Dark Secrets

Teenage Rosalia and her twin brother, Noah, have lived on the Princess Andromeda as long as they can remember. They were told that their parents abandoned them on the ship's doorstep because they didn't want them. But when Rose overhears an astounding conversation, her life changes forever - and not for the better. Soon, Rose and Noah have uncovered some dark secrets that just may have been better off hidden. --Sparrowsong 18:23, January 9, 2010 (UTC)

Chapter One
It was Sunday afternoon, and everyone on the Princess Andromeda was mostly minding their own business. Some of them were talking to their friends, or practicing with swords. It seemed like an ordinary day.

Rose sat in a corner, listening to her iPod. She was sucking on a strand of her hair; it was her bad habit, like how some girls bit their nails or popped their zits.

"Hey, Rosie," her brother greeted.

She turned the music off and took her headphones out.

"Oh, hi, Noah," she said. "What's up?"

"Not much," Noah replied. "I kinda wish you would have a social life, though, sis."

"It's not my fault I'm so shy," she scoffed.

In return, he smirked and his eyes twinkled.

The twins looked quite a bit alike. Noah had very pale skin (almost pale enough to pass for an albino), black hair, and electric blue eyes with hints of green. Rose had dark hair, too, but her eyes were more of an ice-blue. She was frequently told how penetrating they were. And of course, her skin was also pale, though not quite as much as Noah's. They were even paler then most of the ship's inhabitants; nobody really got a lot of sunshine. Rose sort of liked the dark, though. It was creepy and mysterious.

"Thanks for stealing this for me, by the way." She was referring to her iPod. Noah was a kleptomaniac, as was she, but he stole more often.

"No problem, Rose."

Later that night, Rose couldn't sleep. She had the uneasy feeling that something terrible was about to happen, and it didn't feel like it was just her ADHD. She decided to look around, even though she knew the ship was infested with monsters.

She did a double take when she heard her name coming from a door she just walked by. She crouched down and listened.

It was Luke Castellan's voice, and he sounded deep in thought. Rose always thought that he looked a bit like herself and her brother, as well as sharing their last name, so when she was younger she'd always ask about that. He said it was because they were second-cousins; their father was his cousin.

"I sometimes feel a bit guilty, taking them from their mother like that," Luke said. "But, what does it matter? Better to have them raised here then be pawns of the gods like all those other half-bloods."

Rose heard a woman giggle.

"If those kids haven't figured out you're their father by now, I don't think they ever will."

The teen gasped, quite loudly.

"What was that?!" Luke shouted.

"I don't know!" the woman exclaimed. "We'd better go check, it could be an intruder!"

Rose felt the door start to open, and she quickly bolted. But Luke and the woman already saw her.

"Rosalia May Castellan!" he yelled. "Get back here this instant!"

Nobody ever called her by her full name, unless she was in deep trouble. She still ran, though.

She shook her brother awake.

"Noah, Noah, you have to get up!"

Groggily, he opened an eye.

"What are you so worked up about at three in the morning?"

She panted, then explained to him what she'd heard. He gasped and his blue-green eyes got huge.

"We have to run away," he stated.

She nodded in agreement.

Luke started pounding on the door, yelling at Rose and telling her to come out.

"F**k off!" she screamed while barricading the door.

Noah stuffed their suitcases and bags full of everything that they needed. Then they climbed out the window just as Luke managed to open the door.

"They're getting out through the window!" Luke hollered.

After briefly raiding the refridgerator, the twins prayed to the gods and jumped off the ship. They swam to shore as quickly as possible, avoiding the many sharks and fish they saw. Even Rose, who was always the daredevil, trembled a bit.

They spent the night in a graveyard. Rose fell asleep thinking ''I can't believe Luke lied to us! And kidnapped us from our mother!''