My life is ordinary.

But I am not.

Diana sighed and placed her pen on the table precisely parallel to the little red diary she'd been writing in. Something glinted off the metallic body of the pen and she looked up to see an extra-ordinary phenomenon in front of her. Her eyes were glued to the soft purple light emanating from the pond in her backyard. Though the surface of the water remained undisturbed, the light beams danced, myriad hues - purple, blue, green, red - with fluctuating intensity. The full moon's radiance could not match the glow of the water that pulsated with colour. She tightly closed her eyes, covered them with her hands, and peeked between her little fingers. Lo! The light was there! Alex's ears pricked up as he stared unblinkingly at the colourful luminescence. "Stay, Alex. Stay", she whispered firmly before bounding down the stairs into the living room. He made a protesting noise but heeded her command.

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up!" she shook him. Exhausted from the long day of surveillance, her father barely stirred from his armchair. She gave up on rousing him and raced to the back door. Reaching up, she unlatched the door with a little effort and stepped out. It seemed like a miracle that the light was still there! The pond was beside the vegetable patch at the farthest corner of their yard, half-hidden by three soaring maples, but the iridescent beams peeped from between the tree-trunks. She tip-toed forward and stopped behind the trunk of the nearest maple. The dancing lights made it look like the surface of the water was rippling, creating fantastic, gorgeous effects like a laser show. Mesmerizing! She approached the pond carefully, kneeling on the stones that outlined its shape and .......gasped.

The bottom of the pond was no longer stone, replaced by greenish purple shapes that curved into a sphere. The thin reeds and water lilies had been swept aside by the sphere that occupied the entire volume of the pond. She reached forward, desperate to touch it but afraid of what might happen if she did. She wavered, her finger an inch from the vivid surface before she plunged it inside. As her finger made contact with the dazzling exterior, a strong force pulled her forward and her face broke the surface of the water. For a moment, she was suspended in a tunnel which seemed to bend space itself. On either side of her, the water shaped into the walls of the tunnel and in front of her .......

Are those leaves?

Without warning, she tumbled and fell face first to the ground. "Ow!" she sat up nursing the bruise on her chin. Her fingers were blood-stained when they came away from the wound. The cut stung and tears began to prickle her eyes. She stood up, surveying her grass stained pajamas and turned to run back home. Only...................

Where am I?

In the place where her house stood, there was a circular garden filled with rose bushes that grew in an elaborate pattern. Roses of every kind and colour bloomed, their varied fragrances wafting harmoniously through the air. Pale, white pebbles tinged with red, outlined the pattern of the bushes, shining in the bright moonlight. A single rose bush that bore no flowers grew just a few feet in front of her. It stood out like a sore thumb amongst the perfection of its neighbours. And beyond that.......

Good Lord!

A gigantic tree rose from the earth, an enormous behemoth, whose top disappeared into the night sky. Its base, as broad as her bedroom and its roots, as thick as her body, snaked across the ground in all directions. Its lowest branches were twenty feet high and densely packed with small leaves. There was no way to gauge its height though she stretched her neck as far back as it would go.

What in the ...?

When she looked up, she saw something infinitely more shocking than the tree. The sky! Instead of the familiar pitch black, the sky was a deep violet flecked with stars that twinkled in majestic, swirling patterns. The jeweled sky was dominated by the moon which was ten times its usual size. And beside it was a small planet whose surface swirled with gases of different shades of crimson. The pebbles weren't tinged with red, the moonlight was - it filtered reddishly down to the earth. She was staring at the heavens, her mouth open, when a voice rang out.

"Dár foeir ennas!!"

She whirled around to see a dark-haired boy dressed in pastel coloured clothes that hinted at an earlier era. His stance was defensive, one hand raised in front of him, feet apart, as if expecting an attack. Straight dark hair fell below his chin and a fringe brushed across his brilliant green eyes. Eyes that were currently filled with fear ................... and fury. Between the two of them, a sphere like the one she'd touched hung in the air, distorting the objects that could be viewed within. The light that this sphere emitted was muted, a soft white glow that barely illuminated the dark green and brown shapes inside it. A fine vortex shimmered like a mirage at the base of the sphere, originating from a small, black disk on the ground.

"I re cin?" he demanded angrily.

"What??"

"'here ceri- cin tul- o?"

"What are you saying? I can't understand a word!"

"'iar! Cin 'xpect nin na 'elieve cin baw heni- cín garn lamb?"

He eyed the girl in the grass-stained pajamas scornfully, satisfied by her obvious ordinariness. She must be a child of one of the guests, he thought. He dropped his hand, relaxed his stiff stance and switched to English.

"What is this?" he gestured to the sphere.

"I don't know." She glanced at the sphere again, perplexed and disappointed that the boy didn't know anything about it. She was just about to ask him .....

"Don't lie! I saw you falling through it! " He crossed his arms.

"I don't know-"

"You should know better than to lie to me!! Answer me or I will have you punished for disobedience!" he declared pompously.

Diana was growing tired of the insolent boy. "I DON'T KNOW, OKAY??" She flipped her fringe behind her ear, exasperated with the boy's histrionics.

He stared intently at her face for a moment and his eyes widened in sudden dread. "You-y-you're one of t-them??"

"One of who?"

"You're a s-spy!" The fear in his face now mingled with indignation. "Don't play games with me! I k-know who you're with! I - I - I'm not scared of you!"

"Look! I don't know where I am and I want to go home!"

"Gurgof!!" He spat. "You have the audacity to come in here after what your people did to us! To me!" His tone seethed with bitterness. "Who else did you come to target? Who else will you take from me?"

"Relax, okay! I came here by mistake. Just tell me how to get home and I'll be gone." Diana put up her hands defensively, alarmed by the sudden change in the boy's demeanour.

There were angry tears in his vivid green eyes and his whole body shook with emotion.

"You will not go anywhere."

His voice was very faint.

"You will not succeed again."

His hands balled into fists.

"You will pay the price of their crime!" he screamed, before launching himself towards her. Half blinded by tears, he ran to her and pushed her with all his might.

He meant to hurt her as much as he could. Finally, here was someone to blame, someone he could punish for his loss. She must feel the pain he felt, she must feel his devastation. How dare she show her disgusting face to him?! But something happened that threw his plan to the winds. A golden glow emitted from the place where his skin had come in contact with hers. The light expanded, blinding them, spreading far beyond the garden. She fell backwards and the world tilted around her in slow motion. She expected to hit the ground but her fall was broken by the barren rose bush. She used the branches to scramble up, still shocked by the light that had extinguished itself in seconds. The boy had taken a step back, equally astounded.

Something brushed her palm and she turned to find hundreds of buds on the bush blooming into large, beautiful crimson roses. She couldn't believe her eyes! The petals sparkled as though a thin film of glitter was spread on its surface. The leaves swayed though there was no breeze.

"Breg! Na i Rosa Sant!" someone shouted. "Quick! To the Rose Garden!" Rapid footsteps approached the garden and the boy turned to their direction.

"Hi! Tirith! Tul- hi" He yelled. Here! Guards! Come here! "Im gar- raina i spui!" I 've caught the spy!

Diana was terrified. The boy wanted to hurt her and she was sure the people who approached were his friends. Her eyes wildly probed the dark shadows for an escape. The boy was still shouting out, calling to whoever was coming when her eyes fell on the sphere, still in the air, its vortex undulating calmly.

This had to work.

She picked up the nearest white pebble and crouched down on her knees like an athlete. Just as the first guards appeared in the garden, she ran past the boy and leaped into the sphere. Mid-air, she aimed the rock carefully on her target and threw it with as much force as she could muster.

"Nai!!!"

But she had disappeared.

The rock struck the circle squarely in the center and it exploded, shattering into hundreds of pieces in a blinding flash of light. The sphere destabilized, its surface rippling with expanding waves, growing larger and larger till it stood still. It then contracted into itself, vanishing into a small point of light.

The guards raced to the spot where the explosion had taken place searching frantically for the boy. The Teacher found him with his hands over his head, shell-shocked and covered in dirt. He'd been knocked off his feet by the force of the blast.

"Are you all right?" he asked urgently.

He took some time to respond, staring up from under his arms at the destruction caused by the little girl.

"Are you okay, Silvanus?!" The Teacher grasped the boy by his arm and pulled him to his feet while kneeling down in front of him. Concern creased his eyebrows.

"Yes. I'm okay," he answered, shaking his head, trying to gain his bearings.

"Who was that?" the teacher asked the boy in a long-forgotten tongue.

"The enemy! They sent her, Teacher." He responded urgently. "Through that." He pointed to the empty space where the sphere had hung a few seconds ago.

The teacher was bewildered by his explanation. But there was no point in being careless. The seat of power of the planet had shifted to the palace. Every important person on the planet was right now under his protection. He ordered the guards to conduct a thorough search of the grounds.

"Where did you find this?" The teacher picked up the biggest shard of the black circle from the ground.

"Near the tree. It was almost buried in the ground. I pressed the center and the sphere materialized out of it. She fell through it. No doubt, they sent her to hurt someone else......... She-she escaped on my watch, Teacher. I am so sorry. I have failed you." His voice was glum by the end.

"I don't think the enemies employ little children, Silvanus," the Teacher half-smiled.

"No! I'm sure she is one of them. She - she is of their kind, Teacher!"

The teacher raised his eyebrows.

"I swear it. She is not one of us."

The teacher was anxious but he tried to make his tone light. There was no use worrying the boy. He had suffered so much in the past weeks. "Let's go back. You should be in bed. We don't want your mother to know of this late night excursion, do we?" He stood up, held out his hand and the boy slipped his tiny palm into it.

"Goddess!!" the Teacher exclaimed! "What is this?"

"I don't know. I 've never seen it before." The boy was baffled by the intricate design that had formed on his wrist. The design was pristine white, its golden glow dulling every second. As they watched, the glow disappeared altogether, leaving the pattern etched against his fair skin.

"I don't understand. It must 've happened when the light appeared. I pushed her-"

"This happened after you touched her?!!" The Teacher looked even more alarmed by this piece of information.

"Yes. I pushed her and a light appeared. I'm sure it was her doing. To harm me in some way."

"No! She is not an enemy! " The teacher held up his wrist. "This mark proves it!"

"Silvanus ............................................................ She is your Zareh."

The word meant something to them that Diana would not have understood.

The boy was appalled. His Zareh! He'd treated her like a criminal! They had hoped for years to find her and when she appeared at their doorstep, he'd cast her off.

"Oh Goddess! What have I done?" He fell to his knees holding his head in his hands.

The Teacher patted the boy on his shoulder. "It's all right, child. Now that we know where she is, we can find her."

Silvanus looked up from his hands. The reflection of the stars twinkled beside renewed hope in his green eyes. "You can find her?"

"I will find her."

"But even if you find her, will she want to come back...?"

The teacher smiled at the innocent anxiety in the boy's voice. "I'm sure we can convince her."

The teacher noticed the formerly barren bush that was now teeming with sparkling blood-red roses. He examined them carefully. "These are everlasting roses. I haven't seen them since ............... Did she create them?" he inquired, astonished.

"Yes"

"Are you sure of her specie? The davizae are not this powerful at such a young age."

"I 'm positive."

He turned towards the boy to find him looking at the ground despondently. "I am sorry, Teacher," he mumbled.

"It's all right, Silvanus. This is good news." He held up the black shard. "Once the tairseach is fixed, we can find her in no time. You forget we have the best minds in the land." He smiled kindly at the forlorn boy.

The teacher ushered the boy out of the garden but Silvanus stopped abruptly at the exit and took a last long look behind. The dazzling roses still swayed in a hypnotic manner.

"Díhen- nin..............................................................................Rosa."

©The credit for the Elvish language of Sindarin which is used in this story lies with J.R.R Tolkien.

Ladies and Gentlemen! Presenting the results of the Solo round of the Circle of Gold Dance competition! And- The winner is-

"Wake up, Diana! You're going to be late!"

Diana snuggled deeper into her covers. A wet nose touched her cheek - a warning - and Alex proceeded to lick every inch of her face. "I'm up! I'm up! Stop Alex!" He jumped off the bed and threw a patronizing glance towards Grace as if to say 'That's how it's done, lady'. Diana opened her eyes blearily and was greeted with the sight Grace standing over her bed with her hands on her hips. "This is the last warning, young lady! Get up now or you'll miss practice."

"The practice!" Diana exclaimed, jumping off the bed and running to the bathroom. She rushed through her morning routine and was downstairs in time for breakfast. She started to scarf down the scrambled eggs and toast, trying to chew quickly. Grace walked out with a pan and added juicy, sizzling bacon to her plate. "Slow down, kid! You'll choke at this rate," she chuckled.

"Can't", said Diana between mouthfuls of bacon. "There's only time for one practice before the show."

"I know, dear," she smiled maternally.

Diana couldn't remember a time without Grace. She was more a mother to her than a housekeeper of the family. Grace Wilson was short and stout with an ever-smiling face that hid the strict, no-nonsense side of her personality. With her brown hair pulled back into a bun her trademark flowery apron, she was a ubiquitous entity of this tiny family.

"Dad's gone early again," observed Diana.

"Yes. Something important came up and he was called away. Though in his line of work, everything seems to be important." She shook her head and wiped her hands on her apron. "He won't miss the show, will he?" Diana asked anxiously. "No, dear. He wouldn't miss your performance no matter what. He's always made it, hasn't he?"

"Yeah", nodded Diana, smiling slightly.

The plate was cleared in minutes and she dashed upstairs to pack. Her room was exactly the way she liked it – clean to the point of being sterile. Every object had its own designated place, every surface was shiny enough to see your reflection in it. Though neat as a pin, the room could not be termed 'boring' in any sense. The light-coloured walls, mahogany bed, wardrobe and desk were offset by the brightly coloured glass paintings, artworks and family pictures on the wall.

She packed makeup, clothes, pins and all the essentials for the show into her bag. Right on cue, she heard the sound of tires turning onto the bricks of the driveway.

"Bye Grace!" she yelled before running to the car with Alex in tow.

Born to a police dog, Alex had suffered as the runt of his litter. While his brothers and sisters had quickly been adopted, nobody had wanted the little puppy who barely moved. Diana's father took pity on the tiny creature and brought him home to the enormous delight of his little daughter. 'Alexander', she had named him, the longest name she could pronounce at the time. Little Alex had grown into a large nine-year-old German Shepherd with a shiny coat, sharp canines and an affinity for hugs that knocked the wind out of grown men. He was deadly and friendly wrapped in one large furry body.

"Have fun, Diana!" Grace hollered from the doorway.

"Hi, Mrs Jones." Diana greeted the pretty blonde woman in the driver's seat of the silver convertible. "Thanks for picking me up." She opened the back door and allowed Alex to jump in before clambering in herself. Diana's dance partner, Ethan was in the front passenger seat trying to muss his blonde hair out of a flattened schoolboy style.

"Trying out for Goldilocks?" Diana snickered. "Or is it Alice in Wonderland?"

"Not you too." He rolled his eyes and turned to his mom. "Do you see why this was a bad idea?"

"Oh stop messing it up, Ethan. Your hair looks absolutely perfect." Mrs. Jones beamed at the flat-as-a-pancake hairstyle of her son. Diana had to disguise her laughter as coughing.

"All set for today?" Mrs. Jones asked before the children could start bickering.

"Yeah", said the children in unison - a little too quickly, breathlessly.

"It's all right. Don't you worry. You two are meant for the stage," she encouraged.

"Thanks, Mrs. Jones." Diana tried to distract herself from all thoughts of the performance. They'd been swirling around inside her head continuously for the past few days. She stared out the window but the gloomy weather of London did nothing to dispel her anxiety. The clouds hung low, screening the sun and dulling the colours of the shops flying past. Though born and bred in London, Diana could never get used to the ever-present cloud cover. She detested rain the way people detest Monday mornings. She missed the sun the way people miss a childhood friend.

I don't belong here. She thought, almost absently. The thought often punctuated her reverie, a consistent companion through the wanderings of her mind. She pushed it away.........

There was nothing to cheer her outside so she gave up. "What about you? Everything set for the show."

"Oh yes. I've had my best people working on this. I'm sure we'll pull it off."

Mrs. Jones, a successful event planner in London, was in-charge of all the details of the show. The Circle of Gold dance competition was part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Lions club. It consisted of several rich, snooty personalities– uh, I mean – upper-class, wealthy patrons who would not take kindly to the slightest blunder at their prestigious event.

It did not take long to reach Tiffany's dance studio which was just around the corner from St. Xavier's School. Mrs. Jones dropped them off promising to pick them up for the show later. Alex bounded off to rest at his usual place in the lobby of the dance hall. Ethan always wondered how Diana had gotten them to agree on letting Alex inside the building. Pets were a strict no-no as the notice on the door proclaimed. But then, Diana always had a way with getting people to do what she wanted.

They'd just entered the dance hall after changing when Sally bounded towards them, swinging her short blonde hair. "Hi, Ethan!" she called even before she reached them. "Hey, Diana. I can hardly wait for the program tonight, can you Ethan?" she slipped her hand under the crook of his elbow. Ethan looked positively alarmed at this. Diana bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. "Yeah, It's-it's going to be a lot of f-fun." he stammered as he discreetly tried to take his arm out of her vice-like grip. "Oh Ethan, you're going to be fantastic!!" she squealed, turning misty eyes towards him.

"Oh, there you are! Sally, didn't I tell you to practice the pirouette?" Sally jumped at the sharp voice belonging to their instructor and scampered away. "You two. Do you need a special invitation? We'll start with the Copa first. Rapidez!" Her voice rang like a whip.

Miss Dana Martinez would've made a brilliant career in the army but her first love was dance. Her tall, thin stature, straight black hair and dark eyes left no doubt about her Spanish roots. She was a child prodigy and had lived the career Latin dancers would kill for. Her excellence eventually earning her a position at Tiffany's and she had quickly become the most sought-after instructor for amateur dancers.

She'd discovered her star pupils quite by accident. When Diana showed interest in dance, Grace urged Mr Drew to enroll her in ballet – 'the kind of dance a proper Englishwoman should know.' 'Disaster' would be a very mild word to describe her first class. She'd constantly complained of her aching toes and her stiff fingers till, to the horror of her instructor, she'd fallen asleep while watching said instructor perform a demo routine of Swan Lake. "It is clear that she has no talent whatsoever", her instructor had furiously informed her father. "Please find someone else to inflict her on. Good day Mr. Drew. I hope to never see your daughter again. Hmph!"

Miss Martinez had watched the little girl dancing to the salsa music playing in the neighbouring hall during break. She approached Mr. Drew as they were leaving and asked for Diana to be sent for one salsa class. The rest, as they say, was history. That first class was where she'd met her partner, Ethan, who was currently whispering to her in a voice that people used in a nuclear war room.

"She's freaking me out." They were warming up in the corner of the hall, away from everyone.

"Relax. She likes you, that's all." Diana giggled.

"Well, if she'd just like me from far away, I'd be very grateful." He threw a disparaging look towards the subject of his statement. "She's your best friend Diana. Can't you do something about this?"

"I've tried. But it's impossible to get more than a few syllables in after I've mention your name. You should hear her gush!" She laughed.

"It's not funny!"

"It is........... to me," she laughed again.

He was irritated now and she endeavoured to mollify him.

"It's okay, Ethan. You know Sally. She has these episodes of undying love often enough. Earlier they would be movie stars and now, it's you. She'll get over it soon. Let's start now or Miss Hitler'll have our heads."

****************************************************************

"You look fabulous!" exclaimed the make-up artist as she swung Diana's chair towards the full-length mirror. She wore a black one sleeved dress that contrasted wonderfully against her fair skin. Deep red ruffles flowed from her waist ending at the uneven hem-line. Her long jet-black hair was pulled into a chignon at the nape of her neck. Bold make-up and red lips completed the look. Diana smiled at her reflection.

My life is perfect now, she told herself for the millionth time.

But the haunted look in her eyes disagreed. The look she permanently wore after the incidents. The accidents. She shuddered involuntarily.

Shelby Thompson fell from the swing as the seat disappeared from under her. She'd needed six stitches on her forehead. Ben Whitter's red teddy bear turned old and black in his hands. He swore that it had smiled at him – a creepy, terrifying smile. Mrs. Crockett's potted plant withered away before her eyes. It was supposed to be the first one in her planned garden.

Anger, Diana had found, was the strongest emotion, the most difficult to control. Sometimes, impossible. They had angered her, knowingly. And she had punished them - unknowingly. Or so she tried to tell herself.

The constant whispers had shadowed her ever since she could remember. Nobody said it aloud but she knew the truth. They were all afraid of her. Children would be openly hostile, but she could handle that. It was the suspicious stares of the adults that really got under her skin. She would often catch her father and Grace speaking in hushed tones and stopping abruptly when she entered the room. Alex was the only one who didn't treat her differently. Alex had stayed by her side ....

Soon, she'd begun to consciously feel her curse......... 'ability'. It had taken months of mental and emotional effort to gain some semblance of control. But the painstaking attempt had paid off. She'd been without incident for years and they had all forgotten the past.

How could they not forget? I....... convinced them.

Persuasion was something she'd seen her father use to his advantage. Just like him, she excelled at it. Unlike him, she had help. She could sense her....ability, guiding her on what to speak, when to speak and more importantly, when to stop speaking. She had gradually won the hearts of all, climbing the social ladder to emerge right at the top. Now, she was the popular girl, the queen bee among her friends, the darling of the adults, the life and soul of every party. No one remembered the lonely girl on the playground who refused to smile.

She had everything she'd wished for but ...... she couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that something was wrong; something was missing in her life. The sensation was exacerbated by the strange feelings she sometimes experienced - happiness, sorrow, guilt, fury – feelings that were detached from her, feelings that were not completely her own. Peculiar thoughts would swim under her consciousness, just out of reach, no matter how hard she tried to listen to them.

Her eyes travelled down to her wrist where the violently pink bracelet threatened to undo her look. It relentlessly chipped away at her conviction that the night had been a dream. That he had been a dream. The boy with the emerald green eyes.

"Five minutes, dancers!" rang the shrill voice of Miss Martinez snapping Diana out of her reverie. She walked up to Ethan and offered her hand which he gracefully accepted. He could feel the nervousness rolling off her in waves. "With me, partner? Or are you chicken?" She rolled her eyes but her face broke into a smile. "Oh shut up, Goldilocks." They touched the stage floor reverentially - a tradition taught by their instructor - and walked forward together.

****************************************************************

A hush fell over the hall after their dance ended. Then the applause began. The stage was one of the few places where Diana felt a sense of belonging. It felt exactly right. Like she was born to be here, standing hand-in-hand with Ethan, bowing to the appreciative audience. He twirled her to his other side and they both bowed again in unison. The Joneses were on the second row clapping the loudest but Diana only had eyes for one face that stood out in the crowd – her father was cheering on from the back, with a huge smile on his face.

Diana turned to Ethan, grinning. "Still think I'm chicken?"

He threw his head back and laughed.

****************************************************************

Her duet with Ethan had been a smooth salsa number but her solo was going to be a contemporary routine that required a completely different look. She rushed through changing - a flowy pink dress with wisps of cloth that created the illusion of movement even in stillness, open hair and nude lips - reaching backstage just as Sally's performance was about to begin. She grinned and gave her a thumbs up just as the curtain rose.

Her grin faded as soon as the music began.

It was her song.

Sally was performing her routine.

She stared at her best friend, bewildered, the truth not sinking in at first. Had they played the wrong song? But then .........why isn't Sally saying anything? Why isn't she telling them that this is not her song? Why is she .........dancing?

Ethan turned Diana around by her shoulders. "What's happening? Why's she performing your routine?"

"I – I don't k-know."

Miss Martinez marched towards Diana and held her by her arm roughly. "Did you give her the recording?"

Diana was still in shock. The instructor's words did not completely register in her mind.

"Diana, despierta! Did you give her the recording of your rehearsal?!"

"Y-Yes. I-I did." The horrible truth struck her as she saw her instructor's face twist in anger.

Sally had copied her routine.

But.....................Why?

The instructor was saying something but Diana was lost in the fierce sense of betrayal that gripped her heart. Grief and anger and confusion. Why did she do this?

" .....no way. We'll have to pull out-" were the first words her mind comprehended.

"What?? No! I'm not pulling out!"

"Diana, you cannot perform the same routine. You will be disqualified. No permitiré que mi alumno enfrente semejante desgracia." Miss Dana's words cut her like a knife.

No, she couldn't perform the same routine. But pulling out would be almost like giving up. Like ........running away.

Like a coward.

A sobbing woman's voice echoed in her mind. "Laisse-moi! Laisse-moi! Ahhh!

Her grief was replaced with blazing determination. I am not a coward. "I'm going to perform the new routine. The one you'd started to teach before the gala rehearsals began."

"Have you lost your mind? That routine is unfinished." Ethan's incredulity did not affect her.

"I'll improvise."

"The representatives of the biggest dance academies are right there in the audience. You want to make a fool of yourself in front of them?" He turned to his instructor hoping she could talk Diana out of this hare-brained plan.

Miss Martinez was watching the little girl's face. She'd wiped away her tears smudging her kohl in the process. There was no trace of sadness in her eyes anymore. Her jaw was set.

"Bring the pendrive from my bag, Ethan."

Both the children stared at her, speechless.

"¿No me escuchaste? Bring the pendrive from my bag."

****************************************************************

Sally had exited into the audience after her performance. This was good for Diana. She needed to focus. On dancing......not punching Sally in the face. Performing flawlessly was absolutely essential and absolutely impossible.

Our next contestant is ...... Miss Diana Drew.

Ethan watched her anxiously as she took a deep breath, touched the dance floor with her fingertips and walked on-stage smiling broadly for the audience - a practiced smile. She took her position and the lights dimmed. Music filled the hall, seeming to come in from a distance, slow and mellow. Diana moved with the unhurried notes, arching her body, stretching her hands and feet effortlessly. The tempo increased gradually and so did her movement. Her jumps and flips wove through the rhythm of the beats, synchronizing perfectly with the music. The theme of the song was familiar.

Betrayal.

Her expressions, her movements, every pore of her body portrayed the angst, the rage, the grief she felt. As the music reached a crescendo, she jumped high into the air and fell to her knees. The music ended and the audience froze transfixed ........and then........... applause broke through the silence. The curtain fell.

"Diana..." Miss Martinez's hand was on her shoulder and she looked up. Her face was tear-stained.

"That......... was a brilliant performance."

Ladies and Gentlemen! Present the results of the Solo round of the Circle of Gold Dance competition! And- The winner is-

Miss Diana Drew!

She walked up the stage in a stupor – thunderous applause, blinding lights, smiling faces – everything looked a little out of focus. Someone handed her the trophy and turned her to face the camera - she smiled automatically.

Everyone cheered as she walked down the stage into the audience. "Congratulations! Congratulations!" shouted some of the audience. The Joneses and Mr Drew were excitedly shaking hands with the judges. The gold and crystal trophy in Diana's arms was in danger of being smothered by the throngs of well-wishers. Miss Martinez and Ethan rescued her and led her backstage.

"Got your way here too, huh?" Sally was stuffing her clothes into a bag.

Diana marched forward angrily, fully intending to get answers out of her. "Why, Sally? Why'd you do this to me?"

"Someone had to, sweetie." Sally didn't look up - she continued to pummel the dress into her bag.

"B-But I'm your best friend," stuttered Diana, completely flabbergasted.

"Best friend?" Sally finally looked up. "Best friend?" she sneered the words.

"With friends like you, who needs enemies? From the day we started school, you always stole everything from me. I was supposed to be Puck in the school play. I was supposed to be Ethan's dance partner. I was supposed to win the music contest. I was supposed to get that routine. But you!" She jabbed a finger at Diana. "You ruined everything!"

Diana was aghast. "What the hell are – "

"Sweet little Diana." Sally smiled contemptuously. "Teacher's pet! Delicate darling! Apple of everyone's ey-"

"That's enough!" Miss Martinez looked frightening as she glared at Sally and she shrank back a little. "Young lady, I'll be speaking to your parents. And as for dance lessons – "

"Don't bother." Sally tossed her cornsilk hair disdainfully. "I know that with her here" – she threw a scornful look toward Diana – "I'm never going to get a chance to prove myself. So, you can keep your favourite girl all to yourself." She closed her bag and hoisted it onto her shoulder. "I quit."

Miss Martinez opened her mouth but no words came out.

"I'm sure Daddy can find a dance instructor who doesn't fawn over stupid, stuck-up princesses." She held the curtain up and turned around once more. "Oh, and Diana, you will never be more than a pretty face. I am so glad I don't have to deal with your self-absorbed, whining, wimpy at-"

"SHUT UP!"

CRASH!

Sally didn't have time to look up. The heavy curtain rod fell with the crash of death. She would've been crushed flat if Ethan hadn't reacted in the nick of time. He caught her shoulder, pulling her out of the way as the heavy maroon curtain fell around them like a shroud. It was a close shave - too close. Mr Drew and the Joneses, having heard the crash, rushed up the stage and clapped their eyes on the strange scene. Sally and Ethan, buried under the heavy curtain that had fallen from the scaffolding above. Miss Martinez, the woman who could frighten hardened prisoners, terrified into stillness. Diana, fury etched on her face, standing with one arm raised towards the scaffold.

****************************************************************

Horror had set into Diana's heart once the anger had worn off. What have I done? And then a different fear. What will they do to me now?

Mr. Drew had been the first to recover. His training kicked in as he assessed the damage; he swiftly unearthed the children from under the curtain and administered first aid. He dropped Diana home and spoke with the owners of the hall, Sally's parents, the Joneses, Miss Martinez and everyone involved directly or indirectly in the incident. Diana knew what this was. He'd done it before.

Damage control.

"What did they say?" she asked warily when he came home that night. He fell, exhausted, into a chair and closed his eyes.

"Nothing. Everyone's all right." He kept his eyes shut, afraid that he wouldn't be able to lie as convincingly looking her in the eye.

"What's going to happen to me?" Her heart was thudding in her chest.

"What do you mean what's going to happen to you? Nothing's going to happen to you." Mr. Drew was still talking with his eyes closed.

"Am I being sent to an asylum?" she asked, horrified.

"No no, of course not." He was instantly by her side, hugging her. "I wouldn't let anything happen to you, Diana. It was just an accident. That's all it was. A freak accident."

Diana's father had spent a lot of effort over the years convincing everyone that all that happened around his daughter were nothing more than unfortunate accidents. So much that he'd almost started believing it himself. But Diana didn't. She knew that fortune didn't decide the fate of the people around her. She did.

Her father went away still mumbling about accidents.

*************************************************

Now that her primal fear, the fear of being sent to an asylum was assuaged, Diana forced herself to look at what she'd done.

I would've killed her.

She cringed away from the thought.

What have I become?

She stayed in her room the entire evening, lounging on her bed near the window, refusing to talk to anyone. Alex kept her company.

"Do you think I'm evil?"

Alex lifted his head from her lap and cocked it to a side.

"Oh, how I wish you could talk Alex." She stroked the top of his head absently.

Anger-1,40,096 Diana-0.

As much as Sally's betrayal had hurt, it was her words that truly shattered Diana. You think of no one but yourself! Sally had held up a mirror. And Diana could barely recognize the reflection in it. Because all that she said was irrefutably and horribly true.

Freak! Freak! Freak!

She'd vowed that day to make them pay for her humiliation.

"Freak! Freak! Freak!" they'd chanted.

Diana had gotten back at all of her bullies but that taste of power was like a drug. Once she was a little popular, she'd only wanted more. The power to change someone's mind, to make them do exactly what she wanted - it was heroin coursing through her veins. She'd one day decided that she wanted to be queen bee and she'd made it happen - never mind the casualties.

She'd told Hugh he was stupid when he'd worked up the courage to ask her to tutor him in Math. She'd picked her friends without an audition when the teacher had asked her to recruit the choir group. She'd laughed viciously at the new girl who'd fallen at a jump in dance class. A thousand such instances whirled around inside her head - they felt almost like someone else's life. Like the horrid words had fallen out of someone else's mouth, the unkind actions done by someone other than her. And the worst of all ..................................... her best friend thought her the worst person on the planet. And I would've killed her............

Mr. Patterson's words came back to her. Diana, your problem is that you're good at everything - studies, dance, drama, art. Everything you touch turns to gold. He'd smiled sadly. You think you are superior to the other kids. You think you are a good leader because you always win. But you can never be one unless you've lost.

*************************************************

School was brutal. It felt like someone had turned the clock back four years. The speculations were meaner than it had been then, courtesy of the expansion of the children's vocabulary.

...Sally says she's sure she did it. Wonder how....

....psycho should be left alone....

...and the curtain rod just fell. Like BAM!

...is a complete freak...

....not totally stable. Maybe she should be sent to a home...

....not safe to be around her. My mom told me not to talk to her....

Diana kept her head down and walked through the crowded school corridor. She'd avoided Ethan ever since the incident. She didn't think she could endure his fear and disgust on top of everything else. If Sally could get so bitter, what's to say that Ethan couldn't. I can't trust anyone anymore....... And no one would trust me.

Diana could clearly see the past she'd been subconsciously avoiding. Many of the faces that passed her at school were those she'd laughed at or ridiculed or even reduced to tears. She'd relied so much on her ability that kept everyone from hating her that she'd forgotten how to be liked without it. She'd forgotten how to be good.

Weeks passed and she became more and more miserable. No one would talk to her anymore. No one would even look at her. People avoided her like the plague. She couldn't even bring herself to use her ability on people. She'd hidden under the veil of that deception long enough.