A/N: Sorry it's such a short chapter... I have exams coming up, and all these projects and culminating assignments. I hope you all had a happy New Year though!

Enjoy the chapter :D

xoxo, Isabela

I stared wide-eyed at the scene before me, feeling myself go numb. I felt as though I was watching this from someone else's point of view.
This is all because of me.
I could hear a familiar voice creep its way my mind. It was soft and comforting, but its words hurt like jabs in the heart.
The Witch of the Waste is doing this because of you.
People are scared because of you Sophie.
Howl is out there because of you.
Because of you.
The voice continued to mock me, whispering its way into my thoughts. I shook my head, trying to ignore the words. The shadows all slithered their way onto the Kings throne, and together they melded into one giant blob of darkness. It formed a grotesque face, with saggy features.
There were curves on the blob where its eyes should have been. They were deep and hallow. And if there were eyes, they were staring right at me. Its mouth curled into a mischievous grin, and I heard the words it did not say aloud.
We warned you.
And with one quick motion, the blob turned into black smoke, and disappeared.


I gathered my skirt and stepped outside of the castle. No guards were there to greet me, because they were inside trying to calm everyone down. I could see the village from here, and I saw the black smoke again. It hovered eerily over the houses. I wondered if the people in their homes even noticed it. Children were probably sound asleep; old drunkards were probably wandering the streets, not sober enough to care. I felt a huge weight on my shoulders, knowing that I was the cause of all this chaos.
Sophie, I said to myself, quit worrying and actually do something. I needed to find a way to get to the village, and I tried to calculate how long it would take to walk. Suddenly I felt something nudge against my back, and I jumped out of my skin. I lifted my mask, and saw I was face to face with a black horse. It nuzzled against me again, and I petted it hesitantly.
"Well… hello there," I said, smiling thoughtfully. Then I had an idea.
"Would you like to help me?" I asked the horse politely, and it stared at me with curiosity.


I was trying to rest, but for obvious reasons I couldn't.
What would those reasons be? Oh, well you see, I, Calcifer, am what keep's Howl alive. I am his heart, really. And because he's off doing who-knows-what, it keeps making his heart jump. If I wasn't keeping this rusty old house up, I'd be strangling him. Suddenly, the door flew open, and a gust of wind was sucked into the house. Howl's blonde hair was a mess, and his cheeks were red. But of course, he was smiling like a maniac.
"Would you close the door? The draft is going to put me out! And would you explain what the hell is going on with you? Is it Sophie?" I spat at him. He crossed the room and picked up a rusty shovel and pointed it at me. My eyes widened, as he edged it closer to me.
"NO! You are NOT going to take me out of here. Do you want the house to crumble? And you know how uncomfortable I am when I-" I yelled, but he fed me a piece of wood, which shut me up pretty quickly.
"Relax, Calcifer," he said in that sickly sweet voice. "I'm going to put you back as soon as this is done. And I had a nice night, thank you asking," he said with blunt sarcasm.
"Like I care- the nicer your night is with Sophie, the less sleep I get," I muttered. He grinned.
"So, the Witch of the Waste is after Sophie… she never gives up does she," he chuckled to himself. I rolled my eyes. Howl was always having girls fall for him, but it was never the opposite way around. I wonder what Sophie must have done to make him so fond of her.
"Yeah, yeah, I hope you get what you deserve. What are you doing with that shovel anyways?" I asked. He set it aside for a moment and walked over to the table across me. He sorted through the mess and picked up a small locket. He eyed it, and then looked back at me, raising an eyebrow, and I knew nothing good would come out of this.


After earning the horses trust, he allowed me to hop on him, and I led him through the empty streets. My hair was flying with the wind, so I tied my hair back into a ponytail, the way I was used to having it. He galloped along, and I held on for dear life. I'd only been on a horse a few times at my uncle's farm, and I was very young. His hooves clicked loudly as we raced down the road, and we entered the village. I coaxed him into a stop, not wanting to make too much noise.
"Alright, Sophie," I sighed, "now what?" What exactly are you looking for?
I realized we were in the village square. I looked at the empty food stands and shops, thinking about how just a few days ago it was so full of life. The horse moved towards a piece of fruit at his feet, and I hopped down and picked it up.
"You're hungry? Here," I said, holding it up for him. He swallowed it greedily, and spat the core back out. I led him down a path that led us back to my shop. It was quiet, and very cold. I hugged myself tightly; what a perfect night to wear a thin long gown. I tip toed my way to the shop, and to my relief it was untouched. The faceless mannequins looked at the horse and I, and I looked at my reflection in the glass. My curly hair looked like a birds nest, and I was pale white with frostbitten cheeks. I tied the horse to the lamp post before I took out my key and turned the knob on the door. I exhaled; nothing had happened.
Then the first bomb dropped.