flashback:
"Moonpearls we need your power now, show us the way!" She whispered to the pearls. Immediately they lit up and the tunnel was flooded with pure white light.
end of flashback.
I stumbled on a stone and groaned in annoyance.
"Robin shh…" Maria whispered and put her finger on my lips, that were surprisingly close to hers. I could feel my pulse go up in a matter of seconds and was afraid that she could hear it. She quickly lowered her finger in embarrassment and I saw a blush on her cheeks. I wanted to tell her it was okay, and that she had no need to be embarrassed, but I was speechless. Her touch was so soft and I wanted to feel it again. Robin get a hold of yourself, if you don't stop the curse you won't feel anything ever again. Maria had already moved on with the pearls in hand, whilst I was daydreaming.
"Robin, come on! Don't you see? It is showing us the way!" she shouted ahead. I had no idea what this "it" was nor could I see it, but apparently Maria could. She was almost jogging after this mysterious creature.
We heard arguing outside the cave and ran out of it, only to see Sir Benjamin Merryweather, father and two other men about to fight each other. They were standing in something that looked like a small amphitheatre on the edge of a tall cliff. I doubted anyone could have survived the drop to that ice cold water.
"Stop!" Maria screamed in panic and continued; "Uncle no!"
"Father, we have got the pearls" I said.
"Maria, thank heavens!" sir Benjamin shouted when he saw Maria.
My father took a step towards Maria, but she put the pearls behind her back.
"Give me the pearls!" my father was fuming with rage.
"Those damned pearls! They have brought us nothing but heartache and you know it!" sir Benjamin shouted to my father. To my left I could see Loveday walking into the amphitheater.
"No uncle, it is not the pearls, but the greed in our hearts that brings this misery." Maria spoke, staring at my father. We had to break the curse before it was too late!
"Father, why is there so much hatred in your heart? Don't you want to be free of this darkness imprisoning you" Loveday asked in a gentle, but strong voice.
My father, clearly shocked to see his only daughter, turned towards Loveday.
"My daughter…" he whispered in awe.
Loveday clearly had something on her mind as she took both of their hands and brought them together. She then took the glowing pearls and put them on sir Benjamin's and fathers hands.
"Father, Benjamin"
"Look. The 5000th moon. The curse is coming true. If you can sacrifice your pride, we can save our families, we can save the valley" Maria said.
My father and sir Benjamin started politely arguing over who would sacrifice their pride first. They just wouldn't understand that time was running out and that if the curse wasn't stopped then, the valley would die.
Maria ran out of patience and pushed the mens arms away.
"I must do this myself" she walked to the tip of the rock and lifted the pearls toward the moon. She shouldn't be that close to the edge, were my only thoughts at that moment.
"At the 5000th moon, I Maria Merryweather, Moonprincess of Moonacre, do remove the curse that darkens this valley. Take back what is yours!" she tossed the pearls towards the ocean.
For some reason, the pearls didn't go to the ocean but bounced back to her hands. I could see her breaking the necklace and tossing the pearls yet again towards the ocean. The loose pearls returned to her, again, and this time I couldn't see where the pearls were. Maria stood still as if cleaning her dress and then slowly turning around. The pearls were no longer in her hands, but stuck to her dress. She gave us a sad smile, gave me one last look, before letting herself fall into the black depths of the sea.