Secrets

By Christopher365

Prologue

There was a long narrow corridor, filled with only shadows and darkness. There was no light to brighten the outstretched hallway, leaving outlines of candlestick figures and picture frames hanging against the shadowy walls. There was a slow rhythmic heartbeat and a faint whisper, barely audible. "Daddy... where are you? Daddy, I'm scared..." Suddenly, among the darkness, a thin blue light appeared at the end of the hallway. The faint gleam outlined a door, the light seeping out through the edges. There was a slight innocent child-like gasp, the corridor appearing darker than before, the shadows growing between the walls. The child darted towards the only source of light at the far end of the narrow hallway, dropping her stuffed animal in the process. "Daddy, are you in here?" The child outstretched her hands then gripped and turned the doorknob, releasing the blue light out into the hallway, pouring over the girl and flooding the room.

"Go to your room!" A tall man appeared, staring down at the child with a cringed face. "Now", his voice roared with disapproval, sticking his index finger out and pointing back out into the darkened hallway. The bright blue light radiating from behind him.

"But-"

"I don't care, get out!" A handmaid appeared behind the little girl, her little hands still holding onto the doorknob and standing underneath the threshold. "Sophie, bring my daughter back into her room, this instant", the tall man demanded.

"Yes, sir. Come, my lady..." The maid took the little girl's other hand and dragged her back into the darkness of the hallway.

The child stared up to gaze at her father in hurt. Her large wide eyes gleaming from the reflection of the amount of light. Before she was brought back into the corridor, the child gazed upon the scene: her father leaning against his desk, his back turned against her, the blue streams of light painting the room from behind him, its rays becoming brighter and thicker... overpowering. She suddenly made a scream, the light bursting out, covering her and her father...

His eyes immediately jolted open, the expression on his scarred face was a mix of distortion and confusion. He sat up on his old worn out mattress and started rubbing his temples, sleeping never seemed to be a problem, so why now?

"Something isn't right..."

The shadowy figure stood up and ascended up the wooden stairs. The open window to his left allowed the bright moonlight to escape into the darkened area, as well as a feathery messenger.

"Jenivere."

The thieving magpie swooped in, made a landing, and tossed a matchbox towards the figure in the shadows. The man took the matchbox and flipped it over to find, as usual, his daily message.

Garrett, come by and see me. Got something you might be interested in. -B.

The master thief looked up, gazing into the night sky through the window, his right eye gleaming a bright mystical blue within the darkness of the shadows. Tossing the matchbox aside, Garrett brought the cloth up over his nose and made his way into The City to meet his fence, Basso.