I feel the sweat streaming down my face, my heartbeat is racing, and I'm on the verge of hyperventilating. This must be fear, but why am I afraid? What is the danger? I can't see anything, it's all white light. Wait, is that why I'm afraid? Am I afraid of the light? Or is it the things in the light? This is all wrong; it doesn't follow logic. What am I doing here? Why can't I leave? Father? Father! Where are you!

I wake, with the same symptoms as before; sweat, heartbeat, and breathing. I haul myself out of bed and walk to the mirror. I'm pale, very pale, whatever frightened me had made my skin lose almost all the colour it had; rather than my normal, slight tan, it's almost as if light doesn't want to touch my skin. I look into my eyes; they seem to get more and more hollow as the days pass, although the irises have gone a shade of green rather than their usual amber brown. Huh, I guess I must be sick. I touch the dark circles under my eyes, pretty much a full set of luggage lives under my eyes now, I cannot get rid of them. Then I turn my head slightly and my face seems to fall out of shape, as if someone put it together from parts of other girls. I've always been that way, turn me just right and I don't fit, but I don't really care. I don't care about anything. Hanging my head in order to sigh, I look at my reflection in enough time to see something strange; some silver starts to glisten within my hair. I take the silver between my fingers and look at it, it's just hair. Huh, I'm going grey at sixteen?

Strolling over to the edge of my bed, I sit down and watch the sky out of my window; the stars twinkle as they hang above my head in a cloud of brilliant light. Some people would consider it beautiful, the scintillating pinpricks dangling in the sky, providing an ever changing map for all humanity, I consider it to be balls of burning gas a long way away, most of which have probably burned out since we've been able to see them. They exist, and that is all that matters.

I sprawl back over my bed, and then roll my head to look at the clock. Three a.m. School won't be starting for the new year for another six hours. Rolling over, I pull the sheets back over myself and try to sleep. It doesn't work. I try thinking about something to trick my body into relaxing. I think of my family.

My name is Valdis Libitina. I am sixteen years old. I've lived in Australia all my life. I have recurring nightmares about a battle where I'm a medic in all different bodies. I have no interest in society and society has no interest in me. I am defined as a sociopath. I live at home with my mother, father, and little sister. I do not have a job because I don't care for society enough to warrant one. Sometimes I wonder if my father is really my father, because I remember someone else, sometime that I can't place, but my gut tells me is my father. I see with logic and reason, however, sometimes, I am unable to get by with just that...

A figure cloaked in shadows walks down a long, narrow country road. There are no people there, save for the shadowy figure. Off in the distance a set of headlights shines; a car is heading straight for the shadowy figure and doesn't seem to notice they are there. When the car is about ten metres away from the shadowy figure, it loses control; the wheels spin out and the car skids into a tree. The shadowy figure walks towards the car, then leans down to reach the driver's side window.

MISTER LIBITINA, I'VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU, WOULD YOU PLEASE COME WITH ME, the shadowy figure asks in a deep, hollow voice.

Libitina steps out of the car and looks at the shadowy figure, his heart sinks when he realises whom he is standing in front of.

"So this is it then, I'm dead. Can I go see my family one last time before you do whatever it is you do to dead people," Libitina asks Death, submissively.

I BELIEVE I CAN DO EVEN BETTER THAN THAT, MISTER LIBITINA, says Death after a short pause, FAR BETTER. I DO BELIEVE I HAVE A MISSION FOR YOU.

"I'll do anything, Lord Death," Libitina says, bowing to the obvious power before him.

EXCELLENT, THAT WILL MAKE THINGS A WHOLE LOT EASIER.

Shutting the door with a gentle click, I started walking down the street, although, it's more like swaying. I've always done that, sway as I walk, every since I started learning how to walk. My dad always said it made me look like I was floating in water, mum always said it looked like I was drowning on dry land.

Dad...

We got a phone call this morning from the hospital, dad died last night; crashed into a tree on a country road, no witnesses. Maybe that was why I had a nightmare, my dad was dying? That would explain why I kept calling out for dad... I sigh as I walk down the street. School is starting for the first day of the year, not that I particularly care it just gives me something to do during the day so I'm not completely bored.

Walking at a leisurely pace it takes about ten minutes to get to school. I stand outside the gates, the metal bars with their cracked dull blue paint, rise above my head, trapping all whom enter within a small prison of their own. How positively dull... Strolling through the open door of the gates, I head towards the library to look for the year's class lists.

This year I'll do it, I'll talk to Valdis. Then I'll ask her out. Oh god, I hope she says yes...

Arthur Waksman slipped between the bars of the school gate; he was a fairly shy teenager with thick, pale brown hair the same colour as the dirt he frequently got knocked down in. His eyes had taken on a defeated look to them, so the only time they weren't pointed down was when he was making eyes at Valdis. Since he had first seen her three years previously, Arthur had been completely taken by her. He loved the way she swayed in the breeze as she walked, loved the way her hair curled into gentle ringlets down her back, and the way she never felt that she had to wear make-up and impress people. She just stood there and didn't let anyone beat her down. Arthur thought of her like a goddess.

Scampering down to the library to check on the class lists, he stopped in his tracks when his eyes reached a terrible sight; Cameron Green was making advances on Valdis. Arthur felt like he was going to be sick.

"Hey Valdis," Cameron crooned.

Valdis ignored him and read the class list.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," Cameron said, irritated.

Valdis turned and saw Arthur looking at her. Turning her head, she checked the class list a second time. She turned back to Arthur.

"We appear to be in the same class this year, Arthur," she said.

Arthur felt like he was going to melt with the joy he felt. She talked to me!

"Uh... Would you, uh, like me to, uh, walk you to class," Arthur nervously questioned, trying not to make himself look like a complete idiot. Not much chance of that happening...

Valdis looked at him, and then gently cocked her head to one side, "okay," she said, simply.

Arthur did everything in his power not to start shaking as he lead Valdis away, not only had he finally talked to the girl of his dreams but he had also got one up onto one of his top bullies. Oh crap... I am completely screwed. Cameron is going to kill me for this... But still, Valdis does make this worth punch I'm going to get later...

Arthur felt on top of the world.

Arthur and I walk upstairs towards our home group class room for the year, although Arthur seems to be floating rather than walking. I wonder why that is? I ignore it as some petty, simple-minded thing going on in his head. We enter the classroom quietly and he sits down next to me. Why does he keep following me? He's been doing this for three years now, hasn't the novelty of the situation worn off by now?

I settle down in my seat, taking out my iPod to play some games while I wait for another boring day to pass by. Nothing interesting ever happens here, anyway.

Then I see a piece of paper move.