"How could you have left me in the dark like this?" I question the most frustrating person I know standing in front of me.

"You know I couldn't tell you until I knew you were ready; things could've gotten out of hand. I didn't want you thinking I was a liar."

I stand there in silence knowing full well that he was right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. This big of news would have been much handier about 24hrs ago when everything started to go wrong.

Let's back up a bit. I live with my Uncle Johnny and my cousin Emily in New Mexico; I have always felt as if I didn't belong with them. Emily and I never really got along, she always talked to me in a rude undertone. Emily is a year younger than me and acts like a rich snob at school. Monday was the beginning of my new life.

I woke up ready to head off to school, I drove Emily and myself to school. Once we got out of the car Emily left and she won't talk to me until it is time to go home and even then, she doesn't say much. At school I met up with Cade, my best friend, before class starts.

"Hey Cade, how's your morning?"

"Oh, you know, boring as usual. Zane woke me up at 6 am on the dot again. I wish just once he would let me sleep in a bit."

"Well you know if he didn't wake you up, you would be late to first period every day."

"That is very true." He chuckled.

"You ready for math?"

"Why does it have to be so early in the morning. Math is so boring."

"I know, come on."

I know what you are thinking, why are you taking grade 12 math instead of taking it with your own grade. Well, I have a photographic memory so I will graduate a year early with Cade. In math class the teacher switched up where everyone was sitting, I was no longer sitting next to Cade, I got put next to the 'queen bee' of this school, Leah. I took out my pen and I reached back into my bag to grab my notebook. When I set the notebook on the desk my pen rolled off and I reached for the pen to catch it before it fell to the ground. The pen froze midair and I was in shock. Just as quickly as it froze, it fell to the ground. I leaned over to pick up the pen, but someone beat me to it. It was a boy in the class. He was very good looking, he had raven black hair, a sharp jaw line, and beautiful light blue eyes.

"Thank you." I said grabbing the pen.

He nodded and went back to taking notes on the lesson. I didn't know his name, but I figured I shouldn't bother him again. I thought back to when my pen dropped, it must have just been in my head. After a couple classes I went to lunch in the cafeteria. I looked around, but I could not find Cade anywhere, I sat down by myself at a table and pulled out a notebook I had put together on research about a tribe that use to be here. They were called the Malan Tribe. It was so fascinating to learn about the area I grew up in. Someone sat down across from me and when I looked up, I saw the boy from my math class.

"Hey, what are you working on?" he asked me.

"Oh nothing, just a history project," I lied.

"What are you doing it on?"

"Oh, it's nothing."

As I said that he took the notebook from my hands and he look surprised.

"Wow, this is..." he trailed off not knowing what to say.

"Obsessive."

"No, I was going to say incredible."

I blushed, not knowing what to say. He handed back the book and pulled out his own book titled Myths and Legends. Sounds interesting. I went back to my research and decided to head up to the library before my final class. In the library I went under the history section looking for a book on the history of the Malan Tribe. I couldn't find anything, but I then thought back to what happened in math class. I then went into the mythic section. I tried to find a book about powers, after a little searching I found a book entitled Myths and Legends, it was the same book the boy was reading. I signed it out and headed to my next class.

After school I headed out to the front of the school and walked to the car. I waited to Emily to show up for 20 minutes and when she still wasn't there, I called her phone.

"What do you want?" she snapped.

"I want to know where the hell you are. I have been waiting for 20 minutes at the car." I snapped back.

"I am going to Sarah's house." She said.

"You could have told me th...hello?" Emily hung up on me.

I sighed in defeat and got in the car to head home.

When I got home, I left my stuff in the house and went out back to the huge open yard. Our nearest neighbours were a mile away. I went to my tree that had an old swing attached to it, sat down, and opened the library book. It was very intriguing, it spoke of werewolves, witches, and different kinds of powers a human could get by accident. I read the chapter about humans gaining certain powers by pure luck. I came across one called telekinesis. It is the ability to control objects with your mind. I decided to test it out. I grabbed a leaf from the tree and concentrated, I then opened my eyes and let go of the leaf; it fell to the ground. I tried again, each time the leaf fell to the ground. I tried one final time, but before I opened my eyes I was spooked by my uncle.

"Chara! Its dinner time, chop, chop."

I open my eyes as he said that I could feel my heart beating a little faster. I looked at the leaf, suspended in the air. Just like that, it fell. That was when I knew my brain wasn't messing with me. I headed inside to have dinner.

The next day I got up and got ready for school. I sat in class, nothing exciting happened, the boy just sat there, not saying a word. At lunch I sat with Cade, the math boy sat just down the table from us. I read the library book the whole lunch, soaking up the information. After school I went back outside to my favourite tree and kept trying to use my telekinesis, this time with a small stick. I held my hand, palm facing down and concentrated, my eyes closed, and I let go of the stick. For some reason it was not working for me. I gave up and went inside for dinner.

The next day after school Cade came over and brought his golden retriever, Zane. We were out back and enjoying the sun. We were sitting underneath my tree with Zane between us.

"So, your birthday is coming up, any plans?"

"Oh, come on Cade, you know I don't like to make a big deal about my birthday."

"Well, I hope I'm invited at least."

"I was thinking of only inviting Zane, but I guess you can come along as well." I chuckled.

We just sat in silence looking up into the sky or off into the distance just enjoying each other's company. Not long after it was time for dinner, and we all gathered at the table outside.

"Chara, do you want to do anything special for your birthday on Saturday?" Uncle Johnny asked me.

"You know I don't like to celebrate my birthday; I'm just going to hang out with Cade and Zane."

"Okay, whatever you would like."

I could feel Emily's eyes on me and when I looked over, she seemed disgusted. I bet I will hear something about it when John isn't around. After dinner Cade had to go home so I walked with him and Zane. We arrive at his house and his said goodbye and I started to go home. On my way through the dessert I could have sworn I saw someone in the distance staring at me, but in a blink of an eye they were gone. I brushed it off, I was probably too tired at the time to think much of it.

In the morning, I headed off to school. On the way Emily brought up what she was thinking about yesterday.

"What kind of freak doesn't want to celebrate their birthday? Do you not have enough friends or is it the fact that you seek attention because you don't have you parents."

That last part really stung, I could feel the anger rising inside me and I couldn't push it down. I lost it.

"What is wrong with you? If anyone is seeking attention, it's you. I can't believe you would bring up my parents. You must know it is hard for me to celebrate the day of my birth when I don't even know who gave birth to me. God, sometimes I just want to..." I let out a sign of frustration. Then I realize that my keys are floating mid-air beside me, and Emily looks terrified. They keys drop into the cup holder.

"What the hell is happening? What are you?" her voice trembled with fear.

"Don't say a word to anyone about this, got it?"

She just nodded and the rest of the car ride was silent. Once at school Emily practically jumped out of the car with her purse and ran over to her friends. Cade came over as I was grabbing my stuff.

"What was that all about?"

Great he saw Emily, "She is just being Emily, seeking extra attention today I guess."

Cade just nods and we walk into the school to part ways.

I was early to math class and sat in my normal seat at the back of the room. Today, the boy sat next to me. Maybe he will tell me his name today. As he sat, he remained silent and the hope of having a decent conversation with someone other than Cade that day started to fade. During lunch I went to me locker and the boy came up to me.

"Hi, I was wondering if I could sit with you at lunch today." He asked, his voice sounded a bit timid.

"Of course you can."

We headed to the cafeteria and I brought the boy over to where Cade was already sitting. Cade stood up as we approached him and that is when I realized that he looked worried all of a sudden.

"What's wrong Cade?"

"Oh, it's nothing, sorry Chara."

I looked over at the boy to ask him his name, except he look a little afraid.

"I have to go, sorry." The boy said, and I was left there confused out of my mind."

"That was weird."

"Very, anyway."

We just sat and talked until lunch was over. The whole time I was wondering what happened to the boy, why he left. After school I walked over to the car, low and behold there he was, standing there. I wonder how he knew that was my car.

"Hi, what are you..." I was cut off.

"You shouldn't trust that guy. Stay away from him Chara."

He started to walk away.

"Wait, do you mean Cade, why should I stay away from him," I questioned.

"Just trust me," with that, he walked away.

Emily was dead silent on the drive home; she didn't even answer her phone. Every time the notification went off, she seemed startled, but ignored it which never happened.

At home I finished my homework for the day and went out back to my tree to practice some more. This time I am using a small rock, I close my eyes and focus on it floating into the air and drop my hand and open my eyes. I was getting better at this whole magic thing. The rock was in front of me and floating. I get a notification on my phone, a text from I'm guessing Cade. I try to keep the rock floating while I check my phone. I pulled my phone up and say my reflection. My eyes were purple. Maybe that is why I scared Emily so much. She saw my eyes were a different colour.

It's Friday, tomorrow I turn seventeen. I am very sad today, every time my birthday approaches, I think of what my parents would be like, what happened to them, and what life would have been like if they never left me. I missed them so much, if it is even possible to miss someone you don't even know. The day goes by slowly, the boy didn't talk to me today and Cade knew that when I was like this I didn't want to talk. At lunch we would just sit in silence. I went home at the end of the day and stayed in my room. John brought up my dinner and left it outside the door. He knows I get like this every year. I start to cry, I didn't really know why, but I just wish my parents were here. I felt a tingling in my stomach, and it felt familiar. I felt this every time I used my telekinesis. I opened my eyes to see every small, light item in my room floating around me. I took a deep breath and focused on them all returning to their original place in my room. It surprisingly worked. After that I felt tired, so I went to sleep.

Yesterday was Saturday and it started out pretty normal. In the morning Cade came over with a gift that I told him not to get me. He got me a book about Malan which is a tribe and it speaks about the gods they worshiped. He really knows me and that is why we are such good friends.

So, we went out back and sat on the porch. Cade had brought Zane with him.

"So, are you excited to be seventeen?"

"Ah, it's nothing special. I mean it's not like the big eighteen."

"I think it's a bigger birthday than you realize."

"Really, now why would you say that?" I questioned confused.

Cade hesitated as if he is carefully thinking of what to say next.

"Well, now you can go to the movies and watch 17+ without me coming with you. Although, if you go to the movies without me, we will be officially unfriended"

He gives me a big smile, but that deviating smile was hiding something. I must find out what he is hiding.

My uncle calls us in to have breakfast. He made bacon and eggs, my favourite, when Emily got down though she was in disgust.

"How could you make that; you know I am vegan. I can't eat any of this." She exclaimed in fury.

"Now Emily, you know it's Chara's birthday and this is her favourite breakfast."

Emily huffs out of the kitchen back into her room. When we finish eating Cade and I decide to go on a walk into the desert.

It's so nice and quiet there. I have a feeling Cade has something to say but doesn't know how to say it. We just keep walking in silence until Cade opens his mouth.

"So, Chara have you gotten a chance to look at the book I got you?"

"I read some of it, very fascinating. I would love to live in a world like that, imagine being a god."

"Yeah, imagine being in a world full of gods and goddesses. All the magic around you, wow."

"I didn't think you would be into that kind of thing."

Cade seems to hesitate, "Well I hang out with you, don't I? I think I have to be interested in the subjects you love or else we would not have lasted."

Out of nowhere Zane breaks into a run barking like a mad man. We run trying to catch up to him to see what he's looking at. I look all around there wasn't anything in front of us nor was there anything beside us. I look over my shoulder to look behind us and there it was. An eight-foot thing that had bulging, yellow glowing eyes, was all leathery blue skin and bones, and moved in such distorted ways. Most of all, he was hella fast. When I turned back to the direction, I was running in I realized I had fallen so far behind Cade, Cade was running at lightning speed and I couldn't believe it. He turned back and saw how far back I was, and he came back to grab me. Before I knew what was happening, I was on his back and he was running full speed at a mountain. There was no stop in him, and I started screaming at him.

"Cade what are you doing? Slow down!"

"Just trust me okay," he shouted back at me.

All I could think was how he expected me to trust him when he was clearly going to kill us. I stayed quiet because I knew Cade wouldn't do this unless he had to. So instead I focused on trying to find out where Zane had gone. I couldn't see him anywhere, although he did get a good head start on us. We were about fifty feet from the mountains wall, and I squeezed Cade as hard as I could and closed my eyes.

We slowed down and when I opened my eyes we were in a cave. I hopped off Cade's back and took a look around.

"What happened Cade? Where are we?" I insisted he told me what was going on.

"I will explain later, right now we have to find a way to get you home."

At that moment Zane came running up to us panting. I knee down to give him a pat and make sure he is okay. I stand up and look at Cade.

"Once we get back you better start giving me some answers."

Cade nods, we will have to wait him out then we can get you home. I try to look around, but it was so dark. I reach for my phone and turn on the flashlight. The cave seems to be filled with different pathways leading in all different directions. I walk forward into one of the pathways and Zane follows me close behind.

"I wouldn't venture very far Chara; these tunnels can take you to all sorts of place. You don't want to go down the wrong one."

I walk back and Cade starts feeling the walls of the cave as if he was looking for a light switch. Well it wasn't a light switch; it was a door that lead outside. I walked over to Cade; he was looking through a crack.

"I think we're all good to start heading back."

"Are you insane! That thing could still be out there hiding, waiting for us to come out."

"Trust me Chara, he isn't there anymore."

Cade opens the door all the way and steps out, I follow, and Zane was just behind me. I look around and the coast was clear, so we began to walk back to my house. My heart was still pounding inside my chest and I couldn't calm it down. I hold my Malan necklace in my hand, and I run my fingers over the symbols. After an hour or so we got back to my house. The whole way we were silent. We immediately went upstairs to my room, Zane followed. After a few minutes Cade was about to tell me everything until there was a knock on my door. It was Uncle Johnny asking if we were alright. I opened the door and told him we were fine, and he went back downstairs.

"Maybe we should talk outside where no one else can listen in" Cade suggested.

We went outside and walked around out back throwing Zane's ball for him. Cade said that it would be hard for me to hear what he had to say. I prepared myself and just as he began to explain, Emily came out.

"You have got to be kidding me Emily. What do you want?" I asked very annoyed for being interrupted again.

"Dad said I have to come out here and hang out with you guys since it's your birthday or whatever."

Thanks a lot Johnny. Who knew when Cade would get the chance to tell me? I turn to Cade and he mouthed the word 'later' and I was so frustrated at that point that I was silent and just kept throwing Zane's ball. It started to get late and we had pizza for dinner then a vanilla cake. After that Cade had to leave and that was when I realized I had to wait until the morning to get an explanation. I went up to my room to sketch what I had see that day. I didn't get very distinct characteristics of the creature. Just the stature, the skin and the eyes that glowed like a firefly. I then went to sleep.

In the morning I got ready and went off to meet Cade at his house. He was waiting on the porch with Zane for me.

"Hey," Cade said knowing what he had to tell me would be very hard.

"Hi,"

"So where should I start?"

"I don't know maybe what that thing was or how you could run so fast?"

"Well, that was a demon servant. They serve Aluca, the god of the underworld. I am so fast because I am not human and...neither are you."

A look of shocked enveloped my face, I didn't know what to say or do. I decided to let him continue.

"I am half Glara, half human. It is a race of supernatural beings that have magical capabilities."

I started to put two and two together, "That's how we entered that cave through its wall, isn't it."

Cade nodded.

"So, what am I?"

"I don't know, all I know is that you aren't human and that your parents didn't die in a car crash."

I began to tear up, those tears of sadness quickly changed to tears of anger.

"How could you have left me in the dark like this?"

"You know I couldn't tell you until I knew you were ready; things could've gotten out of hand. I didn't want you thinking I was a liar."

I stand there in silence knowing full well that he was right. My mind is racing with this baffling information. If I wasn't human, then what was I? Was I a monster?

"So, you are a magician."

"Kind of, but without the spells. Instead we use our minds to manipulate almost anything."

I took a minute to think about this information while we sat on the step of his porch. I wish I knew what I was, my life seems to be falling apart. If my parents didn't die in a car crash how did, they die? I asked Cade if he knew how my parents died, but he didn't know. All he knew is that they didn't die in a car crash because they were very powerful. I stood up off the porch, my mind spinning. Suddenly everything went black.