Asia was fully awake and alert immediately. She listened intently as the thuds moved slowly across her roof, edging nearer and nearer to her window. Finally snapping into action, Asia leapt out of her bed, and bolted across the hardwood floor, towards the door of her bedroom. She eased it open and slipped out into the dark hallway.
She tiptoed into her parent's room, and snuck under their huge pinewood, four poster bed. She pulled the ivory colored blankets over the sides of the bed, then backed into the corner. Thumps echoed through the small house as the shadow overturned furniture and searched through closets for her.
Then, the handle of her parents bedroom opened. Asia panicked, and shrunk even further into the corner. Thuds shook the floor, growing closer and closer, until -
A black tendril wrapped around Asia's waist.
Asia was yanked, screaming, out from under the bed. As she was whipped out the doorway, she heard her parent's frantic calls. Still screaming, Asia was dragged out of her house, past the bakery, through the village square, right into 18, Baltimore Street. She was whisked through the house so fast, her eyes watered, and was then joined by another shrieking figure.
They were both dragged through the village, screaming and flailing, desperately attempting to break free. As they passed through the light of the street lamps, Asia saw her partner. It was Absinthe, the daughter of the grave digger. She had a ridiculously long, pointed nose, thin lips, pasty skin, choppy red hair, and piercing yellow eyes. She bullied children of all ages, but got away with it because she set up scenarios where they would ultimately be found guilty.
She flailed around next to Asia, desperately kicking her legs in a useless attempt to break free. Her arms and legs hit Asia left, right, and center. She turned to Asia for a brief moment to glare at her, then resumed her screaming.
"Calm down!" Asia screeched, although she would have been doing the same thing if there was more room.
Absinthe scowled. "CALM DOWN! WHY SHOULD I TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU LITTLE MISS-". She uttered a few words so offensive, that Asia gasped and slapped her. They were bickering so much, that they didn't realize that they were in the Endless woods until it was to late. The thick canopy of trees captured any light, leaving them being dragged into darkness.
Absinthe snatched a branch from the forest floor, and swung it at the shadow. It merely batted it away, onto the dirt ground. While Absinthe cursed, Asia spotted a small, silver object resting on the leaves. As they rushed towards it, Asia got a better glimpse at it.
It was a silver chain necklace, with an intricate locket carved into a rose. As she whisked past, Asia's hand snagged onto the necklace. She gasped as she recognized it. It was Rapunzel's, a gift given to her by Brandon, the blacksmith Joel's son. The two were best friends, before he had lied to her, betrayed her, and hurt her.
Asia scowled. Luckily he had been taken for Evil. 'He deserved it' she thought savagely, as she remembered the day he'd hurt Rapunzel.
Asia had been running through the center square of Gavaldon with her friends. Ducking into an alleyway, she realized she wasn't alone. Game forgotten, she crept behind a trash can to listen. She recognized Rapunzel's voice immediately, but not the other. Whoever it was, they were yelling at her like their life depended on it.
Peeking out, she spotted Rapunzel's distressed face, and -
Wait, what?
It was Rupunzel's best friend, Brandon, son of the blacksmith. He was usually kind and sweet - to everyone who could better his life. Like Rapunzel. She had given countless checks to him, in order to "better his life" as she put it. Recently, she hadn't made as much money, due to the boss of the pastry shop, where she worked, retiring from his pastry making duties. With less people to turn out pastries, less pastries were sold, and less money was earned. She didn't have enough to give him a check.
His face was furious. Asia didn't understand at the time. Why was he angry? She could simply give him the check next time. Then he reached up and punched her. She flew ten feet before slamming the ground. Asia glimpsed a bloody lip, before Rapunzel kicked him in... well, let's just say it was very painful for him. With him groaning on the ground, Rapunzel bolted out of the alleyway.
Asia was snapped back to reality by Absinthe hitting her face with a branch. Gasping loudly, Asia turned to hit her, only to see Absinthe draw back the branch, prepare to swing at the shadow-
Then the shadow disappeared.
Absinthe dropped the branch in surprise. They were sitting in a ridiculously enormous, orangey brown leaf. Absinthe sighed in relief.
"Thank goodness it's over". Then the leaf slingshot them up to the next branch. They screamed as they were flung up the tree, branch by branch.
"What the hell is going on!" screamed Absinthe. They were flung a final time, and landed with an omph. Asia scrambled to her feet, searching for whatever they had been brought up here for. Her eyes found over a round, black object. She uncertainly edged closer. It didn't look suspicious.
Then it cracked.
Asia screamed, falling backwards. Absinthe turned, annoyance turning to fear as she saw what had emerged from the egg. A enormous bird, made entirely of bones. It glared at them, before producing an unearthly screech. It charged at the screaming girls, and grabbed one in each claw. It took to the sky, still screeching.
Asia shut her eyes, waiting for the bird to drop them. It didn't. She tentatively peeked open one eye, then the other. She gazed down, and gasped. Bellow her was spread an enormous land, nothing like the one she had left. Towering mountains housed tumbling waterfall, which fell into valleys filled with every color in the rainbow. Absinthe opened her eyes, and gaped at their surroundings. Then she scowled, squinting her eyes.
"Too bright" she grumbled.
Their surroundings grew closer and closer, as the bird began descending. As they passed between two colossal mountains, Absinthe gasped.
"No way!" Asia turned to see... it. The place she'd dreamed of finding for over 4 years, was directly in front of her.
The School for Good and Evil.
As they grew ever closer, Asia could pick out the details of it. The school was enormous. It was composed of 2 separate castles, one made of pink and blue crystal, emitting a radiant light from its walls. The other, a bleak piece of disgusting black stone, partially covered in a evil green fog. A lake separated the 2 schools, half clear, half black and green sludge. Only a single bridge and a clearing behind the two castles connected them.
The bird approached the stone castle first. Asia felt the bird's grip on her arm loosen, and panicked. However, Absinthe was dropped, screaming, into the sludgy moat surrounding evil. Asia watched her fall, guiltily feeling relieved. The bird spun around, and glided towards the magnificent crystal palace. But as it soared over the lake again, Asia spotted something she hadn't noticed before.
Nestled in fog, a tall tower stood. It shone silver, with a sharp, pointed roof, and a single, huge, open window. She was carried closer, closer-
Until a golden web wrapped around them.
Screeching, the bird tumbled into the lake, bringing Asia with it. Her screams were smothered when she was pulled underwater. Lungs burning, she desperately struggled against the net. Vision darkening, she scraped and bit at the net. Just before her breath gave out, the net gave, and she clawed to the surface.
She gulped in breath after breath of fresh air, struggling to float. She glanced around, searching for something, anything, to grab onto. She spotted a floating branch, and swam towards it, grabbing ahold. The current would take her to shore.