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The sound of my frightened breathing was the only thing I could hear, as I looked around the deserted wood. They were after me. They were going to get me. I heard a gunshot, taken in my direction. Immediately I ran- unable to even see where I was heading. All I knew was I had to get away. I was running for my life through a forest in the dead of night, tripping over every tree root that happened to grow out of the ground. I came to an old castle- worn down by time and nature. The doors were huge and wooden, covered with vines, spider webs, and wood rot. I didn’t care. I had guys with guns chasing after me! I pulled open the heavy door, and went inside, quickly shutting it behind me. The inside was colossal like the outside, and looked as old and worn out as the rest of the castle. It looked like it had once been a ballroom, or throne room of some kind. There was a staircase, broken and dull, winding to the top of a floor with a balcony, and a huge open space for dancing. Torn and ripped curtains covered the shattered windows, and an old throne sat at the far end of the room. As soon as I took a step, everything came to life. Visions of people dancing in elegant clothes appeared, and seemed almost ghostly. Thealhole palace transformed before my eyes, back into its former glory. Instantly, I was carried out onto the ballroom floor, and I was dancing with someone. He had a mask over his face, so I couldn’t get a picture of who it was. He put his face close to mine, and whispered, “You love me, you know it. Too bad you have to forget. Just don’t change, okay?” Forget? Love? Change? Who was this guy? I heard the gunshot again and there was banging at the doors. I broke away from the dance, and ran up the newly restored staircase, all the way up to the balcony. The pursuers barged in, and followed me up the stairs. My dancing partner attempted to stop them, but he turned into dust when they walked through him. They quickly shot, without aiming, and got me in my shoulder, missing my chest by an inch. It jerked me backward, and I clutched my wound. They aimed their guns, and I saw no other alternative. A deep breath filled my lungs, and I leapt off of the balcony. Cool night sky surrounded me, and when I looked beneath me, I saw no ground. There was a huge ball of fire that resembled the sun, sucking in chunks of building, growing closer as I dropped. Weird or what? The sun didn’t feel hot when I fell into it, but I felt myself begin to cry. Why was I crying? I wasn’t feeling any pain. My dancing partner appeared again and jumped into the ball of fire- pushing me out. It exploded in a white light, and then I couldn’t see anything, but I could feel hot tears rush down my cheeks. There was a screaming voice that sounded so muffled I couldn’t tell if it was male or female, or even if it sounded familiar. “No! Don’t die now...!” It faded, and then...empty nothingness...

This has to be a dream...

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