*Why must tomorrow be my birthday? Not like anyone here cares...There has to be more to life than a lousy family who would rather have you disappear than celebrate you.*

  "When are you coming back Mother?" I inquire over the phone.

  "The cruise has been fantastic. I just felt you wanted to be home for your birthday. We will be home in a week though." She paused to answer someone in the background. "Are you remembering to feed the cat?"

  "Yes, Mother. She hasn't left me alone since you left. It's like she thinks you aren't coming back."

  "That's crazy and you know it." Her voice is stately, but emotionless.

  "Mother, I'm going to hang out with some of my friends, so if I don't answer the house phone, that's why."

  "You're a day away from sixteen. You are responsible enough to know how to handle yourself."

  "Thanks," the sarcasm thick in Cass's voice. As the sky starts to shift colors, Cassiel gazes up in awe. The star show in the sky dazzles and twinkles up above. As something begins descending from the sky, Cass sprints towards it.

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  *What was that? Something is falling though. Adventure time!*

  Tracking the falling mystery piece, Cassiel takes off on the hunt of her life.

  *Something feels different about this. I don't know what, but I have to find whatever that was that was falling.*

  She keeps chasing the falling object until she sees a mysterious glow on the ground. *How did this get here?*

  As soon as the shard makes contact with my flesh, the light emitting from it becomes blinding. *What in the world just happened?*

  "Did you touch that celestial shard?" A voice comes out from nowhere. The man towers over most of who would be here.

  "Who are you? Where did you come from?" Cassiel spits out the questions in quick succession.

  "My name isn't important child. How old are you?"

  "Not that its nay importance to you, I turn 16 tomorrow."

  The strange mans eyes narrow on me. "Say it's not so. Well, happy early birthday to you. You're becoming a young adult and the journey before you is going to be a trying one. Just remember that you are special."

  The same way the man entered the area, he flees. The shard inside her hand starts burning a little more. To avoid serious burns, she hops the stone back and forth between her hands.

  Mother is wishing she had friends to go hand out with, but no one wants to hang out with someone who is so self reliant. People only want to use Cass for the freedoms her parents give her since they leave her to her own vices.