Prologue
"Amabelle!" Aisling Ryder yelled for her most trusted friend.
Carrying her two year old daughter, Liliana, Aisling found herself running through a forest on a warm sunny afternoon. Finding Amabelle outside her little cottage, picking some bright, strange looking flowers; Aisling ran to her breathless and crying.
"I need you to help me! Please!" gasp Aisling.
Amabelle, looking alarmed, straightens up, places the basket she was holding onto the ground in front of her, and raises her eyebrows at Aisling.
"What is it, dear?" asks Amabelle.
"It's Avery!" cries Aisling. "Someone has killed him!" I have reasons to believe they're after me and Liliana now!"
"I know what to do. Stay there," Amabelle tells her.
Amabelle hurries into her stone cottage. Aisling looks around the green forest. Every little sound makes her jump. She smiles at Liliana, trying not to make her upset. Liliana smiles back at her mother. She places her hand on the necklace around her neck. Her father gave it to her for her birthday. It was a locket that had her name engraved in it and a picture of her father and mother inside.
After a few minutes, Amabelle runs outside, carrying a dark green pouch. Aisling looks at it with curiosity. Amabelle empties the pouch into her hand. Three pebbles fall out. Two of them were white and the third was black. Amabelle holds up the two white ones.
"Smash these, Dear. They will take you to a different world where no one has heard of us," Amabelle explains to Aisling. She then holds up the black pebble. "This will bring you back to this world," Amabelle continues.
Aisling nods and takes the pebbles. She walks a few steps away from Amabelle. Smashing the two white pebbles on the ground, Aisling feels this huge gust of wind, suddenly. The world felt like it was shaking, uncontrollably. Clutching Liliana to her chest, Aisling closes her eyes.
After a few minutes of feeling like everything was going to fall apart, the shaking stops, wind stills. Opening her eyes, Aisling notices she is standing in the middle of a suburban neighborhood. Running to one of the white houses, Aisling throws a fist on the door, pounding it with all her might. Finally, the door opens to a bewildered young woman. Aisling hands her Liliana. Liliana starts screaming and crying, knowing she is apart from her mother.
"Please, take care of her!" She exclaims to the shocked woman.
"The woman just nods, speechless of the appearance of this crazy woman. Without a second glance, Aisling turns around and runs down the street to the woods at the end of the block. She runs into the protection of the overgrown trees. Pulling out the black pebble, Aisling smashes it in her hands.
Feeling the wind and shaking sensation again, Aisling closes her eyes once more. Once everything stops, she opens her eyes to find herself in front of her own home. Hearing footsteps approach from behind her, Aisling turns around to see Amabelle walking towards her.
"I've waited so long for this moment, Aisling," says Amabelle, who stops right in front of her. "I am terribly sorry for doing this to you."
"What on Earth are you talking about?" asks Aisling.
"Don't be so naïve, Aisling. You and I both know I've been wanting your gifts. I already have your husband's. He had no idea I had gotten so strong. I can now possess him!" exclaims Amabelle, excitedly.
Aisling stares at Amabelle with an shocked expression. It then turns into a look of outrage.
"Tha- that was you? How could you? I thought you were my friend!" Aisling yells at her.
"Oh, boo hoo. You think I wanted to be your friend? My parents felt bad for you when your own parents had died! I knew there was something wrong with you! The moment you stepped into our lives! Well, no matter. I figured out what you are and did my research on how to stop you. What I didn't know was that I can take those gifts from you," explains Amabelle. "Now enough talk. I'm going to kill you then locate your daughter."
"NO!" screams Aisling.
Aisling throws her arms in the air. All of a sudden, a light breeze starts building up into a raging wind. Aisling's long auburns hair flails around her head. Through the strands of her hair, she can see Amabelle just standing there, smiling at her. Amabelle doesn't seem fazed by the wind. The wind starts to slow and calm down until it completely stops.
Aisling falls to her knees and cries out in frustration. She looks down at her hands and notices her ring is gone. She looks up at Amabelle, who is holding something circular.
"I always thought this ring was beautiful," she tells Aisling. Amabelle puts the ring on her right middle finger and holds out her hand, wiggling her fingers. The ring is a sea blue that shines brightly. "Besides, blue looks better on me, don't you think?" Amabelle continues.
Aisling starts coughing violently. Amabelle looks down at her with a half smile. Aisling clutches at her throat, gasping, and making choking sounds.
"I didn't realize you depended on your gifts so much, Aisling," whispers Amabelle. "Well, eventually, the pain will stop." Aisling looks up at Amabelle, her tanned skin looking paler with every breath she takes. She stabs Amabelle with a piercing gaze. "I know what you are trying to do, Aisling," Amabelle says, rolling her eyes. "The sun's heat won't be reaching me. Why don't you close your eyes? It will be less painful for you."
Aisling looking white as a cloud on a sunny day gives Amabelle one last resentful look before shuddering and coughing. Amabelle walks over to Aisling and kneels down next to her. She watches the life leave her.
Amabelle stands back up. She looks down at Aisling's body and snaps her fingers. The ground starts to crumble away from Aisling. Aisling lowers down into the ground, where the dirt parted. The dirt starts to crawl back over and fill in the hole it just created. The ground is back in place as if nothing happened. Aisling's body is no where to be seen.
Amabelle walks in between some trees, heading back to her little stone cottage, already forming a plan on how to find Liliana.