Chapter 1

"Freak!" one girl says shoving me aside,

"Oh my god don't say that!" another girl says, I remember them from my first period class.

"So what? It's true isn't it? I mean don't you see those eyes? There is silver!"

I move aside looking down, attention is unnecessary. It is something to avoid, I don't usually get attention but when I do it is never positive, even so the words still sting.

This is normal, I've gotten used to the rude comments and whispers. My name is Victoria Lockmore. I am 14 years old and I have been haunted my entire life. I was little when I got into a car accident that killed both of my parents, and ever since that day I have relied on the spirits.

I walk through the courtyard of the high school to a spot that I have claimed. 7 steps past the science classrooms window, 5 steps to the right, 4 steps straight and then run around the corner to avoid unnecessary attention. just a little further and you reach a brick wall, low enough to climb with a lunch box. Spring in Washington D.C is amazing, the cool breeze balances out the warm air, and the cherry blossom trees are in bloom, dumping confetti like flower petals on our heads.

" Rough day, huh?" This is the fox spirit, Zorro, who lives in the bushes behind the school. he is a fox spirit, so he is orange with a white tipped tail and gleaming black eyes. I see Zorro every day when i eat my lunch.

" I suppose, although the weather is beautiful once again."

" Wow! You know, you should try showing a little emotion every once and awhile!" Zorro shouts enthusiastically. Our conversation goes on like clockwork, he covers all the points he does everyday just the same as in kindergarten when I would play in the trees. Zorro and the other ghosts are all I have in this world. I rely on them completely and I like to think they can rely on me too although I'm not sure I would be of much help.

Our school is almost hidden, especially in the spring with all of the plants and trees blooming. I walk home using a shortcut to avoid busy streets where school rules no longer apply. My parents died in the crash many years ago and my relatives were too busy for me so I inherited my mother's old house.the spirits raised my, braided my hair in the morning, made my dinner at might and kept our house pulled together. My mother had been a successful business woman and I had received almost 90% of her fortune when she died. Many of my relatives had thought this was not fair but she probably knew i would end up raising myself.Even though we are in the city if you know where to look you can find beautiful old houses, mine is at the end of a long road lined with cherry blossoms and birch trees. Even though I don't have a family I don't ever feel alone, there are spirits everywhere like the spirit Cereus who hides in the trees and Cibus who I see in the coffee shop just around the corner. My mother was friends with the owner of the shop so she comes to check on me sometimes, although I feel that she is afraid of me too. When we talk her eyes are shifty and she never comes in further than the welcome mat. Ever since I was little people have been afraid of me, I was never allowed to play at the sandpit, and was not allowed to join the book clubs, and eventually even my violin teacher quit. Because I could see spirits people would think I was talking to myself, and there was one time that I saw a giant monster spirit on a little boy's back. When I told him about it he thought it was a fit and his mother had to get involved.

" hello! Hestia? Are you here?" Hestia is the spirit of the house and loves to clean and organize. She has been a mother to me my whole childhood.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh ya, and by the way, I rearranged your room again!" she shrieks,in her normal positive tone.

"Alright, but you should rest, you have already done that three times already this week."

Two hours later and I have finished studying. After dinner, Hestia prepares to go for an evening walk. I walk past the school building and past the embassy. Eventually I reached the monuments, it's around 8:00 now and I start to stroll over crowds of tourists. After getting a cup of tea at a street stand I continue down through more crowds, past the outdoor volleyball courts, and through a seemingly magical pathway. When I reach the Lincoln Memorial I find I sit on the steps and watch the sun fall behind the skyline. The walk home is peaceful and quiet, too quiet for my liking. Just before I reach my doorstep I look up to see the most beautiful moon out tonight, a full moon I think.

When I wake up the next morning to an obnoxious alarm clock, the windows are all open and downstairs I can smell muffins. The air is crisp and sweet, so much so that I almost forgot about school.

"Oh my god! Hello? You are in my way ghost girl!" a tall blond girl spits in my face.

"Ah, sorry!" i say in return,

"What was that? Oh whatever!" She says, Oh I think I remember now, her name is Jenny Winterson, she transferred here last year and was instantly popular. She sits in the second row on the far left in class 1-5. I move out of the way without causing any trouble. My day continues as usual, until at lunch I see someone else sitting in my spot. I wish i could go talk to zollo because he always finds ways to cheer me up. I retrace my steps and find my way up to the roof of the school, the air is clear and I make a mental note that knowone was up here either. From up on the roof I could see all of the lingering spirits at this school, Amicis who I had only talked to once, and Nikey who lived on the sports fields, there also was Doceo who stayed near the back entrance to the teachers lounge. It was so peaceful and relaxing, then the bell rang and I was pulled back into my painful reality.

"Victoria!the answer please!" says my literary teacher, he always seems angry at me.

" the answer in B," I answer with ease, only seeming to make him madder. As the end of the day nears i notice that i have been called on more then average today and it has been extremely draining. On the walk home I stopped at a coffee shop. I have never tried and got lavender tea, my mother's favorite. The waiter looks troubled and i can't help myself from asking,

"What's wrong?" i can't help it but my tone is flat and emotionless, almost annoyed sounding, "never mind sorry i asked," i quickly blurt feeling foolish for asking something so personal.

" Oh no it's fine, I thought I was doing a better job at hiding it! Just not feeling all that well today!" he says with a perfect smile that reminds me of my jealousy for people like that, people who can smile. A genuine smile is hard to come by, I smile at Zorro's jokes and when Hestia makes a yummy dinner but I feel nothing, no "bubbly" happy feeling that friends have. I return a forced smile and take my drink on my way not forgetting a generous tip.

The air is still warm now, even though the sun has started going down and I decided to take a path through the woods. Passing the corner store and walking further into the woods. Because this is D.C, the forests are not that thick or deep, if you walk about in any direction you will find your way to a busy street somewhere. I was almost home when i heard a group of voices, i was confused because know one is in this part of the wood when i come. just keep walking i tell myself, given their voices I can assume they are college kids. They usually never bother me making me sometimes wonder if they can even see me at all. I pass a corner and notice them approaching and they are yelling and laughing about some nonsense. This time when I pass by is different. I could feel their eyes and hear a whisper, before I knew it the biggest of the three was wrestling my bag off of me!

"You go to one of those fancy private schools don't you? Give me your money or i will take it bye force!" he spat at me,

"Oh come on Justin! We were only joking! Ya she looks scared" said a super skinny guy with greasy looking hair.

"Please get off!" I shout to no result, " I only have ten bucks on me! I swear!" i took out my wallet holding it up like it was proof in a crime

"Whatever! Give it up!" he yelled! My lungs were exhausted, his holding me down was making it harder and harder to breath. I am desperate for air! I can begin to feel a humming sensation in the back of my head, reaching my consciousness towards it. I thrust my arms up summoning a huge gust of wind that shoves the men backward hitting the trees! Terrified I ran, I kept going until I reached my back door. It was all coming back now, this had happened before. When i was a small child wearing a pink jumper i had gone to the playground with my mother, the older girls started pushing me around when my mother would turn away. I lost my temper and just like now, using the wind I threw them into the sand pit. I will never forget the complete terror on their faces, but most of all my mother remained silent. She never spoke of that day again.

When I got home I felt tears rolling down my cheeks and Hestia and the others comforted me. They made tea and cookies and sat with me while I did my homework. This is when I hear a loud bang outside, but this time it is from my second floor porch in the back of the house. Surprised and confused, I rushed to the balcony bumping into tables and sliding doors on my way. When I open the door I find a boy, he seems to be about my age and when I lean down he is still breathing.where on earth did he come from? Looking up I see nothing, Confused, I brought him inside with the help of Hestia and set him on the red velvet sofa in the living room. The boy lies there motionless and we all pace around debating what to do. Later it is evening and I put up my long black hair and take off my school uniform exchanging it for sweat pants and a cheap old navy t-shirt I found in a box of my mother's old things. When I come downstairs I pick up my violin from one of the large old oak cabinets, I find my spot on the velvet carpet and begin to play. It was a song my father had written, he had been a composer and was very loved by the people, just like my mother making me occasionally wonder if i was adopted. This song had always reminded me of my mother, the way it seemed to float around you and laugh almost forcing you to smile. By the end of the song I had completely forgotten about the strange boy and was in about a good mood I could get in.

" Your playing is wonderful!" The boy says in a crisp accent, scaring me half to death so much that I fall backwards and land on the floor.

"When on earth did you wake up!?!" i shout in amazement,

" I woke up in the middle of your song and it reminded me of my home land." The boy said calmly as if we were childhood friends and he was not a stranger who had dropped out of the sky onto my balcony. Gloria, another resident spirit, Hestia, and even Misty who is often sulking in the attic, come to see what is going on.

" Who are they? WAIT can you see them?" the boy shouts, " you can see the spirits can't you?"

" You can see them?" I say in astonishment, " but how? You are the first person I have ever met like me!" Our conversation is put on hold so that I can get enough sleep to realize that I am hallucinating. I make my way upstairs after reluctantly retrieving a pillow and blanket for the strange boy.

'Stop! Stop the car! We are gonna crash!' screams my father, 'NO! Mom help!!!' CRASH ' no mom wake up! Father-'

"Wake up Victoria! You are gonna be late for school!" Gloria shouts in my ear shaking my covers off and opening the old creaking windows to let in the cold breeze.

" What do you want?" I whisper, " I don't wanna get up!"

" Too bad! It's seven fifty-six." she says and storms downstairs.

It's a cool morning so I light a fire in the fireplace and make lunch. Breakfast is on the table, courtesy of Misty i presume, even though she hates talking to people, she is an amazing chef.

" You forgot to iron your uniform last night so I just did it! Also that boy is still sleeping so you can talk to him after school. Today is Friday so you will have all weekend." Hestia says, handing me my still warm uniform. The walk to school this morning seems shorter but it must be because I have a lot on my mind. The day goes on as usual, and Zorro wanted to hear all about the mysterious boy. So much so that he followed me home, which I don't mind because his fur is unbelievably soft and he lets me scratch him behind the ears. Today I feel almost happy which I haven't truly felt in years.i laughed with Zorro and even picked up muffins at the coffee shop.

When Zorro and I returned the strange boy was sitting on the roof with Misty, who seemed angry that he dared to talk to her.

"Hello! I've been waiting, I have to tell you something!" he yelled down at me

"Alright, one moment. Let me change and put up my hair!"

When I come down the stairs I smell something delicious, and the boy is there too. He looks like he was thinking about what to say, maybe it was a difficult subject?

" Listen, Victoria? That is your name isn't it? Anyway as you know I am not from this world, and neither are you."

"Huh? Are you insane or something i have lived here my entire life! Where are you even from?!"

" I am from Atlantis, one of the cities of Agartha. There, Elves, Spirits, Nymphs and tons of other species live in peace with each other." The boy says, " but my mission was to retrieve the lost one and return her to the city."

I am confused, this should not be happening. But in a strange way it makes sense, i have never been normal, but the idea of me being an "elf" of all things was ridiculous!

" so why don't you have pointy ears?" i say wishing i could take it back when he started laughing hysterically,

" That is just a myth!" he says through giggles. " You must return there with me immediately, our king wishes to meet with you! This is quite the honor of course given only the clan leaders and his family have ever actually seen him. The mood seems to have changed immensely, he is very serious now and I can't help but start to hysterical laugh.

"You- you are saying that this so called "king of elves" want to see me!?"

" You catch on fast now we must go quickly to Agartha, the capital, to meet his highness!"

Is this kid crazy? No way in hell am I going to run off with him to an ancient city in the center of the earth! But it could be better than here, it was awful and I am getting tired of bad looks. I put down my glass of water and start pacing back and forth through my dimly lit kitchen, BAM!

" Hello guys, oh you must be the mysterious boy that Victoria here was telling me about!" Zorro says after slamming the door to the cupboard is full of snacks.

" Fine, I will go, on one condition. I must be allowed to bring my spirits with me!"

" that might be impossible," he says almost to himself, "but you may be able to bring one spirit if you can cut their ties to this world."

"Cut their ties?" Now I'm sure that he is insane! He is an elf, yet bringing a spirit with me is IMPOSSIBLE?!?

" Listen, I would miss you, but I think you should bring Zollo." Hestia says, " I can watch this house and all of the resident spirits in it, you have nothing to fear. But prosis me that someday you will return here!" she says sleeping a tear down her cheek.

By this time I had gathered my belongings and let out a few tiers. Misty is sulking in the corner and then says something very unexpected,

" we will miss you here Victoria, i mean they will anyway." she rolls her eyes and walks away, she may not know this but that was very meaningful to me! My whole childhood she never talked unless she was telling me to go "trip over a knife."

"Alright you ready to go?" the boy shouts,

" Wait, I don't even know your name!" I retort, afraid and partly stalling.

"My name is Sinus! I already got the fox spirit out so we should see him at the gates, that is if he can follow my instructions.'' He took me by the wrist and led me into the living room. First we had to open a void, and he and Misty worked on that. I gathered up a few things that I thought were necessary, an outfit, a journal, some cash, and also keepsakes. I was sure I would not be able to live without them. I say goodbye to my room, this makes me realize how dull my life was. I would've done anything with my time, I had no parents to tell me no, and my house was huge. I atleast could have decorated, my room was painted gray with one accent wall painted navy blue, one wall was slanted due to the architecture of the house. The windows of my slanted walls opened out onto the back yard with a view of the woods. There was nothing on the walls, all I had was a dark wooden dresser, a twin size bed with all black sheets and such, and my closet. The bathroom leading off my room was the same wall colors and had a dark marble counter top. My mother had been a fan of the color black which always surprised me given how happy and loved she had been. I don't have enough time to look in every room, most of which were uninhabited, because i heard Sinus yell,

"Come down! Our trip is on track!"

"Alright! I'll be right there!" and on that note I stumbled down the stairs and into the living room.

The void,which by the way I was terrified of, was like a roller coaster ride. the void was pitch black and we were spinning and zooming until we appeared in an elven transportation station. The walls seemed like they were glowing and everyone looked so busy. The vehicles looked alive, like maybe huge bugs or something. We didn't talk much until we got on the train for a stop. The room was huge and looked like the crystel walls were on fire. From what I had heard from Sinus, there were 4 clans, Water, Wind, Fire, and the Earth clan.

" Welcome to Ignis! The home of the Fire clan. The Water and Fire clans do not get along so we need to stay low, got it?" Sinus ordered,

"Okay...'' I gathered that this meant that Sinus was from the water clan. We walked around the busy streets for what seemed like hours, there were tons of shops though they were mostly blacksmiths and repair shops. I could tell the smoke was starting to bother the both of us, so I suggested that we find a place to get a ride to the next city.

" right! That's a good idea, I only know one fire elf who might help us, she's a little scary but her name is Poppy ok?" His tone really worried me, but I was too distracted by the crazy lights and shops to really care. It was dark in Ignis and beautiful lanterns seemed to be floating around.

After fifteen more minutes of weaving our way in and out of allies and shopping centers, we arrived at a small brick building. The sound of laughter and shouts echoed through the empty streets and Sinus took a deep breath before opening the door.

" Aaaaaaaah!!!! It's you! Sinus! Why didn't you tell me you had a friend coming along?" this must be poppy, she was young and very beautiful maybe she was twenty? She did not look the same as Sinus though, she seemed to float almost. Before we could even say hello she dragged us into what looked like a pub. The outside was so small I had a hard time believing what I was seeing. The walls seemed miles high and there were stalls with different activities the higher we went. We were exhausted by this time because she had pulled us all the way up th miles of stairs,

" meet Poppy, she owns this place and is a good friend of my fathers,she is not an elf she is a pixy." Sinus grumbled like a pouty toddler,

" that's right you little dummy!" she said while petting patting him on the head like a dog making him even more angry, so where do you want to go little man?"

" We are going to Agartha, its official business!" Sinus growled.

"Official business huh? Alright, but I still think you are too young to be working! You are gonna live and die a lonely man if you keep this up," and Poppy just kept talking for a while. She was pulling materials together and pouring them into a large cauldron.

" don't worry, she knows what she's doing," Sinus whispers, "though she may not look like it, she is a part of the nobility." He explained that the nobility was a group of skilled elves, spirits and other species who worked together to maintain peace and order.

"Well, all done here! Let me just pour this out, alrighty!" she poured it out onto the floor, but instead of sitting there it began to spin until it looked almost like the void but still seemed more pleasant.

"In you go!" Poppy shouts and we are pushed in the whirlpool.