• 'Isn't Brittany's new dog like soooo cute!"

    A high shrilly voice spoke to me in that im popular and your not tone. My best friend Tiffany walked with pride beside me carrying my books. This was my lapdog. I popped the fading gum in my mouth once and a huge bubble burst right below my shallow eyes and I replied

    "Yeah whatever!"

    Her mouth became quiet after that, sensing my I don't want to talk to you right now mood. I began to file my bright purple nails and said

    "Gum me!"

    Tiff began immediatley fumbling helplessly around in her bags as she searched for something for me to chew. Her cheeks grew hot and turned a bright rose as I began to tap my foot impatientley. She dropped the books and began to studder as she relized she carried no gum.

    "Umm....uhh....I..uh...don't have any Raven....sorry."

    I rolled my eyes at my pathetic pack mule as we approached my house. A huge mansion drew a dark gray outline on the perfectly trimmed lawn of my estate. The gardener was planting white daisys in the flower beds along the cement driveway. I pressed the blinking button next to the intercom and spoke into it telling them to let me in. The Butler, Graves, answered in his always serene voice and the gate swung silently open. A servant hurried out to take my things from Tiffany then I turned on my heel and, like a cat, stalked with silent dignity to my home.

    "Ray? Ray is that you?"

    My fathers deep base voice echoed through the enormus house, mixing with the sounds of cooks preparing for tonights banquet.

    "Yeah its me!"

    A hint of the princess tone slowly crept into my mouth.

    "Get on your gown sweetie for tonights dinner!"




    I stepped down the marble staircase to appear at the bottom, ready to impress our alredy arriving guests. As I stepped lightly onto the carpet the family dog, Midnight, lifted his head warily to stare at me. I was fully dressed in a magnificent black and purple satin gown. My long black tresses were refined into a long dark braid that fit my name perfectly with its gloss. On top of my hair sat a fresh purple rose band, picked minutes before in the garden. I walked to our doberman and patted his sleek fur then went to greet our guests.



    We were all seated on the silk cushions of our mahogny dining table. A large plump turkey sat dressed and stuffed in the center, leaving Midnight to drool embarressingly on the red carpet. Father said grace and mother did the toast. Then I was talking to all of our friends when I, for no reason, felt my gaze pulled to the left corner of the room. What I saw there made me scream bloody murder. A purple rat creature was weaving itself in between our antique embroidered chairs. When I glared at the hideous thing its luminescent blue eyes stared into mine and the joy of moments before wafted away. Its eyes darted along my figure then searched their way back to mine and I yelled for a second time. The things whiskers twitched and its tail burst chaoticly into flames I jumped from my seat and shouted.

    "Run! Run! Theres a demon in the house! Run!!!"

    All the guest lept immediatley out of there chairs and looked to where my trembling finger pointed, right where the rat stood. For a long time everything was silent, no one was brave enough to deny the prime ministers daughter untill my father laughed.

    "Good one Ray!"

    He chuckled and cast me a glance that meant shut up. I stared at him angerily, wondering why he refused to do anything about the maniac rodent. The crowd laughed with him, assuming it was a humorus moment. I was about to protest, to tell them about the possible danger to there lives when my mother pulled me into an out of sight hallway.

    "What are you doing Raven? Are you trying to embarress us?"

    I looked at her in utter confusion for a long time then realized she couldn't she the monster. I started to explain but stopped as I saw her look of bewilderment. Her gaze softened when I became quiet and said.

    "There's no rat honey."

    She felt my head worriedly in that motherly way then advised me to go lay down. I protested but in the end I was still marching up to my room. Midnight trotted faithfully by my side. I was sorting through my thoughts of the devil creature and had completely convinced myself that I was dehydrated and had hallucinations. So I drank a huge glass of water then took a shower, changed, and bunkered down in my huge queen sized bed. Just as I pulled the thick covers up to my wary chin and started to close my eyes familiar blue fire flickered from the corner of my room.