Brown eyes shot open abruptly as Lin found herself laying in bed. The sound of singing birds filled the air of her room, complimented by the the warmth of the sun peeking through the curtains of her window. 

"Geez…“ she groaned, sitting up as she recalled the nightmare from the night before. "That was too messed up." 

Flinging her feet to the side she forcibly kicked herself out of bed and groggily made her way to the bathroom down the hall. From the bathroom mirror stared back the reflection of a 15-year old girl with tired hazelnut eyes, her ratty brown hair falling down just past her shoulders. She had not slept well and it definitely showed. 

Fifteen minutes later she had somewhat freshened up, having showered and her teeth brushed. Now wearing her favourite purple hoodie and blue jeans, she was ready to take on whatever the day had to bring.

"Mom?” She called out, expecting a reply from the kitchen downstairs. When there was no response she looked at the clock, 7 a.m. Of course there would be no response. After all it wasn’t too long ago when her mother had started to leave early for work at five in the morning.

Soft footsteps echoed through and off the walls as the teen walked into the eerily empty kitchen. On the table sat a note next to a plate of scrambled eggs and toast, the burnt smell and dark colouring around their edges suggesting a rushed job. 

“Won’t be back till later than the usual.

-Love Mom <3”

With a sigh Lin tossed the note to the side and began to rummage the cupboards for some salt and pepper to help with the eggs. Her mom being out late would mean that she would have to make her own dinner again, and a quick look through the fridge suggested that it would probably be another night of Kraft dinner. 

Breakfast now done it was then time for school. On her bike she pedalled casually down the streets, her attention dangerously fixed on the skies above instead of the road ahead of her. While it may have been another droll and boring day, at least the sky was nice enough to enjoy its blue surreal tranquility. 

This tranquility was however unfortunately short-lived. With only a couple blocks left until she would have reached the school yard, a shout from outside the nearby convenience store caught her ear. 

At the corner of the store away from prying eyes was a group of stereotypically dressed delinquents, counting their heads she surmised there to be no more than eight of them. In the middle of their crude circle was a middle-school girl with stunning blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. 

"You can’t be serious…“ Slowing her bike till it came to a stop, Lin stared with troubled eyes at the situation unfolding before her. While it may have been the smart thing to simply continue pedalling and pretend like she had seen nothing at all, Lin Ambros was not the type of girl to simply leave those in trouble alone. And while she may not have had any merit or strength to back up her gusto, she at least had the mind to try. 

With a harsh creak her feet pushed readily against the plastic of her pedals, her hands wrapped firmly around the cool of her handlebars. And with a deep breath in, she was off like a bullet. 

But even with her incredibly quickening speed, the crowd in front of her was already making its move, closing in quickly on the convenience store girl. 

Was she going to make it in time?!

Her legs pedalled harder then they had ever pedalled before to the point that her muscles were screaming at her to stop. Wind whistled past her ears at her speed and in seconds she was soon only inches away from the back of the nearest gang member. In the next instant she would collide… into nothing. 

Her brakes screeched violently as she sharply turned to a stop in front of the store. Where the gang of delinquents once stood was now nothing but empty space, the only other person left being the blonde girl that was at the centre. 

"Damn…” Lin cursed, painfully clutching her break as she knew that she was too late. 

She was too late to save the delinquents from their grave error. 

She was too late to save them from the blonde witch.