high school. Just as she thought , Renna was definitely taller than her.

The two walked inside , and a small breeze blew past their faces as they did so. Hundreds of students waited inside to pick up their schedules. In front of a wooden counter , a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes was seated. Her name tag read , " Ms. Wilson ". Next to her was a pair of transparent doors with the school's mascot , Toby the Timberwolf , plastered on the glass. Past the doors was the school's main hallway , and to the left of the counter was a set of red couches and beanies for people to sit on while waiting for the office to assist them.

" This school is huge ! I wonder how many floors there are " Renna whispered.

Maia calmly shrugged. " I kinda knew ahead of time. It's a good thing they mailed pamphlets to everyone. " She unzipped her bag and reached into it to pull out a long-folded sheet of paper. Unfolding it revealed the entire map to the school as well as a summary on the school's history and policies.

"Aw , dang it ! I left mine at home. Is it ok if I use yours ? " Renna awkwardly giggled.

Maia stood there in confusion. ' Should I ? Maybe she'll be your...wait why am I overthinking this?! Just hand her the pamphlet ! ' She snapped out of her thoughts and handed Renna the pamphlet , rubbing the back of her head.

" I appreciate it ! " Renna thanked her.

The line shuffled forward , and it was their turn to pick up their schedule. Maia stepped up to the desk and greeted Ms. Wilson warmly. She was a little nervous, but excited to learn what classes she had been assigned.

Ms. Wilson smiled at her and handed her the schedule. Maia thanked her and eagerly looked over the list of classes she'd be taking.

She walked through the doors and leaned against the wall , skimming through her classes while waiting on Renna to finish up. It was a daunting first day for the freshman entering Starlight High. Everyone was trying to find their way around and make new friends. So why restrict herself ? If everyone was making new friends , it wouldn't hurt for her to do the same. Besides , they've stuck around each other for this long. Might as well. " Ok , so the schedule's split up into two separate days. Day A is Ms. Campbell in English honors , then Mr. Smith for 3rd-period Chemistry , Mr. Fredrick for French in 5th-period and...Ms. Winston in World History ! What's on my Day B schedule— "

" Hey Maia ! " Renna called out. Maia looked back to her and walked to her. Renna approached Maia with a smile and waved her schedule in her direction. " Hey , Maia , look at this ! We have the same classes together. Isn't that awesome?! " Renna was filled with excitement as she looked over their class schedules.

In the middle of their thoughts , the sound of the bell interrupted them. It dawned on them that they were going to be late for their class.

Renna and Maia raced up the stairs to the second floor , their footsteps echoing across the empty hallways. Time was slipping through their fingers as they desperately tried to reach Ms. Campbell's class. With each step , their hearts pounded with increasing intensity , fueling their determination to make it on time.

Finally , just when it seemed like they would be late , they reached the classroom door. Breathing heavily , they burst into the room , drawing the attention of everyone inside. Their faces flushed with a mix of exhilaration and relief as they realized they had narrowly avoided the consequences of tardiness.

' I swear I have bad luck. The worst kind of luck there is ! ' Maia thought to herself.

Ms. Campbell lifted her head from the book she was reading and turned to face them , curious about the commotion. " Hello and welcome to our World History class , " Ms. Campbell greeted the girls. " You made it just in time. Can you tell me your names ? "

The girls exchanged glances , unsure of who should speak first. After a brief moment , one of them stepped forward and said , " My name is Maia." The other girl followed , saying , "And I'm Renna."

Ms. Campbell smiled and nodded , pleased to meet them.

" Thank you. Now that everyone is here and accounted for , why don't you introduce yourself to the class ? "

Renna walks to the front of the board with a cheerful expression and begins to introduce herself. " Hi ! My name is Renna and I'm a freshman starting today. I love rock and pop music , but country music is another genre I like. Hope we have a good year ! " She spoke confidently and with enthusiasm , her smile never fading. Renna has a natural ease with crowds and speaking to them , something that many people struggle with.

Some of the classmates clapped for her as she picked a desk and sat down.

Then it was Maia's turn. Everyone silently stared at her. Some were whispering to other students while the rest looked bored. One or two of them were genuinely interested or curious in what she would say. Her eyes began to dart around the room , praying that she could find something to distract herself with. She remembered Adel telling her , when she was little , to stare at something or think of something else so she wouldn't panic. But doing it with your dolls was one thing. Talking to crowds of people was another !

" Um... Hi. I'm new here and it's nice to meet you. I didn't come up with anything else... uh... I like cats , and my social battery is usually low. Wait do you guys know what a social battery is ? Uh... I like photography ? "

Maia couldn't help but panic and feel herself jumble up her words. The only thing she could push out her mouth was a bunch of awkward fits of laughter and repetitive apologies. Seeing all those people at her... It was all too much. She felt like she could die then and there. She definitely stuck out like a sore thumb.

All of a sudden , a hand was raised in the sea of students , making Maia and the entire class look in that direction. " I'm sorry to interrupt but I feel like you need some help there. " The person stood up and placed a hand on their hip. She was a 5'9" chestnut-skinned girl. With wavy , dark brunette hair that reached her mid back , she also had honey brown eyes. She wore small , gold hoop earrings , a green sweatshirt , baggy ripped jeans , and white sneakers.

She walked to the front of the class and inspected Maia. Then she smirked and raised an eyebrow at the anxious girl. " So , let's see ; your name is Maia , you're very awkward... Oh , and you're so nervous that you're tugging on your scarf. It's kinda funny how easy you are to read. "

Maia started to panic and lightly tug her scarf , just as the girl predicted. " I-I'm not really like this , I promise you ! "

She looked at her and gave a slight chuckle , but continued. " So , you're pleased to meet us , blah blah blah... Oh yeah , and your favorite color is definitely pink. Like jeez , don't blind the whole school now. " she joked , Maia's face becoming red when she realized how much pink she had worn. Pink headband , pinkish-scarf– even her blush was pink ! She looked like the relative of a strawberry if you compared the two.

The other students started to laugh while poor Maia was standing there , confused and nervous. " Nia , leave the poor girl alone. Under all that stress , I'd panic too " a voice mumbled out with an awkward yet calm tone.

She turned to see a fair-skinned girl with short dirty blonde hair that reached her shoulders and glasses with a blue rim that covered her grayish-blue eyes. She had loads of freckles all over her body with the most prominent being around her cheeks and nose. She was sitting at a front row desk , with one hand lying on top of it , and the other holding her head up.

Maia sighed in relief , knowing that the stress of the situation was slowly becoming comical. Better to laugh with them than to be laughed at.

Ms. Campbell rolled her eyes , sighing to herself. " Alright , Ms. Comedian , Hannah has a point. Let Ms. Anderson finish her introduction and take your seat. "

The girl , Nia , snickered to herself and sat down behind Hannah while others were clapping for her. " Thank you , thank you , I'll be here all school year. " She replied while winking at some of the students , adding a flare to her fiery personality.

Maia smiled softly and started to laugh , catching the attention of Renna , Nia , and Hannah. " I'm not as anxious anymore ! " Everyone looked at her with curiosity. She jumped from their staring , but then smiled once more. She restarted her introduction but with pride in her voice.

" Hello everyone. I'm Maia Anderson and it's my first year here. I live near the coast with my Auntie and two cats , Luna and Snowflake. I'm half Argentinian and half American and I speak 3 languages. I'm so excited to be here and... " She stopped , the silence thick enough to cut through with a knife. She could feel her heartbeat for that blissful yet terrifying moment. Maia gripped on her scarf and felt it give some sort of support for her. Like her mother and Adel were there. She took a deep breath once more and felt her anxiousness slowly disappear.

" I hope we can all get along ? "

Everyone was quiet for a bit , before a peaceful wave of applause swarmed the room , giving Maia a breath of relief.

Nia shrugged with a lazy grin. " In my humble opinion , the stutters were annoying but good job anyways "

Maia snickered softly and looked at Ms. Campbell. " Alright Maia , you may take your seat. You'll be sat next to Nia. Nia , wave your hand. " Ms. Campbell and Maia turned to face the girl , who was next to Renna. She nodded and sat to where she was assigned.

" With introductions out of the way , I will introduce myself. I'm your English Honors teacher , Ms. Campbell. This is how we run things in the classroom... " She began to explain the procedures of the class. As Maia listened closely , she could feel herself smile.

She had been there for less than an hour , and could already feel a warm , comforting atmosphere within the classroom. It might change , it might not. What mattered to her was that she was gonna make her aunt proud. She was gonna make her mom proud. That is , if she could sit through this lecture...

Hours had passed and the sun was slowly beginning to set.

' Finally ! I got through the entire day of school ! ' Maia thought to herself , grabbing her bag and standing up from her seat to stretch. The bell rang a few minutes ago , and everyone already left , including Renna. Aunt Adel told her , before school started , that she would ride a bus to and from school. Since worked late , there was no point waiting in the cafeteria to leave.

' I have a functional bike at home. Kinda wished that I could peddle home so I could have an excuse to finally use it , but I'll take the free lift ' she looked back down at her schedule , which laid on her desk one last time to make sure she remembered where she needed to go for tomorrow.

" So I'll have Geometry , Gym , Art , and Performing Arts. " Her eyes stared at the paper in disbelief , but shook the thought from her mind. " Wait , I have gym?! Ugh , I'm gonna have to wear those push up bras again. I'll also need to buy a gym bag. " She placed her schedule in her backpack with a heavy sigh.

She was about to leave before she heard someone call out her name. " Hey Maia ! " the loud voice startled Maia , her head immediately turning to see Nia.

' How long was she there?! Please tell me she didn't hear me talk about bras ! ' Maia thought.

Nia lifted her hand , and in her grasp was a white iPhone 5 with a pastel decoden phone case. Gradually , Maia started to calm down.

" You almost left your phone behind " Her eyes widened , and she took the phone from Nia , laughing to herself in embarrassment. " Oh my gosh , I can't believe I almost left behind my phone ! Thank you for returning it. " She nodded and stuffed her books in her black Adidas bag. ' It was probably really easy to find. Like on my desk or on the floor. '

Sighing to herself , Nia hoisted the bag across her shoulders and walked to the door before stopping next to Maia. " See you tomorrow " Nia waved to her and walked out of the classroom ,  leaving Maia by herself. Maia double-checked her bag , and after making sure she had everything , left the classroom.

While striding down the seemingly endless school hallway , she checked the time on her phone. A wave of panic surged through her as she hastily jammed it back into her backpack. "4:54?! I was supposed to be on the bus by 4:20 ! " she exclaimed in disbelief , her voice echoing off the lockers that lined the deserted corridor.

Without wasting another moment , she launched into a sprint , her grip tightening around the straps of her backpack. She darted through the corridors , her steps echoing loudly in the silence. She burst through the heavy doors of the school entrance , her momentum carrying her into the outside world. But as she took in the scene before her , she came to an abrupt halt , her disbelief rooting her to the spot. The sprawling parking lot was almost entirely barren , save for a few lonely cars that were scattered here and there. All the school buses had departed , leaving behind only the hulking silhouette of the football team's bus.

A sigh of resignation slipped past her lips as she absentmindedly adjusted her scarf , her fingers trembling slightly with frustration. " Well... Walking home isn't exactly ideal , but it's not the worst thing in the world. Auntie works late , so I should be fine , " she reasoned , her tone reflecting her newfound determination.

Starlight was a small town tucked away in the heart of Zephyr Cove , Nevada. The walk home would undoubtedly be long and potentially tiring , but it would only be a one time thing. The pathway was etched into her mind - she just needed to walk to Starlight High Crossroad , keep going straight , then make a right turn when she reached Oakwood Boulevard. That was where her house was.

That was the original plan. Short and easy. She walked off campus and through the crossroad. The sun gradually began to set through the horizon , as she reached the highway leading up to Oakwood. What she wasn't expecting was an under construction sign blocking her way.

She let out a deep sigh and tugged on the end of her scarf , instead turning her frustration into curiosity. " It was just fine the other day. What could've happened to it ? "

A smaller detour was available , but it was riskier to drive on - let alone walk across - since it was closer to the edge of a forested slope. Plus , it would take longer to get to Oakwood.

" I don't see another way around. No cars have passed by yet , so hitchhiking is out of the question. Can't call Adel cause of work. Well... I guess I'll take the detour. What's the worst that can happen ? " She turned away from the construction sign and towards the smaller road to the right of it.

When she was halfway through , the skies began to cry with rain. " Oh , for the love of– if I had known it was gonna rain , I would've packed an umbrella ! "

She continued to walk through the rocky road , with the sound of wet mud clumping against the bottom of her shoes. The setting was dark , and as she walked forward , the sound of crunching sediment grew louder.

Unbeknownst to her , her feet slowly inched closer to the edge of the road. Suddenly , she realized what was happening , but it was already too late.

' Oh my god , I'm gonna fall ! '

Time seemed to stand still for mere seconds as the ground beneath her feet gave way , causing a chunk of the road to break apart.

With nothing to hold onto , the rest of her body began to plummet down the slope.

Trying to grip onto something to break her fall , she desperately reached out for the nearby trees as she tumbled uncontrollably. The damp grass brushed against her skin , leaving trails of cuts on her arms and legs , from the unforgiving rocks and twigs that collided with her upon impact.

After what seemed like an eternity , she finally came to a halt , landing on her back with a loud groan.

The smell of wet wood filled her nose , providing a strange comfort amidst the chaos. It was a familiar scent , one that reminded her of her childhood bike rides. In that moment , she allowed herself to be momentarily distracted from the throbbing ache that radiated throughout her body.

As she laid there , staring up at the canopy of trees above , she couldn't help but marvel at nature's resilience. The oak trees stood tall and unwavering , their branches swaying gently in the breeze. The forest felt endless , with thousands upon thousands of ferns , and other wild plants , stretched out ahead of her. She'd occasionally spot a fungus or two , mostly stalks of Oyster Mushrooms that grew on the mossy bark. As well as pink Wild Geraniums that grew in bunches , alongside the purple Beardtongues and Marigolds.

She took long , deep breaths in an attempt to calm her racing heart. With each inhale , she drew strength from the earth beneath her , grounding herself in the present moment. The pain was still there , but it no longer consumed her every thought.

After a minute of adjusting , she gingerly sat up and took stock of her surroundings. The damp grass beneath her was a vivid shade of green , dotted with delicate wildflowers. Then she looked down to her injuries. For the most part , she was fine , just a bit scratched up and bloodied from the fall. The real unfortunate news was her now dirtied uniform.

" Oh , come on ! Is it too much to want to go home , mother nature?! " She exclaimed. She looked up to the origin of her fall , hearing the sound of cars driving by.

Taking a deep breath , she cupped her hands and yelled , " Hey ! Can anyone hear me?! I'm trapped down here ! " She continued to yell for a while , until her throat started to grow sore.

But nobody heard her.

Her face perked up when she saw that her backpack wasn't on her back. Nor was it on the ground where she fell. She looked around and found her backpack hooked to a tree branch. The tree was smaller than the others , so it wasn't impossible to climb.

Digging her foot into the bark , she hoisted herself up and quickly snatched her bag , making sure she didn't fall on her climb down. She fished through her backpack for her phone. But when she found it , she realized her phone didn't have service in the area. " Maybe I could use my flashlight to get someone's attention ? No , that could risk a car accident from above. What am I supposed to do?! " She exclaimed.

She steadily calmed herself again and clutched her hands. " Calm down , Maia. You're close to Oakwood. Maybe I can find a way around. First , I need something to mark so that I can find my way back. " She turned on her phone's flashlight and scanned the area. A large tree branch catches her attention , and she stabs it into the ground alongside a tree. Swallowing whatever fear she had , she began to walk further into the woods.

It felt like hours , sitting in that forest. She would occasionally check the time on her phone. But it didn't do much other than bring her comfort and motivation to get back home. " It's 7:49. Auntie gets off at 10 so maybe I shouldn't panic. Worst case scenario would be her figuring out I missed the bus and giving me a lecture. " She joked.

Through her soft laughter , a faint whiff of sea salt catches her attention , stopping her in her tracks. " Sea salt ? In the woods ? How far did I fall ? " She whispered to herself.

She continued to walk through the forest , the smell of sea salt growing thicker and thicker. Alongside the smell was a faint sound of whispers. At first , she thought it was the wind. Only to realize that there hadn't been a gust of wind for hours since she left school. She wasn't one for superstition , but she couldn't ignore the ominous feeling that something unnatural existed here.

The whispering grew louder as she grew closer to the source of the salty air. She could feel her legs begin to give out due to the injuries. She was able to get back up , but her patience was wearing thin. Did the source of the salt even matter ? Or was her curiosity overcoming her fear ?

She stumbled and sat on one of the large tree roots , her head buried beneath her hands. " Que alguien me ayude..." She mumbled. She could feel tears threaten to spill out , but she wiped them away with her shaky hands.

Yet through the darkness , a faint glowing light appeared in the distance. Its soft rays caught her attention , and she immediately stood up.

" Is someone there?! " She cried.

She stumbled to the light , only for it to float away from her , and put some distance between them.

" Wait ! Come back ! "

She ran as fast as she could , feeling her throat grow tight from her pants , and the aching in her feet. Her hand gripped even tighter on the scarf. " Wait ! Slow down ! I'm right here ! " She called out , but she was given no response.

With the light absolutely out of sight , she collapsed to the ground to catch her breath. It seemed hopeless. Wherever the light went didn't matter. She wasn't even sure if that light was even there to begin with. She had returned to the darkness.

The silence would be broken up by the gentle crash of what sounded like waves. She picked herself back up , and walked to where the sound was coming from. Pushing through the thick cattails and large plants that laid ahead of her , the sound grew louder and louder , reconfirming that there was a body of water nearby.

As she emerged from the dense vegetation , Maia's mouth dropped in awe at the mesmerizing sight before her. The beach stretched out as far as her eyes could see , with the moonlight cascading down , and bathing the surroundings in a heavenly glow. Not a single cloud obstructed the cool black night sky , and the silence she had grown accustomed to was , for once , comforting. It looked like it was straight out of a fairytale.

Unable to resist the enchantment of the scene , Maia kicked off her shoes , and removed her socks , placing them delicately on top of a nearby rock. The softness of the white sand against her was a delightful sensation , as she felt the gentle waves slowly brush against her feet. The salt that lingered in the woods is now most prominent. Overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding her , she whispered to herself , " I've... Never seen a place this pretty. "

Beaches weren't uncommon , but none of the tour maps she had seen mentioned a beach hidden from sight. She would have to research it when she got home.

She looked around to find the light , but couldn't see it for miles." Maybe I can try searching around the beach " She mumbled , turning to walk away.

" Maia " A voice whispered. It was clear and feminine , echoing around Maia.

Her body jolted with wide eyes. She looked around for the source of the voice , but couldn't find anything.

" I've been waiting for you , " the voice spoke again. A shiver went down Maia's spine. Who was calling her name ?

Suddenly , the calm water in front of her started to churn , becoming abnormally wild. Maia's eyes widened as a soft , warm glow began to bubble up from the surface. She took a step back in absolute terror. The water continued to rise , forming a large pulsing blob that seemed to defy logic. Maia's heart pounded in her chest as she watched in surprise. What was this mysterious phenomenon ?

" Gah ! " she screamed , stumbling backward to create distance between herself , and the strange spectacle as fear courses through her veins. The water transformed into a large ball , dripping onto the sand , until it started to glow and evaporate into floating light.

" Maia , at last , we meet..." the gentle disembodied voice beckons.

She fell backwards and onto the sand , desperately searching for something to defend herself with. Her hand brushed against a rather large but fragile stick. Without hesitation , she grabbed it and got back on her feet , placing it in front of her so that it would put some distance between the entity and herself. The light circled around her , its presence both eerie and captivating.

" ¿¡Quién eres!? ¿¡Qué eres!? " she cried out , her voice trembling with fear and confusion. The light paused for a moment before speaking again , its voice filled with urgency.

" Please , listen carefully. We don't have much time , " the light began. " You , and your world are terrible danger. A dark presence that had once laid dormant has now been awakened. You're the only one to have found this place , so you must be the person I've been looking for. "

Maia's heart sank into her stomach. The stick that she held onto fell onto the ground with a silent thud , her hands tightening around her chest. She couldn't move or speak , paralyzed by the weight of everything.

Memories of the dream flooded back to her.

Maia stepped back in disbelief , twisting her scarf around till her knuckles turned white.

" Your only hope is to awaken your powers , and use them for the betterment of humanity. "

Her chest felt heavy. " Powers ? A dark presence?! What are you talking about?! " a sudden breeze interrupted her ramble. The reeds swayed with the wind , as the ocean began to gently ripple beneath the moon.

The light began to take shape into the silhouette of a woman. Light outlined her entire transparent body , reminiscing that of a spirit or fae.

" I can't explain it all to you , not yet. They'll come looking for you , and the best chance you have at facing them is with your powers "

The woman's face saddened with her hand clutched to her chest. " I'm sorry you have to find out like this , but time is running out. Please , believe me , Maia. "

Everything was just noise.

Every part of her was telling her to run , not even comprehending what the woman was saying. She planted her feet into the ground , and sprinted away from the beach , grabbing her socks and shoes. She looked back one last time to find nothing but the beach. The woman had disappeared.

Not giving it a second thought , Maia ran back to the slope and saw the marks she made a while ago. Only this time , a pile of rocks led up to the surface of the slope.

Now alone , Maia couldn't think of what to say. What could she say ? So much is happening and so much could happen. ' Maybe that lady is telling the truth... Maybe... I do have power.... Ugh focus Maia ! '

Running to the pile of large rocks , Maia used her lower body weight to hoist herself up and climb out. She almost slipped , but kept an iron grip. Before she knew it , she was finally gone from the forest. The rest was pretty much a blur. She made it to the front door of her house and pulled out the spare key from her pockets. It was 9:16 , so Maia had time to sit on the couch and treat her injuries. She put her uniform to wash and changed into her pajamas. There were leftover empanadas in the fridge , so she microwaved one and watched TV for a while.

She could hear a buzz from her phone , but couldn't find the strength to answer back , deciding to leave it be and respond tomorrow. How could she ? All she could think about was the forest and that mysterious woman. Maia went to her room and plopped down on the bed. She unwrapped her scarf and gently placed it on the nightstand alongside her bag and phone.

' What do I do now ? Who do I even tell this to ? Should I tell anyone ? Its not like anybody would believe me... '

' Maybe... I should go back tomorrow. Listen to yourself , that's insanity ! I do find it weird that this happened after the dream I had. More importantly... '

' ... What did she mean when she said I had power ? '

#Paradise