She watched the ripples on the water as she skipped another rock across the surface. The vibrations on the water slowly died down, as another gust of wind blew her stringy brown hair across her face. The creaky old dock on which she sat groaned quietly in the silent breeze. She sat on the dock for a while longer after throwing a few more stones into the murky waters. Then she got up and went into the small sailboat beside it. The winds picked up and sent the boat forward into the foreboding mist.
The girl smiled and raised the sail with ease. One could tell she was experienced at boating. The large lake in which the girl was sailing was called many names. The original name had faded away on the winds of time. The lake was known for its unpredictable weather and the creatures that swam beneath its surface. The girl fell asleep in the fragile sailboat, apparently not aware of the danger lurking closely behind. Her soft features faltered for a moment, she sensed something was not right. She relaxed again, dismissing the notion as nothing. It began to rain as a large unpleasantly green fin arose from the treacherous waters. It drew nearer and nearer to the girl. As it was about to ram the boat, the girl awoke with a start and the fin slowly sunk below the frothy waters.
She looked around and sighed deeply. Yawning and sleep-eyed she spotted a vague structure in the distance. This disguise did not fool her however for she knew what this enigma was. Its mystery was greatly exaggerated by the clouds of fog encircling its high towers. A black- bricked gate closely surrounded its great walls. The winds stopped as she reached the dock on the other side of the lake. She carefully stepped out of the sailboat and onto the dock. Looking up she found stairs winding up the hillside. The girl began the climb, and it seemed to last for an era. When she finally reached the top, she met a drawbridge with a moat just below it.
"Strange," she thought, "this castle is on an island in the middle of a lake, and yet the builder felt the need to have a drawbridge and moat!"
Just as she thought this very thought, the drawbridge came down noisily, as though it sensed she wished to gain entry. The chain clattered and the wood creaked. The drawbridge finally landed on the ground with a loud "thump!" She could not see anything beyond the darkness inside the gate. Curious, she ventured onward. As soon as she stepped into the shadows, the drawbridge closed behind her. She was trapped, without any weapons for protection. Indeed the girl knew there was danger lurking in the darkness, for all evil dwells in the shadows. But she still bravely surged forward. After minutes of blindly searching for a way in, the girl found a handle to the immense wooden portal. She pulled and nothing happened. She tried again using more of her body weight. But still the door would not budge, she slid onto the ground and grunted.
"I cannot and will not give up now!!" she screamed wildly. Then as she rested her head on the door, it creaked open.
"How ironic is that?" she remarked to herself. The girl got up and slid the door open entirely. Sunrays gleamed in and nearly blinded her. She squinted and walked into the open air. As soon as she had done so, wind began to whip around her almost knocking her down. "Weather sure changes quickly around here," she commented to herself barely audible through the strong gusts of wind. When she had finally gotten close enough to the castle, she noticed how old it truly was. The ancient castle was covered with green vines of all sorts, weaving through each other creating a pattern only a hundred years could create. But, weirdly enough, for a castle of such poor upkeep and advanced age, there were no broken windows. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds and creepers. The girl wandered around until she met a doorway. The high archways were pale gray color with cracks running down them. Many ancient cobwebs layered the doorway. The girl pushed them aside, and walked in. the sun shining through the stained glass windows made the floor dance in the many colors. This was the only room in the castle to have colored windows. In the middle of the circular room was a table with writing on it, silently beckoning to her.