The Story Of Adeline

Prologue

Prologue

A woman with long, dark hair sat in a crowded room. The room was hidden deep underground and lit only by dim firelight. The woman had a small bundle of blankets across her lap, and within them lay her sleeping baby. The newborn girl slept soundly and didn't stir even with the noise that came from the others in the room.

Everyone was crowded around the woman and the child, each hoping for a chance to gaze upon girl. Their voices were low and spoke in a strange, cryptic language. The woman smiled wickedly, vainly proud that it was her child that they spoke of, her child that was the center of wonder and attention.

The baby began to squirm from within her blankets, her eyes fluttering dreamily. She slowly opened her eyes, which were a deep, rich purple. The mother smiled down at the baby, her own blood-red eyes gleaming in the firelight. The crowd's murmuring grew louder, obviously astonished by her eyes. The mother looked down at her child and brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face. The child gazed past her mother, a look of wonder in her eyes.

The woman turned, looking to see what had her child's attention. Directly behind the woman stood a tall, cloaked figure. Though their face was shrouded by the hood of their cloak, she could somehow tell their gaze lay squarely upon the baby in her lap. The woman narrowed her eyes, straining to see the stranger's face. A look of recognition quickly flashed over her face, followed by a mix of fear and outrage.

Before she could act though, the stranger quickly placed a hand over her child. The woman recoiled, yanking the girl back with her and away from their touch. Then, as she went to yell, the cloak dropped suddenly to the floor, the figure having vanished from within it. Just as her daughter had vanished from her blankets.