It was a dark cloudless night at the castle, the wind howled through the open windows. It was easy for her to tell how the stories of banshees came about. Walking the corridors by candles light made it easy for her to imagine she was back in such a time when knights of bold gallantly rode forth and slew dragons of old to win the hand of the fair Princess. "But enough of those thoughts," she said aloud to no one in particular, "I have work to do." Working this shift was always boring, the need for security at the dig site was real but none of the locals would ever come around at night. They claimed the castle to be haunted. That was why the senior site manager had only put one person at the site at night.
After completing her rounds she was walking back to the common room they shared for lunches and such when a man turned to look at her from down the corridor and then disappeared around a corner. "Stop," she cried, "your not supposed to be here." The only should she heard was light laughter and a rich voice call out, "Catch me if you can Arionwynn." Who is that, she thought. Could I have discovered a young couple out playing in the castle?
After following the man around for a while, for he always waited at the next corner just long enough for her to see him before he turn and was gone again from her sight. Finally as she was starting to grow weary of the game of cat and mouse she rounded a corner just in time to see a door close. Upon approaching she saw light coming out from under the thick oak door. The door opened to the lightest touch with a sound. Inside the room was not as it had been before, the carpets upon the floor were plush and the colors were brilliant. The paintings were clean and looked new, the four posters of the bed rising at least ten feet and draped in dark red velvet. The room was warm and it was then that she realized it was from the fire blazing brightly in the fireplace. As she stepped forward she caught a glimpse of herself in a full-length mirror in the corner. What she saw made her stop and move towards it. No longer was she dressed in her khaki shorts and cotton t-shirt, she was now dressed in a long skirt and a tight tapestry bodice. Looking down she saw that she was in fact wearing that exact outfit.
After admiring herself in the mirror for a moment or two she turned toward the bed. Whoever had come in here could only be there. Her heart began to pound so loud in her ears that it was the only sound she could hear. Trembling with anticipation at what she would find behind the curtains of the bed, she moved towards them. The velvet felt cool to her touch. Her trembling hand parted the curtain and she got her first glimpse of what was inside.
