This was written for the @YAFantasy writing contest, Start To End. The challenge was to write a story with an opening sentence that was happy and upbeat, and end with the same sentence, but this time it sounds chilling, dark, and horrifying. 

https://www.wattpad.com/911095058-echoes-of-legends-yafantasy-contests-start-to-end

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Lucy's crooked smile warmed my heart, and I knew I'd be with her for the rest of my life.

As we stood there in the golden light of the dying day, holding hands, I didn't think I'd ever been happier. I couldn't believe this was happening. Her bright smile made me bubble with laughter and gave me the strength to lean in and kiss her. After being friends for seven years and having been in love with her for almost the entire time, my first kiss with Lucy O'Sullivan was as magical as I'd hoped for.

"This is really happening," I said, still with that big smile stuck on my face.

"Who would've thunk it." Lucy's pale blue eyes sparkled at me.

Creaking tires broke the silent air as our friends came up a low hill on their bikes. For a moment, the field had been mine and Lucy's serene world, but now it was back to reality.

"What's going on here?" Wren asked with a wicked grin.

"Oh my god." Ash slapped a hand to her mouth. "Are you two...?"

Lucy nodded, which made me laugh and vigorously nod at our friends. While Lucy and I collected our bikes and began our journey back to town, Wren and Ash bombarded us with questions which ranged from silly to surprisingly personal and embarrassing.

We reached Lucy's house first and stopped our bikes on her quiet, cobbled street to look over the row of houses.

"Ah, geeze," Wren said with a shudder.

I followed his gaze to Lucy's house, where a figure could be seen through the first-floor window. The hunched form of her grandma, shrouded in heavy dark clothing, sent an instant chill through me.

"She's harmless," Lucy said. "What've you got against my nan?"

Wren's headshake bobbed his red curls. "Nothing. You got an old witch for a nan; nothing wrong with that."

"She's not a-"

"I mean it," Wren interrupted, growing serious. "The old bat knocked me off my bike the other week. Just with the power of her mind."

Ash snorted. "You mean you fell off your bike while she was looking at you?"

"Yeah, same thing."

Ash narrowed her eyes. "Or maybe it was because of all the weight you been putting on?"

"I have not, ya harlot! And if I have, it's because that old witch has put a curse on me."

Ash crossed her arms over her chest. "Or maybe it's all the donuts you been eating."

Wren nodded with understanding. "You're right. She's probably put a curse on me."

We all laughed at that.

I spared another look at Lucy's grandma, who still watched us with a severe look on her ancient features. No one even knew how old she was.

People said that Ireland was the birthplace of magic, and the last place it had existed before it faded from the world. The kids in town loved hearing stories like that, but I knew them to be just that: stories. But then, I knew there was so much in the world that I didn't know; so much I wanted to explore and learn about.

I'd promised myself I'd leave County Kerry and travel through Europe the first chance I got. The only problem with that was Lucy... she had no intention of ever leaving Ireland. Hadn't even left the county in her eighteen years.

I hated to admit it, but I agreed with Wren about how weird Lucy's grandma was. The old lady seemed pleasant enough to most people, but she had a way of looking at me sometimes that made me feel like she wanted to hurt me.

The next few weeks felt like a dream come true. Lucy and I were officially together and we didn't care who knew about it. In a small town like this, everyone knew everything the moment it happened, anyway.

One afternoon, Lucy and I went for a long walk along the cliffs on the western edge of town. I still thought it was cool that we lived on the most western point of Europe, which might as well have been the edge of the world. Nothing but an endless ocean ahead.

"Whoa, watch it, Luc," I called out, reeling back at the sight of her stepping precariously close to the edge.

Lucy padded along with ease, her arms out like an airplane. Despite the cool wind that blew over her, she only wore a tank-top and jean shorts. She'd always been hot-blooded. In comparison, my scrawny frame always felt the cold.

"Are you sure you really care about me?" she asked after some time.

It was a variation of the question she'd asked pretty much every day we'd been together. I just wished she could see how amazing she was. "I adore you."

"Would you still like me if... I lost an arm?"

My heart jolted when she wobbled and wavered, before resuming her walk. "I would."

"Would you still like me if... I couldn't walk?"

I caught her eye. "I'd still love you even if you were a brain in a jar." That seemed to make her happy.

My most favourite thing in the world was making Lucy smile.

A shrill cry rang in the air. I looked up to see a crow cutting across the bright sky, and thought it was odd to see such a bird out here.

When I turned back to Lucy, wondering why she'd gone silent, I saw she was no longer there. My heart leaped into my throat as fear gripped me. Then I couldn't help but smile as I realised she was probably playing a prank on me. Probably just wanted me to think she'd fallen over the edge. But there was nowhere for her to hide.

My legs weakened as I stepped to where Lucy had last been. I kept waiting for her to jump out and burst into laughter, saying how serious my face looked. But it was just me and the wind that carried the soft roar of crashing waves two hundred feet below.

My heart pounded as I peeked over the cliff edge. The foamy waves crashed over the rocks below. A dark shape was down there. Terror tightened every muscle in my body.

Lucy. She was... she was really there.

I howled with horror and dropped to my knees, turning away. My breath caught and bile built up, before I heaved and vomited.

This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

But it was real. Lucy was gone.

She was down there, broken and alone.

Gone.

The next days were a blur. I went with my parents when they'd told Lucy's parents, but could hardly say a word to them. Couldn't even look them in the eye. Everyone just cried and screamed, turning into monstrous, broken versions of themselves. Thankfully, Lucy's grandma wasn't there, so I didn't have to face her evil looks.

Some people blamed me, but most kept telling me it wasn't my fault. I just wished I could see Lucy again.

It wasn't until a week later that I got my wish.

I'd developed a habit of going for a walk along the cliffs each day at sunset. It made me feel closer to Lucy. When I came to a cluster of trees and tall bushes, I startled when something shifted. Someone was stepping out of the dim gloom, coming into the light of the red sunset.

"Lucy." Her name passed my lips as if it had never left.

I'd frozen with shock and fear. It was Lucy; but it wasn't. Her skin was grey and she was mangled, body twisted and bruised, her hair wet and matted with twigs, as if she'd literally just walked away from her death. Her jaw was unhinged and made her mouth severely tilted.

She stepped closer with a limp. It churned my stomach to see the light had gone from her eyes. Without any hint of humour or mischief on her face, she looked like a completely different person.

Her voice came out coarse like gravel. "Would you still love me... if I died?"

I remained frozen with fear, not knowing what to do. "Lucy? Is it really...?" I tried to say more but couldn't.

"We can still be together. Forever. Like we said."

My stomach clenched with sudden terror. I could only watch as she raised a hand and pressed it against my chest. Her skin was hot and made me jump back, leaving a burning sensation on me.

"Do you really love me?" she asked, as if mocking how she'd once spoken.

I looked over the cliff edge, which was now several feet away. Did she want me to jump? So we could be together? Like monsters?

I wanted to tell her how sorry I was, and how much I missed her. How much I loved her. But I knew that my Lucy was gone.

It was then that I noticed how hot my chest had gotten; how much heat was flowing through me. With sheer dread, I realised it was already too late for me. Lucy had already done something to me.

I looked to her for help, but she just smiled at me.

Lucy's crooked smile warmed my heart, and I knew I'd be with her for the rest of my life.