The Prince of Light

Chapter 1 and 2

Seventeen-year-old Lucas woke up early in the morning when the first rosy fingers of dawn were peeking over the Rockies. He sighed as he sat up and stretched. He got up and went over to his chestnut dresser and slipped on some clothes. On went a white short-sleeve linen shirt and some comfy shorts. He also slipped on some socks and his white tennis shoes. Nikes. Out of his room he went, padding softly down the hall and down the giant stone stairs. Past the maids and the butler and the cooks and all the others he went. They acted like he was invisible. He reached the giant oak doors and grabbed the iron ring. The door creaked softly as they opened. He padded down the stone path that went towards the back of the castle. The back lawn was...... Oh. Sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Lucas Jarrod Gray. I am seventeen years old and my parents are billionaires. We own our very own mansion in Colorado. I am homeschooled. I have blond hair and electric blue eyes. I have a great tan and I am very muscular and lithe from working out. Ok, now back to the story.

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I jogged along the stone path around the mansion, Manor Gray. The sides of the mansion had carefully trimmed gardens with those spiral trees in the soft, red mulch. The other side of the path had a great expanse of a perfect, green lawn. At the edge was a forest of trees. Mostly pine and cedar trees. I continued along the path and rounded the end of the castle. It opened up into a giant patio. There was the patio furniture and the giant pool. The tennis court was there too. Also the basketball court and all that. All that stuff that us rich people have. I jogged along the side of the pool and past the tennis court. Over the basketball court and then onto the green lawn. This part of the grass was worn down by my many months of running along the same path. I ran the length of the worn grass path to the edge of the woods. I stopped at the edge. I looked up at the giant pines that were on the sides of the path. My path. I jogged under the bought of the trees and then ran along the pathway of brown, crunchy pine needles. Along the sides of the path, in the undergrowth, the forest was awakening. Birds started chirping at the sun and squirrels scampered down the trees in search of nuts. I ran on for about another thirty minutes.

'Where is it?' I wondered. On I ran. A couple more minutes passed. I saw the natural archway of tree limbs that signaled that I had found it. I passed under the arch and entered the clearing. In the center of the clearing was what I was looking for. A pure white tree stump, smoothed from the years of rain and wind. It was cut straight across to make the perfect place to rest and relax. I got on to the stump and laid back. I sighed. I listened to the forest creatures and the wind blow and I relaxed. For several minutes I laid there, undisturbed. I felt the Sun's golden rays warm my body, turning it the same color. I could almost hear the forest growing. It was rustling. All in my mind. Wait, that sound wasn't from my mind. I lay still, keeping my eyes closed but being on full alert. There it was again. A slight rustle of the pine needles. It wasn't the wind. I slowly peeked open an eye. There was nothing in the clearing. I sat up. I looked around. Nothing.

"I know I heard something." I said to myself. Again I looked around. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a ripple in the air. Like heat off of pavement. I swung my head to where I saw it. I stared straight at it. Whatever 'it' was. I had an odd feeling that it was watching me. Maybe it had been following me.....

Chapter 2

It moved again. I lunged at it. In a flurry of pine needles and leaves it dodged me. I landed and missed it. It ran off towards the edge of the clearing. I sprang up and ran after it. It reached the edge of the clearing and ran off into the undergrowth. I ran after it. While I crashed through the bushes and trees like a wounded cow, the thing flitted like a ghost. I grabbed and missed. Back down on my face. I lifted my head and growled. Again I raced off towards where I had seen it.... Oh no, it was gone. I looked around.

'Where is it?' I thought as I searched franticly. It was gone. I spun around. A worse thought hit me. 'I'm lost now. I don't even remember which way I came in through.' I slumped down in front of a tree. I sat there. I heard a tiny, chitty laugh. 'What in the world?' I thought. A bunch of butterflies swarmed around me. They were exotic colors. One was a bright violet with silver lines on it. Another was red with little yellow dots on it. Another was green with brown on it. When it stopped it blended in. But the one that caught my attention was a big blue one. It looked just like my eyes. It flew off around the tree. The others followed it. Puzzled, I followed them. On and on we went. Past trees and rocks and bushes. Past streams and cliffs. Following them on. Finally, we reached a sheer mountain face. They turned to the right. I followed them for about five more minutes and then we reached a cave. It wasn't more of a cave but more of a stone tunnel. It was a moss sheet hanging down in front of the far exit. The butterfly swarm passed through the moss curtain. I walked forward. I put my hand on the moss. I hesitated. It was really soft. But I had a feeling of foreboding. I swallowed the feeling and parted the curtain of moss. I gasped. What was inside, you would not believe.

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Sorry about doubling up these chapters. I skipped Chapter 1 on accident and my iPod wouldn't let me put it before Chapter 2 and it took me close to an hour to upload everything, so I just doubled them up. Sorry for the inconvenience!  

~Cole