Chapter one
Spring festival

"Stella STELLA wake up its time for breakfast and its 7:00 in the morning and you need to go help with the decorations at 8:30," called out Stella's mum Rose
"Coming mum," grumbled Stella
As Stella up and got dressed she was unaware that her mum was waiting in the doorway to get her dirty washing.
"Stella what are you wearing to the festival? I am sure Bradley will be there if you know what I mean' winked Rose.

"Mum you know Bradley would never ask me to the festival and if he does I wouldn't know what to say he is one of the most breath taking guys I've met," said Stella, while she daydreamed about Bradley Stella absentmindedly walked down to eat breakfast she could already hear her dad munching away,
"good morning dad," she said in a voice that sounded like she was still asleep.
"Mourning buttercup did you get much sleep," said Lestate
"No I was to excited to go to sleep but some time during the night I fell asleep, how was your sleep?" yawned Stella
"Fairly good I needed my sleep because I am helping build the stage for the sun and moon play," said her dad with his mouth full.

"Charming dad next time finish your eating before you talk, by the way what is for breakfast I am so hungry,"
"Its pancakes and there good too, golden brown thanks to ya mum," smiled Lestate knowing he would get a treat later from Rose.

"I better not eat to much other wise I might not be able to fit in my dress I am going to wear," joked Stella as she sat down with a smirk and started to eat.

"Right, dad I am going to get dressed I have a feeling I might be awhile due to how special this occasion is," giggled Stella as she thought about Bradley and how he might notice her at the spring dance or might ask her to dance with him, so with her mind filled with fantasies she went to get was standing in her room with a pile of dresses in front of her trying to decided what looked better on her.

she finally picked up a green ankle length dress and immediately knew it suited the occasion. "Who would of thought to wear a green at a spring festival," she said while shimmying into the dress then quickly brushed her hair and made her way downstairs.

Stella walked down the stairs with the gracefulness of a queen she had amazing posture and long silky blond hair that was dead straight, her dress caught the sunlight while walking down the stairs sending a wash of green light over the walls she looked like she was glowing as she walked into the kitchen.
"Stella its time for you to go and help decoraa…" Rose's words were caught in her throat when she gazed at her daughter,
"Stella you look wonderful," Rose beamed as she looked her daughter up and down, "try not to get the dress dirty please," Rose said after coming to her senses.

"Ok mum I will try and I wont be getting too dirty I will only be making flower chains," stated Stella as she was moving a flower vase form the kitchen table to the window sill.
"Ok but be at the maypole dance at 8:00 apparently they are doing it on the obelisk in the town centre," said rose with apparent interest

Rose suddenly herd a loud crash as the flower vase connected with the stone floor shattering into a hundred pieces, startled rose looked up to see Stella just standing there,
"Stella what's wrong," asked Rose as she stared from her daughter to the broken vase then to her daughter didn't answer she turned on her heel and started to walk towards the door
Lestate came rushing in a moment later to find rose picking up broken pieces of the ceramic vase.
"What happened here?"
"Stella was moving the flower vase and it slipped from her grasp she then walked away she must have been embarrassed by her clumsiness,"
Lestate quickly left the kitchen to see Stella walking towards the door
"Stella were do you think your going go help your mum clean the mess you made"
Stella didn't turn around she just kept walking at a leisurely pace her destination the door to the outside world, Lestate ran forward and grabbed Stella's shoulder and whisked her around so she was facing as soon as she was facing him his hand and body were suddenly flung a few feet away from Stella's.

Lestate was confused he tried to get closer to his daughter but he just couldn't move he looked up and his eyes locked on Stella's fear started to well up in him as he realised that Stella's eyes were misted white and the beautiful sapphire blue eyes she normally had weren't visible,
Lestate ran back into the kitchen to get rose but when he went back Stella had already left the house and was swallowed up by the towns people of Pallea.

"Wake up… Wake up… WAKE UP!"what do you want," muffled Anna under her sheets as her mum Kate tried to wake her by opening Anna's crimson curtains to reveal the rising sun and clear blue sky, "I want you to get up its 7:00 in the morning and you cant spend your whole day sleeping it's the spring festival your meant to be getting ready to have some fun," explained Kate as she was picking up odd bits of clothing for her morning routine of wash and cook and wash some more.

"I don't want to get up though," argued Anna as she glare at her mum"I didn't get any sleep last night I just kept thinking about today till I fell asleep and that wasn't until about an hour before dawn so leave me be woman." whined Anna as her mum tried to rip of her bed sheets but soon gave up when she new she wouldn't win the fight.

"Anna you need to get up you have to go help with the festival activities you don't wanna be late and you still need to get dressed and have breakfast before you go so you can have energy otherwise you will fall asleep at the game stand," said Kate in a matter of fact tone.

"Alright alright I will get up if it stops you badgering me,"Thank you dear but you have to hurry you need to leave soon and seeing as though this is such a wonderful festival ill lend you my favourite dress," Anna's mum smiled as she saw the look of horror creep over Anna's face.

"Oh mum please don't I would rather go in pants and a t-shirt,""You will do no such thing it is a festival and you need to look nice and pretty which requires you to wear a dress," Kate said while she took Anna's momentary lack of concentration to take her bed sheets off.

"No mum I will not wear a dress there to bland what if I just wear a skirt then. that's like a dress," Anna pleaded as her mum thought it over and with a nod of her head Anna cheered victory before saying "thanks mum," and got up to search for a suitable skirt and t-shirt.

"When your finished come down for breakfast you will need to leave straight away thought in able to make it in time and start the activities for the little ones," Kate said while leaving the room.
"Awww mum you know how I hate little people they annoy me so much with there high pitched voices and all they ever want is to get there way,"
Kate poked her head back in through the door and with a smart reply said "Anna don't say such things your brought it upon yourself when you volunteered to help out,"
Yeah I guess I wont be doing that ever again," joked Anna as she shooed her mum out the door to get hadn't spent long trying to find something to wear she was a very simple girl she liked things that were easy to manoeuvre in.

She choose a dark brown skirt and a white t-shirt she left her untamed curly hair to hang below her shoulders, her hair looked like it had been spun from the bark of an Ash tree it was light brown and had a mystical look to it as if to say you cant touch but can stare and her eyes were the most unnatural shade of green, one quick look in the mirror to see how she looked and then she was quickly dashing down stairs to find her dad eating some toast.

"Morning dad," Anna said as she started to make some toast of her own.
"morning hun are you going to the maypole dance tonight," Anna's dad questioned as she took a bite of toast."probably but I am not sure wether I will or not it depends on if my friends are going,"
"I think you should go it was wear I met you mother when we were your age and there holding it in the town centre where to obelisk is," said josh with his mouth half full of toast, when all of a sudden Anna stood up and started to walk for the door, "honey where are you going you haven't finished your breakfast?" called out Anna's dad but with misted eyes Anna kept walking until she was out of site.

Mum... dad … wake up its 7:00 and I am starving," whispered Sebastian as he shook his parents.
"Go back to bed dear," mumbled his parents
"No it's the start of the Spring Festival and we need to get ready and have breakfast and dad you need to help set up the activity centres and mum you need to help the other village woman to decorate the town," said Sebastian in a matter of fact tone
"Fine we will get up but if you aren't ready by 8:30 we won't be going any where ok," warned Julie
"Ok I will go get changed while you make breakfast," said Sebastian as he raced of to his room.

As Seb ran to his room his tired parents got up and started to make breakfast with bleary eyes.
"hey mum what am I going to wear to the festival,"
"I don't know Seb but you will be helping your dad with setting up activity stands and you don't want to get a your good cloths ruined,"
"yeh I guess your right I will just wear a t-shirt and some pants,"
"great now sit down and eat your breakfast or your dad will get cranky,"
"So son what are you going to do once the festival starts", asked Seb's father Daniel when he sat down to join him for breakfast."I might go out and hang with friends,"
"so your not going to meet up with any of the girls in our village I hear there are some really good looking ones this year," joked Daniel,"
"no dad I am not going to hang out with a girl tonight I will be HANGING out with Mat and Chris,"
"Ok ok no need to be angry I was just joking,"
"Make sure you don't stray out of your dad's sight ok,"
"mum I am not a little boy any more I can look after my self,"
"I know I know I am just cautious of other people in this town and last festival there was a kidnapping I am just worried so make sure you don't go to far please for me,"
"Ok mum I won't but I will be with friends so if someone should attack me I will have back up,"
"Now son don't be thinking about that now today is a day of fun so I want u to enjoy your self so I am giving you this," Seb's dad stood up and went over to the old cabinet in the kitchen and unlocked a draw, Seb herd him jingle around inside the draw until Daniel finally picked up something followed by "here it is" before closing the draw.

"What is it", "It's a very old amulet to its said to have powers to protect you from evil I know it sounds weird but it will reassure your mum if you wore it,"
"Ok I will wear it, whats the design it looks cool?,"
"it's called a pentagram it's a symbol used by hedge witches and people who practice magic its been handed down from my family for generations,"
"thanks dad I will wear this for as long as I live,"
Thanks Seb that means a lot to me to know that you will be safe," said Julie while she hugged Seb.

"So were is the grand ceremony held I herd its changed place since last years maypole got blown over," asked Seb.
"I don't know son I think one of my work mates said it was at the old oak tree,"
"cool but why the old oak tree?,"
"It's not the old oak tree its some where else," said Julie let me think about it for a while I know were it is I just cant remember at the moment so eat your breakfast and I will tell you later.

"Hey mum have you found the answer yet?,"
"No not yet just put your dishes in the sink," Julie was busying herself washing the dishes when her son picked up his plate and started to walk towards the sink.

"Oh yeh now I remember it's at the town centre they are using the obelisk as the maypole," Seb dropped his plate with a loud crack, both his parents just stared at him while he started to make his way towards the door unknowing to his parents that his eyes where misty white.
"get back her boy and clean up this mess," but Seb remained oblivious to his dads demand. Daniel got up to get his son to come and clean the mess but as soon as he stood up to get Seb, Seb turned around and looked at his father.

"Seb clean up the mess you made," said Daniel in a warning tone but in his misty eyed state flicked his wrist very slowly. At the same time Daniel started to sit down his mind getting fuzzy when he was finally seated he had forgotten what he was gonna say and Seb was already gone.

"Good morning Corey" rang out Corey's mum Amber
"Leave me alone,"
"Corey you need to get ready its time for breakfast I made bacon and eggs,"
"I guess I could get up but then i am going to sleep again,"
Corey mutterd as he purked up at the thought of bacon and eggs intrigued him.

"Nope you can't you have music practise at 8:30 for the grand opening,"
"mum who in the village gets up this early its 7:00 all my other friends get to get up at 7:30,"
"Maybe so but you aren't other friends are you no you are Corey so get out of bed and go down for breakfast,"
"I'm going I'm going,"
"Good your dad will be down soon I just need to drag him out off bed so help your self to some of the eggs that I've already cooked,"
"Thanks mum," but as Corey's mum left he fell asleep again.

"Corey get up you need to have breakfast before your dad eats everything" fussed Joyce "But I'm so tired,"
"Geez some times I think your nocturnal or something but nocturnal or not you have to get up and eat and you need to leave soon so get your sleepy head down stairs and eat,"
"Ok fine I'll go eat so leave me alone,"
"Nope I'm going to stay here until you go down stairs where you will be under the watch full eye of your dad,"
"Fine but let me have some privacy to get changed,"
"Ok but if you're not out in 5 minutes I am going to come in and get u myself,"
"Ok I won't be long", with that Joyce shut his door and Corey got up and started to roughly throw his cloths his long wave blond hair was in a mess but he just shook his head a few times and it fell neatly back into place he pulled a tight white t-shirt over his head and put some black pants on, he checked to see if he had his lute and everything else in order then quickly rushed down stairs.

"Mum there isn't any eggs left,"
"Well I told you to get there before your dad but no you wanted to sleep make yourself some porridge,"
"So what's going to happen at the festival this year mum?"
"I don't know but there's always lots of tasty foods and sweets and a lot of activities if that's what you wanted to hear but you aren't aloud to spend all your money on sweets,"
"ok I won't, but I will be with friends so I wont know where we will be hanging out,"
"Sounds like fun dear now eat up you need your energy for the concert tonight,"
"mum it doesn't take that much energy to strum a lute mum,"
"Ha-ha that's right son it's in your blood our side of the family was always the best bards in their village they sometimes played for royalty so make me proud at the gathering ok" said his dad Brett with a smile as he was reminiscing about the good old days when he used to be the town bard.

"I will dad," sighed corey
"So mum what are you going to be doing are you helping out with the displays this year or the food,"
"Umm I am doing the displays this year because I was hoping to help set up the maypole,"
"where is the maypole this year seeing as tho the last one was destroyed,"
"well your dad told some guys at work it was at the old oak tree but I found out that its being held in the town centre how exciting is that there going to use the huge obelisk in the middle as the maypole," screamed his mum with excitement she then stopped and to look at her sons reaction.

"Corey"? "Honey what's wrong" She asked as Corey stood up suddenly and without warning started to leave the dining room with glazed over eyes he walked into the bustling village with his parents left dumbfounded.