The planet that’s just been discovered is really different from our planet. In this world Animals are faced with respect and equality. Thus, no one is allowed to touch or harm any of the animals unless they have a legal document from the Government that says so, which rarely exists since the Government always keeps to themselves. Many say they are weak and vulnerable and afraid to face the whole world. Also this world –named Saneta- has only two seasons: Winter and summer, one side is always winter and the other side is always summer. But according to the legend the winter side also known as the Ice Land is one of the three dimensions Saneta consists of.
There was a prophecy of a girl who was destined to save the World from falling under evil spells. But Saneta has cruel ways of revealing itself against something or for something. The World is not a place to vacation on. It has magic and powers not even the smartest living organism knows about unless or until it wills to believe. Believe that miracle can happen and equality is always the way. One girl among the midst of others believes and a great destiny boiling within her.
Saphirre, a girl with sapphire blue eyes, beautiful long golden blond hair is an orphan, her family died in a terrible fire when she was three, or so they kept telling her. Nobody quite knew how Saphirre made it outside alive without a single burn. Now Saphirre is eleven years old and lives in an orphanage called: Kingdom’s Queens. It’ an orphanage for girls. Saphirre goes to school just like any normal girl does but instead of talking about guys or Magic. She is fascinated by animals. Every day she goes out to find animals in its natural habitat and writes down what she finds out, just by observing the animal. She always carries a green notebook given to her by her only best Friend Violet.
So one day Saphirre went out to a place deep in the Forest where she has been going to about a couple of weeks now to observe a group of cats who have been living there quite a while now. Violet decided to come too since she has a project on wildcats and decides to get some tips from Saphirre on how to observe them and the best way to write down Data. The girls were walking up the hill towards the entrance of the forest in silence until Violet decided to break it.
“So where are we going exactly?” She asked.
“We’re going to find the pack of cats I have been observing a week or so now” replied Saphirre and started picking up the pace, Violet ran after her.
When Saphirre reached the forest, she stopped and waited for Violet who wasn’t as fast as Saphirre and then finally, after a couple of minutes, Violet stood next to Saphirre and stared at the forest.
“Come on let’s go,” said Saphirre waved her hand, but Violet wouldn’t budge.
“What’s the matter?” Saphirre asked concerned, and looked at Violet’s pale white face.
“What about Ziquells?” asked Violet who was deadly afraid of Ziquells.
Ziquells are the ugliest, stupidest, and most dangerous animals on this planet. They only have one eye, no nose, four ears, and a huge mouth with the sharpest teeth ever seen. Their head is blood-red and the tail, the rest of the body is dark black. They also have massive paws, with the sharpest claws. A Ziquel is born to kill and was created by non-other than the evil dark master herself: The Black Witch. Ziquells feed on dark magic which the Black Witch provides for them. They are really good listeners and if you’re on Ziquel territory you are already as good as dead. The Black Witch is weak and incarcerated. So the Ziquells should be whimpering in a dark cave, weak and hungry.
Saphirre froze, she never meet one of those blood-thirsty, soul hunting, Dreadful creatures.
After a couple of minutes passed in dreadful silence, Saphirre smoothly replied, “Their won’t be a Ziquel in here, remember only the Black Witch can control them and she’s incarcerated, there’s no way she could’ve escaped.”
Violet nodded slowly trusting her friend. They both continued on, deeper and deeper in the woods. Now the forest has completely swallowed them up, surrounded by trees and dirt that’s were Saphirre found her pack of cats and explained to Violet what she had to do and to be very quiet.
When they were walking back, Saphirre found a foot print of a massive paw. “Hey Violet, what do you think this is?” she said and pointed at the print.
Violet answered shrugging her shoulder, “I don’t know, looks like a gigantic deer.”
Saphirre looked at Violet for a minute and then they both cracked up with laughter.
“Let’s follow it maybe it’s a tiger or lion, I haven’t studied those,” said Saphirre and Violet nodded. What Saphirre didn’t know is that Lions and Tigers do not live in forests.
Saphirre and Violet followed the paw prints. Saphirre clutched on to her notebook, which is full of information, which someone might want.
Suddenly the paw prints stopped, Saphirre turned around to face Violet
“Where could they possibly have gone?” Saphirre and Violet were standing in the middle of the forest, surrounded by trees and a wide open space.
Violet shrugged and suddenly lost all the color in her face. “Violet are you okay” asked Saphirre, when Violet pointed behind her back, Saphirre could suddenly feel hot breath on her back.
Blood dropped on Saphirre’s shoulder, slowly she turned around. What she saw was a nightmare coming true one horrible black eye stared at her and a Ziquel revealed its sharp teeth. Saphirre and Violet screamed but they knew they were dead already. Still, they started to run and the Ziquel chased them both, through the forest.
Saphirre shot out of the forest, “Violet why do you think that Ziquel was out here, but it was probably very weak since it didn’t catch us.”
Only then did Saphirre realized Violet wasn’t with her. “No,” she said, “Violet please, no, where are you?!”
With all her speed Saphirre bolted back into the forest hoping to find Violet clutching on a tree, but she wasn’t on a tree she was lying on the ground blood running down her neck, too much blood!
“VIOLET” Saphirre screamed at the top of her throat but she didn’t answer, she never would speak again.
Saphirre bent over to Violet and let her tears drop on Violet’s face; Saphirre took Violet’s ice cold hand and pressed it against her cheek that’s when she saw a weird bite mark on her neck, blood oozed out of it. Her best friend was dead, because of her, why didn’t she pay attention in school they probably taught them about a Ziquel and their paw prints, what they look like and that you’re supposed to run away from them not follow them. Or not go into their territory at all.
Why didn’t she die, Violet was always the good one, Saphirre was the one who snuck out at nights trying to observe bats even though you’re not supposed to leave the orphanage after sun set, when it got dark. Never did Violet do anything wrong, never, never, never…
This was all a bad dream. I’m gonna wake up in my room, with Violet already awake in the bathroom getting ready for school.
Slowly did Saphirre open her eye lids, only to find an adult man bowing over her body, “Oh your awake” he said, “My name is Dr. Campbell, I’m so sorry about your friend.”
Dr. Campbell sat down next to Saphirre’s bed. “Where am I?” croaked Saphirre.
“You’re in a hospital” he answered.
“Why? Violet’s the one who needs help… help her she’s really sick” Saphirre tried to get up but Dr. Campbell pushed her back down.
“I’m sorry Saphirre but your friend is not with us anymore,” he paused, “and you’re here because you fell asleep in the rain and caught a very high fever, rest now sweetie you’ll get better.”
Saphirre closed her eyes then opened one of her eye lids and retorted “I will never get better unless you can cure the pain and the hole in my heart.”
The next day she was released out of the hospital, her care taker picked her up and drove her home. The Cars differ from our cars. They were black with green stripes and were built from iron and leaves made the inside comfortable. A reusable battery was invented powered from the sunlight. Only very few people owned a car.
As Saphirre arrived all the kids came up to her and said things like “I’m sorry”, “I lost a best friend too, I know how you feel” or “I’m sorry I know she meant a lot to you.”
Saphirre didn’t respond to anyone just kept her head down and walked to her room. She opened and walked inside only to find two very strange dressed in black and green men sitting in her room, Mrs. Fox –she runs this orphanage- and Miss Katrina, the care taker.
“Saphirre, we need to talk to you” started Mrs. Fox, “This is Mr. Conrade chief of misuse of the laws and his assistant Mr. Hunter.”
Saphirre nodded slowly and sat down on her bed.
“Okay, Saphirre” continued Mrs. Fox “What killed Violet?”
Everyone looked expectantly at Saphirre. “A Ziquel” she murmured.
“Excuse me?” said Mr. Conrade and moved a little closer to understand her better.
“A Ziquel” Saphirre said a whole lot launder.
Everyone gasped, “But…” said Miss Katrina “How?”
Mr. Conrade cleared his throat and said “The Black Witch escaped a week ago out her ‘cage’ shall we call it. She’s behind this she wants something but what, is the question. We have informed the government, but we assume they are already hidden in a deep hole, that will soon be their grave if they don’t do anything. We are trying our best to find her, but she is a witch, nothing compared to people who have learned how to possess magic.”
“Can’t you just kill her?” asked Saphirre.
“No, we fear only another Witch can kill her, But there is no other Wicth alive on this dimension. She’s the only one left, she’ll probably live forever.”
“Witches can live forever?” Saphirre asked shocked and prayed this was not true.
Mr. Conrade was about to answers as Mrs. Fox cut him off.
“Alright you got the information you guys needed, now let the girl rest,” Said Mrs. Fox.
Everyone got up and walked outside only Miss Katrina turned around and said, “The funeral will be next full moon, if you want to come?” there was a moment of silence and then Saphirre nodded.

Saphirre cried and cried all night long blaming herself for the death of her friend. She cried herself to sleep, and was woken by a soft nudge. Hoping to see Violet all dressed up ready for school standing next to her like always since Saphirre prefers to sleep in than go to school. She slowly opened her eyes, only to find Miss Katrina, tears streamed in her eyes. Where’s Violet why isn’t she here she would never leave without telling me about it? Saphirre screamed in her head and started to cry again.
“It’s okay I know it’s not easy losing a friend especially if you don’t have any parents to help you, but Mrs. Fox decided you should stay home today” Miss Katrina said and put a tablet of food next to Saphirre on a chair that was next to her bed.
As soon as Miss Katrina left Saphirre slowly sat up and snatched her plate of food that stood on the chair and shoved a spoon full of corn flakes in her mouth.
I have to eat and be strong said Saphirre over and over in her head, but tears were already forming in her eyes. After she finished, Saphirre got up and went to the bathroom to clean herself up.
At noon Saphirre has thought up a plan that she would run away as far as she could from this place after Violet’s funeral. But first she wants to talk to Violet’s spirit, in this world spirits are different. They are given a chance to speak to their loved once before disappearing, it can happen only at the first full moon after the death of the organism because the path between the dead and the living is weak and easy to cross. Most spirits fly right up to Star palace and are never heard from again. While others chose to stick around and enter the earth plane on full moon, each decision comes with a consequence they have to face.
Saphirre was sitting on her bed looking at Violet’s side of the room. I will never move any of Violet’s things I want them to be here when I come back in maybe 20 years or so, thought Saphirre to herself.
Saphirre could tell school was over because kids were screaming and talking in the hallway. Sadly she stared at the door knowing Violet would never again enter this room and again she found herself crying, Violet and Saphirre have been friends since Violet first came here. Of course Violet was nice to everybody but she especially liked Saphirre and mostly because Saphirre didn’t have any friends. They have been inseparable they did everything together well almost sometimes they would end up fighting and Saphirre slept on the roof simply because she refused to sleep with a nerd a.k.a school lover in the same room.
Saphirre smiled at that memory and remembered that the next day she got really high temperature and had to swallow frog bile for it to go away. She never slept on the roof again. They never talked behind each other’s back and you would never see one without the other.
There was a soft knock on the door, and a voice said, “May I come in?”
Saphirre wiped her tears away with her Shirt sleeve and sat straight up and replied, “Sure” and the door opened and Mrs. Fox came in.
“Look, Saphirre you have to go to school tomorrow. We know you are not ready to face everybody but you still have to get an education.” Said Mrs. Fox and sat next to Saphirre on the bed.
“Well can’t I be home schooled?” asked Saphirre blinking her tears away.
“Absolutely not, if your home schooled then everybody wants to be home schooled, and we can’t afford that.” Mrs. Fox replied harshly, Saphirre nodded understanding.
The days seemed endless till Violet’s Funeral. They were miserable, horrible, and Saphirre didn’t speak with anyone after Mrs. Fox came in. Until Full Moon, she had everything planned Saphirre was going to run away and find the Black Witch to kill her. She will show the officer that she did not need to be a Witch to do so. She would find the Black Witch and a vulnerable spot.
In Silence everyone walked down to the graveyard that is behind the foster home, Saphirre ahead of everybody turned around one last time to see her beloved home for almost 9 years. She had the backpack tightly sitting on her back. Nobody asked her so far why she had one with her, but even if someone did ask Saphirre, she would say there were things from Violet she would decorate it around her grave.
Slowly Saphirre watched how a couple of guys opened the lid so everyone could see Violet for one last time. Mrs. Fox started to talk about Violet and her wonderful ways of trying to make this world a better place. Saphirre started to cry again, and only managed to say goodbye Violet and put a note next to her explaining why she has to do this and how much she wished Violet could come with her. Saphirre has been having this feeling all her life that she has to be the one who kills the Black Witch. It’s like there is some deep bond in her with the Black Witch, and hatred she could not explain.
After the lid has been closed and sealed so that no one could ever open it, everyone shared their thoughts about Violet, Saphirre waved and slowly crept away, and no one noticed her missing. She turned around one last time took a sharp stick and scratched in her name and I will miss you all on a tree near the grave, lastly she put the date: Year, 2999.
Saphirre turned around to face the hard journey ahead of her, but she knew it will be worth it once she reached her goal. She took her Green Notebook out and wrote down:
2999
Today is the beginning of the end.
Saphirre closed the book and put it back in her backpack, she took only the most important things with her: a silver S shaped rock from her mother, a compass that had swirls and curls decorated all over it, in the middle was a dark blue dragon, and he looked like the night sky, something to eat, drink, and a bottle of pure soil water. The rain there is something very special, according to old myths; the Water is supposed to heal wounds, physically and mentally. Saphirre loved legends and myths and chose to believe in all of them.
A couple of minutes later, Saphirre managed to walk on, she slung her backpack over her shoulders and said to herself, I can do this I’m strong and I can feel it nature is calling.
Slowly Saphirre sauntered into the dark forest.
It was all long night for Saphirre; she had been walking for a long time only guessing where she should go until she found the “Resting Place of the Spirits” those are two trees twisted into one it was a masterpiece of nature and there you can always find a soft place to lie.
Of course like many trees in this world they all have legends that teach an important lesson in life. This one teaches about love a subject that is very important in life because all the people that care about you every day do this because they love you.
The legend is about an animal –a bear- and young girl, both of them loved each other very much and cared about the one and other, since neither of them had a family, they both treated each other as they were a family. But back in those times, many, many years age were even this world was similar to ours and killed all the animals and ate them, those two managed to show that animals are just like humans and have a heart too. The townspeople wanted to kill the bear when she accidentally hurt a human being because he scared her, so the girl let them kill her too many people grieved after what they have done. A decade later, this beautiful tree grew and at that point all the people in Saneta promised to never hurt or capture an animal one in their whole life if you would do so you would be killed immediately without another word to say. So the legend says but is it really true? Saphirre yawned, too tired to think about it so she lied down and fell asleep.