There was darkness. That she was sure of. What she wasn't sure of was the light. It started as a small, glowing sphere far in the distance. It was growing slowly, seeping into the darkness around her until her world was illuminated with a dull, faded gray light. Confusion and fear swirled in her stomach as she realized she could no longer be sure of anything, even the darkness she thought she was certain of. She closed her eyes in an attempt to clear her head before she started trying to figure out what was happening.

     The first thing she noticed with her eyes closed was the silence. The complete lack of noise was very obvious now that she was aware of it. Was it always supposed to be that quiet? Sudden sounds erupted in her ears. There was a lot of noise. She heard a chaotic mix of loud sounds: blaring horns, crashing, screaming, sirens. Was it always supposed to be that loud?  She shook her head to clear it and opened her eyes, ready to give the world around her a better look. The first thing her eyes landed on were the tall buildings and oddly shaped skyscrapers of a large city jutting like spears into the dark, clouded skies. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at them. As she stared at a particularly funny shaped one, she unconsciously took a step towards it, but stopped when her bare foot brushed against something hard. She let her gaze slide down the glass and concrete of the building and onto her more immediate surroundings, which triggered a small gasp to escape her lips.

     Complete destruction was the only thing that came to mind while trying to describe where she was standing. There was nothing but ruins for as far as her eyes could see. Whatever had been there long ago was now reduced to tall mountains of rubble extending all the way to the city and out in every direction. Thick clouds of smoke and fog clung to the rubble, and there was lots of ash flying around in the air, despite the lack of wind. When she looked down at her feet, she saw that she was standing on the edge of a dusty, paved road. Images flashed past her eyes. When she looked up at the ceiling, she saw blinding white lights above her, shining directly in her eyes, and the vague shadows of people running frantically around the room. She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes before turning and trying to look down the road, but it was lost in smoke before she could see where it led. 

     The fear she had felt earlier began to grow again as the rhythmic sound of a marching band's snare drum suddenly cut through the absolute silence. She saw a large shadowy shape begin to take form behind the smoke on the road and she wanted so badly to run away, but her feet just wouldn't move. All she could do was watch in confusion and fear as a large parade float emerged from the smoky curtain at the end of the road. As it moved forward, she saw the huge gathering of people walking behind and alongside it. On the float itself, she saw five young men, all of them dressed in black marching band uniforms. They were all perfectly still with their heads down and holding instruments. Three held guitars, one sat at a drum kit in the back, and the one in front, a boy with short, white hair, stood tightly clutching a microphone stand with both hands. She watched smoke swirl around their feet as the float and the people dragged it with them down the road, coming closer to where she stood with every second. 

     The float finally drifted down the road to where she was and came to a stop in front of her. A foggy scene, a memory maybe, drifted through her head. There was a single, high-pitched note coming from somewhere in the room. The blinding white lights and the note faded away. She was left alone with nothing but silence. The rhythmic tapping of the drum faded away and she was left in silence once more, except this time, she was not alone. The boy with white hair opened his eyes and looked up from his microphone, turning his head to look directly at her. As their eyes met, she felt a sense of calmness wash over her and take all the fear away. He let go of his microphone stand and made his way over to the steps on the side of the float, pausing for only a brief second to look at her again before quickly descending them. A safe feeling grew in her chest as the white-haired boy walked over to her with smooth, delicate movements and came to a stop an arm's length away. The look on his face was very contemplative as he looked her over one more time. When his eyes came to rest on hers, he gave her a warm, slightly lopsided smile and held his arm out gently, offering his hand to her.

"Welcome to the Black Parade."