For as long as I remember, my life has been the same. Every minute of every day planned out, nothing ever changes. The rules are for my protection, my wellbeing, for I have been honoured, blessed, I have been chosen.   My childhood memories aren't those of which you would expect, I wasn't raised by a family with love and affection. There were no family days out, no family get togethers, no playmates, no normal childhood.   I have been locked away in this prison I call home awaiting the day until I turn sixteen. So I can then step up and fulfil my destiny of which is of the highest honour. For I have been blessed, for I have been chosen.   The sunlight streamed in through the small window. That was positioned that high. There was no hope of climbing out and just running, running that fast and quick. Towards the forest of trees that surrounded my “home”. Towards any chance of freedom.   It was like clockwork. The sun came up and that beam of light always woke me from my dreams. Which for the last two years have no longer been haunted by the nightmares that had consumed me.   It was due to the pressure of the prophecy that had been placed upon me, all because I was born with the mark.   I was no longer plagued by these nightmares due to a visitor wrapped in shadows. He chased away the nightmares when he appeared.   My mark was shaped like a feather. From my inner wrist down along my arm. The one thing that, even if I covered up, I knew was there. The one thing that made me special. Or so I've been told. Over and over again, until I believed it. But then again, I had nobody to tell me any different.   Sitting up on the metal framed single bed, my back still ached from the springs that prodded through the worn down mattress.   A quick glance around the room showed a mirror, sink, toilet, the bed I sat on, a lamp, a storage box with my “uniforms” and stairs which led to the main house through the trap door.   Grabbing a clean uniform, I made my way up the stairs and towards the in-house staff showers.   The house was quite like every other morning. The only other people awake were the cleaners and the chef. All preparing for the day ahead.   After a quick shower, I combed my pale violet hair. I always found it a weird colour. It was the same colour as my eyes. I was yet to see anyone else with any colour close to mine.   I brushed my teeth, and I was ready to start the day. I grabbed a slice of toast from the kitchen.   I didn't bother talking to the members of staff. I gave up a long time ago when I used to plead with them to help me. That I didn't want to be special or chosen, I just wanted to be free. I was ignored every time. They never spoke to me, so eventually I just stopped.   As I got older, I realized the only people who were allowed to speak to me were my tutors, trainers, and my parents, Monica and Dave.   While eating my toast. I found myself drifting into my thoughts. Bringing myself back to my dream from last night and what my stranger had said to me. “It's nearly time, you'll be safe soon.”   Usually, my dreams slip away and all I can remember is being visited by the stranger. But never had I remembered more details than that. Well, until last night.   I found myself pondering those words. I knew the stranger was a figment of my imagination. I had somehow dreamed up to stop the nightmares. I was happy with seeing a stranger in my dreams. Even a made up person. It was better than those nightmares. But last night it felt so real.   The sound of footsteps coming towards me broke me from my deep thoughts. I looked up to see Monica and Dave coming towards me with another person, a man.   The man was wrinkled with age. His grey hair pushed to the side. To hide the obvious bald patch. If I were to guess his age, I'd say sixties. He held himself tall. He screamed importance.   Now, considering I never met anyone new, this was extremely strange. “Ophelia follow us” were the only words that were spoken as they continued to walk past me down the hall.   I rose quickly to follow, as I wanted to avoid dealing with the punishment for disobedience.   After walking through the hallways for a couple of minutes, we arrived at the house study (a room I was not allowed in under any circumstance, or so I was told).   I hesitated at the door, unsure whether to follow them into the room, as I was not to break the rules. Monica snapped at me to get in.   After a brief introduction. I was informed I would be leaving my home as my sixteen birthday was in one week, and there were preparations to be made.   At that moment, I couldn't tell you what came over me, and I spoke out of turn. Asking questions that I learned long ago not to do. “What preparations? What's going on? What happens when I turn 16?” They kept flowing from my lips, and I didn't know how to stop.   To my surprise, it was the man who answered me, not my parents. " My child. you are chosen, you will be honoured. your soul will be carried to the greatest level, and you will be the last. For you will awaken our goddess and through her. You will continue to live”. It took me a moment, but I quickly realized I was to be sacrificed to the goddess.   Boom, the house shook, followed by silence, and then the screaming started from down the hall. "Take her and run. we can't lose her now” Monica screamed at the man. He grabbed my arm and started pulling me towards the door.   I started to run with him. Away from the shouting, and I found myself in all the crazy thinking. For an old man, his fitness is remarkable.   Clearly, I had just gone insane with the bombshell of being sacrificed on my sixteenth birthday. And the fact that someone had clearly just blown up some part of the house.   The screaming got further away as we progressed through the house, and I was taken outside through a doorway behind a bookshelf I never knew was there.   After mere seconds of being outside. A man covered in black, head to toe, appeared out of nowhere. He literally aimed his gun and fired at the older man. Killing him right in front of me.   I knew I was next, and at that moment, I thought, what does it matter now or next week. At the hands of this man, or a sacrifice to some crazy people's goddess? Either way, I was going to die.   I put up my hands slowly in surrender, and I felt a gentle hum underneath my skin. I felt myself heating up, which is the only way I can explain it.   I screamed as it started to feel as if I were burning. I felt a rush go through my hands. What appeared to be blue flames shot out, burning the man in front of me.   At this moment, I had clearly lost my mind and I did the only rational thing I could, I ran. I ran toward the forest as fast and as quick as I could. I ran towards my freedom.  

Two years later…   “Ophelia, earth to Ophelia.” I looked up and winced when I saw the dishes that had stacked up behind my boss, Stella. “Sorry, Stella, I'll get right to them. It won't happen again.” She turned and left, muttering while she went, about me being more hassle than worth.   I washed the dishes, taking some time to reflect on the last two years. When Stella had taken me in and gave me a job and a roof over my head.   After that day at my home, I've never been back. I've been living under the radar, keeping my head down and out of any trouble.   All my lessons or tutors didn't prepare me for the real world. They always thought me girls were second-class citizens. Speak when spoken too. You're there to be seen, not heard.   Once, they even had a ball at home. But I was not to attend. As I was to be pure before my sixteenth birthday. That involved no talking to anyone, only those of which I was allowed.   I asked Monica once. What did that even mean, 'pure'. She told me I was not to have anyone giving me any thoughts. Thoughts that would stray me from my honoured path.   At that awful place, it was like it was frozen in time. At first, I wondered, did they even know what was out here in the real world. But of course, they knew they travelled it frequently enough.   I was the one who wasn't allowed to leave. Stuck living in a decade that wasn't our modern-day society. Society I was still learning to navigate.   After that day, I travelled for days. Keeping to the shadows and stealing scraps of food, wherever I could. I was scared, alone and did not know why everything was so different. But I knew I couldn't go back.   In what felt like forever. My feet aching and my body sore. My stomach rumbled, and I came across the diner where I worked now.   I'd say I was a grand sight to Stella standing out there in the rain. Soaked and dirty, the girl with violet hair. She called me that back then.   She came out that day and took me in around the back. She gave me dry clothes and food. She told me I'd tell her my story when I was ready. But for as long as I wanted, I could stay here. I had to work for my upkeep. I've been here since.   Did you know there was a thing called hair dye? I didn't either. But apparently violet isn't a normal hair colour. I was asked once who done my hair. It was safe to say I was confused and didn't know what the expected reply was.   Luckily, Stella saved me the embarrassment, taking the credit for my hair colour. She gave me the strangest look as she shooed me back into the kitchen. That evening, she could actually take the credit for the colour of my hair. She dyed it brown for me, just to blend in.   Mobiles, Wi-Fi, social media, strong-willed women with equal rights, this world was astonishing to me.   After I got the hang of the phone that Stella bought for me with my wages. I googled everything, trying to learn as much as I could to blend into this world.   And then one day I googled my mark, the goddess, the sacrifice, all of it and guess what! Nothing, I could find nothing. Everything I'd been told, nothing fit in with this world. It made little sense at all.   My dreams have changed since as well. Gone was my stranger with the words “I'm sorry” left behind. Before the nightmares reclaimed my nights.   They weren't the same as before. They were of the night I escaped. Monica and Dave were there, but their faces kept slipping.   It was like I was seeing the monsters they were underneath. The old man was there as well. But on his back, there were great black wings.   The invaders were there too. The one guy we ran into, he had markings all over his face. But that wasn't right because he had been completely covered that day! Right?   Occasionally, I'd hear a whisper in the nightmares to see the truth. That's when their masks would slip, and I'd get a glimpse.   Sometimes I'd see the blue flames from my hands. Sometimes I'd murder the man with my bare hands. The only thing that was consistent was the gleaming sweat I always woke up covered in, and today was no different.   My shift in the kitchens of the diner was pretty much going the same as usual.   After Stella left, I washed and dried all the dishes. I sat back down to get lost once again in my mind. It didn't happen.   Moe, our grand chef in the diner. A big, jolly man, came in. He told me I was to wait tables because Donna called in sick at the last minute. At that moment the anxiety was real, I had never waited tables. I would rather not talk to anyone or say the wrong thing. I liked the kitchens, getting lost in my thoughts and washing the dishes. I enjoyed being alone.   I was to work the left side of the diner. To be fair, it was going OK. I'd give the menus, call back, take the order. Then deliver the food out to the table, clean up after they left, and repeat.   Near closing time, that changed. Nora was getting backed up with orders, so I went to help. I should have stayed to my side and watched her struggle.   I don't know what came over me, but being a goody two shoes I went to help and oh boy did I help. I helped by tripping over my feet while delivering food to a table. That Nora pointed me over to.   Honestly, it felt like slow motion. The tray was flying, ready to collide with whoever occupied that table.  Then it wasn't. Someone had caught it. How was that even possible? How did they move that fast? Why isn't the food all splattered all over the place?   Those were the questions I asked in my head because, in reality. I was standing there with my mouth hanging opening (after I steadied myself and avoided falling, that is).   “I think you lost this” he smirked while handing me back the tray. But that voice, I knew that voice.”work brain, work I thought.   Then I knew, I looked at him with his smug smirk and said. “it's you, I know you”. And I did, for this was the voice that had kept the nightmares away for two years.

It's you, I know you.”   The shock in his expression was clear. After a slight pause, he seemed to shake himself and his smug smile reappeared. “Somehow I'd say you're mistaken,” he said.   “I think I'd remember meeting you, especially with those violet eyes”. I mentally hit myself. Why did I say that out loud? The person I was comparing him to was a figment of my imagination. That only appeared to me in my dreams, and that was a long time ago.   More than embarrassed, I apologized and said there was some kind of mix up. I quickly handed out the order from the tray and tried to make a quick escape.   “Wait,” he grabbed my arm as I turned to leave, “what's your name?” At this stage, my cheeks were stained pink over the embarrassment and the fact that the customers were staring at us. I didn't like all the attention.   “I've got to head back over to my boss,” I muttered, hoping he'd just let go, so I could retreat from the situation.   Unfortunately, I wasn't having much luck today, so he didn't just let me go. “I'm Drake” I turned to him.   “Ophelia. “I went to shake his hand. Because that's what people do on YouTube when greeting new people, isn't it? He took my hand and I let out a gasp. There on his arm was the mark of the feather. The same mark that I tried so hard to hide on my own.   He let out a sigh. “I was hoping we'd have time to get to know each other. so, I could ease you into this,” he practically whispered,” Can we go somewhere to talk?”   I needed to go to the lady's room. That's what I had said to him to get him to release me, with the promise I'd be back over to talk to him in private when I was done.   But I had no intention of that happening. I could feel myself hyperventilating. Was he here because they did not sacrifice me? Had my parents escaped that day? Had they found me? Was I to be punished?   At that moment, it never occurred to me. He had the mark as well, wouldn't he be sacrificed already. He looked older than 16. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't here with something to do with my parents.   But of course, I wasn't thinking, as a full-scale panic had set in. So, it seemed like a good idea to climb out the small window in the public bathrooms. And set out to the small studio apartment that I rented from Stella. Grab what I could fit in a bag and skip town.   Did you ever have a feeling that someone was following you? That's how I felt as I snuck across town to my home. Glancing behind me, there wasn't anyone there who seemed out of the norm for this time of evening. Just the usual hustle of people making their way home from work.   It only took me 5 minutes to reach the studio apartment. In my haste and brain fog, I obviously forgot to lock the door behind me.   “ Is this what you had in mind when you said you'd talk after your bathroom break?” I whirled around to see Drake leaning against the door frame.   “Did you just follow me?” I shouted.” That's weird dude, you have one minute to leave. Or I will call for help. “ He seemed to find this amusing as he smiled.   Safe to say, I did not," This does not look good for you. Strange guy breaking into my apartment, stalking me.” I kept talking as I slowly backed away. Trying not to make it too obvious that I was trying to reach the chest of drawers I hid my gun in.   OK, I know a gun. But with the life, I had, and with what happened that day. All the sacrifice talk, call me paranoid, but I got a gun.   “Ophelia, listen you're right you know me” I paused and mentally kicked myself. “No” I stated, “I got confused with someone else. Now could you leave my place, my friend is due home any minute now, and they won't take kindly to some stranger taking over the doorway”.   The Fecker smiled again, “we both know you live alone, renting this place from your boss.”   " OK, you're coming across as a serious physco man. You've clearly been following me now I won't repeat myself any more. You need to leave” you would know I had arrived at the drawer with the gun in it. As my confidence just soared.   “I'm going about this the wrong way” he stated, “I'm not very much a people person. But Ophelia your needed your like me you're chosen”.   Definitely not the right words to say to me. I pulled open the drawer and grabbed the gun. I aimed it, silently thanking whatever God there was that it was loaded.   “Move along, Drake, there's no one here being sacrificed to some crazy people's goddess.” he looked a bit taken back. “Sacrificed?, what are you talking about? You are chosen, marked Ophelia”.   He was slow on the mark. “ Listen, I know what I am. I didn't choose this. I'm not a willing sacrifice, so you either leave now or I shoot you.” I thought they were fair choices.   Drake narrowed his eyes in thought, and it was like a light bulb went off when he said, “They had you, didn't they? But how did you get away?”.   Honestly, this conversation was confusing me. I was like a crazy person with a gun pointed at him, and he didn't seem fazed at all. “Leave” another warning I said I wouldn't give. Why wasn't I just shooting him, packing my stuff and getting the hell out of here? What was stopping me?   “The blood stars cult, they had you.” with just those words. It was like something inside me clicked. My head exploded with pain, and memories I didn't even know I was missing rushed to the surface.   My body hummed, the pain in my head intensified, and I heated up. Just like that, I burned Blue flames. Drake's face were the last things I saw before the darkness took me.