Clary opened her eyes slowly. She had been having the most wonderful dream. It had seemed so realistic. Her veteran father had returned from the war, not in a casket but alive and well. Before he had died, she never thought that he could just... die. He had been a constant comfort every day of her life. He had been very hardy and had survived the most dangerous part of the war, only to be the last person killed in the entire war.

Clary and her mother had been ravenous for news about her father, but not this kind of news. Clary's mother had become depressed and made her daughter depressed as well. Her grades in school used to excel, now they were mediocre. Whenever she went to bed, she was exhausted, but was afraid of her dreams that were punctuated by gun fire. She could just see her father hit by a bullet, flying backwards, and landing on the ground to bleed to death. It terrified her.

Clary got up slowly, not wanting to leave the warm comforts of her bed. Her life was very monotonous, always the same schedule. She threw in some casual clothes and got ready for her first day of her first year in high school. On her way out the door, she decided something. She decieded she was going to get her life back.