"HEY WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOIN'!" A werewolf said and I quickly said sorry and I bowed and I started to run again. I was going to be late! I quickly ran around the corner and I ran up the sidewalk where there were a lot of other kids walking up to the black gate as well. I stopped running and I looked around myself. There were all kinds of creatures around! I looked to my right and I instantly found my friend Susan. I ran over to her and she was talking to a vampire. He looked nice and gentlemanly, (like how most of the vampires here are) and I joined in with them.

"Hey, Susan!" I greeted her and she smiled brightly and said hello back.

"Angel, this is Derek, he was asking me if I have seen a demon with tribal tattoos all over her body," Susan said and Derek asked me the same question.

"Is the demon the one at the bar? I asked her for directions yesterday! Maybe she's there!"I said and even though the vampire looked disappointed he said thanks and left.

"I wonder what happened?" Susan asked me and I shrugged my shoulders. 

"THE CEREMONY WILL BE STARTING IN 5 MINUTES! THE CEREMONY WILL BE STARTING IN 5 MINUTES!" I heard the speakers say and Susan and I looked at each other and we beamed our brightest smiles and we raced each other to our seats. 

We got to the stage and I saw the instruments all lined up and ready for us to pick them. I looked at every different one and I looked at the very last one. It was a violin but it had dust and spiderwebs all over it. I made a face and I shrugged walking over to my assigned seat and I sat down. 

"Alright everyone, please settle down, settle down. Thank you so much. Hello everyone! My name is Mrs. blue, I will be hosting the ceremony for today. I hope everyone is comfortable and ready for the picking!" She said and everyone cheered, even me. I was so excited to choose my instrument that I was bouncing in my seat. I kept looking at the violin though like it was pulling me to pick it. I shook my head and frowned, the runners would pick that instrument, but what I heard; nobody ever picks that instrument. I looked up when Mrs. Blue called out the first name...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Susan Bloom!" Mrs. Blue called out and I clapped for my dear friend. I watched as she ran up to the stage and Mrs. Blue stepped out of the way for her. I watched as Susan stood in one place and I could see that she was thinking really hard. I knew Susan ever since we met in school. That was at least 7 years ago. She was known to be the tomboy in the village. We would always go do these "crazy" adventures outside of the hollows village. Strangers would always say that Susan might become a hollow, a demon or a warlock. I smiled and I looked up at her, she was walking closer to the instruments now and I thought about those people's words. Strangers were never able to guess what I would be like when I picked, the elders always said that my soul was too stubborn to be looked at. 

I watched as Susan grabbed the flute. I then heard the Royals start to cheer and everyone else started to join in. I was a little confused, why would she pick that if she was such a tomboy? The Royals would basically dissect her if she even tried to run in the mud! I felt a little sorry for her, but I clapped anyways and Susan smiled walking down the steps at the end of the stage. 

"Angel Night!" I heard Mrs. Blue call out my name and I instantly felt nervous. I got up from my chair and I walked up to the stage. I looked over at Mrs. Blue and she smiled at me and she walked out of my way so I could pick. At that moment I looked at the violin again, on Elizabeth it felt like it was really pulling me. I sighed and I walked over to the violin and before I could grab it I felt a sharp pain in my left eye. 

"AAAHHHH" I screamed and I heard the crowd gasp and to hurry and call the medic. I then heard fast footsteps run over to me and I noticed that is was Mrs. Blue. 

"Angel are you alright? Let me see." She said and I uncovered my eye. 

"AAAHHHH NO, NO PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM ME!!" Mrs. Blue screamed and I felt horrible. What happened, why is she so scared? I looked at my hand and I saw bright orange liquid on it. I looked at everyone and I saw that the Hollows were getting yelled at and refrained from the Royals. I saw the violin and even though I didn't touch it, it was on the floor right next to me. I was extremely curious and I touched it and I felt extreme agony in my eyes. 

"GET HER OUT OF HERE!" "KILL THE DAMN THING!" "SHE DOESN'T BELONG HERE!" I kept hearing people scream at me and I couldn't do anything because my legs felt like they were on fire. I gasped when I felt arms wrap around my waist. 

"Look, kid, this place ain't safe for you anymore. There is a place in the great field next to the dark woods. Go there and you'll be safe and you will know what is up. Also, kid, you're a Runner now." I heard a familiar voice say and I felt them carry me and it felt like they put a sword and the violin in my hands and they quickly ran me across the crowd. I kept hearing people scream at me and I kept my eyes closed. I was too scared to see the angry faces at me. I only opened my eyes when the person that was holding me, threw me out of the Hollows back gate. 

"Don't ever come back kid, it's for your own sake." The person said and I quickly grabbed my stuff that they gave me and even though my vision was going away quickly I ran in a random direction. 

I ran away from the voices and the things that they threw at me. I almost tripped a couple of times because my vision was leaving rapidly. I had to get to that place that the person said for me to go to before my vision goes away. I felt myself getting faster each step I took. I didn't even know I could run this fast! Even though I was running super fast, I was trying to be extra careful to where I stepped. 

After a while of running and I couldn't hear the other voices anymore I stopped and I felt like that there was a giant....something in front of me. I slowly walked over to it and I stuck my hand out. I felt old wood and I was at first wondering if I was touching a tree, but then when I felt more; I felt a door and a window. You see I'm not completely blind because I can see that there is something giant in front of me. I just can't decipher it correctly. I got excited and I knocked on the door. I guess I was hoping for someone to open it, but nobody came. 

So instead I opened the door and I walked in looking around. I closed the door behind me and I suddenly started to cough because a bunch of dust rose up from the ground when I closed the door. I sighed and I walked farther in the house. I noticed that it was well furnished and it was a little dusty. I'm guessing no one has lived here for a while. So I was free to roam around in the house. I walked around and I'm guessing I found a bedroom. I was getting a little used to my eyesight having a black fog around it and so I was seeing things a little easier. I saw a small bedroom and it had a closet that looked like it was rummaged through and the bed seemed like it was rushed out of and the rest of the room was just a mess. I was a little confused. Who used to live here and why did they leave so quickly? I looked around and in the closet, I saw a small trap door. 

My curiosity got the best of me and I walked over to it and I uncovered the rest of it. I see that is was big enough for me to crawl through and so I opened the trap door and I noticed that I really didn't need to crawl in. I saw a couple of notebooks and I found some diaries, pictures, drawings, jewelry, and small weapons. I cocked my head to the side and I grabbed everything that was in there. I put everything on the bed that was next to me and I sat down grabbing one of the books/diaries. I opened it up and I flipped to a random page. 

~ Dear diary ,

Being a runner is hard sometimes. My uncle had run into the dark woods yesterday and he hasn't come back yet. Not like he will anyways. My mother is too hopeful. She always says that he will come back, unharmed. But we all know that's not true. No matter the creature, whoever goes into that woods, they never come out. 

I have to go, bye!

I flipped to more pages and I stopped at a very colorful one.

~Dear diary,

This will be my last entry. Hello if you are a Runner, my name is Hella gleam. Today was the day that the Runners will be going to war  with the Hollows. The Runners might not win, but if we do I will be able to keep writing in this diary. If we don't then I'm sorry, we lost. I don't know how many are left, but I will tell you the basics of being a Runner and I will show you my stash of our food we eat. I'm just doing this because I don't know if we will be able to win or not. But you have to be careful when you go there, the food is right next to the dark woods. It's under a large rock and next to the only small and skinny tree that is next to the dark woods. Oh! And go in the back of this house! And go straight! Being a Runner isn't easy because you have to get used to being partially blind now. Good luck and goodbye.

I closed the diary and I sighed. 

"I'm sorry Hella," I said and I put the diary down and I looked at all the other things on the bed. I grabbed the small weapons, knives and all. And I got up from the bed I walked over to the bedroom door and I was about to grab the handle until I heard rummaging outside of the door.

"Shi-" I cut myself off and I quickly hid in the closet and I heard the door open. I peeked outside and I saw a DARK ANGEL. I thought they were extinct?! I kept looking at her, she was beautiful! She was tall and had auburn skin and her dress was perfect! It looked like the galaxy! Her wings are amazing and huge! I quickly hid away farther into the closet when I saw her turn my way. I held my breath and I was praying towards Elizabeth that this extremely dangerous creature wouldn't find me. 

I sucked in my breath even more and I stayed as still as I possibly could. 

"I know you are in here child, do not be afraid to come out in my sight. I am not here to hurt you, if you wish to seek my aid, then please take my hand." I heard the Dark Angel say and I let go of my breath and I opened my eyes. Like she said her hand was patiently waiting for me to grab it or push it away. I let go of a breath and I cautiously grabbed her hand and she helped me out of the closet. I looked up at her and she looked down at me with a sad smile. 

"May I tell you my name child?" The woman asked me and I nodded my head not wanting to say anything yet.

"My name is Elizabeth. I will be your mentor from now on."