It felt different than her parents described—the darkness. Isis stood in a dark cavern, waiting for the inevitable. She knew what would happen if she entered the Malevolent One's home, but she had to save them. Save them, she thought. What a joke. A burning sensation ripped through Isis' gut. She doubled over in pain. The sensation rippled through her body, reaching all the way up to her throat, c...

I drop to the floor of the school cafeteria when a gunshot rings throughout the room. My face slams against the cool, hard floor so hard that I taste blood. Another gunshot goes off. I hear screams this time—kids crying out for their parents. I am silent. I build up the confidence to look in the direction of the shooter. Two more gunshots. This time, I see the faces of the victims, Zach Millerton ...