Hip-long gray-haired woman in a tan dress, just like Serenity's turned around. Her mouth opened and moved, but it was as if nothing came out. All that could be heard was the sound of bombs dropping, buildings falling and people screaming.
Her light pink, weary eyes showed the message she needed to get across perfectly clear.
"Run!" The gray-haired woman called to a girl wearing an emerald-green, strapless, ankle-length dress.
The girl shook her head.
The woman stepped forward and put her small hands on the girl's shoulders.
"Run... please!" she shouted, but it was heard as an audible whisper.
"No, Mother! Not without you!" the girl screamed back.
"GO NOW!" The woman said to her daughter with such firmness that being loud was unnecessary. "Go, my daughter. I will meet you in the main courtyard. I promise."
The woman turned her daughter toward a small, golden door as her gray hair blew in her face. Her daughter reached out and gently brushed it away,
The woman took girls' hand and kissed it as she tried to hold back her tears.
Finally, the woman pleaded with her daughter one last time.
"Crysta... Please go. I promise I will come to the courtyard."
Before her daughter had a chance to answer, the woman pushed the girl through the golden door. Crysta turned and faced her mother.
"A promise..." Crysta thought as she turned and rain down the hall. Her white hair quickly followed behind her.
The gray-haired woman watched her daughter run away down the hall. Her eyes were filled with the tears of a possible, final-good-bye.
The woman quickly faced the sky as a large, black cloud began moving in. The woman cupped her hands together. A small, blue light appeared in the cupped palms of her small hands.
~~~~
The girl ran down the golden hall as fast as she could. The walls were adorned with portraits of past rulers and gods.
The girls white hair was flowing gracefully behind her as it gently dusted the walls as she ran down the golden hall. She came upon a swirling staircase, and with no hesitation, began running down it.
As she ran, she noticed the walls were no longer golden and the steps she took were uneven. The tip of her shoe caught a groove in one of the stairs.
As Crysta fell forward, an arm dusty, light blue sleeve caught her.
Suddenly, Crysta's life flashed before her eyes. This was the end.
"You need to be more careful, Crysta," said a kind, male voice.
Crysta looked up and sighed in relief.
"Winston!" she said as the man helped her regain composure.
"Oh, Winston! I have to get to the courtyard! My mother promised to meet me there!" she said rashly in a shaky voice.
Winston nodded as his long, brown bangs fell in front of his left eye.
"We shall go then," he said, taking Crysta by the hand and leading her carefully to the courtyard.
The courtyard was an island with 6 different pathways out to 6 different doors. In the water, which was now black with dirt and debris, the once, beautiful water lilies were wilted and brown.
Crysta tightened her grip on Winston's hand as they walked to island.
From the pathway next to the one Winston and Crysta had stepped off of came a girl with a dirt-covered, ruby-colored dress. The skirt of her dress was torn at her knees and short sleeved.
"Princess," she said simply as she stopped 4 steps away and bowed as part of her long, brown hair fell over her shoulder.
"Emily, where are..." Crysta began as another girl started to walk toward the group from another pathway.
This girl was normal height and wore a faded, old lavender dress that complemented her light blue hair beautifully.
"Madam Crysta, Sarah shall be here soon," she said.
"Belle," Crysta said with a nod.
Crysta looked to her right. There was a woman, Sarah, in a navy blue dress that was tight against her body. Here and there were glitters of light and such, but mainly it was stained now with things never to be known.
Suddenly, a blinding light came from the other side of the courtyard. Crysta covered her eyes. Emily and Belle took a fighting stance. Winston wrapped his arms around Crysta and turned his back to the light.
The light quickly faded into darkness. Everyone looked up.
"They are in place!" Belle shouted.
"WHAT!?" Crysta screamed, collapsing against Winston's chest.
"That means..." Belle began.
"The queen." Emily finished.
"MOTHER!" screamed Crysta through her tears.
Winston looked down at Crysta.
"Crysta..." he said, wiping tears from her face with his thumb.
She took his hand and looked into his eyes.
"I am ok, but… she promised to meet me here...." she answered, standing up.
"They look like black clouds." Belle said, turning her back on the group.
"They always have." Emily said.
"Do you hear that?" Sarah said, cupping her hand to her ear.
"What is it, Sarah?" Crysta asked.
Sarah's eyes widened.
"Listen... Do you hear that humming?" Sarah asked impatiently.
"Yeah, I hear it." Emily said.
"What is it?" Crysta asked Winston in fear.
"I don't know, Dear," he answered.
"That is it!" Belle yelled, pointing to the sky.
There were seven bright lights shining like stars in the sky.
"I have a bad feeling." Crysta said, as she squeezed Winston's hand. He squeezed her hand gently in return.
Suddenly, the sound of Belle's screaming broke the sound of strange humming. Startled, everyone looked toward Belle. Belle pointed to the pathway nearest to her.
In the doorway of the pathway stood a tall, dark figure with long, stringy blackness flowing behind it. Winston quickly placed himself between Crysta and the enemy. With a flash, black mud shot up around the platform. There was a sound of someone screaming but it was none stop and very high-pitched. It just got higher and louder with each minute. Crysta looked up her eyes huge with fear. The lights in the sky fell to the ground. They were making the sound. She say the black mud cover them in a dome. Suddenly, the dome was broken and a ball of light protact each person. As they floated upwards, the mud seemed to attack them, but always was dissolved before any damage was done. Belle looked out over the sky. 1 single ball of light was left, and within a blick of an eye it shot to the ground and dissappeared. The shadowy figure started to get a gray glow and lifted up to the sky. It reached out a hand and pulled close a light to it. With a scream, Crysta pounded on the bobble, helpless to watch Winston be taken captive. An eerie voice followed the princess saying simply I will get my revenge.... You all will pay!!!