The night was clear; the Moon was full and high overhead. On the shores of the sea, the comforting smells of drying kelp and salt filled the cooling night air. A perfect time for Shaughna and her friends to gather together, shed their seal skins and enjoy the feel of human legs as they spun and twirled in the warm sand. Unfortunately, none of them paid much attention to the unknown ship that was laid to anchor several miles awayâ

"Grizzly place, this is," The knight murmured to himself. "And I cannot say I condone this, hanging these people like decoration. If I were in charge, I tell you, things would be different. Much different." The knight had come to cut down the bodies. He stopped for a brief moment to look over each of them. The ghastly expressions etched upon their dispatched faces. The rain and win beat against the knight, and the bodies swayed a bit.

Once upon a time,
in a lullaby far, far away --
the wicked witch died
and the beautiful princess
married her handsome prince.

The blissful pair rode off
on his snowflake stallion
to a remote castle in the sky
where no children were born,
in the silent, frozen edifice.

No servant would remain,
no visitors graced their home,
no peddler visited twice,
no birds perched in rafters,
and no flowers sprinkled nearby hills.

The princess's voice grew shrill
her prince withdrew silently
the rooms echoed with emptiness
and the false notes of a sullen eyrie.