Beep. Beep. Beep.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEckZaYPba
An annoying sound pierces my ear, repeating itself in a desperate bid to wake me up. However, I have more power than the sound. I lift my hand, feeling around for the pestilent object. Once I find it, I hit snooze and pull the covers over my head, triumphant.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjJuRM5X8eB
At least, triumphant until Sunny decides I don’t deserve such a victory.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc21UwsdIfa
“Wake up, wake up, wake up!” She screams with the energy of a six year old. Oh wait. She is exactly six years old.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSuvXL7wcc5
Fully awake now, I roll off my bed and brush through my morning routine. I check the time. Eight thirty. Wait. Eight thirty? I must have overslept! I’ll be late! As I struggle to put my shoes on, I hop down the stairs. I look around. No one here, no food waiting for me. Dang it. Guess I’m going hungry. I pull up a bus schedule. The next bus arrives in thirty minutes. That won’t work. Walking it is. 274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqSTM9xmn57
The very second I think that, it starts to rain. Seriously? I have to walk in the rain, hungry and cold? This day is a disaster already. Why'd it have to be my sixteenth birthday?274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGPhoAqNhJ
***274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Ls2vySk5r
I manage to get to school right on time, albeit soaking wet. I slip into my seat at the back of the class and open my notebook.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQtokmAIqIJ
“Psst. Cordelia.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgTCZq50MAi
I turn to my right, my attention immediately caught by the girl speaking to me. Her beauty is striking, rivalled by very few. Beautiful brown locks flow down her back, a path delicately brushing her waist. Her pale skin has an otherworldly glow, but her freckles are a reminder that she’s still a human being. 274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoCg8h1XeL1
My gaze shifts to her eyes, and I forget all about her imperfections. They’re kaleidoscopes, dancing and shifting from one vibrant colour to another. At the moment, they appear to be both green and blue, combining to create a stunning pigment that reminds me of nature. 274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemDnBYEptp
Her clothes are simple and classic, a white t-shirt and blue jeans to accentuate her beauty. Her sneakers are a painting depicting intricate designs of the forest, connecting her to nature. As if begging the trees to take her, her hair is adorned with flowers and dried leaves, depicting her as nature’s friend, a mythical creature from the woods. In fact, a mythical creature does her no justice. She could be Mother Nature herself, one of the few girls who need no makeup. Her name floats around in my mind. Savannah. A natural name to describe a natural person. It’s a wonder that such a being even knows my name.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP6FigAYvpe
“Uh…” I mutter, still recovering. “Yes?”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pku65AzDJ
“Happy birthday! You’re sixteen, right?” She smiles a beautiful smile, showing off her perfect teeth.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn3xTcfRBIH
I blink, more than a little surprised. “Yes. How did you know?”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMJUWLTWEbR
“Excuse me! Miss Kingsly, is there something you’d like to share with the class?” The teacher says, glaring at me.
“Oh, it was my fault, Mr Williams.” Savannah comes to my aid immediately. She winks at me. “I was wishing her a happy birthday.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rjfcSKytj
“It’s your birthday?” I nod. “Happy birthday, then. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Harrington.” Mr Williams is no longer addressing me.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9XR8WHV34G
Just as Mr Williams turns back to the board, a girl saunters in, her very presence demanding the attention of all who dare to throw a glance her way. Flaming red locks flow in wild braids, announcing that she is a spirited person who refuses to bow down to the concept of normalcy. Her eyes are a luminous green, shining with a fiery intensity and mirroring her personality. Her skin is glowing, though unlike Savannah’s, it’s flawless, free of imperfections. While Savannah wears simple clothes, spares no expense to wear clothes of verdant hues. A green sleeveless shirt graces her form, with green cargo pants to tell tales of her adventurous spirit. Even her shoes are a vibrant shade of green, worn as if it’s a thousand years old. This girl is a pure force of nature, nothing could possibly hope to get in her way.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaTvyD6Sl9
“Miss Ashford. You’re late. Again.” Mr Williams turns back to the board impatiently.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkB9oICsfU4
Ashford. Even her last name compliments her. She strides over to her desk, which happens to be right beside me, to my left.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9DSNTvkZR
She sits and props her feet up on the desk. “Yes, yes, I know.” She smiles. “But it’s my birthday. Cut me some slack.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaGHxmdbyD
***274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ySviqd0Ym
The rest of the day flies by, uneventful and boring. That is, until the girl in green strides towards me with Savannah a few paces behind.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuVwIRQGFHf
“Hi.” She leans against the locker beside me.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKZYnZHWO25
“Oh. Hi.” I stand there, unsure of what to say or do.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcYgUZourr8
“Cordelia, right? Van says it’s your birthday too.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdA0JiC1KhN
These two are clearly familiar enough to have nicknames. I, on the other hand, don’t really have friends. It’s surprising anyone knows my name.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0fdeYomrPs
“Mhm. Happy birthday, by the way,” I mumble.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12DgoJcBfU
The girl grins. “Thanks.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HDp4p1Cl0
Savannah sighs. “Emmy, you’re making her nervous. Just get to the point.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTd5Egr6LG6
The girl shrugs. “Jeez, ok. I’m Ember. You’ve already met Savannah. Have you noticed anything weird lately?”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eDELS9vbW
“Yeah, the fact that you guys are talking to me,” I say, staring stonily ahead. For some reason, I want nothing to do with the two of them.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaat7ZD9za
“I know, but I mean something weird like, I dunno…” Ember lowers her voice to a whisper. “Anything glowy? Or like, a random blast of water or something?”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmIS6jKjHp
What? “I don’t understand.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEheOWQ9TX
“I told you to stop beating around the bush, Emmy.” Savannah turns to me. “You’re sixteen today. What Emmy is trying to ask is, have you seen anything out of the ordinary today? Anything at all? Aside from us, of course.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SHj03dWMi
Maybe if I answer them, they’ll leave me alone. I think back, trying hard to remember anything weird happening. Then it hits me as suddenly as a brick falling on my head.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh53evzUq5n
“It rained this morning.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCPteAUZcB
The two girls look at each other, confused. “So?” Ember asks.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg7gacYTgoM
“So, I overslept today. I skipped breakfast and missed my bus. I was thinking about how much of a disaster the day was, and then it rained. I thought it was just chance at first. A cruel prank fate decided to pull on my sixteenth. But now,” I look at Ember and Savannah. “Maybe not.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLz3WyG440x
Ember rubs her forehead, suddenly looking very tired. “Damn. Liam was right, I guess. Now he won’t shut up.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAc7nDANOq
I raise an eyebrow. “I should probably get going.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Ic0UWrra4
“Wait. We need to talk. Come with us,” Savannah pleads.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxXCOuMSoo
I sigh. I know they won’t let me go anywhere unless it’s with them. I guess I should just agree.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlL1Td7WSuk
“Fine.”274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKptAGyoBQK
As I walk with them, I can’t shake the feeling that this meeting is only the beginning of something big.274Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zckeamKsm
然後按「加至主畫面」