Tia looked out of the window and sighed at the sight before her. The dank old city looked as miserable as everyone trapped within it. The only place that brightened the horizon was the Lady's Palace; a huge golden building that caught the sunlight and lit up the entire city. But for all the light it cast it was a dark cloud over the city's inhabitants. Entering their meant you were lost to the city forever. The mystery of it led to the fear of what may lie within. Tia turned away from the sight and looked at Marco asleep in the small bed they shared. It was a tight fit for them in the tiny apartment but they needed to cuddle at night for warmth anyway and they were happy.
Everyone that knew them knew they were perfectly matched. They had similar tastes and temperaments; they even looked compatible. Marco was average height but muscular and well-toned, with a dark tan and black wavy hair that reached his ears, dark chocolate brown eyes stared out intensely like they could see into your soul and he made love like a majestic stallion. Tia, on the other hand was small in height but lusciously curvy, honey-coloured skin and chestnut curly hair, sparkling green eyes that shone with life and love and she was passionate and feisty. They were just perfect for each other.
Tia smiled down and the lightly snoring Marco, moved over to the bed and kissed him on the lips gently. His lips felt warm and soft to the touch and she savoured every last moment of the closeness before moving away. It was barely dawn and she was already dressed. It was time to go. She couldn't tell Marco where or even that she was going but she had to. He was better off not knowing. She walked into the living room and dug around the kitchen drawer to find the letter; the letter that called her to the Palace. Not that she was going to that either; she knew places where she could slip away unnoticed. She was going to run and keep running until everything was far behind her.
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she left the apartment and started to run. The realisation of leaving Marco forever had hit her when she shut the door, it broke her heart but she kept on running. She slid down alleys and side streets looking for opening and escapes. It had been done before; she knew it, if only she could find the place. Suddenly, she felt something move behind her, heard footsteps closing in on her. Tia panicked, she found the nearest staircase and dived into it, pressed herself against the shadowy wall and tried to silence her breathing.
"No point hiding here," came a woman's voice from the darkness, "follow me."
A face appeared before Tia out of the shadows, ghostly pale skin, flowing golden hair, full red lips and glittering purple eyes. Tia gasped as the woman's face got so close that she could feel her warm breath on her face; so close that the strangely purple eyes seemed to fill all her vision. The dazzled her completely as the woman took her hand and started leading her up the staircase without moving eye contact. Tia hardly noticed how many floors they had gone up, what door they went through or how long it took them; hardly noticed as she was led through any luxuriously decorated apartment and sat down on a small couch. The woman's gaze had never once left hers and her eyes just seemed to swirl before Tia.
"Good, now you just relax," Said the strange woman, stroking Tia's cheek lightly. Tia suddenly did feel relaxed as the woman's seductive voice bled through the fog her eyes created. It was like the eyes themselves has said it.
