Crecelius

Plantation,

19th Century…….

"Enlighten me again on why we're doing this. . . ." Seraphina said to her cousin as she followed her through the darkened pastures behind their grandfather's hotel.

Persephany looked back at her, her waist length blonde hair flipping behind her shoulders as she did so.

"Trust me Sera, just trust me on this one." She said, turning back to face the darkness in front of her. That was all she spoke.

The moonlight sparkeled on her sky blue eyes, demolishing any look of fear that could have rested upon them. Even in the darkness, you could still make out the determination in her eyes.

"Just keep walking." She continued, not even looking back.

The last few minutes were unclear. She couldn't comprehend how she had gotten there, or why she had come, but she knew that she mustn't turn back.

The next thing she heard was yelling coming from behind her. Turning around, she could see the faint lights of torches and the silhouette of people running after her. They were being chased. She could hear their footsteps pounding on the ground. Or was that her heartbeat? All she knew was that she couldn't let herself get caught. . . .

Not then.

* * *

Persephany awoke with a start. She opened her eyes and took in the familiar sight of her bedroom.

"That dream. . . ." she said, "why do I keep having that dream?"

She shook her head and yawned, climbing out of her bed and going to her vanity.

She sighed and began to brush out her long blonde hair. As she looked in the mirror, something caught her eye in the corner of it. She looked down to see what it was. It was a picture of her mother. She sighed. Her mom was so beautiful. She didn't remember that much about her, except everybody always told Persephany that she closely resembled her. She couldn't remember her father either; She had only seen pictures; Because he had died a couple months before she was born. The only thing she could remember was her and her cousin, Seraphina, were brought to live with their grandfather at a very young age; Persephany because her dad had died before she was born and her mom during her birth, and Seraphina because of her own problems with her parents.

So here they were, both seventeen years, living in a wealthy mansion/hotel with their grandfather, who was the only parent they ever knew. All their lives they had grown up with just one another as playmates. They didn't receive proper schooling, because they were home schooled but didn't have the proper tutors to do so. Their grandfather was too old to teach, so they just made by with what little education they received. That was okay by them , though, because they had a unique sense of intelligence. Even growing up without schooling they were the smartest of their age group. Also, not knowing many other kids helped them to become really close to one another. They always thought of each other as sisters, although cousins none-the-less. They shared such a unique bond but they often failed to see just how unique it was. They thought that their likenesses were merely coincidental. Even the fact that they shared a birthday didn't seem at all weird to them. It wasn't until about two years earlier that they began to discover just what it was they shared. They never realized it before, but they definitely had more than just a "sisterly" bond . . . and they found this out in the most unusual way.

Persephany sat the brush back down on her vanity and continued to stare at her reflection in the mirror. She shook from her thoughts and turned towards her doorway just in time to see the person standing there. Looking up, she saw that it was Darion. She sighed and looked back down to her hands. That was the last person she wanted to see then.

"Well, little pretty, " he walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "You look lovely tonight."

She rolled her eyes, not at all amused with his compliment. "What do you want?" Persephany asked him in her southernish accent.

"The same thing I ask from you every time I visit," Darion replied, a grin still plastered on his face.

"Well, once again, the answer is NO!" She exclaimed, standing up to confront her tormentor. His arms fell to his sides but then crossed themselves over his chest.

"Sera!" Persephany called for her cousin.

A whirlwind of dark hair flew into the room.

"Yes, Persephany?" Seraphina's mood went from cheerful to angry in seconds.

"What are you doing here again?" She practically growled at him. Darion kept smiling and replied, "You know, the usual. . . asking for the deeds to this old hotel and trying to make a trade with your grandfather."

Seraphina stormed right up to Darion and looked him in the eyes.

"Listen, Darion, we've told you once and we're going to tell you again. . .this is our home and we don't want your royal heiness to have it!"

Darion just laughed. "You know I don't want it. I'm offering you a chance to let me sell it to you and make you rich!"

"We don't want to be rich, now leave!" Seraphina blew up at him.

Darion's chocolate eyes glared at her as she fell silent. Persephany sighed.

"Sera, calm down, and Darion; You know where the door is." She instructed, "I think it's time you go." Darion nodded and left without hesitation. Sera was still fuming. She had a tendency to do that. Both girls were so unique in their own way. Seraphina, although sometimes immature and stubborn, was very straight forward and opinionated. She was the trouble maker though, and that's why she lived with her grandfather. It wasn't because she didn't have an immediate family like Persephany, it was because her family rejected her for causing them so much pain and agony. So not caring about Sera's own emotions and feeling her grandfather was the only one who would except her, her parents brought her to live at his plantation along with Persephany. From then on, she has forgotten about her parents and siblings and learned only to concentrate on her work at the hotel.

"Sera, you didn't have to blow up at him." Persephany told her. She flopped down on Persephany's bed .

"I can't help it!" she grinned in reply.

That was the biggest difference between the two of them; The fact that Persephany was more laid back and that she had a secret that only she and Seraphina knew about.

Ever since she was born, Persephany had the ability to foresee the future through her dreams. She predicted Seraphina's parents rejecting her, she predicted her grandfather buying the hotel in New Orleans, and she also knew about her parents' own death. Only then, though, was it too late for her to do anything about it. That was her first dream, and the one that she would never forget.