Awakening

Chapter one: Humans

The snow formed an ethereal blanket upon the frozen ground beneath of her. Shining like the thousands of stars that encompassed the great night sky. The trees were encased in sheets of clear crystal that reflected rainbows whenever the sun was brave enough to show itself from behind the grey clouds that covered the sky. The snow made no sound as she shifted her bare feet and began to make her way somewhere, anywhere that her legs could take her.

She had no preference.

The snow was on the off slot of becoming the blizzard that it was supposed to be. The wind howled in her ears, singing songs of past and present generations. Her hair whipped absently across her face reminding her how good it felt to feel. She didn't shiver nor was she cold in the slightest. The earth was utterly silent, the forest still.

If she could still feel, if her body was still susceptible to these types of situations, she supposed her hair would be in disarray atop her head and her pale and creamy skin would be blue and she would be shaking. She supposed she would feel pain from the winters raging storm as the many icicles formed across her skin and the front found a way to sink its icy tendrils through her as the shock from the cold attacked her nervous system. As the snow bit into her flesh, rather than the serenity that she currently felt as she watched the snow that danced playfully in the wind, bade her to come and join. The wind delt a blow that should have knocked her small frame off of her feet but instead she kept walking, walking as if nothing had even happened.

Babylon, a name that she had long ago given to herself, the meaning fit her well. Death and destruction. Annihilation. That is who she was. It was a wonder to her that such beauty that was the land and the snow surrounded her in such a manner. Whatever she touched wilted away. Wherever she walked destruction was not far behind. She could never stay in one place for too long lest that place meet its demise. Her happiness was always short lived.

Babylon's wings unconsciously fluttered, telling her that somewhere, in the wide expanse of the world that was so small in her eyes, someone was on the cusp of death. She spread her black feathered wings and lifted herself off of the ground when a large gust of wind swept her off of her feet. She flew through the icy and mottled grey sky, letting the loose tendrils of her long white hair caress the thick clouds above. Gracefully, she landed on a beach called Rockaway in New York. It was a chilly falls eve here, but not an irregular day. Children were playing and couples were sitting and teens were playfully splashing in the waves.

What a beautiful scene.

None of them noticed her existence.

The golden, violently bright sunshine would have corrupted her vision had she been mortal. She dove into the deep and cold, murky seawater. A small jellyfish swam by. She reached out to touch the stingers, enjoying the sensations of the pain. As the feeling of the influx passed through her fingertips, she felt the corners of her mouth lift in what might be perceived as a smile.

Nothing could harm her.

Ever.

Just then she heard the someone cry out. She looked over alarmed and saw that it was just a boy around the age of ten, drowning within the deep waters. He was choking violently and his face was turning paler and paler by the seconds. His voice was quickly growing weaker. Everyone neglected him. Not even his parents nor the paid life guards spared even a glance in his direction. His life, sentenced to death at this very moment. She watched as his face twisted in contortions of pain and his breath faded.

And then, for the very first time in over millennia, she chose to save someone instead of depriving them of a chance to live, knowingly upsetting the balance that the world so craved. Their world would be ending very soon anyway. What were a few measly hours, weeks, or years as it was? Time wasn't of essence for her. She floated over towards the boy's direction. His eyes were shut intensely and his lips were pale and pressed into a straight line, parted just slightly. He had passed out not being able to bear anymore of the pain. Carefully, she caught him by the arms and lifted him up and out of the waters reach floating up to the shore. There she set him down onto the tiny wet grains of sand, hurrying before he caught someone's eye. She knelt down beside the boy so that her lips where close enough to speak directly into his ear, yet never to be heard.