The Winged Ones

Chapter 1- The Mysterious Boy

I lay awake in my bed. It was only ten at night and already everyone was asleep. Sarah, the oldest, was off to a big meeting for I.B students in Chicago tomorrow. Xavier, the second oldest, was off to a big sports meeting in the city, and Dominic, the second youngest, was spending the day at the mall, with all of his friends to go and practice for his big role in the school play. Mom and Dad were at a meeting in Italy. I had nothing on this weekend, on every weekend. I’m not really smart, like Sarah, or sporty, like Xavier, or dramatic, like Dominic. I was just . . . Me. My name is Mia Stardiff, fourteen years of age. I’ve only got one friend, who comes and go from expensive cruises that can last up to a year. I live on a ranch, just outside the city, Toronto. My dad is Japanese, but Mom is Scottish, so our family conversations are a mix between Japanese and English. Sarah and Xavier are kids from my mom’s past marriage, and Dominic was adopted. They can’t speak Japanese very well. I’m the first kid Mom and Dad had together. I do have a black belt in karate and am highly advanced in swordplay, but Mom doesn’t care. I don’t have a high social class like my half-siblings. Only Dad cares. He knows what it was like to be an outcast.

I heard a noise outside my window. I sat up, startled. The noise came again. It sounded like a bird, but a lot larger. I slowly go up and walked towards my window. I was halfway there, when a tapping noise nearly killed me. It came again, but slightly louder. Shaking with fear, I did everything my brain was screaming at me to do, but I had a feeling that I must open my window. I pulled back the curtains and opened the window. There, sitting on my roof, looking up at the stars, was the most beautiful boy I had ever seen. He had jet-black hair, and deep violet eyes. A long, black trench coat, black combat boots, black trousers were all he wore. His coat was undone to revel a muscular chest with a visible scar, starting near his heart, and curling over his shoulder. The strangest things about him were the black wings sprouting from his back. He looked over at me and gave me a crooked smile, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

“Yo.”

I gasped for air, thinking of something to say. He leaned towards me, his eyes paralyzing me. He examined me, looking at me at every angle he could.

“The prophecy did not mention your beauty.” He simply said, grinning.

“Wh-what?” I managed to stutter out.

He grinned again.

“They never told you. Ha! Typical.” He held out his hand to me. “Come with me.”

I stared at his hand and I wanted to take it and I reached for his hand, but then my brain got though to me.

“What? No! I don’t even know you!” I was horrified at what I nearly did.

He sighed and put his hands in his pockets.

“I was hoping you weren’t going to say that, but it was predicted. So I guess I couldn’t change fate after all.” He looked down at his feet.

I felt so bad for making this boy so sad. He sharply looked up.

“Another two men will come this night, but this time, they won’t be so nice.” He glared at me, and flapped his wings and took off into the dark night.

I stared at him. This has got to be a dream. I walked back to my bed. The clock read 10:06. I flopped onto my bed, when another tap came at my window, but this time, it was more sharply and aggressive.

When I turned around, two men were climbing into my room. One was thin and tall, the other short and portly. They were wearing armor that looked like it was from the Middle Ages. They grabbed me and but a gag around my mouth. Why was this suddenly happening to me now? The men were silent as they dragged me out the window and out on the roof. They whispered some words and a swirling hole appeared.

“Did . . . What?” I gasped out of my gag.

“Magic. It’s a portal to Maseria, our world. Your world.” The thin man said, and threw me into the hole.

Cold blackness enveloped me. I tried to scream, but nothing came out. I felt myself slipping from reality, I tried to grab something but nothing was there. My mind went blank.