Katie

  "Katie, just think of this as our next big adventure! We Ericsons have endured highs and lows. Right now, this is a low and you'll just need to bear with," my mom explained while she fondled my shoulder in an infuriating manner. I'm seated in a rickety, rocking chair at the veranda while my mom lays flat in the vibrant terrain. Today, the trees, shrubbery and undergrowth are a flamboyant terracotta colour with traces of gold rippling in them, the wind is strong enough to blow beetles away from the ground and I can see cute, little squirrels in the distance nestled in their knotholes. My dad was still walking all willy-nilly in his pajamas and I can already notice a Coca-Cola can clutched in his hand. He must be in a celebratory mood but I know I sure am not. Maybe if I lock myself in my bedroom and scream for a long time, they'll be convinced to cancel this whole moving away idea and we'll just continue to live our gleeful lives in Vermont. My dad is beaming with sunshine, rainbows and euphoria while my mom has that look she uses whenever she wants me to feel repentant for her. It's been quite effective in the past and I have to say, even now when I'm more matured and sensical, those luminous eyes still influence the strings of my heart.

  I don't know. It's just something about those softened eyes, sloping eyebrows and subtle smile that always manages to make my heart sentimental. As my dad gives a joyful glance at me, I heave at my sleeves and rise from my rocking chair. My body was beginning to ache anyway so why not stand up and welcome the chilly breeze.

  "I still don't get why we have to leave though! I mean, we're not facing any issues in terms of finances, you guys seem happy with your current jobs, school's amazing so why the heckarooni would you want to move!" I screeched in a dragging voice. I will admit that I did sound a bit childish for someone who had just blossomed into a full-fledged 13-ster but I guess I'm still just a toddler at heart. I then stomp away with one of my hands situated at my hip before this conversation depletes more of my precious time but my dad snatches onto my other hand before I make it to the door. He sighs at me, and I can already feel a big speech coming up.

  "Katie, I understand that this is difficult for you to take in but just think of it like this. Vermont was one stage of life and New York's going to be a new one," my dad explained. I roll my eyes and groan before returning to the porch with my arms thrusted into my pockets petulantly.

  I do kind of get what they're trying to say here. They want to escape their comfort zone no matter how peaceful or seemingly perfect it is but I don't! I love where I live and plus, regaining friends is going to be one giant issue. I couldn't ask for a better pair of friends than Wynona and Belle. They're funny, they're supportive and best of all, they understand me more than my actual parents. That's one of the main reasons why I don't want to abandon my life in Vermont. I'm satisfied with everything we have here and now they're just throwing it away as if these meaningful years meant nothing to them. My dad sighs for the second time after looking at me pout with my arms crossed for a whole minute or two. "Look, like it or not, we already bought a household there and are on the journey of finding stable jobs. Staying here would just be ruinous for finances." I'm still under 15 so I don't quite understand how money management in adulthood works so I find it sort of cruel that they use money talk against me. I roll my eyes at the two of them as I tug irately on the straps of my backpack and all they do is shake their heads.

  "So, do you have everything packed?" my mom questioned, trying to calm the storm rising within me.

  I nod my head before silently entering the car. If I were in less of a grumpy mood, I would help mom and dad with the luggages but at this moment, I'm too sulky and mad to do anything. They give a subtle smirk at me before powering up the engine. "Trust me, sweetie. You might be against it now but once you see the place we're going to live in, you'll be nothing but a heap of smiles." Yeah, right, we'll see about that one. Anywho, the 6 hour and 24 minute journey was...uhm...I'm not even going to put it lightly: the opposite of fun. The only bright side was that I got a lot of peace because my parents were afraid to talk to me now and of course, yummy gas station food. I'm also a part of the minority who doesn't like to use electronics much which is an astounding shocker coming from a teenage girl in a highly-industrialized world. I've read through several scary articles on phone addiction so when my parents finally bought one, I tried my best to not use it unless it's for something urgent. Instead of eroding my brain with Instagram, I bided my time enjoying the scenery from the car windows, admiring the structures of nature that we pass by. I do have to say that just silently observing the remarkable view outside was quite stress-relieving.

  I could already feel the tension weakening on my shoulders. The multicolored trees added a vivid aspect on this canvas, the sky was slowly being overtaken with a tint of orange and animals were going about their accustomed routines. The blades of grass flaunted themselves in the wind, a light downpour released a soothing symphony to my ears and I could even see - if I squint my eyes hard enough - the silhouette of a proud mountain in the distance. Eventually, I dozed off from sudden grogginess and no sweet dreams arrived at my head, just darkness. After a few tranquil hours of sleep, I awakened at the intrusive sound of my parents calling my name. "Katie! Katie! Katie!" my mom beckoned. I gradually readjusted my open eyes to the brightness of reality as I stretched my arms wide.

  "W-where are we?" I ask, still feeling like a hint of dizziness is creeping up my brain.

  "We're at Wonderland, Katester!" my dad exclaimed in a sing-song voice. I rub my eyes before turning to the window. I was fully anticipating a theatrically decorated mansion with rainbow-painted walls, large glistening windows, an outside water theme park more spacious than our previous household, rows of sakura blossom trees in our grassplot and a plethora of fluffy puppies just frolicking about.

  You could say that my expectations were definitely blown away. The gray horror I was looking at was like something plucked from my nightmares. First of all, there was visibly only one storey to this house, the walls were a combination of silver and white which is kind of unoriginal, I could already see cobwebs invading the front lawn and there were no puppies in sight.

  "Wow, this place is definitely full of wonder, dad," I comment. That's when his enthusiasm dropped; he probably noticed my obvious sarcasm. With disappointment surging through me, I kick open the door and haul my pink, little luggage through the haunting yard, both my parents trailing behind me. Not a single flower in sight nor butterfly, just a bunch of rotting weeds. The interior makes the outside look aesthetically pleasing. It's so...meh. There was nothing interesting to see as there was barely any decor. Not even one decent-looking painting. I then head to my room to see if it's any better and...oh dear. It's hard for me to even compliment it and usually, I'm a person who tries their hardest to find a silver lining in something. The wall color is the same monotonous, hoary shade, the stench that emanates from it is reminiscent of old shoes and I don't even have a bed. I have a pathetic, sagging mattress, lying on the floor, at the corner of my room.

  With my sadness reaching a new peak, I lazily leap onto the bed and embrace its scratchy texture. Right on cue, if my negativity couldn't get any worse, my dad comes in with that same smile that grows more vexing by the second. My face is embedded into a pillow and I'm kicking my legs frenziedly. Yes, I know, more immature behavior but when you're as piqued as I was, you're bound to act like a freakin' 9 year old.

  "Sorry, Katie. The house looked nice on the phone but I guess you really can't trust anything on the Internet," he says while chuckling and rubbing the back of his head. I turn to him and give him a fierce stare. That suppressed all the laughter in him. "Don't worry though, I can almost guarantee that the new school you're going to will capture your heart," he adds on with confidence. Well, Wynona and Belle are probably not there which already degrades it. I'm so used to them by my side that I feel so useless now without them. Urgh, moving is the worst! However, I do feel a bit pitiful for my mom and dad who are forced to deal with this pettiness whilst searching for new jobs so I decide to not spiral into another outburst. I manage to extinguish the melancholy and irritation stirring inside of me before informing my dad that I need some space to myself. "Oh, okay. Just call me if you need anything."

  I do need something. I WANT TO GO HOME! Before my cynicism reaches a point where I might burn the whole house down, I scroll through some old videos with me, my family and my friends. There's me jumping into a pile of leaves with the biggest grin on my face, there's me learning to figure skate with Belle, there's me alongside Wynona drinking a slurpee for the first time and there's...

  "Katie! It's time to eat now!" Scrolling through heart-wrenching memories must've sped up time for me as I didn't even realize that it's been near an hour now. I was actually starving so this call came at the perfect time. Dinner was okay, just some turkey and sweet potatoes, and then I enjoyed reading some complicated books in my new, humdrum room. Of course, my curfew eventually struck and it was time for me to hit the hay. Unfortunately, this darn mattress is the worst thing I've ever laid my body upon. I was uncomfortable throughout the entire night and had to make numerous modifications to my sleeping position. Once I checked my clock and saw that it was already midnight, I gave up on trying to fall asleep. That bed sucks. I might as well just pass the time by reading through the rest of my books in this shadowy atmosphere and with a reading light illuminating the pages.

  As you might've guessed, I woke up with dark rims enveloping my eyes and the powerful urge to not move a single muscle in my body. I could hardly keep my eyes open and whenever I walked, I looked like a dazed maniac. As I went through my morning routine, I began to fumble with everything because of my fatigue messing with my head. In fact, I'm actually known to be quite the methodical kid but lack of sleep could even make the strongest of minds drop their toothbrush on the wet, bathroom floor. Afterwards, I walked downstairs, hunched back and zombie-faced, to see my mom giving me a smile packed full of vivacity. She was currently flipping sunny side up eggs on a sizzling, iron pan and they smelled AMAZING!

  "Looks like my angel didn't get her beauty rest, huh?" she remarked. I had no time for her curt commentary as I have to go and check out this mediocre school I'm forced to study in. From what I've gathered so far in this adventure, I've learned to lower my expectations so as long as it's a normal campus building and not some prison center, I'm sure I'll be satisfied with it.

  I then hastily grab my lunch and breakfast, kiss my mom goodbye and hop into our vehicle. My dad's going to be the chauffeur and he too looked as lively as ever. Over that excruciating night, I somehow managed to mitigate my ire enough so I could at least start a conversation with my dad. Now, I feel really bad for my bratty behavior the other day and it's about time that I fix my problems. As we began to hit the road, I planned a whole sorry speech in my head while my dad concentrated on driving.

  "Look, dad, I'm really sorry for being a massive jerk yesterday. It was just really hard for me to leave Vermont. I mean, I lived there all my life and I'm now just having trouble adapting to this new change. However, that doesn't give me the right to throw my frustration at you and mom when you've been nothing but kind to me," I explain as I lower my eyes.

  "It's okay, Katie. I understand that moving homes would be difficult to accept. I also knew that you loved our home back in Vermont but I just hope that you discover a new part of yourself here in New York," he replied.

  I nodded my head at him and would've hugged him at this very tear-jerking moment if it weren't for the fact that he was driving in the middle of a hectic road. "Oh yeah, your mother and I also bought a little something for you while you were in your sulking period. I hope you like it." He then withdraws a rose-colored purse from his briefcase that was bedecked with sequins and sparkles. It even had a pudgy cat-plushie keychain attached to the zipper which made it a thousand times cuter than it already was. I gasped as he gave it to me as my hands gingerly felt its velvety fabric.

  "OMG! Thanks so much, dad! I love it and it's so freakin' adorable!!!" I squeal out. He tips off an invisible hat as his comedic way of saying 'My pleasure.' When we arrive at my school, my eyes expand with wonder as it puts our drab, funereal cottage to shame. First off, it's ginormous and it kind of resembles a modern castle. It has an abundance of flourishing trees surrounding it, acting like a cool barricade, and it's almost as if it was blessed by a rainbow. It's so much more colorful than our house. Heck, it's more attractive than our entire boulevard!

  I wave my dad goodbye as I take a tentative step into a new world. I turn and I can distinguish him waving back with support and joy shining through him

  "Go rock their world, Katester! Show them that Ericson flair!" he exclaims. I smile as I raise a thumbs up. This institution was quite a sight to behold and it was actually becoming more intimidating the closer I got to it. Now, as I'm proceeding to tread up the stairs, I suddenly lose my balance as someone's leg coincidentally trips me over. Okay, this is off to a terrible start. I turn to see a girl with glossy lipstick, mascara-smothered eyes and locks of orange and indigo look down on me with the most villainous glare I've ever seen. A pair of girls are behind her, giggling at me as if I'm a circus animal dancing in a cage. Okay, from the many traumatic experiences I've had in the past, I could already tell that this was the spoiled and cliche queen of mean of the school.

  "Well, well, well, girls, I didn't know they allowed trash bags to enroll in Olson's," she says with a witch's cackle. I sigh and mentally brace myself for the incoming insults as I rise from the floor. "What's your name, pink hair? Barbie!" and she's once again laughing like a chimpanzee. Great, not only is she rude but she has a terrible sense of humor too.

  "Uhm, my name's Katie Ericson," I say politely. Yeah, I'm one of those people who like to treat others with kindness no matter how spiteful they are. The girl proceeds to scan me from head to toe, conspicuously cringing when her eyes land at my shoes. Her attention then diverts to the purse my dad gave me and a scowl of intrigue is soon plastered onto her face.

  "Where'd you get that? Can I see?" she asks as she slowly extends her arm. No, you most certainly cannot! I don't show this kind of aggressive behavior on my exterior and instead, I intercept her hand and shake my head with my friendly smile now beginning to malform.

  "Uhm, this is actually really precious to me. My dad just bought it and I don't want you to-uhm-ruin it." I'm not trying to be mean even though I should but I think what I just said might have just inflamed her core. Her eyebrows slanted and she curled up her fists. She takes a few maddened steps towards me, her stilettos punishing the floor, and places one of her perfume-coated hands roughly on my shoulder.

  "Listen, Kayley, Korra or whatever your dumb name is. I don't care if this is special to you or not. Emery Greenheart gets whatever she wants whenever she wants it," she whispers into my ear. I'm not at all intimidated because I've faced my fair share of bullies in the past and this one pales in comparison to the ones I used to oppose. However, in my lifetime of being tortured by school villains, I did not anticipate what she was going to do next. She proceeded to snap her fingers and before I could react quickly enough, her two underlings apprehend me and snatch away my beautiful purse.

  "Hey, that's mine!" I bellow but she isn't listening to my cries. She's already caressing it and examining its contents.

  "Eh, not as impressive as I initially thought. I've seen better," she remarks snidely with an indifferent expression. She then turns to me before her malicious grin grows wider. "You want your dumb purse back, Pinkie Pie? Come and get it!" Without a second of hesitation, she lobs my beloved purse into the stinky, dampened depths of the alleyway beside the school's entrance. My eyes expand as her lackeys unhand me. Now, they're all laughing their heads off while I hasten over to save my purse.

  I take it back. She might be the worst bully I've ever met. The alley is shrouded in shadow, graffiti and sewage water. Flies buzz around me like the pests they are, the squeak-squeaks of rats are distant but still hauntingly distinct and the putrid stench coerced me into pinching my nose until I got out of this dump. As I trekked through the darkness while my unfortunate shoes got sullied by the grime on the floor, I perceived my purse glimmering in an inky corner. My cautious tread evolves to a hurried scamper as I seize my purse and use my denim jacket to get rid of the filth.

  "Okay, note to self, avoid Emery Greenheart at all costs," I mutter to myself. As I turn to head out though, my mind is suddenly captivated by something positioned at the corner of my eye. Something was glowing in the dumpster and for some reason, this amplified my curiosity. I carefully skulked towards the disgusting dumpster before meticulously opening it up, ensuring that I didn't get any dirt on my fingers. There was some sort of shiny ruby among the banana peels, debris and trash bags. It didn't seem to be stained by any soot or gunk so I decided to carefully extract it from its nest of repulsion.

  It looks like one of those antique gems my mom used to scavenge for her collection of rare artifacts. Of course, when we moved, she couldn't bring all those nicknacks with her so I only got to see them in past photos. I situate the entrancing ruby in the center of my curled hand as I poke my finger at it. Gradually, I begin to see something strange exude from the piece of jewellery. A carmine, glittery aura is emitting from it and the more I examine it closely, the more I start to realize that it's becoming smaller. I try to squeeze it, shake it or do something to put a halt to this dissolving process but in the end, it soon just dissipates in my hands. Even the sparkly remains seep into my skin. I don't question it as life has some weird, unknown things that you can just arbitrarily unearth and it's best if you just don't query on it further. I shrug this weird phenomenon off and scurry to school once I hear the bell ring. Right off the bat, I'm already late for my first class and it's just the first day.

  "Ah, you must be Katie Ericson. Glad that you could join us. Usually, most students would skip their first day," says this youthful teacher with burgundy locks, brunette eyes and cherry lips.

  She introduces herself as Mrs Lars and she'll not only be my new homeroom teacher but my science teacher as well. I introduced myself to the class with little to no enthusiasm and they gave practically zero applause. I took a seat and prepared myself to just go through the motions. Listen to the teacher's instructions, avoid any further hostile encounters with Emery and enjoy the homemade breakfast my mom made me. Unfortunately, the 'avoiding Emery Greenheart' idea quickly got thrown out the window. After an exhausting period of speech & drama, I went to my locker to grab my history books when I suddenly heard the sound of stilettos clacking against the floor. I turn around with a displeased scowl already forming on my face and of course, behind me stands the Grand High Witch herself alongside her duo of lackluster sycophants.

  "What do you want, Emery? You've already ruined my day. Don't you have other prey to chew on?" I ask bluntly. Her duo of minions titter and snicker behind her which makes her clench her fists.

  "You think you're smarter than me, Kayna?" she asks as her nostrils flared.

  I shrug before ploughing my way through her underlings. The bell ring obstructs Emery's enraged ranting behind me and honestly, I take this as a personal victory. Now it's even, Emery Greenheart. After that, I didn't have much more hostile encounters with...'the beast,' so everything was going smoothly until I saw that the next class on the agenda was P.E! Great. I'm not much of a fitness freak. In fact, I'm more of a couch potato if I'm being blatantly honest and in my previous school, you could just make up unfathomable excuses and they'll let you sit on the sidelines. However, this gym teacher is a whole other story. When I just step one foot into the warzone, Mr Bateman's already screaming at us to do laps around the gymnasium. He's a true beast of nature and I need to get myself out of this torture system as quickly as possible before my entire body crumbles into a useless heap. After we're done with our laps and everyone's physically worn out, I lumber towards him, hunched back and hands dangling uselessly to the side. I inform him that I have to use the restroom and he retaliates with an intimidating scowl.

  "You better arrive before 5 minutes pass. Go!" he grumbles through gritted teeth before blowing his whistle. Finally, I'm gone from that nightmare but am now drenched in reeking sweat.

  To cool myself off, I head to the institution's library as that facility has the best air conditioning in the entire establishment. Cold and rejuvenating bliss gushes into my face once I enter the room. There's also nobody there so peace is another thing I get. I should be returning back to lessons before the coach gets mad but my body is still too afraid and drained to do so. Instead, I just decide to hide myself behind a towering bookshelf whilst reading one of the books there. Harry Potter seems like a classic, immersive experience. Time flies by faster than I thought it would and surprisingly, I've yet to be caught by any enraged faculty members so I just continue to enjoy my period of relaxation even though the bell rang. As I flip through page 55 though, I'm suddenly interrupted by an echoing thud. I pressed my ear against the bookshelf and soon recognized the sounds of footsteps nearing me. My fingers cling onto the carpet and my pace of breathing increases. The only thought that enters my brain is 'Shoot, I've been caught!' and that thought continues to frighten me. I clumsily close my book and return it to its rightful place as I hear the resounding footsteps coming closer. I'm usually not scared of these situations when I watch horror movies but this was the real deal, I was the sitting duck at this moment. I could also hear muffled talking from afar but I couldn't really point out the words.

  After a seemingly long period of terrifying silence, I decided to peer behind the bookshelf to see who was there with me. Maybe it was just some students doing tuition with one another. However, what I saw was unexpected, uncanny and was about to change my entire life. Five anomalous figures wearing black FBI-style outfits were scouring the library for something and they also had locked the entrance so there was no way out for me. All of them had different, glowing and colorful symbols engraved on their chest pads and they were all wearing some weird, high-tech masks. I decided to eavesdrop on their conversation whilst hoping that they wouldn't perceive my beady eyes at the bookshelf. Were they good or evil? I wasn't sure and I didn't want to find out.

  "She's definitely around here somewhere. My astounding tracking radar never fails!" one of the figures - a boy - exclaimed with pompous confidence.

  "Are you sure it might've not malfunctioned and she's actually at a Burger King?" another figure asks - a girl - as she kicks down the bookshelf adjacent to mine.

  "I'm with Danielle. Maybe your so-called, perfect invention got some dust in its circuits. It's not wrong to admit a simple mistake, brainiac. My bet is she noticed our presence from afar and has already fled the place," a more sassy girl's voice adds on. Who is this 'she'? Are they referring to me? Either way, all I cared about was escaping unscathed from whatever occult sacrament this was and finish my literary classwork before school ends. So, what's the ingenious scheme here? I'm actually dumbstruck at the moment so I just go and grasp onto one of the books on the shelf. Sorry, Anne Of Green Gables, no hard feelings. I then proceed to toss it in the opposite direction which allures all the creeps towards it, creating the perfect distraction and the perfect opening for me to make a run for it. Usually, from what I see in the movies, this diverts your threats' attention for an abysmal amount of time but in reality, these kinds of tricks end in disaster. Instantaneously after I take a step out of my hiding spot, all the masked soldiers revolve their heads at me and what comes next is an awkward staring contest. I'm gawking at them with twitchy eyes, pondering frantically on whether I should just act as if I'm a statue or barrel roll away before they can react. I don't know what's going on in their brains, assuming that they have any.

  After a stagnant, silent moment of contemplation, I doubtfully take one more step at a gradual pace. This alerts one of them to point one of their weapons at me; seems to be some sort of technological hatchet if you ask me. I raise my hands up high, don a friendly smile and pray to God that they spare me mercy.

  "Uhm, heeeey, guys. See, I don't know what kind of party is going on here but I was just about to leave so if you could just excuse my rambling presence, that would be greatly apprecia-"

  "Are you Katie Ericson?!" the male anomaly with the gleaming, white eyes snapped. Do these ominous troopers have lie-detecting devices on them because from the knowledge I've obtained from movies, you never give away your identity to strangers. However, even if they don't have some sort of contraption on them that can sense deceit, I'm a terrible liar so it would be easy to tell if I'm being truthful or not.

  "Whaaat? No, you must be confusing me with someone else! No, no, I'm-I'm-uhm...Kastie Ericton from Griffindale," I say while chuckling in a quavery voice. Oh my goodness, that was awful. If they don't terminate me, my humiliation will.

  The white-eyed guy then proceeds to put away his weapon after the purple-eyed one whispers something in his ear. I'm still standing there like an absolute dolt with my knees trembling and beads of sweat trickling down my forehead. I could've ran right now and they'd be too shocked to respond in time but currently, I was cursed with the influence of paralysis. Fear immobilized my legs, arms and body from doing anything and now, I really was a statue. The purple-eyed one approaches me and stares at me dead-eyed. All of them have digitally-formed, vibrant orbs that operate as eyes on their helmet and it seems that it can alter the expression to display whatever emotion it is they're feeling. Each of them - other than two who both have white eyes - have different colored eyes. The others then followed behind and soon enough, all 5 of them were circling me as if they were the vultures while I was the snack.

  "Okay, buster, first off, you ain't fooling no one with that excuse and second, we are willing to kill you if you don't give us what we want right now!" the purple-eyed girl yelled as she grappled onto my collar, wrinkling and tugging at it. If her objective was to intimidate me, she was doing a brilliant job. My fragile mindset was frenzied and unsure on how to reply as fear was just overtaking my thinking process.

  I closed my eyes and tried my best to convince myself that this was a dream. This is all a dream. Definitely a dream. Definitely not a dream. My eyes began to look left and right in an unsettled panic as the more I looked at their menacing masks, the more I wanted to unleash a shrill scream.

  "D-do you want money, my lunch coupon, my backpack, I really don't know what you're talking about!" I shout out as I repel my face away. They still didn't trust me and the grip she had on me was tightening by the minute. This time, I was being genuine. I was nothing but clueless to what these intergalactic martians might want with me but to them, it just seemed like I was playing a facade of stupidity. The purple-eyed girl then tilted her head at me before vigorously pinning me against a wall.

  "Enough with the yip-yap and shy-shy, smart-aleck! We know you have the last Astral Gem! Where is it?! Speak now or for goodness sake, you don't want to know what I'm going to do to you!" Tears were already cascading down my cheeks as my mind flashed through the plethora of lovable memories I had. I'm too young and pretty to die! That's when it struck me though. Are they talking about the mysterious, glassy ruby that dissolved into my hand earlier today? But, how would they know about that?

  "I'm losing my patience here!" she clamored into my trembling face.

  "Please, don't hurt me! If you're trying to find some red gem, I-I found it in a dumpster in an alleyway. Uhm, an-and then I was curious and picked it up. After that, it dissolved in my hand, okay! I don't have it anymore. It's g-gone!" I managed to stammer out. That was when her grip began to loosen and I was left with an aching neck. However, she still seemed awfully dubious on whether I was telling the truth or not. Her digital eyes were now lowered to the floor and after a few seconds, they turned their attention back to me. She whispered something under her breath before going into a muffled conversation with the others. Run, Katie, now's your chance! I put the pedal to the medal and started to hurtle towards the door but to my dismay, when I tried unlocking it, it still wouldn't budge. They probably did something to the door to ensure I couldn't escape. Gosh darn it. I turn back towards the posse with a sigh of disappointment as a blue-eyed trooper approaches me.

  "Alrighty, girly pop, let's see if you really mean what you say or you're just trying to pull our legs when they don't want to be yanked." The others began to cringe at how he was phrasing everything.

  I too had to admit that I was beginning to feel less and less scared by them for every second that passes by. "Show me your hand," he then instructed in a brusque voice. Well, boundaries is a thing I stand for but even a dummy has enough sense in them to not get on the galactic alien's bad side. I obediently did as told and unfurled my clammy palm for all of them to analyze. Kind of disturbing and embarrassing, not going to lie. They all gasped at a red, crystal-shaped insignia I conveniently had engraved at the palm of my hand. I didn't even notice that peculiar marking. I guess the stress from classes and - ugh - Emery, made me turn a blind eye to this peculiar imprint. All of them then began rubbing their noggins, placing their hands at their hips and shaking their heads in chagrin. What's the matter? Did I unknowingly make a disastrous mistake by picking up that weird gem? The entity with green eyes had now made his way to a bookshelf and had inclined his body against it, arms folded and head directed downwards with such nonchalance. He proceeds to rub his fingers together and gradually, I begin to see blurry, crackling sparks emit from his fingertips as he stares at me curiously

  "Welp, I'm already ready for the backup plan in case something like this happens. Sorry, girl, no hard feelings for what I'm about to do," he says in a placid tone before hurling a miniscule zap of electricity into my brain, disrupting it and making me lose my consciousness. It feels like I was just hit with the worst headache ever and the sudden gush of pain caused me to stumble onto the floor. My hands press against my throbbing head as it becomes more difficult for me to open my eyes. I can vaguely discern the others reprimanding the green one on something though I can't point out the details. All 5 of them then gather around me as I slowly close my eyes and drift apart from reality. Soon enough, darkness begins flooding my eyesight and I find myself just trapped in a world of nothingness. I can't see anything, I can't hear anything, I can't sense anything and I'm just a corpse at the moment. I'm already waiting for a godly light to penetrate through my eyelids and angels to descend from heaven and take me away. I don't know how my parents will react to this catastrophe. Most likely my mom and dad will spiral into a mental breakdown and be at that phase where they're just overwhelmed with grief.

  Fortunately, this isn't when my fate is sealed. I think they intentionally meant to render me comatose temporarily instead of just getting rid of me as I was beginning to sense a cooling breeze embrace my face. I slowly but surely was able to find the strength to make subtle movements with my fingers and my ears were starting to hear the distinguishable noises of mechanical grating. The mechanical grating of wheels. My hands also began to feel around like newborn infants exploring their new world and I could detect the soft firmness that was corresponding to a mattress. If I had to speculate anything, I could only assume from these sensory hints that I'm being wheeled around in a gurney. Sudden strength was flowing into my veins rapidly and my eyes - actually still tired and feeble - began to flicker like a candle to life. I could see ceiling lights greeting me, a white tiled ceiling, many lab-coated people moseying around with notepads in their underarms, computers storing complex data and-

  "I can tell you're awake now. You can drop the whole 'dead' act," a girl with silky and enchanting magenta hair comments with her arms akimbo. I actually am still too weak to get up but I can open my eyes fully now and I can move my head to and fro.

  I'm able to see 5 vibrant-haired figures - which I can only assume are the same people who abducted me from school - gathered around some sort of industrial pedestal that's emitting rays of cyan light. It seems like they were expecting something to happen so I just continued lying down despite me having enough vitality to stand on my own two legs. Who knows what they might do if I stood up? Knock me out again? Now, everything that's been happening has been kind of volatile and surreal but nothing in any science-fiction book could've mentally prepared me for the holographic giant to materialize in the center of the mystical pedestal. The hologram manifested a really eerie dude: a cowl concealed his face, he was wearing all types of weird, ancient accessories and he was also holding onto a cool-looking staff. A blue-haired boy with sawtooth hair was the one to enlighten the hologram - who I'm also guessing is their boss - on their recent findings.

  "The good news, Magic Keeper sir, is that we found the gem. The bad news is..." he then trailed off. He was shuffling his legs, his hand was caressing his ocean-blue locks and I bet if I could see his expression, his eyes would be fluttering all over the place.

  At that moment, I also began to believe that it was safe to at least elevate my body to a sitting position. I do so slowly and vigilantly. If the holographic figure took any notice of me moving, I would just freeze until I'm granted permission to move. That was the dumb plan for now.

  "Well, what is it? Come on, spit it out. Don't keep things inside your chest, Nash," the hologram echoes back in a deeper, more resonant voice that was reminiscent of my old Uncle Bam's.

  "Well, uhm, the girl - Katie Ericson - she discovered the Astral Gem before us - and-and it sorta bonded with her," Nash replies in a squealing voice. Afterwards, it was as if a curse of silence plagued the premises. Everyone from the hologram known as the Magic Keeper to Nash to the other crayon-haired kids to the personnel scurrying around were all speechless and frankly at a loss for words. I'm up and about now but I instantly freeze - as I said I would - with my hands above my head when the Magic Keeper flickers his eyes towards me. Eventually, everybody does the same and suddenly, I feel like some sort of masterpiece in an art museum although I'm not a fan of everybody gazing dull-eyed into my face.

  "Katie, is it?" the Magic Keeper inquires and I just look at him with a dopey expression, eyes dilated and mouth agape. Now, I'm getting that feeling when you're on stage and are forced to give a speech that nobody wants to hear except the teachers. I gulp apprehensively and nod my head.

  "So, the gem dissolved in your hands, huh?" I nod my head again with that same goofy face still maintained. "And you have the jewel imprint too I presume?" Yup, sir! I reveal to him the weird marking on my hand before shoving it inside my pocket and now that you've milked all the information you can get out of me, I will excuse myself from this exquisite establishment you got here. Yeah, my brain's too frazzled by terror to actually say that in front of his face. He then turns his head away, murmurs something under his breath before looking back at me. His eyes toughen as he clears his throat. Everybody else was still quiet and somber and I'm just in the middle of this feeling disorientated. "Katie, do you even understand what you've just done?" I shrug. "You took hold of the Astral Gem and by some miracle, it found a connection with you which makes you one special person," he announces. Thanks for the compliment but all I want right now is to return to mundane New York.

  "Those Astral Gems are rare and extremely powerful. They're enchanted jewels forged in the furnace of the dwarf star, Solestes, and empowered by the strongest of supernovas." Okay, at this point, I think everybody here is a member of some kind of mysterious cult and is just filling my brain with fictional gibberish. What is Solestes? Why are supernovas the topic of conversation now? "Since the last one has bonded with you, you are the last individual in the world to have gained magical abilities beyond your comprehension." Wait...WHAT! What did he just say? Alright, I did say beforehand that I wasn't believing a single thing this hologram said but imagining the possibility of superpowers made me teem with excitement. Once he was done with his whole monologue of insight - I didn't listen to most of the things he said afterward - I diffidently raised up my hand. He nodded his head in response as approval for me to speak.

  "So, let me get this straight, you're basically saying that I get superpowers?" I question. He rolls his eyes at the hackneyed term and nods his head again. I peer into his stone-face for a couple seconds before literally shedding tears of laughter. I end up collapsing to the floor, kicking my feet, grasping onto my stomach and letting out a barrel of howls. THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE ALL RIGHT!

  Everyone is glaring at me as I laugh my heart out on the floor. Eventually, I compose myself and inform him that if this was for some sort of movie, they'd definitely obtain a high rating from me. He emits a low grumble as he gives a side eye to the color-haired troopers. They all cowered slightly, their eyes glided to the other direction and they all receded from their original positions like panicky mice.

  "Okay, you don't believe me. That's fine. It happens to the most of us," he says bluntly. "Try opening out your hand and focusing all your energy on it. If nothing happens, you're free to go." I mean, I don't see any harm in doing so and I would do anything to escape this laboratory of lunatics. I close my eyes and unfurl my hand. This is going to be so awkward and so humiliating but after what I've been through, I'm too addled to care about dignity. I then groan and bellow as I give all my concentration to the palm of my left hand. I can already picture everyone looking at me disgustedly as if I'm trying to unleash a fart. I also completely anticipated for nothing to emerge. It wasn't like a smoldering flame or a lightning bolt was going to stem from my hand. At least, that was my initial perception but anybody's perception can change at the snap of a finger.

  After a minute of stillness, I planned to give up and complain to the Magic Keeper for making me do such a disgraceful act in the first place but then, I began to feel something. Something was gradually materializing in my hand and I soon found myself holding onto rugged leather. I open my eyes and am knocked down in amazement to see that I'm grappling onto an almighty, spiritual sword like the ones knights use in fairytales. I turn towards the Magic Keeper and he now has one of his arms stationed at his hip while his head tipped slightly. He could already tell from my raised eyebrows and rapidly-blinking eyes that I was obviously lost in a maze of confusion. "Believe me now, Katie?" he asks cheekily. I turn to the sword then to him and then back at the sword and then back at him. Did that scarlet stone really grant me the ability to create weapons? I tried again to see if my mind or the Magic Keeper wasn't playing tricks with me. This time, the process was much easier and quicker. I created a violet-colored longbow in the palm of my other hand and a quiver of arrows fastened to my back.

  "Woah! That's super cool!" I exclaim with broad, impressed eyes. I then turn back to him with a face of lively interest. "Does this mean that I'm like a superhero now? I have to save the world and whatnot?"

  The Magic Keeper shrugs as he fiddles with his staff. He explains that I'll be saving more than just the world with these newfound abilities, I'll be protecting the entire cosmos and beyond as if it was my sworn duty to do so. Apparently, he, alongside these teenagers - who now that I think of it seem to be around my age - have been gifted with these grand powers and work together in a galactic organization known as Starstrike to liberate planets from evil, mischief and turmoil. Wow, now this is something really out of a movie and it stitches up the holes that confused me. Most likely, this is their headquarters I'm in but at this point, I can't be sure about anything anymore. I'm also still too shocked to compute everything that's occurring. He then adds that he would like me to join the others as a member of the team of STARSTRIKE if I'd like. I'm able to turn down their offer but I will have to get my powers extracted. Okay, hear me out, most people who are sensible would've said no and just resumed with their daily lives. However, if you think about it, I permanently obtain the ability to conjure any weapon I desire and I get to basically be in my own superhero, sci-fi comic. Plus, it's not like New York had big plans for me anyways so I might as well try this instead. Maybe one mission or two to see how awesome it is.

  After some deep contemplation, I solidified my choice of being the next member in the team of STARSTRIKE a.k.a Princess Pink! Okay, that hero name is kind of pathetic and corny.

  "Okay, Magic Keeper, you've got me hooked! I'd love to be a part of this 'saving the world' thing. I'd like to see bad guys even try to land a hit on me with these powers!" I reply and he smiles contentedly, already seeing the potential I could bring to the table.

  "Great! Since you're officially a member of STARSTRIKE now, I'll tell the Constructians to create your own personal room in our base. I'll also inform you all of any incoming threats when they chime in. In the meantime, I'll let you get more acquainted with your teammates," he enlightened before the hologram displaying him vanished into thin air. I can't believe this. I actually can't. I'm going to be the galaxy's next protector and I am so thrilled but frightened at the same time. I then turned to the group of teens and thought that I might as well socialize with the others. When I approach them, I can see a mixture of expressions. Some scowls, some smiles and some expressions of unconcern. Also, another thing I haven't informed about me is that when I get pumped with zeal, I have a tendency to talk at a rapid pace in a high-frequency voice. I began to shake all of their hands passionately with a blood-curdling smile stuck on my face. I didn't even bother to ask if they were repelled by my 'right in your face' enthusiasm.

  "OhmygodhiI'mKatieandisittruethatyouguysgettosavethegalaxyandthatIgettoaswell?!" I ask as I leap in one position. A boy with sparkling cardinal eyes, snowy-white hair and a pair of red-lens goggles donned on his head gave a nervous chortle before replying:

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  "Uhm, yeah, you basically get the gist of it. My name's Decker by the way. Decker Mureau. I'm kind of the brains around here. I help in the labs, I create new weapons, I brew spells and I'm the only one who's not an idiot on the team." He gives a derisive grin to the others who madly glare at him, bare their teeth and clench their fists. Okay, this team is clearly not friendly with one another and there seems to be more hostility than cooperation. The blue haired boy - Nash if I can recall - shoves past Decker and greets me with a charismatic bow. Judging from his smug expression, he's probably the type of individual who just radiates confidence. He introduces himself as the - ugh - legendary, fantastic and super charming Nash Esper. He declared that with more flair and pazazz than I can even describe.

  "He's also the world's most compulsive liar," the green-haired boy at the back retorts behind him while his eyes focus on the ceiling.

  Nash rolls his eyes at his teammate's snarkiness. Dang, is this really the team that's in charge of rescuing the galaxy from danger? I'm surprised Earth hasn't been marauded by any alien invasions yet because from what I'm witnessing, these guys could barely survive breathing the same air as each other.

  "Don't listen to Caleb," says Nash. "He's just a fox who can't catch a break! Just loves to poke fun at anybody because it's quote unquote 'entertaining.' Right, Whitner?" Caleb leers at Nash before turning to me and gives me a wave of the hand. Okay, so Caleb's meant to be the boy of criticism and witticism. Gotcha. After that, a girl wearing an aquamarine tie-dye shirt and a pair of jeans with entrancing locks of chalky white introduces herself as Danielle Mureau, Decker's twin sister. Her expression of friendliness is more casual and welcoming than the others. She seems like she's the only one who would genuinely act normal in this hectic group. Her smile then expands as she scampers over and begins to eye my sakura-blossom hair.

  "Woah, I love your hair! It's so pretty and pink!" she acclaims. I get many compliments regarding my hair. I'm glad my parents allowed me to dye it. Danielle continued to dance around me with a brightened face and I did appreciate her spark but I didn't like the fact that she was barging into my personal space.

  Fortunately, Decker informed his sister that she was most likely making me feel uncomfortable so she eventually retracted her arms and backed away. Then, I noticed at the corner of my eye one more individual. It was the girl from earlier with the magenta locks, hair bow and checkered vest. I'd completely forgotten about her and I even forgot to greet her. In an instant, I bolted towards her, shook her hand and introduced myself with a smile of hospitality. However, my neighborly greeting was not reciprocated with much kindness from the girl.

  "Oh, ew! D-don't ever touch me with...t–those!" she screeched. I furrowed my brow and took two steps back. Okay, I'm now sensing Emery vibes emanating from this girl. "Listen, Katie, I'm Larissa and I don't want to come off as mean but I don't want my hands to come in contact with someone that looks so atrocious. That jacket and dress doesn't look designer and your skin needs moisturizer, honey," she remarks in a scathing tone. I had to hold back the fiery anger that rose within my body once she said that with such pride. On the bright side, I calm down my emotions pretty quickly but her bratty attitude already is finding its way underneath my skin.

  Decker then approaches me and asks if I'd like a tour of his own personal laboratory.

  "Not to brag but it has a lot of cool chemicals like galactros oxide, meta-fluorine and my personal favorite, H21," he commented. Danielle then madly pushes him aside and asks if I'd like to join her for some 'team talk' in her room. It's just so she can get to know me better. I giggle awkwardly but then Nash charges in and questions if I want to check out the practice room. From what he told me, they're highly advanced projectors in that facility that form realistic and tangible holograms for you to use as combat practice. I'm not really sure if I'm ready for all of that yet. Larissa is the only one who doesn't want to hang out with me and the feeling is very much mutual. She's just glaring at me menacingly and I'm just trying to be as friendly as I can be with her because who knows, maybe she's just not that sociable or is just naturally impolite. Or she might not be scowling at me and is just trying to subdue the annoyance she's feeling from Caleb who keeps on obtrusively whispering stuff in her ear. Before I can say anything about the others' avid requests, the Magic Keeper's hologram appears again behind me and I visibly jump back.

  "Trouble is approaching quicker than anticipated. Our Stellar Sensors are detecting anomalous energy levels emanating from a conifer forest in New York, Earth. I'd like you all to investigate the cause of this irregularity and Katie, don't worry, your STARSTRIKE suit will be given to you shortly," he informs in a mechanical voice before allowing the others to dispatch. Oh my goodness, now I'm really riveted! I also am going to get those cool tactical masked suits that they were wearing. Awesome! The others now have grave expressions on all of their faces. They all stare at each other's eyes and with a nod, they dart towards a hallway that has the words 'LEADS TO TRANSPORT TERMINAL' bolded on the wall. A few seconds later, a scientist then approaches me with an eccentric looking wristband. There's a pink colored button on it and when she wraps it around my arm, I can tell the material used to make this is pretty bulky.

  "Just click on the button and it will activate the STARSTRIKE suit. There's no time to waste! Go with your teammates!" the scientist says curtly. In a quavery voice, I thank her before trying to catch up with the others. In the midst of my journey, I click on the button of the wristband and BAM, scraps of dark metal plating and a bright pink aura surround me before thrusting themselves to combine with my body.

  I expected the process to be painful but I didn't even feel a thing. Before I even realized it, I'm wearing the suit and I look fa-bu-lous despite me looking no different than the others except for the eye color on the mask and the pink heart ornamenting my chest. When I finally made it to the Transport Terminal, I was blown away with amazement and had to take a second to assimilate the fact that I was looking at a row of spaceships. SPACESHIPS! All of them are differently designed and all of them were massive. Danielle waves her hand from the one that kind of just looks like an advanced fighter jet.

  "Katie, hurry up, we have no time to lose!" she bellows out and I accelerate my pace. As I get there, Nash is already starting up the thrusters - I think that's what they're called - and all the others are already inside. Not wanting to miss the flight, I vault through the entrance of the spacecraft with such unmatched velocity that I end up falling face flat onto the floor and completely missing my seat.

  "Pfft, Katie, how's the floor tasting?! I bet the cleaning detergent really got yourself washed for the mission," Caleb howls as he laughs maniacally, one of his hands grasping onto his pumping chest and another used to wipe away his tears of laughter.

  I sigh as I rise from the floor and notice in shock that the only available seat left is next to Larissa's. She's currently reading a fashion magazine but then glares at me when I advance towards her. She places both her legs on the last remaining seat and suggests that I just sit on the floor. Now, I could've protested here but I didn't want to question the professionals so with another sigh unleashed, I took a seat on the very floor I fell upon with embarrassment perceptible in my face. In the meantime, I observe the vast galaxy from the windows. There was a never ending armada of stars that twinkled through this astral abyss, the planets were colossal, mesmerizing spheres of colors and the asteroids that just slowly floated by were enchanting in their own way. I can already tell that Larissa was eyeing me from her seat but I didn't give a care in this world about how she perceives me. We went past Saturn and its rings were more gorgeous in real life than they portray it to be in the photos. Jupiter the gas giant proved itself to be the biggest planet in our solar system and I just loved the sandy color of it but soon, we eventually arrived at my homeland, Earth. Surprisingly, New York is exactly where I live as well so this was about to get interesting.

  VILLAIN'S VIEW

  Animals scutter away with permanent frowns on all their faces. Some have to watch in horror as they're families are apprehended by terrorizing vines. Squeals are all they hear of them before the vines entangle onto their bodies with unparalleled strength. The vines are patient with their prey and if their prey manages to escape, the trees will block their way. Slowly but surely, creatures begin to get strangled by lianas, poisoned by hogweed and eaten alive by mutated pitcher plants. A monstrous figure emerges amidst the violent chaos, opens her arms wide and nods in satisfaction. The vicious entity has a pale blue skin tone and her head is concealed by a venus flytrap-like jaw that is embedded to the rest of her body. She has 3 pairs of crimson bulges on each side of her jaw and her body is completely enveloped in leaves, thorns and more red bulges. She also appears to have a pair of spiky vine-like appendages at her shoulder regions. Azaleas and daffodils rise from the dirt as she treads through the villainous forest and eventually, she makes her way to a grassy ridge where no trees are situated.

  There, the city of Rochester is revealed to her eyes that smolder with fury as she clenches her fists.

  "My babies, you have been tortured for far too long by those despicable humans! Your kind doesn't deserve to be cut down, ashamed and used as facial cream!" she roars with a stomp of her foot. "You all deserve vengeance against those who have mistreated you. That is why, I ,your new queen will guide you all to victory. They want to cut down our habitats? Fine! We'll just retaliate by taking down their city!" All the spindly roots then proceed to inch down the ledge and towards the buildings. The beastly venus flytraps leap from where they are and begin charging towards the metropolis alongside their cobra lily and angel's trumpet brethren. The vile entity observes from above as her squadron of magical plants approach the helpless city. Meanwhile, in the city of Rochester, the sun emits its scorching rays upon the populace, pedestrians are strolling peacefully through swarming streets, traffic congestion teems the area with car honks, and delicious aromas from restaurants and food vendors please the citizens' nostrils.

  However, the normalcy of this day was about to take a catastrophic turn. In a flash, people gasp as mammoth creeping plants crush their buildings into nothing but debris. An invasion of moss begins to take over their streets with an influence of nature green. Roots of titanic proportion burst through the ground and begin to spread throughout the city. Flowers begin to blossom on buildings, vehicles and sidewalks as they chase away the humans who once had authority over this place. The evil figure cackles in content as she watches the pandemonium ensue.

  "Yes, yes, destroy everything they love, my pretties! Avenge your comrades from injustice! This utopia is ours to rule!" she declares in a booming voice. Her berserk joy was unfortunately cut short once she saw an awfully familiar spaceship appear in the sky. Her eyes narrow in disgust. "No, they will not ruin this revolution. I'll make sure of it," she mutters. Her vine-like appendages then extend towards the spaceship with unprecedented strength and she eventually strikes it down from the sky. Blossoming streaks of fire erupt from the spacecraft as it begins to descend towards the Earth at an agonizingly rapid pace.

  Katie

  I could've never expected a moment of calmness to alter into madness in the matter of a nanosecond. As Nash directed the spaceship towards the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport, a pair of prickly, tremendous vines came out of nowhere and demolished our ship's thrusters. Without them, Nash couldn't steer the spacecraft properly and that means...WE'RE ABOUT TO CRASH!!!

  "Everybody! Brace yourselves!" Nash exclaimed before he tugs at the steering wheel, trying his best to at least decelerate the ship's aggressive speed. At this point, our crash might blow the airport up in flames if we don't do something about it. Larissa has now assimilated the gravity of the situation and has hurled away the magazine she was reading before making her way through a circular hatch on the ceiling.

  "Where are you going?!" I scream out. She's steadily clinging onto the ladder and has an aloof expression on her face as if she wasn't at all daunted by the possibility of death knocking on her doorstep.

  "I'm going to save you guys' butts," she replies bluntly before emitting a vexed groan. "Again." I think she's walking towards her funeral and has just lost her mind.

  I know I feel nothing short from resentment towards that girl but I just couldn't let Larissa go like that. Out of pure unease and zero sympathy, I clamber up the ladder after her to see what she's up to. The wind is monstrous and acts like a powerful beast that just clings onto my face. The almighty breeze had hindered my eyes to the point I had to squint but I could still see Larissa standing airily at the top of the spaceship. What I witnessed next was a true display of power. She simply raised one of her fingers and the ruthless gusts of wind began to gradually accumulate around it. I was able to look at her clearly without squinting now but my entire body was quaking to approach her. Then, she began to do a heaving motion with her arms which appeared to be slowing down the formidable momentum of the spaceship. Once the ship had ceased in plummeting further, Larissa laid down her arms in relief as the spaceship proceeded to lower closer towards the ground at a more calming pace. Are her powers wind manipulation because if so, that makes her kind of admirable. With her abilities, she managed to prevent a disastrous crash and all of us had alighted safely on the landing pad. When I came back down, the others were acquiring weapons from a glass case.

  Nash took some sort of blue spiked mace, Danielle snatched a pair of glistening lancets, Decker grasped onto an intimidating axe, Caleb grabbed a glowing green-colored lance and when Larissa came down from the hatch, she seized a bladed whip with tinges of purple in it. That left me with the classic saber and it was customized with my favorite color, pink. All of us scampered down the ship and witnessed in terror to see nightmarish venus flytraps invading the premises.

  "Well, this is why I don't have a green thumb," Danielle remarked as she along with the others began advancing towards the mutant plants. Oh, no, no, no. I'd like to take all of this back. I didn't know we'd be fighting actual monsters! I'm not a fighter and I'm not cut out for this so, instead of walking towards the threat, I marched back towards the spaceship. "Katie, where are you going?" Danielle asked which made me pause in place.

  "None of you told me we were going to battle against...those!" I responded while fearfully pointing at a feral venus flytrap kicking over a forklift.

  "Don't worry, Katie, that's what you were given powers for. Plus, I thought you were excited to go and save the world and whatnot," Decker added on. Ugh, I hate when my past decisions come to bite me in the butt. My grip tightens around my radiant sword as I close my eyes and unbridle a few breaths. I then nod my head and proceed to anxiously plunge into battle with my teammates. With one arbitrary slash, I already succeeded in cutting down one of the leafy beasts and with each one I took down, the more my confidence skyrocketed. I gracefully and methodically gashed at all my opponents without a single one of them touching me. Okay, maybe this hero thing might not be as difficult as I thought. That is until I tripped over some random protruding root in the way and am then seized by one of those hideous plants. This eyesore of a venus flytrap was about to devour me alive and I could already picture its teeth chomping down on my body. Fortunately though, whenever I make a mistake, that's when my teammates come in to help me out. Danielle hastily shot a magical ray of azure towards the plant and it ended up freezing it into a block of ice. Ice powers! That's one useful ability! With that, I was able to break out of the venus flytrap's clutches and was back in the battle.

  "You okay?" Danielle asked and I gave an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Remember, you don't only have to use your sword, Katie. You have the power of weapon creation. Just make two swords or heck, three!" Right, right, I kept forgetting that I had more than just a measly saber. I'm grateful that she gave me that brisk reminder as in battle, you don't get much breathing space. A row of monstrous pitcher plants then surrounded me and that was just the perfect situation to test out my ability. With a tactical grin, I created a grenade at the palm of my hand - I know, a little extreme but I wanted to bring some firepower into this fight - before tossing it at my enemies and running away as far as I could. All of them erupted into ash and it was honestly kind of satisfying to watch. From what I saw from my teammates in the battle, Caleb seemed to be electrocuting all of his opponents with blasts of thunder while Nash just continued to mockingly dodge the plants' attacks before punching them straight to the skies. Decker was trying to get the civilians to safety and if any mutated plants got in his way, they would be set ablaze. Danielle was firing rays of ice magic at all directions as a relentless militia of vines were coming after her and Larissa was just zapping the heck out of some of the plants with magic rain clouds she could create.

  Okay, change in my observation beforehand, Larissa has weather manipulation, not wind. For most of the battle, it seemed like we would - even if it would take an agonizingly long time - obtain triumph and save the city of Rochester from the invading plants. Our mass assassination of their comrades just lured more of them over so it kept the inhabitants, which included my parents, safe from their wrath. Well, until giant beanstalks began sprouting from the ground around us and soon formed an enclosure that trapped the 6 of us. A venus-flytrap, humanoid creature with lengthy, vine-reminiscent tentacles at its shoulders then appeared over the wall of greenery and began to approach us with booming footsteps.

  "How dare you kill my offspring?! You are ruining my big plans and because of that, I will take immense pleasure in cementing your graves," said the anomaly.

  "And who are you supposed to be? Mother Nature?" Caleb commented in a teasing voice as he waved his lance at it. Uhm, I don't think you should be insulting the angry monster, bud. The monster tilted its head before sending a barrage of swift vines that painfully pinned Caleb against the wall.

  "Okay, I think I broke-eeh-everything," he squeaked before falling to the ground. All of us looked at him with displeased frowns as Decker helped him back up to his feet. Alright, I'm beginning to pick up where this is going. This must be the main adversary. The one who has control over these destructive plants.

  "I am Petalslash, vengeful guardian of nature, and I assume that you must be the notorious team of STARSTRIKE. Here to stop me and my babies when we've done nothing wrong. We're simply reclaiming the world that once belonged to us," Petalslash explained. Nash's eyebrows sloped as he pointed his mace towards it. He mentioned that although she might believe that her motives are righteous, it still involved the suffering of innocent people. The red orbs on Petalslash which I can only guess are the eyes narrowed as thorny roots began to form around her. "Innocent? They're nowhere near innocent. They've killed many and many of my kind! Turned them into furniture and treat them as if they're inanimate! That's not happening today! I will show them all, I will show you all how alive we plants are!" she screeched before sending her robust appendages towards us.

  In a worrying flash, it grabbed Larissa and threw her across the battlefield. Caleb attempted to neutralize her with his beams of electricity but it proved to be ineffective against Petalslash. Danielle and Decker then lunged into the tyrant with their weapons only to be kicked away with godly strength. Nash climbed up the wall of beanstalks with unmatched speed as spindly roots began to pursue him. With confidence shining through him as he climbed higher up the wall, he then made the bold move to pounce onto Petalslash. She clearly didn't expect the swift maneuver and began squirming about, trying to get Nash off her. He withdrew his mace to finally put an end to her reign of villainy but was stopped as a luminescent glow began emitting from Petalslash's head. A beam of mass destruction unexpectedly shot from her head, resulting in Nash being smoldered and gravely weakened. Now, I was the only one left. My eyes twitched with fear, my knees began to tremble again and the self-esteem I once had was waning away. With pure evil gleaming through her, Petalslash approached me as her armada of plants followed behind her.

  "How the mighty have fallen? What's your plan to take me down, pink one? Soon, you'll be just like your team, defeated by the hands of nature," she bellowed.

  I backed up slowly as they came closer. Come on, Katie, think, think. I turn to my hand and summon a shield to accompany my sword. I raised my shield to my chest, pointed my trusty saber towards my enemies and bent my knees slightly. "How hilarious! The pink one expects to beat me with a knight's weapons. Well, that won't save you! Here, let me demonstrate!" She sends a strength-ingrained vine my way and I close my eyes for my eventual demise but it doesn't come. Instead I hear the sounds of a crackling, vicious fire followed by the cacophonous sound of Petalslash's shrieks of pain. The immediate thought that comes to my head is: 'Saved by a Decker.' I open my eyes to see Petalslash flailing about while Decker looks at her triumphantly. The others are slowly getting up from the ground and all I could feel is relief. I felt way more safe and confident with my more experienced teammates by my side.

  "Alrighty, plantie, let me make it simple for ya. If you surrender yourself to the OoS, I'll stop the flames and it'll make things a whole less complicated for you," said Decker. Petalslash then collapsed to the ground as the flames began to diminish from her body. Her skin which was once a pastel blue now had jet black marks all over her. She gave your classic villain laugh before steadily rising from the floor. All her limbs were shaky and I even had to applaud her for enduring those powerful flames.

  "Heh, you all think you're so superior? Well, then, let me break it down for you," she grumbled before a horde of animalistic vines began to sprout from the ground and proceeded to envelop all of us with overwhelming power. Before the vines could take hold of me, I quickly used my sword to slice them into pieces before they could do anything. My teammates on the other hand were not so unfortunate. I watched in horror as more vines began to swaddle them and suffocate them. Decker couldn't incinerate the plants if he could barely move a muscle. "You're in my battlefield so I control it." She then turned to me with a manic gaze. "You're next, sweetie!" Of course, more vines began to materialize from the ground and I somehow found myself being surrounded by opponents again. This time though, Petalslash made sure that my teammates wouldn't rescue me. Oh no, what to do? What to do?! At this terrifying moment, nothing but agitation and fear consumed me and all I wanted to do was run away. So that's what I did. I created a bomb to blow myself an exit and another which was a smoke bomb to blind my enemies, giving me a chance to escape. I know it's a traitorous move, leaving your team behind like that, but I was too afraid to do anything and there were just too many plants for me to save the day by myself.

  With a frown on my face, I hurled the smoke bomb at Petalslash and it worked like a charm. Clouds of gray smoke blurred her vision and while she and her army were diverted, I used the other bomb I had to explode the wall and flee. Before I did, I gave one last tentative look at my fallen teammates. I shouldn't leave them. I should leave them. I barely even know them, but Larissa did save me from dying in a spaceship crash and Decker also helped me out when Petalslash had cornered me against a wall. My feelings were thrown in a blender at this point. They were just twirling with uncertainty but in the end, I decided to create a jetpack and fly towards my house. My parents were probably worried sick about me and I could use their boundless affection in this stressful time. I soared through the skies as tears began to drip away from my face. I had just abandoned all of them: Nash, Decker, Danielle, Caleb and Larissa. All because I was just too frightened to go against such a terrorizing force. I've never felt so guilty but I just couldn't think of a way where I could beat Petalslash and her army all by myself. I was just a helpless kid that got mixed into this dilemma.

  Everything I did was a mistake ever since me and my parents moved to New York. I've put some very nice people in great danger and I'm now just stuck, unsure of what my next plan of action should be. In the end, I arrived at my household without either of my parents seeing me in my suit. I clicked the button on the wristband again and I transformed back into my casual outfit. With my face still soaked in sadness, I plodded towards the door and tiredly rang the doorbell. My mother hastily opened the door and, as expected, instantly gave me a warm embrace which didn't warm me whatsoever. My dad joined in once he saw me and I could just see the amount of distress still remaining on their faces.

  "Oh, Katie! Where were you?! You scared us to death! We drove around the whole city to find you!" my mom cried as she lovingly fondled my hair.

  "We thought you might've gotten eaten by one of those things but we're so glad that you're still here, alive and well," my dad added. I gave them an infirm grin as I rubbed my arm and my eyes lowered. They could tell that something had clearly upsetted me as I didn't put an effort to try and hide my emotions.

  My dad wrapped his arm around my tense shoulders as I began to engulf my red face in my quivering hands. "Oh, sweetie, what's wrong?" my mom asked as she crouched down and wiped away my tears. I couldn't respond as my despair and profuse sobbing was impeding my vocal cords from working correctly. My dad purred out melodic 'Shh's that flowed into my ear smoothly. My mom ushered me inside where it would be a more comfortable environment to open up and brought me to the couch. I felt so vulnerable at this time. Crying at such a mature age was humiliating but I'm grateful that my parents didn't judge. Although, sometimes, I did think my mom and dad could be quite a pain in the neck, I truly did love them for being by my side no matter what.

  "Katie, tell us what's going on? You know we'll understand no matter what it is," said my father. Uhm, I don't think they'll take the story on how I got kidnapped by an organization who saves the galaxy to then become a superhero for a temporary moment only to be bested by a walking flower seriously. So, of course, I gave them a very vague rundown on what's been meddling with my mind.

  "Mom, dad, I'm just feeling the pressure of everything. Moving homes, new school and just...there's just a lot of things that have happened and I don't think I can handle them anymore. I just don't know what to do," I murmur as I cradle my knees. My father begins to caress my shoulder and I find myself nestling on his shoulder like I used to do when I was just a baby girl. My mom is holding tightly onto my hand and to be honest, I don't want her to let go as her warmth was starting to become more comforting. My sorrow must've been infectious as they've started to shed tears as well. All three of us are sort of just huddled together, providing consoling warmth to the other.

  "Sweetie, I understand that you're feeling stressed by all of this. Me and your dad feel the same way too," my mom whispered as she placed her gentle hand on my tear-drenched face. "We were unsure of making this bold decision but when an obstacle comes, you don't let it bring you down. You adapt to it, Katie. Me and your dad are trying our best to adjust to our new life and I'm sure that - slowly but surely - you will too." Aww, my mom and her sentimental morale boosters.

  Sometimes, I don't know how she does it. How she manages to always figure out a way to brighten my day. I smiled and turned to my dad who was grinning in agreement. He added that whatever problem I may face - no matter how impossible it appears - I must battle through the darkness and reach for the stars. That's just the Ericson way. My smile expands to the point where my dimples can't stretch any further. I rubbed out the droplets of desolation that casted me down and blew my nose with a handkerchief my mom granted me. I deliver both my mom and dad a thankful hug brimming with endearment before rising up from the couch. Maybe it was about time that I make things right and go rescue the others from their impending fate. I turn to my parents to inform them that I have an important mission to complete and all of a sudden, the roof of our house got devastated by one of Petalslash's villainous flower giants. A rain of debris lashed down upon me and I had to take cover under the couch. The crumbling rocks and pervasive dust flooded our house until nothing was left intact. Unfortunately, the hurdles of fallen concrete also hindered me from saving my parents from the plant's vile clutches.

  It then proceeded to take hold of the two of them and I was just too slow to stop it from transpiring.

  "Stop! Let go of them! They didn't do anything! Please, I'm begging you," I screamed in desperation but it didn't listen to me. I doubted that it even heard me. The giant blossom just turned away and began marching towards the opposite direction. "I can't lose my parents! I can't!" The tears that I thought I escaped from returned back to my eyes and I was just deteriorating with our household. What do I do now?! I can't let it take away my parents! I needed to do something! I turned to my OoS wristband and my eyes began to gleam with an impassioned resentment. I curled my hands and my face malformed into a vengeful snarl. I refused for my actions to drag my parents into this pandemonium. I'll protect them if it's the last thing I do. With breaths that empowered me with determination, I clicked on my wristband which activated my suit. I don't have time to waste. For all I know, the flowers have already feasted on my mom and dad. No, Katie, think positive thoughts. I then examined my demolished surroundings. How this once looked like a lackluster house that I loathed but it actually turned out to be a blank canvass for me to decorate upon. I became even more fueled by ire as I thought of all this.

  How much my parents have worked, how much this means to me and to them, how it all could just disappear before my very eyes. No, that's not going to happen! "That plant's going down," I mutter to myself as I create a new jetpack and glide towards the direction where the flower monster went. The clouds and windy atmosphere didn't faze me as my entire will and mind was dead set on rescuing my parents from those despicable creatures. I eventually found it wrecking down a skyscraper and terrifying more civilians. Buildings were collapsing into dust and citizens were scattering away from Nature's wrath. I could also see my parents trapped in one of its tendrils which cushioned my anxiety to some extent. Now, I need to get them out of there before the blossom decides to make them its next snack.

  "Hey, petal-face! Send this message to your master! You are not taking this city and you are certainly not going to hurt its people!" I shout out which sounds kind of cliche now that I said it aloud. It turns to me and releases a deafening roar before charging in to take me down. Perfect. I create a 5 second timed grenade and slingshot it inside its grotesque mouth. Before it can even get a drop of saliva on me, it explodes into a bunch of viscous, disgusting goop.

  I take a second to bask in my glory, pride and the applause I'm receiving from the civilians but then I realize that without the monster, my mom and dad would be falling down from the sky. With this revelation pummeling my brain, I speedily dive in and grab the two of them before they can make impact with the ground. This encourages the crowd below to give an even louder and more enlivened cheer. My dad furrows his brow and turns to me with a face of skepticism.

  "Do I know you, Miss Superhero?" he inquires with an edge to his voice. Shoot, I've never mastered how to lie competently towards your parents yet so I'm just a stuttering mess at the moment. My first priority however is getting them back to the ground where it's more safe. As I settle the two of them down, I clear my throat and shake my head in response.

  "Uhm, no sir," I reply in an awkward, baritone voice. "I'm just your average masked hero here to save the day." Both of their eyes look at me with wonder and I'm starting to panic on whether they recognize my voice or not. Abruptly, I'm soon bombarded with photo flashes, dying questions and crazed fans. This makes me start to question if fame really is a good thing or not.

  "What is your name, mighty hero?" one of the paparazzi asks. Shoot, I haven't come up with a half-decent superhero name yet either so to avoid answering more scary inquiries and to give off a mysterious appeal, I fly away with my jetpack to help the others from becoming a plant's dinner. This time, I'm not cowardly running away like the last battle. I will save them and I will put an end to Petalslash's tyranny. The colossal structure composed of beanstalks, moss, roots and leaves is still there at the airport and I'm just praying that my team is still alive and have yet to be suffocated by the constricting vines. Another beneficial tip I've learned from the movies is that making yourself prominent is just a one way ticket to an epic fail. You need to be sneaky and analytic like a spy. Sadly, I don't have those assets in me but I'll try my best. The structure is engulfed with venus flytrap guards that could cause a whole chain reaction of warfare if I were to be noticed, so I decided to create an ultra-powered drill to dig myself a tunnel into the core of the mayhem. I know. I'm a good problem solver. While I was doing this, I was also trying to formulate a cohesive plan when I get in there because most likely, Petalslash was already expecting my anticipated arrival and would probably be ready when I appear. As I crawled with difficulty through the narrow tunnel, I suddenly perceived that something was clinging onto my leg.

  My hands, body and legs were crammed into one position by the walls of rocky soil encasing me but I was still able to revolve my head. I turned around to see an abundance of gangling roots grasping onto my leg and pulling it with shocking strength. Hastily, I created a laser ray to blast them away but that's when an idea flew into my head. Instead of finishing them all off with a laser ray, I decided to create a strand of rope that can tie up opponents by itself. The mystical rope wrapped around the roots and prevented them from causing me any more mischief. Now that I have them captured, it's time to put my newly-formed plan into motion. I inched myself through the uncomfortably compact burrow until my hands became sore and calloused from being scraped against the sandpaper-like walls. It was not a fun experience to say the least and I had to inhale a breath of fresh air when I finally dug out of it and into the structure. When I scanned the perimeter, my heart bloomed with relief when I saw that the other members of the organization have yet to be consumed or annihilated. They all were just submerged in a thick cluster of boa-like vines. I also noticed that there was no Petalslash in sight so she must've left momentarily to go and torment other people.

  This was my golden opportunity to free my team from their restraints. With that, I trotted towards them with such graceful stealthiness if I do say so myself and quickly constructed a jagged-toothed scythe to hack through the tangle of vines. It was a time-consuming task but thankfully, none of the freak plants caught me in the act. Decker and Nash thanked me with sincere gratitude that I came back to save them.

  "Honestly, I thought you'd be long gone after you left us here. I mean, who wouldn't in a situation like that. Well, of course, the exception being me but I do have to say, it's kind of impressive that you actually plucked up the courage to come back," Nash said with his arms akimbo. I smiled back at them before getting Danielle out of her restraints. It's true. I was planning to just abandon them but with some wiseness and confidence endowed from parental figures, I decided that I couldn't abandon my team. The very team that helped me out in various situations of crisis. Now it was my turn to return the favor. As I released Danielle from her shackles of greenery, she gave me a hug whilst declaring a thousand 'Thank you's. I didn't want to put down her act of thankfulness but her hug was dang constricting. I could hardly breathe and I was beginning to think that this hug was intentionally out of retaliation for leaving them to be ruthlessly strangled. Then, there was Larissa.

  I still tried to keep a kind and compassiknate expression as I cut through the vines but I could tell that she was scowling at me with wild doubt. Once she was freed, she strutted out and raised one of her eyebrows at me. Sheesh, do I at least get some sort of reward for deciding to help you out instead of just leaving you hanging? Her eyes narrowed at me as her forehead and dimples began to crinkle.

  "Thanks, I guess," she said in the most snide tone I've ever heard. "But don't expect me to start giving you bouquets of flowers after this, Ericson." Well, I wouldn't want her flowers anyway. Besides Larissa, I was glad that I had freed everyone successfully as they'll be helpful for my plan to finally put an end to that villain of nature. The sentimental reunion was of course going to be interrupted sooner or later and I was already hearing the sounds of domineering footsteps coming closer. Petalslash had made her anticipated entrance to the ball and this time, we'll be the ones taking over the dance floor.

  "You pests just don't know when to give it up, don't ya? Well, don't worry, once I take you all down again, I'll make sure you won't get back up," she threatened using her deep, resounding voice.

  "Well, that's not going to happen because the Organization of STARSTRIKE will be putting an end to your reign of evil, Petalslash!" I announced and holy cow, I actually sounded like a brave warrior this time. She giggled at my response before sending her venus flytrap minions at us. With great swiftness, we dispersed around the area and each one of us began taking down her underlings. Me and Decker slashed and incinerated the creatures that lunged at our throats but the main issue was that Petalslash continuously called more into the battle. No matter how many of them we destroyed, more would just come swinging in and unlike the relentless plants, we would eventually become withered with exhaustion.

  "You got a plan because my brain can't compute with all these fronds in my face! Clearly getting towards her will be near impossible," Decker exclaimed as he parried all the venus flytraps' attacks with his axe. I nod my head as this is when the bundle of roots I snagged comes into play.

  "I do have an idea in mind but could you deal with these feisty fellas while I try to get closer to Petalslash?" I ask as I continue to strike at my opponents. Decker grinned before nodding his head.

  "Don't worry, I'm not letting myself be taken down by plants again. That would be super embarrassing," he replied with a wink.

  I chuckled at his humorous attitude before vaulting towards the main target. She sent her vine-like appendages at me but I had already planned for that attack. I produced a crossbow with fire arrow ammunition and began blazing my way through the obstacles. 'When an obstacle comes, you don't let it bring you down.' My mother's words echoed through my brain as my steps treaded through the battlefield like lightning. Then, I proceeded to fire a well-aimed shot directly towards Petalslash's belly. It struck its target perfectly. Petalslash began shrieking in pain which ruined her sense of thinking. She just began to haphazardly fire her laser beam of death everywhere and this is where the final piece of my plan goes into motion. With a surge of emotions flowing through my veins, I charged at her and held up the wad of roots in front of my face. This resulted in her beam striking me but it also burned the very roots she swore to protect into ash. The damage inflicted to me was perilous and whether I would recover from this was very much touch-and-go. Danielle, Decker and Nash went to see if I was okay while Caleb and Larissa held down the fort. I couldn't even lie to you by saying the pain was bearable.

  My severely blackened body felt nothing but agony by the slightest of movements and I couldn't even compare the pain to anything I've faced before. It was truly insufferable and I never wanted to feel that kind of discomfort again but at least, my efforts paid off. I couldn't turn my head to see but my ears could still hear sufficiently. The words I needed to hear to guarantee that we'd won ultimately came.

  "No, no, no! What have I done?! My poor roots, please have mercy upon me. I-I never wanted you to get in the line of fire. I just wanted to protect you all," Petalslash whimpered.

  "You've actually done the complete opposite of preserving your plants. You've just sent them into battle, thinking that violence would resolve things, and now, more of them are gone than you have started with. You still have a chance to save some of them that are left though. The Organization of STARSTRIKE is willing to give your plants a deserving home where they'll be given the treatment they need but we need you to surrender yourself for your destructive actions," Nash declared solemnly. I couldn't hear what Petalslash said afterwards as my hearing was starting to decline and so was my vision. My consciousness was soon taken away as well but all I hoped for was that everything worked out in the end.

  Afterwards, I felt like I was consumed in an ocean of shadow. You can't hear anything. You can't do anything. You can't feel anything. My mindset was weirdly serene as the lack of any noises or distractions calmed me. I actually felt more than pleased by this outcome as it removed the agony from my body. Right now, I was just numb from head to toe and my head was just a foggy forest. I was beginning to think that I would never escape this empty oblivion. That I would just drift endlessly through the darkness with only my memories of life comforting and entertaining me. Fortunately, that again wasn't the case as streams of ethereal light struck through my closed eyelids and I was starting to hear my subtle breathing once more. Everything was vague at first and I couldn't distinguish a thing but that's when I saw Danielle and Caleb's faces looking down on me. Caleb appeared unconcerned as per usual while Danielle was shining with joy to see me awake. My arms gradually became functional and I managed to move them about again. My body still felt stunned and so was my head but I eventually found the energy to at least get up from the mattress I was on. Reality felt so topsy-turvy after going through a period of pain and senselessness and my movements felt more sluggish than expected.

  Decker was jotting stuff down on his notepad before turning to me with a friendly smile.

  "Oh, nice. You're awake. I honestly hypothesized that there was a 65% chance that you wouldn't make it but maybe I shouldn't have underestimated my brilliance," Decker commented. Danielle grunted at him before jabbing him at his shoulder. She then ran over to me and gave me a loving hug which was kind of afflicting to my frail body. "Don't worry, Katie, your burns will be gone in no time. The doctors and I - mostly me - have already healed them to an adequate degree. All you need to do is apply this Starlight Emulsion everyday and it should take care of whatever injuries you have left. Also, I suggest you take things slow and don't push yourself. Maybe you can put a halt to the missions for now." I nodded my head and agreed that some time of relaxation would do me some good. Maybe I could ask my mom to take me to the spa or maybe my dad could treat me to the salon. Decker then informed me that the Magic Keeper wanted to see me as he wanted to give a report on my first performance. Danielle helped me to my feet and was also a huge assistance when it came to walking.

  We both arrived at the STARSTRIKE Central and there was the Magic Keeper, waiting for me with his back turned. No, not his hologram this time but himself in the flesh...if he has any. He was wearing a pristine, white robe with stripes of gold and diamond adorning it. His face was still veiled by that cowl which still gave him that ominous appearance. He stood amongst the strolling researchers with such prestige and his mysterious presence just intrigued me more. Danielle patted me on the shoulder as her way of saying 'Good luck' before I nervously hobbled towards the Magic Keeper.

  "Uhm, y-you wanted to see me, sir?" I ask as I put my hands behind my back and stare directly at him. He doesn't give me a response and instead continues to gaze at the giant window in front of him that shows the vast galaxy. A void of magenta hue that just has many twinkling constellations strewn about it. Planets of great proportion inhabited this void and in those planets accommodated diverse populations. I could understand why he was so captivated by the sight as it truly was something to behold. He then turned to me slightly but his position was still pretty much the same.

  "I have to say, what you did today was really extraordinary. It's not everyday when we accidentally stumble upon a kid with such courage, such intelligence and such heart like you. For your first battle, you've proved to us that you could handle the challenges thrown against you and have demonstrated excellent decision making. I must say that you've colored me impressed," he bellows out. My face blushes a vibrant red at his compliments as no one has ever praised me so highly before. I thank him for his appreciation with a passionate bow. I'm not trying to brag but first mission of being a superhero and I'm already nailing it. I could honestly get used to the pain these villains bring me as the overwhelming and other-wordly excitement was worth it. "Now, I know I've said this before but you do know that we aren't forcing you to continue on as one of our members. You can quit if you want and I would completely understand if you do." My grin expands as I shake my head at the Magic Keeper. Yes, I am aware that the missions will get more and more dangerous but I'm prepared for it. I've already gotten a taste of what it's like to save the galaxy and it is really gratifying. It was like this adventure had unlocked a different side of me that I've never seen before and the organization had now become a part of my life.

  "Magic Keeper, I'm aware of the risks at stake but I'm ready to face them. Plus, I have an awesome team by my side and I feel like I'm not leaving anytime soon," I reply back and I mean every single word from the bottom of my heart. The Magic Keeper finally turns around and reveals his mystical blue eyes that glow in his hood of darkness. They stare at me eerily but I'm guessing that it's a stare of proudness.

  "Hmm, I like your spirit and tenacity, Katie. By the way, that just reminded me that you probably need to return home somehow. Here," he remarks before giving me a shiny dagger with uncanny sigils inscribed all over it. "It's a Riftmaker. No matter where you are in the world, all you need to do is swipe with this and it will create an interdimensional rift that leads you to anywhere in the world. You will only use this to get into the STARSTRIKE Headquarters. Is that clear?" I shrug my shoulders in a daze as I look upon this dagger. I clutch onto it with a surge of seriousness as I felt like it was a powerful object to hold onto. I was more than honored that the Magic Keeper entrusted it with me and I made a vow to never lose it. However, I was also trying my best to suppress my explosive curiosity because come on, AN ANCIENT ARTIFACT THAT CAN TELEPORT YOU WHEREVER YOU WANT NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE?

  Awesome, and it works like a charm too as when I slashed it across one of the walls, a rift of garish colors appeared before my very eyes. Before I leapt through the rift though, the Magic Keeper gave me one last warning to hide my identity from everyone I know at all costs, my parents included. Yeah, I've read too many superhero comics to not expect that rule. Of course I understood that part already and boy-o-boy will that be difficult as my parents know me better than anyone. They could see right through any facade I don so I had to be extra sneaky and extra sly with my excuses. I turn back to the Magic Keeper and salute to him solemnly. Once I entered the rift, I was fully expecting to be going through a tunnel of time and space but instead, I just instantaneously walked into my neighbor's front lawn. A few seconds later, the rift disappeared from thin air. I smiled as I thrusted the Riftmaker into my pocket before heading towards my parents' house or at least, what was left of it. My mom and dad are there with the construction team and they're surprisingly more composed than I anticipated given the traumatizing events I've put them through. As I run over towards them, my mom's eyes expand in relief as she places both her trembling hands on my face.

  "Oh my goodness, we thought you were a goner there! Oh, I'm so relieved that you're okay. Where'd you go anyway after we got captured?" she asked as she tried to hold back the tears that were on the verge of streaming down her face. She knows Ericson teardrops were contagious so she was trying to not release them. Oh shoot. I couldn't blunder here so I scrambled my disorderly mind for a believable answer.

  "Uhm, I was rescued by the police and was kept at the station until the plant issue had averted," I explained and thank heavens that she was too stressed by everything to take much consideration into that statement. She wiped beads of sweat that were exuding from her forehead before holding onto my hardened hands. I looked at her with an optimistic grin before turning my attention to our once monotonous-looking house. It was just a sad disarray of broken concrete and furniture now. Despite me absolutely despising the house at first, I felt some sort of pity towards it as I didn't know where we were going to stay now. Meanwhile, my dad was having an adult mano-a-mano with the construction workers; probably regarding the overpriced cost of repairing our household from what I could guess.

  With wrinkles and worry taking over my face, I turned to my mom and asked:

  "Mom, what are we going to do now that our house is gone?" I was expecting an unsure answer from her, but that's when a euphoric smile began to gradually form on her visage. She clarified that this might've looked like a major setback but fortunately, the jobs the both of them applied for provided plenty of money for them to deal with the damage. While we did have to wait an abnormally long time for it to be done with construction, my mom did point out that we would be lodging into a luxurious hotel in the meantime. I was shocked. No, more than shocked. I was flabbergasted that they'd have enough money to sustain an indefinite stay in a high-class hotel. My jaw visibly dropped and my eyes were like those of a deer caught in the headlights. My mom chuckled at my comical expression.

  "SAY WHAT! That's amazing! Ooh, I can't wait! I can't wait!" I scream out before hopping up into the air repeatedly. I guess you could say that moving to New York didn't turn out to be a disaster after all. It was in fact a blessing in disguise as without it, I wouldn't have become a superhero - a responsibility that completely changed my life - and I wouldn't get to stay in a deluxe hotel. It's like they say in those old geezer quotes: change is the spice of life.