I stared at the goddess in front of me. "You have a job for me?" What could I have possibly done in my life to warrant a visit from a god? Don't answer that. My brother could probably come up with a few reasons.

The woman smiled, her eyes shining white like miniature suns. "Yes, the Fates told me of your importance long ago. Now it is time to see if they were correct."

The whole situation was quickly making me think I was going insane. The way Hecate's facial expressions kept changing only adding to my breakdown. I wanted to tell her to either be happy or sad about this so-called job, stop going back and forth. Instead, I started at her like a gaping fish.

She must have taken that as a go-ahead because the next thing I know, she's floated even closer and seemed to get smaller. More kid-size than goddess size. Yeah, I was going crazy.

"Willow, a time is coming when the world of the gods and the mortals will collide. There are dark forces at work, intent on tearing the veil between the living and the dead apart. They have to be stopped."

Something about what she said snapped me out of my stupor. I stood up, the sand that had collected on my clothing falling around me like snow. "What do you mean? You're not explaining anything."

Hecate sighed, an annoyed expression passed over her features for a moment. "Yes, I suppose I'm not. Listen child, and listen well-" She came closer still, her perfect face only inches from my own. "Some unpleasant souls have decided that it's time for the dead to walk among the living once more. They are hellbent on using those who have been blessed with magic to make this happen."

The ocean crashed into the beach, but it sounded far away. Like the fog that Hecate was creating made the world fall away from us. "They're after my magic." I had meant it to be a question, but it hadn't come out like one. I knew what I said was true. It was like I could suddenly feel it under my skin, crawling around where the warmth of my magic usually sat. It scared me.

Sadness filled the god's eyes again, her lips pulled down in a frown that looked wrong on her porcelain face. "Yes, and they will stop at nothing to get it. They won't care you're young. All they want is what you have."

Fire burned under my skin, anger like I hadn't felt in a while, burst forth. Who did this god think she is? Just popping in to tell me I would die some horrible death? "Why did you visit me as a baby? Why did you give me magic? I don't want it if this is the result!"

"Because child. You needed it."

I wanted to be angry with her. I wanted to yell and shout. Maybe make something blow up. But then just as suddenly as it had appeared, my anger floated away with the tide. She was right. I had been dying; I had been sick. Doctors called it a miracle and I guess it was. I had been touched by a goddess. And now it was my fate to die because of that.

Her hand came to rest on my shoulder, goosebumps rose on my skin from the contact. I could suddenly feel the existence of every star in the sky and the moon that hung somewhere above my head. "Willow, do not let my words fill you with fear. I do not know how your life will end, but I know that it will be filled with great things." She squeezed my shoulder before stepping back, the fog got thicker again. The sound of the ocean echoed in my ears. "You have until All Hallows Eve to stop them. After that it will be too late."

I took a step towards her, the cold water of the bay hitting my feet. But I didn't stop until I was ankle deep in it. "All Hallows Eve is in seven days! I don't even know who these people are or how to stop them!"

A brilliant bright smile grew on her face again. She grew bigger and floated back towards the night's sky above us. "You have all you need inside of you. You will know what to do when it is time."

Was she serious? How was I supposed to stop the end of the world if I didn't know how? She could at least give me the names of the people who I had to stop. And how was I expected to stop these people, anyway? I reached out for her, my hands grasping nothing but the smoky cloth of her dress. "Wait! I don't know what you want me to do! I need your help!"

Her form shimmered, the light that seemed to come directly from her got brighter. "You will find the way. Ask your friends in the sea - they can help you." The light got brighter. I couldn't look at her anymore without going blind. It was like looking into the sun. Quickly, I covered my eyes with my arms and just in time. A moment later, the same blinding light that announced her arrival happened again. When I slowly lowered my arms, I was alone on the beach once more.

"So she just appeared there, over the ocean, and gave you this life-or-death speech?" Sage sat across from me in the cafeteria the next morning, her breakfast long forgotten on the table between us. I had called her first thing that morning, but her cell phone had been dead (a normal occurrence) and I had needed to get to school. Not for the first time did I wish I had a cell phone, but like my mother always liked to point out - "No thirteen-year-old girl needs a cell phone. And besides, Will, we just can't afford that. You'll have to get a job over summer if you want a cell phone." - Yeah, like I would get a job anywhere but at gran's shop.

I nodded, swallowing the last bit of orange juice from the carton. "Yes, Sage. I've told you the story three times already."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just still trying to believe it."

You and me both, I thought. I had been running the event over and over in my head ever since I had snuck back into the house. I hadn't slept well after that, my freezing cold feet aside. I just couldn't figure it out. Why would the goddess Hecate come to me? Why not some other special mortal she had blessed with magic? But then the weirdest thing happened (and that's saying something after the night on the beach), every time I questioned if it was all a dream, my magic would surge under my skin. Goosebumps would cover my arms and my nerves felt like they would jump out of my skin. My heart beat faster and my mind seemed to clear. No, it wasn't a dream.

I picked at the PB&J sandwich in front of me but didn't really feel like eating it. I wasn't very hungry. With a sigh, I looked back at Sage. "So, are you going to help me?"

She snorted, putting her spoon down and pushing her soy-yogurt away. "Of course I will help you, Will. That was never the question."

Relief filled me. It wasn't like I had really been afraid that she would say no, but a part of me couldn't help but wonder. Why would anyone willingly do something as crazy as we were about to do? "Thanks, Sage. Really."

She smiled softly, her hand came across the table and held mine tightly for a moment. "Never worry I won't help you when you need it. Ever."

I shared in her smile before choosing to take a bite of my sandwich. The bell would ring any moment and then we'd have classes to worry about. I'd have to worry about who these dark and dangerous people were after school.

The day went by like any other day. I got named called in the hallway between classes, Melanie and her pose knocked my books out of my hands on the stairs, and Mrs. Norington gave us a pop quiz in English. My brain was going through a kind of whiplash. One moment I'm standing on a beach under the first quarter moon talking to a goddess, and the next I'm back in middle school. My life had always been weird, but this? I wished for summer vacation.

Sage and I were walking out of another strange science class. Today, he had made us dissect flowers. Dead, dry flowers. This teacher was getting weirder by the day. I was about to step out the door when he called our names. Sage and I shared a glance before turning back into the room. "What is it, Mr. Brener?"

He waved us back into the classroom from where he stood behind his desk, leaning his hands on the worn surface. His face wore that signature smile he seemed to always plaster on, but his body seemed tense. I wasn't sure why I noticed that my teacher seemed stressed. I had enough stress myself to occupy my mind.

"Well, I was hoping to chat with you two for a second. I have a special project I'm working on for the University, and I am looking for two excellent students to help me out." He grinned at us, eyebrows raised in a question he didn't exactly ask.

I looked at Sage again before looking back at our teacher. I pointed to myself dumbly. "You want us to help you? Why?"

He pushed off from the desk and clapped his hands together, the sound deafening in the quiet classroom. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Willow! Just in the last two days, you've both shown me how brilliant you are at chemistry and biology! Not to mention your marks in the class are the highest in your year! You're both exactly what I'm looking for."

His enthusiasm was a little much, but neither of us were immune to it either. Sage chuckled, shrugging a shoulder as she said, "Sure, why not. It sounds like fun."

I didn't bother pointing out he hadn't exactly told us what this project was, or that we had bigger and more god-like problems to worry about. Instead, I nodded right along with her. "Yeah, sure. It will look good on our records, anyway."

Mr. Brener smiled widely, his eyes getting bigger as he clapped his hands, rubbing them together as if he were cold. "Excellent! Meet me after your last class. We'll go over the details then."