One of the Stars

Chapter Three

I'm not in control of my body anymore. This feeling, this command to go, it's not me, yet it is. I walk further down the hallway, the tugging in my stomach leading me where I need to go. Down narrow hallways, through mysterious antichambers. I turn the corner of an extremely long coradoir and bam. Stairs. Creepy dark stairs that have...cobwebs. I HATE spiders. I can't do this. I can't-

Go...

You again.

Go.

NO.

GO.

Uh, Mr. Mysterious Voice, I don't really know who you are...so...NO.

You.

What?

You.

You what?

Me.

You are me?

Correct.

I think you said that earlier.

Indeed.

I'm not going down there. Sorry, no.

YES.

Fine.

Thanks.

I can't believe I'm talking to myself.

I turn and head down the stairs. I cringe every time my foot touched the next step, every time that my shoulder touches one of the drifting webs. But I have to go onward. I have to keep going. There is something down there. Something that's waiting for me.

I reach the bottom of the stairs and sigh. I made it. To this dark...room. Dark is tangible now. I can feel it. There is absolutely no light down here. So I came all the way down the stairs to find-

Light

Really? Where is this light?

Walk.

So I do. I walk forward into the dark, holding out my hands like a shield, hoping that this isn't an armory. My hands touch something. I instantly recoil. Then, I reach out, feeling what this could be. Wood. Damp, old wood. A latch, cold, sweating metal. A key. It needs a key.

You.

Um. I don't have a key.

You.

What?

Have.

What do I have?

KEY.

Okay. So apparently I have a key to open this chest. This ordinary chest that needs a real key. Which I don't have. Not that I know of.

A burning feeling starts on my chest. I look down and...what? My necklace is glowing. The pink crystal glows red-hot. I pull it out from under my dress. The crystal starts melting, conforming. It's...a...key? The pointed tip has become the end, and the flat base the top. Of course. This makes NO. Since. What. So. Ever. Well. I guess I have to try it.

I pull the necklace off and put the key into the lock. The entire chest glows with the same brilliant glare as the key. The chest is humming now as well. I can see the room clearly now, the dark is driven out. The room. Woah. Great. This room...is the dungeon. I can't believe my eyes. There are cells lining the walls. I decide not to look inside. The glow of the chest grows brighter and brighter. The hum is rising in pitch as well. I turn my head and close my eyes.

"Finally! Freedom at last!"

A high, commanding voice rang like a bell from the chest. I fell back, for the glow was pulsing into my skin, beating into my heart.

Free

Free?

Free

What?

Half of me feels at peace, waiting for some unknown joy. The other side is on edge. Boom. A resounding sound fills the room. BOOM. That can't be good. BOOOOOM. I feel a wave of power sweep through the room. I am blasted to the ground, flattened by pure light. My bag is blasted away from me, thrown into the farthest corner of the room. It lands with a resounding clunk. Well. If these palace people didn't know where I was before, they know now.

"Thank you, young lady."

I look up to see the chest blasted to wooden bits on the ground, and hovering over is...a icy glowing...fairy?

"Are you a fairy?"

The words blurt out of my mouth before I have time to properly chew on them. Oops. There are many legends of many woes that take place when you think a creature is what it's not.

In my defense, she does have a fairy like appearance. Her body glowed with a faint light, shifting from blue, to white, to yellow, then blue again. Her long golden hair had dark blue streaks in it, and was pleated into several long braids that fell down her back. Her dress was sleeveless and long, flowing around her like a living thing. It was a pure white, brighter than the brightest light you could ever imagine. And somehow, my eyes didn't burn from looking upon it. They only strengthened.

"A fairy?"

A rich laugh escapes the tiny creature's mouth (which is pink and smiles easily), and she quickly presses her hands (which are adorned with many jeweled rings and bangles) to her face (which is fair and evenly proportioned with bright blue eyes, even nose, and shining, rosy cheeks.)

"No, I am most certainly not a fairy. See? I don't have wings. And I can tell you firsthand that fairies are tricky creatures, incredibly deceiving and crude. I am no such thing. I am a star, like-

You

"Me?"

I don't know why I said that. The star's features soften, and her smile grows warm.

"Well. Not exactly like you, there is much to explain. I-"

Before she could finish, we heard shouts off in the distance, crying out,

"FIND HER! TEAR THIS PLACE APART IF YOU HAVE TO!"

That voice...oh no. Benard is coming. The star raced over to the beginning of the stairway.

"All right, so, they will come down here if we don't move. I'll tell you everything as soon as we get out of here alive."

Wait, what? My mind is reeling. I don't want to die! I'm too young to die! I must have heard her wrong.