An Otherwordly Necklace of Mystical Entities

"Selene...whatever happens, I want you and Jennifer to run to the cellar! Do you understand me?"

"No, Peter! No!"

"Jennifer...go back to your mother!"

"I just loved the way the mother yelled the kid's name when we killed him right in fromt of her. Brenden, Brenden!"

"He's dead! He's dead! Dad is dead! Brenden is dead!" "Looks like we found you, precious."

"Please...no."

Those thoughts race fresh through my mind as I walk quietly behind Sabra towards the royal castle not too far away.

"Hey, let's go. Hurry it up," Sabra says to me, seeing me slowing down.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," I reply, snapping back into my senses. Minutes pass, and we finally make it to the front gate leading into the huge concrete-fashioned castle.

"Stand back," Sabra says simply.

"What for?" I ask, staring at the castle's entrance. Sabra ignores my question, and waves her right hand over the center lock on the gate. A bright golden light flashes twice and the gate slowly opens, eerie creaking sounds emitting from it with every movement.

"Cool," I mutter lowly, steadily follow Sabra into the castle's center area.

We both walk under a giant archway, and into the most beautiful place I have ever seen. My first thought was that I must have fallen into a wondrous dream, but I knew that I hadn't. I wish it all were though

In front of us was a magnificent garden of every type of flower imaginable. They seemed to glow vibrantly from the dark rays of the setting sun. The garden was split into four ways, to make paths to the other areas in the castle, almost like an intersection. I look ahead of us and see a tall building with two watchtowers beside it.

'Probably the castle's main entrance,' I think to myself.

Around the entrance were many more archways that twisted and turned off from the four paths, which led to many different places around the castle, and I saw more flowers blooming graciously along those paths as well. I glance to my sides, and there were the same architectural-shaped building with the two identical watchtowers as the one in front of us. Sabra then stands in front of me, one hand carelessly on her hip.

"This place is really beautiful," I say to her absentmindedly.

"Why thank you. Now follow me," she replies, walking towards the main entrance. I follow quietly behind her, still admiring the castle's brilliance. She stops in front of the wall beside the door, and looks intently at it. I look at the sight, slightly confused.

"Umm...Sabra? Whoa." A face appeared to be coming through the wall from the other side--and it was! A split second later a man stands before us both. His skin and clothes were the same texture and color of the cement wall he had just previously came through. I stare awe-struck at him.

"Meleager, I have a question. Where is my mother at this moment?" Sabra asks the man calmly.

"Your mother? Hmm? I last had seen her in the northwest wing, my lady," the man answers politely.

"Thank you. That was all I needed," Sabra says with a small smile. The man bows his head and slowly moves back into the wall; where he disappears from sight.

"Come on," Sabra says plainly.

"What...what just happened back there? Who was that?" I question, still glancing back at the spot.

"That was Meleager, one of the many housekeepers of this castle. Do not be alarmed by them. They live within the walls and only appear when they are needed. Now, we have a ways to walk. So, don't dawdle again."

Nighttime settles peacefully over the castle. Still walking behind Sabra, I take in the pleasurably air whipping coolly over my face and the quietness of the castle walls.

"Hold on," Sabra exclaims, stopping dead in her tracks.

"What? What is it?" I ask, halting behind her. When she doesn't answer me, I take a look around her.

At the end of the passageway was a figure standing elegantly on top of a balcony; apparently gazing out at the full moon ahead.

"Is that the Queen?" I inquire.

"Yes. That is my mother...Queen Athene," Sabra responds. I unmindfully walk my way from behind Sabra and tiptoe silently over to the lady I was so desperately waiting to meet.

"Jennifer...get back here!" Sabra whispers to me harshly. Ignoring her comment, I keep walking; every step bringing me closer and closer to knowing the truth.

"Hmm? And who do we have here?" the Queen announces, after I had finally stepped onto the balcony.

"Umm...my name is Jennifer, ma'am. And I was just wondering if...you could help me," I say tentatively.

The Queen turns slowly towards me, and as she looks at me, I can sense a heavenly aura about her. I stare in amazement at her eccentric beauty and charm. She was the most exquisite person I had ever seen in my entire life. Her skin was a light milky pale, and her eyes were as black as the night; but they had a caring gleam to them. Her dark-blue hair was pinned in the back with aqua and white flowers hanging down to her shoulders, and the rest hung majestically over her face. She wore a long white gown that went over her feet; which seemed to glow faintly with the purity of her aura. But what caught my attention the most were the white wings that were growing out of her back. I gaze at them for a short while, before looking back into her eyes once more.

"You say you need my help? Well, what can I do for you?" she says caringly.

"You see, ma'am. I...I do not belong in this world. I am from the planet Earth," I blurt out quickly.

"Earth? What are you talking about, young one?" she questions kindly. I notice she quickly glanced at Sabra behind me, but I didn’t catch her expression.

"It is true, mother. This girl is from Earth," Sabra says, walking beside me. Her tone was malevolent.

The Queen looks from me to Sabra, and then back to me again. "But if you are from Earth...then how did you come to be in this world?" she asks, her voice full of concern.

"That is why Sabra took me to come see you. I wanted to ask you that very same question," I explain, my heart racing slightly.

"Very well. But first you must tell me the story that led up to this predicament," the Queen says softly.

"Yes, ma'am."

The Queen smiles tenderly at me, and then gestures to her daughter to leave us two alone for the moment. Sabra bows her head, and then makes her way down the balcony without a single last glance at me. The Queen then closes her eyes, and moment’s later two blue velvet chairs appear; which we both take a seat in.

Moments pass, and I sigh out heavily as I get ready to tell again my heartbreaking tale of how I apparently died.