The Dark Castle

Prologue

"Come on, we need to go now!" the woman hissed, her eyes scanning the forest in front of her.

"Why are you rushing us?" one of the children following groaned, dragging his feet.  The others were just as reluctant.

"Because something dangerous is going to happen, and we need to hurry," she replied sharply, starting to shepherd her children faster through the forest.  She needed to get them into hiding.  They rolled their eyes, sighing as they picked up their pace.  They....well, she had gotten them up in the middle of the night to run, so they were understandably grumpy.

"What are you talking about?" one huffed, glaring at her.

She sighed heavily.  "Stop asking questions, She'll explain when we're safe."

They stopped complaining, and she shepherded them into the safehouse she'd made years ago, just in case.  There was always a threat of danger in this forest, and she'd wanted to make sure she had a safe place to hide her children.  They were everything to her.

"Why are we here?" one of her daughters asked quietly when they got there.  She sounded scared now, rather than angry.  None of the children had ever seen their mother this way.

"I saw something," the woman took a deep breath.  "I'm....not sure what it was, but it's dangerous, and it's destructive.  I want you to stay here, stay safe, okay?  Promise me you'll stay safe."

"We will....but what about you, aren't you going to stay with us?" one of her sons whispered, looking terrified.

"I have to help get rid of it, sweetheart," the woman said gently.   "Make sure it can't hurt any more than it already has."

Her children all instantly hugged her tightly.  "Don't go....please...." her youngest whispered, clinging to her.

"I have to dear," the woman murmured, kneeling down and hugging all her children just as tightly.  "I'm sorry, but I have to...."

The oldest took a deep breath, pulling all the others away as he looked at his mother.  "We love you Mom..." he said quietly.

"And I love you all more than anything," the woman said softly, standing again as a silver scythe appeared in her hand.  "I'll be back soon, alright?"

Her children nodded, watching as she left.  They didn't sleep that night, terrified and jumping at every noise the forest made.  They huddled together, the oldest keeping a protective grasp on the other three.  They waited for days, then weeks, then months for their mother to return.  She never did.