Prolog
A man ran through the dark. Although he was quite early for his meeting, the idea of the rewards and riches he would be given for this information was too spectacular to wait out in the cold for. Plus, the Princess would be pleased about his early appearance. That would definitely mean a bonus in his prize.
He skidded to a halt by the fourth gate he saw on the dirt road. Gazing up at the dark, twisted mansion in front of him, he began to have doubts; this was where she wanted he to meet her, right? Taking no chances, he carefully slipped through the creaky gate and hurried up the overgrown path, past a lawn that hadn’t been clipped in years. Taking no notice of the fade rose bushes clinging to his coat, he pulled out of the thorns to the cracked, mossy steps. He walked up them, feeling sudden waves of dread and excitement wash over him time after time. Reaching up, his fingers groped for and found a cold rusty knocker, which he swung back and dropped. A resounding thud echoed across the landscape.
The huge oak doors opened by a crack. Two dimly glowing eyes peered out at him. A disembodied female voice spoke from the direction of the eyes. The voice made his hair stand on end. Choppy and rough, there was something irresistible about it.
“You are the one to meet us here tonight?”
The man said in a voice a little higher and squeakier than usual, “Er, yes. I am here to tell you the information you said you would pay me for.” Seeing the distrust in the eyes, he quickly added, “It happened tonight.”
“I see. Come in. Do not try to fool us this time.”
The eyes vanished and the door swung wide to allow him entrance. He nervously stepped in. The door seemed to swing shut by itself. He heard the soft click of the door being locked.
“Uh...” He whispered. “I-I don’t th-think that the door needs to be locked right now. Nobody else is going to come here.”
The only answer he got was a smile inlaid with perfect white teeth that shone in the shadows. The voice said, “This way.”
A dark figure led him down a hallway. The only light was the moon beams through the dusty-framed windows. A white hand loomed from the darkness, it pointed towards a door on the man’s left.
“In there...no questions are really necessary.” When he paused, he received another ghostly grin. He noted, shocked, that the person had all pointed teeth.
Now the man felt even more nervous as he stepped into a dark room. He was told to sit by the voice, and feeling that it would be best not to do otherwise, did so. He glanced at the doorway just in time to see the creepy white teeth disappeared into the gloom and the door silently close. Now a different voice spoke, cold in its nature, but smoother.
“My friend has told me that you have the information we need.”
“Ah, yes. You will pay me for it as we agreed on, yes?” Squeaked the man, not at all pleased to see his shady employer again. After a moment, he wondered how she could have been told anything if the creepy female butler had not entered the room with him.
“Payment? Ah...yes, all in good time. Now, the information, please.”
The man didn’t like the sound of that.
“The girl came home, stayed for 43 minutes, and then the woman you showed me a picture of came out of her apartment. She walked to the park on the corner of Magic St. and Dorian Blvd.”
“Dorian?”
“Yes, Dorian,” He snapped. “The woman disappeared in the center of a park, where the Great Giant is. I have watched them.” He threw his head high and strengthened his feeble, girly voice so that his host would recognize his impatience. There were many people that would like to get their grubby police hands on him, and staying in one place too long was dangerous. “I need my payment, and soon. Soon would best be now.”
Ignoring the request, the smooth, sweet voice said, “Do they know that they were watched the entire time? Or, a better question, did the woman seem...preoccupied?”
“No, mam. She barely even stopped or looked around the entire time. It was most easy to watch them; a child coul-”
“You have done well. Now, for your payment.”
The man felt a leap of joy pierce his nervousness. This is why he did these dirty jobs - for the money and jewels that they provided.
“How much?”
“Did you think, “ said the voice, now stern, “that I would pay you with worthless cash? Or gold?”
“Ah-” He honestly didn’t know what to say, so it was good that she cut him off.
“No, no. I am going to give you something greater. Have a drink.”
Resisting the sudden urge to run, the man nodded and accepted the drink, or better, concoction, that appeared at his side in a champagne glass. He sniffed it, but spent no more time examining for poison - he didn’t want to be rude to his employer. Lifting the sickly lime green slush to his lips, he drank. The man keeled over instantly, falling on the ground sluggishly. The glass slipped from his hand and shattered; lime green goo splattered everywhere. A slim figure stood up and stared coldly down at the figure, unperturbed and somehow not coated with the glutinous and glowing slush now all around the room. A stout woman hurried in, white teeth still shining in the moonlight. She was carrying a jeweled box and was the first to talk.
“Is his life over, or is he sleeping?”
“He is sleeping, but not for long. The knife, please.”
A knife appeared from the box and was handed to the tall woman. A twisted, evil-looking black knife slashed the man deeply. His heart beat stopped with a jolt.
Both figures left the room, the sweet-voiced villain wearing a cloak just now visible. The walked out the door and down the mangled path. Behind them, the house burst into flames. Both walked on.
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