Chapter 1 ~Setting the Stage~

Earth is a stage. Humans are the puppets. Angles and demons are the puppeteers. The gods are the masters, the owners, the directors. Earth is a stage, life is a play, and we all have a role to do. Don't forget your lines.

I stared out the car window, watching the world fly past us. Dad was driving, and chatting with mom and my twin sister, Emily. I don't pay attention, and let myself daydream to past the time. I wasn't sure where we were going, a friend of my aunt and uncle, and I couldn't wait to get there. I missed my aunt and uncle, after living eight years with them they became my parents. "Eight years ago...how old was I? Six? Yes...six years and mom and dad didn't like me..."

I have always sensed them, whoever they are. I guess one could them ghost, but they are sad, angry, vengeful, and mourning ghost with dark and horrible past. When I was four, I would cry to mom often, weeping and asking her to make them go away. At first, my parents thought It was only my silly childhood imagination, but as time went on they realized it was more then that. They deiced something was wrong with me. I had long black hair, ruby eyes, pale skin, and apparently, insane. Unlike my twin sister Emily. She had curly hair, black hair which she dies blond, blue eyes, tan skin and sane. They loved Emily, adored her perfection, unlike me who only disgusted them. I remember one night, the last night I lived with them, the last time I saw them as my mother and father, the night the decided it was time to do something about me. They sent my sister and I: to bed early, at seven instead of eight, and started making phone calls. I had enough sense that it was about me, so I sneaked out of bed and listened to them.
"Hello, Samantha, it's your cousin! Do you have a family?...No? Do you like children?...well I found a beautiful child....where? Out on the streets." I listened as they lied about where they found me, who I was, sometimes what I was. I held in my screams and sobs as tears ran down my checks, and all through the night until three in the mourning, I sat there listing. Finally, my dad made one last call. "Hello Ashely, it's your brother, Josh. Look I'm havening a family problem right now, I was hoping you could help....My daughter, Emma. Something is wrong with her...well nothing serious or deadly...she sees things that aren't there......I don't know what to do with her! I love her but.....well, yes, I was hoping you would do that. I was also thinking dropping her off at an orphanage, maybe she is too young for something like that to affect her.....You would?....Yes! Please, thank you!....I told you before, I do care about her, why do you think I've been calling all night....Yes.....Tomorrow then? At two?....Alright, I'll see you then. And thank you!...alright....bye!" He hanged up the phone, and I could tell he was happy. "Yes! My sister is going to take her!" He said. The danced a bit in celebration, and drinking. They were so happy, but it made me so sad. I got up, and crawled into bed.
The next day, my aunt and uncle came over. My parents told them what was going on, and I told them what I saw, what I felt, what I thought was going on. They talked and talked, and in the end I left. Later on when I was older I wasn't sure if that was legal, but it didn't matter to me, I loved my new parents. Mom and dad never believed or understood when I cried and screamed from the ghosts, but aunt and uncle did. "You just have to find a way to fight them." My aunt said, comforting me when I first moved in. "Fight them? How?" I sobbed. She smiled and said, "With love, dear. The dark is destroyed by light, shine brightly and the evil ghosts will melt." I smiled at that thought and asked, "Is light stronger then darkness?" Her smile and changed, and she shook her head. "Neither one is stronger. The darkness can eat up the light just as easily as the light can melt it. You just have to know how to use them both, use them together, then you can be strong." Her words made no sense, but as I got older I understood. I tried using both light and dark together, and I might have be able to if the invitation never arrived.

I stared out the window, watching the gloomy scenery zoom by. To my family, it was beautiful and happy, tress full of life, birds singing, squirrels running around, everything is happy. But I see what it really is. Dead tress, dark shadows, fierce animals, the good things were only props for the play. "The stage is set." I mumbled. "Huh?" Said Emily. I ignored her, knowing she wasn't talking to me, but to my parents."We are almost there! Your aunt said her friends and her live in a cute cottage! Like a fairy tale! The cute little cottage in the pretty little woods, with cute fury animals! I can't wait!" I sighed silently. "I don't think this is going to be a cute little trip. Something is wrong. Aunt and uncle left for a whole year, leaving me with my parents who they hate. They said it was only a small, cute trip too, but they never came back..."

"A trip?" I asked, a year ago when I still lived with my aunt and uncle. "Yes, a good friend of mine who hadn't heard from in years! She says her husband and her live in a cute cottage in the woods. She asked me and uncle to go on a little trip over there, for other weekend." Aunt said. I always hated it when they left on trips, and I couldn't come with, it meant I had to go back to my parents house. Mom tried to act nice, and so did dad, but they never took me seriously. My sister was worse then them, she acts high and mighty, and won't hang out around anyone who isn't just like her. She treats me like I was too dumb to know or do anything. "Only for the weekend" I asked. She chuckled and said, "Only this weekend, you won't be suffering long."
That weekend I went to parents house. "Hello sweety." Mom said. "Come in, I'll show you to your room." She grabbed my hand and pulled me. "I know where my room is." I said. She laughed and continued to pull me to my room, which was right next to my sisters. As soon as mom left, Emily came in. "Hello Emma. You stay here, I am busy in the next room. You. Stay. In. Here. When we have dinner then you can come out. Out. When. We. Eat. Dinner. Understand?" I glared at her, I always hated how she talked that way to me, as if I couldn't understand. "Stay. In. Here." She said. I ignored her, wishing I was with aunt and uncle. The weekend went slowly by, and on Monday, I was ready to leave, even started packing when mom showed me a letter. It was from aunt, and she was staying for another week. A week went by, and another letter saying she will stay for a month. Another letter, saying she didn't how long she will stay there. Then the last letter, inviting us to their home.

"A weekend trip ended up as a whole year, there has to be something wrong with that. I wounder why she stayed, becuase this place isn't happy. The further we go, the darker it gets. I hope nothing bad happens..."