Midnight Tears

"I thought I would find you up here." I turned at John's voice and smiled as I watched him slowly climb up unto the roof beside me. "Why do you like it up here?" Looking over the edge he quickly sat down besides me. "Its so high; I hate heights."

Laughing I curled my legs up unto the ledge. Heights were the last thing I was afraid of, course he wouldn't understand it like I did. He didn't have wings, not that they did me much help here, far away from my own world. "You shouldn't be up here John."

"And neither should you little lady. Crystal your going to hurt yourself one of these days up here. Your going to curl up in your weird way a little too much and fall. " He stopped when he saw my face. I looked into the reflection in his eyes and knew where his suddenness came from.

"John you need to leave. I no longer have a place here." He recoiled in confusion. I could tell he didn't understand my words but I couldn't help that. Soon it would be midnight and soon the Darkness would be coming for me. I had been waiting ever since my Prince had left this world in exchange for His own. I lowered my gaze as I remembered the days I had spent with him. "John, did.....did He ever tell you about me?"

John looked down and I tightened my smile knowing I had brought up a sore spot with John. I was not of his people, this he knew, but what exactly I was, I was sure he didn't know. "Before He left, He told me you weren't one of us, at first I thought he just meant my people but now I know He meant more then that. Your not just different your not my kind." He spoke slowly as though he was choosing his words with great thought.

I sighed, I knew John had thought long about this and I knew I couldn't hide my secret from him much longer. "I came to your world when I was thirteen. I...…" Slowly closing my eyes I took a deep breath as I delved into the memory of it all. "I was running, so fast and so far, I cannot remember when I passed into the border from my world into your own. I was running from my own people, from my own family. You see I am not supposed to be. I am a mix that should not have been made. My parents are from two different worlds and there union was prohibited because of what it could make..... me. I have two older siblings, both of which at the time wanted to kill me as did half of my city."

John looked at me with sympathy, a tear was slowly marching its way down my face. "My siblings aren't like me. My oldest brother is the son of a friend of my father. She was unable to give him the life she wanted for him so she asked my father to take him in. My sister is of the same blood as me but she is not like me. She came as a kind of my people. We are similar enough I was disguised to be like her so the world wouldn't find out about me. I was hidden all my life. My sister wanted to get rid of me for I was the only thing standing in her way. She convinced my brother to join her. She killed my mother."

A long pause proceeded those words. As more tears came upon my face I felt Johns arm wrap around me gently. "I was warned of what she was planning and fled. I soon found myself at the door of a Man. I had never seen one of your kind before. He took me into his house as his slave. For three years I was his to use as he pleased. I am not the same girl that walked in there. I lived in misery for all those years being treated worse then a dog. Like something vile and worthless and I could do nothing. Constantly beatings would come, the more I fought the worse they got, until I gave up hope. That's when He came. He rescued me. He saved me. He brought me here to you. He payed the price for me and instead of enslaving me to himself... He set me free."

The stars glistened in my tear filled eyes. "And now John, its time for me to go home. I am no longer allowed to stay in your world. Not until I earn that right, and its not safe for you to be here when he comes."

"When who come?" John looked at me confused. I could tell he was trying to understand my words but I also knew he had to leave. He would be here soon and I couldn't endanger my friend.

"Well hello Crystal." Behind us came a voice of nothingness. His voice was a noise like the crushing of rocks and flow of mighty rivers, yet quiet and eerie as the wind on a dark night. we both turned to look upon a man crouched upon the ground. I could feel the fear pouring off of John. The man stood and every ounce of him was blackness. From his eyes and hair to his skin. Only his teeth shone out a ghastly white from behind his wicked smile. "Leave us." The mans eyes did not leave me but the command was to John. He hesitated before running down the stairs off the roof.

"Now that he is gone, are you ready Princess? The Trials await you." Looking into his eyes I could see something hidden behind the black, there were chains, chains around his heart. He was a slave to the Darkness where once he had been a servant of light. IN that moment I knew I had a choice. I could go and be free to serve my King or leave and go back to a life of fear. Looking straight into his eyes, I walked forward and nodded. He seemed surprised at my answer but I was not going to waste my newfound freedom I had been given on my selfish ambition. I was going to use it to serve my Lord. Walking to the edge I followed the man into the unknown ahead. The Trials awaited me.