"Why does this keep happening to us?!?" Kim exclaimed frantically. They now stood in complete darkness with only the door before them, their hands not leaving the doorknob for fear that they would tumble into the abyss below their very feet. Kima swallowed hard as she tried to conceal her fear, "I don't know. But it looks like we only have one choice left and that is to open this door." Kim shook her head violently, "I don't want to!!!" She whimpered, "That creature could be there. Or Akaime!!!" She pulled the door shut tight not allowing her twin to open it. "Akaime is dead!" Kima returned, "We made sure of that and that creature from our room is only in our room. This isn't one of our nightmares." "How do you know that?" Kim cried, "It could be our room behind that door. It wants to finish us off." Kima had to admit to herself that it was a possibility. Then the waltz drifted to her ears once again and she smiled, "It can't be our room. Since when did we listen to a waltz?" She inquired knowingly. Kim had to think for a moment, "Never... but..." Her hand relaxed on the doorknob as she tried to think of some other reason for them to not open the door. "Then there are no more complaints." Kima stated and pushed the door opened. "No Wait!!!" Kim screamed out, but it was already too late. The door swung wide open and a heavy wind battered at the girls. Kima grabbed Kim's hand and pulled her through the door. The moment they passed the threshold the door slammed shut behind them with a heavy thud. They now stood in a small, dimly lit, cellar with walls of concrete that had been stained by water that must have seeped in during the winter thaw with two long narrow dust-filmed windows set near the ceiling to provide a small amount of light. Aloft I-beams could be seen crisscrossing the open ceiling and small fragments of light peeked through cracks in the floorboards every now and then. There was also the faint odour of fungus that attacked Kima's senses causing her to sneeze slightly, the sound echoing off walls, startling Kim. Suddenly the sound of heavy footfalls filled the air as someone walked overhead and Kim clamped her hand to her ears in an attempt to block out the horrendous sound while Kima wrapped her arms around her double in an attempt to calm the girl, trying even harder to conceal her own fears. Slowly she ushered the girl to the back of the basement, behind a stack of old mouldy boxes, being sure to keep one eye on the ceiling overhead, tracing the foot steps as they crossed overhead. "Penny, I can't believe you at times." A voice called out in the dark as the creaking of a door raced down the stairs alone with a square of light that spill out across a set of rickety wooden stairs, "Get down there and I don't want to see you until you straighten your act up." A young girl came tumbling through the door, her foot missing the first two steps and her arms pin wheeled as she tumbled down the stairs. She managed to brace herself with her arms as she landed head first upon the next set of stairs and slid to the bottom, landing in a heap. "And I don't want to hear no crying out of you either." The door slammed shut plunging the girls back into gloomy darkness. Kima squinted against the dimness, trying to get a better look at the newcomer. The girl was clad in a brown one-piece dress that comes down to about mid calf; her small socks had a hole in the toe, her hair was a tangled mess and there was dirt all over her body. She silently tried to stifle her sobs when the air suddenly filled with the sounds of the waltz. Kima searched the ceiling for the source of the sound. When she could not find it she turned back to the girl. She considered crawling towards Penny but was afraid of frightening her. How would she explain how two strange girls ended up in Penny's basement? Also she didn't know what she would do with Kim and didn't want her twin causing too much of a fuss as to disturb whomever lived upstairs. That was when Penny slowly got to her feet; her eyes were closed so she didn't seem to notice the two redheads. She gracefully spread out her arms in front of her, then placed one upon the hem of her dress and gave a slight curtsy. She smiled as if someone were talking to her and then opened her arms to invite an invisible person into them and began to dance across the floor. Kima found herself mesmerized by the girl's grace as she glided across the floor, even with her eyes shut the girl did not bump into any of the random boxes that lay askew around the cellar floor, slowly Kima found herself being drawn to the strange dancing girl. She could not take her eyes off the girl as she got to her feet; it was as if she was being gently pulled into the dance. Kim became frantic by her twins movements and pulled on the girl's arm in protest, too afraid to speak. Kima broke free from the scene before her for a moment to glance down at her double, shook her head at the girl and place a finger to her lips. Cautiously Kima turned back towards Penny and let go of Kim. Careful to avoid bumping into Penny as the girl danced around, Kima walked around the girl until she was standing to the back of her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Penny opened her eyes slightly and was faintly startled, but a smiled played across her face as Kima bowed deeply and extended a hand towards the girl. Penny took Kima's hand with a slight curtsy and the two girls continued to dance throughout the dim basement as if they were standing upon the floor of a grand hall. Kim shook her head in disapproval and leaned against the wall with her cheek resting upon her hand in boredom. She could not understand how her double could approach a girl without a single ounce of hesitation; it was as if her twin had no common sense. Always thinking with her heart and not her head. Kima mussed over this when she noticed Kima was drawing ever so much closer to Penny and they both seemed to be surrounded in a strange glow. Kima gently pulled Penny up against her body and wrapped one hand around the girl's waist; she was close enough to smell the scent of the girl's hair, a mixture of dust and flowers. She found herself being pulled into the girl's large green eyes and didn't even notice as her surrounding began to change around her. All around the basement faded away to reveal a grand ballroom hall, the hall was oblong with towering mirrors staggered between tall marble pillars all around a large yellow marble dance floor. In front of each pillar stood tall brass candelabra with its many ornamental candlesticks aglow. At one end of the dance floor was an elevated promenade deck with two grand stairways running along the walls to both side and marble railing encircling it. A magnificent set of double doors stood open at the far walls beyond the promenade where many guests could be seen entering the room in pairs while at the opposite end of the hall large white curtains could be seen draping to either side of a huge set of glass windows with a door in the middle that led out to a balcony. The ceiling arched high overhead and coming together in the centre. Stings of crystal looped down from the ceiling like an illusionary upside down fountain spraying its waters into the centre where they gathered into an immense chandelier. The dance floor itself was filled with people dancing gracefully about; each dressed in elegance and class, with masquerade eye masks upon their faces. Before Kima's eyes Penny's dirty and tangled hair melted away to be replaced by the most beautiful wavy brunette hair held up by many beads and gold strings with small foil leaves. Her tattered dress transformed into a flowing gown of golden yellows and whites that drifted around the girl's feet and a matching feathered eye mask covered the girl's face. Kima caught a glimpse of herself in one of the tall mirrors as they danced passed it. She looked very gentlemanly in her own opinion, decked out in a fancy red tux and white gloves. Her own eye mask was blood red with dark marking around the eyes and adorned with colourful feathers over the right eyebrow. She was still admiring herself when she felt Penny cling to her tightly. She returned her gaze to the girl to find Penny was not looking back at her; instead they were staring over Kima's shoulder. Kima gracefully spun the girl around to see what had caught Penny's attention. Across the hall a large man dressed in a stark white tux and long flowing white cloak fluttered behind him as he strolled through the crowd of dancers. As he passed people by they stopped dancing and stepped to the side of the dance floor while muttering to themselves. Kima could not tear her eyes from the man as he approached the two girls. A mask as black as the finest ebony covered his entire face and no eyes could be seen while strains of wavy white hair fell around the edge of the mask making it seem more like the man had no face at all. He abruptly stopped before Kima and Penny and the girls stop their dance, but did not break from each other arms. Penny clung to Kima even more tightly as the man glanced from one girl to the other and then reached out his hand towards Penny. He was about to take hold of her arm when Kimberly suddenly rushed out onto the dance floor. "Get away from him!!!" Kim screamed as she ran across the dance floor. A blood red gown flowing around her and ruby mask upon her face, "Kima!!! It's him!!! The man that took Lauren from us!!" She cried out. The man spun around to face Kimberly, "You..." A snarl could be heard from under his mask as he turned to face Kim, who suddenly tripped on her dress and slide across the ballroom floor. "Drake." Kima growled at the man. She spun around and grabbed hold of a large brass candelabrum from near the wall, "Leave this place!" She spun the candelabrum around and slammed the bottom of it against the side of the man's head causing him to fall to the ground and slide across the polished floor. He quickly got to his feet to face his new adversary, the mask now cracked revealing one of his cold dark eyes. "Who are you?" He pointed at Kima, "What are you doing here? You do not belong." He declared. Kima slammed the candelabrum down on the ground with a heavy clang, "You are the one that doesn't belong. Get out of here." She commanded pointing to the ballroom doors. Kai suddenly came charging through the doors clad in a noble uniform of blacks and gold trim and rushed up to the promenade's marble railing. Six angelic wings spread out to their full width behind the girl and the air filled with the sounds of awes from the crowd as they caught sight of the girl. "A Sister..." Drake hissed under his breath. He quickly spun around and headed for the patio doors. Kai leaned over the railing, her hawk like yellow eye scanning over the crowd, when they noticed Drake. She leapt up onto the railing and sorrowed through the air and landed in front of the man, blocking his retreat. He turned to search for another means of escape when Kima started to circle around him with the two other girls as her side and candelabra in hand. "Get out of here." Kima demanded grasping her weapon firmly with both of her hands and pointing the candle end at the man. "I see..." Drake remarked looking between his two opponents, "If that is how the game is going to be, then..." He grasped the edge of his cloak with his hand when he noticed Alyson come running onto the dance floor in a tux and top hat, a black sword cane in hand. A sinister smile crossed his face; "We'll continue this later." With a wave of his cloak he disappeared leaving only the piece of cloth in his place. "Come on." Kai started towards the ballroom doors, her wings folding up behind her, "We should be leaving too." "Who are you?" Kima inquired cautiously, still holding the candelabra in hand. Kai spun around to face the girls and gave a slight bow, "I am Keelia, sister of Aigneis, who you might know better as Kris." Kima set the candelabrum down, "Kris... Then you are an angel of death?" Kai nodded, "I don't have long to explain, we must get out of here quickly." She insisted. "Alright." Kima started to follow when Penny grabbed her by the sleeve, "Don't leave me fair prince. There most be something I can do to thank thy for saving me from that dastardly man." She pleaded. Kima turned to the girl, "There is no need for thanks. Consider the dance thanks enough." She took a deep bow. "Come on Romeo." Kim tugged on Kima's tails, "At least you didn't kiss the gi-" She began to mutter when Kima abruptly pulled free of Kim's grasp and wrapped her arms around Penny. "Maybe a kiss would be reward enough." Kima remarked with a grin. Kim rolled her eyes, "Why would she..." Penny placed her lips upon Kima's and softly kissed her. Kim blinked at the scene before her, "This can't be for real." She mumbled in disgust of her doubles actions, and then turned to follow the angel out of the ballroom, Alyson following right behind them. Kima stepped back from Penny and placed a soft kiss upon the girl's hand, "Hope to see you again, my dear." She spun on her heels with a slight flare and ran after her friends. The moment the girls passed through the doors the ballroom melted away and they all found themselves standing in the dorm hallway. Kima glanced at Alyson, "Where did you come from?" She asked puzzled over the girl's appearance. Then she noticed a bruise across the girl's forehead, "Are you alright?" She inquired concerned. "I'll be fine." Alyson half admitted and rubbed her head. "Don't worry about me." She turned around to gaze upon the door they had just passed through, "What happened?" She asked. "A crack formed between worlds." Kai stated nonchalantly as she turned to the door and placed a hand upon it. "I think the flood has slowed for now. This place seemed to be filled with cracks. I should have my sisters look things over sometime." She let her wings fade away. The lights around them started to flicker to life and the door opened, "Who... who is there...?" The quiet voice of a young girl asked. The door opened further to reveal Penny standing before them clad in a long white nightgown and rubbing her eyes. She scanned the many faces that stood before her in bewilderment, "What... what are you all doing outside of my room?" She asked nervously. "Penny?" Kima pushed passed her twin to approach the girl and took her hand, "It is I. Your prince." She smiled at the girl. Penny's eyes grew wide and her jaw bobbed open. She glanced from one girl to another recognizing each of them from her dream, then started to wobble and fainted dead away. Kima was just in time to catch the girl before she hit the ground. Kai shook her head, "Smart move." She patted the redhead on the shoulder, "Smooth." She felt something from within the room and stepped around the two girls to get a better look around. It was a single room unlike most of the dorm rooms, which housed two girls, and was set in the corner of the dorm as such it had windows running along two of the walls and a door to a small washroom in the far corner. A small bed was sat under the window and there was a dresser covered with stuffed animals against the far wall. Kai approached the dresser, her eyes scanning the many plush animals. She clutched her fist causing her tattoos to jump to life and yellow flames started to crawl across her skin. Abruptly one of the teddy bears in the back row sprung to life and jumped from the pile. With a wave of her hand the air filled with fire and the teddy ignited. It let out a banshee's wail as it toppled to the floor on fire. Quickly the flames ate away at the bear as it tried to crawl to the window. Kai approached the creature and prepared to step on it when the teddy sprung from the ground. It leapt for Kai's face, long claws extending from what used to be soft cloth paws. Part of the fur had peeled away from its face revealing a dark mass with a glowing red eye. Kai stared at her attacker unmoving, she swiftly she grabbed the bear by the neck with her flaming arm. Fire crawled across the creature and turned the thing to ash. Kai let the remaining bits fall to the ground and stomped out the last fiery embers. Alyson entered the room and stared down the twitching remains of the bear paw, "A Bugbear? But how?" Kai quickly turned on her feet and brushed passed the girls, "Come on." She commanded, "And bring that girl with you." ***** To be Continued . . .
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