I gasped as I made my way up the crumbled stone stairs, “The princess- she stares”; I then fell backward and passed out; or so I thought. I heard my two brothers, Apisi and Avonaco (coyote and lean bear), starting to scream, one yelling for help and the other yelling for Dad. “What happened”, demanded a deep voice next to my ear. Then he inhaled sharply and let out a grief stricken cry. “How did this happen”, my father asked outraged. Both of my brothers started to speak at once. I couldn’t understand what was going on. “Stop!”, my father bellowed over the babbling messes my brothers had become. “One at a time.”

“Well s-she was showing us the way to the park a-and then she fought to breathe a-and this happened”, said Apisi. “She also said something right before s-she- you know”, said Avonaco. “What did she say? Come on boys spit it out! I can’t let her slip away from us!”, my father pleaded.

After I heard my father say that, I tried to open my eyes. They opened, but my family didn’t notice; they were too busy looking down at my unconscious body spread out across the ancient ground. I then looked to the princess; she wasn’t staring anymore, her eyes were closed as if they had never been opened.

Something twinkling caught my attention. I looked down and the source of the glowing was me. I was a spirit. When Avonaco started to speak again I looked up and listened. “She s-said that the princess, the princess was s-staring at something. And t-then she just fell over. A few seconds later that appeared.” Both of my little brothers were wailing; tears flowing like rivers down their cheeks. If I didn’t know better, I could have sworn that I saw a tear escape from my dad’s eyes.

I my eyes followed the direction that my sibling was pointing and saw me, well stone me; I was shrinking away in fear to the side of a horse, with the guardian of the princess staring down at me. He looked angry.

Terror shot up through me, engulfing my whole shimmering body. So I was the one chosen for the prophecy.

I felt my Indian blood run cold.

The prophecy is an ancient one. A long time ago in the land of my people, there lived a superior soul. She was the only daughter of the great chief Migisi (eagle). His blood ran through her veins. She was worshipped by her people; her reputation was earned by her beauty, her great health, and her family. Princess Aiyana (eternal blossom) attracted the eyes of many men, even the white man developed interests in her. True, they did introduce disease to the tribe, but that is not what killed her. The great Aiyana fell in love with a hunter, Menewa (great warrior), and he loved her back with every fiber of his being. There was a complication though, another loved Menewa and she could not stand the fact that he loved someone other than her. She was named Chu’Mana (snake maiden). Chu’Mana kept an eye on the two lovebirds slowly turning from being annoyed, to angry, to furious, and then to pure outrage. Chu’Mana finally snapped when Aiyana and Menewa were due to be married. Late one night Chu’Mana snuck into the tent inhabited by Aiyana and cursed her. Aiyana was to be trapped in a deep sleep for all of eternity, not aging, not able to drink anything, and not able to eat anything.

The next morning when Menewa came to see Aiyana; he saw what has been done, and knew exactly who was responsible. Chu’Mana was sacrificed that night in an attempt to awaken the great princess. They failed. From that night on they placed a guardian outside of her tent, while they tried to find ways to revive her. To this day, every 300 years a girl is sacrificed in an attempt to save Aiayana by her faithful guardian; so they can finally both wrest in peace.

I was having a true out of body experience, and it was all Princess Aiyana’s fault.

My dad scooped my body up and carried me inside. I followed, hoping that he would somehow notice my shimmering form. “Dad! Dad! Look over here! I am here! It’s me! Your daughter Angeni (spirit)!” He couldn’t see or hear me; I was truly alone. I watched him carry all of my long black hair and closed green eyes into his room instead of mine. I noticed that he was struggling a little bit, though, I was a fifteen year old girl. “You can sleep in here tonight, baby, I will keep you safe”, my dad whispered into my ear as he put me down onto his bed.

Late afternoon turned into early evening, which turned into late evening. My dad was getting ready for bed. All I could do was watch him, and wait until he fell asleep. I was hoping that he would somehow know that I was talking to him.

It’s now midnight and my dad is now asleep. “Hey, Daddy. Can you here me?”, I ask with tears flowing down my face. He starts to roll over and unconsciously nods his head. “Oh”, I sigh with relief. “Daddy, please you have to help me! I am the chosen one for the prophecy, they are going to come from me!”, I plead. Before he responds I hear a horse nay, and I look behind me. The guardian, up on his horse, is staring down at me in his spirit form with an evil grin on his face.