Prologue

     She stood in a red, silk dress at the end of the hall. She had long, flowing red hair that looked rough as rock. She had the longest black claws, easily seen from the distance, and tall black boots, white lacing on the front of each. Her skin tone was coal black, as were her eyes, which I could tell from them being camouflaged in with her skin. She had a beak of a Raven, and large scars from the neck down. “Beautiful…” I uttered softly, keeping my stiff arms at my sides. Compared to her, I felt so hideous… so dirty… so bare… She was so stunning, and I was nothing. Yet I still refused to let this show on my face to her, even through the long hallway between us. I thought to myself; we are much too different to be even real. Who is she…?
     Her angelic black wings spread and she flew to me so quickly that the doors to all the rooms in the hall slammed closed as she soared by. Had I even blinked, I would have presumed she simply appeared in front of me. The harpy now stood right in front of me, her eyes drawing me in like the monster her heart must have been. She wasn’t a beast to me, but seeing her now I figured she must have been to anybody else that looked her through.
     Putting a hand to my heart, I looked her in the eyes, refusing to show any emotion to this mysterious woman. Her wings and beak faded while her hair turned from the messy golden-red to light and velvety blue. Her eyes went from black to red, and her skin turned completely white all at once. The dress and boots burned, setting my black suit on fire as if to show her the way I felt inside. We stood there, both completely detached and bare as the building crashed around us and a wind blew beneath our feet. The wind whistled, blowing my dark grey, and her bright blue hair in the air like a rag doll.
     Her voice was clear, but echoed, as nothing was happening around us, or as if her voice was simply in my head… though I still saw her soft lips move, “Do not envy yourself… do not forget about or remember yourself… do not even hate or love yourself.” She twisted our fingers together. “Simply know and accept yourself for everything and all it is.”
     I looked at her, very slightly tilting my head. What does that even mean? I forced my feelings back to myself. No need to show her any more than she’d already known.
     She smiled. “Do not feel the need to hide yourself. You already stand before me, naked and open. What more could you wish to hide?”
     I stayed silent and still impassive. I focused merely on her eyes… there was something significant about them, I could just tell…
     “The repulsive monster inside of you?” She asked.
     I still refused to speak.
     Her smile was gone now. She simply stared at my bare chest, then closed her eyes. Her hand slowly seeped into me, causing my eyes to grow wide. I grabbed her small wrist with both of my hands, pulling harshly. She didn’t budge.
     “Do not fear; I have no desire for anything but your heart’s true form.” She told me, letting her hand seep ever further in. Very quietly, she spoke, “Poor damned soul… You’ve been painted red… red as the demon’s eye.” Her hand pierced through bone as well.
     “No! No, stop!” I begged. “Is my naked body not enough for you!?”
     She held my heart tightly in her hands, and my pulse nearly stopped. The fear in my face was clear but she couldn’t see the way I was inside. It was horrifying…
     She looked up at my eyes once again, pulling my heart out from my chest. I whined for a moment in pain as it took hold of me. I fell to my knees, closing my eyes tightly and clenching my teeth in anger. I held the open wound in hope it would stop bleeding. When I looked up, what I saw holding my heart was young, child-like version of myself, only difference being that it was a small girl. The wind was now gone, and the building completely destroyed.
     She tilted her head at me as I did earlier, then smiled a twisted smile and gripped my heart tightly when I clenched my fist in anger. I opened my palm, as did she, dropping the heart to the floor.
     I yelled out in pain as it hit the dirt floor, falling into a knife that I could have sworn wasn't there a moment ago. She laughed cruelly, and oddly, so did I. We both spoke, “So you find this funny?” I was growing dizzy as I muttered the words, but still heard hers clearly.
The young girl’s voice faded into the harpy’s. “You will never become anything but a monster until you learn to accept yourself as one. Know who you are, know what you are, and learn to change for the better.”
     Everything slowly faded, and I could no longer see. I still heard the girl’s laughing, however, and my own was still continuing on faintly. I smirked as I felt the woman’s touch to the hole in my chest. “Monster…?” I questioned with the last of my strength… Then everything in life was gone…

     I woke up that morning, breathing deeply and quickly. A dream… I thought. A really strange dream… I put a hand to my head, closed my eyes for a moment, and held my breath. I then let it all out, re-opening my eyes. My breath quickly regained normality, and I eventually stopped panicking. “What an odd dream…” I said to myself. I shook my head, trying to get my mind back in shape. “Impossible.” I said, “Too different to be real.” I concluded, then stood and got ready for another boring day at school. I stopped at the door, realizing what I thought was actually in my dream as well. Again, I lightly shook my head. Whatever, I told myself, quickly getting over it and continuing on.