Chatterbox: Inkwell

Clair closed the computer and flicked off her lamp. The clock read 20 minutes until 11:00 PM. Sighing, she pulled the powder-blue coverlit up to her shoulders and focused on taking deep breaths. It had been a tough week. A tough month, actually. Clair had been relying on fast-paced and action-packed Marvel cartoons just to giver her something to look forward to at the end of each long day. Moonlight penetrated her filmy blue curtains. Somehow, it seemed brighter than usual. Slowly, Clair sank into sleep. Tired and worn, she wasn't sure if she could bear another night of awful nightmares, each one replaying another real-life tragedy. One tragedy in particular that she—no, she wouldn't think about that now. Clair's eyes closed. She pushed her pillow up against the wall as she relaxed into the mattress and fell asleep. On the other side of Clair's pine-nut brown wall, Clair's sister Samantha tossed and turned. Samantha could pretend to be strong during the day. She could put up a false wall of confidence while the sun was in the sky. But at night, she was vulnerable and weak. The nightmare always started out the same way. The snow shone brightly under a crystalized sky and everything seemed frozen and beautiful and wonderous. There was her dad, grinning, snow ball in hand, his silly black cap with the yarn pom-pom on top sticking out from behind the mounds of snow he and Clair had just built. Samantha sat on the front step, watching. Clair hefted a snowball. Dad ran out into the road, waving and yelling to his daughters. He loved the snow. Here the dream always changed. Sometimes it was the white truck slipping on the patch of ice; other times it was something more surreal, like a giant wherewolf. But it always ended the same way. No. Although she was asleep, Samantha could feel the tears dripping from her eyes and soaking her long lashes. No. No. Nooooo!

Samantha sat up, breathing heavily. She frantically wiped at her wet face with her long pajama sleeve. Reaching for her pillow to turn it around to the dry side, Samantha made several heart-stopping discoveries. The first being that her pillow was not there. Then she felt cold. it was much colder than the cold at night before the heat kicks in. No, this type of cold was the same snow-day cold she had felt on that day with Dad and Clair. Frantically, Samantha waved her hands around. Snow. She was surrounded by thick drifts of the cold, powdery stuff. A chill worked its way through to her heart. Her nightmares were coming to life. The next thing Samantha noticed was that there was moonlight. Bright, unnatural moonlight that dimly illuminated the world of shadows and snow around her. Samantha began to hyperventilate. This was no dream. This was real. Suddenly, she heard a shuffling sound behind her. Panicked, she leaped to her feet and whirled around.

"Sam?"

"Clair!" Samantha exclaimed. She had only once been so glad to see her little sister's brown eyes and dark curly hair. The two sisters were only 11 months apart and looked almost exactly alike, except that Samantha was taller. 

"Where are we? How did we get here?" Samantha questioned, looking around at the barren, snow-covered land.

"I have no idea, but it sure is amazing," replied Clair, her eyes wide with wonder. That's Clair, Samantha thought, prepared to adapt and have adventure. Too many Fantastic Four episodes. Meanwhile, Clair was thinking; that's Sam; perfect and composed. I'll never be like her. Neither sister truly new the "girl behind the mask," and hadn't since they were very young, but they were about to find out on an adventure that would bring them back together. 

~

Welcome to the land of Decepmyth; a land of illusions and surreality. This strange world is full of history and adventure, and words. For, of course, we few inhabitants of Decepmyth whisper the words of insperation into the ears of the only listeners: writers. Long ago, an adventure took place here that changed many people's lives forever. But sadly, there is only one account of this awe-inspiring tale, and the ending half of it has been lost forever. However, the beginning was kept safe over the years: http://www.cricketmagkids.com/chatterbox/inkwell/node/173234. Only a hand-full of people can ever complete the story of Decepmyth and the evil heir of Queen Magenta. That includes Samantha and Clair, and you. Yes, you have been chosen. You must find the end of this story and even rewrite history if necessary, and in the end, you must bring Decepmyth out of the dark and gloomy age it has entered into. The full details of your adventures will be made known to you, one at a time...