I exit Club Neon, the hottest dance club for teens in the area, still feeling the heavy bass beat of the song playing in the club. Outside, the air is freezing compared to the warmth of bodies pressing against each other inside. It doesn’t help that it rained earlier so now everything is wet. If there’s a smell worse than city, it’s wet city.

I huff and flick some of my platinum blonde hair out of my face. Obviously, getting that emo style that’s so popular now was not a good idea. I reach into my red vinyl purse that has cute little pandas stitched on it and get out my bubblegum Motorola Razor. I open it and scroll through my list of contacts as angry tears prick my eyes.

I still can’t believe Colette would do such a thing, no, actually, I can. She has a reputation for stealing other girls’ boyfriends. It just so happens that she’s just stolen mine. I only got dressed up and came to the stupid club for Gabe’s sake. Now I’m standing on a street corner in the dim yellow street lights calling my dad for a ride. I could’ve stayed for a while and gotten a ride home with Jeremy and Kat, but third-wheeldom is not my thing.

I shiver and look down at my outfit. Note to self: pack a jacket next time you decide to wear your sequined green tube top and black skinny pants. My feet are killing me so as I finally find my dad’s number, I lean down and take off the killer heels I decided to wear.

I send him a quick text: cn u cum get me? Plz. He responds a minute later: Sure, sumfin wrong Riss? I contemplate answering but instead turn my phone off. He should be here soon anyway, I can tell him then. Angry tears pool over and I wipe them away furiously with the back of my arm. My makeup is probably running down my face right now in a very unattractive raccoon style.

I glance over to see a homeless guy leaning against the brick wall of the club. He’s in a duster that’s beat up and faded looking. His hair is dark and oily, pulled back into a ponytail, a few loose strands hanging around his face. He looks skinny but I can’t tell around the duster. I also notice his face is oddly clean shaven for a homeless guy. I shrug and am about to brush it off when he looks at me and I see his green eyes. The exact same color as my own eyes though everyone else in my family has either brown or blue eyes.

My eyes widen, but I quickly look away. I turn my phone back on and decide maybe it would be best if I hung with Jeremy and Kat until dad made his appearance. I walk towards the door but suddenly the guy is in front of me. I freeze but shrug around him and try to get back to the door. Again he intercepts me.

“I don’t have any money, leave me alone.” I growl. This guy is giving me the creeps.

“Where’s your boyfriend little girl?” The man smirks, glancing around. His voice is smooth, like a lawyer or an actor. I pause and shove past him, ignoring the implied insult.

“Inside,” I answer right before he grabs me. I scream and try to kick him, dropping my phone and purse in the process, but his hand clamps down over my mouth too quickly. His other arm is tightly around my waist, keeping my arms at my side. He drags me a few feet into the alley nearby, having very little difficulty despite my increased struggles and pins me to the wall.

The alley is too dark to see much. I can smell the nearby dumpster that makes me want to hurl; the wet ground under my bare feet doesn’t help matters. He holds my wrists in one hand above my head, once again having few problems. The door to the club opens and two people come out. A girl with bright pink pigtails in a neon colored corset-dress ensemble and a guy with long brown hair in a t-shirt and jeans. Jer and Kat!

I open my mouth to scream again but once again the man covers my mouth. I bite his hand as hard as I can and he lets go, swearing. I get out a yelp before he places a knife to my throat.

“One peep out of you and I’ll slit your throat.” He utters. He smells like an odd combination of roses and cigarettes. I bite my lip and cease my struggles until Jer and Kat go back inside.

As soon as they’re gone, I knee the man as hard as I possibly can in the groin. He lets go of me and I take off towards the opening. There’s a pop and pain explodes across my back and in my chest. I stop and look down to see a red stain spreading across my chest. I touch it cautiously and feel my fingers come away wet. I turn my head slowly, ever so slowly, to see the man holding a hand gun, silencer equipped, pointed at me. I open my mouth right as my legs give way and I black out.

I come to consciousness later and yawn. I roll over, stretching. It was all a bad dream; I tell myself and open my eyes. The first thing I see is grass, and then an open, aquamarine sky so pure and cloudless it doesn’t look real. I sit up suddenly, panicking. I have no clue where I am. I’ve never been on this hill before overlooking this postcard worthy lake with its toy like boats floating in it.

There’s a forest to my right and a town to my left. I get up and run to the town, hoping to find some answers. The town might as well be a ghost town it’s so deserted. I don’t stop until I notice that I’ve just run past a two-story Levittown model, a soddie and some building that looks straight out of Star Wars. I freeze. What kind of weird place is this?

“Serissa,” A voice calls from behind me. I turn around slowly, my eyes widening in fright. A woman walks down the cobblestone street towards me, a smile on her face. She has long wavy auburn hair that flows like a gentle waterfall to her waist. Her skin is pale, but not terribly so and her eyes are a soft brown color. The dress she wears is long skirted and long sleeved, appearing to have been made of liquid silver. She’s so beautiful she looks alien and seems to glow from within.

“Wh-who are you?” I ask, hating the way my voice cracks weakly. She’s slender and I’m pretty sure I can take her.

The air behind her shimmers and a pair of pure feathered white wings appears behind her. They shimmer like fresh snow in the sun as they unfurl slightly. My jaw drops and I stumble back a step.

“My name is Melody, and I’m your angel, Serissa.” She answers, giving me a heartbreaking smile, revealing teeth so white and perfect they can’t be real.

“Where am I? Why are you here? What happened?” I ask in rapid succession, not pausing for a breath.

“You’re in Haven, dear. I’m only here to guide you and help you become acclimated and the last one should be the most obvious. You died.”