Chapter 1: Her Sisters Flower: Wendy
Wendy, a young girl of 14, stood over the cold gray stone of a shadowed grave. She had only recently come to terms with the death of her twin sister, Abigail, after finding a flower in their bright and cheery pink room. It had been tucked under their dresser, clearly meant to be hidden until Abigail had decided otherwise. Wendy swept out the flower, along with a note beside it, while cleaning in preparation to sell the family's home.
Dear Wendy, the note had stated. I just wanted you to know you're the best sister ever, and I picked a flower that's just as wonderful as you are! Happy Birthday! ~Abigail
Memories of the finding brought tears to Wendy's eyes. Her sister had loved her, yet Wendy had been forced to stand aside as her sister was swept away by the fell wind of death, never to return. The note was currently tucked safely under her pillow at home, but the flower traveled wherever she went. Truly it was something extraordinary, it had opened and closed several times already, and the bulbs petals never showed any signs of wilting in the week since she'd found it, yet surely it had been sitting under the dresser for even longer. Sometimes Wendy even thought she could sense Abigail's presence when the flower bloomed, especially when standing near her sister's final resting place. Today though, the flower remained resolutely closed against the brisk September winds. Abigail had hated the cold.
"Here." Wendy whispered, drawing a small crimson rose out of her other pocket. "I brought you one too. It's just as beautiful as you were." A sudden strong gust of wind brought with it a faint scent of berry perfume, almost like what Abigail had always wanted. "Are." Wendy corrected. "It's as beautiful as you are."
Turning away from the lines of graves, a small purple dot on the edge of her vision brought Wendy out of her thoughts. Thinking it to be merely her imagination, she turned to the dot expecting it to disappear, or even simply be a purple flower. Imagine her shock then, to see a growing purple vortex hanging in midair. Approaching it cautiously, Wendy felt an odd pull to the murky depths of the portal, even the urge to step into it. She was no idiot though, and knew that entering something so obviously out of place would be blatant foolishness. The pull was so strong though… A small movement in her pocket alerted Wendy to her sisters flower. It was blooming for the first time that day. Seeing it as a sign of what Abigail wanted, Wendy stepped determinedly into the swirling depths, then felt herself spinning out of control.