Chapter 2 — Birthday (Part 2)

Selene woke up around noon, drenched in sweat. Once again she had the same nightmare—running through the dark, sinister forest, over dry leaves and stones that jabbed into her bare feet painfully. Behind her, Selene heard someone's footsteps. Her breathing quickened, and her legs became harder and harder to control. She stumbled over protruding boughs, becoming clumsier and clumsier as her sweater got caught on branches, leaving behind threads of yarn and tearing holes in the fragile material. Eventually Selene exhausted herself completely, caught her foot on something large, and fell face down into a pile of leaves, causing her to groan softly in pain. That was when whoever was chasing Selene grabbed her arm and rolled her onto her back, so she looked up into his face. It was a man with ebony, mid-length hair and a long black coat. His raven black eyes drew her into their bottomless depth like a cosmic black hole. As Selene watched in horror, he clasped his hands together in a strange gesture, as if he were going to pray, but instead a ball of fire began to grow between them. The man smiled triumphantly and threw it right at her heart. Selene felt extremely real pain, but it didn't last long—because that was when she finally woke up.

It took a while for Selene's breathing to calm down enough for her to realize it was just a dream. Yes, she was in her room now, not the woods, but the pain Selene felt when the fireball hit her was so real that she wondered if it was truly just an ordinary dream.

Finally Selene calmed down and looked to her side. The alarm clock read 11:30 am. It was about time she got up, especially since she had made plans to meet her friends in the cafe a few minutes after noon. This time her aunt did not allow her to invite anyone over to their home because some distant relatives were about to arrive. But Selene wondered why now?

She got up and went to the mirror above her dressing table, sitting down on a chair and examining her appearance. She looked terrible. Her hair was completely disheveled, and her face was much paler than usual, making her look like a corpse. Selene flinched at the very thought and immediately opened her wardrobe, fishing out a pink dress and beige sandals that had been specially prepared for her birthday. Then she went to her bathroom, which consisted of a small but modern shower, a washbasin with a mirror above it, a white cupboard hanging on the wall, and a toilet in a separate smaller room. Selene started her morning routine with a cold shower, then put on her bathrobe, dried her hair thoroughly with a hairdryer, and brushed her teeth. After leaving the bathroom, she dressed in her previously chosen outfit and sat down at the vanity. Then Selene picked up the brush and carefully combed her long black hair, now shimmering in the light of the California sun. She then applied foundation to her cleansed face, mascara to her eyelashes, blue eyeshadow over her eyelids, and pink lip gloss on her lips, emphasizing the contour of her eyes with a black pencil. Having been made-up so carefully, she grabbed her turquoise purse and left her room.

Selene walked slowly down the stairs, and when she reached the kitchen door, she immediately heard Meredith bustling about merrily.

"Hello, Aunt," she said with a broad smile, opening the door.

"Hello, Selene. Happy birthday, sweetheart," Aunt Meredith replied tenderly, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"What are you preparing for my birthday today?" Selene asked bluntly, even though she knew the answer.

"It's a surprise, so I can't tell you. I can only promise that this evening will be unforgettable," Meredith replied with a mysterious smile.

Well, that was the answer Selene had expected. She sighed in resignation and attended to her breakfast, the toast with strawberry jam, washing it down with orange juice. When she had finished eating, Selene got up, took her purse from the back of the chair, kissed her aunt goodbye on the cheek, and left the kitchen. In the hall, she checked to make sure she had her keys and phone in her purse, then ran outside, closing the door.

~~~~~~

Damon was awakened by some annoying buzzing noise and stood up slowly, stretching lazily. He was a tall, muscular man, brown haired, with gray eyes filled with a magnetic glow. An aura of mystery surrounded him, which often attracted women to him. His hair was cut short, and he was dressed in a leather jacket and black velvet pants. Damon didn't even take them off to sleep, so he didn't have to get dressed in the morning. In addition, his beauty and mystery hid a dark secret that most people didn't notice: he was a demon, a completely evil creature whose main purpose was to lead humans down the wrong path so that after death, their soul would be condemned to spend eternity in the depths of Hell. Damon had lived in the Underworld for five hundred and fifty years, and he was one of the most powerful, not counting Alistair, the ruler of this part of Hell. Alistair was five thousand years old and loved Damon like the son he never had, so everyone in the Underworld knew who his successor would be—it was all too obvious. Damon, aware of what awaited him, was glad. He felt superior to the others and looked down on them as if he were already their ruler.

He left his cave and walked towards the hustle and bustle, having no idea what might've caused such a commotion today. Slowly, Damon entered the main square of the Underworld, which was more crowded than usual. He pushed himself to the front and noticed Alistair standing on the dais. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with long ebony hair pulled back in a ponytail and dark eyes that sucked you in like black holes. He was wearing a black ankle-length coat.

"What's going on here?" Damon asked the blond-haired demon standing next to him.

"What's going on? Have you been sleeping under a stone for the past thousand years?" The other demon was indignant. "Today the 'chosen one' turns sixteen. Alistair is going to be choosing volunteers to go to Earth and kill her," he explained after a moment.

"Of course! How could I forget something so important?" Damon scolded himself mentally. "Alistair has waited sixteen years for this day, and so have I. Finally I have a chance to complete the mission I messed up back then. I didn't manage to take care of the 'chosen one' before her mother sealed her with a protection spell, and I had to kill the mother instead. Oh, what a wonderful thought. First I killed the mother, and now I will kill the daughter..." he smiled at his devilish thoughts.

~~~~~~

Selene greeted her friends as she sat down across from them in the cafe. The first one, named Sarah, had short, tightly curled blond hair, green eyes, and pale skin that was covered in freckles, which only made her prettier. She was of average height but very skinny. The other girl, Jennifer, overshadowed even Sarah with her beauty. Nature had endowed her with shoulder-length brown hair, turquoise eyes, and a model figure. She was tall, slim, and rounded where needed. The boys passing their table gazed at her in awe.

"Wow, you're so lucky to be so beautiful, Jen," Selene said appreciatively.

"Well...being popular among the boys can be a little troublesome, but it's generally very pleasant," Jennifer replied with a triumphant smile.

"Happy birthday!" Sarah interrupted, handing Selene a small package beautifully wrapped in decorative paper and tied with a lovely ribbon. Surely Sarah had wrapped this gift herself; she had always had a talent for decorating, never failing to choose the right combinations of colors and materials.

"Oh right, that's a gift from us. Happy sixteenth birthday, Selene!" Jennifer grinned.

The package contained a lovely pair of earrings with a navy-blue center and a necklace of the same color. Selene felt breathless at the sight when she unwrapped the gift.

"My God…these must have been terribly expensive," she gasped finally.

"Eh, they weren't that expensive. For me, the cost was trivial. Besides, we both put some money into it," Jennifer replied easily. And it truly was not a big expense for her; after all, she was the daughter of a bank manager.

"Jenny basically paid for the entire thing. I managed to collect about 20 percent, but I helped choose it, and I took part in wrapping everything up beautifully," Sarah added. "This set is perfect, and it matches the color of your eyes." She smiled, pointing to the gift.

"It's one of the best presents I've ever received. This is so thoughtful. I don't even know how to thank you..." Selene said, deeply touched.

"You just have to wear it," Jennifer said cheerfully. Sarah smiled as if in confirmation of her words.

Selene sighed and put the earrings in her ears.

"That's enough for now; I don't want to show off too much." Selene turned to her friends. "You really are the best friends on the whole world." She hugged them tightly, looking at them with gratitude.