The house stood atop a mountain, the woods surrounding it on all sides. It was a nice house. A path behind the house led to a cliff that overlooked the sea, and the sunset was beautiful from that vantage point. The woods were dense and smelled of moss and wildflowers mixed with the scent of the sea breeze.

The house itself was small, with vines of ivy, wild rose and morning glory climbing and twining around the walls and roof. The walls and door were made of wood, and every room had a window that let in the dappled forest light and the beautiful view. It was peaceful, it was perfect.

Two children played in a patch of sunlit moss just outside the door. They were two-year-old twins, a boy, and a girl. Their mother and father stood together watching their children laughing and playing together. Their sweet smiles were mirrored on the faces of their children.

A cloud drifted across the sun, and the children looked up to see what had caused the sudden shade. A breeze blew through the forest. The children ran to their parents, laughing as they did, and hid just behind them to avoid the cold wind.

The mother picked up the young boy, and the father picked up the young girl, and together they walked to the cliff to watch as the sun set, turning the ocean far below into a beautiful glittering carpet, stretching past the horizon.

"Pretty!" The little girl smiled and clapped her small hands together.

"Yes, it is." Her father agreed as he kissed his daughter on the cheek.

"We will come and watch the sunset here a lot more." Her mother promised as she kissed her son's forehead.

As the light began to fade, the four of them headed back to their cozy home, unaware that their promise would never come true. As the parents tucked their beautiful children into bed, they were oblivious to the fact that they were being watched by a figure who stood peering at them from the trees.

The house where this family lived was on an island on which there was only one other house. It stood at the base of the mountain far away. In that cottage there lived a woman who lived alone. Long ago she had lived with her husband and her small son, but tragedy had left her childless and a widow.

She stood like a shadow, still, silent. She peered from the trees and watched as the house became dark and silent. She smiled. It was nearly time. She had been waiting for such a long time... now that it was so close her patience was growing thin, but she could not afford to make a mistake at this point. She had been waiting ever since she first became aware of the two small children's existence.

The new moon cast no light as the woman felt in her pocket for the items she needed. After ensuring that she had everything, she checked the house once again. It was dark and silent. But it wouldn't stay that way for long. It was time to make her move.

Silently she snuck across the ground and peered in a window. The children were peacefully asleep. She slowly moved to the door and eased it open. Her mouth curved into a smirk as it opened silently. Perfect.

After pausing to ensure that no one was awake, she crept into the children's bedroom. Slowly, carefully, she lifted the first sleeping child into her arms. It had been such a long time since she had held a child. She could have stayed there for hours, transfixed by the child, but no! She had work to do.

Slowly, she lifted the other child, trying not to wake either of them. The girl squirmed slightly but did not wake. The boy moved his small hand until he could touch his sister. The woman turned and slowly walked out of the house carrying the two children.

She eased the door shut and smiled. Phase one of her plan was complete. Everything was going according to plan. She set the children down and reached into her pocket and retrieved a match. She struck it and threw it at the house, lighting it aflame, watching as the flames climbed the walls and the roof began to fall in. She heard the screams of the children's mother and father as the house burned around them and they realized their children were gone. It only took a few minutes for the screams to stop.

The two-year-olds woke up, crying. They were confused and afraid. The woman went back to them and grabbed them both despite their protest. They wailed and clung to each other, wanting their parents, afraid of this strange woman. The woman began to carry them up to the cliff.

"Stop crying!" She commanded sharply as she dropped them onto the grass at the edge of the cliff. The children trembled and clung to each other silently, watching this woman in fear. The orange light of the burning house illuminated the woods enough that they could see what she was doing. She had two small stones shaped like cubes that she was chanting over in a strange language. Suddenly one stone glowed light purple as the other flared dark red.

The woman finished her chanting and brought both stones over to the twins. Each stone was about one cubic inch, with sharp points where the edges met. In one sudden movement, she lunged at the boy. The red stone cut across one eye, partially blinding him. He screamed, and in that moment, his hair changed color. It became black with a streak of blood red at the front.

The girl started wailing and shrieking again as she saw her brother's pain. She reached out to him, but the woman moved between them first.

"Watch, boy." She said as she turned to the girl. The boy looked on fearfully as the woman raised the purple stone. It was over before either child could scream. The stone tore across the child's throat spattering her brother's cheek with her blood where it mixed with his own.

The girl's body went limp. The color drained from her skin, and as it did, her hair became white, except for the end, which was purple.

The woman saw this. She smiled. She laughed.

"It worked! IT WORKED!" She was nearly giddy with the elation of her success. All the years waiting and finally! She turned to look at the boy who had crawled to his sister's body and shook her as he cried, trying to wake her up.

The woman snatched the girl's body and tossed her carelessly off the edge of the cliff. The body was no use to her anymore. The boy screamed as his sister vanished into the churning ocean, and his shrieks only increased in volume as the woman picked him up and began to carry him away from the cliff, away from the smoking remains of his house.

Soon his pained cries lessened to whimpers, and then just one word before he fell silent.

Shaiori...