A Shadows Tear

PROLOGUE

It was a day of dreams.

The kind of day that stands out among all youthful memory, as one gets older. The sky was a deep blue, and wisps of cotton like clouds moved and changed shape as if they were part of an ethereal dance. The sun shown warmly upon the little girls face, as she reclined on a blanket. With her head nestled in her mothers lap and her eyes peering into the heavens, she smiled. Picking up the rag doll that was her constant companion, she removed a blade of grass that had somehow managed to entwine itself into the dolls hair, made from rust colored yarn.

"Mama?" The girl spoke as if the volume of her voice might end the peaceful dream, "I love you."

The woman smiled at her husband sitting nearby and started running her fingers through her daughters long red hair.

"And I love you my sweet little one." She replied and starting singing the lullaby that always left no doubt in the young girls mind that she was safe-and loved.

"My arms were made to embrace thee dear one;

My eyes to behold thy face so fair.

My ears were made for thy whispers so sweet;

My fingers to run though silken hair.

No evil can ever befall thee child;

No clouds shall come to darken the sky.

For my arms, my eyes, my fingers, my heart;

Shall 'ere be with thee, 'til all ends draw nigh.

The father loved to hear his wife sing. Her melodious voice was one reason he had been so attracted to her those many years ago. He wished for nothing more than to stay here with his two special ladies; amidst the tall trees and near the babbling brook, but the sun was receding into the peaks of faraway mountains and soon it would be dark.

Standing up and shaking a fallen leaf from the fold of his tunic, he turned to the angelic pair beside him.

"It is time we should be going home, my sweets. I would rather not be walking through the forest without the sun to guide us." He said.

With heavy sighs, mother and daughter stood up and began busying themselves to the task of cleaning up the picnic site. As the man and woman gathered the utensils cups and plates, the little girl was sent to the stream to fill an ewer with water to put out the fire. Though this task was a tad bit difficult for such a small girl, she was happy to oblige and took pride when she could return without spilling a drop.

The path to the stream was not a long one, but wound through the forest causing her to be just out of sight of her mother and father. At the stream, she leaned over and dipped the ewer into the cool pool of water. As she lifted it back out, she heard a muffled cry sound from where she had come. It could have been her father calling for her, though it was difficult to tell. Hurrying her task, she trotted up the canopied path shouting; "I'm coming Papa! I'm coming!"

Upon reaching the clearing, she did not see her father or her mother. Her mother's hand woven basket lay neatly on the ground and the fire still smoldered within the stone ring. Otherwise, she seemed most alone within the great forest.

In confusion, she tried to call out to find where they had gone, but was stopped by a dark cold hand that came from behind and covered her mouth. Another ebony arm that seemed partially invisible grabbed her around the waist and lifted her up off the ground causing her to drop the water she carried.

Wanting to scream, she could not, and any struggle that her frail body could provide proved fruitless. Having no idea what was happening to her, she was carried by her shadowy captor for what seemed like hours into the deeper part of the forest where the suns rays succumbed to darkness beneath the leaves.

As the day ended, an owl awakening from its slumber focused his eyes to watch a procession of shadow beings entering the gaping maw of a dungeon entrance. With them were three humans. A man and a woman bound at the hands and gagged at the mouth, along with a little girl with long curly red hair and a little raggedy doll coming out of her pocket.