The cold autumn rain was sheeting down from the low hanging blackish-gray clouds but Skylar Kylee Wintersong was warm inside her father's Pruis as she drove home. She sipped on her unicorn frap at the last stoplight before she'd reach her family's modest little two story four bedroom two and a half bathroom home that sat on the edge of the gated community Skylar had grown up in. Beyonce played on the car's radio, but Skylar was paying almost no attention to it. She had been accepted to her first choice university and couldn't wait to tell her mother and father the news. The thought that she would not attend the college had never crossed her mind, as her parents had realized just after her birth that she was a legendary Indigo Child, a creature of vast power and potential. Her potential had resulted in her parents ensuring she could forge her own path, and they dutifully ensured that Skylar's every whim was encouraged so that her Indigo Spirit was never suppressed or held back. Even better, she was 1/64th Cherokee, with an Alaskan white wolf spirit animal to guide her when her parents wisdom failed, which seemed more and more often to Skylar as she grew older.

Skylar stared at the red light, pinching her lips together and concentrating on it. She wasn't about to let a stoplight slow her down. She knew that if she concentrated on the light hard enough, it would do what she wanted.

She was special. She knew it, her parents knew it, the school knew it, even her classmates knew it.

"Ugh, finally," Skylar grumbled as the light turned green. She hit the gas, eager to get home so that mummy and daddy could hurry up and make the arrangements for her to attend Evergreen College in Washington. It was so progressive, and everyone knew that it was the best school for an Indigo Child to attend.

The gated community came into sight and Skylar felt a flutter in her stomach but banished the nervousness. Her mother and father would be just as thrilled as she was that she had gotten into her college of choice. The gate guards, ex-military who hadn't been smart enough to go to college or do anything worthwhile with their lives, opened the gate and waved her through.

Skylar didn't bother to wave to them in return. She refused to give those who took part in the spreading of the American cultural hegemony and imperialism even acknowledgment.

Instead she drove straight home to her modest little two story house, pulling in and thumbing the garage door opener. She pulled in next to her mother's car, thrilled that her father's car was on the other side of her mother's car, next to her brother's truck.

Skylar grabbed at her open dusty-rose Macbook from the passenger seat, lifting it up.

That was when her unicorn frap chose to pop its lid, spilling the frozen slushy drink all over the keyboard of her laptop.

"Oh, kaka," Skylar said, shaking her head. She grabbed the laptop by the edge of the screen, pulling it out of the car and swinging it back and forth to get the worst of the frap out of it. She wasn't worried about the interior. She'd just drop it off to get it detailed. Let the people who cleaned her car worry about it.

Shaking her head, Skylar left the garage, walking down the hallway. Skylar was almost shaking with excitement. When she stepped into the dining room she set her now ruined laptop on the island counter and pulled the acceptance letter out of her pocket.

"Mommy, Daddy," She squealed, hurrying toward where her mother and father were sitting at the table.

She didn't notice the looks on their faces. Of shock and concern.

"Sky, sit down," Her father, Richard Thomas said, tapping the table next to him.

Skylar hurried over and sat down, almost bouncing in the chair.

"Sky, we have to talk," Her mother, Jane Smith-Thomas, said.

Skylar set down the letter, smiling. "I have wonderful news!"

Her parents looked at each other, then back to Skylar. "Skylar," Her father said.

"Daddy," Skylar said, pithing her voice into her "I want" tone. Her father flinched slightly, able to hear Skylar's demanding tone.

Under the table he reached out and took his wife's hand, bracing himself for one of Skylar's temper flare-ups.

"I got accepted to Evergreen!" Skylar squealed, slapping the paper down in the middle of the table and clapping her hands.

"That's... good, honey," her father said.

"It's the best. It's the most progressive, most feminist college in America, daddy," Skylar said. She sat back, putting her fingertips together, staring at her mother and father. "It's very exclusive, and they've approved my application."

Skylar slid the paper outlining how much tuition, books, fees, and the other expenses would cost. "Evergreen is about making a home."

"Honey," her mother said, squeezing her husband's hand tightly.

Her father looked at the sheet, up at his daughter, then back at the sheet before shaking his head.

"Sky," He started.

"Oh, and I'll need a new laptop, I spilled coffee on mine," Skylar said, standing up. She pulled out her phone, holding it out toward her father. "Can you please get it in the correct color this time. It needs to match my phone."

"Sky," Her father said.

Skylar turned around, frowning. "Daddy. I want to go to Evergreen. I got accepted. What the problem."

Her mother shook her head. "Honey, we can't send you there."

"Yes, you can," Skylar said. She stomped her foot. "Ryder Black is going to Evergreen. If I don't go to Evergreen, how can he and I spend time with each other during orientation so we can have True Love?"

Her father turned the paper over, face down. "Something has come up, Sky," He said, his voice placating.

Skylar stamped her foot again. "Daddy, I'm going to Evergreen."

"No, Sky, you aren't. At least, we aren't paying for it," her mother said.

"Mother," Skylar stomped her foot again, pushing her lips together and staring at her parents. She summoned up her sense of purpose and self-definition and projected it toward her parents, just as she had done since she was a child. Skylar knew that they couldn't withstand the full force of her Indigo Child abilities.

Her mother looked away. "No, Skylar. We tried to tell you, things have changed."

Skylar clenched her fists and leveled her determination at her father. "Why are you treating me like this? Women have it hard enough in America without being denied education they need. This is exactly why women only make seventy-cents for every dollar a man makes."

"We can't pay for your college, Skylar," Her father said.

"Did you lose your job?" Skylar asked. Maybe that's why her father was home so early.

"No, Sky," Her mother said. "Much worse."

"Worse than denying me an education?" Skylar half-shrieked.

"Skylar!" Her father stood up and the yell made Skylar step back, her hand going up to her mouth.

"You, you yelled at me. You, you verbally assaulted me," Skylar said, reaching out and putting one trembling hand on the top of the counter next to her. She shook her head, her pink and blue hair shining in the kitchen lights.

"Skylar, your brother is coming home from the military," Her mother said.

Ugh. Her brother. All of her life her parents kept bringing up her brother. She thought it would have changed when he joined the military, but then all she kept hearing was her brother had been given medals for oppressing brown people, how great he was because as a Navy medic he was saving the lives of other tools of government oppression, how wonderful it was that was a sealion or seal or some such junk.

"So?" Skylar asked.

Her father shook his head. "He's going to be moving back in," he said.

"All the more reason I need to go to Evergreen. He dims my aura," Skylar complained. "Marty's toxic masculinity erodes my feminine power, poisons my Indigo Spirit, and just his presence affects my safe spaces."

Skylar's mother looked at her. "Your father and I will be leaving tonight, on a plane, to go to Washington DC."

Skylar perked up. "Are you protesting? You should let me go."

Her father shook his head. "No, Skylar. Your brother is at Walter Reed hospital. His helicopter was shot down and he's badly wounded. We're going to see how we can help him. We'll be staying in a hotel while we speak to his doctors to find out what our options are."

"You always put him first!" Skylar shrieked. "Graduation is only two months away!"

"You're eighteen, Skylar, old enough to drive," Her mother said. "You will be all right while we're gone."

"God, you guys never care about me, it's always Marty, Marty, Marty," Skylar yelled. "I need to go to Evergreen. I can't live here any longer, especially if Marty is coming back," Skylar stomped her foot again. "God, after everything I've tried to teach you and you still put Marty before me just because he's a man."

Skylar spun around, stomping toward her room. "I'm going to take a nap. When I wake up, I better find my tuition waiting for me. You don't want to hinder my progression, not now, not when I'm so close to going out in the world and leading people into a better world."

Skylar went upstairs, stopping and looking around her room.

God, it was so small. She couldn't wait to get out of the house. There was barely room for her king sized bed, her dresser, her desk, her television, her computer, her makeup table. She only had two walk-in closets. It was almost shameful how her parents forced her to live in such a small room.

Still, she'd be going to college. Evergreen University was about building a home, she just knew the apartments they'd be assigned to, that she'd get assigned, would be much better than her parents small house.

Skylar stopped in front of her full length three paned mirror and looked at herself, shaking her head at her plain looks. She'd been forced to dye her basic page cut golden blonde hair pink with blue tips. She wore glasses for defying the male gaze over her large expressive eye set in her heart shaped face. She ran her hands over her small but firm large breasts and turned slightly to despair at her well toned bubble butt's size. She sighed when she looked at her long tanned legs. No matter how much she worked, her thigh gap never seemed to get wider, leaving her toned thin legs unreasonable thick to Skylar's mind. Her looks were marred by the small sprinkle of freckles marring her clear complexion, dusted across her little button nose. Worst of all were her eyes, the eyes that made people stare at, invading her personal space with their gaze. Her left was pink like an albino's, even though her pale skin was a tanned golden brown while her right eye was cobalt blue, both of them twinkling with the genius that led to her graduating High School and getting accepted in the Women's Feminist Studies program at sixteen.

All this does is attract the male gaze and turn me into little more than an object, she despaired. My looks will make my intelligence and my Indigo Status be ignored by those who are not advanced enough to appreciate the pure indigo of my aura.

She laid back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Outside the thunder rumbled, but she ignored it. She breathed deep and slow, closing her eyes and stretching out her aura to touch the colors of her room.

As the thunder rolled she tried to stretch out with her aura to touch the lightning, remembering that the lightning had been purple as it danced through the clouds. She had tried all of her life, sometimes getting close enough she was sure she could feel the tingle of the lighting. Skylar knew that once she could touch it, she could guide it, call it, bend it to her will.

She was an Indigo Child, she was special.

Skylar tried to stretch her aura, reached out for the lighting.

And felt a hand grab her, yanking her up, into darkness.

* * * * *

Skylar became aware of a steady thudding noise. She felt weightless, warm, and the rhythmic thudding noise was comforting. She became vaguely aware that she was curled up in the fetal position, her arms crossed over her breasts, her legs against her arms, her knees bent. Skylar was aware that she was slowly turning, suspended in something warm and thick.

A hand grasped her hair, lifting her slowly up. She could hear bubbles move in the liquid, but the sound was familiar, comforting. She felt the top of her head, her eyes, clear the liquid.

She inhaled, the fluid moving into her lungs, but not drowning her.

A hand wiped her face, but she was too drowsy to open her eyes.

"You're coming along nicely, little one," a deep rumbling voice said, amusement filling his tone.

"Why this one?" A woman asked.

Both voices didn't alarm Skylar even though she'd never heard them before. They felt familiar though, like she'd heard the voice before.

"Because it amuses me and she fulfills the prophecy," the man chuckled.

"She has scant potential for power and that prophecy has been invalid for eons," the woman chided.

"Invalid to everyone else, but not to one such as I, beloved," The male chuckled again. "Do we give her what little potential she has and let her struggle as all mortals do, or give her strife and challenge by giving her the power her ego and narcissism have convinced her that she is entitled to?"

"Which will amuse us more?" the woman asked, a hint of interest coloring her voice. "Which will fulfill that particular prophecy?"

"What she thinks should be hers by birthright, by the virtue of being this Indigo Child delusion she has been raised to believe she is," the male said.

The hand let go of her hair and she began to slowly sink back into the liquid.

"I plan on honoring her red eye," the male voice said.

"You're terrible," The woman's voice said, humor in her tones. "Will you fire her blood?"

"Of course," the male said. "To do otherwise would..."

Whatever else it was Skylar missed as she sunk completely into the fluid, slowly curling back up, breathing slow and easy.

The thudding lulled her back to sleep.

* * * * *

The feel of a hand grabbing her hair woke Skylar again. It lifted her through the thick warm liquid without pain, the fluid suspending her. She felt her eyes clear the liquid, though her nose was still below the surface, allowing her to breath the fluid easily. She felt tingly inside, not a painful or irritating tingly, but a warm pleasant tingling that filled her muscle, bone, and organs.

A hand, rough and callused, wiped her face.

"Open your eyes, little one," The man's voice said, his tone full of affection.

She opened her eyes, seeing nothing but thick green.

"Beautiful," the man said.

"I liked the others more," The woman said. "This one is callow, without ever having tasted hardship or real strife."

Skylar closed her eyes, listening to the sound of her own heartbeat, sinking back into the drowsiness.

"Which will make her journey even more amusing to observe," The man said.

"She's just so... so... different," the woman complained.

"Different goals, different subject," the man's voice went clinical.

"Her mind is full of strange thoughts," The woman's voice was disdainful. "Let me smooth it, mend her mind."

"No," The man's voice went hard, firm, "Her mind, her willingness to believe that she is more than others tell her she is, her conviction that she is entitled for greatness merely for existing, all of it will be important."

"It puts everything at risk," The woman chided.

"Of course. With no risk, there is no reward," The man chuckled. He let go of Skylar's hair and she felt herself begin to sink into the liquid. She opened her eyes, blinking them, but couldn't see anything but bright neon green fluid.

"Do you know how you're going to insert her?" The woman asked.

"I plan on..." the voice vanished as Skylar sunk completely below the liquid. She left her eyes half open, the liquid soothing on her eyes.

The liquid was green, luminescent. It was thick enough to support her, leave her floating in it weightless. She tried to move her limbs, but she was too drowsy, her limbs sweetly fatigued.

That large heavy hand settled on top of her head.

"Go back to sleep, little one, you are not done growing yet," the male's voice rumbled.

Skylar slept.

* * * * *

"Wake up, little one," The man's voice rumbled.

It felt like lightning hit her, jolting her muscles. She tried to scream but instead green liquid poured from her mouth as she gagged and coughed and choked. The liquid turned to vapor before it touched the ground.

She pushed herself up with her arms, pulling free of the red mud. It was raining, the rain warm.

Skylar raised her hand, swiping at her face, wiping away slimy red mud.

Above her, thunder rumbled.

She struggled to her knees, the thick gluey red mud trying to hold her down.

Where am I? What happened? Skylar asked herself.

She ended up back on her hands and knees as she hacked up more of the green liquid that evaporated as soon as it passed her lips. Tears ran down her face, at first viscous green fluid that turned to vapor on her cheeks, then normal tears.

After she was able to breathe she got to her feet, looking around her. It was dark, the lightning only providing brief flashes of light. Bushes surrounded her on three sides, with water behind her. In front of her was what looked like stairs for a giant, the same surrounded the large pond behind her.

Skylar tilted her face up into the rain, using her hands and the rain to wash the mud from her face. As soon as it was clean enough she looked down at herself.

She was naked.

Alone. In the woods. By a pond.

Naked.

And Alone.