[[contintued]]
I try to stand up, but I can’t seem to keep my legs from feeling like rubber and falling back to the ground. My breaths are sharp as I pull myself away from the corpse. Eventually I come to pass the intersection of the tunnel. I make my way through the darkness, barely. All the while I keep both of my hands on the surrounding dirt walls, making sure I don’t stumble.
I’m terrified. I have no idea where I’m going. I have no idea where I could go. So I dart forward, towards the flickering orange light. Everything is completely soundless. I try to lower the volume of my breathing, but am unsuccessful. I clasp my hand over my mouth, muffling my inhalations and exhalations. I’m slowly becoming calmer. The monster within my chest is settling.
I start to slow my pace down as I reach the sporadic flashes of light. There are two ways that I can go. Both walls of the tunnel are lined with lit torches about three quarters of the way up them. They flicker.
“Turn left, Cessy”. So I turn left. There is a soft breeze that hits me dead on. Thank God! That means I am getting closer to getting out of this place.
After walking quite a long ways, I am able to see what lies less than 30 feet in front of me; a ladder. I smile excitedly. I make my way up the wooden ladder. It’s not very sturdy, and squeaks as I ascend. When the ladder ends, I am expecting to be able to see the white snow. I am expecting to see the mountain tops and the grey, grey sky. But instead, I find nothing. I find only the ceiling of this place, which I have known to be there all this time. I just stand here, staring. What am I supposed to do now? I can’t go back?
Just when I am actually considering giving up and turning back, the ground opens. Well, not the ground more of a trap door. I should be hesitant. But no, without any uncertainty at all, I pull myself up out of the tunnels.
There she stands behind the trap door. I just laugh at her, shaking my head. I’m not frightened of her anymore. I’ve seen far many things more terrifying than she. My feet move, along with my heart. I am brave. I can feel it. I no longer am thinking with my mind, but with something more valuable. I glide over to her until we are face to face. She raises one eyebrow and lifts one corner of her mouth as if saying, I’m not afraid of you. Should she be afraid of me? No. But she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know how red my anger flows for her. She doesn’t know how intense my hate towards her burns.
I let the dagger in my sleeve slide down into my grasp, all the while keeping eye contact with her, making sure her focus stays on me, and not my hand.
“I’m going to kill you, Cessy” she eagerly, yet to some extent blankly, informs me. I reply with a deep chuckle. The dagger now rests in my firm, sweaty grip. It’s time for me to go home. As soon as her life is nonexistent, I will be in the safe arms of my mother. I don’t change the expression on my face. With all the force I can find within me, I thrust the weapon into her stomach, right above her bellybutton. Her half-smile fades. It is replaced by a look of sickness and defeat. It makes me feel exhilarated. When she doesn’t fall to the ground, I sharply twist the dagger inside of her. My upper lip twitches slightly. I wrench the knife out of her and watch her drop. Her face wrinkles into a painful look. I wait for it to disappear. I wait quite impatiently for the light to leave her eyes.
At last, the light is gone. I close her eyes and wait to be thrown out of this world and back into my own. When I am not after thirty seconds, I get on the ground and place my ear against her chest to listen for her heartbeat. It‘s not there. There‘s no heartbeat. I open one of her eyes to discover only white. She’s dead. She’s dead and I’m still here. I begin to hyperventilate and bite my lip.

Chapter Fifteen
All I can think about is that beautiful face. I had seen it the whole night through in my dreams. Adler. His gorgeous blue eyes, his strong arms, and his mesmerizing voice. I feel as though I’ve known him my entire life. Is it strange to say that I miss him? Because I do.
I just now realize what it is that has awakened me. Clanging and banging noises are sounding from beyond the door. It sounds like metal and stone colliding. Though it is not a very loud ruckus, I can still plainly hear it. I’m still tired, and still freezing. When I’m asleep the cold isn’t that bad. I turn to face the fire, which is still brilliant. It appears as though someone has tended to it while I was sleeping. For that I’m glad. I move closer.
Gazing into the flames, I picture a fantasy. I look out over rolling hills and shallow valleys from the tower which I’m kept hostage. I wish to stop gazing out at the verdant grasses. I wish to not only look upon them, but touch them. To only run barefoot through the soft lands. I throw the crown off my head and out my glassless window.
But lo, what could this be? A bold knight upon a white horse. As he enters the kingdom the young maidens gawk at the flawless creature. He rides boldly up to me. With saying no words, he extends his armored hand. Conveniently, I have a rope in my hands. I cast it out the window, but keep it tied to a post of my bed. Swiftly, I slide down the rope to meet him. He tosses me gently on the back of his steed.
We ride to the meadows. The brave knight dismounts his horse and helps me off. Finally, I touch the grass. It is better than I ever thought it could be. We race over undulating hills. When we feel it is time to rest, we glide to a willow. Sitting underneath, he takes my petite, white hand, and traces the faint lines.
Startlingly, my imagined fairytale is put to a halt.
“You’re being relocated” says the rough voice of Jolten. I’m so very weak. What’s the use in fighting anymore? I don’t even look at him as I stand. And, though I’m so terribly freezing cold, I do not shiver. I keep my eyes to the ground as I near his tall, shadowy figure.
“Other way” he simply states. I look to the door. Facing back to him, I wrinkle my eyebrows and crinkle my nose, not understanding. He lets out a superficial sigh as his terribly pointy fingernail stabs my back, pushing me forwards. I inhale sharply in pain, but his nail only digs farther into my back. I try to move faster, but am stumbling. I whimper with weakness. He pushes harder, and farther into me. I feel the velvet fabric of my dress rip as his nail pierces the thin layer of skin on the middle of my back. I bite my lip and quiver quickly.
“Cecilia! You will move faster! You will obey me! DO NOT TEST MY PATIENCE!” he fiercely roars. My eyes widen and without thinking even one ounce, I stop fully. I shakily, but strongly, yelp in reply.
“I know not where I’m going! How do you expect me to move faster without your guidance! I don’t know where to go!” My voice sounds strained. He takes me by my shoulders and whips me around to face him.
He lowly grumbles, “You will do as I say”. I keep an intense glare on my face.
“YOU-WILL-DO-AS-I-SAY!” he bellows. Startled, I blurt out jumbled words.
“Yes. Of course”. His face doesn’t soften as it usually would. He remains severe and somewhat worried. His eyes have turned black He leisurely closes them. With his left hand he strokes my cheek, moving my face closer to him. I relax some, assuming he has too. But then he begins to shake as his right hand raises to my eye. He brings his sinister fingernail into my sight as he touches the tip of it to the outside of my left eye. Slowly and painfully, he drags his finger down the side of my face forcefully, slicing a thin cut into my countenance. As blood drips from my eye to my chin in a graceful curve, he catches an amount of it with the inside of his nail. He closely inspects the crimson puddle, but disgustedly casts it to the stone earth.
Through quavering sobs, I manage to utter, “I want to see my father! You promised me I could see him! You promised!”
“You haven’t yet done what I’ve asked”
“You haven’t yet asked me!” He lets out a sigh, and nothing more. We reach the door that lingers in the back of the room. He opens it as he did once before and I become frightened. My breathing becomes stressed and heavy.
Before me lies a black corridor of dirt and stone. At the end, I barely notice the dull flickering of orange light. I begin to venture into the dark tunnel, but am stopped by a pinching feeling at the back of my neck. Jolten stands, not at all amused, behind me with his index finger directed at the spot where the unbearable pinching feeling is felt. His arm is slanted gracefully, extended into the air. I am forced into perfect posture, excluding the lowering of my head towards the ground. I can’t speak. I am completely paralyzed and immobile. My face is now wrinkled with distress and pain.
“I’m afraid I am to leave you once again, Cecilia. I will have my closest collaborator lead you to where you are to go”. He pulls me into his arms coldly and begins to harshly stroke my hair.
“Deimos!” he roars into the almost endless darkness. There is a sudden stir of shadow in the flickering light at the end of the passageway. I freeze, and remain still within the arms of this monster. I can feel his silent laughter through the shaking of his entire body. Every other beat of my heart is skipped. I can barely make out the shadow moving towards us. But, I can certainly hear the creature. Every time it takes a step with one of its four legs in our direction, the ground trembles. The dark outline of the beast grows steadily larger every passing second. Every breath it lets out with an animal-like grunt. As the air exhaled through the creatures nostrils travels through the vessel, it strongly makes its way to us. The warm breath slaps my face, and would nearly knock me off of my feet if Jolten were not holding me. The smell is repulsive. Of rotten meat is the scent.
As it is almost to standing right in front of us, I sulk into Joltens bony arms, terrified. And, finally, here it stands, waiting for the command of its master. On all four of its thick legs, it is as tall as I am. Almost, like a feline it appears. Two great tusks protrude from the corners of its mouth. The rusty fur on its back stands tall and fierce. The eyes that it beholds are a dark red, and they stare me down. On the very top of its head sits two stubby, yet lethal, horns.
“Deimos, show our new friend to her quarters” then he turns to me. “Cessy, by nightfall I will be back to retrieve you, and we will start on our journey”. My eyes stay plastered to this creature by the name of Deimos. Yet, I manage to spit out a few words,
“You still haven’t told me of what you want.”
“Cessy, do you remember when I informed you that you have alliances that I do not?” I do not answer. He only turns and looks at me as though my purpose is blatantly obvious. Then, he turns back around and begins to exit. I watch him leave, for only a second, then slowly ready myself to face Deimos. His growl is so low, that it is almost unable to be heard. I remain still. Before I know it, the fangs of the beast are far into my ankle, and I am on the ground. He runs unsteady, but quickly. Everything turns to a blur. I can barely feel my leg anymore. In fact, my whole body is almost numb. He breathing and mine are quick and heavy. Just when it seems as though we’ve been running forever, we come to a sudden halt that sends me flying into the air. Before I land, the back of my dress is caught by the large feline, and I am suspended from his mouth.
There is an intersection ahead of us. Beyond it, lies the tunnel once again. I begin to wonder why we’ve stopped, but there is now no need to ask a question already answered. Coming from the left is the noise of padded feet coming closer to us. They are moving slowly, and make me oddly curious.
My eyes burn, and I feel vulnerable. Now I understand, somewhat, why Jolten needs me. Two creatures that resemble a not much smaller version of Deimos carry the injured man-horse across the juncture. The first one walks backwards, carrying the bound feet of the majestic, white cetagal in its mouth. The other one has its jaw clamped around its neck. I notice the blood dripping rapidly from a huge clawed out gash in its side. I quickly clasp my hand over my mouth tightly and tremble in sadness.
I reach for the dagger that I took from Elvira. Damn! Jolten must have took it when he replaced my pajamas with the dress.
“Cessy. Look to the ground” I look down and see the very same dagger that had been taken from me. I pick it up, and quickly hide it in my sleeve. I then turn to see who had spoke to me. No one is here. No one besides Deimos and myself. Before I can understand what had just happened, or decide whether I’m going mad, I hear the voice again. It flows to me like a soft wind. It is sounds so graceful. Female. It is defiantly female.
“You know what you must do, Cessy. You are in vast danger. You must leave”.
Once more, the intersection is clear, and we proceed, me still being in Deimos’ mouth. He isn’t running like he was before. He seems much more cautious, turning his head in every direction constantly. I reach into my sleeve for the dagger slowly and carefully, making sure that Deimos cannot see what I am doing. Once the knife is grasped firmly in my right hand I look up at Deimos’ drooling face. With all my force and strength I raise the dagger into the air and then down again through the creatures throat. While doing so, I let out a fierce and frightening cry. This cry continues as I am dropped onto the cold ground and bathed with steaming blood. I mean, the blood of the animal is literally steaming. The stench is awful, containing certain components of the great-cat’s breath.
Before falling to its death, Deimos looks into my glossy eyes and growls a growl so terribly furious. He seems so far beyond infuriated and enraged. This makes me terrified as I sit as a statue and feel his breath, hot and close to my face. I hold my breathe, forcing me into perfect sitting posture. His eyes roll back in towards his brain and the intensity of his growl subsides. As this all takes place the slit in his throat I had made becomes thicker and wider. I notice that his heavy head is slowly falling backwards onto his body. Red, boiling blood cascades from his grisly neck, creating a soft waterfall of ruby. His immensely huge body thuds to the ground and his open eyes stay very much alive as they penetrate my being.

Chapter Fourteen
When I awaken I feel oddly cold. I then discover that I can no longer feel my hands. With a pounding headache I stand up and study my surroundings. I’m on the top of a hill. A very cold hill. I am on the very summit of a mountain! I can look down from where I currently stand and barely see the solid ground. Noticing how terribly close I am to falling to my death I become dizzy and fall flat on my back.
“Damn it!” I whimper. What do I do know? I’ve stayed alive for this long, is this the farthest I am meant to go?
“Are you fond of your new attire?” says the familiar malicious voice from behind. I spin rapidly to meet his eyes. He stares upon my rosy, ice-kissed cheeks. While doing so, his expression dulls some as he loses a infinitesimal amount of intensity in his stare. Although the amount of intensity is so insignificant, it is still noticeable and makes my heart skip a beat. I examine myself, becoming aware of the breathtaking garment warmly embracing my body. The dress is picturesque. The emerald velvet is warm to the touch. Gold embroidery outlines the V-neck, and starts at my hips, but comes to a point at my bellybutton. I now look at my feet and discover the gold ballerina shoes I am wearing. Though most of my body is covered with the exquisite clothing, I am still extremely chilly.
He notices that my face is of bewilderment. Watching a shiver jolt up my spine, his aged face contains an unnoticeable touch of apologetic nature to it.
“I really, really would like it if I could go home. What use am I to you anyway?” I try to remain strong and calm, but I can hardly conceal the unsteadiness in my voice. He turns hard and stiff.
“Please try to understand, Cecilia. I would very much prefer not to inflict any harm to you, but in order for that to happen, you must oblige. You see, you have alliances that I do not.”
“Why should I help you? I’m going to die anyway! Isn’t the whole point of this for Elvira to kill me and then she will exit this stalemate that she is in? Doesn’t she need my life in order for her to be either living or dead, and not both?” Jolten smiles broadly as he furrows his eyebrows. I grimace with infuriation.
“Trust me, Cecilia” He moves to behind me. His next words he softly and rather delicately whispers to me as his wintry lips move against the back of my neck
“I won’t let her harm you. At least, not before I’m through with you”.
“Ugh!” I disgustedly express. With revulsion I jerk away from him. I move to the edge of the mountain and look to the sky. I let the freezing gusts of wind whip my hair across my face wildly. Shuddering, I wrap my arms tightly around myself.
“It was a simple joke, Cecilia” he says with an annoyance to his voice. “If you agree to help me, and are a very good girl, I’m sure that I can return you safely home. If you help me, I will restore life to the one thing that you have ever loved. The one thing that you have ever lost”.
“I don’t know what you mean?” I respond unintelligently, though I know exactly what he means.
He wickedly grins. His fingers snap, and a green spark appears from the tip of his painted fingernail. The face of my dad appears from the spark, then quickly disappears.
“Your father”. As he growls this, my heart drops. Oh how wonderful it would be to once again hug my father! If only I could hear him tell me how he misses me. But am I truly that unwise as to believe him? Unfortunately for me, he knows exactly which strings of my heart to tug. Oh, but how I yearn so to return home! If I do agree, I’m sure that I can escape any danger if need be. After all, I am a big girl.
With a somber tone and an unchanged expression, I mumble, “What do you need me to do?”
“There’s a good girl.” He pats my head. I wince. “I fear that if you would have answered otherwise I would have no choice but to kill you” he adds. I grind my teeth with fury.
“As of now you must rest”
I laugh. “Rest? Please forgive me if I’m incapable of resting when I’m being held prisoner on the top of a freezing cold mountain!” He strides closer to me and with his face centimeters away from my own, he condescendingly whispers,
“Oh dearest Cessy. You’ll later find that this is for your own good” At this remark I snort sarcastically. “I’m afraid it’s either this or death” he states without any empathy whatsoever.
“What is it that I have to do?” I strongly ask through clenched teeth.
“Eager are we?” he smirks.
“Not in the least bit”.
He leads me down the mountain a little ways until we reach a cave. We enter into the large area. He turns to the right once we get further into the cave, and stops in the center of a small, circular space. There is a white, fur blanket laid out on the cold, rocky ground. Directly in front of the blanket is a fire. I immediately rush over to it and get warm. I sit on the blanket. It’s not the most comfortable, but I suppose I cannot complain.
“I really advise you to get some sleep. You’re going to need it for your journey, starting in a few days” he says. “I will be going now”. It is just now that I am aware of the large wooden door in the back of the small sector of the large cave.
He inserts his fingernail into the keyhole, and the door nosily opens. Before leaving me, he warns,
“Please, Darling, do not try to escape. There are guards outside ensuring that you do not run away. If you do, there will be dire consequences. I trust you, Cecilia.” With that, he closes the door, and it loudly locks again. When I’m sure that he is gone, I race to the opening in the cave, but slow down when I reach it. I wonder what guards he is talking about. Then I hear them. A grunt comes from outside of the cave, I back up alertly. I then hear a thunderous snarl and stumble back to my blanket and fire.
After a few minutes, I decide to try and open the door which Jolten had exited through. I tiredly push myself off of the ground and stagger towards it. It’s no use, and I return to the flames. It can’t hurt to sleep. As he said, I most likely will have tiresome days ahead of me, and I’m so terribly exhausted. I roll up in the blanket, and shiver myself into a restless slumber.

Chapter Thirteen
Okay. That's it. I've had it with this! I've had it with the constant aching of my stomach. I've had it with everything going wrong. I've absolutely had enough of being pissed. I'm not staying here forever. I'm not going to sit here and just wait for death to swallow me whole! I bite my lip as I blink away burning tears. I jolt up onto my feet and let my frustration be shown through my tensed face."Well we must find her then. I'm getting out of here, Adler. She can do whatever the hell she wants to me, but she cannot bind me to this place. I'm leaving, one way or another". My voice trembles greatly. His perfect face leans close to mine as he whispers in my ear,
“I can see it in your soul, Cessy; you will do great things”. I smile at him.
“I thought you couldn’t see the future” I joke. Then, unexpectedly, his steady lips press against my cheek and I close my eyes. His face pulls away and leaves me motionless for a few peaceful seconds. But, then I remember my intentions. I stand and walk past Adler.
“Where are you going?” he quickly asks me.
“To find Elvira” I respond without looking back. He trots quickly to keep up with me.
“You don’t know what you’re doing”
“Actually, I do” I harshly inform him. At home I’ve been used to having no one tell me what to do. At least, ever since Dad died. I begin to walk faster.
“Cessy! I won’t let you go out looking for that, that, monster! Especially unarmed” It is then that I pull out the stolen dagger and show him that I am, in fact, armed.
“A mere dagger is no match for her powers.” I completely ignore his concern and I begin running. I’m in the very center of the river when Adler firmly says, “I forbid you to go looking for her”. At that moment I feel my face turn red and the blood in my veins boil. I turn violently to face him.
“You forbid me!? You can’t forbid me! You don’t even know me! Trust me, I appreciate all you’ve done and how much you care, but you cannot forbid me. Now, whether you like it or not, I’m going to regain my earthly freedom by slitting-her-throat!”
I stare at his quiet and hurt face, waiting for an equally terrible and unnecessary response. "Okay then" Adler speaks calmly. He smiles at me sympathetically, avoiding eye contact. I look away. I turn back to tell him I’m sorry, but my stubbornness and embarrassment get the best of me. He stares at the ground. Without saying a word, I begin walking to the river, full of guilt. When I reach it I emerge my body into the sparkling water, which only goes a little over my chest. I reach the other side and grasp on to the muddy ground as I pull myself up. I wait for the gust of wind to come and dry me, but it doesn't. It's funny how I have no idea where she is, but how I don’t seem to care, or even think about it.Out of nowhere, a burning pain overcomes the left side of my face. I hold my hand to my cheek and stumble in circles, having no idea where the blow came from. I am now breathing so brutally, that my chest feels as though it is going to explode. Confusion overcomes me.
I feel his icy cold fingertips gently trace a vertical line up the back of my neck. His touch sends a prominent shiver throughout my body.
“Cecilia” growls he as my name is slowly emitted out of his vulgar mouth. His voice is dark and raspy. It terrifies me. It is more the voice you would assume belonging to an animal more than less a human, if he was human. I begin to yell for Adler but his old, pale finger points harshly at my mouth. All of my words are gone. I glance quickly at his long, pointed fingernail. It is black with a green dragon-like figure painted on it. This fingernail is the only one painted on. The rest are as they should be, and are all of normal size. My gaze travels from his hand to his face. He looks so antique, yet entirely unbreakable. His skin is a powerful, yet somber, shade of grey. His equally grey hair is streaked with random black strands. The nose on his face appears sharp as a blade. His thin, black eyebrows are slanted in towards the middle of his two yellow eyes. For pupils, there are dark slit-like shapes. His grey, cracked, worm-resembling lips begin to move as he speaks to me.
“You see, Cecilia, I control you. There is nothing that you can do. Nothing” he hisses. “Your freedom is lost. I would speak of my condolences to you, but I’m afraid I cannot, for my words would be lies”. His bony finger now moves away from my face.
“Jolten” I whisper, mostly to myself.
“Bright one we have here”. He combs his fingers through my hair, holding my head between his stone hands. I look him in his devilish eyes, but then cringe and look away.
“Hmm” he states. “Are you frightened of me?” I don’t respond and keep my gaze to his oversized black and green robe.
“Darling, is it my looks? Do they frighten you?” He closes his sinister eyes gently and points his finger in the direction of his head. I watch him carefully. As he reopens them, every past feature of his disappears. His wiry hair is now wavy and blonde. His grey, wrinkly skin is smooth and supple. The eyes that once sat on his head are now an amazing shade of blue. He wears a poets shirt with tight, black pants. He lifts his hand and places it under my trembling chin. As he does so, I notice that his painted fingernail has not been transformed. He notices that my expression is still of fright. In a sultry voice he responds to my terror.
“No? Well perhaps this…” Once again, he closes his eyes and aims his finger at his skull. He reopens his eyes and smiles menacingly at me. I can feel my head turn hot and my knees turn weak. I shrink down to the size of a pebble, staring into the familiar face of my father. I have to remind myself that this, creature, is not my dad by finding his unchanged finger. As he laughs, the whole earth quavers. With a flick of his wrist he is back to his normal, baleful self.
I try to open my mouth and utter a few threatening phrases, or perhaps a witty remark, but I’m too scared to speak. I should try to run, but decide against it, seeing clearly that there is no point. With a hint of boredom, he mutters,
“Alright then. Let’s go, shall we?” He grabs my right shoulder icily and again flicks his index finger. A vast swirl of color surrounds us and I lose all trace of consciousness.

Chapter Twelve
"My name's Adler". I've now finished eating the peach, and feel suddenly full to the point where it hurts a little.
As I admire his stunning features I can’t help but smile. He looks and sounds quite mature. It flatters him. His slim, yet powerful figure is enough to make my stomach have a terrible case of butterflies. His dynamic face is rather tan. Light brown hair nearly falls to the tip of his nose and is gracefully swept across his face. His black eyes are not piercing, or frightening as you would think them to be. They’re pleasantly soft. And let’s not forget his four golden legs and tail. Finding it hard to speak, I weakly question,"So, Adler, do you have any idea whatsoever of where i am, and why I’m here?""Cessy, you are in Phyland” He responds. God! How strangely idiotic I must appear to just be smiling up at him. I can’t seem to help it. His voice warms my cold, lonely heart.
“You have come here through some sort of enchantment that had gone horribly wrong. A great while ago, in your world, there was a witch. She was arrested and sentenced to be hanged. Obviously, it was a great embarrassment to be hanged. She refused to be put through that embarrassment, so she did what she had to do. She put a spell on a window in her tower where she was locked up. The spell that she cast on that window would help her to escape her death. Everything was perfect in her plan, except that she was less powerful than she needed to be to enchant the window. So, she sold the only valuable thing that she possessed to the only...creature...that could set her free. She sold her soul to a man named Jolten. Although, he is only in the shape and form of a man. He is the one rules all the evil in the universe. He is the one who possesses the dead. He is the one who kills. Think what you may, but he is the evil that good cannot overcome. Anyways, the witch, after trading her soul for power, cast her spell. No one knows the exact words, but her incantation stated that she would jump out the window, which would show no breakage, and be united with Jolten. She would leave the guards dumbfounded. So, she eventually jumped. Although, she had been terribly tricked by Him. Instead of being transported to Him, she ended up-""-in Phyland" I interrupt."Yes. Now, she has only one way to get out of Phyland and be with Jolten.""What's that?" I ask"To take the life of a mortal, so that she, herself, may once again become whole. At the moment she is neither dead nor living. Once the life of the mortal has been taken, she will rule with him.""So, I'm going to take a completely blind guess here. Might the witches name be Elvira""I'm terribly afraid so" Adler responds gravely."But how did I get here?""You were compelled to the still enchanted window. You see, part of the enchantment was to draw close a mortal. Once you jumped, the same thing that happened to Elvira happened to you.""And you know all of this how?" I shakily ask."Few cetagals are granted the gift of being completely omniscient. There are none of those existing of that we know. Strangely, I had been given the gift of being partly omniscient. I can only see and understand the past. Of the occurrences in the future, I have no insight"I should be frightened considering that I just found out that an evil witch is trying to murder me. I should be frightened that I stand between this witch and eternal life with her master. But I am not. With Adler, I feel safe."So does that mean that I can only return home by killing her?" I hope the answer is yes, because then I’d have a bit of hope."I don't know" Adler says somberly.
“Great!” I sarcastically exclaim. He laughs deeply. His face turns bright and dazzling. My heart is now a melted pool of mush.
“Is there anything else you want to know?” He joyfully inquires with open arms, revealing his perfectly chiseled chest.
“Yes…” I reply mysteriously. Standing up, I playfully pace my way towards him until I’m speaking directly up to his face(you see, he is a bit taller than me considering his body is that of a horse).
“Why was I worth saving?” I question with a hint of wonder, followed by a dash of lightheartedness.
“Ha. Now that’s an easy one” he begins. “I didn’t think that such a lovely creature should be destroyed”.
With a look of doubt, I raise one eyebrow and purse my lips. Still, as I appear unbelieving and emotionally untouched, a flutter lets loose within me.
Lovely. Lovely? Me? Is it even remotely possible that Cecilia Eleanor Davis could be lovely? That’s just about as ridiculous as calling the sun cold, or the snow hot. This green eyed girl with long, stringy hair, and pale, sickly skin could never be lovely. Not that I have a problem with it, I just don’t believe it.
Still looking up at him, disbelievingly, he softly chuckles and then wraps his arms tightly around me. His hand strokes my hair as I remain frozen. My cheek rests upon his stone chest and, with hesitation, I carefully embrace him. I lighten the tension being held in my every muscle. His heart beats so steadily, while mine is hasty and irregular. Is it odd that I feel hollow next to him? He seems so sturdy and secure, whereas I’m standing like a rickety, hundred year old fence. I feel so very unworthy. I feel as though I’ve never been loved before. I feel that the fire I’ve neglected for sixteen empty years has sparked a tiny flame. Nevertheless, all good things must come to an end.
Catching him off guard, I quietly inform him,
“I really must return home”. He loosens his hold of me and backs away.
“Oh, Cessy. I promise you, you will return”
“Yes, but how?” I moan agonizingly.
He closes his eyes and bows before me. I’m left breathing heavily as he turns his back to me. I don’t want him to leave, if even for one second. I watch him get smaller as he gets farther away from me. When he arrives at a far away tree he raises his arm to touch the tree, nearly collapsing, but quickly catches himself. There’s something more that I don’t see. There’s something that I do not know. I figure it better not to pry, and crumple to the ground. I lay on my back, my head resting on my arms behind me. I inhale as my eyes shut, but swiftly reopen them to watch the fast moving clouds.

Chapter Eleven
Everything is silent. Everything is still and soundless. My stomach flutters and i let out a slight sigh of relief. I slowly back away from the slumbering Elvira, and slowly pace myself towards the mountains that border this deserted land. I know it won't be dark out forever, though. I must move quickly.My legs ache so terribly bad, and my side is throbbing. I feel like crying from exhaustion. Over the towering mountains I can see the pink horizon, meaning that the sun is soon going to be overhead of Elvira and myself. What would happen if she were to see me trying to escape her? Would she slit my throat? Would she leave me here alone without food or water? Food. I now realize how incredibly hungry i have become, and how dry my throat is. I'm going to starve to death out here!Without warning, my thoughts abruptly stop with a lurch of my insides. My throat begins to swell, and my mind is frozen. my legs are immobile. I turn around and face the east, daring to gaze upon the face which had just uttered my name."Leaving so soon, are we?" she smiles devilishly. Crap. As she moves her right leg towards me, i move my left back."Now, Cessy, I thought we were friends? I thought I could trust you. Whatever am I to do with you now?". Every word she says sarcastically. I just stare at her, shaking terribly. My legs take off underneath me, yet my eyes are still glued to her. I am so weak! Run faster! Faster! As i begin to gain speed, i think of where I’m going to run. All of the land is flat. I am so exposed. i turn my head to in front of me. No. She can't stop me now. I'm much too far ahead of her. But, my hunger gets the best of me, and I fall face first into the dry grass.

I am now conscious. Afraid to open my eyes, I keep them closed. I feel as though I’m flying. Warm air caresses every inch of my weak body. For some unexplainable reason, I am not in the least bit frightened any more. I jerk my eyes open. Horse hair. Golden horse hair. What? Wings! Have a sprouted wings? Am I in heaven? Am I dead?"Cecilia!" I turn my head to the deep, yet somewhat boyish, English accented voice. It is the horse. No! It is a man. It is a man-horse... The one that Elvira had taken the life of in her hostile turn of heart. But no, it wasn't the same one. That one was white. This one is gold. What did she call it again? A cetagal."What's happening?" I question fearfully."She's still close behind, you need to trust me. Hang on". I grab onto the smooth mane of the cetagal, and say, “Okay, I trust you". We take off into the grey sky. We soar above the clouds. I laugh as exhilaration rushes throughout myself. I can feel it in my toes. I can feel it in my face. He laughs too, in seeing how much I am enjoying this. I feel as light as air. We fly over the brown, flat lands. We soar over thick, dark woods."Here's our stop" he whispers through a smile. It's the river that I have been forbidden from. We land right in front of the shimmering water. Without a word, he trots across the river, his hooves splashing so gracefully.The cetagal bows in front of a rock, I slide off of the magnificent beast, and I sit on the boulder. I study him. His glowing face is quite handsome."You must be hungry" he assumes as he saunters to a fruit-bearing tree. I let the lush grass tickle my bare feet."I am" I reply quietly. I watch as he reaches his two human arms up too the tree, and grabs a peach the size of my head. I thankfully take it and devour my first bite. Red juice slithers down my chin as I chew the most delicious peach I’ve ever eaten."Thank you, for saving me" I gratefully murmur."You're quite welcome. That woman is evil. We need to get you out of here Cessy. We need to get you home". His eyes appear so worried, yet beautiful.I grin, and I ask, "Who are you?"

Chapter Ten
I can still see its face in my mind as we wander on. The anguished serenity of the pure creature haunts me. It still feels as if the whole entire world has fallen. The whole entire world has been defeated. I don't hide my tears.Long time, no see, Reader. We have some catching up to do.You know how it feels when you see something so melancholy, and so terrible, that it makes you sick? How you can feel the sadness build up in the deepest, darkest corner of your stomach? Yes, you do. Keep that dreadful sensation in mind.I cannot get over this feeling I'm experiencing. I think on it, so hard, that I forget everything. I long to let go, but I'm almost intrigues."Here" she says. Her voice is sharp as a blade. It's so harsh."Elvira, what was that? What was the creature?" I say as we come to a stop. It is the first moment I have uttered any word to her, since the terrible murder. She completely ignored me. She lies herself down onto the ground. She closes her eyes, and rests her head on her hands."A cetagal" she wearily answers. She faces herself away from me."Rest yourself, Cessy". I am not at all tired. Even though that is true, I gently lay on the sharp ground. The earth is so dry, that i can hear the grass break beneath my body. I try hard to fall asleep! But I can‘t. I close my eyes. They are only shut for a minute until I am forced to reopen them. I know that I will not be able to sleep. So, I will wait. I look up, and the moon is barley shown. The sun is still setting, and it is not dark. When the moon is high, and the darkness is covering all, I will go. Until then, I will be hushed. I will silently wait.
I can not stay here any longer. Perhaps nothing will happen if I do. Chances are, something will happen, though. Something horrible. Something lethal. I have to go. It feels as though I have no other choice. It's either this, or death.I have thought it over, not as thoroughly as i would have liked, but there is no time to waste. The time is now. I widen my eyes, and carefully push myself off of the ground. I try to see through the dark. It's not that difficult, considering the moon, the stars, and the clear night. I glance back at Elvira. Her ribs move up and down in sync with her heavy breathing. Is she asleep? I can't dwell on any significant questions. Only time, and courage will tell. I begin to make my way west, away from any where we've been, and away from any place familiar. But, I quickly halt. What protection do I have? What am I to do if I encounter anything, or anyone, who is rather unpleasant? Realizing that the answer to both these questions is "nothing", I softly inch my way back to Elvira. My shaky hand crawls towards her sash. Luckily, she is laying on the side opposite of where the pocket, containing the dagger, is. Ever so gently, I grasp the handle of the bloody dagger, and pull it out of the pocket. I don't begin to breathe again yet, for it is not over.

Chapter Nine
I have never felt like this. Ever. I almost feel, free. Who knew that I could be in this deserted, grey place, and feel the best I have ever felt? It's her. The way she laughs. It makes me laugh too. When she smiles, it seems as though her heart is glowing. How can she be this happy? She has no idea where she is, or how to return to where she once was. Yet, she continues to be optimistic. It's making me want to try this, "looking on the bright-side of things". It seems to be working.We're just standing here; our feet sinking into the wet sand and feeling the warm breeze brush our faces. But, with one sharp movement, it goes away. The happiness crumbles in front of my eyes. Even though it appears that it should be very obvious. I have no idea why this gloom has returned. Elvira jerks her head up, over looking me. Her eyes turn fierce. What happened to the soft face I had come to envy? She now seems hard and cold."We should go" she whispers. I look behind me to the trees she had peered upon. A few of the bushes separate and then close again, so quickly, that I can't tell what was once lurking there. There is a few moments of quiet rustling, and then we are once again in the presence of the eerily hushed marsh.We step out of the satisfying water. I stand in the dead grass for seven brief seconds, waiting for joy to come back into me, and fill the hole that it had filled before. I wait, and it doesn't arrive. A harsh wind come, almost knocking us off of our feet. I don't notice it, but we are the only objects being shaken by it. The trees do not move, and everything around us is still. The wind is warm and smells like sun.It now abruptly stops flowing, and I examine myself, as she also examines me. I feel my pajama bottoms, and I am dry. I stare at her in amazement. her dress is also completely dried. She just smiles, and notions me to follow. I look back at the water and see that it has transformed back into The Marsh. The gross, smelly, marsh.We walk north of The Marsh, away from the direction of which we came. The fog is so heavy that I am amazed she can tell where she is going. Though I can not see her, I follow. I can feel where she is. It is so strange. It's almost as though I'm a part of her. It's also as though she is forcing me to only see the good in her. Everything has to have a down side to it. A bad side, right? All I can see in her is good. I'm not even searching for a fault. I don't want her to be bad. If she was, who would I have?The fog has now been lightened. I see mountains to my right. I love mountains. But, I do not love these. They make my stomach sink. I look over to my left. I see nothing. Only flat land. I'm drawn to these mountains. though, I never do wish to enter them. We keep walking. We have been walking a very long while. It has been the same the whole way. The forbidding mountains remain of my right, and the nothingness has remained on my left."Cessy, are you holding up alright?" she asks me."Yes. I'm fine." I really am not. My legs hurt, and I feel like I'm going to collapse."Alright then. Only a small while longer from here""If you don't mind me asking, where are we going?" I question her. I've been dieing to ask that question for quite some time now.She doesn't reply, but keeps walking. We turn to the west and continue on.After almost an hour without a single word, she stops in front of a wide river. The water looks so warm. It flows steadily, but wildly. I gaze across it, and my breath escapes my lungs.I once again feel life enter my soul. The trees are blooming with pink and white blossoms. There are butterflies all over! They are at least two feet long! Larger than you could ever imagine! Everything is green. Green, green, green, green, green! Everywhere! There are rolling hills, lush grass, and life. The whole other side of this river is beautiful. I wonder why such a lovely place is hidden by such a dark woods. The trees around the river are so tall and sinister. The other side of this rushing body of water though, it is wonderful. The only flaw I can find in it is an old drinking well. It's not fresh like the other things that surround it. I barley even notice this imperfection. The rest of the scene overwhelms me."Cessy. I need you to promise me something." I can hear her, but I don't feel like answering. I feel so far away, and I don't consider coming back."Cessy!" But then I am awakened."I'll promise once you tell me what it is I am promising," I say rudely."Do not ever, never ever, cross this river. Can you promise me that, Cessy?""Why would I want to promise that? It is so wonderful! Why can I not cross?""You can't. There are things over there that you can not see. You have to trust me. You have to promise me. Promise me!" What is wrong with her!? I’m taken back by what she is saying. I stare at her, and then I finally and reluctantly respond."I promise""Thank -you. Now we can move on. This was not our final destination. Just an important stop that we had to make along the way."I turn to walk away from the breathtaking land. Then, I am face-to-face with it. I can feel my skin turn sallow and pale. Chills run all the way from the tips of my eyebrows, racing through my spine, and freezing the blood in my veins. These chills continue until they have reached the ends of my toes. I quietly gasp. Elvira looks at me and then she looks upon what I have been. She too turns pale and ill looking. She reaches her hand into a pocket in a brown leather sash across her dress. In her hand is an old rusty dagger. Before I have time to stop her, the knife is flying. I don't know what it is, but the most saddening sound rings throughout the air. Like a shrill cry.The magnificent creature tumbles to the ground, and gracefully dies within a second. I look at her, and I let the tears slide down my face. They crawl along my neck. I don't bother to wipe them away. Without changing the emotion painted on her face, she drifts over to it, and removes her dagger from where the creatures hear should be. I stay glued to the ground. Never moving. Never blinking. Never breathing."Come on now" she says impassively. I don't know why, but I do. Walking past it, I look into its eyes. Its wide open eyes. My stomach begins to roll, and I feel immobile. But I'm not, and I continue following her. Although, every five steps I have to swallow down the sickness climbing up my throat.

Chapter Eight
“Hello there. I thought you would never wake!" says a voice. I blink. The ground beneath me feels hard and cold. I put my arms behind me and elevate my back."Where am I exactly?" I question groggily. This place seems oddly familiar. It makes my stomach lurch and gives me unwanted chills. The window! I'm in the window. There is the tree. The bleeding tree. The greyness and the silence."I don't know. I don't know where we are, or why we have entered. It is a mystery, as it will remain" she says as a breeze sweeps her face. She looks familiar also, but I cannot say from where. Her face is that of porcelain, and her lips look as though painted on."I jumped. I-wha-I jumped! Am i dead?" I can remember now. The Mom, the Gabe, the tower, everything."Silly girl" she laughs, "you are not dead, but I am not quite sure you are alive either"."I want to go home" I say, backing away from her. She walks over to me and places her hand on my shoulder."It's okay, Hon. I want to go home also. It is very lonely here. No one besides you and myself. I have been here far longer than you. I have been longing for home far longer" she whispers through pursed lips. I stare up at the sky. The clouds are moving so quickly. Maybe they are also trying to find their way home. Maybe not. I drop my eyes back down. I am sitting on nothing besides dead grass. You would think that this place would be peaceful, with the soft breezes and the quietness, but it is not. For the breezes are of ice, and the quietness is shrill."Come with me". She has the most lovely English accent. She takes my hand and pulls me to my feet."Where?""You'll see".As she drags me past the tree, she takes her index finger, and transfers a tiny amount of the blood from the pale tree to her finger. She holds out her hand, the hand on which her finger carrying the blood is on, all the while we are walking. She pulls me over and across many hills. All the way, speaking not one word. All the way, not pausing once. All the way, extending her hand.Now she stops."This is The Marsh" she announces. "Go on in!""I am most defenatly not going into that! It's disgusting!" She must be joking me! It's a lake of mud. Do I look like a pig? Anyways...it is called The Marsh."No...absolutely not" I firmly tell her, shaking my head and staring at her like she is as peculiar as she seems. She laughs."Watch". She dips her bloodied finger slightly into The Marsh. Then, she steps back beside me.The water ripples and splashes. It goes wild. It startles me, and sends me flying backwards, so I land hard on the ground. She laughs, once again. It is certainly not once funny. I stare again at the water. Small sections of it burst into flame! Then, in a millionth of a second, every inch of The Marsh is calm. Every inch is pure. Though there is not sunlight, it glitters and is turned bright."Ha!" I breathe. Without removing her plain, off-white dress, she emerges into the transformed bog. Once she is in up to her shoulders, she plunges her head under. I am still in shock from what I had just witnessed. I want to know how, and why. I want to know everything else too! I want to know where I am, who she is, what I am doing here, when I will be able to leave, and how I got here.She beckons me to join her, and I jump into the liquid paradise. The water is so clear, that I can see to the very bottom. I have never, in my whole entire long, miserable life, ever had the chance to actually reach out and touch something perfect, that is, until this very moment. The temperature is perfect. It feels so strange. I mean, usually everything is 'too'. When I get into the shower, the water is almost always too hot. So, I turn down the hot water. Then, guess what! The water turns too cold. That cycle usually repeats itself, until I just give in, and accept that it is never going to be the perfect temperature. Or, when I attempt to make cookies (which isn't very often) they turn out too burnt. Then, when I cook them for less time, they turn out as piles of gooey messes. But this water, it is perfect. I'm not kidding either! Seriously, completely, flawlessly, perfect."My name is Cessy, by the way" I inform her as I push a whole lot of water in her soft face."Well, Cessy, I am Elvira" she replies with a laugh, as she returns the water back to me.

Chapter Seven
A door. An old, stone door. I am staring upon it. I look up. There is a tall stone tower attached to the old stone door. Without thinking, I subconsciously reach out both of my hands to venture into this ancient place. It will not budge. Is this a sign? Is this place whispering out its warning to me? Telling me to turn back? Ignoring its silent alert, I push harder on the door. Giving in, it flings open. The rusted steel lock. Has fallen off. It silently hits the ground.I float into the forbidding edifice. It smells old. It smells of must. I only stand in the entrance, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the blinding darkness.Have you ever noticed, that in almost all horror movies, there is a frightening sound? Whether it be a scream, a moan, or footsteps, the character always proceeds towards the noise. Let's put you in the place of that character. You are in an old, scary, haunted house. It is dark. You hear chains rattling from the room at the end of a long hallway. Now, realistically, would you move towards the sound? No! You would run! You would get out of that house, and go back to your own safe home, and swallow down a mug of hot chocolate. In all of the movies, the character moves towards the sound. It is not sensible!Cessy is very unique. She is brave. She moves towards her fears. She will, quite soon, find out that her bravery could very well be the death of her.There is a staircase before me. It is pulling me towards it. I know that there is absolutely no use in fighting the urge to proceed, so what else is there to do? I step forward. Walking up the stairs, it feels as though the earth is leaving me, slowly making its way to safety.I know I am going to regret this. I gently extend my hand, and touch the hard, cold, stone wall. I retrace the markings once made there. Finger nail markings. Scratches. My hand glides over them with such swiftness. I can't breathe. I fiercely try to inhale, but I can't. My eyes are watering and burning. Again I try to inhale, only receiving a sharp stabbing in my lungs.Everything is silent. Everything is black. I try to move, but am immobile. I can see what I have dreaded all this time. I can finally see sorrow. I see her, with her blonde hair covered in dirt and filth. I feel her pain as she is trying to escape his grasp. I understand her completely. Her very own blood runs down her arm. They do not know it, but tears stream down her torn cheeks.I do not know what I am seeing. I only know of the pity I feel for her. I now notice that i can move, and I jerk my arm away from the wall. Once again, I am in myself. I become aware of how thankful I am for breath, and how good it feels to be able to smell the musty air.Suddenly, I feel as though a breeze of calmness has swept over me, over this tower, and over the world. I am ready to move on. I glide, ever so gently up the stairs. If you were watching me, you would swear the I have wings! One step, two steps, three steps...I'm going to make it. And when I have made my way to the very top, I will find nothing at all. Seven steps, eight steps, nine steps...I will then run home and give my mother and fath-...oh. Yes. With open arms, I welcome back reality.Thump! Thump! Thump! The calmness has rapidly left me as I bolt down the stairs."No! Please open! Oh, God!" Stuck. The door is stuck. I swear I didn't close it. I swear! Why the hell would I have closed the door!? THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! Closer! The blood is pounding in my head. A stinging sensation fills me, and I realize that I could very well die here. What ever is up those stairs is coming after me, and wanted me. It will kill me. I would never again see my mother. She would never know where I went. No one would ever find me. I would become a mystery. I would become lost.In all of my fear, I almost don't hear that the noise has stopped. This doesn't calm me at all. Still, I have no way out. I am trapped.I cannot believe that I am doing this, but I turn around and face the stairs. There is nothing else to do! Lose-lose situation. I mean, I can't just wait here and sit on this freezing stone, and rot, or wait for whatever is up there to come and get me. Perhaps there is a window I can climb out of, or another door that I can exit through upstairs. Nervously, I take short glances around the level I am on. My eyes have adjusted quite well the darkness. Something is in the far-right corner. I walk over to it and pick it up, hoping that it could be used as a weapon. Wood. It is a piece of wood. About two feel long, covered in filth, and obviously has never been sanded down. A sliver of it slithers into my skin as I pick up my weapon. It doesn't bother me, for I am only bothered with the fact that this day may be my last.Foot by foot, I pace myself, up this deadly, spiral stairway. Only a few more feet, and I will be on the very top level of the tower. I shall be face-to-face with the dreaded noise.Here I am. Nothing seems to be out of place, or wrong. Although, this place is very disturbing, or disturbed. I can't imagine that someone has been her within the last 400 years. It's ancient! There is nothing up here besides a door, which most likely leads to a room. I reach out my arm, and get myself prepared to open the door. My finger tips are just inches away from the handle."Help me!" I jerk my back my arm, and fall back into a wall."Oh my..." I whisper under my breath. "Hang on! I'm coming!" I scream. Someone is in that room. I have to get in that room!I start to freak out, and pull on the door as hard as I can. Unexpectedly, the wooden door opens. It takes some strength, but I am prying it open wide enough so that I can enter. From the outside, it doesn't seem as thought the door would be as heavy as it is."I'm here! Are you okay? H-hello?" I am positive of what I heard. I do not hear things. Someone was just in this room. I can feel it. I can feel the life that there once was. Unlike the rest of the tower, this room is warm. It is full of breath. Full of life.It is empty. Completely empty. I start to feel a little uneasy. I pray to God that I was only hearing things. But, there are footprints, bare footprints on the ground. They were formed in this very dust that I am now walking in. I hear my name. I can hear my name being called. I raise my eyes. There it is. I see what is calling me. It is staring right at me, and I cannot believe that I am first noticing it this moment.It is a picture. It is a window. A huge, beautiful, horrible window. I drift over to it, and put my hand to it. I stroke the picture. The overwhelming gloom sticks inside of me, and it makes me restless, but I hardly notice it, for I am too entranced by this window.It seems so life like, and yet, it seems so magical and mysterious. I put my face to it, and close my eyes. I can, even better now, feel its soul speaking to me. I can hear its story. I listen. I listen to the shame, the sorrow, and the helplessness.I open my eyes, and stare past the window. Great. Mom and Gabe. I didn’t think that they would be visible from here. I wonder if they have even realized that I am gone. I can see them in the far off distance. I believe that they are holding hands, and smiling. I can't take it. I never have, and I'll never be able to.It all happens so fast, that I have no time to think, or make a decision. It happens within a second. All I know, is that no person deserves to feel this miserable, and that anything is better than this. The strange thing is, that I don't even know if I feel that way. It is like someone is thinking for me, and moving for me, and living for me at this moment. Unaware of what I am doing, I stare down to the ground below me, through the window. Before I have time to stop myself, I fall.

Chapter Six
People only kill for three reasons. Those reasons are money, jealousy, and love.You have probably been deceived before. You, yourself, has probably told a fib or two in the past. You probably have enough common sense to understand when the deceit is too large. Some human beings do not know when their deception has become too much.

I can feel the sensation of tears swelling in my eyes. Nothing will ever be right again. Nothing can erase the words that she had just breathed. I am trapped. I have absolutely no place to go. Why would she do it? Why!? I feel like pounding the answer out of her. Although, I already know why. It was Gabe. She is in love with Gabe. I could never see my mother as a murderer. Especially the murderer of my own dearest father, and her own beloved husband! Yet, here she stands, laughing and smiling with the man she killed for.I stumble down the stairs, not realizing that I still am in my pajamas. I am leaving puddles of tears behind me. I fling the door wide open and leave it. I am in too much of a hurry to stay here and bother to close it behind me."How could you do this?" I sob. It seems very difficult to breathe. "He was your husband! He was my father!" I know that she cannot hear me. I still feel it is my duty to be as disgusted with her as possible. I mean, he was my dad! Her husband! She vowed to love him. Not to murder him!I'm never going back. Nothing can make me go back. Nobody can. I keep running as far as possible. I run to the woods. Nobody can find me in there. It is much too large. I keep running and running. I tell myself that I will never stop. I run over this bridge. It is rusty and dark. There is nothing beneath it besides dry land. I continue running. I can still feel the depression inside of me that the woods creates. It is much, much worse now, though. I have my own depression created inside of me, too. I have fury and rage.How come it is so dark? When I entered this woods, the sun was out and shining brightly. Why is it that everything seems so black?I have absolutely no idea where I am running to. All I know, is that I must keep on this running. I become so oblivious to what is happening, so unaware, that I fall. I have tripped over something. I tumble face down into the leaves and dirt that carpet this woods. I can taste my very own blood gushing from my lip, into my mouth. I start crying out of my frustration."Nothing! Nothing ever is right!" I wail. It is so true. Nothing is right. Everything always seems to go very wrong. It is so very disturbing.I start to stand up. What is this? I brush away the dead leaves. Underneath the leaves, is a thick layer of dirt caked on to the ground. I dig my finger nails into the dirt. Ripping away all that I can, I reveal a road. It is old. It is made of cobblestone. Where could this road lead to? I continue digging away at the dirt, just enough so I can see where it leads.By the time I can follow it, I am so sore that I can barely move. So, I just sit here, wondering what to do next. It only takes me a couple of minutes to comprehend that there is nothing else to do but follow it.Have you ever regretted doing something? Well, of course you have! Who in this world hasn't? There is no going back and changing what you regret. You have to live with the huge pit in your stomach for the rest of your long, miserable life. Some people may regret the outcome of their habit of not thinking before they speak. Others may regret turning down an opportunity. Also, there are many times when people very much regret their curiosity.So, I wearily push myself up off of the ground and head forwards, following the road. I seemed to have nearly forgotten my mother and Gabe in all of this excitement.My heart is now pounding uncontrollably with anxiety. I cannot see much further because a thick part of the woods lay ahead. Though the road leads straight forwards, I do not follow it any longer. I am compelled to stray into the thick layer of trees.I decide that there is nothing left to do, but follow my dreaded instinct, and stray into the unknown.I notice that my pace has quickened. I stop. Everything has changed. It is so very silent. This silence nearly deafens me. It makes my ears heavy and swollen. Something is making me want to turn back. I can't. This force tugging at my legs will not let go. I cannot see any further. A veil of thick fog has swiftly formed. I reach out my shaking hand. I can barley see its trembling outline. Turning my head back, I can see clearly. No fog. None whatsoever. I slowly, and cautiously proceed forwards, into the fog. Something lies ahead of me. I can feel it waiting. Its eyes are spying my every movement. One more step, and I will be face to face with this idle object. One more step and my fate will be decided. I can feel it in my bones. I can feel the ancient death crawling within me. I could turn. I could turn and run from all of this. In my heart, I know I can't. But there is a feeling much deeper than what I feel in my heart. I cannot hear it telling me to walk away. I cannot hear my own desperate cries. One more step, and I will have embarked on the greatest, and most terrifyingly lethal, adventure of my life, or of my death. Slowly, I life my leg. It has begun.

Chapter Five
Oh my! The house! My house! It’s huge! It is, literally, a castle. It is made of stone. There are green vines spiraling up the textured walls. It is exquisite. There is a wooden door in the center of all of it. I cannot believe I am to be living here! Yes, it is a bit larger than i had hoped for, but it is so lovely! Behind it, sits a beautiful woods. Even though the sun is bright and glistening, looking at the woods makes everything seem so gloomy. I am compelled to it, and keep staring. I can feel the branches of the trees crawling inside of me, and digging away at my soul. I feel so, naked. The foliage is staring me down, and I cannot escape.Have you ever heard the suggestion that if an emotion is strong enough, it stays in that very spot where it was felt? That you can hear, touch, or possibly see the exact emotion that occurred there? For example, if someone were to feel a great happiness, far greater than any gladness ever felt, in a certain spot, it may stay there. The remains of the emotion may always be destined to linger over what once was. If another person, in future times, were to stumble along that area in which the amazing joy, that we all envy, was felt, their heart would overflow with exhilaration.A darkness, so dark, fills me. A peculiar and frightening mixture of depression, fury, and fraught seeps into my veins. The feelings are carried throughout all of myself. I can hear it. I can hear emotion. Crying, screaming, fighting. They overwhelm me. And now, it is silent. Nothing. Nothing besides on last thing. Death. I can smell it, taste it, and hear it. I can feel it. It feels cold. It feels alone.I am so compelled, that I start floating towards this woods. I have no knowledge of doing so, though. All sound turns mute around me. I enter a whole other world, and don’t aim at leaving. I am not conscious of my actions. That is, until I hear the door to our home slam shut. It was Gabe. He had walked into the house. I too, decide to go and explore with him.There are windows, all over. It is at least five stories in this house. I want to venture into every room and every nook and cranny.
It reminds me of a book I once read. It reminds me, hauntingly, of a painting.
It smells so musty. The walls are all so bare. Why would anyone ever want to abandon any place this lovely? Does the loveliness of it all blind me from seeing what it really was, or is?"Uhm, Gabe? Where is my room?" I didn't really care at all about where my room was. I just had to stop him from clicking! He would see something that he didn't like, and then click his tongue. He would see something that he did like, and there was more clicking of the tongue. Maybe he clicked for no reason at all, but I don't care about the meanings of his clicks, by any means. They only bother me, and by asking a question that implied that an answer was in need, I could possibly cease the clicking for a short moment of time."Just go and pick one out. However, make sure you leave the nicest and largest one for me and your mother.""Will do, Gabe." I softly snicker. So, I walk up the cold stone steps planted into the long opened staircase.It is taking me a while to find a room that I would like. Some are too small. Some are too large (I don't want to pick on of those, or else Gabe would get angry). Finally, I come to a door. The door is made of wood, and is on the third floor. I open it up. I step inside and gaze. Everything is amazing. It is the perfect size, and it has the perfect windows, and the perfect shape. Almost flawless, it seems. The sound of a car interrupts my gazing.I sprint down the stairs and say hello to my mother. She has brought back most of our equipment. I must have been searching for a room for quite some time. That must have taken a couple trips to get all of our stuff to her from the airport."Hello my angels!" she hollers. Did she just say angels? As in the plural form?"I hired some guy to help me transfer our belongings. That way it only took us a single trip." I look behind her and see a young man carrying so much stuff that his face is hidden. He looks like he’s going to fall over. I watch him as he drops everything in his hands. Then, my eyes shift to my mother, and see her carrying nothing at all.I just now realize how tired I am beginning to become."Mom, can we please bring some blankets, a pillow, and my bed up to the room I picked out? I'm exhausted.""Okay then Sweetie. One minute."So, I go up and wait in my new room. It isn't very long until Mom and her fiancé have my bed in my room. I say goodnight to my mother, and Gabe. Trust me, I didn't want to wish a good night to that...person...but my mother hinted that it would be the polite thing to do. She gave me her ever famous stare.I lay down and close my eyes. I fall asleep, not knowing that it will be the last decent sleep I will ever have. I feel downhearted. Little do I know, that I will soon come to envy the feeling I’m consumed with right this very moment. Little do I know, that much worse occurrences await me. Very little do I know, that tomorrow, I shall indulge in a dreadfully lethal journey.It is six o-clock A.M. I can hear voices and the shuffling of feet downstairs. Wearily, I stumble down the, once again, cold stairs. Now, I am on the second floor. I do not fancy this level of the house much. It is much too dark. Much too dreadful. I am halfway down the stairs, when I hear my mother's voice travel to my ears from the kitchen."...ha! Gabe! You must be kidding me! It was the simplest thing I have ever done!""It means so much to me that you did it all for us" says Gabe. Now, they are kissing. It hurts so much. The only person that my mother is supposed to kiss, is my father. Although, I do not think it would be very pleasant to be kissing a corpse. I will not force her into that."Yes. And it was the perfect time to commit such a perfect crime!" laughs Mother. What? What crime could my mother have committed?"Exactly! And it proves just how much you love me."God! I'm getting extremely anxious right about now."It was so easy to kill him. It took absolutely no effort at all to take the life of Luke. He was a terrible husband anyways. I did you, me, and the whole world a favor by ceasing his breath."

Chapter Four
I hope that she knows, that I will never be able to accept the fact that she's getting remarried. Don't get me wrong, I would have expected a step-dad in maybe three or four years, but it's three days after Dad's funeral, and I'm sitting next to my soon-to-be-step-dad. I'm sitting next to a complete stranger named Gabe. We're on a plane, and heading to our new home in London, England. I'm in total astonishment. This all happened in such a rush. I scarcely know what is going on right now! It is all moving too quick. I've always wished for an adventure, something exciting. But this? This is insane!Three more hours, and we'll be in our new home, in London. I wonder how it looks. I hope it's not too big. A little log cabin would be nice. I'm use to moving. It's not really that big of a deal for me. Although, we've never moved out or the eastern United States. I guess, I'm sort of excited. I don't really know if i should be, though. I mean, Dad's dead, and Mom's already replaced him. I wonder if he knows. I really hope he doesn't. It would hurt him far too much."So, how old are you?" Gabe utters."You're going to be my dad. Shouldn't you know?" I could see that a confused look had formed onto his face. Following a sigh, I say,"Sixteen.""Mm." What? What the hell does he mean by Mm? I couldn't help it that I let out a tiny bit of a chuckle. I don't think he heard. If he did hear, too bad. I am wondering; should I be mad a my mom, or at Gabe? I really don't know. I think I’ll stay mad at the both of them. It's easier that way. The funny thing is, Mom probably has no idea whatsoever that I am furious towards her and her "boyfriend".
“Would you like anything to drink sweetie?” I turn to face the attractive young flight attendant. She smiles at me showing her perfect teeth. Her dirty blonde hair is tightly tide back into a pony tail. Clean cut bangs fall to her eyelids.
“No thanks” I respond politely.
“How about you, Sir?” she asks Gabe. He’s been eyeing her this whole flight. My mother hasn’t noticed, or she has but hasn’t said anything. It’s not like her to confront people.
“I’m fine-” he looks at her name tag, “Leslie”. As he says her name he over annunciates the “L’s”. Leslie turns to leave us, but Gabe’s arm reaches over me and he elbows my chin, accidentally. Without apologizing, or paying any attention at all to me, he puts his hand on her arm.
“Love, my mind seems to have changed. I would like something to drink”. She begins to ask him what he would like, but before she can finish he interrupts her, saying,
“Surprise me”. Then he winks. She nervously laughs and then walks to the back of the plane. He watches her stroll back down the aisle. The look on his face is disgusting. I want to slap the expression off of him, but forcefully restrain myself. I look at my mom, who sits on the other side of Gabe. I am aggravated at the fact that she hasn’t seen what I have just. She’s still buried deeply into her romance novel. She looks beautiful.
The airplane is landed. I unbuckle, and grab my backpack. I follow Mother and Gabe off of the plane. He gives Leslie one last up and down look, but she avoids eye contact with him. At this I chuckle. She puts one hand on my shoulder and looks strangely at my face. Reading her sympathetic mind, I smile an awkward smile at her.Damn, am I tired! I want to go home to our new house, and rest. I hope my room is beautiful. Maybe...wooden floors...and stone walls! Yes. That'd be perfect.
Stopping at the rotating glass doors, my mom speaks."Cessy, go home with Gabe. He knows where the house is. I need to drive our stuff over, and it'll take a lot of room."Okay, Mom." I say. Under my breath I add, "Hurry..."I'm beginning to spend a lot of time with Gabe. I mean, on the plane, and now he'll be living with us in our new house, which he will be driving me to in five seconds.
I follow him through rows and columns of cars. Eventually we arrive at a yellow mustang. He gazes upon it admiringly, then opens the trunk. I throw stuff in, then open a side door and slide into a back seat. I shut the door brashly. Following me, he opens the drivers door. As he sits, the leather squeaks. And so it begins."How far away is my house? Um, our new house?" I wanted to murder myself for just saying that. It was hard enough to spit out those vile words, but now, I had to await his reply."Hmm, well, it's out in the country a little ways, and it's quite large.” What the hell was that? That wasn't exactly what i asked, unless that is how far away it is."How far?" I ask, sounding irritated."About an hour and a half longer" he slowly retorts. Oh joy! Another long hour and a half with Gabe. Yes, I am looking forward to our quality time together. Ha!It's funny. He thinks I’m listening to him. It's gone on for about an hour now. Randomly, I’ll tune in.
“…and she mistook me for some actor…but I’d already had a few martinis…people don’t like how I’m so attractive. It makes them uncomfortable…”
He's just talking. It's not very interesting. I peek at the clock. Only thirty minutes left! I can do it! I can hang in there! Only a little while longer.

"Here we are."

Chapter Three
"Wake up honey!" I heard my mom scream. Wearily, I roll over to face my clock. It is eleven o-clock A.M. I really wish that i could have slept longer. Now, I feel a little excited about moving. I've only been to England once. That was when my father and I needed little bit of excitement. Mom didn't want to go, so we went by ourselves.I stumble down the stairs, and follow the sound of my mom's voice."Surprise!" squeals my mom. There is a man standing by her. He wears a long leather jacket. He has wavy blond hair, and eyes that are so bright, that i am lucky i am not blind. He could be a model. Though, he’s on the short side. In fact, he’s somewhat of an elf. "What? Uh, who is that?" I ask her."Cessy, this is Gabe. And..." Who is Gabe? For some reason my stomach feels uneasy at the moment. What I think is so disturbing about him, is his smile. It looks as though it is being forced. He looks super conceited. It bothers me loads."...well, there's really no calm way to say this..."“Just say it Mom" I mutter sounding very annoyed."We're getting married!" she yelps. Gabe just nods.Okay, it was only yesterday that my dad funeral was taking place. I can't look at her. I am earnestly going to puke i do. I mean, oh my God! She cannot be my mother. Okay, I have to admit, I may have guessed that they were dating, or whatever, but they're getting married. God…"He'll be flying to London with us. That's where we're getting married!" There are so many questions that i want to ask her; When will the wedding be (not that I care)? When did you two even meet? So, you've already gotten over the death of your husband and my father? I really try to open my mouth and ask her, but i can't. I can feel my face turning red, and my hand starting to form into a fist. I want to kill her! Seriously! I want to kill him! But I won't. I could though. I really could. It would be hard to kill my mother, though. No, not because I love her, but because I am so appalled, that i couldn't stand being in the same room as her."Excuse me." And with saying that, I stumble into the bathroom, and barf up as much of her that lurks inside of me as i can.