The House of Daggers

11:46 P.M.

Path to the House of Daggers

Same day

…

          The rain continued, leaves continued to fall, and the girls continued to walk. The lightning eventually stopped. The ground was soaked, the pebbles no longer crunched due to the water between them. The grass had wilted, and the sky was bleak. The cherry blossoms from the tress fell. Cherry blossoms, were in fact, very rare in Italy, because… they were from cherry blossom trees. In Japan, they were common, but in Italy, you would be quite lucky to find one. Nonetheless, there were cherry blossoms and cherry blossom trees.

          As a tiny, ripped, and wrinkled cherry blossom dropped towards the ground. Brittany caught it in her hand. She looked at it, and her eyes softened. She stared, looking into the calming pink color.

          “Yo, Britt? Where are ya?” Madeleine questioned from ahead the path.

          Brittany was jerked back to attention. She started to run towards Madeleine.

          “There you are… let’s hurry.”

             “Brittany turned her head and was about to ask why, her eyes locked with Madeleine’s. Her head, although, did not move.

          As the night progressed, the moon climbed up high in the sky. It was almost full, inching closer to becoming entire every second, the trees swayed from side to side, and branches. The grass had turned red, quite strangely, and the petals from all of the flowers were torn apart. Not by had, if someone wanted to do that, no, they were perfectly cut. Right in the middle. Like it was sliced into segments, while falling, by someone. Or. Something.

          “Where are we now?” Brittany said, breaking the silence.

          “Um, ugh… I know we’re close…” Madeleine chuckled, smiling briefly at Brittany, who was now flickering with anger.

          They continued to walk the rest of the way in silence.

          ‘Beep – Beep – Beep.’

“Wha? What’s that?” Brittany screamed, twisting her head in multiple directions.

          “It’s my watch,” Madeleine said. “Now, we really have to hurry.”

          This was the second time Madeleine had spoken, of course, but her tone was absolutely from the norm.

          The moon was almost full now, and it cast long beams of light, that projected against everything. Including Madeleine. The white showed through her hair, and for the slightest second, on her face. Her mouth was the only thing Brittany saw, and it was turned down.

          In a frown.

          “You’re, you’re…” Brittany stuttered.

          “We have to go. Now.” Madeleine said, looking away.

          Their steps were now echoing through the stillness. The moon was seconds always from its completion.

          The two reached a door, an enormous door decorated with many patterns. The cherry blossoms that were split in half were floating in front of the two, so was the red grass. The door was then opened, by Madeleine.

          “We must go, while we have the time.” Madeleine spoke, slipping through the door. Brittany followed.

          And as the door shut, as the girls enter the house, the moon became finally full. And the two were to too rushed to notice the signs on the door.

          Not the small ones on the outside, those were of no importance. But in the middle…

There was a full moon, like the one in the sky, right then, and a man with a sword in front of him.

Twin blades.

With red grass floating around him.

And, sliced in half,

Cherry blossoms.

ҢĐ