• She looked around wildly for the mystery woman. Where could she be? She had appeared, like always, right beside the big tree by the pond. She had been wearing a long, blue dress with her hair pulled back into a beautiful braid. She had smiled and layed down a single red rose, like she did every morning. Storm knew it was for her, but she didn't know why. Then the mystery girl would run behind the tree, so she couldn't see her. Every morning this happend, and every morning Storm would run behind the tree to her, but never find anything or anyone. So she would walk around the tree again, and pick up the rose.

    But this morning, she had found something different about the rose. There had been a small note and a pen beside it too. It had said:

    'My name is Lia. What's yours?'

    No signature. So she looked around for the mysterious woman, but she couldn't find her. So she picked up the pen and he began to write.

    'My name is Storm. I was named Storm because it was a storm that I was born in. Why do you give me roses? Why did you leave me a note this morning, after 3 months of leaving me roses? And where do you go?'

    She set the note back down, with a little stone on top, so it wouldn't blow away. Storm hoped that no one would take it as she walked to school.

    At school, Storm couldn't take her mind of Lia and the note. Her teachers scolded her, and her friends mocked her. So after school that same day, she ran all the way to the park. When she finally made it to the tree, she noticed that the note was still there. She picked it up, but it was the same as she had left it in the morning. She set the note back down, placed the little pebble back on it, and walked back to her house. She didn't eat, and she slept very little. The next morning, she showered and dressed as fast as she could, and ran back to the park. When she was about 50 yards away from the tree, she saw Lia. She walked slowly toward her, as if in a trance. Storm saw Lia smile at her, she saw her lay down the rose, and then she saw her walk behind the tree. She knew she was gone, so she didn't bother to try to follow. She walked to the rose and picked it up. There was another note and another pen. The note read:

    'What a lovely name. I'm sorry but I can't answer all of your questions yet. First, you must answer mine. Why do you come to the park every morning? Where do you go after you come to the park? Do you believe in magic?'

    The last question shocked him. Magic? Of course he believed in magic. He himself possessed magic. Very few people do in this day and age and are not very accepting of it, so she kept it a secret. She began to write back again only she didn't tell her all of the truth

    'I come to the park because it helps relieve stress, and calms my mind. It allows me to concentrate on what I'm doing. I go to school every morning. It's the High School only a couple blocks away. I'm a junior there. Your last question is an odd one. Yes, I do believe in magic, but why do you ask?'

    She couldn't tell her that she had to go to the park because nature helped her concentrate on his magic. He set the note down and ran to school. This process was repeated everyday. It turns out that Lia believed in magic also. Storm told her a lot of information about herself. Except that she had magic. Her father had forbid her to tell anyone, fearing that if she did, she would end up like her mother. Dead. Several months went by, and many times Storm asked not just to see her, but to meet and talk to her. And several times she said no, not yet. Finally one morning after she had asked yet again to speak with her, she saw her.

    She held the rose in her hand. Storm walked slowly toward her. She didn't set the rose down. Instead, when she reached her, she gave her the rose, along with a note and pen. She looked at her questioningly, but read the note.

    'I dissapear because I was not sure how you would take me. I asked you many months ago if you believed in magic, and you said yes. Why?'

    Storm sat down and wrote back.

    'Maybe it's for the same reason you do. Because I have something to do with magic. Why would you fear I wouldn't know how to take you? Why don't we talk aloud?'

    Storm handed her the note and watched as she wrote back.

    'I prefer to write, as we started out talking. The answer to your questions is simple. I am this tree. I am all of the trees, every blade of grass, ever single leaf. I am nature. My real name is Gaia. A Goddess. Mother Earth. It itself is magic. Which is why I asked. I saw magic in you. I've seen many people with magic, but none felt as special as you. Every century, a new woman is choosen by the Goddess to fulfill her place. I choose you. Should you accept, you will be a Goddess. You would be able to travel through the live forces on Earth; animal, plant, ect. You will be able to bare children, though I did not. You must spend at least 12 hours a day inside a life force. It can be anything, and those 12 hours can be separated, and used in small amounts. A couple hours here, a few there. Or all at once. You will never age, not until after a century, when you choose who must take your place. Then you may live normaly again. You wouldn't be the Mother Earth anymore. You would be only a child of Mother Earth. Do you accept?'

    Storm read the note carefully.

    'Will I be able to see my friends and family?'

    'As I said, Storm. You must spend at least 12 hours a day inside a living soul. Whether it be a plant, animal, or something else of your choosing. But also remember this: you won't age. So people will begin to wonder where you went. But you can erase all memory and record of you, so they won't remember you, after your 21st birthday.'

    When Storm read this, she cried. But she knew that she had to do this. She knew that it was her destiny. So she wrote back one last time.

    'I accept.'

    As soon as Lia finished reading the note, she closed her eyes. A tear that was the color of nature itself fell from her face and onto the little piece of paper, sealing Storms acceptment. Lia bent down a kissed Storm on the head. That little kiss gave Storm the power and title of Gaia. Goddess and Mother Earth, for the next century.