Complicated

Episode 1: The goddess awakens

Hope Atlanta woke up the day after her sixteenth birthday feeling as if she’d eaten a horse.

‘I probably just ate too much cake yesterday.’ She thinks to herself forcing her deep blue eyes open. She stood wobbling a bit a first. She quickly brushed her shortish reddish-blonde hair and threw on a pair of jeans and a spaghetti-strap aqua tank top. “Mom! I’m going to school!” She called as she slid into her multi-colored sandals and headed out the door with her black sack slapping her on the back.

She practically ran to school checking her silver wristwatch every few seconds. Suddenly she bumped into someone and found herself sprawling on the sidewalk.

“Ow. That hurt.” She said sitting up. The person she’d bumped into was already standing. He had short wheat gold hair and crystal blue eyes. He wore a pair of faded jeans and a black T-shirt.

“Sorry about that.” He laughed. “I shouldn’t have been standing in your way.” He held out a hand to help her up.

“That’s alright. I wasn’t watching where I was going.” She stands. ‘He’s cute.’ She blushes.

“Ruri, what are you doing?” Another young man emerges from the bushes. He has long dark brown hair and brilliant green eyes. He wears a pair of black pants and a white button shirt. “Who’s this?” He sees Hope. “Is she the one?”

“That’s what I was about to find out.” Ruri answers him.

“If you don’t know who she is then leave her. We’re supposed to be looking for the goddess.” The man says sternly.

“My name is Hope Atlanta. You are?” She responds obviously having been listening to their conversation.

“My name is Haru Ruri.” The blonde says. “But everyone calls me Ruri.”

“My name is of no importance to you.” The other man says when sees her puzzled look. He simply turns and walks away. “Ruri, stop flirting. Let’s go.”

“Sorry.” He glances behind him. “Gotta go!” He waves and runs off.

Hope continues on to school. ‘Geez. They were strange.’ She thinks to herself. ‘A goddess huh?’ She looks at the sky. ‘Interesting. I guess.’ A bell rings.

“Oh. I’m late!” she breaks back into a run and makes it to class looking frazzled. Meanwhile a dark figure is watching her. After school she begins her walk home.

‘I wonder what mom’ll make for dinner tonight.’ She thinks to herself. ‘It’s lonely walking home alone.’ Streetlights start to go on as it gets dark. ‘Better hurry it’s getting dark.’ She quickens her pace. She stops at a small bench before a lake in the park.

“This is where Amara and I use to play when we were little. Before she…” She whispers tears forming in her eyes. “No I won’t cry.” She wipes them away and continues walking. Suddenly the light above her shatters. She moves out of the way quickly.

“Swift moves for a normal girl.” A voice says. She looks up to see a small thin young man with shoulder-length black hair and crazed yellow-green eyes sitting on the next light. He’s dressed in ratty clothes. “Are you sure you’re completely normal?” He looks at her.

She gulps remembering the men from before. “I’m pretty sure I’m normal.” She squeaks.

“Eeh. Wrong.” He says coming done before her. “You are a detriment to my masters plans and therefore must be destroyed.” He comes at her with a knife, but is blocked be a man in a black trench coat. He has long brown hair pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

“Are you alright?” He asks. She nods seeing the brilliant sunset in his eyes. He attacks the insane man. They slash and kick and yell and scream as Hope looks on her heart filled with fear. She stands and feels the pounding of her heart and suddenly the sick feeling from that morning is gone and so is her fear.

“Oh.” she looks at her hands as they glow. Her whole body is glowing. Out of nowhere another strange man attacks her, but he too is blocked by a young man with a sword. It’s too dark to tell what he looks like. They delve into battle.

She floats up in the air and a brilliant light erupts from her body expelling the two men who had attacked her. She lands back on the ground passed out.

“Is she alright?” The man with the sword walks over to her as the lights come back on. He has short blue hair and bright yellow eyes. He wears jeans and an unbuttoned green plaid shirt revealing a nice six-pack.

“Yeah. I think she’s ok, Lance.” He turns. “How are you?” The man in the trench coat walks over.

“I’m fine. You, Fin. Looks like your arm had a run in with Haime’s claws.” He says picking Hope up. Fin’s arm has a few slash marks in it and it’s bleeding a bit. “Let’s go. We’ll take her home with us for the night.”

“Klan’ll kill us, but ok.” Fin replies. They walk off into the night.