Prologue

The room was silent and only the sound of the clock ticking could be heard. People were just sitting down quietly and just glaring at one another. There were two other people who were standing up and was just staring at each other as like no one was watching them. A feeling of hatred filled the entire room and the tension was incredible that it could actually cut someone.

"When will you admit that you did wrong?" the lady who was standing up asked the man as she raised her chin. The lady was wearing a long dress that reached her toes. Her body was quite thin and looked fragile. Her face was long and narrow and her hair was bunned up neatly and tightly on the top of her head.

"I did not do anything wrong to that child. I was protecting her." the man growled as his fist clenched tightly at his sides. The man was quite tall and had dried blood on his white shirt. His hair was sweaty and messy and was stuck to the back of his neck. He had a scar on his collarbone. It wasn't long but it was visible because it was red and it stood out.

"No you weren't. You were protecting yourself from those monsters who tried to attack the entire village. Don't you think we all know what you actually are, Jackson Ray. You are one of them yet you don't admit it. What happened to the trust of this village? What happened to the Jackson Ray we all know and love?" the lady interrogated him. 

He looked accusingly at her, "I'm still the same person I am, Lady Hermaine! I have never changed. The Jackson Ray you know and love is still here. Just let me prove to you that I am protecting this child." he said. He looked around to everyone, "Believe me. I am protecting my daighter. I love her with my heart and soul. She is the only family I have and I am the only family she has. Don't take her away from me. Please." he said as he went on his knees and lowered his head. Tears were burning at the back of his eyes. Some were already rolling down his cheeks and face.

"I really-- We really want to believe you, Jackson. But don't you think what you have done to us would have hurt us? Aren't we your family as well?" another woman stood up who was quite slender and carried a pair of dirty boots. "Isn't Scarlett part of this family?" she asked as she dropped the boots.

Jackson lifted his head and saw the lady with tears in her eyes. "Jess..." he muttered as he got on his feet again, "Of course you are. Every single one here. It's just that, she is more important to me. I'm sorry for saying this, but everyone here treats me like a criminal. I hate it. And everyone here treats my daughter like an outsider just because she's special."

"Why would you think I would treat our daughter like that." the woman, Jess, said as tears swelled in her eyes. "I love Scarlett with my life and I always had. This problem is making everything confusing and it makes me angry to hear that my husband would do something like this! You never do anything for her! I am the one who puts her to sleep. I am the one who tells her stories and I am the one who loves her most." Jess said angrily and stomped her way out of the room.

Everyone stayed silent. The room was silent all over again. Not until Lady Hermaine spoke up, "Lock him up." she ordered and walked away as she heard Jackson yelling after her. The guards were holding him back and wave of tears kept rolling and rolling non-stop.

***

Meanwhile, a little girl was out and about in a garden that was filled with life and flowers and butterflies flying high in the sky. She danced around as she picked up a flower and put it in her hair.

"Don't I look really pretty now, Ms. Fairy Queen?" the little girl, Scarlett asked as she giggled and started twirling around.

"Scarlett dear, come in. We need to do something." Jess, Scarlett's mother, called from inside the house.

"But Mom, I'm still playing with the day faeries. They'll be really sad if I leave them." she pouted and plopped on the ground as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Honey, come in. Please. They can come along with us." her mother pleaded.

She pouted but in the end she agreed and walked into the house. When she came in, the house looked hectic. The maid was running around carrying bags and clothes, while her mother was busy putting on her coat.

"Mommy," Scarlett called as she walked towards her mother and tugged her dress, "where are you going? Are you going to leave me alone?" she asked as she looked up at her mother sadly while tightly clenching her dress.

Her mother bent down to her eye level and lightly pinched her cheek, "Wherever I go, you go. I would never leave you here alone all by yourself. Even Stella is coming." her mother said as she smiled softly at her daughter. "Now, we must hurry." her mother added as she grabbed Scarlett's coat and made Scarlett where it.

She grabbed Scarlett's arm and dragged her out of the house along with the maid, Stella. She quickly ushered them into the cab and told the cab driver to drive them to a motel for them to stay in for a while.

While sitting down quietly in the car, Scarlett went over to her mother and looked up at her mother with sad eyes, "Mommy, why are we going to stay in a motel?" she asked as she laid her head on her mother's lap.

"Sweetie, we can't stay at home. It's dangerous and we need to keep you safe. Especially in this time. We need to keep you safe and away from everyone else. Just you, me and Stella." her mother said as she starte stroking her daughter's hair softly.

"Why is it dangerous?" 

"Because things can happen to you that mommy doesn't want to happen. Mommy is doing the right thing for you, Scarlett." Jess said as she looked down at her daughter. 

"What about my friends, Mommy?" 

"You can make new friends, right Scarlett?" 

"Of course I can, Mommy. But what about Daddy? Can we see Daddy later?" she asked as she sat up straight.

"No. Unfortunately, we can't. I'm sorry, Dear. Mommy and Daddy cannot see each other now. Not now." Jess said as she stared out the window of the car. It had suddenly started to rain and the sky turned dark grey. The thick clouds in the sky poured water down onto the ground and thunderstorms were heard.

THUMP

There was a sound on top of the roof. A sound like something had jumped onto it.

"What was that?" Stella asked as she went closer to Scarlett.

"Stop the cab, please." Jess said and the driver immediately stopped in the middle of the road. Jess hopped off the cab and wore her hoodie and widened her eyes when she saw the creature that was standing in front of her on top of the roof of a car.

It had claws and was furry everywhere. It also had sharp teeth and looked like it needed to attack someone. Its eyes were set on Jess. She took a step back and the creature hopped off the roof of the car and followed her.

Jess drew a sharp breath as the thing kept on following her. Jess looked behind her and saw a dark forest. She swallowed in her last breath, turned around, and started running into the forest with the thing following behind her.

Scarlett saw what happened and gasped as she left the car and started running. But before she could reach the forest, she got held back by Stella.

"MOMMY! I NEED TO SEE MOMMY!" she yelled as she tried moving around.

Stella went on her knees and held Scarlett's shoulders, "Scarlett Ray! Your mother will come back. Now get in the car." she ordered. Her voice sounded harsh but her throat felt like sand paper.

Scarlett pouted and walked back to the car. Stella looked at the forest and sighed softly as she remembered what had happened earlier on before Jess called for Scarlett.

"Lady Jess, you're home early." Stella said as she walked towards Jess who was shaking and trembling. Stella realized that she was wet all over so she took a blanket from a chair behind her and placed it over her shoulders.

"What happened to you, Lady Jess?" Stella asked as she looked at Jess worriedly.

"N-Nothing. I just f-fell in a p-pond." Jess said as she rubbed her shoulders to keep herself warm.

"Would you like some tea, Lady Jess? It'll make you feel warm." Stella said.

"S-Stella," Jess called. Stella turned around and raised her brows, "c-come here. W-We need t-to talk." Jess said.

Stella sat in front of Jess and smiled softly at her, "What is it, Lady Jess?"

"F-First of all, j-just call m-me J-Jess. S-Secondly, I n-need a f-favour t-to ask."

"Of course, Jess."

"I need you t-to p-pack all of S-Scarlett's t-things and c-call for a c-cab. Then, I n-need you t-to hand me a p-pen and p-paper. Understood?" Jess clarified.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"A-and one m-more thing... I-if I die a-and never see S-Scarlett again, d-don't tell her w-what h-happened t-to me and k-keep the s-secret from S-Scarlett. S-She cannot know."

"But Jess, you aren't going to die. Don't ever say that."

"Please don't start this, Stella. I just need you to promise." Jess said pleadingly.

"F-Fine..." Stella stuttered as she looked down at her shoes sadly.

"Jess..." Stella said, "I will protect Scarlett with my life." she said as she looked down and walked back to the cab.