Chapter One

Once upon a cursed village, a girl was listening to the warning from her Grandmother. "You must not go near the forbidden woods. There are terrible dangers that few can even imagine." The Grandmother declared with an unfaltering stare. "Yes I know Grandmother. I know the consequences. I too remember the horrors of a night, almost 10 years ago." The 15-year-old Leo replied as she put on her coat as she headed towards the door. "You mustn't assume that because my mother ignored warnings such as this that I must be just like her. Do you think her death means nothing to me?" the young brunette retorted as her cheeks grew redder and her eyes filled with tears from unwanted emotions. Leo fled the house wiping her eyes as she reflected upon horrid night so long ago.

Leo's mother thought this tale; this legend was just that, a story. Something the elders just made up to keep the young adventurous type from wandering into the other towns on the other side of the woods. When Leo was five, her mother in protest of this 'rumour' walked straight into the woods with her head held high, with no thought on how this could shame the family name…forever. Then almost the second the sight of her mother evaporated into the woods, she came running back with such a look of horror in her eyes.

'Served her right! Threatening the village! We could of all died!' the elders muttered every time Leo would come into view. She knew of course, knew of what they meant of threat they were talking about. The second her mother came out of those woods, the legend became true! A Cyoseaing came rising from the sea of green leaves and with its four grey foul arms captured her mother and flew away.

A Cyoseaing, probably the most hated and evil creature on this little place you call Earth. It's the ugliest thing Leo has ever seen. It has one eye with the pupil shaped like a lightning bolt. 'So it can find all the good souls and devour them,' her Grandmother would state when ever Leo would dare to bring up the touchy subject. It had four arms with three fingers with claws so sharp they could kill you if they tapped your neck ever so lightly. The village people would say that they are a vampire's best friends. They also said that Dracula has one as a pet. Its four horse-like shaped legs would make it faster than any stag running for its very existence. Its wings would be perfect for when the king among the bloodthirsty beast needed to get back before the sun would rise.

Leo hated to think of those monsters. She hated to think of the torture her mother was put through before they showed mercy and ended her life. "How can Grandmother bring them up in such away?" she whispered to her self as she reflected on what her Grandmother said. "Bring what up?" Leo turned so quickly she stumbled into Frank. Leo never noticed how muscular his sixteen-year-old body felt, as she stared into his deep sky blue eyes. "Sorry…you startled me. What were you saying?" Leo was never so embarrassed.

Still… she wondered how she never noticed how attractive Frank was. She had lived next door to him ever since that evening so long ago… when she went to live with her Grandmother. He was always so nice to Leo. Whenever any of the kids made fun of her he would never take part. Never did he help in the children's favourite game of chasing Leo until they could tackle her and give her the most pain they could with their immature bodies.

"I said 'Bring what up?' What did your Grandmother bring up that could upset you so much? Come on now Leo, you can trust old Frank!" "Oh…um…my Grandmother likes to think I'm a smaller replica of my mother." Leo said as she wondered if she should risk looking at his perfect face it. "Oh…well… It must be hard for her to deal with such a loss." "WHAT ABOUT MY LOSS? WHY MUST I LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY MOTHER? IT'S NOT MY FAULT SHE DIED! I DIDN'T MAKE HER DO IT!" yelled Leo as she remembered whom she was talking to and why. Soft, cool tears ran down her cheeks newly reddened by anger and embarrassment. "I know that…but you know what the elders are like. We both know it's no more your fault than your Grandmother." He put his comforting arm around her and pulled her close. "If anyone, other than your mother, is to blame it would be your Grandmother." He continued as he rested his chin on her chestnut coloured hair.

They sat there, frozen. "Are you off to collect your vegetables for supper?" asked Frank nervously as he changed the subject. "Yes, are you going to the celebrations to night?" enquired Leo with a quick glance into his beautiful eyes. "Yes. Do you want me to go with you?" offered Frank with a nervous tone in his voice. "I mean, encase the others are there." She knew what he ment. Last night as Leo went to get some vegetables, the children attacked her. "If you want, you can come with me. I mean…If you're not…um…busy or …uh…anything" was all Leo could say. At the moment it was her greatest desire, to spend some length of time with this human of perfection. "Well we better hurry!" he said with a smirk.

Leo only got to spend one third of the expected time with her 'god' because of the younger boys in the village. They were playing the juvenile game of 'Let's try to creep up to the woods!' The idea of the game is to see how close they could get before he would go screaming to his home. Apparently little Johnny actually went into the woods and came crying into the garden. "What's wrong John? Are you all right? Leo! Help me!" Frank yelled. He finally turned around to see what could keep Leo's attention in circumstances such as this. As he turned Leo looked strait into his eyes and her lips uttered one-word "Run." Then this ear slicing sound told Frank all he need to know. He grabbed Johnny in his arms and he ran, ran faster than he ever thought possible. Leo quickly grabbed a nearby rake and ran along side her newly found love. No harm would come to her beloved.