The first thing I saw when I opened up my eyes was the moon. It was a bright emerald green, and I could see no stars in the sky. I was in the middle of a forest, and I saw a dark, imposing castle nearby. It had a large moat, many turrets, and appeared a bit run down. There was no denying it. The castle was old with a capital "o". It seemed to glow with an eerie, otherworldly green light. Somehow, I was drawn to the strange place. Maybe it was my fascination with the dark, or maybe it was my curiosity, but whatever it was, it drew me to the dark palace.
Now, I don't usually act on impulse like that. After all, I am a twenty-one-year-old woman living in the twenty-first century. There is no way that I am going to let some man have control over me. If a man tells me that I can't do something, I set out to prove him wrong. But at the same time, I'm not exactly what you would call a tomboy. I wear makeup from time to time, I wear skirts, and I fix my hair. But I'm not a stereotypical girl, despite my mother's insistence to wear pastel dresses and sunny colors. But, something pulled me toward the castle, although I may have just been trying to get out of the open.
When I got to the moat, the drawbridge was already down, as if I had been expected. When I entered, I saw that the torches were lit with a green flame, which cast an unnervingly cold light on the passageway. The torches were lit in what seemed to be a path, winding snakelike through the palace. The trail ended in front of a large cast iron door. It opened when I came near, into a throne room. Upon a pedestal at the back of the room stood a throne, black and green, with a smirking young man sitting on it. The boy had white hair and was wearing a tailored black suit, with white shirt, boots, and tie. But the most incredible thing of all was the color of his eyes. They were glowing an eerie green. He seemed to hold himself very regally, but at the same time, he had a childlike look in his eye, that of a grade school child who has been given a new toy, with just a hint of malevolence. It scared me.
"So," he said, acting bored, though he was clearly amused by something. "You've finally arrived."
Naturally, I was angry with him. I didn't even know his name, and he was acting as if I should have been there hours ago! How medieval can you get?
"Now you listen here mister," I threatened, finally finding my voice. "I don't know who the heck you think you are but-"
"The name's Phantom." He responded, his smirk growing. He stood up, and strolled over to me, though he didn't make a sound. He stood behind me, and whispered in my ear "Welcome to my castle Samantha." I shivered, half from the feeling of his breath on my ear, and half from the fact that he knew my name.
I stepped away from him, making him chuckle darkly. "Oh, don't worry sweetheart. I won't do anything to you." He glided over to me and grabbed my hand, forcing me to follow him.
He led me down the halls, and the torches lit as he passed by. He led me through the winding passageways to a dark wooden door. It opened with a flick of his wrist, and he bowed mockingly. "Ladies first." He said, grinning wickedly, and gestured for me to enter before him. I did so, stepping into a room with a lovely twin bed, draped with violet curtains for privacy if I so wished it. There was a vanity table made of dark wood, with a matching wardrobe. I opened the wardrobe, only to be greeted by a lovely black silk nightgown, and a violet satin robe. I raised one of my eyebrows at him, for they were both my size, as if they were made for me and me alone.
"I imagine that you are quite tired." He said. "Or, if you wish, we can have dinner before you go to bed. It's your choice." He handed me a pewter bell. "If you want anything- a bedtime story, a new dress, food, or just company, ring that bell, and I will be by your side in an instant." He took my hand in his, fell to one knee, and kissed the back of my hand. "Your wish is my command, Samantha." Then, he vanished. Not walked out of the room, but vanished.
He was right though. I was tired. So, I changed into the nightgown, washed off my makeup (how does this castle have modern plumbing?) and slipped into the soft, fleecy sheets. It was like sleeping in a fluffy cloud, and I soon slipped into the darkness known as sleep.