CHAPTER FIVE

It was getting dark. Tara and Crystal went home after doing some shopping at the mall. As they reached the building, Tara could sense that that there was something wrong. They got out of the elevator and as they reached the apartment, they noticed that the door was opened.

"Crystal, I don't feel good about this. But you better stay invisible to everyone." Tara whispered.

"The trolls were here Tara. Look at the pink dust on the floor."

"What's that?" Tara asked as they went through the corridor.

"Troll dust. If it hits anyone, that person falls into sleep."

"Where are mom and dad? Mom? Dad? Are you there?" She went to their room, but they weren't there. "Crystal, go and look in the kitchen. I'll look in the living room."

"Alright."

Tara went to the living room, and saw that everything was in a mess. The table was turned to a side; the TV was smashed into pieces. Nothing was in the same shape. Then she heard crystal screaming from the kitchen. Tara ran to the kitchen and her mouth dropped open at the sight in front of her. The whole kitchen was covered with blood. Her parents were on the ground, surrounded with a pool of blood. It was an awful scene. Tara stood there not knowing what to do, or what to say. She started to cry. Crystal came near her and hugged her as she cried with her.

"They'll pay for this." Tara said. She was full of anger and sadness in the same time.

Crystal noticed a piece of paper hanging from the door by a little knife. "Tara, look at this." She said.

Tara took the paper and read:

This was a warning. We will come in two days.

If the girl is not with you, you're gonna be next.

Trolls

"I'll get them for that!" Tara went and called the police.

"Tara what will they do? They can't catch the trolls."

"I don't know what I'm doing!" she said and went into the kitchen again. She knelt near her mother's body, keeping a distance from the blood pool that surrounded her. "I'm sorry I left you alone mom. I didn't know this was gonna happen. I'm sorry." She said as she cried.

After a few minutes the police came in. One of them helped Tara to get up and took her out of the kitchen. Another one came to talk to her as the rest of them did their work.

"Miss, I'm detective Jackson." The man said. Tara just stared at him. Her eyes were emotionless. "Miss, can you tell me your name?" he asked.

"Tara." She said.

"OK Tara, I know that it's hard for you, but can you tell me what happened?"

Tara gave him the note that she found on the door. "This was on the kitchen door."

The detective read the note and was amazed by the signature. "Trolls? Tara, did you see anyone here? Don't be afraid to tell me everything you know."

"I went to the mall, and I got back a few minutes ago. The door was opened, and I didn't hear mom and dad's voices anywhere. I searched in their room, then the living room, then the kitchen. They were…" she couldn't continue as she started to cry.

"We'll find them." Detective Johnson said and put his hand on her shoulder.

"You can't find them. No one can!"

Crystal sat next to her. She was trying to calm her. She knew that the detective would not see or hear her, so she talked to Tara.

"Tara, calm down now. We will find them. I'll help you."

Tara looked at her. "How?" she asked. The detective thought that she was asking him. So he replied.

"We will start an investigation. Do you have a place to spend the night?"

Tara looked at him, then looked at Crystal.

"Tell him yes. We'll go and find the portal. I'll take you to my world. The trolls are there, I'm sure of it." Crystal said.

Tara turned to the detective. "Yes. I have a place to stay. Can I go now?"

"It would be better that way Tara."

"What about mom and dad?"

"We'll take care of them."

Tara got up, and took a little bag. She put some clothes in it, and some stuff that she might need. "I'm going." She said.

"Alright, come to the police station tomorrow. You need to answer a couple of questions there, OK?"

Tara just nodded and left. She stood in the corridor for a moment and stared at the direction of the kitchen. She went out of the apartment and Crystal followed her. They walked to the park.

"Where should we search?" she asked, dryly.

"I don't know. It's a blue shimmering surface." Crystal replied.

"Are you sure that we'll find them there?"

"They live there, Tara."

They walked around the park for a while, then decided to go through it.

"I can't see any blue stuff around here." Tara said with an angry voice.

"There it is!" Crystal said.

"Where?"

"There on the left. Do you see that blue light?"

"Yes. Let's go." Tara said, and they ran toward the light and saw the portal.

"Hold my hand." Crystal said.

"Where will it lead us?"

"A forest. Don't be afraid, I can protect us over there."

"OK. Here goes nothing." Tara held Crystal's hand and as soon as she walked through the portal, she closed her eyes. She couldn't feel anything for a few seconds. But when they were there she hit her head on the ground.

"Aww!"

"Sorry! I forgot to tell you how to land."

"It's OK. As long as I'm still alive." She got up and looked around her. It was dark, but Crystal was shining. "Crystal, you're sparkling!" she said in amazement.

"Yes. I have my powers restored now."

"And where are we now?"

"Somewhere in the Forth Kingdom. I don't know how the trolls managed to get here, and this mirror is supposed to be at the palace." She turned off the mirror, and with a wave of her hand the mirror turned into a small one that would fit in a pocket.

"Put this in you bag. And be careful not to break it. We don't want seven years of bad luck surrounding you."

"Seven years of bad luck? Am I in a fairy tale or something?"

"You're in the world of the fairy tales."

Tara shook her head and decided not to ask anymore questions about this place. "Where should we go now?" she asked.

"Let's walk in that direction. Maybe we could meet someone on the way." Crystal pointed to the direction of a little path through the forest, and they walked that way.