Every one was circled around the television like their lives depended on it. Actually they DID think their lives depended on it. The news all ways covered interesting and sometimes weird stories. Stories like how a boy got trapped in a giant balloon and flew for an hour till someone finally realized he was missing or one about how two idiots but dialed 911 while breaking into a bank, but all they talked about now is how people thought the world was going to end. It all started when hundreds of birds every where fell from the sky. They weren’t shot or hurt. They just feel to the ground and died like they were never able to fly in the first place. It only got worse when fish all over the Atlantic Ocean appeared dead. A whole ocean of dead fish for miles and miles and now they were talking about how it was still snowing in New York in the middle of March. I’m not talking about and inch or two either. It snowed so bad that after the break in February we were snowed out of school and had to take four snow days to clear the streets. I looked out side. There were two or three feet of snow on the ground and it was still snowing.

It’s March and it’s snowing in New York City.

I started listening to the news. I couldn’t help it.
“Things are still looking grim for people today.” Said the lady in the news on T.V. “It snowed over night again and it’s still falling and I’m being told that schools all over the city are closed off again. Now how many snow days have these children have?” She asked the anchor man to her right.
“Well this is probably the fifteenth or sixteenth snow day I honestly lost count but is it going to get better? I mean we’re in spring and it’s still snowing.”
“Our weather forecast predicts that this is only the beginning. If you look at the five day four cast you’ll see we have more snow coming Tuesday, Thursday and Friday all this week.”

The older teens around the television were happy to hear about the snow days and started clapping like their football team just made a touchdown while the younger kids looked scared out of their minds.

“In other news” Said the lady in the news. “People every where are being convinced that this is another sign of the end of the world. Now let’s go to our field reporter.”

The field reporter was outside in the snow wearing a heavy gray coat, mittens and matching hat. She was standing in front a big group of people. I finally got curious so I took my cereal bowl and walked to the T.V. to get a better view. Every one was gathered around the T.V. Most of them were little kids around ten or eleven but some were teenagers around my age. All the little kids were on the floor shoving each other to make room while the teens hogged the couch. I just watched from the back.

“I’m here now in time square where once again people have gathered around and are trying to warn people every where. They believe that the end of the world is near and are handing out bibles to people old and young telling them to pray for a miracle.”
“It’s true!” A man carrying bibles and signs that read ‘JESUS WILL SAVE US’ cut in. “All these omens have been brought down to us from heaven as a warning!” The man screamed. “He’s angry with us! He will come soon and judge us all.”
“What are omens?” Said a little boy but everyone shushed him.
“Really? You think Jesus him self will come and take us away?” The reporter asked.
“Only the Christians! All non believers and sinners will go straight to hell where they belong!”
I knew it. Just another desperate attempt to try to convince people that there religion will ‘save and protect them’ like all the other very religious people they show on the news. I lost interest again.

“Well that’s all the time we have. Until next time or unless Jesus comes here first this is the morning news signing off to you.” The screen was about to show a commercial until it went black with the words ‘BRAEING NEWS’ on it and the television was back on the news. I got interested again.

“This just in yet another person was found dead on the street last night. This is the fourth one this month and still no one has any idea who or what is responsible for it.”
“Not again.” Said the same little boy from before. But every one shushed him again and went back on the T.V.
“Another man this time only eighteen years old was found dead on the floor of time square. Sources say he was walking home from his part time job at Mc Donald’s at around nine and the rest is a mystery. We’ll tell you more when we get more information on it until then stay safe.”

I heard enough. Every one around the T.V. was starting to get worried again so I just put my bowl away and started the dishes. As I started the dishes I looked out the window. It was still snowing and cars were either parked or driving two miles an hour on the road. No one waited for the bussed any more, the weather was too bad. As I was doing the dishes I tried to relax and think straight which lasted a good… lets say twenty seconds. On the window there was a potted plant growing and I saw them again. Those ‘things’ from my dream. They were all over the plant, clear as day.

“You missed one.” Said the little boy handing me an empty plate. I snapped out of it and tock his plate.
“Hey kid” Then I pointed to the plant. “Do you see any thing on that plant? Any thing weird or unnatural?”
He gave me the look I told you about before. He thought I was crazy. “No? Why?”
“Never mind.” I said. I splashed water on my eyes and went back to the dishes.

Right after the dishes I went back to my room and left. I left for two reasons: 1) because all any one was talking about was when we were all going to die and I heard enough of it all ready and 2) because once I went back to my room I heard yelling and someone getting thrown across the wall and decided to leave. It was all ways like that around here people only looked after them selves and everyone else was on their own. I hated the way it was. I all ways felt badly about the people around here who get beat up. They all ready are having a tough time you don’t need to make it worse on them just so you can feel big. I want to say that but if I get in the middle I’ll just get into more trouble. The adults around here all ready know I’m having weird dreams the last thing they need to think is that I’m violent too.

I put on a heavy jacket from the closet, put on mittens, grabbed my pocket knife and left. That knife was the only thing in the whole world I owned. I bought it off some guys off the streets after one of the guys thought it’d be fun to see who can catch and beat me to the ground first. Now if any one gets to close I just show them my knife and they leave me alone. I’ve never used it and probably never will but now even the bullies leave me alone too.

As I was walking through the city I started to daze off to the smell of cigarettes and polluted air. It was better then seeing those ‘things’ again. I passed by the protesters on the news. I tried to ignore them but one guy got in front of me. “Young boy” he said. “Your time is short here on this earth.”
“I’m fourteen.” I said. I didn’t like being called young.
“I pray god will find you when this world of ours ends.” He said. Not again!
“I have to go.” I said trying to stay warm and walking away but the man held a book to my face.
“Take this. So you will be safe child.” He said holding a bible.
“No thanks.” I said.
“It’s okay young boy. It’s free.”
“I said no!” He along with the other protesters gasped like I said ‘F U’ in front of him. As I was leaving I could hear one person say ‘We’ll pray for you’. I didn’t want prayers I wanted to be alone.

As I was walking I started taking my gloves off. I was going to hop the fence to the abandon children’s park. It was my only sanctuary in the world.

The abandoned children’s park was old, run down, full of trash and if you couldn’t guess abandoned. I don’t know why but I all ways loved coming here. I don’t know if it’s because I can be alone there or if it’s because it’s more like a home to me then the group home but either way I all ways went there. It was the only place in city that I knew that had grass. Just the feel of it made me feel better. Even if it cold and hard under all of snow and ice.

As I was about to hoping the fence something weird happened. I looked around to make sure no one was around. No one was so I hopped over and I could have sworn I saw a shadow on the ground. A shadow but no host. It looked like a shadow of a person but it wasn’t mine and no one else was around. I looked up to see if it was a cloud and when I looked again. It just disappeared.

It was like the shadow was alive.

I told my self it was nothing and went on the swings. There was one swing that still worked. It made a ‘creeeek’ sound ever time you swung but it never bothered me. The other two were broken beyond any use. It all so had kid tubes which were now rusting on the ground, half a slide, tons of shredded ruble from the ground and wood all across the fences to keep people out. Who ever put the wood up missed part of the fence. The park wasn’t all ways abandoned. Kids use to come and play all the time on it before it got run down. I use to sneak out of the group home and play on everything but as time paces things got tough for everyone. Money was hard to find, we got involved in too many wars and the city decided to stop spending money on the park so they could spend it on military warfare. I still sneak through and play though. A little childish? Maybe. But why should I stop playing in the park because the city decided to close it? It’s not like they asked my opinion.

As I was swinging I slowed down and started to close my eyes. Those nightmares made sleeping a hassle. I started have a conversation in my head. Why was I having them? It’s not normal to have the same dream over and over again is it? Maybe for a day or two but months? Maybe they meant something? I heard dreams could mean something. Then again I do eat a lot of junk food before bed and maybe my dreams are telling me not to eat an entire box of Oreos before bed. To me the city was far away from me. The noises got softer, the smell of smoke and sewers faded and slowly my thoughts were getting hard to remember. I shut my eyes for a few seconds.

At least it felt like a few seconds but I got woken up by the sounds of cars crashing. I quickly realized I fell asleep. I ran to the fence and peeked through. There was a person on the side walk with there back to me and a car parked in the middle of the road.
“Watch it moron!” The man in silver Toyota car yelled at the person with there back to me. Another car stopped behind him. This one was a blue mini van.
“Hey! Move it! There’s nothing in front of you jerk!” The driver yelled to the car in front of him. They both speeded away, while the red (crashed) convertible driver from the other side of the street got out.
“Sorry!” The person yelled while the cars were driving away.
I couldn’t get a good look but I guessed she was a girl because of her long silk like hair and her voice. She wasn’t from around here. In the city all most no one says sorry to strangers unless they’re taunting you. She looked strangely familiar some how.
Before I knew it she was looking both ways to cross the street. The police were across trying to figure out who crashed into whom. She started walking then I grabbed her arm.
“Hey.” I said one arm through the fence stopping her. “You can’t cross.”
“There aren’t any cars though.” She said still looking at the accident she probably caused.
“It doesn’t matter. J-walking is illegal in the city. The cops over there will fine you.”
“What’s J-walking” She asked.
Yup. Definitely not from the city I told myself. I let go of her. “You can cross over on the next intersection right from here.” I said.
“Thanks.” She said walking away. When I let go of her there was something on my fingers. It was those ‘things’ again. It felt… normal, but it shouldn’t be. The wind blew them off of my fingers. I definitely felt something weird in my gut or maybe it was my instincts. What ever it was it told me to ask her.
“Hey!” I said before she left. “Have we met before?” She turned to me and that’s when I recognized her. She had silk like hair, an inch or two shorter then me and that voice, that same voice in my dream and those eyes. The left one was amber while the right one was brown. She was the girl from my dream.

She looked more startled then I was. As I was looking at her I could see the police walking towards us. Or maybe just me. “I have to go!” She said fast before she started sprinting.
“Hey wait!” I said, climbing out of the park. She didn’t stop. “I just want to talk to you!”
“Hey kid!” A cop said “That’s privet property!” He said. I ignored him and ran for the girl. “Hey! Freeze!” The cop said chasing me.

She kept running through the streets and through the red lights. After a block I yelled to her “Watch out!” A bus was driving towards her. As the bus honked its horn and slammed on the brakes she just missed the bus. I looked back. The cops were still chasing me. I couldn’t stop so I kept running. If the cops found me they would ask why I ran through a red light, trespassed on an abandoned park and chased that girl and I’m guessing telling hem that ‘I chased her because I met her in a dream’ wouldn’t work for them. I was running out of breath while chasing her. She kept looking back to see if I was still after her. She just made a right turn at every corner. She was running back to the park again. We just ran a circle around the blocks. She was getting faster and the sun was getting brighter but it still felt cold out side. “I don’t want to hurt you!” I said thinking she might be running because she’s afraid of me but I only sounded guiltier. The sun got so bright for a minute. So bright I started having a hard time see anything but spots but it didn’t slow me down. The next turn would be where we met. I made the next turn and… she disappeared?

I looked around. She wasn’t around, she wasn’t that far ahead of me and there wasn’t anywhere else to go but the park. I looked through the fence but no one was there. I looked around confused. The sky has been gray and cloudy for days, so where’d the bright sun light go? The air was full of the same weird ‘things’ that was on my hand before. It looked like oxygen but you couldn’t breath it in.
“Hey!” I said in the air. “Come back!” But it was no use. The only one around was me and a homeless guy carrying a shopping cart full of trash. Or maybe it was his belongings.
“Were you talking to me man?” said the homeless man. He looked awful with his ripped close, yellow teeth; no hair and horrible smell that all most made me barf.
“No.” I said starting to walk away.
“Was it that girl then man?” He asked.
I stopped. “What girl? Did she have black hair and different color eyes?” I asked.
“Yah man and you just missed her man.”
“Where did she go?” I asked.
“She just disappeared man. Right out of thin air too.” He said unloading his shopping car and putting blankets on the ground.
“Disappeared? Where to?” I asked moving out of the way so I didn’t step on his bed.
He looked ticked off. “I told you man. She disappeared into thin air. Don’t you listen man?” He sat on the blankets. He didn’t even react to those ‘things’ around the air. Couldn’t he see it? I could.
“Okay.” I said trying to see if he was telling the truth or was just plain crazy. “Well… Thanks?” I heard footsteps running. I looked behind me and saw the cops were still after me.
“Looks like the MAN is her man.” He said lying down on the ground.
I jumped over him and started running again with out giving it a second thought.

I was running out of breath from all the running around and the heavy coat I was wearing made me feel like I was running through an oven. I needed to catch my breath. Luckily the subway was right across the street. The bad part is… well have you smelled a city subway? It smells like sewage, dead rats, tobacco and what ever the guy or girl is selling on the corners which is usually cigarettes. Not the best place to catch my breath but it worked. One cop got as confused as I was when he saw the girl vanish too and I lost the other one by running through a red light and all most getting run over by a bus.

The place was crowded with people everywhere. I looked at the information board and listened to the audio. “Now leaving track thirty-seven. All passengers please board now.” I got on the train. I got on and watched the doors close. As I was watching I saw the cop run down looking for me. I stayed where I was and waited until we left. He never found me.

The sub way was crowded. Not rush hour crowded but still generally full. As soon as it started moving I stumbled to the ground. I didn’t hurt my self but that’s when I realized fell on someone else. As soon as I realized that I got off from the ground.

“Ohh… Are you okay?” I asked checking getting up and grabbing my knife off the floor.
“It’s okay.” The kid said standing up. “My fault I guess.” He said smiling at me. Another non-city person I guessed.
“I guess.” I said trying to keep the conversation going to get a look at him. He looked young. A teenager around fifteen I guessed. Black hair and a smile that sent a chill down your spine. He looked young but his voice could fool you. His voice sounded like it belonged to a grown man.
“So I’m guessing you’re not a city type person.” He said. I couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“I’ve lived in the city my whole life actually. I just never use the sub way station.” I said.
“Yah. I know what you mean. I don’t like riding sub ways either.” He said. “You all ways wind up meeting some different people.”
“That’s the city for you. New York’s capital for weird people.” I said.
“I never said weird, just different.” He said.
“Okay sure, let’s say that.”

The door opened behind us a man with a hole puncher said “Passengers please have your tickets ready for me. We all so except cash if you prefer.”

Crud! I never bought a ticket! I checked my pockets. All I had was my knife. I couldn’t threaten the guy and I didn’t have any money. I wondered what they did to people who don’t pay for a ride. I free trip to the police office maybe? I doubt I could explain everything to the cops there and even if I did would they believe me.
“Are you sick?” The guy asked. “You look like you’re going to throw up.”
I was going to tell him the truth but something happened. The trains lights went out and the trains had to stop short. Everyone fell down that time. Slowly the subway came to a stop. “Does that happen a lot?” I asked him? But my question was answered when I heard on the loud speaker say
“Due to extreme weathering the subway is experiencing technical difficulties. Please wait until it is resolved that you.”

“That’s just great!” someone yelled in a sarcastic tone.
“Please wait while we resolve the matter.” Said the man with a hole puncher said as he left.
The good news is I didn’t have to worry about not buying a ticket; the bad news is I’m stuck in the subway surrounded by people I really want to get away from. I needed a way out.
“Where’re you going?” said teen with the black hair asked.
“A way out. I need to go somewhere soon.” I said looking for the door. Out the window I could see a different set of tracks.
“Wait here.” He said. I waited while people all around us were using their cell phones as a flashlight to see what was going on. A few seconds latter the doors opened slightly. “You push one door I’ll push the other.” He said. His voice still sounding deep. I did what he said and pushed it open just enough for us to squeeze through. When we finally did they closed on us again. No one notice so I started walking, He was right behind me.

After awhile down the other set of tracks I asked “How’d you get those doors open?”
“Emergency button on the side.” He said walking right next to me. I started having doubts about him. His voice was deep but also mysterious like he was hiding something not to mention his eyes were two different colors like the girl I saw in my dream except his left one was gray and right one was black but most of all I saw those ‘things’ again but it was different. They were on his right hand. They looked attached to his skin. “You okay?” He asked.
I snapped out of it. “Yah. Just angry that I have to walk all the way back to where I live.”
“That’s my fault.” He said. “Bad things happen when ever I’m around.”
I new what it was like to have bad things maybe weird thing happen to you. “I know what you mean.” I said “By the way I’m Jess.”
“Judas” he said softly. Then he raised his voice again and said “cool knife by the way.”
“Ohh right.” I said. “Thanks. Do you have one?”
“No but I got a sword.” He said. We walked in silence for a few seconds until he asked
“Why were you on the subway?”
I paused then said “It seemed like a good idea at the time. You?”
“I’m looking for a girl.” He said. “She has two different eye colors. Ones amber and the other ones brown, her names Stella.”
I paused again. It had to be her from my dream. So she is real. “I ran into someone like that today.”
He looked at me amazed and immediately asked “Where?”
“Just fallow me.” I told him walking ahead of him.

We got off got off the tracks went up stairs and were finally outside again. I was so glad to not smell wet rats any more. When I found out where we were I started going back to the abandoned park. Judas was right behind me. I kept him close by incase I needed someone to help me if the police found me. I don’t know if this was in my head because of all the bad smells but I could have sworn the clouds were fallowing us. When we got out of the subway gray clouds started forming underneath us. Or was it just underneath Judas? I ignored it. I was hoping I’d run into Stella again... if that was her name. A few blocks later we were in front of the park’s boarded fence.
“She was around here.” I told him. “But she left awhile ago.” I told him.
“It’s okay.” He said. “She’s just looking for someone. She’ll probably come back here later.” He said. “Bye Jess.” Then he left. I didn’t mind. It’s not like I’d ever see him again.

Man was I wrong.

I was finally alone again. Then I just realized something then. The sun was setting. I haven’t been back at the group home for hours. I ran as fast as I could back trying not to bump into any other strangers or police men. When most people were either watching the news for the latest ‘world ending intelligence’ or in the kitchen cleaning up.
“You missed dinner Jess.” One of the adults said while he was washing the dishes. “Where were you?”
“I went for a trip.” I said hanging up the coat and walking back to my room.
“Are you hungry?” He asked.
“I ate all ready.” I lied. If I ate now they’d just keep asking about where I’ve been. If I went to my room and stay there till tomorrow they might forget about today. I went and fell on my bed. I just relaxed on it until I felt tired until I heard police sirens but they passed by and I started to relax again.

Then the nightmares started again.

I didn’t think the nightmares could get any worse. Boy was I wrong. I woke up off the ground but this time things were entirely different. I wasn’t where I normally was in my dreams. I got off the ground and looked around. The ground was so ruff and rocky, I could feel the warm sun on my face fallowed by a nice cold relaxing breeze. I wasn’t any where near water like I was last time. I realized I was on the edge of a mountain and there were more of them. Most of them looked like hills but there was one mountain that was so tall I thought it actually could touch the sky. Something about this place felt weird. I felt like I was being called. Weird right? Well not as weird as those ‘things’ being back again. It was all around me. On the ground, in the air, from the sun rays. It was surrounding me and this time when I tried to shake it off or felt a breeze they wouldn’t get off me. It was on me like a second skin. I took a second to look up in the sky.

I could hear thunder crashes coming from the sky. The mountain was being covered with dark, gray clouds and thunder storms. The sun and most on the sky was also getting blocked. The nice breeze was turning into a wind storm and I started to shiver from the sudden change. Those ‘things’ were still stuck to me though.

“Not again.” I said. I could barley hear my voice. It sounded like nothing compared to the storm. I got on my knees. “Wake up. Wake up.” I told my self covering my eyes and ears. It wasn’t working. I could still hear the winds and thunder storm all around me. I was screaming now. “Wake Up All Ready!” but the wind just blew stronger.

“Get up.”

That wasn’t me. I unplugged my ears and opened my eyes. I looked around. It had to be that girl again.

“Get up.” I heard again.

It wasn’t her. No one was here except me. I did what the voice said.
“Hello?” I said trying to get a response. They couldn’t here me over the wind. “Somebody answer me!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. Thunder came crashing down from the mountains when I was done screaming.

That voice was the same one from my last dream. The one in my head that said ‘the end is near’ but it wasn’t coming from my head this time. It came from the mountain. So were the thunder clouds and the wind was blowing in the direction of the mountain. I had to clime up there. I needed answers. I got off the edge ran to the mountain and I started climbing. Wind was blowing agents me and the thunder was so loud I thought I’d go def. I just kept climbing though. This was the first dream where I actually had a chance to survive. At least I hoped so.

The first clime was easy or easier then I thought but that’s just because I didn’t see what was above the mountain. Even taller and steeper hills. I couldn’t clime all of them. Not with this unnatural whether. I tried to wake up again holding my ears and closing my eyes until someone or something woke me up. I was tempted to jump of this mountain and kill my self. “The answers are near.” Same voice from before. I got up and looked around. Still no one except me was around. “The end is near.” Thunder crashed down as the voice spoke to me.

“Where are you and why am I here?!” I screamed even louder then before. No one answered me and more of those ‘things’ surrounded my hand. I don’t know what was happening. The wind was blowing harder then ever but when those things were surrounding I felt empowered. I never felt like this before so I screamed “Answer me!”

As I said that I swung my arms to my side and that’s when the dream changed again. The ‘things’ that were surrounding went from all over my body to my right arm. As I tightened my grip all those things were forming together in to a solid object. Was it a handle maybe? No. It felt heavier… and sharper. I brought it to my sight. It was a sword. A real, sharp, two foot long sword. I looked at it amazed. It was just my size. Not to heavy to swing but not to light either and it was as gold as the sun during a sun rise. It was way better then my simple pocket knife. After I was amazed I started having questions in my head the voice from the mountains over powered me.

“You seek answers savior. The answers you seek are in the sky.”

Savior? Sky? What was it talking about? Thunder crashed from the mountains as the voice was going through my head but I could still hear it clearly. They were in my head but they were coming from somewhere else. The sky? The ground broke from under my feet. I fell about two stories high but I couldn’t stop moving or else the rocks would crush me. I grabbed my sword, got out of the way and crawling back to my feet. I was determined to survive in this nightmare. I started climbing the tallest mountain. The one where all the thunder clouds formed. As I looked up so I couldn’t look down lighting struck the mountain side. I held on but lost my grip. I jabbed my gold sword in the mountain and hung on for my life.

“Is anyone up there!?” I yelled to the mountains. Hoping for help. Instead lighting struck me. The sword vanished into thin air and I fell to my death.

Until I finally woke up. Looking around I saw it was only five thirty in the morning. I whipped the sweat off my face and let go of my pillow which I guessed was what I was holding on to during my dream. I went under my bed and got out my box of Oreo’s. I wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight anyway and I missed dinner last night. I started eating my cookies to get the though of my nightmares out of my head. They were getting way out of hand. First the world ends then some girl who I never met before then a mountain climbing telling me where ‘my answers’ were. I must have lost my mind. That girl. Judas called her Stella. First my dreams then at the park. That couldn’t be a coincidence. Judas said she would be back at the park sooner or later. Maybe if I talk to here she’d tell me something. I grabbed my knife and jumped out the window. I had about an hour to kill before they noticed I was gone.

As I was walking back to the abandon children’s park I realized how crazy I was acting. I was looking for someone who I just met off the street thinking she knows me. Not only that but what would she think of me? The last time I saw her I chased her through the city. I thought I was turning into those creepy guys that stalk people like the ones you hear that got arrested in the news. Maybe the lack of sleep was slowly turning me crazy. I was about to turn around go back to bed and try to get some sleep but when I got there I heard voices from the inside of the park. I couldn’t resist. I hopped the fence.

There were two sounds. One familiar one that said ‘where is she’ and another was foot steps running away. I walked slowly and that’s when it hit me. Literally. A girl ran into me full speed knocking us both down.

I got up. It was her again. She had something glowing in her hands but her palms were empty.
“Stella?” I asked while looking into her two different color eyes.
“It’s you.” She looked at me like I was a god but she instantly got up. “How do you know my name?” She asked looking around like she was being chased.
“A guy names Judas told me and how do you know me?” I asked.
“Judas?!” She yelled louder then she wanted. She covered her mouth and got closer to me “Did this guy have one black eye one gray one, black hair and a deep voice?” She asked.
“Yah. Why?” I asked but she wasn’t listening to me she was to busy mumbling to herself. I was getting the feeling that this girl was crazy… then again I was the one chasing her so that didn’t make me any less crazy then her.
“He wasn’t supposed to find him… wait...I found him, he found me then He found him… maybe he doesn’t know yet.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked. I felt something. Like a bad omen.
“I’ll explain everything when were in Central Paradise.” She said.
I raised an eyebrow. There wasn’t any place like that in the city that I knew of. “What’s Central-
“Look out!” She shoved me to the ground. I got on my hands but something grabbed me. There was something in the ground. It looked like a shadow but it grabbed my arms. I reached for my knife but what ever that thing was held me to the ground then a burst of light appeared but it wasn’t from the sky. The shadow let go and ran away from the light. It was coming from Stella and her hands. Those ‘things’ in my dream were all around us and they were coming from her hands. They were glowing in the palms of her hands.
“What was that?” I asked. As she closed her hands the light and those ‘things’ went back to the palms of her hands and then vanished.
“How’d you do that?” I asked still amazed.
“Life force.” She said helping me up.
“What’s-”
“You’ve seen those things haven’t you? They’re in the air or on the ground and no matter how obvious it is people don’t see those things like you do.” I nodded while she helped me up. “Those ‘things’ are life force.”
“How-”
“I told you I’ll explain everything when we get to Central paradise but we have to go before more shadow creatures get her.”
“Shadow what?” I said but then like she said more showed up and this time we were surrounded by them.

I wished this was just another nightmare that I’d wake up from but it was to real to be a
dream. Those shadow-things that Stella mentioned earlier were around us. Stella got next to me and whispered. “Your sword.”
“What?” I asked.
“Your sword. Use it now.”
I don’t have a sword. Do I look like I have one?”
“Make one.”
“Out of what? Ice?”
“No. life force. Quick.” I still had no idea what she was talking about. What did she think that a sword would magically appear in my hands out of thin air? Maybe in my dreams but this was reality. (At least I think it is) “Close your eyes!” She yelled. I did what she said. There was another bright flash of light and when it faded I opened my eyes to find those shadow-things were gone.
“You killed them?” I asked.
“Not exactly. Shadow creatures are nearly impossible to kill completely but they should be gone for a while.” She said putting her hands back in her pocket.

She looked freezing. It’s snowing, not even sunrise yet and she was dressed like she was going to a tropical land. She was in blue jeans, short shirt and sandals which were completely covered by the two feet of snow around us. She was shaking.

“Stella.” I asked “Are you really able to see those things around too?”
“You mean life force? Yah. Everyone can where I’m from.” She looked at me and said “I can tell you’re an apoclip child. Your eyes say it all.” I was both relived that she could see what I saw and creped out by what she was telling me. “We have to get out of here.” She said.
“What happened to my shadows?” We both turned. A man with one gray eye and one black one with a deep voice was walking towards us. It was Judas. “Stella” He started with his deep voice. “I’m surprised you made it here without passing out.”

As he was talking I saw clouds form around us. No. They were forming around Judas. Dark storm clouds were forming around him. Just like before when we were walking together. I felt something under the snow. It felt solid. It must have been one of the metal bars that rusted up. I lead it closer to me. Stella looked scared and she was still shaking, but kept her fist clenched ready for anything.

“So” Judas started. “Jess here is the one we’re all waiting for?” He asked in a mocking tone. “He can’t even use the life force around him and he’s going to be your savior?” He was chuckling to himself.

“Just wait.” She said. “Once we’re back at Central Paradise he’ll save everyone.” I got on my knees.
“Please. He can’t even use his sword. What hope do you have of him save you all from the apocalypse?” More shadow creatures started to form around him. “Ace on the other hand… I all ways thought he would be your apoclip savior.” I grabbed the iron bar and threw it straight at him. It landed right between his eyes as he fell to on the ice.

I grabbed her hand and took her far away. The old tubes would make a good hiding place. It wasn’t like a secret base but it was the best hiding spot I knew. When we finally got there I got on the ground and kept an eye out for Judas.
“Why did you do that?” she asked me getting down on her knees.
“What else was I supposed to do?” I told her still keeping an eye out.
“You should let me handle this.” She said.
“Fine. You handle those shadow creatures and next time we see Judas you can hit him over the head with something.” I said. There no sight of anything.
“I hate this cold ice everywhere.” She said.
“It’s called snow. Haven’t you ever seen it?” I asked as I turned to her. The answer was no. She was shaking nonstop though it made sense when I got a good look at her. She was exactly like in my dream. The eyes, the hair even the clothes.
“What’s wrong?” She asked looking like she was going to pass out. I couldn’t help it. I took my coat off and handed it to her.
“Here.” I said. “You’ll freeze out here.”
She paused then took it and said thanks. I stayed low.
“Well” I said. “There’s not much we could do then except hop the fence.” She was giving me that look again. Like I was some god or something. “What?”
“Are you him?”
“Who?” I asked.
“The apoclip savior.” She said.
“You lost me.”
“You’re at least an apoclip child.”
“I don’t know what you’re taking about.”
“I know you can see life force too.” She said. “It’s all around us.”
“I think so.” I said. If she saw those things too then either I’m normal or we’re both crazy.
“So you’re one of us then.”
“What does that mean ‘us’ and why do you care?”
“I’m an apoclips seeker. It’s my job to find people like us.”
“Why do you keep saying us? Who else is this ‘us’?”
“They’re the others from Central Paradise. They can see and use life force just like you and me.”
I paused. “You lost me again.”
“Here’s what you need to know first.” She said. “We aren’t like regular people. Whether it’s because of our parents or the fact that we’re just born that way we can see life force and control it. Life force is natural resources from oceans to rivers to soil to sun light and anything else the earth produces. We have two different color eyes so one will see life force and the other will see normally. Central Paradise is a place where we are all safe and by we I mean the apoclips children. Understand?”
“I don’t know.” I said. Stella looked up.
“Sunrise. Thank mother earth.” She said. “Listen you know your way around here right? Go to the edge of this park over there.” She pointed to the sun as it was rising. “I’ll be right behind you.”
“But the fence isn’t that way.” I argued.
“I can get us out of here quicker. Just trust me.”
“Fine” I said. “As long as we get out of here.”

I looked out of the tubes to take a look around. No one was around besides us. As the sun was rising I was beginning to see them again. They were life force? Stella did say sun light was one of the causes at least she understood what I saw. She took my jacket off and waited. Finally I began to run.

I sprinted till I heard a scream. I looked behind me. It wasn’t Stella. “Did you here that?” I asked.
“Wait.” She told me. Then we heard Judas’ voice followed by the sound of metal breaking around us. “That’s Ace.”
“Who’s Ace?”
“Just wait here and don’t move.” She said sprinting off.

I did. I was trying to wrap my head around everything that was happening. It all started so fast and she still hasn’t explained everything yet. I peeked my head to the side. It was Judas again but this time he was holding a sword in his hands. It was as dark as his black eye. Another person jumped in. I couldn’t see him very well but he had no sleeves on his shirt, looked about Judas’ age and held a sword too. This one was silver; it was so shiny that the sun rise light reflected perfectly on it. Judas made the first move, trying to slash through the other guy. He dodged, It was obvious he knew what he was doing then there weapons collided. The whole time they were fighting I saw life force again, and it was everywhere. I looked away.


I sat on the ground under the shade and took a breath. I took my knife out. One Judas and a sleeveless guy with swords against one me with a knife. I was trying to think of what to do, that’s when something grabbed my leg. It was another one of those shadow creatures this. I got up but feel on the ground. “Let go.” I yelled at it. I was crawling to the sun light. The life force was everywhere. Maybe I could use them. I reached my hand out but nothing happened. I tightened my grip I could get out on my own this time. The life force surrounded my hand. “Let go!” I screamed. This time the light shined in my hand but instead a sword appeared in my hand. It was the same one from my dream but it felt so much more real this time. I stabbed the shadow and ran to the light again.

I looked at my sword. ‘This had to be another dream’ I told myself in my head but it was right in front of me. The same exact one from my nightmare.

“It’s him.” Someone yelled.
“Grab him.” A different voice said. Before I even got up they grabbed my arms and started dragging me from the ground.
“Hey! Let go!” I said as I dropped my sword. “Wait. My sword.” I said. They didn’t listen. When they finished dragging me I found Stella with them.
“Sword. now.” She said.
“I dropped it back there.” But she wasn’t talking to me. One of the guys dragging me was the no sleeves guy and he handed her his sword. She swung it in thin air and something amazing happened. The life force from the sun all went in the one spot she swung. They came together like a door.

Before I could say anything they grabbed me and threw me directly in it.
Then I started to black out.