I open my eyes to pink. Literally. All. Pink. I sit up, my head spinning slightly. I look around. I am laying in a plush pink bed, with pink curtains, and a pink rug at the foot of the bed. My dark clothes, hung on a pink hanger, are a sickening contrast compared to the brightness of the room. I get up, and a pink robe falls past my ankles. I hike it up and sigh. Short people problems. I grab my clothes, which are fully washed, and put them on. I walk out the pink door. I blink. I’m outside. Wasn’t I just in a room? I turn around for the door again, but it is gone. I am not used to magic….at all. I turn back around to find Robert, bright and cheery, pulling me across the field.
“Wow, you woke up fast! Not many people wake up a day after teleporting. You must be special!” I look at him.
“I’m not special,” I say flatly. He merely smiles.
“Oh, look, here are the others!” I look, and my heart pounds. Five other people, around my age, are standing awkwardly in a lopsided line. There are two other girls, and three boys.
“Now, I must assign you all your partners. Kara Levianne and Brian Gail. Hmm... Gabby Long and Markus Feight. And, last but not least, Adeline Marie and Jackson Davis.” I look over at the last boy. He is looking at me, too, but when we lock eyes we both look away. I take a deep breath and try to calm my pumping heart. The boy’s eyes were the brightest electric blue possible. I push him out of my mind and refocus on Robert.
“-remember to recharge by sleeping, it’s the best way possible! Now, to start the immortality and wing process. We’ll start with the boys!” He snaps his fingers and the three boys disappear. I take a deep breath and turn to the girls. They are looking at me. I smile somewhat awkwardly.
“How did you get here?” asks one of them. I look at her blankly.
“Me?” I ask quietly. “How did you?”
“Well, my mom was part of the Hidden Wings as well, so obviously I knew I was going to be. I live right around the corner.” The other girl nods agreeingly. I take a deep breath.
“My phone basically turned into a teleporter and Robert came to get me,” I say, very interested in my shoes, my wavy hair covering my blushing face.
“Weirdo,” says the girl. The others nod. “Oh, and my name’s Gabby, by the way. Just in case you need help.” My face burns like hot fire. I turn around and run straight into Robert.
“Oh, hello Adeline! Are you all ready to start the immortality?” The other girls nod vigorously. I nod too, not wanting to be made fun of even more. Robert waves his hand and we all disappear into a vortex.
*******
I open my eyes to find myself laying on a comfortable bed, with Gabby and the other girl on either side of me. Robert, his large mouth covered by a doctor’s mask, approaches us with a needle in hand and a tray with the other two in his other. The boys are nowhere to be seen. Robert first plunges the needle into Gabby’s arm. She stiffens, then relaxes in almost a trance-like pose. Robert approaches me, with the next needle. I close my eyes, but then I hear Gabby gasp, then scream. I reopen my eyes numbly to watch the needle insert itself into my arm. A cold numbing wave washes over me. About a minute later comes the pain. It feels as if burning hot knives are slicing down my whole body. I keep my mouth shut, but the pain intensifies, forcing my mouth open and making a loud audible gasp. I feel as if I am being drowned into a pool of fire. I struggle to open my eyes, but all I see is blue. So this is how I’m going to die. It becomes dark, and suddenly I feel like I am falling. I scream, and something touches me. I don’t know where. It almost felt like a hand. I take a deep breath, hoping it is, at the very least, Blake. Maybe he knew I was going to die today and wanted to be on my good side just in case I went to Hell. I try to open my eyes again and all I see is blackness. I cry out. I am alone. But when I take a quick breath, the blue appears again. My eyes focus for the first time in what felt like forever. The blue is a pair of eyes. Jackson’s eyes. I look around, seeing everything in more depth and detail than ever before. I stare at Jackson for about 20 seconds, but then the biggest- and worst-wave of pain washes over me. My toes are now numb. I am actually dying. The numbness spreads all the way up to my torso. The pain is gone now, except for in my heart, where it feels like it is intensifying. I take a huge breath, and my heart beats like a humming bird. My chest arches upward, dragging my whole body towards the ceiling, and I drop. Down. On. The. Bed. My heart beats a final two pumps, then stops completely. All I hear is Jackson breathing beside me.

“So, I’m immortal?” I ask Jackson. He smiles.
“Yeah, now you live forever.” He blushes scarlet.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing,” he says awkwardly.
“Where’s everyone else?” I ask, now realizing we are alone.
“Oh-you took longer to transform, so they are already in their hideout.”
“Oh,” I say. “Okay.”
“Come on,” says Jackson, his amazing eyes sparkling. I stand up and almost fall. My legs are super stiff. Jackson grabs my elbow, and my breathing picks up. My eyes pick up a small freckle on his wrist. I smile to myself, knowing this is one of my new favorite things about him. My legs regain feeling and I follow Jackson out the door.
Jackson opens the door and I gasp.
“It’s beautiful,” I say in amazement.
“Even better with your improved eyes, right?” Jackson asks. I nod, still gazing around. The hideout is a circular one floor room with purple swirls going up the walls. There are two beds in a large cut out portion of the hut. As I walk around in amazement, I hear a knock, and before I even turn around, Jackson is already at the door. I raise my eyebrows.
“Immortality,” he says with a smirk. He opens the door to Robert.
“Hello! I hope you all are enjoying yourselves! It’s time to start training!” I just look at him.
“Training?” I ask.
“To practice your new powers!” Robert says, overly excited.
“Powers?” I start breathing faster. “I don’t want to get myself killed!”
“Calm down, Adeline!” says Robert enthusiastically. He snaps his fingers and Jackson and I are whipped into yet another hurricane.
********
“Eww, why are you here?” asks Gabby. Kara, the other girl beside her, wrinkles her nose.
“I’m doing the same thing you are. Training,” I say. She just rolls her eyes and walks over to her male partner.
“Okay, everybody! You have to start by getting to know your strengths, weaknesses, and- your partner!” Robert exclaims joyfully. We all just look at him.
“Well, go on!” he cries, and disappears on the spot. I look at Jackson. He is looking at me.
“I have no idea what I’m doing,” I say flatly.
“Me neither,” Jackson replies. “What do you think your weaknesses are?”
“Um,” I think. “Failing at...something. Yeah. And, um, losing people, and death, and, um, fire.”
“Those are intense,” Jackson says.
“What about you?” I ask.
“Hmm... I’m going to say my fear is fear itself. And being in closed spaces. I don’t like that,” he says.
“Okay,” I say, not knowing how to respond. “So how do we turn that into powers?”
“Perfect question!” shouts Robert out of nowhere. “You must channel your weaknesses into your head and mix it with happy thoughts!” I raise an eyebrow.
“Are you serious?” I ask.
“I am as serious as cherry pie,” says Robert very seriously. I look at him.
“Well, I’m going to die,” I mutter under my breath as I turn away. Jackson laughs quietly. All of a sudden I hear a loud boom. I turn around, and see Gabby standing, shocked, in a black circle.
“And that is why we made you immortal!” shouts Robert. “You would have killed yourself!” Gabby’s eyes are as wide as plates. She looks shocked.
“Didn’t know you could do that, huh?” I mock. She snaps out of her look and glares at me.
“Shut up. You probably can’t do anything at all,” she counters in her annoying voice.
“Oh yeah?” I ask, getting a spark of confidence. I hold out my hands and close my eyes. I imagine my house burning down, my family screaming as they are burned to crisps. I start to shake and then I scream, and water comes shooting out of my hands, blasting Gabby, the other girl, and both their partners to the other side of the room.
“Ah, finally! Adeline, dear, what image did you put in your head?” asks Robert.
“Um,” I start, looking at Jackson, right next to me, still dry. “Fire.”
“Ah, the repellent to fire. Water! Your were trying to save someone, I presume?”
“Um...yeah…”
“Wonderful! Good job! I couldn’t have done it better myself!” shouts Robert, filling the growing silence in the room. “Well, I must get going. Cheerio!” he exclaims, and with a loud pop, disappears into thin air. I blink for about a quarter of a second, and Gabby is in front of me.
“I-am-the-BEST!” she screams in my face. She looks and sounds like an angry rhino. She grabs me by the neck and I gurgle, losing my breath.
“HEY!” shouts Jackson. Gabby squeezes tighter. My head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton balls. But I can’t die. I’m immortal, right? I close my eyes and Jackson yells, thinking I passed out. But in my head, as it gets stuffier and stuffier, I imagine Robert coming up to me and I hear him.
“I’m so sorry. He didn’t make it.”
“What?”
“Jackson. He’s dead.”
I open my eyes, find Gabby’s dark brown ones, and punch her directly in the nose. She screeches, dropping me. I look at my hand. It is almost gone now, but I see a faint pink glow emitting from my fist. I lay on the floor, my strength gone. I close my eyes. I need sleep. Only when I feel a hand shaking my shoulder is when I snap back into focus.
“-N’T BE DEAD!”
“I’m not,” I say quietly. He sits up, confused by my expression.
“Oh. Are you okay?”
“Yes,” I say, while inside my head I’m saying the exact opposite.
“ Awesome. Your hand was glowing bright pink.”
“Okay.”
“Wasn’t that cool?”
“No.”
“Huh?”
“I’ve seen cooler things,” I say, lying back down.
“Like what?”
“For starters, I’ve seen Robert leaves at the times when we are about to die,” I say, smirking.
“That’s not cool! At all!”
“I think it’s kind of ironic.”
“Ugh. Come on, it’s time for dinner,” says Jackson as our ears pick up the dinner bell. I stand up, and my head spins slightly. I ignore that and Jackson’s concerned look and walk out the door.

After we stuff ourselves, Jackson and I walk back to our hideout. He lies on his bed looking exhausted, but I pace the room, full of sudden energy. As I walk around the tile for the twentieth time, Jackson sits up.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“No.”
“Please lay down, you’re making me dizzy.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. It’s, like, almost midnight...please lay down.” I glare at him.
“Fine,” I sigh. I plop down on the bed.
“Now just relax,” he says, laying back down on the bed next to me. I don’t respond. I take an audible breath.
“Are you okay?” he asks, sitting up on an elbow to see my face.
“I’m fine,” I say, not wanting to show my feelings.
“No, your not. Please tell me what’s wrong. Is it me?”
“Um-no.”
“I don’t think you’re telling the truth.”
“I am.”
“Not.”
“Am.”
“Not.”
“Jackson! Shut up!”
“Sorry.” We lay in silence for about a half hour.
“I think you like me,” Jackson says, loudly, making me start.
“Excuse me?” I whisper rudely. But he doesn’t answer. I sit up, and find Jackson, in fact, is fast asleep. He opens his mouth once more.
“Well, I do. I think you’re really cute, Adeline.” I lay back down, my hand covering my delusional smile. No way. I kick him, and he jumps. Then I pretend to be asleep.
“Adeline?” he whispers. I hear his covers rustle, then I feel a hand on my shoulder. Then it disappears, and reappears on my cheek.
“Wow,” he whispers. “Such a great actress. Open your eyes.” I blush and do as he says. He smiles.
“I wasn’t asleep either.”
“You mean….”
“Yeah. You are adorable. I love your hair. A lot. And your eyes... I can’t tell which color they are. That’s why I try to look eye to eye. Except…”
“I know. I’m five foot two,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“And I’m five foot seven.” He says, a cute smirk on his face. I laugh quietly. He sits on the edge of my bed and I sit up. We are just inches away. He leans forward, and my heart, even if it stopped pumping, gets hotter and hotter. I lean away, scared.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, concern written all over his face.
“I….can’t. I’m not ready yet,” I say. 
“Okay,” he responds. I lay back down. But Jackson doesn’t go back to his bed. He just lays down right next to me.
“Is this okay?”
“Yes…” I say awkwardly. He puts his cheek on my hair. I roll up on my side, my back towards him. His arm wraps around me, and I grab his hand. Safe. I finally feel safe.
******
When I wake up, Jackson’s hand is still in mine. I don’t move, unsure if he is awake or not. I move my head slowly. His blue eyes are open, watching me. He smiles when our eyes meet.
“How did you sleep?”
“Pretty good, actually.”
“I thought it was going to be a sleepless night.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault.”
“But-”
“Seriously, Adeline.”
“Okay,” I say. He sits up.
“Gotta get changed.”
“Okay,” I say, averting my eyes.
“No, it’s okay.”
“Umm...what?” I look up. He is shirtless.
“Oh, God.” He does his cute smirk I learned to love. He walks forward. My face heats up. He cups my chin with his long fingers.
“I love you,” he says, smiling slightly. My face feels as if it is about to explode.
“I-I have to get dressed,” I say, my voice sounding choked. His smile disappears.
“Okay.” I stand up, almost trip, and walk to the bathroom. My clothes are laying on a chair. My uniform. I pull on the leggings, and the blue skirt. Then I slide on a white shimmery half top. I look at myself in the mirror. Not bad... I slide on the leather boots and lace them. There is makeup on the corner of the counter, and a mask. I grab mascara, concealer, and a bunch of other things. I put it on, and with each brush and stroke, I cover myself. When I am done, I don’t recognize myself. I put the mask on. There is no string, and it holds itself onto my face by some sort of magical force. I close my eyes, and my head tickles. When I open them, my hair is in a braid, all the way down to my waist. I spot blue sparkles woven in the strands. I gasp.
“Wow,” I whisper. I open the door, and almost run into Jackson.
“Are you-oh my God.”
“You like it?” I ask, smiling a little.
“Yes….” he whispers. He is in blue stretchy jeans, and a simple white T-shirt. He also wears a mask like mine. His boots are also similar. I smile fully. My hand reaches up towards him, but then I stop, nervous and unsure.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um...nothing,” I say awkwardly.
“What were you going to do?”
“Nothing.”
“Do it,” He says. I sigh. My hand goes back up and strokes his hair. Then I bring it back down, blushing. He is smiling.
“Let’s go,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. He grabs my hand and we walk to headquarters.
“Good morning Jackson, Adeline!” shouts Robert. I wave. Jackson pulls me into the corner.
“I want to see you do that again,” he whispers so Gabby, who just stormed in, couldn’t hear. I shake my head. Gabby finally notices me.
“Hey, loser! Sleep well? How’s your throat?”
“Great, thanks!” I call back. She glowers. But then she notices Jackson standing really close to me.
“Are you guys together?” I blush and open my mouth.
“Yeah. We are,” butts in Jackson. Gabby’s eyes look like they are made of fire.
“What?”
“Gabby, just go away,” I say, not wanting a scene. She sneers and turns to her partner, practically running into him. I personally feel bad for him. Jackson tugs my hand.
“C’mon,” he says. “Do it. Please?” He looks at me with such intensity and I break under the beauty of his eyes.
“Okay,” I say. I close my eyes. I imagine Jackson laying on the ground, his amazing eyes closed, and I have the terrible feeling they will never open again. I start to breathe faster and faster and then I feel a cold sensation in my hands. I open my eyes to Jackson’s and I don’t feel anything, but his eyes widen.
“I just read your thoughts,” he says sounding breathless. I nod, smiling slightly. His eyes slightly wild, he pulls me into a hug.
“I will never leave you,” he whispers in my ear. I shiver, hoping he isn’t lying. I lay my head hesitantly on his shoulder. I feel him exhale slightly. I smile to myself. We let go of each other and Jackson sighs.
“I haven’t shown any kind of power yet. I’m probably useless,” he says, sliding against the wall onto the floor with his head down.
“No. You are not useless,” I say firmly. He looks up, his blondish brown hair falling into his eyes.
“Really?”
“Yes, Jackson. Don’t be so hard on yourself,” I say. He smiles and stands back up to his height, towering over me.
“Okay. Can you teach me how to do it?”
“Yeah. Of course. So you have to think of your prized possession, or something you...love. Then you have to think of it being gone, ruined, or something along those lines. And then, if you concentrate hard enough, you should be able to-” I am interrupted by a huge CRASH. I whip around. A flying-thing- comes hurtling towards me.
“ADELINE!!” screams Jackson. I put my hands up and squeeze my eyes shut. I am pushed to the ground. I gasp as I hear a loud bang. But no pain. I open my eyes slowly. The thing has stopped directly in front of me, stopped by some sort of force. I blink. Jackson is standing in front of me, one arm extended towards the thing, the other in front of me, protecting me.
“You did it,” I say breathlessly. He looks at me.
“I couldn’t lose you,” he says, his beautiful eyes intense.

I walk forward to inspect the thing.
“Can you, um, put it down?” I ask Jackson. He concentrates. The thing falls to the floor with a sickening crash. I peer closely.
“It looks like a rock,” says Jackson, coming up behind me. I rub my fingers across, finding what I’m looking for.
“But it’s not. See this inscription here? I can’t read it. What does it say?”
“Um, I think it says The Property of Jelda.”
“I think we have our first villain.”
“Oh, goodie! You must get your wings, then!” cries Robert from nowhere. He grabs our arms and we are whipped away.
*******
I open my eyes to find myself facedown on a bed. Jackson is next to me, his eyes wide. I look and find a pair of long wings on his back. Something is pressured on my back and then it hurts. It hurts like fire going down my spine, worse than immortality. My eyes close and I let out a scream, shutting my mouth halfway to make it a whimper. Everything is numb. I feel something, but I don’t know what is going on. I attempt to open my eyes, and find Jackson shouting something I can’t hear. I open my mouth. I try calling him, but I don’t know if it worked, because my body shuts down and I am shut into a case of blackness.

I grab her hand, shouting at Robert, standing in the corner to help. But he disappears. I curse out loud. Her eyes close.
“NO!” I shout. I grab her face and kiss her. I kiss her like there is no end. I can’t lose the only happiness I have.
“DAMMIT!” I shout. I do mouth to mouth, but she shows no signs of life.
“What the hell is immortality?” I ask to no one in particular. There is a tickle on my back and I remember I, too, have wings. I look at Adeline’s back, her beautiful, full wings exposed. They have a tinge of blue in them, like our masks. I put my head on her chest. Then I remember her heart already stopped beating. I sit down, my head in my hands. Every now and then I look up, hoping to see her beautiful gray eyes looking at me, but they are still closed.
“Please,” I say. “Come back.”

I open my eyes, my back sore.
“Oh my God, I thought you were dead!” says Jackson, his face inches away from mine.
“I’m immortal?” I say in a hoarse voice.
“But-but you would be dead already if you weren’t!”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’ve been out for two days! I’ve been worried sick about you,” says Jackson, grabbing my hand.
“Two days? We have to go, like, right now!” I say in alarm, sitting up and swinging my legs off the bed.
“Be careful!” says Jackson as I slide off. My feet don’t hit the ground, instead, they float a few inches off the ground. I twist around. I have wings! They’re beautiful.
“Um, how do I get down?” I ask Jackson.
“Think downwards,” he replies. Downwards? I think of a down arrow, things falling down to the ground and then my feet hit the floor. I stumble, not expecting to be so weak. Jackson grabs my arm to steady me.
“You good?” he asks, his eyes stunning me. I nod, not trusting my voice. The door bangs open and I jump.
“AWWWWWW! How cute! You guys are just adorable! Jackson and Adeline, it has such a cute ring to it!” squeals Gabby.
“Shut up,” I say, glaring.
“Shut up,” she imitates me in a squeaky voice. “Why should I, loser?”
“Because we’re leaving,” Jackson says, pulling me through the open door. We walk into the field.
“You can’t let her get to you,” Jackson says, leaning down to my height so we look into each other’s eyes.
“But-”
“She’s just jealous,” Jackson says, smirking slightly.
“We need to go find our villain, Jackson. Seriously,” I say.
“Okay,” he says. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine, but we need to go now,” I say. Robert appears out of nowhere again.
“Okay, guys! Bye!” he exclaims, and we are smashed in another hurricane. I close my eyes, feeling slightly nauseous. I feel Jackson’s arms around me. As I take a deep breath, the hurricane disappears around us, and we fall to the hard ground.
“Oof,” I say out loud.
“That was the worst landing I have ever done,” says Jackson, covering his face with his hands. I struggle to stand, my tailbone pounding.
“Okay, what was this dude’s name again?” I ask, stretching my legs.
“Zelda? Oh, no, Jelda. Kind of weird name,” Jackson says, hopping to his feet.
“Do you think it’s a man or a woman?”
“Woman, probably. But who knows? Maybe it’s both?”
“Okay, that would be...weird,” I say, trying not to put an image in my overactive imagination. He laughs at my expression. Then all of a sudden I hear a bush rustle behind us. Jackson hears it too, and his mouth closes instantly, laughter gone. I turn around slowly, my hands out in front of me. I make a small step forward, and then, all of a sudden, a little creature springs from the bush. I stumble back, shaken slightly.
“Who are you?” asks Jackson, stepping slightly in front of me. The creature makes a weird strangled noise in the back of its throat. It looks slightly deformed, with lopsided eyes, and a crooked nose and mouth. It stands about two feet, but the power radiating off of it is enough to cover a seven foot man. It grabs my wrist, making me jump. I try wrenching it off, but that only makes it tighter.
“Come…” the creature croaks. I pull with all my power, but the grip tightens more. My hand starts to turn numb. I pick up my foot, and, after thinking about Jackson dead, see it glow, then I kick the creature square in the chest. It lets go of me, stumbles, and falls onto the ground. It glares at me. Then it opens its mouth and screeches, loud enough to wake an entire country. Jackson smacks his hand across the creature’s face.
“Shut up!” he hisses. The creature glares at him now, and then slaps him across the face. Jackson stands to his full height, towering over the thing. Something clicks in my mind.
“It’s-it’s a goblin,” I say, making them both look at me. “We have to bargain with it if we want to go anywhere,” I say, nervously taking a step forward. The goblin looks up at me, and bows.
“Thank you for recognizing me, Miss Adeline,” he says, his nose touching his knees.
“You-you can talk?” Jackson looks a trifle shocked. The goblin gives him a look of disgust.
“You, Mister Jackson, have no right to talk to me with such disrespect,” he says, turning his overly long nose away from him.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” Jackson says, putting his hands up in surrender. 
“You should be sorry,” the goblin sneers, and turns his back on him.
“What can I do for you, Miss Adeline?” he asks. I look at Jackson. He shrugs, his eyes showing hatred towards the goblin.
“Can we…?” I start, gesturing to Jackson, then a nearby tree.
“Talk? Of course! Take your time! It’s not like we only have ten minutes!” the goblin shouts, stamping his foot.
“Ten minutes? Until what?” Jackson asks, his voice flat and sarcastic.
“Until I decide if I’m going to kill you or not,” the goblin sneers. “Now make a choice! What do you want, and what are you giving up for it?”
“Um,” I say, looking at Jackson fearfully. He looks back, his eyes sending a clear message. We can take him.
“Well,” I start, my voice five octaves higher from fear, “We would like directions to where Jelda is located.”
“Ah, Jelda! Haven’t heard from him in a while! Immortality serving him well?”
“Immortality?” I ask, at the exact time Jackson says, “Him?” We look at each other.
“Why is...he immortal?” Jackson asks after about five seconds of silence.
“To live forever and cause never ending disaster, of course!” the goblin says joyfully.
“Are you, like, related to Robert, or something?” asks Jackson. “You have a tendency to act cheerful about things that are depressing.”
“Of course not!” the goblin screeches. “This is an important matter! Now shut up while I think of instructions.” The goblin stands in front of us, his arms crossed and eyes closed. Jackson and I stare at him.
“I will take you to him,” the goblin says, opening his eyes. I back away.
“Um, no. Thank you. Can you just give us directions?” I say nervously.
“Absolutely!” the goblin says.
“Thank-” I start.
“NOT!” screams the goblin. My mouth opens in shock.
“Excuse me! You do NOT talk to her like that!” Jackson scolds, stepping in front of me and jabbing a finger in the goblin’s face. The goblin leans forward and bites the tip of Jackson’s finger.
“OUCH!” Jackson yelps, and backs away, tripping on my feet. He falls.
“What did you do!?” I ask in alarm.
“Oh, he’ll be unconscious for a while. Goblins are poisonous, didn’t you know?” The goblin sneers. I cover my mouth with my hands.
“He was being a jerk face to me anyways, trust me, I did you a favor,” the goblin says, seeing my horrified eyes.
“What? What is wrong with you? You’re acting like I killed him! I didn’t!” the goblin cries. “I just made him pass out! He’ll be fine and awake in a couple hours!”
“Okay, you expect me to be calm? How about this? We are trying to find what destroyed our hideout in a week, okay? We have to stop him before he destroys everything else in the universe and kills all humankind. But we don’t know where he is at all, and you are the only person that knows, and we were just about to get going, but YOU insulted me, and Jackson stood up for me, then YOU bit him making him pass out with poison! SO, now we have to wait for him to wake up SO we can go and stop this-this CRAP from happening!” I say, my voice rising in volume with every sentence.
“Okay,” the goblin says. “Okay, I’m sorry. But we all know it was for the good! I’ll find the remedy to wake him up in 45 minutes. Sound good?”
“Fine,” I sigh, breathless from my ramble. I slide down against a tree and look at Jackson’s calm face in the moonlight. I sigh and lean back. My eyes close against my own will.

“GAH!” I hear a shout. I jump up, startled out of my slumber. I look around, my tailbone still pounding from our fall last night. Jackson. I look over to where he was last night. He isn’t there. Instead, he is sprinting around the trees, on full immortality speed. The goblin was on the ground, his scrawny arms crossed. When he catches my eye, he starts complaining.
“He pushed me!”
“Calm down,” I say, heaving myself off the mossy ground with difficulty. Jackson appears in front of me.
“Sleep well?”
“Not really. I was worried about you,” I say, smiling slightly.
“Why would you be worried about me? I’m fine!” Jackson says, taking my hands.
“Okay, well, a goblin injected poison into you with his teeth, so I think I have some right to be worried about you,” I say, squeezing his hands. He smirks.
“I’m fine. Seriously,” he says, staring at me with such intensity that I sigh a little.
“Helloo? We don’t have all day, you lovebirds!” The goblin says, reaching up and pulling our hands apart.
“Sorry,” I say, my face heating up.
“This way!” the goblin walks directly into the forest behind us.
“Um...poison ivy?” Jackson asks.
“You’re immortal, stop being such a baby!” The goblin calls. “You guys better hurry up, I’m not stopping!” Jackson and I stumble into the dingy forest, our feet trampling leaves and grass. I start to drift upwards, not wanting to get my shoes dirty. I take a huge breath, finally feeling some sort of freedom. I can live with these wings. I lift my hands up, my fingers brushing the beautiful blossoms emitting from the tree branches. It’s a lot warmer here. It must be summer or spring. I look down at Jackson, who is looking up at me, a dreamy gaze on his face. I float back down and almost land perfectly. He touches my arm.
“Come on,” he says. “Don’t want to lose him.” I nod, walking faster. He keeps up with me with his long strides.
“So,” he says. I look up at him.
“So,” I reply. His fingers stroke the ends of my braid.
“You’re so beautiful,” he says, sighing.
“Thanks,” I say, blushing. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” Jackson says.
“Can you tell me where you’re from? How your life was before you got into all this?”
“Um, yeah. Sure. I was from a small town in Washington. Its-it was just my dad and I. My mom...she died from cancer right after I was born,” Jackson says, looking down at his shoes.
“Keep going,” I encourage.
“Okay. Well, um, my dad isn’t like a dad should be. He-um-has drinking issues and he’s usually drunk all the time. I’m by myself most days. Sometimes he’s sober enough to make dinner, but usually I’m the one making something. But, I can’t cook, so I usually steal some of his gambling money to go to, like, a fast food place or something. I’m at school during the day, but I don’t have many friends. I get made fun of a lot. No one likes me, I guess,” Jackson says, looking lost and forlorn. I touch his arm.
“You’re not alone. You have me,” I say quietly.
“I have you,” Jackson says, and then we both stop where we are and pull each other close into a hug.
“LOVEBIRDS! COME ON!” screams the goblin. He grabs our wrists and starts pulling us through the now almost dark forest. Jackson pulls loose first.
“Let go! Let go of me!” he snaps. I stumble along, my tired eyes heavy and droopy. I fall onto my knees.
“Adeline!” Jackson yells worriedly.
“Sleep... Ineedsleep,” I mumble in a slur. The world looks hazy. My ankle is numb.
“What’s on her leg? Is that a-a snake?!” Jackson’s fading voice cries. I blink slowly. I only manage a groan, as pain takes over, running up my leg and through my body. I am racked with shivers. I hear rustles, and a snap. I move my head to the possible source, but I see nothing. I fall into never-ending blackness.

I wake up, my eyes flying open. My whole body is sore. I groan softly, to get a hand on my face.
“Are you awake?” Jackson whispers in my ear.
“Yes, I-I think so,” I whisper. His hand squeezes mine.
“A poisonous snake had its fangs in your ankle. But don’t worry, we took care of it,” he says, moving his thumb in circles on my palm.
“Please don’t give me details,” I say, shivering at the thought. “Wait...we? As in you and the goblin?”
“Yeah. Me and Bendrick.”
“Bendrick?”
“That’s his name.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah,” he says, laughing slightly.
“Yo! I don’t need you making up any nicknames over there, you hear?” the goblin calls. I sit up to find him standing in front of a tree.
“Oh no. You aren’t…”
“Hey, there was business that needed to be disposed of somehow. How else would you like me to do it?” The goblin asks, turning his mischievous face and grinning at me. I avert my eyes.
“Can you stand in front of me?” I ask, looking up at Jackson. He moves in front of my line of vision, laughing.
“Can we go now? I’m fine,” I say, standing up.
“Yeah, sure,” Bendrick says, hiking up his pants. I shudder, my dirty mind thinking too many things at once. We start walking yet again. I look around. Everything looks...dead. I shiver, feeling the temperature noticeably get colder. I see more dirt and dead grass everywhere.
“We are close,” the goblin whispers. “We must be quiet in the presence of Jelda.” We walk past more dead trees. Dirt is caking on my shoes. I fly upwards slightly, trying not to draw attention to myself. Then there is a huge crack. We all freeze. I look down. Jackson stepped on a stick.
“Okay,” Bendrick says, worry in his tone. My heart pounding, we move along, even more slowly. I am on the tips of my toes, my wings keeping my weight lifted. My palms are sweaty. Then there is a loud BOOM.
“WHO DARES TO ENTER!?!” a voice screams from everywhere. I look up nervously.
“Um-”
“SHUSH!” the voice screams, and then Jackson, Bendrick, and I are picked up by icicles.
“Wha-!?” Jackson says as he flies higher and higher.
“Excuse me!?” Bendrick keeps shouting. I squeeze my eyes shut. My teeth chatter uncontrollably. So cold. Why is it so cold? I look at my fingers, and, not realizing it sooner, find they are bright blue with cold. We are flying at top speed towards...something. As we get closer and closer, the musty figure becomes the form of a castle.
“Why are we going to a palace?” Jackson asks over the shrieks of the wind. My teeth chattering, I look over and shrug, not able to talk. It’s Jelda’s palace, obviously. I close my eyes, too tired and cold to think of anything else. But almost seconds after my eyes close, I am dropped onto the hard ground. I stumble and fall to my knees. Jackson grabs my elbows and helps me up. My shoulders shake with convulsions. It’s too cold.
“So...what are you three doing in my grounds?” a sly male voice asks. I look up. Jelda. He is tall, black, and skinny. He is not a man. I was not expecting this! He looks about sixteen. I mean, me being twelve, I’m okay with him, but...okay.
“We want to know why you crashed a rock into our hideout!” Jackson says confidently, not fazed by the size of Jelda. They are about the same height.
“Oh, little girl, don’t be afraid of me. It’s really my master you should be afraid of,” Jelda says reading my face, and standing up. He is wearing a tight green suit, showing off his large upper body. He has a circle in the middle of his chest with an icon I can’t make out, because it is encased in ice, like the rest of his clothing. His eyes glow a bright bluish purple.
“You shall bow down to the Twister,” Jelda says. “She is arriving any minute.”
“Who?” I whisper.
“The Twister. She is my master,” Jelda says, smirking. “Now BOW DOWN!”
“Why should we?” Jackson asks. Bendrick grabs our elbows, and we look down.
“Um, we actually should...I mean, she is really powerful,” he whispers, his eyes large orbs of fear. Jackson nods. He slowly falls to his knees and lays on the ground. I follow, more reluctant. A glowing light appears next to Jelda.
“Hello, master. How was your trip?” Jelda asks. I watch, my chin digging into the icy ground.
“Fine, thank you. Miss Julie is a mess. I should feel bad, but I don’t,”  a woman’s voice says. I shiver. It sounds like icy knives ricocheting off the walls. The woman looks not much older than Jelda, with long brown hair falling past her waist, and big gray eyes lined sharply in black. She has lithe movements, acting like a fox, but looking like a child.
“What is this? Fresh bait?” she asks, noticing us.
“Yes, master. They say I attacked their hideout,” Jelda says.
“Hmm,” the Twister says. “Maybe I should talk to them. Can I take them?”
“Of course, master,” Jelda says. “They’re all yours.”
The Twister gestures for us to stand up. I watch her, wary. The Twister’s eyes glow purple and everything else disappears. I should've realized there was something more dangerous than Jelda. I think I made a mistake there.

“Now, Adeline. Open your eyes,” The Twister’s voice digs into my mind, forcing my eyelids open.
“Where’s Jackson?” I ask.
“Now, there’s no need to talk, dear. Your boyfriend is fine. I think, speaking of him, we need to talk about him. I am going to ask you some questions. Please only give yes or no answers, nothing else. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I say, my mouth moving by itself and closing abruptly after.
“Okay. Now you have known him for only a few months?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you. Do you think he has a good life back at home?”
“No.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. If he doesn’t have a good life back at home, do you think he is good for you?”
“Yes. I-”
“Now, what did I say? Yes or no. And, I think your answer should be different. Tell me your new answer. Is he good for you?”
“N-no.” My eyes tear up. I fall to my knees.
“Thank you. Now, you’ve learned what’s right, I will tell you something. You will not and cannot speak to Jackson ever again. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I sob, tears clouding my vision. “I-”
“Shhh...I’m going to let you go now. Goodbye, Adeline,” The Twister says, and then there is blackness. My eyes open to Jackson’s. I stiffen.
“How are you?” he asks, a faint smile coming on his face. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I nod, attempting to smile. I look around. It looks like we are in a huge cage. I hear sobs on my right, and I look over to find a girl, about fourteen, hanging from chains. She looks up and sees Jackson and I.
“Did you see him?” she asks, her voice high and unsteady.
“Who?” Jackson asks.
“M-my boyfriend. Jake. H-he’s turned evil a-and he’s partnered with- with- my-sister! The original Twister is right over there! That’s my mother! And she’s dead!” the girl sobs.
“Your mother’s body?” Jackson asks, standing up. The girl nods, her huge eyes spilling giant tears, her eyeliner and mascara showing streaks all over her cheeks.
“You-you look like her. Your sister, I mean,” I croak, not expecting my voice.
“I know,” she says, hanging her head.
“What’s your name?” I ask.
“Julie. I’m part of the four forces.”
“What?”
“The Forces of Nature. I’m the air element. Or I used to be. But now I’m here, locked up and unable to do anything. I can’t even contact Michael or Allie!”
“Who?” I ask, getting more and more confused.
“The water and fire elements,” Julie says. She lets out a sob. “I’ve been stuck in here for almost four months!”
“That’s a long time,” I say. “I’m so sorry.”
“No, don’t say that,” Julie says, her eyes becoming fearful. “I’ve heard that too much.”
“Can I ask why?” I say quietly.
“Well, yeah, I guess. I can’t walk. That’s why I have these wings,” Julie says, gesturing to her back, pressed against the hard gray wall.
“It’s too dark. I can’t see,” I reply. She puts her head down.
“There’s no happiness here. That’s why I’m so upset,” she whispers, covering her face with her locked hands.
“Why are your hands covered?” I ask, hoping to distract her from her depression.
“That’s where my powers come from! That’s why I can’t escape!” Julie wails. I instantly feel guilty.
“Oh. I’m-”
“No. Don’t say it,” Julie says, her head whipping up and looking me dead in the eye.
“Okay,” I say nervously. Jackson walks back over to us. The chain attached to his foot drags loudly and echoes throughout the dungeon.
“That was pretty cool! She was all gray and shrivelled up and everything,” he says excitedly. I wrinkle my nose. My throat locked again, so I can’t express my disgust.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you talking?” Jackson says, walking over to me and pulling up my chin so our eyes meet. I look away. Then I get an idea. I look over at Julie. My throat opens up again.
“I can’t talk to him. The Twister put a curse on me. I’m really sorry, Ja-” my throat locks again before I can finish his name. I look into his beautiful eyes. Then they harden.
“I don’t believe you,” he says coldly. “I shouldn’t have told you how my life is. I shouldn’t have told you anything.” I gasp. I beg my throat to open up, to let me just say one word, three words. I start to cry.
“You shouldn’t know me,” Jackson says and gets up and walks away. I lunge forward, grabbing anything on him that would hold me. It happened to be his hand. I reach up and grab his shoulders to turn him around.
“Stop,” he says. “Leave me alone.” he pushes me away and I fall to my knees. I manage a sob out of my closed throat. I crawl back to my seated position against the wall and put my head between my knees.
“It’s okay,” Julie says.
“No it’s not,” I say, my voice breaking. My hands clench and unclench on my thighs.
“I really like your wings,” Julie says softly. I look up.
“What?”
“Your wings. They’re beautiful.” Something in my brain clicks.
“My wings!” I say, standing up.
“Yeah, they really are pretty, I like the-”
“No, no, no! Listen! I could use my wings to get us out of here!” I hiss. She looks at me with her large eyes.
“How?”
“Like this,” I say. I fly upward, until my chained foot is tight. I keep flying, and the pressure increases until my ankle feels like it’s going to snap. I grit my teeth and pull harder. There is bars crisscrossing the ceiling. I grab one and pull my leg up sharply. There’s a bang and a snap, and then I am free. I somersault in the air, rejoicing my freedom.
“You did it,” Julie says in awe.
“Your turn,” I say, holding out my hands. She holds out hers. I think about myself dying, and all the chains on her and I fall off.
“My leg,” Julie says, shaking the chain latched onto her ankle. I grab her from around the waist and fly upward towards the bars again. She grabs on and pulls like I did.
“How old are you?” I ask, wanting to know.
“Fourteen,” she replies, flinging the chain to the ground.
“Adeline? Julie? What the hell are you doing?” Jackson appears out of nowhere.
“Escaping,” Julie says for me. I look away, unable to meet his eyes.
“That’s not a good idea,” Jackson whispers in a low voice. Julie grabs my arm and we both fly up. I grab the bars, and, before I think about anything, my hands blaze red and the bars melt away. I look down at Jackson. He is looking at me, astonished. I fly down, grab his arm, and pull him up with us. Together, the three of us escape the prison.

We are sprinting. Julie is flying low. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins. I am tense, expecting anything. We speed by rooms with boxes, rooms with beds, and rooms that look like mini hospitals. I shudder, not wanting to know why there are mini hospitals in an abandoned corridor.
“I-need a-a break,” Julie whispers. “I’m-out-of-shape.” Jackson grabs her arm and mine and drags us to an empty room filled with boxes. Julie sits down and puts her head between her knees. Her back rises and falls with huge breaths. Eventually her wings flutter and she flies back up, an inch from the ground.
“Get down and walk!” Jackson hisses.
“I’m paralyzed waist down,” Julie replies, followed by a quick look of guilt from Jackson. We sneak back out of the room and start sprinting and flying again. I’m ahead, in front of both of them by a few feet. Then all the sudden, an electric force comes out of nowhere and I stop, frozen and unable to move. All I know...it hurts. I hear Julie gasp.
“Trying to make a getaway, I see?” the Twister’s alluring voice is mocking. She flicks a finger and the electricity around me moves. I hear myself scream. From my peripheral vision, it looks as if Jackson moves towards me, his arm outstretched. As the electricity moves more rapidly, I see more and more black spots. 
“Oh, and good luck trying to find her,” the fading Twister’s voice says. I can’t feel anything. I don’t know if I made a sound. Someone help me...please. The next thing I see is darkness.

I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean to say what I said. Now it might be too late. I fall to my knees, my arms stretching out to the only person I love.
“Please...no,” I whisper. The electricity contracts around her, and she screams, which muffles to a whimper. Then she is silent. Her eyes are closed.
“NO!” I scream, standing up and bolting to the Twister. She looks at me, her face a bemused expression.
“What are you going to do to stop me?” she asks, laughing slightly.
“She can’t die,” I say quietly, a stream of profanities scrolling through my brain.
“She can if I am in control,” the Twister smiles. I stumble back, my hands and feet tingling. I feel numb. I can’t lose her. Anyone but her.
“Take me instead,” I hear myself say.
“Aw, thank you for trying, but the girl is more powerful than you. She has much more potential than you ever will,” the Twister drawled.
“Excuse me, but-” Julie starts.
“Shut up. You have no right to call me your sister. I’m that much stronger and better,” the Twister retorts coldly. Julie flies backward, her face shocked. Then it turns bright red.
“No! YOU shut up! I can’t take this anymore! YOU locked me away for four months! YOU took control of my boyfriend! YOU twisted and tortured me! Everything is all YOUR fault!” she screams. It echoes in the sudden silence.
“Oh, my. It seems we have a lot to talk about,” the Twister simpered.
“No-freaking God damn-duh!” seethes Julie. The Twister waves her hand and Julie spirals backward, spinning in endless flips. She fights it, though, flinging her hands out on either side of her and using her power to grab onto the walls. She grunts, obviously weak.
“Let Adeline go,” she hisses through her teeth.
“Hmm...how about no?” The Twister replies, making her will stronger. Julie loses focus and flies backward. I hear a crash. Then she groans. I sprint towards the sound of her crash landing, thinking of a plan. When I look behind me, the Twister- and Adeline -are gone.

Jackson is pulling me, sprinting as I move my wings numbly. I focus on my breathing. In, out. In, out.
“JULIE! ARE YOU LISTENING?!” huffs Jackson. I start.
“Hm?”
“I said, I think I have a plan to save Adeline!” Jackson repeats irritatedly.
“What is it?” I ask evilly. Anything to hurt Twister.
“Well, um-”
“Please tell me it’s reasonable,” I say, rolling my eyes. His sprint slows to a run, then a walk. We dive behind some more boxes.
“Well, not really,” he whispers. I stare at him. I understand why Adeline likes him so much now. Even if they are younger, I can see their relationship being long-lasting.
“She doesn’t have much time,” Jackson starts, looking nervous from our overly long eye contact. “I think we would have to be stealthy. She’s probably in one of those hospital rooms.”
“Help!” whispers a hoarse voice. I jump.
“Adeline?!” I whisper. Jackson looks at me blankly.
“Um...I’m Jackson?”
“No, Adeline! She just spoke in my mind! She’s alive!”
“What?!” Jackson jumps up.
“Where are you?” I ask in my mind.
“In a room-it looks like a hospital, I think. It’s all murky. It’s hard to see,” replies Adeline quietly.
“She’s in a hospital room. But, she said it’s hard to see. Is she in something?” I say aloud.
“I think I know what they are going to do,” Jackson says, his eyes lighting up with an idea. “They’re going to drain her power. We have to act, fast!”
“How old are you?” I ask.
“Thirteen. Why?”
“Oh, you just act really grown up,” I say awkwardly. Something dawned in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I ask worriedly.
“How did I not see this before?”
“What?”
“Where the heck is Bendrick???” he asks, slapping a hand to his forehead.
“Who?” I ask, now entirely confused and feeling a little stupid.
“The goblin. He brought us here,” Jackson confesses.
“The only goblin I know works for the Twister,” I say, remembering the tiny little creature, with so much power. He had a really long nose, as I recall seeing him; maybe twice? He came in to check the locks on my hands once, he was really gentle. Before I knew it, I brought myself into another flashback.
“Be very still,” the tiny creature says as he walks forward towards me. I lean back as far as I can away from him against the wall. Jake. All I want right now is Jake. I clench my eyes, expecting more pain. But nothing comes. I open my eyes slowly. The creature is standing there, an incredulous look on his face.
“You really are something,” he rasps. I look at him.
“What?”
“Master goes on and on about how terrible you are, a nuisance, and annoying. I was expecting something much differenter,” the creature says.
“You mean different?” I ask, “Differenter isn’t a word.”
“Yes, yes. Sorry,” the creature says, hanging his head slightly.
“What are you?” I question.
“A goblin. I’m the last one of my kind,” he says, puffing out his chest.
“What’s your name?”
“Bendrick.”
“How old are you?”
“Three hundred and seventy six.”
“Wow,” I say.
“I have to check your locks,” Bendrick says, reaching out. His nimble fingers brush over the keyholes. He nods, muttering something under his breath. He walks away, towards the exit.
“Bendrick?” I hear my high pitched voice ask. He turns.
“How can I beat The Twister?” I say.
“No one can,” Bendrick says in a forlorn tone. Then he walks away, the door slamming shut behind him, locking me into darkness.
“Julie, I swear to God, if you pass out on me I will put you back in that dungeon,” I hear Jackson’s voice in my ear. I jump about half a foot, realizing what just happened. I feel color come rushing into my face.
“Sorry. I had a flashback,” I say. He looks at me, perplexed.
“Okay…” he says.
“It was about Bendrick,” I say cautiously.
“Do you know where he is?!” Jackson asks excitedly. 
“No...it was something that happened before,” I say, diminishing his hope.
“Oh. Well, come on, let’s go find Adeline,” Jackson says, his voice kind of flat. He starts running in the direction we came from. I follow him, my wings getting less and less stiff. We go room by room yet again, each empty. Then, three feet in front of me, Jackson comes to an abrupt halt, crouching down. I stop and fall low, following him.
“She’s in there,” Jackson whispers, his eyebrows furrowed. I peek up through the window. Adeline is there in a tank, filled with some sort of liquid. Her eyes are closed, and it doesn’t look like she’s breathing. I inhale sharply. That’s what the werewolf did to me.
“You were right,” I whisper. “They’re draining her power. See the wire around her neck?” Jackson’s eyes widen in fear.
“She can’t die, though!”
“She can if they drain her power. Part of her power is immortality.”
“No, please, she can’t die!” Jackson’s whisper gets louder. He puts his face in his hands.
“You really do love her, don’t you?” I ask quietly. He looks up, his face a tortured expression.
“Yes. I don’t know why I said what I did earlier,” he adds.
“Come on!” I say, standing up. I open the door. I’m not surprised it isn’t locked. It’s probably a trick anyways. Jackson slides in and then we both crouch against the wall. Waiting. Watching. Hoping.

I fly around, trying to find some sort of control panel to open the case. If Jake found it one time, I can find it now. I am behind the case when I see a tiny red button. There! I fly towards it, but suddenly a tiny figure comes hurtling in front of me. I come to a screeching halt, my body flinging out in front of me.
“Don’t,” the creature whispers.
“Bendrick?!” I ask in a whisper.
“Don’t press that button,” he says, his eyes dangerous. I move forward. He is standing in front of the button, his arms outstretched. I try to move around him, but he grabs my wrist. His grip gets tighter and tighter and I struggle. My hand turns purple.
“Bendrick!” I gasp. “Stop! Let go!”
“Don’t press that button!” Bendrick screams. The grip tightens until I can’t feel my hand or wrist anymore. It feels just like what Jake did to me when he was being controlled by the original Twister. Wait a second….

“Don’t press that button!” I stand up. That’s a voice I haven’t heard in awhile.
“Bendrick?” I ask to no one in particular. I run around the container. Bendrick is standing there, and Julie is on the ground. Her face is pale and sweaty, and she is gasping, trying to keep her eyes open. She finds me.
“Help!” she heaves. “Being controlled- by- Twister!” Something clicks.
“It’s a trick,” I say aloud quietly. I take a huge stride and slap Bendrick dead across the face. He blinks, his attention turned on me. He lets go of Julie, and she slumps down, rubbing her wrist.
“DON’T PRESS THAT BUTTON!!” he screams, his voice multiplied so he sounds like an alien.
“SHOW YOURSELF, TWISTER!” I scream in response. Julie looks up, her face astonished. Bendrick starts spasming, and then he falls to the ground. He begins to groan. The Twister appears.
“Caught on, didn’t you?” she asks in a sly voice.
“No,” I say sarcastically. She flicks her hand, and Julie goes flying into the corner, hard. A loud sounding boom echoes around the room. Julie screams in anguish.
“STOP!” she detonates.
“Why should I?” The Twister asks.
“Because, if you do, this will happen,” Julie replies, then thrusts her hands outward. This time the Twister goes flying back. She reappears in front of us, her face hard.
“That button will reset everything if pushed. As in, the Hidden Wings will never be found, the Forces would never be combined, and Robert would be clueless. Bendrick wouldn’t exist, and everything would be normal, no villains, no superheroes. Everything we made would be gone!” the Twister says, her voice cold. I look at Julie and Julie looks at me.
“That’s a thing we’re willing to sacrifice,” I say confidently. Julie tackles the Twister, and I sprint towards the tiny red button and press it. Everything seems to freeze. Then there is darkness.

I wake up, gasping. I can breathe. I look around. There is the remnants of the container around me. I look for Jackson and Julie.
“Hello?” I call. It echoes. Then I realize the room doesn’t look familiar. It looks old, extremely old. The wood is splintered. There are cobwebs in the corners. I stand up and walk around.
“Julie? Bendrick? Jackson?” I call out loud, scared there is a trick. Nothing happens. I fly up, looking around. I peer around.
“Not funny, guys,” I try. My breath becomes faster. No. Please no. I start to run, flying out the room past more empty old rooms. There is wind outside, and the whole house creaks. What happened? I push open the door, expecting the harsh cold, but am instead hit by sunshine. It’s like none of this ever existed. What the heck? I fall onto my knees. No. Not Jackson. Please.
“PLEASE!” I scream up to the sky. Tears are pouring down my face. No. No. This can’t be happening. I take a huge shuddering breath. I stand. I need to be strong. I will be strong. I start walking, which turns into running, which turns into sprinting, then flying. Leaving all I had left behind me. Forever.

I jump up and down, warming up my legs. A whistle blows and I get onto my block. The whistle blows again, and I get ready. A gun shoots, and then I am sprinting. Cheers swell up around me. I go faster and faster, my breath coming easier and easier. Then, as soon as it starts, it’s over. I won. The cheering gets louder as I am lifted onto my team’s shoulders. A trophy is handed to me. I hold it up, smiling with joy. Sprinting the 100 meter has always been easy for me. My team finally puts me back on my feet and I run towards my parents. They hug my sweaty body, and take the trophy to put in the car. I want to walk home, like usual, to cool down. They wave goodbye and the car starts, and then leaves. Eventually, most of the cars are gone, except for a few. I wave goodbye to Jamie, my best friend. I start walking, looking at my feet. Then I run into something.
“Oof!” I say aloud. I look up. It’s a boy. I look down again. “Sorry,” I say quietly. I feel him look down at me, so I look up. I really wish I didn’t. His eyes are the most beautiful blue I’ve ever seen. It reminds me of something...or someone. Then I gasp out loud.
“Jackson!” I say. He looks at me.
“How do you know my name?”
“Jackson, it’s me. Adeline. Remember? We were part of the Hidden Wings-look-” I say and take off my jacket to show my wings. His eyes widen.
“You’re a fairy? A very beautiful f-” Then his eyes widen and something inside them clicks.
“Adeline! I’m so sorry! I can’t believe you’re alive, I thought we were too late, I don’t know where Julie is, we all lost it, everything’s gone, I-”
“Shh,” I say, putting my finger over his lips. “I’m just happy I found you.”
“I won’t leave you ever again,” Jackson says, smiling his perfect smile and pulling me closer.
“You better not,” I whisper, as we are just inches apart.
“I promise. Forever.”
“Forever,” I agree.

No one can see me. Or maybe I just don’t want to be seen. I have been alone for three years now. No one cares, anyways. After Jackson and Julie reset everything and I woke up in a bunch of trees and debris, no one has actually seen me, so it seems as if I am invisible. As the Twister said, I wouldn’t exist, and, technically, I don’t. But I’m still here. I will always be here. Waiting. Watching. Hoping.