Young Writers Society

"I'm scared!" I cried hugging my knees as I rocked on my butt on the cold stone floor. "God, help me."

"But I am here." Echoed the voice again. "And I will comfort you, Helen."

"But you are the one who got me into this mess. I shouldn't have listened to you. I shouldn't have followed you here. And I shouldn't be here. Why did you bring me here?" I questioned looking for the spirit.

"Because I love you." He whispered as his voice faded away. "Because I love you Helen."

"So you're just going to leave me!" I screamed. "You are a liar! A filthy liar."

The musty air didn't help my mood. I didn't know what else to do but cry. The tears rolled down my pale face and my blond hair was tangled with knots. I stared at the door and waited. Waited for the slightest movement. Immense grey eyes flickered through the doorway and a ghostly figure appeared.

"He's ready for you." She whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Don't cry, Amy. I'll be fine." I said trying to comfort my friend.

"No Helen, you'll end up like me." She whispered. She took my hand in hers and led me down a dark corridor. The moldy walls made it the perfect scene for a horror movie. I took one last look at my friend Amy, she had ghostly white hair, skin, eyes, and clothing.

We approached a pale man. He was devilishly handsome. "Bring me the girl, she is not our Queen, but she can be a servant for now." He pulled a silver dagger and studied me with his eyes.

"You will feel no pain, you will do as I say, and you will never protest." He told me.

"I will do as you say, I will feel no pain, and I will never protest." I mimicked in some sort of trance. He pushed the dagger into my heart but I felt nothing, I smiled. My spirit floated from my body and I looked at my hands. They were as pale as Amy's. The man tossed my limp body in a corner with others and screamed "Get in your cell!" Obeying I did as I was told and floated into the musty cell. Tears rolled down my transparent cheeks as I softly fell asleep.

"This is all a dream." I murmured closing my eyes to the soft hum of the harp Amy was playing for the man. "This is a dream."

***100 years later****

"Come on Allie! You can't leave me now!" T.J. begged hugging me for the last time.

"T.J, I 'm just going to be in Ireland for a few weeks!" I protested pushing him off.

"Fine, you can go. But, you can't fall for any of those leprechaun boys!" He laughed. I kissed him on the cheek as I boarded the plane. I didn't know why I was going, it was like some sort of magnet was pulling me to the other side of the world.

I took my seat and looked out the foggy window. Go to sleep, cooed a soft voice in my mind. I closed my eyes and fell asleep to the hum of the engine.

"Get off the plane! It's a trap! He wants you, he'll kill you! Get off!" A girl in my dream warned me. She had long blond hair like myself and green eyes. The only difference between us was the eye color. Mine were blue.

"Oh Helen, don't scare her. At least not before she arrives. Go back to your room before you create any damage." An immensely gorgeous man emerged from the darkness, his soft red hair glinted in the dimness. He had deep blue eyes that I wanted to swim in. I wanted him to hold me and to kiss and to love me. Wait, I stopped myself. I love T.J., not this stranger.

"Who are you?" My dream voice was hollow and scared.

"My name is Philip. I will be waiting for you in your hotel room, Alison." He replied with a smile.

"I prefer to be called Allie." I admitted smiling.

"Ah, but in Ireland we call each other by real names. I prefer to be called Phil, but it is more proper the other way." He said. "Now Alison, wake up. I have sped up time so your flight is already landing. See you soon." With a smile Philip was gone and I was awake too.

I got into a cab and was soon at the hotel. "Here you go." The clerk said in her pinched voice. "Room five hundred and seven." I grabbed the key card from her hand and rushed to my room. I looked for Philip but there was no sign of him.

"Hello," I whirled and saw him staring at me, his red hair glinting in the moonlight.

"Y-your real." I stuttered.

"Yes, and your even prettier in person." Philip replied smiling, he took my hand in his and kissed the top of it.

"That Helen girl, she looked a lot like me. She wasn't your girlfriend, was she?" I asked trying to hide the envy in my voice.

"No, of course not.l She is just one of the maids at my mansion." He replied laughing. "I would never date that witch."

"Witch?" I asked, my eyes scanning for her.

"No, not that kind of witch. She just has a snooty personality. She tries to get rid of every girl that comes across my homeland. Especially pretty girls like you." Philip slipped his hand in mine. "Are you dating anyone?"

I froze. "No, not at the moment. But I did have a boyfriend before I left."

"Really, what was his name?" He asked, eyebrows raised. A flash of anger flashed through them.

"T.J. Hoolemere." I replied. My phone rang and I answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey Allie, this is T.J., just to let you know we are through. Turns out Jane from science class is a real sweetie. So take as many boys as you'd like." With a click he hung up.

"I guess I'm single." I said recovering from the shock. It was so sudden, it was as if Philip was controlling T.J. It was as if T.J. had been listening in on our conversation. No, it can't be that. I told myself, that's impossible.

"Hey, are you a fan of parties?" Philip asked releasing my hand. His smile was sparkling and his eyes were laughing.

"I-I don't know, I just got here and I kinda want to look around the city." I said looking into his eyes. It was still bright outside and I could here local children laughing in the street.

"Look at what? This city is only full of fields and people. What is there to see?" Philip questioned.

"It's not only that. Philip, I don't know you. How can I just run off with some stranger. I'm only eighteen. I'm old enough, but I just can't do it. My parents specifically said 'Don't run off with strangers, get to know them first'" I said, mimicking my mom.

"Ah, the parent rule. Well when you decide to grow up, call me." Philip flashed a business card in my hand and was gone instantly.

****

A soft tapping sound awakened me from my slumber. I pulled off my sleep mask and drowsily got out of bed. I pressed my face to the moist window frame and was astonished to see Philip. I cracked open the window. "Philip, are you crazy! It's the middle of the night and I'm on the fifth floor! How the hell did you get up here?" I asked, my voice rising with every word.

"Long story. Allie, you have to let me in. If you don't Helen will get me!" Philip cried. He struggled to slide his fingers under the glass, the look on his face was so different from the perfect smile I had seen the day before. He was scared.

"Why would Helen want to get you?" I asked.

"It's not her I'm afraid of, it's all of them. They've gotten into human form and they're charging here. Please, just let me in!" He screamed as a mob of beautiful women crowded on the streets below. I opened the window to let him in and slammed it shut once he was safe inside.

"What do you mean, 'human form'?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you see, there's no easy way to put this but," Philip paused hesitantly, "Those girls out there are.... spirits."

"What?" I asked in bewilderment. This boy was really peculiar. "Are you a spirit too? Is that how you got into my dream?"

"A spirit? Me? Oh heavens no! But I am an immortal." He smiled and then got up to lock the window as ghostly figures appeared outside.

"Don't listen to him! He's not the evil one but he works for the evil one! It's a trick!" They women chanted. The were ghosts alright. But this didn't surprise me, I had always believe ghosts were real. I had read about them on the Internet a long time ago.

"Shut up!" I screamed at the girls. I banged on the window and they screamed in alarm. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"No, you have to listen to us. Or you'll become like this!" Helen yelled. I recognized her. "Amy and I just want to save you. This boy is not evil, it is his father that does the devils work."

I turned to look at Philip who sat on my bed, his head was in his hands and I heard a soft weeping sound escaping from his mouth. I realized he was not a man at the moment, but a small boy looking for a companion. "Philip," I paused to put a reassuring arm around his shivering shoulder. "Is this true?"

"Mmmmmm.." He let a little sound escape from his lips before he spoke on. "My f-father, he is t-the d-devil's assistant."

"What?" I asked flabbergasted.

"Each year or so he searches for a young lady to be his Queen. Even if she is not his Queen he'll take her and make her his slave. He claims you are the Queen. He says you fit all of the descriptions. Blond hair, blue eyes, and pure white skin. He thought it was Helen a hundred years age, but she has green eyes." He explained, picking his words precisely.

"W-what happens to the Queen?" I stuttered, sweat formed on my brow and soft, nervous tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Well, my father kills her with his special dagger that makes her an immortal. Then, he hypnotizes her into thinking she loves him and that she is evil. She tortures the spirits and is really pampered. Father really just need you or the devil will take away his powers." He said. He drew away from me and wiped his tear stained eyes.

"Why do you work for him?" I asked, I trusted this man. But now, he was evil?

"He said I could pick any of the girls once he gets his Queen. But there's also another reason, he says he will kill my mother. She is being held captive by him, she is being treated as if she is a servant. She works for him and is tortured by him." He said, tears welling up in his eyes, "And I love her. She is the only family I have left that isn't evil."

I felt a throbbing in my chest and my vision began to blur. "What's happening?" I asked frantically using what was left of my voice. The spirits were in the room now and I heard Helen frantically saying. "Did you give her the med?"

"Yes! But I-I didn't mean to, I swear!" Philip was putting me on the bed and covering me. "It's okay, you will wake up in a room in a palace, I will be with you when you awake. Sleep now Alison, everything will be alright."

Suddenly, everything went black.