Prologue

"Give us all yer money or we won't waste our time and we'll just kill ya! Always easier to rob the dead!"

Annalise just stood there looking in horror at the two knives pointed at her and her long-time boyfriend. Almost without thinking about it she tossed them her purse with her right hand while her left still tightly grasped her beau's right arm. She knew it was just better if they cooperated but she also knew her boyfriend wasn't the greatest when it came to common-sense… he just had to go and do something to piss off the muggers.

"You're not getting my money! I, unlike some people" giving a too obvious glance between the two knife-wielders "had to earn it!"

Anna, terrified, turned to him and gave his arm a little shake "Dom don't be stupid! Just give them the money, please... I don't want us to get hurt. Dom, please!"

"Ya should listen to yer little lady, laddie. But we don't take nice to rude folk, whether we be robbing 'em or not. Now ya gots to pay for yer rudeness." Without another word of warning the two muggers closed the some three feet they had been from the couple and the one Anna took for the leader plunged his blade into Dom's stomach before he was even able to defend himself. She tried to hold it in, she really did, but she just couldn't help it. At seeing all the blood and the life slip from her boyfriend of 3 years she screamed as loud as she could. Of course the scream was cut short when a dirty hand happened to smack her across the face. The next thing she was aware of was that the second knife was now rested in her just below her ribcage. Slowly reaching a hand up she gingerly touched the blood that had begun to spread through the fabric of her shirt. As the man pulled out his weapon the first belated wave of immense pain came and another screamed ripped through her before she could stop it. With her scream appeared a light so bright all three still alive in the alley had to shield their eyes. When the two with weapons opened them again the woman whose purse they still had was gone.

- - - - - Scene - - - - -

Somewhere above her the light was still blinding her… She could feel it burning into her eyes even though the lids that covered them. Or was that light now the sun? It did now come with a welcoming warm that could only belong to the most beloved star in the universe. Other sensations slowly come to register in her mind and as she blinked her eyes quite a few times she realized that the light and warm were indeed the sun's and she finds she's looking up at the clear blue sky. By the treetops on the edges of her blurry vision she guessed she was now lying in some clearing in a forest… But how she got there she had no clue. Abruptly the faint humming and buzzing she had been hearing since opening her eyes came into focus and she identified at least 15 different people all talking at once and so rapidly she quickly gave up hope of understanding them. But just listening to them was even to start to pull her mind away from the pain that was slowly taking over her body.

As she listened to the different pitches, tones and even languages of the voices that surrounded her, her mind couldn't help but wander to the questions she had been trying to push away. 'Where am I? How did I get here? And WHY do I hurt so much!' She could remember nothing of the few moments before the light had engulfed her… Only she and her boyfriend, Dom heading to her favorite restaurant after catching the movie they had been dying to see for a while, all in celebration of their anniversary. What the hell had happened between then and now to have her end up here! It was then as her thoughts were wandering still that she realized that though she was in some forest clearing she certainly wasn't laying on grass. No, it seemed to be some type of smooth, polished stone beneath her. Such an odd thought to have, but anything to keep her from thinking of her body's pain.

If she had been any stronger she would have cried out in surprise as about 10 faces appeared hovering above her… Though she couldn't be sure if there were actually that many people there or if she was starting to see double… A few of them did seem to look similar and blur together. But focusing on them again drew her thoughts from whatever injuries she must have. They were the only things right now keeping her brain from realizing that the warm pool of liquid gathering around her was her own blood. Looking into the many faces there, all men she concluded lazily, she put most of her attention to the one who looked as though he could help her the most. Plus he wore a sort of… crown? So hopefully he was of some importance… and not just some loon who liked wearing them. Gathering as much strength as she could she was able to mutter one thing before the darkness that had been pushing at her senses again, took over. "…Help…."