THE DARKNESS

"You do not understand. This girl, she is powerful than anything that has ever come to be..." a blonde woman was speaking to a younger woman in a dimly lit room.

"Come on Kara, this girl in question doesn't even know anything," Lydia, the younger woman, reminded.

"She doesn't know anything now, but that doesn't mean she wouldn't know everything soon and it may be sooner than we expected," Kara, the older woman said, causing Lydia to raise an eyebrow.

"She turns sixteen today," Kara said.

"Do you have any idea what that means?" Kara asked and Lydia eyes flew wide open as realization dawned on her.

"That's right Lydia... Now you understand why I am so worried and you want to hear something else? Her circle, they already have a plan. I saw it in my niece's eyes when I visited their house last night. Diane might be smart but she can't exactly outsmart an elder like me," Kara said.

"So, what are we to do?" Lydia asked.

"What we should have done from the beginning when the prophesy came," was Kara's solemn reply.

*******

Amari was exhausted by the time Claire found the perfect dress for her. They had been jumping from one shopping mall to another before they had found the pink Dannifore Women's Strapless Prom Dress with a Rhinestone Beaded Belt. According to Claire, it was perfect.

Claire made Amari dress up at the shopping mall they had bought the dress. There was even a hair stylist and a make-up artist, who helped Amari get ready, both of which Amari couldn't exactly say where they came from. They seemed well acquainted with Claire though.

Amari admired herself in the mirror in front of her after they were done with her hair and makeup. She had always known that she was beautiful but at that moment, she was in awe of how beautiful she was.

"Oh my God babe, you are stunning!" Claire exclaimed. She was also admiring Amari from the mirror.

"Thanks," Amari said simply and rose.

"Come on now, we have got a party to get to," Claire said and took Amari's hand gently in hers. And then she led the way, outside where a limousine was parked and waiting for them.

"All these luxury, I don't understand. I mean my dad is quite rich but all this is too much," Amari said as the limousine drove.

"Well, he had help," Claire said beside her and turned her face quickly when Amari turned to look at her.

"No Claire come on," Amari blurted out.

"Don't even start... I have a rich mom, whom I sadly barely see but who has given me access to unlimited credit cards, I might as well use it on my best friend in the world... And that's not even my birthday gift to you," Claire said.

"Am I not just the luckiest girl in the world!" Amari muttered, winking at Claire who just laughed while shaking her head at her.

The limousine slowly came to a stop and Claire turned to Amari. "We are here," she said in a voice almost a whisper and a smile so sweet.

Amari just smiled, and then started to reach for the door handle, so that she could open the door, but the door suddenly opened from outside, and the person who stood outside with an arm outstretched to help her out, took her breath away, literally.

"Nathan!" she mouthed as she stepped out of the car, his hand in his. He smiled at her, his dimples making an appearance. Oh how much she just wanted to reach out and dig her fingers into them.

"Happy birthday Amari," he said, reaching into his trousers pocket to take out a small box.

"This is for you," he said and she reached out with her free hand, smiling as she accepted it.

Amari turned sideways to look at Claire who had just come to join them.

"He would be your escort for your birthday party today," Claire informed and Amari's eyes widened in surprise.

"Come on beautiful, we should head in. Everyone is waiting," Nathan said and offered her his arm. She smiled at him, and then slipped her arm into his.

"Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday Amari

Happy birthday to you."

Amari was beaming with smiles as she looked at all the people gathered in their sitting room, singing for her. All the furnitures in the sitting room had been cleared, leaving a mini hall. Her father approached, holding her cake. He stopped when he reached her, holding the cake out to her.

"Happy birthday pumpkin," he said.

"Thanks dad," she mumbled as she sniffed to push back the tears that had welled up in her eyes, before sliding her arm from Nathan to blow out the single candle on her birthday cake.

Literally everyone in her class was in the party, half of which she didn't even know.

"Hey Amari," Lucas approached with a bouquet of flowers.

"Have fun sweetheart," her father said and started to leave with the cake. Claire, who was standing behind Amari, followed him.

"Hey Lucas," Amari said to Lucas, accepting the flowers and sniffing them.

"Happy birthday," he said smiling, and then his eyes trailed to the guy standing beside her and a frown painted his lips. Nathan on the other hand, had a smirk playing on his face as Lucas glared at him.

"Thanks Lucas," Amari said, slightly confused as to why her best male friend was glaring at her crush.

"Claire said that Nathan was your escort," Lucas said, returning his gaze to Amari. There was a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Well, yeah..." Amari said, passing a quick glance at Nathan who smiled the moment she looked at him and smirked the moment she looked away.

"I bet I can be a better escort than him. He is such a..." she interrupted him.

"Don't Lucas," she said and turned to Nathan.

"Come on, let's join the others," she said, sliding her arm into Nathan's arm.

Nathan's lips curved even more upwards, seeing how Lucas flinched when Amari slid her arm into his. Amari however, did not even notice this as she was way over her head. She had been having a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach since she woke up that morning, and now she felt even more ominous.

She could feel a presence. She could feel it coming. And then she heard a voice, "Amari." It was a soft whisper, almost inaudible. She drew a sharp breath as she closed her eyes. She just wanted to scream.

"Are you okay Amari?" she heard his concerned voice and opened her eyes. A subconscious smile crept up her lips as she looked at him. She just loved the sound of her name on his lips.

"I am fine just... I think I need to use the restroom, I will be right back," Amari said and dashed away quickly. Nathan just gazed at her retreating back with worry in his eyes.

"Did you feel it too?" Diane asked, slipping from the rest of their classmates to join Nathan.

"I sure did," Nathan said.

*****

In her bathroom, Amari took deep breaths in succession. The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach had worsened.

When she stepped out of the bathroom and into her room, there was a lady sitting on her bed.

"Who... Who are you? How did you get in here?" Amari asked, shock playing in her eyes.

Her eyes moved to the door, it was locked just as she had left it. She had purposely locked herself in so how the hell was someone here?

The lady sitting on Amari's bed had face down and her hair hanging downwards. She slowly stood up, her head still facing downwards.

"Come on Amari, you know who I am," the lady spoke in a voice so familiar.

Amari gasped as the lady slowly started to raise her face up. Her face was pale and in fact plain white and her eyes were pure black, even the part that was supposed to be white.

"What the hell!" Amari exclaimed as she took a step back.

"You asked who I am? I will tell you... I am the darkness," the girl said, her voice eerie.