1 |Prologue| Amber: Forest of Solultude Forest of Solultude Forest of Solitude

Derry, NH

    Amber felt like she was on fire. Not from a fever, but from frustration.  She was standing in the woods about a mile away from her school. Gilbert rt H. Hood Middle School had some makeshift trails on the outskirts of the school, and most were used often.  But Amber only knew about this one. It was her forest of solitude, so to speak. Whenever some of he got upset at school, she would try her best to hold it in. Then, during her walk home from school, she'd take out her stress. How? Well, Amber learned to focus it. So, during that day, like the others,  she had a plan. A ritual, if you will.

   On her way, she walked beside a sewer drain. She made an effort to avoid it. She heard all the stories about the other Derry in New England, so she did not take any chances.

When she got there, Amber took off her backpack, jacket, and arm warmers. She rubbed her hands together and said to herself, "Mighty Sun gods, may your energy come to me…". She held her hands open, palms open, one behind the other. She put them on her forehead and aimed them towards the bottom of a tree, near the stream.

A small, hot, and dark orange orb formed in her hands, getting hotter by the second. She let it grow and grow until she let out a small scream and pushed her hands towards the tree. The plasma from the orb cut right through the bottom of the tree.  The orb landed right in the stream. Steam rose out and the rocks in the stream bed turned into obsidian.

Then, timber. The tree landed right across the stream. It formed a bridge with two rocks.

Amber took a deep breath. Relief had come. She was always glad to get it out before going home. She didn't want Dad to worry.

She got her stuff together and starting walking home. She saw some leftover plasma residue. She flicked it out over the stream. It hit a squirrel in mid-air on its journey from tree to tree. It splashed in the stream.

For a moment she felt terrible. But then again, Dad would be happy seeing her look okay. But, she knew she couldn't hold in her tree burning secret for long.