Fern

Prologue

16 April 2002

Chloe sat in front of her canvas as she dipped her paintbrush in her can of green paint again, before lifting it to her painting and letting the paint sink into the canvas, forming a stroke.

A green mark, on a white canvas.

She relaxed as she repeated the process, dip after dip, stroke after stroke. By the time she had finally stopped, a few hours had passed and the house was silent.

It had never been silent like this before, normally there would at least be someone else other than herself home. Whether it was Gwyn's piano playing, or Cerise's acting, or Anani's singing; there would be signs of someone in the house.

"Mum? Dad?" She called out carefully. She placed a hand on the stairs softly, before descending slowly. 

"Cerise? Anani? Abetzi? Livie? Gwyn? Dee?" Chloe called out, her voice rising slightly. She was getting a tiny bit scared, but she brushed her fear away.

She reached the bottom of the stairs, the hairs on her arm raising slightly. A note was on the clear glass table, and she lunged for it. 

Fern-

If you're reading this, then you're not safe. I never told you, any of you, and I know that I should have. But we have enemies; we've had enemies for generations. 

This will sound ridiculous, but they are frogs. Not the regular harmless ones that go ribbit, these frogs are evil and powerful. They can cry blood, snort fire, shoot meteor from their front legs... that was before, god knows how much more they can do now.

The reason I never said anything was because I thought that it had stopped. It has been about two hundred years since our last war, I guess they've used that time wisely. 

I can't write a long detailed letter, there isn't enough time. Fern, your sisters are taken and held hostage by the frogs and you have to save them. Beware, the frogs like to play games; they hate it when you don't play by their rules. No matter what, you have to obey them until you and your sisters figure out a way to destroy them. It will not be easy, but if this helps, there are only two frogs left to battle.

We - your father and I - used our dying wishes to write you this letter; please make us proud in heaven.

Daddy and I love you, my girl. Let your sisters know we love them too.

Love,

Mum

She set the piece of paper back on the table, still trying to register all that information in her too small memory. Things happened too fast-a few hours ago she was still painting peacefully- when had this happened? Why was she still here and not kidnapped along with her sisters? Was leaving one sister, the middle sister part of their game?

Chloe didn't want to know, but she had to. Her mum didn't use her code name - Fern - if it wasn't an emergency.

A single tear trailed down from her eye - her parents were dead. Dead, because they had used their dying wish to let her save her sisters. Who were these two frogs? When she saw them, she would make that she would be the one to kill them both. 

She sank down onto her silk chair. The letter didn't help her enough. For starters, where were her sisters being held, and how could she save them?