Chapter 1(part 1)

The world is full of mysteries. They are all meant to be pondered on. A man stood erect staring out over a beautiful forest pondering on one of these mysteries, of how a young girl came upon one of the world's greatest mysteries; its sister planet. It all started when a young curious girl who lived in a new orphanage with her other 38 brothers and sisters. She was the youngest. Not many knew her, they knew only of the other 38. All the other orphans had some great gift that gave them a time to shine. Teri had not a gift in the world that would be worth the time that could be spent on another orphan. Every other orphan got selected for a family because of their extraordinary gifts, but Teri was never selected never looked at never helped and never even seen or heard of. She was tired of being the smallest and least talented. One day she chose to explore, no one noticed her absence and no one really cared. Teri was gone unnoticed when she left that day on their field trip to the forest. She saw something and wanted to find out what it was. As she climbed over the many branches and under many vines she came across a very peculiar-looking set of footprints. They stretched further into the woods. She heard a voice and hide. It was Ms. Mary Lamina.

“Teri! Teri! Where are you? We are leaving! Come now! If you don’t come now we will leave you,” The stout Old woman said standing right in front of the log Teri was hiding in.

Teri didn’t respond because she didn’t want to go back to the orphanage with all the other ‘I’m so perfect’ orphans. She wanted nothing to do with them ever again. The old woman huffed turned around and told the children it was time to go and that no one needed a child that could not do anything special. This made Teri very sad and angry. She knew she was not very tall and could not do anything special, but now she knew never to go back to the orphanage ever again. She decided that she would follow the footprints and if they lead her to a monster she would fight it. Everything she ever dreamed of might be just beyond the woods. Waiting for her, Teri Ana, to discover.

That was the day she discovered the world of Anthesia. A small planet outside of our solar system. It was the sister planet of Pluto. At one time it use to orbit parallel to Pluto; it was called Persephious. A comet came by and separated the two planets. Persephious was pulled into orbit with the sun of the system of Palatka. There the residue of the comet, that had been left on the planets surface, turned into plants and grew life on its surface but its inability to rotate like Earth and make seasons made two distinct sides. This created a light northern end and a dark southern end. In this way the planet was blessed with much life and an abundance of forests. Teri knew little of this planet, she never expected to find anyone or thing to help her become special.

Chapter 1 (part 2)

Teri was standing on the edge of a cliff. As she looked over the whole of the planet, she noticed, it was a giant forest that reached as far as the eye could see; the complete opposite to Pluto it’s brother planet. Teri didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, she heard a rustling and saw a huge, a very peculiar-looking bird. Its feathers were of a variety of astounding color. Its head was a very dark shade of red, and its eyes were an astounding blue-green. She didn’t move, out of fear for the bird. It looked at her and coked its head sideways.

“What are you?” The bird squawked.

It talks! Where am I? Teri thought to herself

“Little One I wouldn’t think too much you might insult someone like me. I am not an ‘it’. My name happens to be Mordian. Now again what are you?” Mordian squawked a little frustrated.

“You can hear my thoughts?” Teri said astounded.

“Yes no new news, tell me something I don’t know. Like what you is Little One?”

“Ahh … Teri Ana. People call me Teri. I’m a human. What else would I be?” Teri responded, confused.

“Huyman … HA! That is a funny joke Little One! What are you really? No time for games,” the bird said, giving itself a jiggle.

“That is what I am. I am a Human. Have you ever heard of them?”

“Oh no … there are no huymans on this planet. Never heard of them. What are they like? I hope they are a lot taller then you.”

“Hey I’m tall!” Teri retorted.

“Sorry to say Little One, but you are not very much taller then my belly,” The bird confessed.

“What kind of creatures live here? I hope none that are as rude as you,” Teri said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Oh … there are worse believe me, I am the least of your worries. There are all kinds; there is one being who knows ever-single plant and creature. We don’t speak his name, but call him Deus. We are not allowed to say it in public. There are few I know… Let us see, there are the Blotues, say hi and walk away, the Relinques, who are not very friendly. The Gumby’s they are very welcoming, but don’t stay too long or they may eat you. The Imperious, they are the kindest and wisest of all the creatures, and then there is my kind the Knids. We are very peaceful and impatient but we would never hurt a flu—“

“A what?”

“A Flu. You know buzz, buzz the little flu’s?”

“Oh Flies.”

“No Flu’s.”

“I’m going to have to learn this language. I’m from a place called Earth and I saw these footprints and decided to follow them and came here. Where is here?”

Teri was confused. This planet and the creatures on it were very odd. This could definitely not be Earth.

“Why this is Anthesia, the smallest planet in the Palatka system.”

“The what system?”

“Don’t worry little one you will learn,” The bird pressed on. “Why did you come here?”

“I wanted to get away from my … ahh … from the orphanage I was living in.”

“Well if you will allow me to take you to my kind I’m sure we can arrange a meeting with His excellence and make you a citizen of Anthesia,” The bird suggested bowing.

“His excellence?”

“Yes, you know …” Mordian leaned in and whispered. “Deus.”

“Oh yeah.”

It struck Teri that this being, Mordian was talking about, must have been pretty important to have his name be so secret and unspoken.

“Come we have much to do.”

The Knid allowed Teri to mount him; securing her grip in his feathers.

“Don’t pull too hard young one,” Mordian warned.

He took to flight carrying her over the forest toward their new destination. Within minutes they were flying over a sea and into another forest were the Knid let her off on a branch. Several beautiful Knids came flying down and perched on the opposite branch and began to squawk sweetly to each other; seeming to smile.

“It’s so cutie Mordian. What is it?” One of the Knids squealed.

“I found it near the southern forest, Nira,” Mordian explained.

“It has a name. You wouldn’t like it if I called you an it,” Teri said.

“It is very smart,” squeaked another.

“It talks!” shrilled another.

“Of course, Shifa, Kifa. I would not have brought it her, hence, if she didn’t talk. Now would I?” Mordian squawked.

“Oh goody can we keep it as a pet!” Shouted another.

“Maybe, Lulu,” Mordian winked.

“What should we call it?” Nira squeaked.

“I have one Beebe!” Shifa purred.

“No Torsi!” Kifa protested against her sister.

“Hey it’s small enough to be a trophy!” Lulu cried.

“What does it do?” Nira persisted.

“Can it fly?” Shifa interjected.

“Let’s see!” Kifa curled her beak.

“Me first!” Lulu protested.

“No me!” Nira shouted.

“Hey don’t forget me!” Shifa and Kifa said together.

“Mordian help me… Tell them I’m not a toy and I can’t … AHHHHH. I can’t fly! Please Mordian! Get off … stop it … don’t touch me … I know my rights!” Shrieked Teri as the five Knids fought over her.

“Can’t help you Huyman! It’s your problem I have much to do good luck!” Mordian said, flying off.

“Mordian… Hey wait no!”

The five Knids picked her up and threw her off the tree. She was falling to her death as she said one final prayer. She could feel the ground getting closer. She closed her eyes to ease her passage. She felt herself stop, and surely thought she had died. She could feel something soft against her body that made her feel completely at rest. She then opened her eyes and saw that she was floating on her back, looking up into the sky. A man’s face then came into view, but was blurred by the sunlight. He set her on the soft moss of an open-air house.

“Are you alright Little One?” Said a very strong soothing voice.

“I wish everyone would stop calling me little,” Teri said rolling over the opposite way.

“But if the title is true should it not be what you are called Teri.”

How did he know my name? I never met him … yet. Thought Teri then remembered what the Knid said about thinking, and curling up into a ball, she began to weep bitterly.

“Little One what is the matter?” The man said, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Nothing! I don’t want to talk to you! Go away!”

“Tell me what is wrong. Let me help you. Please.”

“No! Go away!”

Teri then rolled over and sat up and pushed the man. His face showed no anger at the gesture. She then began to push him harder. Still nothing. She then pushed even harder on his chest, knowing full well he must be stronger then her. She then began to sob, and the man pulled her to him and cradled her in his strong arms. She just cried.

She never felt loved and no one ever called her by her name except Ms. Mary Lamina. She felt unloved and unwanted. This was the very first time, since her father took her to the orphanage and just left without even saying goodbye, she was ever held by anyone. She never forgot that day.

It was a windy cold day in the middle of winter. She was four years old, and her father had said that they were going to go to a very nice house for dinner. They got there, and the house turned out to be an orphanage. Though it didn’t look like it. She remembered that he let her go play; later on in the night as it got late and dark; she saw her father shake hands with the old woman and then went out the door. She ran to the door and watched as he hurried away into the night. She tried to run after him, but the old woman stopped her. She shouted her father’s name over and over again, but he continued into the blizzard of night. No one ever took interest in her after that day. She didn’t try to enforce a talent. She didn’t care. She was a nobody who no one wanted to care for or love.

“Come Little One, you need not cry. Why do you cry bitter tears? What is so horrible that you cry and are angered?” The man said, sitting her in his lap.

“I’m too little to do anything. Nobody loves me. Nobody cares about me. I don’t have a single talent I wouldn’t be surprised if you walked away and never came back. Nobody ever or will ever care for me as long as the sun rises in the east. You probably don’t even care.”

“I know about your father.”

“You do? How?” Teri asked, flustered.

“I was there when it happened. I’ve always been there for you even when you didn’t think so.”

“But I’ve never met you in all my life.”

“See that sea over there? The one that stretches for miles and miles, the one you flew over to get here? My father gave that to me for my birthday. And see all those Knids? He gave me those, too. But you know, I was never really happy with them. They are great when you want to talk, but they are always concerned about what gifts you have. So one day my father came to me and said ‘Son see that little girl? The one in the doorway? That is my child. I want you to take care of her. She may need you someday.’ Sure enough, do you know who he was talking about?”

“No … Who?”

Curiosity filled Teri Ana as she wondered who he was talking about.

“You.”

“Me?” Teri said surprised.

“Yes, you. He told me you were his most prized position the most wonderful of all gifts and treasures. So I promised to take care of you, and I will always.”

“Really? You’ll never go away? You don’t care if I don’t have a special gift or not?”

“I don’t. I love you for the Little One you are. Your height doesn’t matter to me. It’s your heart; it is the most pure and beautiful gift I could have ever gotten. Now my father would like to see you.”

“Wait, you look just like me. Are you Human too?”

“Yes, and my father is His Excellence himself,” The young man laughed.

“You know, Ms. Mary Lamina was always talking about a guy called God, but I never knew he owned a planet.”

“My pearl, he owns more than just one planet he-owns the universe.”