• It was a dark and stormy night. The leaves, previously been piled up in a corner now blew across the street. It was quiet outside – the silence was almost scary. Although it was only about midnight, there were no lit windows anywhere. The people here knew better than to show signs of being awake on this particular night.

    It was the same every year. None of Crypter Village’s inhabitants – not the young, brave men or even strangers– had ever gone out on this night in April – until today.

    Just a few feet away from the town hall, a figure sat tiredly on a low wall.
    The young woman had no idea where she was. Usually, she wandered around until she got too tired to walk any farther, just as she had done this day.

    Natasha – or Nat, as her friends once used to call her – sat wearily on the wall, thinking. She had changed her name to something she thought fit better: Sapphire. One look at her and you knew why. Her eyes were of a clear, sparkling blue. She had never seen this colour anywhere else. Her hair – once beautiful, now only dirty and matted – was black as the night around her.

    Sapphire carefully placed her tiny feet on the ground and stood up shakily. She was exhausted, but the town’s ambience and its silence scared her, so she decided to leave. Since she didn’t want to go back, her only option was to go on through the village.

    As Sapphire rose to leave, a person dressed all in black appeared silently near the town’s centre. He – or she – had obviously been there before and knew this visit was going to be different from the others. This time, he would get what he wanted. Without any hesitation, the stranger moved towards the lone girl. He instinctively knew it was a girl, but still he was a bit surprised when he first saw her – long before she was even able to hear his soft but sure footsteps.

    She already seemed scared. But what shocked him was her condition. She looked weak, thin and lost, not like the girls he usually met. And – all of a sudden – an idea occurred to him: It might be good to have someone to accompany him for a change… after all, she was the perfect age.
    Sapphire let herself sink down onto the ground. She was simply too tired to continue walking. At this point it didn’t matter to her if there was anything dangerous out there. At least she thought that until a black figure appeared in front of her.
    Before Sapphire knew it, two strong hands had grabbed her. She struggled, but it was to no use. She looked up and her blue pupils dilated in terror as they met glowing red eyes. Moments later, a piercing scream could be heard throughout the entire village…


    THE END