I tossed my knee-length, snowy hair over my shoulder as I turned to face Ellemoore Manor. I cocked my head, my blood red eyes taking in the scene, wondering where the inhabitants of the mansion had fled. It was much too quiet for my liking. I could hear the wind tearing through the shattered windows, still clinging to the paneling, the soaring oaks swaying dangerously. Overgrown vines crawled up the side of the house, like thousands of slithering snakes. Why am I here? I asked myself bitterly. Many times I dreamed of leaving this God forsaken world, of leaving my past, of leaving my future. It wasn’t fear that kept me from running away, it was fate. Fate was the very thing that forbade me from ever leaving this world.

Why was I here? Not just here, in the front lawn of Ellemoore Manor, but here, doing this job that was forced upon me? Why me? Why did the organization choose me for this? Unfortunately, as much as I despised this job, I didn’t have a choice. There was no turning back to my past life, not that I remembered it. All I could recall was bright light and a deafening sound: thunder, perhaps? Or maybe it was crashing waves? Nothing more than that brief moment of recognition could I remember. Each time I tried to delve into my mind, hoping some memory of my past would resurface, I would hit a wall. A wall that I couldn’t break, couldn’t step around. I hated myself for not being strong enough to break it. I wanted to shatter that wall into a million fragments, gloating as the shards cascaded down, enabling me to search my mind thoroughly without an annoying obstacle in my path.

A gust of wind blew my hair back, the white strands billowing in the wind. The bright August sun shone on my body like a beacon of light and I could feel the radiance emanating off of me. The glistening light danced across my hair like a sparkling diamond on display. Sunshine. I felt a strange serenity when I had the opportunity to bask in the sunlight. Perhaps it was because of a memory of my past. My past…a time that was such a short while ago, and yet, it felt like eons since I was altered and reborn into my new immortal form. My new Faerie form.
I remembered hearing voices all around me, however, nothing was comprehensible, just a loud buzzing in my ears. I opened my eyes and tried to sit up. Pain shot through my body and a wave of dizziness passed over me; I felt like I had been hit by a semi truck. I glanced around the room and noticed that all four walls were glass, as if I was being watched from all sides. I didn’t like it, I felt naked, though I was fully clothed. The room, despite the four glass walls, felt cramped and claustrophobic. My eyes then settled on a group of people, who were dressed in white lab coats. Doctors, perhaps? The people there all had huge grins plastered on their faces. Whispers arose from the group, and I could hear snatches of what they were saying. “…Can’t believe it worked…compared to the others we brought in…will she be able to…” Questions raced through my head while I sat listening to the people whisper. Can’t believe what worked? What was I compared to the others they brought in? Will I be able to do what? What has happened to me? Then one of them broke away from the buzzing group and came up to me. His eyes traced over my body approvingly and spoke, “Welcome to your new life, Alyss.”
When I opened my eyes to this world for a second time in my life, I felt like I had been reborn. I had entered an entirely new life, leaving my old life and finding a whole new one welcoming me.

Was it fair that I was able to live two lives? Honestly, I would have rather lived one life and died, than be born again. I could never die naturally, my humanity was gone forever and there was no turning back. I hated this life, I hated my creators. The people who spoke of destiny and fate, words I never believed in, but was now following the path of my predetermined future.