Tears of a Royal

The shrouds of darkness fills the skies and the moon stays full and endless. I've never been out so late in the night when the sky is covered in a black quilt of fears. Its cold and windy as I walk up and down the streets looking for the missing people. One of which is Gracie. I heard that she hasn't been seen all day and now everyone in town is looking for her. I walk up and down the streets and got stopped by Derek.

"Derek!...Have you found her yet?!" I say almost out of breathe.

"Not yet Mimi. I wish I could spare you good news..." He slightly frowned, but regained his composure.

"It's okay Derek. I understand.-" Just as I finished, a shadow run across the blackened night to be seen by the oil lattern I held in my hand.

"Did you..-" Derek started.

"Yea,...It's going into the forest!!" I started to run towards the woods that I first saw the shadow.

"Wait Mimi!!! Don't go in there!!!" He started running after me.

I went into the woods and, being followed by Derek, I trip on my own feet again.

"You really don't know how to run so you miss." Derek says picking me up in his arms. I started to blush and this time I think he saw because he looked away with a small smile. "You okay?"

"Yea,....I'm just clumsy as all." His face was only a couple inches from mine and I could feel our faces coming closer, my eyes close, and my lips part. Our lips are about to meet, but then I pulled away. What was I doing?! I'm about to kiss the prince; Prince Derek!!

"What's wrong miss?...." He put me down seeing how uncomfortable I became.

"I...-" I started, but then he pressed his lips to mine. My eyes, wide, shut closed with the lips of a prince on mine in a dark, depressing forest. (very romantic) He pulled away softly and looked at me dazzled at what just happened.

"I'm..i"m sorry...I thought-" He cut off turning away from me.

"I..I don't mind Derek. I just wasn't expect it is all...-" I turned away as well.

"It's okay then?..." There was a silence between us that was broken with a scream. "What was that?"

I listen again, " It has to be...-"

"GRACIE!!!!" We both say at the same time. We start running again to where the screaming is coming from. We dodge tree branches and weeds deep in the soil of the ground. We were met with a clearing that was filled with shadows. We ducked behind a group of shrubs to watch what was going on. There she was; GRACIE. Her hands were tied and her mouth stuffed with a tied hankerchief. The shadows were standing around her and they were humming as if a ceremony was about to take place.

"What's going on Derek?" I whisper as faintly as I could.

"It's a sacrifice ceremony. I recongnize it from when my father was alive and told me stories of this." He whispered back very catiously.

"I don't want her to be sacrificed!!" Derek quickly covered my mouth knowing I have been to loud. He ducked lower with me still having my mouth covered. No one heard us, but it wasn't from lack of trying. There was a man coming from the crowd and Derek saw right away that it wad the king himself. The new king; Derek's uncle. His father died so his uncle tool his thrown and then Derek will take his place. "What's my uncle doing here?!" Derek's hold on me tightened.

"Don't know..-" Derek hushed me again.

We watched as he held a small dagger in his hand and the look of a killer on his royal face. His crown was not on nor was his fancy royal clothes that he is normally seen in. He holds the knife up to Gracie's neck then says something that we could not make out. He pulls the knife off of her neck then raises it up ready to strike her.

"GRACIE!!!!!" I get up and run to the pedalstal where her life was about to be taken.

"MImi!!" Derek runs after me.

Now all of the shadows were surrounding me and my heart stops to see Gracie tearing behind the King with the knife lowered. All I could think was....What do I do??