Dawn of Fate

1. They Painted the Roses Red

"Luminous!"

TWACK!

A ruler smacked down on the wooden desk, right next to Luminous' ear. Waist-long blonde hair flew everywhere as she awoke with a start. The book she slept on slid down her fair face, laying open on the table below her.

"What did I tell you about sleeping in the library?" Huffed a gruff olden voice below her small button nose.

Luminous' blue eyes groggily shifted to the gray mouse in the red sweater vest. He was thumping his tail on the desk while holding the ruler in his hand like it was a gigantic sword he wasn't afraid to use.

"Umm, that beds are in books, and reading about them makes you sleepy. . ." Yawned Luminous.

"That beds are for sleeping, and books are for reading!" Corrected the mouse. "Honestly, I don't know how you got to be a lady in waiting for the prince. Even if your mom is the queen's favorite lady in waiting, the queen doesn't seem to favor you particularly. . ."

The mouse paused; he looked for the girl's reaction on her face.

"Oh come on, master mouse, is it so bad to be sleeping in the library?" Luminous continued, oblivious to the comment before.

"I'm serious, Luminous, you should be sleeping in your own bed now," insested master mouse. "If you ask me, maybe I shouldn't let you rent out hero books so often. Maybe you would go to bed earlier."

"Hey, but that's not fair!" Luminous slammed her hand on the table so hard it shook a little underneath Master Mouse feet. "I didn't even stay up that late reading! It was because of this awful dream I had. There were animals like we see everyday, but different, dark, and all shadowy. They didn't talk or act right. They just attacked without rhyme or reason. It was like they were, umm . . . corrupted?"

"Well, whatever dreams you've had, that's still no excuse to-" Master Mouse stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening. "Wait, what do you say about your dream?"

DING DING! Chimed in the clock on the wall.

"Ahh!" Luminous jumped up so fast that the chair she was sitting in hit the carpeted floor. "I didn't realize how late it is, Brenda-bot is going to kill me!"

"Hold on, stop!" yelled master mouse. "I have to have words with you!".

"I can't, I'm going to be late!" Yelled Luminous, scooping up the book she was sleeping on a moment ago.

"Desisted!"

"I have to leave," she implored, picking up the hem of her pale pink dress with her other hand

"Abstain!"

Luminous looked side to side, anxious.

"Brenda-bot is going to kill me..." She murmured.

The mouse had to get her to come with him. He knew he was out of time. This can't be happening today, he wasn't ready, but then again, he never really was.

"You can't leave the library without checking out a library book!" Yelled the mouse. "It's against library rules! You have to come with me this instant!"

Luminous bit the bottom of her lip, her head swiveling between the mouse and the clock.

"Just put it on my card, like you always do," she said, hand already on the wooden door. "I would love to say hello, or uh goodbye!" She said, running into the courtyard. "I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!"

Master Mouse stood on the desk in the library, shaking his head at the small girl who had left the massive doors open.

"Late, huh?" He mumbled. "I most certainly hope not."