Silence filled her room as she slowly drifted off. Jessica's 15th birthday had been about as exciting as sitting through one of her father's business meetings. And listening to her sisters' unnecessary fight over dinner wasn't her idea of a good time. Then again, who else but her family could bear to be around her? She hadn't felt like herself in weeks.
"Okay, so the term paper for English is due next Friday, and... the science final is on... Thursday...." Her head hit the desk as she finally fell into slumber.
"Is she asleep yet?" a whisper wafted in through the window.

"Of course she is, Dezza. The sleeping powder we slipped into her midnight tea is top-notch! It came straight from the Queen herself!" Two small, glowing figures peaked inside the room.


"Are you sure she's it?" They stared at the teenager who had fallen asleep on top of her schoolwork. "She doesn't look all that special to me."


"Do you doubt the Queen?"


"Of course I don't, Daisy." The small sprite was obviously offended.


"Besides, we don't have time to wonder about that. The Queen needs her now." Daisy snapped her fingers, and three of them were transported to the perimeter of the Enchanted Wood.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jessica felt strange, like she was floating. She reached out for her term paper only to realize it wasn't there. She bolted upright and regretted it as the blood rushed to her head. She looked down to find the only thing between her and the canopy of threatening green trees was a thin sheet of luminous gold dust. She was overwhelmed with confusion and stress when she realized her surroundings were as black as tar. The only other illuminated from her mysterious kidnappers.


"Oh good, you're up," a ball of light called out over the wind. "My name is Daisy."


"Yeah, she's Daisy, and I'm Dezza!" another voice giggled.


"Don't yell, Dezza! We have enemies everywhere." She turned so Jessica could hear her over the wind. "Now listen. Our kingdom needs your help. We are sprites, and we live in the Enchanted Wood. The most vicious creatures in the Enchanted Wood, the trolls, began an attack on us earlier this evening, and our army is weakening by the hour. The king, Zytous, is after our life source. It is an ancient fountain filled with the water of serenity, and Zytous plans to drink from it and become all-powerful. Our Queen's last effort was calling for a vision from the Oracle of the Wood. She saw you, blasting away at Zytous and his evil troll army."


"What?" Jessica had never been so confused before in her life.


"You humans, you destroy Mother Earth, slowly but surely, but we don't say a single word. And when we ask for your help for the first time in a thousand years, you don't even listen," the sprite spat out in disgust.


"Calm down, Daisy. You're introducing this to her all at once. It must be hard to handle. Besides, she just woke up," Dezza reasoned.


"But the Queen needs her now! We went to all this trouble; it takes the Oracle great strength and focus to summon a vision. And all this human can manage to do is bumble like a newborn badger!" Daisy fumed with frustration.


Dezza glanced down at Jessica in apology. "I'm sorry about Daisy; she's a little stressed right now, being the Queen's second-in-command."


"Wait, how am I supposed to help?" Jessica asked them sleepily.


"Well, the two of us aren't quite sure," Daisy answered after overcoming her mental meltdown. "All we know is that you are the Special One, destined to save the Enchanted Wood in its greatest time of need." She emphasized the last part as if she had recited it a million times.


They reached their destination, a grand oak tree in the middle of a clearing, and the girls all hoped the Queen would soon answer their questions. Battle raged below as they flew into a small opening in the tree. As Daisy and Dezza laid her down, Jessica's golden carrier dissolved away. She observed her surroundings. A variety of gigantic flowers decorated the room, making Jessica realize she had to be about three inches tall. Her eyes traveled from the extravagant paintings to the tables of berries, and then they rested upon the throne.


A woman, or sprite, she guessed, sat elegantly upon the intricate silver throne. Long blonde hair flowed down her shoulders and over her pearl blue dress. Cherry lips stood out from porcelain skin, and her ice blue eyes greeted Jessica who gazed on in awe.


"It's nice to meet you Special One, or would you prefer Jessica?" the Queen asked warmly.


"Uh, Jessica's fine," she answered blankly.


The Queen winced as explosions sounded and trolls yelled somewhere below them. "I'm sorry we had to rush you here so quickly, but I'm sure Dezza and Daisy told you of our desperation." Another explosion went off. "Dezza, go." The sprite fled to assist the Queen's army.


"Why am I here? What do you expect me to do? My classmates pound me to pieces in dodge ball; how am I supposed to fight off an entire troll army? They have weapons!" Jessica rambled out all at once.


"I can understand your worry, but you are meant for this. You see, the Special Ones are a line of witches who work in tandem with the sprites of the Enchanted Wood to bring down the forces of evil. They don't discover their powers until their 15th birthday. Just before this occasion, these young women start undergoing subtle transformations that temporarily affect their personalities. You might have experienced such changes yourself," the Queen explained. Jessica thought guiltily about her earlier behavior around her family, but then quickly brought her attention back to the Queen. "A Special One is a force of good so strong she can wipe out all evil. The Oracle prophesied that you are this generation's Special One, and the Oracle is never wrong. Don't allow your self-doubt to overshadow your destiny," she finished.


Suddenly, chaos erupted. Before anyone could react, grotesque, sludge green men knocked down the doors, grabbed the Queen, and knocked her unconscious.


"No!" Dezza screamed with a power that didn't match her size, "Jessica, do something, now!"


"Wha--- I don't..." Jessica stumbled, "Do what?" she shrieked. Evil cackling erupted from Zytous. The trolls attempted to advance on the defenseless girls, but Zytous motioned for them to hold back.


"Just give up, sweetheart. Do you honestly think you can beat me?" His villainous red eyes bored into her like a laser. "I mean, be realistic! There are thousands of us, and you're all by yourself," he grinned maliciously. "So you can either surrender now, or we can sever your pretty little head off later."


Jessica was too distracted to give him a clever or even an intelligent response. The insecurity boiled up inside her but then slowly transformed into confidence. Her hands hummed with excitement. She then looked down to see her hands were buzzing--- and shining gold.


"Dezza, what's happening to me?"


Dezza looked to the sky, "It's the witching hour! Your powers have finally developed!"


"I thought the witching hour was for black magic?" Jessica panicked.


"Well, it can be, but it's for witches good or evil."


"Don't just stand there, you imbeciles; go shut her up!" The trolls snatched and bound Dezza. Obviously becoming anxious, Zytous started towards Jessica with a poison-tipped spear.


"Your time is up, girly," he snarled.


The gold color spread up her arms and to the rest of her body until she looked like a shining metallic gold statue. The trolls near her disintegrated, and the rest ran around screaming. Jessica began to chant. She didn't even know exactly what she was saying, but her instincts took over. Zytous and his minions vanished with vengeful howls.


Jessica collapsed once her job was done, and then she blacked out. It felt as if she was falling, and then there was nothing.


She sat up at her desk. All her work was as she had left it.


"I didn't know I could have such imaginative and detailed dreams..."


Back in the Enchanted Wood, Dezza giggled.