Michael could clearly hear the sounds of the television from outside and his sister's footsteps as they came closer to his bedroom door, but he still wouldn't get up. He slowly opened his eyes, looked all around the room once and then shut them again and buried himself deeper underneath the covers of his bed, smiling to himself. The dim sunlight streamed in from the curtained window and cast a clear glow on everything, from the foot of the bed, to the middle of the carpeted floor, to the small wooden desk in the corner. Everything was still, and that combined with the familiar sounds of the new apartment only made him want to stay under the covers and sleep for a few more hours.

Unfortunately, a loud, disruptive banging on the door broke the peace and his smile fell away as quickly as it had come.

"Michael! Get up!" Latoya meant well enough, but her shrill voice made Michael scowl and shove himself deeper into bed.

"Michael come on! Do you know what time it is? You're going to be late!" The banging grew louder and more persistent as the minutes crawled by, but still he wouldn't budge. Finally, he heard the crack of the door opening and footsteps that grew louder and closer, until he felt her hand on his shoulder.

"Get up!" She shook him gently and he groaned in response and pulled away. He didn't have to see her to know she was rolling her eyes and getting frustrated. He couldn't help but giggle softly at the thought of it.

"I'm glad to see that this is fun for you!" she said, exasperated. She crossed her arms and stood patiently at his bed side, glaring at him until finally he felt so uncomfortable, even under the covers, that he groaned again and pushed them back.
Instantly, he felt the chill of the room hit his skin and curled up, wanting to go back under the covers and warm up.

"Why's it so cold?" he asked, groggily.

Latoya rolled her eyes and extended her hand to help him up. "I turned up the air conditioning. It was so hot last night I thought I was going to melt."

"Yeah, but now it's freezing in July!" he said, taking her hand and pulling himself up from the bed.

"It's not that bad," she laughed. Michael smiled too as he pulled the blanket from the foot of the bed up and covered his shoulders.

"How long am I going to have to put up with freezing in my own apartment?" he joked. Latoya playfully pushed his shoulder and made her way back to the bedroom door.

"Just until it's not so hot, then we can crank the heat up to a hundred if you like. Now come on! If want something to eat before you go, you'd better hurry up and get dressed."

As soon as she shut the door, Michael sat on the bed again, pulling the blanket closer around him, and looked around his room. It was small, smaller then his room at home, and only had a desk, a bed, a closet, and a window, but he still took pride in it. It was his room, in his apartment, well his and Latoya's anyhow. And somehow, that makes all the difference from the bedroom in your parent's home. Somehow it makes you feel better, more at home, and braver. Though I can't quite say how or why.

After taking a moment to look at everything, he jumped up and rushed to the closet. In ten minutes he was dressed and another ten his hair was done and his teeth brushed. On coming out of the bathroom, he went down the narrow hallway and into the opening of their small, but cozy living room. A re-run of an old show flashed across the screen of the television as he peered over the couches and into the cove off to the side of their living room, the kitchen. Inside, he could see his sister fumbling and waving about, but he swallowed his smile and sat on the couch closest to him.

"Are you eating or what?" she asked, not bothering to turn around. Michael shook his head and leaned back against the couch, looking to the side and at her.

"No, I'll be okay until later," he mumbled. He watched her as she went back and forth across the small square opening, wondering what on Earth she could be doing that was so tedious in that small kitchen.

"Suit yourself, you'd better get going then," she said, flustered. "Bill will be here soon and you shouldn't keep him waiting. Oh! And I was watching the news this morning, apparently there was some awful accident last night that's got this entire road closed off. Which way have you been taking to get there?"

Michael felt the redness creep onto his face as he looked away from the window.

"I don't remember exactly what streets we take..." he muttered. He heard her stop moving and knew she'd finally turned to the window and was probably rolling her eyes at him again.

"You really should start paying attention to where you're going Michael," she scolded as she picked up a rag and wiped down the countertops.

"I know, I know...I guess I don't much care where we go to get there, as long as we get somewhere." He smiled when he thought of the words, and young Alice, who'd originally said them in the book. And his smile grew wider when he thought of Sara after that.

"What are you talking about? And what are you thinking that's got that look on your face?" she asked, confused. He shook his head and took the grin off his face.

"Nothing," he said, shrugging his shoulders. He stood up and bounced to the door.

"What are going to do today?" he asked. She leaned around the corner and smirked at him.

"I'm going back to sleep. Who would be up at this hour?" She laughed when he tried to shoot her a nasty glare, then he laughed too and left the apartment, excited for the day ahead.

********************************************************************
"Good, good! That's exactly how I want it for filming, remember that!"

For the first time all morning Mr. Lumet was smiling, and his four stars tried their best to muster smiles while at the same time trying to catch their breath. Michael leaned on the side of a nearby chair and, while breathing heavily, surveyed his costars. Nipsey and Ted looked about ready to pass out, both of them were leaning against the walls, hardly standing at all. Diana, for her part, looked exhausted too, but the big smile on her face and her laughter made her stand out from the rest, as bright and ready to go on, to learn more. Michael could only smile and try to shake his own exhaustion off to try to keep up with her.

"Okay guys, let's break for a bit," Mr. Lumet nodded at each of them and he, along with their choreographer, headed for the door. Nipsey and Ted laughed, relieved, and followed closely behind, chatting with each other along the way. Diana smoothed down her shirt and walked to the corner where Michael was standing. Stephanie, who'd been watching from the side, hopped up and rushed over to join them.

Michael felt a twinge of excitement at seeing everyone settle down at first, but it was soon replaced with a overwhelming, sick feeling. Now was his chance! But did he really want to take it?

"Hey umm...How long do we usually break for?" he asked. Diana shrugged her shoulders and leaned against the wall beside him .

"Depends. It's different on every set with every director. I got an hour yesterday around this time, so I'll take wager it's about that," she said, eyeing him up and down. Finally, she turned him around and patted down the sides of his shirt.

"I don't know why you insist on wearing a shirt that's ten sizes too big! You've got plenty that fit just fine at home." Michael laughed out loud and pushed her hands away.

"Diana! It's just rehearsal, and this one's more comfortable!" he protested. She shook her head and crossed her arms, reaching out to fix the shirt again.
"That's no excuse! You're skinny enough as it is, you don't need a shirt that swallows you whole. Tomorrow, wear one of your more fitted ones, the striped one would look nice," she said. He smiled, rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms to match her stance.

"Yes mother." She smiled at him and playfully hit his shoulder.

"That's right, and don't you think I won't be letting your mother know about your dress habits while you're out from under her eyes. I'll be telling her everything that's going on while you're away from home young man!" She was laughing while she said it and both Michael and Stephanie smiled at the remark.

"Well you're no fun at all!" he laughed, "Anyway, I'll be back in an hour."

He moved away from the wall and headed for the door leading to the open hall. Stephanie and Diana both looked confused and Stephanie hurried forward and caught him by the shoulder.

"Hey, where are you headed?" she asked. He bit his lower lip and looked away from her.

"I...uhh... I'm going to check out the music department for the movie," he lied. Stephanie gave him a questioning look, and Michael stepped back and away from her, thinking.

"Yeah, I mean music is my thing you know?" he stammered. "I'd like to see what we're looking at as far as music, our songs, my song. Um..I heard it wasn't going to be quite the same as the one in the musical, so I thought...I thought I should see if I can get the sheets so I can work on learning it. I'm already the new kid...I don't want to seem like a total goof that can't handle his own."

Stephanie continued to stare, the look of confusion on her face quickly turning to anger, but Diana stepped in and nodded.

"You do that, I think Stephanie and I can hold down the rehearsal room while you're gone." Michael flashed her a quick smile and turned and rushed out of the room, leaving Diana wondering what he was really up too and Stephanie, red and boiling.

***********************************************************************

Michael got to just a few steps before the last door at the end of the dark, narrow hall, and then froze, unable to move an inch farther. He could feel his heart speed up, his face grow hot, and the knots begin to form in his stomach.

Up until that moment, going to see Sara again seemed like a wonderful idea, and he'd been very excited. But, once the moment had come, he found himself shrinking away and his excitement had melted into a nervous fear as a thousand doubts rushed through his head.
What if she's busy?

What if she doesn't want to be bothered with me?

Maybe she was just being polite, trying to make the time pass yesterday.

Have I misunderstood?

In just a few minutes of wondering and questioning whether he was right to try to see her again, he'd nearly talked himself into forgetting the whole thing and returning up the stairs to the rehearsal room. He shook his head and thought of the comfort he felt when around Diana and Stephanie, and how much he longed for it.

But not as much as he longed for the comfort he'd felt with Sara.

The thought flashed quickly across his mind, but settled there and grew in him until the feelings of doubt were forgotten, due to growing desire. He'd never quite be able to explain that feeling, not then when he was feeling it and certainly not when other's asked him about it, many, many years later. All he could recall then was that it was like a cross between anxious and excitement, one that made him feel numb in everything except his fingers and legs, and there he felt a tingling sensation. He could remember feeling as though he wanted to run away, but that there was really no other choice but to do what he determined he would. And while he wanted to go back to his friends, he wanted so badly to go forward, and perhaps meet a new one. Something he wanted so badly, it hurt.

Now I suppose, everyone who's ever met anyone they felt so strongly about feels different things. But this was the way he remembered it, and many others that have felt this way before and can tell you different, but similar stories

He stepped forward and knocked on the door twice. When he received no answer, he turned the knob slowly and silently peered into the room.

It looked just about the same as it had the day before. Every inch of the tables, the chairs, and the walls were lined with all kinds of fabrics of different colors and patterns. One large machine sat at the right edge of each of the three tables, two had fabric stuck under them, the last was threaded with a thick, golden thread. The floor shone as the bright, overhead lights cast a glow on them and the room was small and cozy due to the clutter of tables, chairs, and things scattered about.

Sara sat at near the back, in a small corner near a large mirror, mindlessly working a needle through the fabric of another intricate, beaded costume. Her dark curls hung in her face and she wore the same dress she'd worn the day before; a long dark blue skirt, a white collared shirt with a blue and red sash tied around the neck of it. He watched for a few moments more, opening the door so that it made a small squeak. Still, she didn't glance his way, or make any indication that she'd heard the noise at all. She wasn't even looking at the dress she held. Instead, her eyes were fixed on the glass of the mirror, as though she was staring through it completely.

While one hand moved the needle through the dress, the other was raised and her fingers touched the glass. He watched her tap out a sort of pattern on the glass gently, and mouth words. She looked lost in thought, and he couldn't help but wonder what she was saying, and what she was thinking. He became so engrossed in watching, he let his hand slip forward quite suddenly the door flew back and crashed into the wall beside him.

Sara jumped, quickly took her hand from the glass and looked up. Michael could feel the redness returning to his cheeks as he jumped up to stand straight and looked down to avoid her gaze.

"I-I'm so sorry!" he started, and begun to back out of the room, embarrassed. Sara gave him a small smile, and stood up.

"No it's alright," she said, softly. "I just-I didn't expect anyone down here. Did you forget something here yesterday?"

He bit his lip and kept his eyes on the floor. Sara looked puzzled when he shook his head.

"No, no...it's just that I said yesterday that'd I'd see you later...and it's later." He closed his eyes and wanted to just disappear, knowing how lame his excuse must've sounded to her. To his surprise she heard her chuckle and opened his eyes and saw her looking down as well and the small smile still on her face.

"I suppose it is isn't it? Well, there's nobody here right now but me. Miss Ella's gone to work in another room, so I could sure use the company," she said, moving up to a chair closer to the door. He smiled and shut the door behind him. He walked over to the chair next to her and sat down as Sara continued to work at the dress.

"I thought you would've been more busy today," she remarked. "With rehearsals and things running from so early in the morning. Aren't you tired?"

"No, not really. Dancing usually doesn't wear me out, just makes me more excited!" he said, smiling.

"Oh really? What's it like?" she asked. He stared at her, confused by her question,

"What's what like?"

"Dancing. Tell me about it," she said, casually. He stared at her, unable to speak from the shock. After what seemed like forever, he composed himself and leaned back in the chair, thinking.

"Well...I mean it's different for everyone I guess. When I'm dancing it feels like...like...it's so hard to explain! It just feels great just to move in synch with the rhythm, to be able to express myself that way. Sometimes, I forget everyone else is around and it feels like I'm the only person in the world. I can almost feel every note, every beat, and it's just overpowering! It's a feeling that's-"

"Just too wonderful to describe?" she finished. He smiled and nodded. She smiled too and her eyes lit up.

"That sounds absolutely fantastic! I can see why you love it so much," she said.

"I think it's wonderful because I love it so much," he said, and she stopped and nodded.

"Maybe so. People feel some strange things when it comes to love, love of anything really," she added. Michael cocked his head to the side and gave her odd look.

"You've never danced before?" Sara looked away, embarrassed, and shook her head.

"Not that way. I've taken ballet lessons for most of my life, and we've done ballroom dancing in school, but I don't think I've ever quite done what you do. I mean, what you do sounds absolutely amazing! And I mean I like ballet, I always have, but it doesn't give me quite the same feeling as your dancing gives you," she explained.

"Ballet huh? Have you ever seen one? Like The Nutcracker?" he asked. Sara shook her head.

"No, I've never been. But I would love to go! I've seen pictures of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle before. Someday, I'll see them all and then some! I love to watch," she said.

Michael shrugged his shoulders and fiddled with his fingers.

"I've never seen one either, but I'd like too. Just once to see what it's like, and maybe more if I like it. I've heard of The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, but I've never heard of the other two."

"From all I've read about them, they sound great! Perhaps we should see one together someday, since we're both new to it," she said. He smiled and laughed.

"If I ever want to go see one, you'll be the first person I ask to come with me," he agreed. "And if whether you're doing ballet or just having fun, it doesn't matter. It's still dance, but not everyone feels the same way." Sara knotted the ends of the seam and held the dress up and out in front of her. When she looked to the side, she saw Michael's eyes were wide with wonder and his hand was reaching out to touch the dress.
"You made this dress?" he asked, looking at her. Sara nodded.

"It's beautiful! All the sparkles, the beads, and it's so long and flowy. It looks like it'd be so hard to make," he said. Sara just shook her head, eyeing the dress as well.

"It isn't hard at all really. I've been sewing for as long as I can remember. You could do it too if you'd had that much practice," she said. Michael just shook his head.

"Oh no. I could never make anything like this! Not with a million years of practice!" he joked. Sara giggled and set the dress down on the table.

"Well, we've each got our own thing I guess. You dance, and I sew. You've got your thing and I've got mine," she said. He nodded and leaned forward, interested.

"I like that. You've got your thing, and I've got mine," he repeated. "What else do you like to do?"

And with that, their conversation began to vary, just as it had the day before. They went back and forth, naming all the things they couldn't or could do, and it seemed there were many things Michael could do that Sara could not and vice versa. They went on to places they'd been and hadn't been and things they'd like to do but didn't. And, similarly, Michael had seen much more of the world then Sara could've imagined.

"Have you really been to Europe?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yeah, it's really nice. I like Germany and France, not so much London though. It's kind of dark. I remember, in France, everything always seemed so bright and happy. Like nobody had a care in the world," he explained.

"I remember the fields were the greenest I've ever seen. And the grass in the country rose up so high, almost to my waist when I was little. Then there were so many flowers! Flowers of all different pinks and purples and blues that stemmed up high past the thin strands. And there was almost always a breeze, soft enough not to do much but make a few strands of hair blow forward and float in front of your face, but strong enough to carry the scent of the flowers and grass along for miles," she said, staring at her hands. She didn't notice him staring back at her, just as lost in her description as she was.

"You've been there before?" he asked, his voice hardly audible. Sara broke her stare and looked back at him, pushing the hair from her face.

"Yes, I was born in France. We lived there for awhile, and I'm sure my parents took me to other places and countries nearby, but I don't have any clear memory of them. Even the one I just described is a little hazy. I haven't been back in over ten years," she said.

"That's way too long. You should ask your parents if they'd take you back to visit soon," he said. At that, he noticed Sara shift uncomfortably in her seat and her cheeks took on a faint, red glow.

"Yes, maybe I'll ask them," she mumbled, looking away from him.

Michael could sense the tension building between and quickly looked around, hoping he'd find something else he could mention to change the subject. Finally, his eyes feel of the mirror behind them and he remembered what Sara had been doing before he walked in.

"Sara, could I ask you something?" he asked. Sara nodded, still avoiding his gaze.

"Well, when I came in, you were sitting in the back, looking the mirror. What were you doing?" Sara finally looked up at him and then back to the mirror.

"Thinking," she said. He turned to look back at the mirror too.

"Thinking?" he said. She nodded.

"Yeah," she said. Sara stood up, walked to the back, and stared hard into the glass again. Michael stood and followed her and, once he was beside her, Sara put her hand on the glass and tapped on the same spot.

"Do you see that spot there?" she asked. Michael stared hard for a few moments and finally was able to pinpoint the spot. It was the reflection of the fourth corner of the room, the one to the left of the door. A light bulb was missing from the slot there in the ceiling and the area looked dark and clouded compared to the rest of the brightly lit room. He wondered how he could've missed it before.

"Yeah I see," he said, still confused as to what she could mean by it. Sara continued to stare at it and sighed.

"It just reminded me of a story I'd heard once. And I was a little bored, so it caught my eye, so I was trying to think of just what it reminded me of, and the story came to mind," she said.

"Really? What was it about," he said, curious.

"About an old curse, one from years ago," she whispered. He glanced at her, but she took no notice of him and continued to look at the spot.

"What kind of curse?" he asked. Sara finally took her eyes from the glass and walked forward, back to the chair.

"It's nothing really, just an old story," she said, sitting down. He followed her and sat down too.

"Tell me about it," he said. Sara stared at him for a moment then took a deep breath.

"Well...I can't remember just where I heard this, but someone told me a tale about this incredible place, someplace they said would've been too far from here to reach. And there was witch there, who was very beautiful, but very powerful, and liked control nearly everything she could, from the storms, to the sunlight, to the people that lived in her world. Most everyone was afraid of her, and tried their best to stay away from the castle she lived in and hope that she wasn't nearby to see them. And often enough, people got by and slipped through the cracks of her watchful eye. But, of course, not everyone can be perfect all the time.

Nearby the witches castle, was a kingdom where there a king, a queen, and there son, a prince. The child prince was kind and brave, both things the witch resented. And nearly everyone in their kingdom knew of him and his gentle way, also reasons for the witch to grow to hate him. And thus, she wanted to see him destroyed, and make an example of him to his kingdom. So, she waited while he grew, and with every year of his life he became nicer, sweeter, and more daring. He constantly thwarted many of witch's attempts to rule over his people, and gained even more admiration from them as the years went by.

Then finally, the day before the prince's eighteenth birthday, the witch decided do away with him, for good. She waited until the sun fell, and the grand ball to celebrate his day began. She made her way down into the kingdom, hidden in all black garb. Then, while the prince was getting ready, he heard a scream from nearby his balcony. When he went outside to see, he found a young girl, covered in black, nearly leaning off the side of it crying. But when he went to help her, the witch grabbed his wrist and revealed who she really was. Using a spell, she took the prince back to her castle and imprisoned him in her lowest, darkest room, while she decided what to do with him next. She was certain soon that everyone would know what had become of him, but that no one would have the courage to try to rescue him.

What she didn't know, was there was someone brave enough. A young servant girl that was trapped in the witch's castle saw her bring him in, and felt so sorry for him, that she went down to bottom of the castle and freed him while witch was upstairs. Together, they silently slipped up the stairs again and, after some convincing by the prince, managed to escape to the castle and make their way deep into the woods, just as the witch noticed the prince was gone.

In a fit of rage and desperation, the witch vowed she would find a way to make them suffer, and knew immediately how to do it. In minutes she was able to cast a spell over the prince's kingdom that blacked out the moonlight and shadowed the kingdom in darkness. The animals inside grew sick instantly and all lights inside the palace and the homes nearby went out. Suddenly, the people's bodies twisted and turned under them, and finally withered away to a grey, ill formed ash. Their skin lost all color and their hair fell lifeless around them. Their eyes were all a dull grey and when the wind blew, pieces of grey ash flew around them.

The witch had turned them all into hollow, forms of what they were, into shadows, like the ones that coated the halls of her palace. She knew that the destruction of his kingdom would be the one thing that would hurt the prince the most. So she set the curse upon it. Everyone that lived there would be transformed into a shadow of what they were, and everywhere they went they'd be regarded with hatred. If they tried to step into the sunlight, the light would covered them completely, and they would be invisible to anyone that was around. They would always feel cold, no matter where they were. The curse was to last for the rest of their lives, and any children any of them were to bear were to be plagued with the same curse.

However, there was one ray of hope left for them. If any of them could gain true value again, through bravery, love, kindness, charity, or anything else deemed worthy of gaining, they would be able to return to their true form and live out the way they were meant to be.

But that was small comfort to the shadow people. They abandoned their kingdom, hoping to find some way, any other way, to return to the way they were before, but nearly everywhere they went, they were met with the hatred the curse promised. No one wanted to help them, no one wanted to be bothered with them. And after many years of searching and wandering around their world, some were able to return to their former selves, but many were separated, other died out, and others simply gave up and resigned themselves to their fate. Years passed by, and the shadow people became a small group known all over as those to be feared and treated lowly. They were only ever employed as servants in the city, and those that lived in the country were afraid to leave, for fear of the rest of the world's judgment. The truth of the curse faded into legend, and the hope of breaking the curse went away with the death of many of the original shadow people.

As for the abandoned kingdom, the darkness soon faded away and after many years, a new kingdom was built. A king and queen came in to reign over many subjects and the story of the kingdom's terrible luck was soon forgotten. It became a happy and peaceful place once again, as royal after royal built a new lineage. And, eventually, a new generation of shadow people returned and lived in their original city again, as servants. Some worked in houses, or shops and farms, but many worked in the palace of the royals. Fewer worked as maids then general servants, fewer still ran errands at the beck and call of the king and queen themselves, and only one was a child.

The only child, and a shadow person too, was often ignored by other children in different positions and scolded by adults in her place. She was small, quick and very useful, but more then anything she was alone. Her parents had died years before, and the only life she knew was there in the palace, working as a maid. Though being alone wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Without her parents to tell her her place, her mind was left to wander and question everything about the world she lived in.

She was often found peering into a mirror she'd cleaned, examining every part of gray, dusty skin. She looked at herself and compared her appearance to the other, normal children of court. She wondered why their skin was a peach pink and hers a dull gray. She wondered why their eyes and hair had color, and hers did not. She wondered about the differences between them, and more then anything longed to be one of them. And she knew just how she would do it. She'd heard more then once, that the way a shadow person could become human again was if she earned something of worth, and she intended to do just that someday, though she knew not what it would be.

Nobody took too much notice of the orphaned little girl, no one except one boy. The king and queen's son, their young prince, was fascinated by the shadow people. He often watched them working and playing together, wondering where'd they'd come from and why they were gray when others were not. Despite his parents wishes, he tried, tried very hard, to befriend one after another, and though all were polite and showed him respect, they were ultimately too frightened of him to be friends. He'd actually only happened upon the girl by chance, when walking through the palace gardens, and he saw her leaning over a group of the most beautiful, colorful flowers in the garden. The sparkle in her eyes as she gazed down told him that she was truly in awe over their beauty, and would've stayed to stare longer, had she not been pulled away by another servant to do chores.

The next day, the girl was surprised to hear she was summoned to his rooms. She went hesitantly, with the full expectation that she was to be punished for something she had or had not done. To her surprise, when she walked in, he stood upon seeing her and asked her to shut the door. She obeyed and immediately after, he walked closer to her, with one hand behind his back, and stopped only inches from her. Confused, she shut her eyes and looked down, but on feeling his touch on her shoulder, she raised her head again and saw he'd moved his hand from behind him and held out a single, red flower from the garden.

From then on, every week the young prince made sure to send the girl flowers of different colors from the garden, and their friendship grew. They saw each other often when the sun was down, and both of their duties were complete for the day. She spoke to him about all she knew of the shadow people and their ways, and he told her about the human life and theirs. He spoke to her often of his parents, his father in particular who hated the shadow people, and she spoke to him of the legend of breaking the curse. They often made promises to one another, that they would run away together to find a way to break the curse on the girl and a place where the prince could be truly freed from his domineering father and mother. She still called him by his royal title of course, but as time went on he took to calling her the Shadow Princess. And as the years rolled by, with every new promise and flower, their friendship grew into something most wonderful by all accounts.

Now, it soon came time that the two were nearly grown up, and the prince's eighteenth birthday was approaching quickly. The king had arranged for a grand ball and celebration, for in the king's eyes, it wasn't only his son's birthday, but instead he saw it as the time for his son to be married, to secure their legacy. Of course, he and the prince fought over his choice in a bride, a princess he'd never met before. But, the king didn't much care for the boy's say, as he felt he did what was right for his kingdom, regardless of how much it hurt his son. He sent him away, and refused to see him until the night of the ball.

The prince refused to leave his rooms for days, and would see no one, save for the Shadow Princess late at night when the rest of the palace was asleep. They spoke often of his marriage, and he told her often how awful he felt, being forced into marriage with a girl he didn't know, and what's worse, how his father didn't seem to care."

"But...that's awful!" Michael said, staring at Sara. Sara could see a look a sadness in his own eyes.

"Not every parent can be perfect I guess," she said. He shook his head and looked away from her. She watched the redness crawl back to his cheeks, but this time she knew it wasn't from embarrassment, but anger.

"Just because everyone knows you made a mistake doesn't make it okay or go away," he mumbled. He looked her way again and Sara could see his eyes were wide. "Why would he put his son in that place? If he really loved him, then he'd respect that something as important as marriage can't be forced on someone. He'd never ask him to make that big of a sacrifice! And to a girl he didn't know..." His voice grew softer until finally he left his words in the air and fell silent, lost in his own thoughts. Sara stared intently at him, wondering if beginning her tale was, perhaps a bad idea. She had no idea he'd feel so strongly about it.

"Well, it doesn't matter much anyway. He wouldn't get a chance to marry the girl," she said. At that, his head rose quickly and an eager, curious look lit up his face.

"He won't?" he asked. Sara shook her said.

"No. You see, the days went by, and the night of the ball drew closer, until soon it was the night of, and the Shadow Princess helped the prince prepare. He was so sad at his upcoming celebration, he hardly said two words to the girl, and she for her part felt unusually uneasy for a reason she couldn't quite explain, and remained silent also. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of a scream that came from beyond the curtain that led to the prince's balcony. Concerned, he rushed forward and disappeared behind the sheer, blue fabric, while the Shadow Princess moved close to the darkened corner of his bedroom, frightened.

He stepped out into the darkness of the night, looked around, and finally his eyes feeling on a shadowy figure, leaning over the railing. He ran to it's side and reached out to touch it's shoulder, asking who it was and how it came to be there. It said nothing, but the prince saw the awful glow of red eyes and a cold, thin hand clamp down hard around his wrist.

The Shadow Princess watched as the outline of the prince and the figure struggled against one another. Finally, she saw a flash of dark light that engulfed the two of them, and they were gone in moments.

The Shadow Princess rushed forward and threw back the curtains. On the balcony floor, she saw a small piece of a green gem that had broken off from the woman's cloak, and knew immediately that the figure had been the witch the shadow people had spoken about. Only she, they said, carried green gems with her always.

She'd captured the young prince, and the Shadow Princess was the first to tell the guards of what had happened. No sooner had they set out to inform the king and queen, then the whole kingdom seemed to be aglow with the news. And quite suddenly, the old, forgotten tale of the kingdom before theirs came to life again and spread like wildfire from person to person.

The king and queen, devastated at the news of their only son, quickly summoned the palace army to ready themselves and go off in search of the witch and her castle. They were to find her and crush by any means necessary, and certainly, they thought, their son would be returned home to them in no time at all.

But the Shadow Princess and her people knew better. They'd heard awful, terrible tales of the witch, knew well enough about her to know she showed no mercy to her prisoners. Unaware of the events that befell the kingdom long before it was theirs, they only wondered what the young prince had done to bring her wrath and evil ways upon himself. No one more then the Shadow Princess herself.

For what was left of the night, she sat on her old bed in a room she shared with the other shadow children, unable to sleep from wondering what would become of her friend. She couldn't help but think of the spells the witch could use to destroy him, and of the discouraging remarks of the adults when they spoke of the king and queen's army. They said there was no chance that more than a quarter of them would survive to reach the witch's castle, and those that did would be dead as soon as they took two steps too close to the walls. It seemed there was no chance for the prince, and that he was soon to fall into memory, then to be forgotten, as many had been before him.

But, still, the Shadow Princess would not sleep, nor would she forget what she'd seen. She stayed up well until the morning's rays peered over the horizon and over the kingdom. And only then, did an spectacular idea strike her. Something so daring, so dangerous, yet so incredible she knew right away it would be the only way to give the prince a chance to survive. And a chance for herself to become a whole human, as she knew she was meant to be."

Of course, Sara told the story in a much grander way then that, noting the colors, sounds, and feelings of every piece of her tale, but such fun and detail would take far too long to repeat, so we know the very grit of her tale only. The tale in it's entirety, however, was enough to put Michael on the edge of his seat and hardly breathe from the wonder he felt when she told it. He could see it all clearly unfold in front of him when she told it, as that was Sara's special way with stories, and he was so engrossed in the picture of it, he didn't notice Sara's silence until she touched his knee and he came back to his senses

"You should go," she said, looking at the clock behind him on the wall. He looked back and nearly jumped from the chair when he saw he'd been gone for nearly two hours.

"You're right!" He ran to the door and put his hand on the knob, but suddenly froze and turned to look at her.

"You're very good at that," he said. She looked back at him and felt the redness coming to her cheeks.

"What?"

"Telling a story. I just wish I could stay to hear the rest," he said. Sara shook her head.

"I wouldn't be able to tell it all too you today anyway. It's very, very long. But.." she started, stopped, and took a breath, trying to get up the courage to ask him. "But...I was wondering...would you really like to hear the rest?"

He nodded and smile came to his face. Sara looked away and then looked back again.

"Well, I'm usually down here alone around this time everyday. If you'd like, if you usually have your break during this time, you could come down, and I could tell a little each day, until we finish. We can watch the clock next time, to make sure you're not late again, but I was just thinking..." Sara trailed off and looked away, embarrassed she was asking to spend more time with him.

"I'd love to come!" he said, the smile still clear and bright on his face. "I want to hear it all I..." He stopped and lowered his voice. "I've never heard anything like that before, ever."

Sara looked up and managed a small smile in return at the complement. He bit his lip and smiled back at her, before hurrying out of the room. She could hear him run back down the hall and when she was certain he was away, she let herself sit back in the chair again, and resume her work. And for the rest of the day, she wore her small smile on her face.