It was nearly nine o' clock. Dark clouds covered the moon, casting the whole land into pitch blackness, A cold wind swept across the countryside bringing it's threat of rain.

Inside a small cabin, A musketeer named D'artagnon was laying on the floor reading a book to his five year old daughter, who was laying on his back, reading over his shoulder.

"And they lived Happily Ever After. The End." D'artagnon ended, closing the book.

"Daddy?" Corinne said, laying her chin on top of his head "Why is it always the boy doing the saving?"

"Well, Honey." D'artagnon answered "Because girls are the only things that can be Damsels in Distress."

Corinne frowned "Why can there be... Dudes in Distress?"

"There are Dudes in Distress." D'artagnon chuckled "Just most of them are too arrogant to ask for help." he looked over his shoulder at his blond haired daughter "While girls are smart and amazing. They're never afraid to ask for help when they need it."

Corinne nodded slowly "O-h. So a girl would actually make a better musketeer, right?"

"Probably."

They sat there quietly for a moment before Corinne rolled off her father's back and landed on the floor beside him "Daddy?"

"Hm?"

"Is mommy going to be mad when she gets home and finds me still awake?"

"Yep."

"Aren't you scared of mommy?"

"Yep."

"Why?" her icy blue eyes were wide and sparkling "You fight bad guys!"

"Well, Sweetheart." D'artagnon got to his feet and picked her up "There's a big difference between a bad guy and an angry mother. Or any angry woman for that matter." he carried her to her small room and laid her down on her bed. Then he tucked her tan blanket under her chin "Good night, Sweetheart." he kissed her forehead then walked towards the door.

"Daddy?" Corinne said, pulling her blanket up over her nose "When I grow up, can I become a musketeer like you?"

D'artagnon smile "You can be anything you want, Corinne. All you have to do is believe you can do it and be brave. And remember, true courage is pursuing your dreams. Even when everyone else says it's impossible."

Corinne nodded "Ookey-dookey. Nighty-night Poppy."

Marie arrived home five minutes later, after going and telling her daughter goodnight, they retired.

Corinne's eyes sprang open and she sat up.
It was nearly midnight and she could hear shouting over top of the howling wind. It sounded like her father and another man.

She threw back her covers, quickly stood up and tiptoed over to her bedroom door. She eased the door open and slipped out. Her mother was nowhere in sight.

She tiptoed over to the front window and peered through the darkness. She could see both of her parents standing outside. Outside, facing her parents was a man. He seemed to be about six foot three and he was built like a bull. His eyes were dark and piercing and he had a long ugly scar that started at his hair line, went through his left eye then zigzagged across his cheek. He was shouting about something that she couldn't hear.

Corinne ran over to the front door and opened it.

Rain was softly falling and a light rumble of thunder echoed through the air. An occasional streak of lightning lit up the sky.

"Where is it D'artagnon?" the man shouted "Tell me NOW!"

"I don't have it!" D'artagnon replied hotly "If I were you, I'd watch it. Being an escape from prison and all. The musketeers are coming after you." he really wished he had his sword on him, but it was sitting on top of the fireplace.

"Where did you hide it?" the man growled. Just then, his gaze landed on Corinne "Fine. If you won't tell me, I'll make you tell me!" without another word, he jumped forward and grabbed the small girl "Au revoir."

"Corinne!" D'artagnon shouted in alarm "No!"

"Put me down!" Corinne demanded, kicking the man as hard as she could.

The man jumped up onto a horse that was nearby "You might want to reconsider!" then he turned the horse around and sent it at a full gallop from the yard.

D'artagnon ran for the barn as fast as he could and quickly mounted Alexander, not bothering with tack or anything.

"Your sword." Marie said, handing it to him "Please, bring back my baby!"

"I will, Marie." D'artagnon kicked Alexander's sides "Let's go boy!"

The chase went on for several miles. Corinne kicked and fought against the man, but he wouldn't release her.

Finally, the man pulled his horse to a stop and jumped to the ground, taking Corinne with him.

The rain was pouring from the sky, making it hard to see.

D'artagnon strained in the darkness to spot any sign of the man and his daughter "Corinne! Where are you?"

After several minutes of calling, a very faint voice reached his ears "Daddy! Help!"

He followed the voice till he found them and what he saw made his heart come completely still.

The man was standing by a cliff, holding Corinne by her jumper straps, two hundred feet above a crashing waterfall.

The rain made the river run even more fierce than usual. It's crashing waters were louder than the thunder.

"Daddy." Corinne whimpered, too scared to move "Help."

"You had a choice, D'artagnon!" the man shouted "And you chose wrong!"

The musketeer slowly got down from his horse "Please... put her down... on the ground. I'll get you what you want, just let my daughter go."

"You're too late!" The man sneered "You're... Too... LATE!" his hand opened, releasing Corinne from his grasp.

"NO!" D'artagnon cried, lunging forward. His chest slammed into the rock as he attempted to grab her but missed.

"DADDY!" Corinne's scream echoed through the air, followed by a splash into the river below.

"No!" D'artagnon jumped back to his feet and spun around, laying a punch into the side of the man's face, then he jumped on Alexander's back and took off down the mountain.

Corinne gasped as her head broke through the surface, but she was quickly pulled back under.

The current was too strong and it just pushed the five year old no matter how hard she fought "Daddy!" she cried as she grabbed onto a rock "Daddy! Help!"

But the water soon pulled her away, pushing her further down the stream towards the waterfall.

"Daddy!" she screamed over and over "Daddy!" the water went over her head and she fought to get back to air. As her head came back above the water, she saw the waterfall just a few feet away "No. No! Daddy!" the water seemed to fall out from beneath her as the river pitched downward, dragging the child with it.

Corinne gasped as she opened her eyes and stared at the wall. It had been sixteen years since that happened and she still could never seem to forget it.

She shivered slightly and pulled her covers tightly around herself. No matter how hard she tried she could never forget the feeling of the water pulling her beneath it's surface. The frightening feeling of not being able to breathe. Then the feeling of the whole world falling away, leaving you falling through an endless amount of space, only to be plunged back into a dark, cold place with no air to breath and no strength to try.

(New story! Okay, at the beginning of every chapter is going to be a snip-it from Corinne's past that leads up to the story that's happening now! Yay! Enjoy!)