Shattered Beauty

Prologue

The stars shone bright in the midnight sky as the girl gazed out the window. For the first time in a few weeks, there were no clouds covering up the beautiful stars. The sky was always covered up by dull, grey clouds nowadays in London, so she was thrilled to see her gorgeous sky again.
She heard the light footsteps of her mother moving toward her, but she stayed were she was. As her mother approached the door, the girl did not look at her, for if she did, she would see how worn down and tired her mother was, and how her eyes had grown with age. Her mother's eyes used to be the girl's favourite thing about her. Because as her mother grew older, they never changed, even when the rest of her did. You could see the happiness in her eyes, and it never left. But now all you could see in them was exhaustion and worry.

Her mother walked up to her and followed her daughter's gaze.
"My, what gorgeous clear skies there are tonight." she said.
The girl could hear her mother trying to keep her voice still so that it wouldn't break, but she was unsuccessful. She could still hear the grief and despair in her voice. The girl turned her head towards her mother. "Mummy, why are you sad?"
Her mother took her gaze from the sky and smiled sadly.
"Something terrible is going to happen, my dear."
The girl wasn't surprised; she had already figured this much out for herself.
"What mummy? Please tell me."
Her mother turned and stared off into the distance.
"I do not know yet. But it will be terrible."
The girl's vision began to get blurry. She hated seeing her mother so lifeless and dull.
Suddenly, tears were streaming down her face like a flood that has been held in to long. The girl hadn't cried since the first time she saw her mother's eyes had changed, which was around 4 months ago.
Soon, the girl saw a flash of the woman she used to know spread among her mother's face.
"It will be alright, my dear. You will be safe."
"With you?" the girl asked hopefully.
Some part of her already knew the answer, but she didn't want to accept it.
"That will be unlikely, my sweet girl, but know that I will always love you. No matter what."
The girl felt so weak and hopeless. She felt her mother take her into her arms, protecting her from the dangers of the world.
"Belle, do you know why I gave you this name?" her mother whispered into her ear.
When the girl didn't answer, her mother continued.
"I gave you this name because it means beautiful in french. The very first minute I saw you, I saw the kindness in your heart and the beauty that shone upon your face. And when you opened you eyes, I saw the courage that filled them, and instantly I knew that you would do extraordinary things throughout your life. Belle, everything about you is beautiful, and you have more kindness and courage than anybody I have met before, and you are only 8 years old."
Belle looked up at her mother and saw a little light in her eyes. She was filled with a kind of happiness that she had never felt before. Then, her mother reached around her neck and unclipped her golden chain. Attached to it was a heart shaped locket.
"I want you to have this," she said with a sense of despair in her voice, "so that you will never forget me."
Belle didn't want to take it because she couldn't bare to see her mother without it. She seemed empty without it, even more than she already was. But she let her fasten it around her own neck and she was embrace once more into her mother's arms.
"I love you mummy." she said before her face was flooded with tears. But before her mother could respond, they were both lifted off of there feet and sent into the air to
come crashing to the ground. Belle was aching everywhere. Suddenly, she felt a rush of heat against her skin. She opened her eyes and saw flashes of orange had engulfed the space where she and her mother were standing moments before.
"Sweet heart, it's time. Get out of here and go find your grandfather." her mother said frantically.
"No! Not without you!"
"Darling, you have to. Trust me."
She stared at her mother longingly, hoping she would go with her to find her grandfather. But she knew that she wouldn't. Then, she heard the sound of distant gunfire, and her mother started to get panicked.
"Mummy! What's happening? Why can't you tell me?"
"You will find out eventually, my dear. But right now you have to go."
"But mum-"
"No. Go now. Trust me, my sweet Belle."
Belle looked around her room and got a glimpse of the outside of their house. She could see soldiers coming toward them, dressed in army gear and guns readied in their hands. She could no longer see the bright stars in the midnight sky.
"Remember, Belle, I will always love you."
And that was the last time she saw her mother.