Welcome to Black Rose Castle...


Gabriella scrambled to her feet, a sharp pain in her side sent her staggering against the wall. The rope ladder twisted at her feet was clearly rotten. Curiosity led her to climb the mysterious ladder. The courtyard was filled with statues and graves, some places too dark to see. An old wooden door was clearly the way in to its corridor. A shadow crossed one of the graves.
It slowly came closer. In the dim light a white German Shepard appeared. Gabriella frozen in fear, pointed behind the large dog. A mutant marionette came up close. She could see the name on the dog's glittering gold tags, "Oliver." The dog lunged at the marionette grasping its head until it was crushed. Gabriella rubbed Oliver's head and they made their way into the castle...

Holli ran through the forest. Her wolf, Shadow, ran beside her. Soon, the forest came to an end, and reveled an iron gate. She pulled on the handle but it was locked. Holli looked around and her eyes spotted an old, rotten wooden ladder. She picked it up and set it on the side of the wall. It was quite sturdy despite it was rotten. Shadow climbed up behind her owner. They sat on the wall. Holli pulled the ladder to the other side of the wall and Shadow descended down it. Holli climbed down after Shadow. As she took the first step down, the rung broke and she lost her footing and fell ten feet to the ground.

Gabriella turned around to peek around the corner. Oliver was stiff-legged peering down the hallway. Suddenly a girl and a black wolf appeared. Shadow growled and was ready to attack.

"Halt!" Holli commanded,

" Who are you?"

"I'm Gabriella."

Holli stood still. Shadow growled low.

"Shadow! Heel!" She whispered.

"I'm Holli." said Holli, looking the girl in the eye

Oliver looked confused. His ears pointed in 2 directions.

"And I'm Zeke." A man appeared with a rough pit bull.

"Let me show you around."

Holli looked at Zeke strangely. He had a sword strapped to his back. Shadow looked behind Holli. There, a zombie woman stood. Shadow growled fiercely and attacked it, sinking her teeth into its neck.

Oliver darted forward, pinning the zombie until Shadow thought it was dead.

"This place is wierd." Gabriella said as she examined the stitched up girl. Zeke grabbed her arm pulling her up from the body.

" Holli shoot it in its head." Zeke said as he pulled Gabriella back.

"Why? It's dead." Gabriella grabbed Holli's gun and as the girl sat up, shot it between the eyes.

"That's why." Gabriella said as she handed Holli her gun. Zeke was shocked by how fast Gabby's actions were.

"Call me Gabby you two." She said as she walked away.

Holli shrugged it off. She walked away, leaving the "lovebirds' on their own. She walked around. Something made her stop. It was a presence and she could feel and hear it. She reached slowly to her gun case. Then, a boy about her age walked from the shadows. A dog stood beside him.

"Hi. I'm Holli. Who are you?" she asked, lowering her hand from the gun case.

"I'm Tyler." The dog beside him woofed. "And this is Steele."

Gabriella rushed to Holli's side.

"Who's he?" Zeke interrupted, "Tyler!" Anger in both of their eyes left Holli and Gabby clueless. Gabby has a talent, magic. She can make things happen, see the future, talk to animals, etc. She could here the thoughts of a nearby dog.

"We need to go now! Zeke where's the rooms u were talking about?"

"Here, why?" Gabby rushed everyone into room 666.It had a burned black rose on it's door. Oliver looked at her, " It was Scarz you heard." She locked the 5 locks and explained why and her powers.

Inside, Zeke and Tyler resumed their staring contest and Holli could have sworn she saw sparks flying from their eyes. To break the contest up, Holli asked,

"So how did you all get here?"

Zeke shook his head and spoke,

"A year ago I had a car wreck, looking for help I wandered in the gate, me and my dog. The gate locked behind me, throughout the year I've found me a weapon. Didn't really do much more." Jason sighed. Oliver grew impatient,

"Scarz is waiting for us, I can feel it."

"I've been alone most of my life, being an orphan. My dog and me found this castle and got locked inside. We've been here ever since." He replied sighing. "What about you Holli?" He asked. Holli looked away and at the ground.

"When my mom died a few months ago, my dad started acting weird. He was money hungry and decided to marry me off to a guy I didn't even know so I ran away and ended up here with Shadow." She said. Her body shook slightly, showing she was sobbing.

Gabby felt nervous. Everyone looked at her.

"I don't remember. I just woke up here." Someone touched her side, she felt pain. Pretty soon it was unbearable. She noticed that she had started cowering from it.

Shadow grabbed the side of Holli's jacket, growling.

"What is it Shad?" She said, standing up.

"Let me and Oliver out!" Shadow whined, "please!" Gabriella opened the door. Oliver and Shad ran out, but nothing was out there.

"He left!" Oliver howled.

"Who left?" Holli said petting Shadow on the head.

"Scarz." Shadow replied looking her owner in the eye. Tyler got up and left.

"Tyler! Wait!" Holli yelled. Tyler turned around and smiled at Holli. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing" he replied.

"Why did you walk out like that?"

"I..." He started. A banging noise interrupted him.

Scarz grabbed Shadow; Jason's bite making him release her.

"Gabby why are you and Zeke here?" Holli asked confused.

"I have powers, remember, I can see the future." Holli started to smile as Scarz darted away. Gabby fainted, Zeke grabbing her before she hit the ground.

"We need 2 take her back." Zeke said nervously.

"You're right, she needs rest." Tyler said emotionless.

Holli nodded. Her mood went emotionless. She shoved her hands into her pocket and followed a few feet Zeke and Tyler. They laid Gabby on the bed in their room.

Oliver whined and lay next to her.

"She'll be fine, it's just a burn." Zeke said confident.

"BURN?!" Holli and Tyler blurted out shocked. Zeke looked up at them.

"Yeah burn..." He said.

"How did she get it?" Tyler asked. Holli sat on the floor, feeling like she would pass out, too. Something wasn't right.

"Don't know. I haven't seen fire here at all." Zeke was clueless to the whole thing. Holli watched as Shadow started to whine, her ears focusing on a noise. The door started to rattle. Holli darted to the door, locking it immediately. The rattling stopped as the three looked around the room. Shadow, confused, buried her face in the comforter on the bed.

"Don't go out there, Holli, it's the Dark Master, he'll kill you instantly." Oliver said as he ran to the door, blocking it if any one was dumb enough to go out it.

"I know. I felt his presence." She whispered to Zeke.

"I wonder what he wants with us. He's never done this to us while we've been here." Tyler said.

"I think he wants one of them." He said, shifting his gaze to Gabriella and Holli.

Gabby sat up in the bed. "I know how I got here. I saw Scarz while driving to my parents' house. I crashed, he wants me here..."

"That answers that question." Zeke said sarcastically.

Holli sat on the floor again. Shadow sat down beside her.

"We should get some rest." Tyler said, putting a hand on Holli's shoulder. Gabby, Zeke, and Holli nodded.


TBC

Well? Nice first chapter? Supaiku and I have been working on the whole story for MONTHS and we still aren't through yet. I hope you find it to your liking!