When I was eight years old I had a friend. Her name was Rachel, she was in my second grade class. We played together and were very close. We were doing math together at our desks that day. The secretary came in and whispered something to the teacher who started crying. The secretary came, took Rachel by the hand and led her from the room without saying anything, Rachel looked back at me as she walked out the door. I never saw her again.




Ten years later



'Crap,' said Creek, running his hand through his sandy brown hair. 'I think I'm lost.' It was the summer after senior year, before college, and eighteen year old Creek was determined to have one good long camping trip before August. Deep within the Rockies, Creek had accidentally dropped his compass in a creek, and had gotten completely lost with more than a week still to go before anyone would even realize that he was missing.

'Oof, well now what do I do?' moaned Creek, leaning back his head and staring at the sky as he walked god knows where. With nothing left to do, he finally sat down on a stump and sat chewing an energy bar.

A loud crack came from somewhere around him, Creek jumped to his feet and looked around.

'What's that?' He pulled out the gun he'd borrowed from a friend, Creek spun about, pointing the gun at nothing. Then out of nowhere, a girl flew at him and wrapped him in a hug. Creek pulled out of the hug stumbled on a root, and fell on his rear, staring at the strange figure before him. She was average size, with blond hair that was in pigtails that fell in single twists on either side of her head, big red eyes, and a long red cloak decorated in white stars. She stood grinning at him, Creek sat up, shaking his head and looking around for his gun, it was ten feet away, behind the girl. The girl helped him up and fell into another hug.

'Who're you?' asked Creek, holding the girl by the shoulders and searching her face for familiarity. 'What're you doing out here?'

'I'm Chandra,' said the girl, still grinning. 'I missed you Creek!' She tried to hug him again, but Creek stuck his hands out to block her.

'Wait a minute, I don't know anyone named Chandra.'

'You used to! God, it's been so long. Ten whole years!' Creek peered at the girl.

'Rachel?'

'Not anymore!' she sang, spinning on one heel. 'I'm Chandra, Master Mizaki's assistant!'

'Rachel?! I haven't seen you in ten years! What happened? All I remember is the secretary taking you away and I never saw you again.' Chandra stopped spinning, she frowned at the ground, digging a hole in the soft earth with the toe of an old fashioned black girl's boot.

'My parents got killed in a car crash.'

'Oh my god, I'm so sorry! But what are you doing out here in the mountains?'

'I live here with Master.'

'Master?'

'Master Mizaki, the best expert in magic anywhere'

'Magic? What do you me-' Chandra clapped a hand over Creek's mouth and dragged him back in the bushes.

'Be still,' she said. 'Wait here for a moment.' They sat in the bushes and a moment later a small warthog charged into the clearing. Chandra rose, holding a pendant hanging around her neck, the green gem in the middle glowing, her eyes glowed too.

'Come with me friend, I mean you no harm,' she said, then squatted down and let the warthog jump into her arms. Chandra turned back to Creek. 'Alright, come out now.' Creek stepped out of the bushes.

'What the heck?' Chandra grinned.

'I missed you Creek.'


So what's with the red eyes?' asked Creek, following Chandra as they trouped through the woods, the warthog long since returned.

'You noticed? Aren't they great? Master granted them to me to show that I am his assistant,' said Chandra, walking backwards, still smiling. Creek was beginning to feel intimidated, compared to this girl, he hadn't changed a bit; and she was so darn cheerful! What was she talking about with this 'master', was Rachel a slave now? He knew that he should have left and not gone with this strange girl, but the idea of being lost in the woods forever wasn't too appealing to Creek, so he followed her.

'Yeah...sure, Rachel.'

'Chandra,' she said firmly. 'I'm Chandra, remember?'