Young Writers Society

She stood facing towards the sky. Her legs trembled as her exhausted being, overwhelmed with fatigue crumbled to the core of the earth.. It was pouring heavily and the clouds seemed to be falling faster and faster as it began to suffocate her. She took long deep breaths, gasping for air. The wind blew strong and vigorous. Teardrops rolled quickly down her cheeks and her eyes welled up with tears again and again. Her hands and feet dirtied, with mud and soil.. She stayed knelt to the ground for hours, pouring her heart out and sending out long sharp shrieks that sent down chills down spines upon anyone who received it. She was surrounded as black roses and thorns sprouted from beneath her..

Luna was her name. A fair maiden with skin almost whiter than snow. Long curled black locks that seemed never ending. Her eyes were grey. Dark, misty grey that were always filled with sadness and grief. Her perfectly red lips looked as if bloodstained, significant to the anger and vengeance she had within. She wore a frilly tattered net-like gown. Layers of silk flowed down her frame. Spiders and snakes followed her wherever she went. A black rose on the side of her crown with blood that would trickle down her face everytime she wept. Her wound could be seen, stitched, when she ripped her own heart out from her chest. It was from the hurt of what was believed from her ex lover..

She was known as the Princess of Darkness in a small queer village known as Strangheville. People dared not utter a word of the melancholic town. It was otherwise known as the town of misery and horror. Strangheville was located next to a lake that seemed never ending and a swamp on the other side.

The villagers at Strangheville were never friendly but neither rude. In fact, they always seemed frightened and distraughted. The village had tall grey brick-houses that were unimaginably built by hand. Each time passerbys drove pass, the villagers would panick and scurry back into their homes. The villagers including their children were seen with frowns on their faces, as if imprinted on them. But the one thing that was noticed or otherwise heard of, was that children were hardly or rather, never seen running around. Rumour was that the children were locked up in their homes, afraid to be captured by the servants of the dark princess.

Mowragroafs, they were called. They were monsters created by Luna as slaves. The Mowragroafs were tall, dirty-green coloured. They had hairy legs and growled like tigers. Their stare frightened everyone. Their stench was so pungent that the villagers could always know when they were approaching. They were neither human nor animal. But in fact both. Screams of fear, believed were from children would be heard throughout the mountains and valleys all around. This happened in the middle of the nights when the Mowragroafs made their 'kill'. The captured were brought back to the tall dark castle at the end of the lake where the Princess of Darkness awaited. It is said that the children were used as portals to the Netherworld. Luna would stare straight into their eyes which no soul could escape. Which explains the black veil over her eyes when she is seen.

Every poor innocent child had to go through those eyes filled with grief, hurt, anger, misery and every inch of negativity you could never imagine. It would all be too much to handle for any living being, much less a child. The excruciating pain in their hearts would send them screaming as they turned into statues which were kept all around her castle.

That was the only way she could visit the netherworld. Luna was too, the Princess of The Undead. Those who died a tragic, unsettled or accidental death on earth would be sent to her. Strangheville was filled with morbidity and any passerby who came by to get food and water would never fail to leave with negative thoughts in their minds. Nobody knew how to banish the princess. Because nobody dared too. She was unspeakable and much feared off. People were forced to have children or they would be devoured alive by a pit of blood-thirsting snakes.

The wound on her chest from her ripped-out heart was the cause of her ex lover. Jeyler was his name. A fine young man, kind-hearted and charming. They were about to get married and lived in a cottage where the castle stood presently. They were the most loving couple anyone knew. Until one day..

Cheranna the seducer, known to throw herself at young man and make love to them. Only after, would she deprive them of their feelings which would only leave them as an 'empty shell' that would slowly rot and die. She could never find a young man like Jeyler and was jealous of the love he had for Luna.

One night, Jeyler and Luna had a heated argument. Jeyler stomped out of the house and took a walk by the riverside. That was when Cheranna came and seduced him. The next morning, Jeyler was found motionless by the riverside. He was alive and breathing but just like what Cheranna did to all the other man, she seduced him and then afterwhich deprived him of all feelings. Luna was overwhelmed with misery and the pain was too much to handle. She killed herself that morning, right next to Jeyler by ripping her heart out and bleeding to death.

That was how she became the Princess of Darkness. The tragic story was passed down to generations till this very day. Luna still had her strong love for Jeyler so much. Every now and then a huge thunderstorm would rain down on Strangheville as she wept of the unfortunate death of her husband-to-be. When she died, people then found out that she was carrying Jeyler's child. Which explains why she now keeps the statues of the children she uses as portals. Strangheville never once had sunlight that the villagers had longed for but only grey, cloudy skies covered the entire village.

Luna always felt alone and so created a henchman, not only to assist her but also as a confidant for Luna. His name was Moonmote. He gave orders to the Mowragroafs and would keep watch by Luna's side. However, Luna did not know of what was to come..

"Such monstrosity!", Balencia hollered at the top of his voice. Balencia was a 19-year-old young man who lived in Chirrupysun. Another small village located at the other far end of Strangheville. Chirrupysun was the total opposite of Strangheville. It was always shining with beautiful sunlight filled with happiness, love and warmth that was felt all around. "Such monstrosity has been tolerated for so many generations? And no one has took any action against it?". Balencia was furious and he just only came to know of Strangheville. His mother, Lucia dared not tell him such stories when he was a child as she did not want to frighten the young boy then. Lucia was a poised, refined and elegant lady. She stayed calm in her chair next to the fireplace, knitting. "Now my dear, be calm. Yes, we are definitely fillled with rage and pity for the people. But there's nothing we can do can we? She's a poweress." Lucia replied. Balencia kept silent as he lamented on his thoughts of he innocent children being killed. And he suddenly had a thought in mind.

To save the people of Strangheville.

The days passed slowly and the people of Chirrupysun seemed, surprisingly, gloomy for the first time. Yes, the day had come. The day the people most feared. The day where the village of happiness was seen with a tinge of gloom. People were arguing over the smallest things. Ancestors a few generations ago had predicted this day, where the gloom and misery would travel and slowly spread to the villages. The people of the cheerful village knew of this, but were always too busy being entertained to prepare for this day.

“Mother, something’s not right about this day.” Balencia said. “Why do you say so my son?” Lucia asked with her hands tightly clasped together, almost looking as if she was nervous. “I visited the market to get some items and I noticed a sense of, weird to say, but it seemed as if there was gloom and sadness all around. People seemed rather unfriendly actually.” Balencia replied with a frown on his face as he unpacked the items from his bag. There was silence from Lucia. He turned around to look, only to find that she was pacing up and down the squeaky wooden flooring beneath her dainty-liked feet. “Whatsoever is the matter mother? Is something wrong?” Balencia asked, worried.

Lucia kept silent and continued pacing up and down the squeaky flooring which Balencia got rather irritated with.

“Mother?”

“Oh yes, yes my son” she replied.

“My son, I have something I would like you to know..”

And so Lucia carried on telling her son about the ‘prophecy’.

To Be Continued..