Once upon a time, there were seven princesses living in a world where magical things could happen. Each of them had their own special power based on their hair and pupil colour. 

            The oldest was Adhira. She had flowing maroon hair and her pupils were blazing red with almond-shaped pupils. She was the fastest princess that ever lived and travelled faster than light. 

            Ember was the second eldest. Her sleek and straight hair was a ginger colour and her pupils were flaming orange.  She had fire powers and could make a fireball or light up a fire with just a snap of her fingers or a clap. When she was enraged, one could almost see flames shooting out of her eyes just like in some comics but much scarier and realistic. 

       Next was Chrysanthemum. She had wavy blonde hair that shone like gold and her pupils were - oddly - a shiny yellow. Whenever she got up from her cosy bed in the middle of the night and didn’t flick on the lights, the maids working a night-shift spotted her glowing eyes before they could see the princess herself. She could conjure up gold or make something turn into gold when she wanted to. That made up some of the kingdom’s income. 

Following on was Ivy. As her name suggests, she has - strangely - lime green hair and emerald eyes that resembled olives. She had the ability to control plants and talk to animals.  Whenever she got into trouble, she always sought help from her animal pals, who always assisted her in getting out of it. 

The fifth daughter was Orca. She had aquamarine hair and her pupils were pale blue. She could control water as long as a water source was used. She also often made jewelry from ice and generously offered them to her close friends. 

The sixth child was Luna. She had violet hair and lavender pupils. She had the ability to go to space without a spacesuit and she could talk to aliens. Whenever she was lonely, she would summon one of her alien friends to play with her. 

Last but not least was Crowella. Now, Crowella was not like her sisters. She looked like an average girl with black curly hair and dark eyes that looked like a never-ending tunnel. She was lonely without any friends and it suited her power and color. She could turn herself invisible and sometimes she could make herself translucent, making her seem like a ghost. She was the youngest, and as a result, her sister would ‘bully’ her, “teasing” that she was not going to be special like them. Consequently, she had to use her powers often to hide herself from her sisters. 

She often complained to her parents, King Reagan and Queen Nadia, about it but they never seemed to care about her. They were always on her sisters’ side whenever there was an argument. “Why can’t you be like your sisters?” Queen Nadia said whenever Crowella made a mistake, “They learn so quickly and they hardly make mistakes! I don't understand how you can be so different!” 

The kingdom often said she was the Princess of Unluckiness, for they have never seen such a dark one. Everywhere she went, she was sure to be followed by whispers which mugged her of her powers and her being a princess. 

One day, in sadness, Crowella ventured into the forest to find a place that would give her warmth and comfort. She was expecting to find a meadow where animals would not judge her like her family or the kingdom or just a place where she could sit down and relax. 

She studied her surroundings once she walked deep into the heart of the forest. Nothing could be found, except a few wild creatures that lurked in the shadows of the trees. “Even the animals are afraid of me...!” she sighed, sitting down and leaning against a hill for some rest. 

Suddenly, the hill behind her shifted slightly and it gave way to an opening, just like a door. Crowella almost fell backwards but steadied herself by clutching the sides of the rock that had not caved in. She stood up, brushed herself off and peered into the opening cautiously. 

The door which had swung open was covered in green plants with vines that looped around, camouflaging the door. 

Crowella saw a room equipped with a large desk cluttered with papers that had yellowed with age and writing materials, shelves filled with books and a good-sized bed tucked into a corner. Surveying the room, she realised that the place had been abandoned for a long time. Ivy was creeping in through the cracks in the wall, and a thick layer of dust coated everything. 

In the midst of the room, Crowella found a fresh set of footprints through the thick dust. “Someone had been here recently,” Crowella thought. She stepped in cautiously and squinted in the darkness, looking for a light source. She tip-toed around the footprints, deciding that she would find a light source before she investigated the room she was in. Through the dark, she could make out some matches and a candle. She lit the candle and glanced around the room. 

The set of footprints led to the desk, and on top of all the clutter was a single piece of paper. Crowella picked it up to read it. 

To whoever who discovers this:

You have stumbled across what was once my faithful dwelling in one way or another. This place has housed my memories, both good and bad. Now, I would like to pass this place on to whoever you might be. 

The certification of approval is enclosed and sealed in the envelope. Please fill in your name and this place will , lawfully, be yours.

I hope that you will enjoy staying here as much as I did all those months ago. May this place be like a second home to you and also a place of peace and comfort. 

Take care!

Yours faithfully, 

Brindleson Tretron

     Crowella could not believe her luck. For once in her life, her wishes had been granted. She had found a place where no one could judge, find, or bother her. 

She hurriedly fished out the piece of paper from the envelope attached to the letter and dipped a random quill with a velvet feather she found on the desk into the ink jar on the shelf. The blue ink in it had yet to dry up. Once she finished scribbling her name onto the paper, she beamed in delight for the first time in years.

  Reginald had been elected president of the United States last year, and, so far, he was keeping his promises. Life was pretty smooth for Reginald. Little did he know though, he would soon face an international crisis involving a very powerful cult. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

  “Is that so, Angelina?” Reginald looked up from the pile of paperwork on his desk. Angelina nodded, anxiety clearly written on her face. She handed Reginald the laptop she was holding and he placed it on top of the pile of paperwork. Reginald began to read the email in front of him:

  Reginald Kowald, president of the United States:

  The name’s Igor, and although you might consider yourself the most powerful person on earth, I think I have a chance for that title too.

  I won’t waste time sugarcoating this. I have ordered the members of my cult to plant hidden bombs in every building and every house in the world. I must admit I had to exhaust all my many sources to get this done, but not to worry, they bounce back quickly. Come up with a plan to save your citizens and remember to inform the rest of the world. I will destroy a neighbourhood in China, Beijing, and one in Washington, DC to prove my point.

  They will be destroyed at exactly 1:00pm, Greenwich Standard Time. Tick, tock. If you do not believe me, I will not hesitate to destroy hospitals and schools, and countless neighbourhoods.

  Evacuate the world to forests and fields before 9 November, and many, many lives will be saved. Heed my words, humanity’s existence now counts on you.

Yours faithfully,

Igor Ishnare of the Forest Gate Cult,

24 October 2460

  Reginald openly laughed at this. What ridiculousness! This was certainly a prank. Angelina looked at Reginald, extremely surprised. “You...you don’t believe them?” Angelina asked Reginald, worried.

  “Of course not! Don’t tell me you did?”

  “B-but, sir-“

   Reginald waved a lazy hand at Angelina, signalling her to get back to work. Angelina sighed, took the laptop back, and walked towards the doorway. Just as she was about the close the door, she said to Reginald, “Remember what he said. I think you’ll find that this...Igor...will kill many.” 

                    •  •  •

  “So he does not believe me, does he?” Igor thought as a malicious smile spread across his face, “Then he leaves me no choice.” 

  Igor was watching the president using the camera he had hidden in said president’s office. It was connected to his computer, so he could easily see if President Kowald heeded his words. He did not.

  Igor picked up the telephone on the table, and pressed it to his ear. He keyed in the numbers and waited for his right hand man to pick up. As soon as he did, Igor said, “Kalinski, set them off now.” Benjamin Kalinski nodded on the other end and replied, “Setting them off now.”