• Sally's heart pounded as she realised what had happened, her whole town had been torn to the ground. and she was the only one left, She quickly made up her mind, she needed to run, and run fast. Riju would eat her if she didn't flee Oken!
    She didn't have time to run inside so she simply grabbed some food and clothes from the unattended stores and fled through the north gate. Her legs burned up as they beat against the soft sand path, and to her surprise she smiled, she actually smiled. She was having fun, running was the only thing she knew, that made her proud. She could flee, and make a new life for herself, and this mattered, now more than ever.
    her face dropped when she realised, she'd left everything she knew behind.
    Her slippers, her familiar breakfasts, and her mother's gold...
    But inside she was a little glad, without the gold she wouldn't need to hide anything and Riju couldn't find her.
    She ran and ran, laughing, bounding through the grassland that lay open and vast in front of her.
    "Having fun are we!" a male voice called out to her in a sweet yet bitter voice. Sally turned around to properly see the man, or boy that was talking to her. She was surprised to see that no one was there, the field was empty. "Must be my imagination!!" She said, the words dancing on the wind as they rolled off her tongue.
    the boundless fields sprawled in front of her as she ran and ran for miles and miles, when she suddenly came to a road sign. Shibo was scrawled on one side, and on the other Oken was boldly printed in an elegant white print.
    Sally smiled again, at least she knew where she was headed.
    "I wonder where exactly it is" Sally said to herself, starting to lose all hope in finding anything.
    But suddenly a vast bustling city folded out over the vast plane of dry dead grass. "That must be shibo!!" She said, running with all her power towards the inviting sprawling city. When she finally reached the entry point, a guard stood in her way. "What're you doing here... wait... aren't you sally mitsu?" he asked, sounding awfully suspicious of her.
    "Yes I am Sally Mitsu, and I'm here to escape from Riju." she said, bowing to the imposing guard. surprising to Sally, the guard laughed "You BELIEVE in Riju? Pah I heard he was just a myth used to scare people off" his voice was croaky and sounded sore. But Sally showed no sympathy, who ever didn't believe in Riju would either be dead tomorrow or WAS Riju. and right then Sally was considering the second opinion. suddenly the guard dropped to the floor in a dead faint. and from the empty carcus of heavy robe and hard gold bangles a dark whisp of smoke rose into the air, and inside it stood a tall thin figure, with all to familiar fingers, it was Riju.
    Sally didn't have time to speak, as just as she opened her mouth she was pulled through the city screaming.
    over roofs under bridges she seemed to be running forever. Until she was dragged into a small dark room with a single greenish light. and strapped to a chair. Now she realised, that nightmare she had before was NOW, her nightmare was a vision of the future!

    TO BE CONTINUED