Disclaimer: Twilight sadly doesn't belong to me. *bursts into huge, fat, ridiculous tears*

Prologue

The bright rays of the sun glinted off of a stone statue of a pig sitting on a crumbling dais high up above. Below, huddled against this tower, was a small, battered girl clutching at her clothes. The stone buildings seemed to eerily loom over her. The sun's rays didn't reach where she stood, peeking out from behind the sharp corner of an alley that extended from a square surrounded by clustered buildings. There weren't as many people frequenting the market located in this square as normal, yet there was enough to create a small bustle.

The little girl stood waiting, fingers tightly curling into her torn and dirty grey rags, biting her bottom lip nervously. She made quite the sight if anyone bothered to look: an undernourished little girl covered in smudges and dirt stains, hunched and trembling ever so slightly, only the whites of her eyes visible from the darkness of the alley, watching people walk by blindly, absorbed in their own lives.

Out in the busy market, the sunlight was partly blocked by the closely nestled buildings surrounding the square, resulting in many shady areas and less direct sunshine on the general area. It was the perfect place for the vampiress, Heidi, to carry out her job. Wearing a colourful blue and orange designer dress, and emitting an air of magnetic and charismatic allure, she caught the eyes of everyone, whether they be man or woman, as she stood in front of a group of tourists, charming them with her voice while she explained about the architecture and edifices.

The regulars at the market place reluctantly dragged their gazes back to their work, yet couldn't help but glance back at the extraordinary and eccentric woman who made her way across the square, the group of tourists trotting after her.

The little girl cocked her head as she caught sight of the colourful woman leading some tourists. Her breath hitched and she shrunk back against the wall, terrified, as that woman's unique, brownish red eyes flicked towards her for the smallest of moments. But it was such a short moment that before she knew it, the woman was passing by her already, the others following soon. Tears pricked her eyes and a few drops leaked from the corner of her eyes.

Suddenly, the little girl stood frozen in her spot before abruptly inhaling deeply and rushing out of the alleyway with shaking legs and hands, joining the group of people. Her height and drab grey clothes allowed her to blend in with the tourists despite their clean clothes and colourful packs. Her hands, that still continued to be clenched in the folds of her clothes, betrayed her horrific fear but she continued on, bumping into the people around her every now and then, but staying submerged in the middle of the group.

The group twisted along the setts and sometimes rough pathways that winded around and between the buildings, and the marketplaces. Eventually, they were led to a hidden and olden door. It was antique with exquisite carvings and ancient symbols of another time, and it undermined the beautiful room it held entrance to, as the tourists found out as soon as they crossed the threshold curiously.

All the while, the little girl huddled among the throng and desperately tried not to run back the way she came. She kept looking back at the door, and in her panic, barely heard the charming woman in the front announce for everyone to stay together. Inevitably, as the person behind her stepped forward, she was jostled along. She looked up at the man behind and found him staring to the front. In fact, everyone, she noticed, seemed to be staring to the front, unnaturally, not even noticing the beautiful artworks on the walls and the ceiling surrounding them.

They were all led further in, through halls with high ceilings and passageways that had little sconces and tiny, high square windows letting in light. The girl shook more and more, her mouth and shoulders trembling. Finally, Heidi announced that this was the last destination and told them to wait a second before slipping through the huge antique doors in front of her. Some mere quick moments later, the floor-to-ceiling double doors were grandly thrown open to the vast, high-ceilinged room beyond.

However, just before Heidi's return, there was the briefest heartbeats of disorientation and confusion among the group. The girl watched them distantly as they looked at one another strangely - like they were waking up from some trance - and frowned questioningly at the walls of the hallway around them. But, Heidi returned and everyone's behaviour transformed back to what it was earlier - that of blind followers - and the little girl noticeably flinched.

The vastness of the room was disrupted by statue like figures, which seemed to be made more of marble than actual stone, and which were strangely dressed in black cloaks and robes. These figures stood in a sort of triangular formation, pointing to the three sitting ablaze on thrones further in. Those three, that sat on thrones, looked translucent in the sunlight shining down from the ceiling and their skin tone was utterly white where the light didn't reach. Their eyes were the most prominent: a blood-red colour. It screamed death and danger to the little girl.

One member of the group actually started asking if they were real statues as the rest of them spread out and began exploring the cavernous room.

And that's when they struck. Everything happened quickly after that.

During that man's simpleminded question, the statues stood, unmoving and immobile one moment. The next, they were gone. Disappeared.

And the little girl looked at the three papery men still sitting, but with haunting smiles curving their face now, as all around the room terrified screams abruptly started and blood spurted out of someone to her right and another horrific, agonized cry left some poor woman's lips on her left - and the little girl whirled around as she heard something squishy snap behind her, only to be met with the glassy eyes of a man whose limbs were at odd angles - and she looked down, not able to endure the sight anymore - only to see viscous trails of blood slowly trickling towards her from puddles somewhere and the coppery scent filled her nose and overwhelmed her - and she screamed as she felt searing pain and ice-cold fingers around her throat -

She met darkness.

TBC

A/N: I would love to know your thoughts and comments. Please review!

Thanks,

Katherina