a girl named crystal finds the doors after her parents died in a fire, and met jack, sally, and many more people. u have 2 read it 2 find out.
Chapter 1
Chestnut brown hair pulled up in a messy bun, ghostly white skin,
amber-tinted eyes, worn-out jeans, and a gray skull tee with torn sleeves. A helpless teen in a small town, staring back at me in the mirror. I was sitting in front of my vanity, looking at the calendar. It was October 31, Halloween night. We were supposed to go trick-or-treating, but Great-Grandpa Harold was turning 97. The whole family is here to celebrate, and they’re all waiting for me to come downstairs. I was tying my jet black Converse sneakers, when a peculiar scent drifted in the air. I breathed in the strange odor and suddenly recognized it immediately: smoke.
I cracked open the door and watched in horror as my family members screamed, moaned and burned. Tears streamed down my face as a creature was laughing maniacally, and it declared, “This will be the last time Jack or anyone else messes with Oogie Boogie and his fellow insects!”
I slammed the door and opened a window which led directly to the front yard. It was chilly tonight, so I put on my favorite jacket that had the Aeropostale logo on it. I gently picked up my sleeping dachshund, Weenie, and jumped out the window. The soft grass kept us from getting seriously injured. I took one last glance of my room as the fire burned everything I held dear. With my dog in my grasp, I dashed away from the perishing house. I could still hear screaming, so I picked up the pace. When I was halfway through the Hinterlands, I stopped running.
Weenie hopped out of my embrace, and I sat underneath a tall oak tree. I rested my head on my shoulders and sobbed bitterly, and my pup began to howl. After a few minutes, the sobs subsided, and I fell asleep. I dreamed about falling through a hole that led to a garden filled with tombstones and dead flowers. Yet little did I know that my dreams were about to become real.
Chapter 2
I opened my eyes about three hours later. Weenie yawned and stretched out her legs. I looked up at the sky and saw billions of stars. More than I usually see back home in little Sobertown. I got up and sluggishly wobbled forward, Weenie trotting behind. As we forged on, I noticed the trees look like the life was sucked out of them. Suddenly, Weenie stopped walking and growled softly.
“What is it, girl?” I asked. Then I realized why she growled. Not 20 feet from where I was standing were the creepiest trees I have ever laid eyes on. They had doors on them carved into familiar shapes- Easter egg, heart, turkey…It all became clear to me now. Grandpa mentioned something about holiday doors carved on dead trees. We all thought he was loony, but the evidence was right there. He said if you open one of the doors, you would enter
a whole new world. I decided to make sure he wasn’t bluffing. All I had to do was think of the holiday I loved the most, so Weenie and I went to open the Halloween door. The door was in the shape of a jack-o’-lantern so I reached for the nose of the face. It turned, and the door opened. I looked down and saw complete darkness. A strong force pushed Weenie into my arms and through the door, which slammed behind us. We swirled around and around through a vortex that led to who-knows-where.
Chapter 3
We landed with an “oof” near a stone cross. I looked around and spotted more crosses along with some tombstones, statues, and a couple mausoleums. It turned out to be a graveyard, one of my top 10 favorite places. I chose to look around and maybe ask for directions.
“Weenie, you stay here while I look around,” I commanded firmly. She barked in response. I looked at the sign below the gates that read “Halloween Land Cemetery”. I got up and explored the churchyard, noting the craftsmanship on each stone. There was one in particular that I stopped to read, my eyes slowly widening in shock:
RIP
Robert and Helen Clearre
Born July 4, 1970 and April 7, 1973
Died October 31, 2008
Married for 20 years
Along with family members, died in house fire
Cause of fire unknown
Daughter and dog’s remains not found
May they rest in peace
I felt pain in the side of my chest. If only they knew that the monster burned down the place and Weenie and I were still alive. Tears began to fill my eyes, but then said to myself, “Be strong, Crystal.” I walked on until I approached a small mountain with a curled peak that sloped like a large hill. There was a skeleton sitting on top of it. He was tall and thin, wore a pinstripe suit, and had a bat bow tie to complete his look. He looked rather dashing for a dead man.
“Another Halloween come and gone,” he sighed.
Poor guy, I thought. I made my mind up to present myself. I moved stealthily up the hill, trying not to make any sudden movements, when the hairs in my nose began to tickle. I was about to hold my nose shut to prevent from sneezing, but it was too late.
The man heard me and shouted, “Who goes there?” I flinched as he turned around. “Oh, forgive me! I didn’t intend to frighten you. Sure, it’s my job, but you almost startled me myself,” he apologized. “Say, I haven’t seen you around before. What is your name, little lady?”
“I’m Crystal Clearre,” I said.
He gasped. “You survived the fire?! Gosh, I-I’m sorry.”
“How did you know about that?” I questioned.
“It’s on one of the tombstones,” he replied. “I suppose you read it already?”
Yes, I did. Thank you for your concern, sir.”
Then he slapped his forehead, as if he had forgotten something. “Oh, where are my manners? My name is Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, ruler of Halloween Land. But everyone calls me Jack.” He held out his bony, skinless hand, and I shook it. Out of nowhere, a ghost appeared.
“Ma’am, do you own a dachshund called Weenie?” it asked. I nodded. “Well, it’s at Jack’s house. I suggest you go get her. Gotta fly!” He floated away without another word.
“We should head that direction,” Jack said, “but we can still talk. So what brings you here besides the fire?”
“Well, I found these trees with doors carved on them, and opened the Halloween door.”
“I found those, too, about 15 years ago. But I haven’t grown old. See, when you’re dead, age doesn’t really matter. I was raised like any other child, but once you reach a certain age, you don’t get older. I stopped the same time I found the doors.” He spoke as we walked down the hill. “Would you like to hear the story?”
“Sure, what the heck? Fire away,” I answered. So on the way, Jack spun a tale about taking over a holiday, defeating a beast, learning about his true form, and falling in love.
Chapter 4
“Thanks for the story, Jack. It was lovely,” I said as Jack unlocked the door to his house. When we walked in, my mouth dropped. I have never seen a grander home than this. There was a fireplace, desk, a long bookshelf, a sleek piano, and in the corner was Weenie. She was sleeping peacefully beside a ghost dog named Zero, who was snoozing as well. “Wow, your house is beautiful, Jack.” I complimented.
“Thank you,” Jack said. “Do you need someplace to sleep tonight, little air breather?”
“I don’t want to be a pest,” I informed politely.
Not at all,” he insisted. “It’s down the hall, up the stairs, and it’s the door on the left side,”
“Well, I am a bit drowsy,” I yawned. “All right, Jack, I’ll stay.” I followed his directions and reached the guest room. I let down my hair and crawled into the bed.
“Goodnight!” I called.
“Pleasant nightmares,” he called back. I guess it was something they say here. I blew out the lamp, and fell asleep.
~
Jack woke me up the next morning and told me to get dressed. “I want you to meet someone that is considered a celebrity in this town: Dr. Finklestein.”
“Lead the way,” I said. We walked a few blocks down to the mad scientist’s house. It looked like an observatory, but with a big window on the dome. We knocked on the door, and a lady answered. Jack said she was the doctor’s new wife, Jewel, which he had created. Doc put half his brain into her head so that they “would have conversations worth having”.
“Good morning, Jack. And Crystal, I’ve heard so much about you. Please come in,” she said politely. She led us up a metal staircase to a laboratory, where a man in a wheelchair was studying some pictures. He turned the chair around so he could see us. He wore black shades and had a steel lid on his head. He spoke with a rasp.
“Jack, it’s very nice to see you. And who is this?” he asked, looking straight at me.
“Darling, this is Crystal. Remember?” Jewel told him.
“Ah, yes, the little human that survived the Clearre fire. It is nice to meet you,” he said, shaking my hand. “My Sally has been especially anxious to see you both.”
He cleared his throat and hollered, “Sally!” For an old guy, he sure could yell.
“Coming,” replied an angelic voice. We heard heels clicking faintly, and they got louder and louder. Jack and I exchanged grins as her silhouette appeared on the wall until she was standing in front of the doctor.
Chapter 5
Sally was one of Doc’s creations. He made her when he needed someone to help him with daily life, due to the fact that he was an old man and couldn’t do everything himself. He obviously intended for her to love him and not anyone else, but Sally fell for Jack. Thus, he created Jewel as her replacement. Of course, Doc calls her his and Jewel’s daughter. Sally wore a dress made from scraps, black-and-white striped legwarmers, and black boots. Her skin was cold with a bluish tint to it, and stitches covered her body. Her maroon hair ran down to her lower back, and her eyes glistened like a star-lit sky.
“Did you need me?” She turned to Jack, and a big smile spread across her visage. “Jack!”
“Hello, Sally,” Jack greeted her with a big skeleton grin.
Sally flew into his arms and Jack held her close to him. Then he let he go so she could meet me.
“It’s an honor to meet you in person, Crystal,” she said as she patted my hand. “I’m really sorry about what happened to your family. Do you know who caused it?”
I felt that chest pain again. “It’s…too painful to remember,”
“Oh, I sorry, I didn’t know…”Sally apologized sadly.
“No, no, no, it’s okay. It…just hurts to talk about it,” I assured her.
“I understand,” she said with a sympathetic smile.
Something about her reminded me of Mom: her personality, maybe. Sally was kind and understanding, just like my mother. The memories began to come back. “Wait, Sally. It’s all coming to me now. I think I can tell you how it happened.”
“Okay,” Sally replied. We sat down on an aluminum bench.
“He was a blob. A heartless, fireproof blob. He vowed that it would be the last time anyone would try to mess with him. I forgot his name. I grabbed my dog and ran away. I could still hear screaming…” I shed a tear and it splattered on the hard floor.
Sally squeezed my hand. “Things will get better, Crystal. Remember that.”
I got so riled up; I didn’t notice that Jack left the room. “Where did he go?”
“He went to fetch Vladimir Van Peron, the Vampire Brothers’ nephew. You might get to meet him,” Sally said. She handed me my jacket, as if she suspected that I wanted to go back. I put it on, since I was a little curious about meeting this lad.
“It was nice to meet you, Sally, Dr. Finklestein, Jewel,” I said as I headed for the staircase.
“Goodbye,” they all said as I walked down the stairs, out the door, and into the streets. It was a good thing I didn’t notice Lock, Shock, and Barrel spying at me from behind a bush. I shuffled up the stairs that led to Jack’s house, and casually knocked on the door.
“I’ll get it, Jack,” a velvety Transylvanian voice called from the other side. It opened, and a handsome teenage vampire stood in front of me. When our eyes met, I felt something magical was taking place: love at first sight.
Chapter 6
Hi, Jack!” I said quickly as I whizzed up the stairs to the guest room. I slammed the door behind me and plopped down on the bed. I’ve been a single girl all my life, and didn’t really care about guys. But Vladimir was by far the fairest one of all. I began to hear voices, so I got off the bed, lay down on the floor and put my ear to it. I listened to the conversation below me.
“What is wrong with you two?” Jack puzzled.
Vlad sighed. “Have you ever heard of love at first sight?”
“Ah, you like her, don’t you?”
“Are you kidding? She is intoxicatingly beautiful in every way.” I blushed. No one ever called me that before. If only he knew that I thought he was devilishly handsome. I kept listening.
“Why don’t you tell her it’s time for supper?” Jack suggested.
“What if she hates me?”
“Oh, come now. You’re being silly.”
“Very well, Jack, I’ll go get her.” I jumped up as soon as I heard Vlad come up the stairs. I immediately opened the door before he could even knock.
“H-hi, Crystal. Um…Jack wanted me to tell you that if you’re hungry, you can come downstairs. Can I ask you something?”
“Uh, sure.” I hoped this was it. I hoped that he would finally reveal his feelings for me!
“Do you…like me? In any way?”
Downstairs, Vlad told Jack that he feared that I would hate him. I felt the complete opposite about him. I thought he was a dreamboat. “It was love at fist sight.” That was supposed to stay in my head, but I guess it slipped out.
“Really? Because that’s exactly how I feel.”
“I know. When you and Jack were talking, I…kind of overheard.”
“Oh…It’s all right. I would’ve eavesdropped, too.”
“For real?”
“Entirely. Now let us go downstairs and get you something to eat.”
He offered me his arm, and I slipped mine through so we could lock elbows like they did in the “powdered wig times”. (That’s what I call the 1700s because they wore powdered wigs at the time.) When we reached the kitchen, Vlad pulled the chair out for me like a sophisticated gentleman. I sat down, and he pushed it back in; I thanked him.
Jack placed a steaming bowl in front of me along with a mug of what looked liked apple cider. “Here you go.”
“What is it, Jack?” I asked.
“Spider stew. Sally made it for me this morning, but I’ll be glad to share it with you. Don’t worry, it’s very good. It’s not like anything you eat, I understand,” Jack replied nervously. While he was talking, I took a spoonful and smelled it. The aroma was heavenly, and I figured it would taste heavenly, too. And I was right; it tasted like Granny’s steak stew.
“Mmm! That is so good,” I said. “Who knew spiders tasted that good?” I ate the whole thing, and washed it down with the cider. “Say, Jack, even if you are dead, why eat? Where does it go?”
“It goes right through us, literally. It dissolves. Besides, we love to cook things. We felt left out when the witches began to use their cauldrons. Since then, we started making soups, stews, brews, stuff like that.”
“Oh, okay. Hey, where did Vlad go?” I guess he left while I was eating.
“He went to the cemetery, and he looked troubled about something. I wonder what’s wrong.”
I immediately got up and Jack took my bowl. “I better go see him,” I said. I walked to the door and thanked him foe the meal.
“You’re welcome. And good luck!” Jack called as I went out to find Vlad.
Chapter 7
I found him on the hill, sighing deeply. I got down beside him. “What’s wrong, Vlad?” I asked.
“Oh, hello, Crystal,” he said sadly. “I’m just a little homesick.”
“Why did you leave?” I asked.
“Every fall I come to Halloween Land to visit my uncles. But now that I’ve met you, I’m not so sure if I want to leave. And I’m afraid that I must go in two weeks.”
“When my family died last night, I thought I wasn’t gonna make it. But something about this place filled my heart with hope. Sally, Jack, Zero, the Finklesteins, they treat me like family. And you’re the first guy I ever fell in love with, particularly a vampire. I don’t want to leave here, either,” I told him.
“Wow, none of the girls back in Transylvania are as caring and sincere as you.
All they talk about is blood and Frederic la Frey. Ugh! Why would they have a crush on a heartless guy like him? Seriously!”
I giggled. “But you’re not heartless. You’re sweet, caring, sensitive, handsome, funny, understanding…”
He smiled. “Thank you, Crystal. You are all of those things, too. I wish all the girls were like you.”
A cold breeze hit me, and it suddenly dawned on me: I left my jacket at Jack’s house!
I must’ve shivered or something because Vlad asked me if I was cold.
“A little,” I replied. He took off his brown leather coat, revealing a maroon turtleneck, and draped it over my shoulders. It was very warm. I yawned, since being toasty and full of stew makes a girl mighty tired.
“Maybe we should take you back,” Vlad said. He held out his hand. “Shall we go?”
I nodded, and held the offered hand. We walked casually back to Jack’s house. I went into the guest room. Vlad waited for me outside the door as I changed into a black tank top and fuzzy pants covered in pumpkins. I found a pair of woolen black flats with a jack-o’-lantern pompom at each toe. There was padding on the bottoms, so I put those on, too. I shouted that I was done dressing, and Vlad came in. Before I could get into bed, I heard Jack and Sally talk.
“I don’t know, Jack. Maybe he returned. There’s a good chance that he’s the one that burned her house down and killed her family.”
“I destroyed him, Sally. Remember? You were there when it happened. There’s no way he could’ve survived.”
“That’s true, Jack, Maybe I’m just overreacting. Well, goodnight, Jack.”
I was thinking of going downstairs to ask what they were talking about, but that would be prying. Instead I slithered sluggishly into the bed and pulled up the covers.
“Goodnight, Crystal. Sleep well,” Vlad said. He leaned over and kissed my forehead. Then Jack came in.
“Pleasant dreams, Crystal,” Jack said. He patted my head, and the two guys walked out of the room. I blew out the lamp and dozed off. I didn’t realize that three tricksters had shoved me in a bag and took me to face my worst nightmare: the Boogie man.
Chapter 8
I woke up in the middle of the night hearing the voices of Lock, Shock, and Barrel.
“Jack is such a wimp!” retorted Barrel.
“I can’t believe we got him that easily,” bragged Lock.
“Take it easy, boys,” said Shock. “We have to act cool so Oogie will reward us, right?”
“Right,” agreed the boys,
I wanted to go back to sleep. They wanted Jack instead of me; I was in the middle of being kidnapped, and Oogie was the name of the heartless wretch that destroyed everything I loved and cared about. I got nauseous for two reasons: seeing the murderer face-to-face, and getting tossed around in the sack. Suddenly everything was still, and the bag was opened. I took a deep breath, and popped out. Then I stared at the monster in shock.
“This isn’t Jack, you idiots!” he shouted. I recognized the voice. It was him!
I decided to give that low-down bag a piece of my mind.
“You! You’re the one that killed my family and burned my house down! Just because my dad was a pest control man! And you wanted Jack instead of me. He destroyed you, or so he thought. You deserve to die.”
Oogie scoffed. “You’re a sharp one, aren’t you? Too sharp. And I have a weird craving for human flesh...Tell ya what; I’m inviting you to dinner, as the main course!”
He laughed maniacally and I screamed “help” as his henchmen tied me to a conveyor belt that was headed for a boiling pot of acid.
“Help me, please! Somebody!” I wailed, tears streaming down my face. I got closer to the pot, and yelped.
“Quit your blubberin’! No one will save you!” Oogie snapped.
“Now, Oogie, is that any way to treat a lady, hmm?” I turned my head, and there was Vlad.
Oogie let out a laugh. “You’re pulling my leg.”
“The boy didn’t say a word.” Standing beside him was Jack. Oogie jumped.
“J-Jack?! What a surprise!” he said nervously.
“You did survive. Sally was right. You deserve to be punished!” he scolded.
“What are you gonna do about it? Pull my string?” retorted Oogie.
“You mean ‘we’,” Vlad corrected. He looked at Jack and nodded. Jack nodded back and pointed at Oogie. Right on cue, he hissed, pounced on Oogie, and ripped that dude to shreds. Jack shot fire out of his hands, and all but one bug died. He tossed me the last bug, and I threw it in the boiling pot of acid. Vlad pushed a lever, and the conveyor belt stopped moving.
The boys untied me and I hopped down from the conveyor belt.
“You would really risk everything just to save me?” I asked.
“Of course,” Jack said.
“You’re family,” Vlad agreed. He held me close in a passionate embrace, and I ever so gently kissed his cold cheek. He whispered ‘I love you’ in my ear then let go. I went over and hugged Jack so tight I thought his bones would break.
“Maybe we should go and tell everyone that I’m alive,” I suggested. They nodded as we found the way out of that barren wasteland. We walked to Jack’s house, where a certain ragdoll was sitting on the steps with a big smile.
Chapter 9
“Thank goodness you’re alright! I was so worried!” Sally exclaimed as she hugged me.
Then Jack sighed and sat down on the steps, bowing his head in shame. But what was he ashamed about? Sally rushed to his side and tried to make him explain.
“Sally…why didn’t I listen to you?” Jack said sadly.
“About what?” Sally asked.
“About Oogie. I thought I destroyed him for sure. I never expected him to come back. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” he lamented.
“Oh, Jack,” Sally sighed, stroking his face.
“I still can’t over not believing you at Christmas,” he moaned.
“I forgive you, Jack. You know that. I tried to stop you because of my vision. “
“What vision?”
Whenever you were experimenting that night, and when I gave you food, I hid behind the gate. I plucked the petals off of a flower, and the flower began to tremble. It turned into a little tree, with ornaments and a star on top. Just like Christmas.”
“Right.”
“Then the tree burst into flames, and all that was left was a branch. That’s when I knew that something bad was going to happen.”
Jack never mentioned that. I guess he never knew about it. His sad expression appeared even sadder.
“I tried to warn you, but you were so delusional, you didn’t listen to me. Remember when you were about to take off, it suddenly got foggy?”
“Yes,” Jack said. His expression wasn’t as sad, but still depressed-looking.
“I did that. I put fog juice into the fountain. I thought it would prevent you from leaving, but Zero‘s nose started glowing. You put him on the head of the team of dead reindeer, and flew away.
“When you were gone, I walked away, hoping that my premonition would be wrong. After I heard that they were going to shoot you down, I went off to save Sandy Claws, but was then captured by Oogie.”
The corner of Jack’s mouth twitched, like he was trying to smile.
“When the mayor announced that you were dead, my heart broke. I never got the chance to tell you how I truly felt.”
I can’t believe I never heard Sally’s side of the story. This was one of those moments when you got to know someone better.
She went on. “Then, by a fortunate fluke of luck, you saved me and Sandy, who went off to fix everything. You asked me how I got there, and as I attempted to tell you that I was trying to help…”
“The mayor cut in and got us out of there,” Jack finished her sentence. “Sandy gave us snow, and the townsfolk seemed to enjoy it. Then you went to the cemetery. I searched for you, and there you were, plucking petals off of a flower. Then we shared our feelings, and…”
“Our first kiss. Oh, it was a magical night,” Sally sighed dreamily.
“Sally,” Jack said as they got up, “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” Sally agreed. Then, for the first time since I met them, they kissed.
I felt a tear run down from my face and heard it splatter on the concrete.
“I wish I could stay. You two are so happy together, and I want to make sure it stays that way. And Vlad, I love you like Sally loves Jack. We understand each other. And Jack, our dogs are in love, too.”
“Who says you can’t?” Jack demanded. He rushed over to me.
“You mean…I can?” I asked.
“Of course you can! You can move in with me and I can teach you everything I know.”
“Like a dad?”
“More like a loving guardian. But before we do this, there is one thing we must do.”
“I have to be a rag doll like Sally, right?”
“I’m afraid so,” Jack said sadly.
“Well…if that’s what must be done, then I’ll do it,” I said. Everyone seemed surprised that I answered ‘yes’ that quickly. So we went on to Dr. Finklestein’s house, where serious work must be done.
Chapter 10
Weenie was already transformed when we got there, so automatically it was my turn. I lay down on a steel operating table, like the one from Frankenstein’s castle. Then the doctor handed me a cup with something in it.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.
I held the cup close to my mouth, and said, “If this will let me stay here forever, then yes.” Then I drank the liquid. I looked at my hands, the color fading. Then I blacked out. The next thing I remember, electric currents raced through my body.
~
“She’s waking up,” I heard Jack say. My eyes slowly opened, and everyone was leaning over and smiling.
“You’re a rag doll now, Crystal,” Sally told me.
“I..I am?” Wow, it’s a miracle that I can actually speak, see, and hear. “Gee whiz, Doc. How do you do it?”
“ Patience, precision, and a lot of thread,” Doc replied. We all laughed at that.
“Are you ready to go?” Vlad asked me. I nodded. I got off of the table and said goodbye to the Finklesteins . The three of us locked elbows and headed out. But first we had to take Vlad to his uncles’ house. When we got there we said our goodbyes.
“ See you tomorrow, my boy,” Jack said, patting Vlad’s back.
Goodbye, Vlad,” I said sadly. Then something happened that Jack and I didn’t expect: Vlad’s lips gently pressed down on mine. My first kiss. Then he walked into the house.
“Did Vlad just kiss you?” Jack asked on the way back to his house.
“I think so, Jack. It was unlike anything that I could imagine. I felt warm and fuzzy inside, just like Mom did when she had her first kiss with my dad,” I said. I can’t believe it. My first kiss. Mom and Dad should be proud.
Chapter 11
“Wow,” I breathed as we stepped into Jack’s extraordinary home. “I can’t believe that this is my new home.” I stood there drinking in all that has happened since Halloween night: falling through the vortex, making new friends, getting kidnapped and then rescued, being adopted by a dead man, turning into a living ragdoll, and to top it all off, my first kiss. And all within 36 hours. I heard Jack yawn from across the room, which broke my daze.
“Maybe we should all go to bed, Jack,” I suggested.
“Good idea,” Jack said, stretching his arms. “I’ll go with you.”
So we both went upstairs to my room, and I stood in front of the mirror. My eyes widened and mouth dropped as I looked at my reflection. I had the same brown hair and hazel eyes, but my skin had a bluish tint to it, and it felt cold, too. Also I had been stitched up from head to toe, like Sally. I pressed two fingers on my neck, but didn’t feel a pulse. I really was dead.
I got down on my knees and prayed. “Thank you, Lord, for everything you have done not only for the sinners, but for me. Amen.”
“ Goodnight, my dear. Sleep tight,” Jack said. He leaned over, kissed my head, and gave me a big hug. He playfully messed up my hair and blew out the lamp. Then he walked out of the room. Every night since that happened, I’ve had a recurring dream about everything that occurred, from looking in the mirror to Vlad kissing me. Nowadays, the townsfolk beg me to tell the story over and over and over. And I usually don’t refuse. Everyone grew to love me and respect me. Although everything I once loved burned to ash, the flame in my heart will never die.
~Fin~
