Alex slowly opened her eyes and immediately fear smothered her heart and refused to let go.  She was definitely no longer in Glen's bedroom.  It was cold, dark, below freezing temperature.  Trees: hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of them stood all around the clearing she was standing in, they towered above her and threatened to swallow her up.  Alex looked up into the night sky and saw no stars, no moon and no clouds.  Nothing seemed welcome.  A huge bonfire at least two metres wide and high roared feet away from her, the tip of its flames danced and spat, as though it was daring Alex to come forward.  Alex shook her head and stepped back.  She was dreaming, she told herself, and anytime soon she was going to wake and ring the police.

Alex heard someone whisper and she spun round to see five children on their knees staring at the fire.  Three boys and two girls approximately the same age as her.  They all looked as petrified as Alex felt.  But they weren't they only ones in the sinister forest.  About twenty men all dressed in black stood behind the children at attention with their hands behind their back and their heads facing straight.  Alex recognised several of the men as the ones who had kidnapped Glen.  What the hell was she dreaming?

The children frequently glanced at each other but their attention was always focused on the fire.  What were they waiting for?  One of the boys at the end of the line was holding hands with the girl next to him and Alex could tell they were brother and sister – twins in fact.  They both had brown hair and the brightest set of blue eyes Alex had ever seen before.  The boy, Thomas, was wearing jeans and a jumper so massive that it couldn't possibly belong to him.  Every few seconds, he leaned towards his twin and whispered words of comfort into her ear.  The girl, Kirsty, was wearing skinny grey jeans and a red jumper that was two sizes too large.  She listened to her brother's words, but it didn't give her confidence.  Alex was puzzled; she got the impression that she had seen these two children before, on television or in the newspaper. 

To the left of Kirsty was another boy.  He seemed calm and collective at first glance but his hands were in the shape of fists.  He was dark skinned and his faded red shorts was nearly torn to shreds, caused though by wear and tear or self-defence, Alex could only guess. 

A girl kneeled beside him.  She wore a cream cashmere jumper that had been stretched to one side and her brown trousers was smothered with mud and pine needles.  Alex couldn't believe it, this girl, the one she was staring at was Holly Lake.  For three days now, news reporters on BCC One hadn't stopped reporting her.  Her full name is Holly Katherine Lake, she will be turning sixteen on the first of January and on Christmas Eve she had been kidnapped in the town centre of Washington DC.  Ever since she was born kidnappers had tried to take her for ransom but no one had succeeded until now.  A half a million dollar reward had been offered by her father for her safe return yet strangely, no ransom had been made.  Alex couldn't believe it, she was here. 

Glancing at the boy next to Holly, Alex's heart froze.  It was Glen.  Alex ran forward and dived to her knees to join Glen's side.

'Glen!' she cried.  However, Glen remained still and continued to stare at the fire.  Alex moved herself directly in front of her cousin and whispered, 'Glen?'   But it was as though he couldn't see her.  Alex reached out and went to poke Glen's chest but stopped.  It was incredible.  Impossible.  Arms outstretched, she looked down at her torso and legs and saw that her body was transparent like a ghost.  Alex cried out with shock and desperately thought back to Glen's bedroom.  That mad had knocked her head against the wall to knock her out, but had she died?  No!

Alex shook her head and stood to her feet upset.  She couldn't have died!  Alex spun round and took a deep breath, she couldn't stay there any longer, she had to get away and find help.  And that was when she saw him.

A small boy, roughly the same age as Alex, stood just outside the clearing she was standing in, as though he was afraid to be seen.  He stood petrified and kept tugging at the enormous plain white t-shirt he was wearing.  All of a sudden he realised Alex was staring at him and he stared back.  For some strange reason Alex felt as though she had seen this boy before from someplace before but knew it was impossible.  He looked as though he was from South Asia and without knowing how she knew, Alex knew for a fact he had never left his country before.  The small boy took a step forward and Alex took a step back.  The boy was transparent too. 

Are they the Seven Children?' he asked.  He looked behind Alex and stared at the five children kneeling in the dirt.  The boy looked scared and extremely frightened.  Alex didn't understand though, what was the boy talking about?

'Are they the Seven Children?' he suddenly repeated but this time with more urgency and an angrier voice.  Alex could see that the boy was desperate for some truth and honesty in his life but she didn't know what to do, what to say. 

Alex took another step back from the boy and the "supposed" Seven Children.  She didn't even know what the Seven Children were.  But it was a lie, those words, Seven Children, she had heard them before.  A long time ago, when she was little, maybe in a dream.  She pulled her courage together, and Alex looked over at the boy again.  She searched his eyes, hoping she could find something that could tell her that she wasn't dead and this was just a dream but instead she felt something fly into her mind and land on her lips.

'Oliver.'  She knew his name.  But how?  How did she know his name?  Looking back round at the children kneeling in a line, she wondered how she knew their names also.  And without wanting to, not being able to stop herself, she began to count.  Kirsty, Thomas, Neo, Holly, Glen, Oliver and herself.  There were seven children.  Seven Children!

Fear crawled up Alex's body, and a cold cruel feeling stole her heart.  She turned her head slowly and stared at the fire.  Something wasn't right.  Puzzled, she turned towards Oliver and saw that he too was watching.  The fire had slowly increased in size and the usual pile of logs and twigs at the base of the fire had disappeared.  The fire wasn't feeding on anything and where the logs were supposed to be was a black hole of nothingness.  It looked as though the fire had entirely burnt the ground to ashes.  Alex didn't understand.  None of this was possible.

Alex felt her body tremble and immediately backed away and joined the small boy named Oliver at the edge of the clearing.  The fire had now almost doubled in size and the big black hole of nothingness was now flickering in and out of existence.  Smaller black shadows appeared from its depths and quickly disappeared, it was as though the fire was teasing the children.  However, Alex watched on horrified as the shadows began to form shapes.  At first they were barely visible then incredibly it was obvious – a hand, a leg, a torso, a foot.  Within seconds a silhouette of a man stood within the centre of the flames.  He was tall and lean and stood with his back straight and his head held high.  He laughed cruelly and took a step forward.

The kneeling children recoiled in horror and eyes of the beast disguised as a man shined with excitement.  He clasped his hands together and looked down at the petrified children with any almost proudness.  Everything about him reeked of evil.  His thin lips came together in a smirk.

His name was Marco.

Alex forced herself not to run and instead glanced at Glen who looked terrified and scared.  Even though she was transparent and nobody but Oliver could see her she had to stay for him.  They had promised to always stay by each other's side no matter what.  She glanced back at the cold hearted beast and wondered what they hell he wanted with her cousin. 

'It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to my home Seven Children,' the beast spoke softly.  Alex was immediately confused, why did the beast refer to the children as the Seven Children as well?  What did he and Oliver know, which she did not?

From this moment on, you will all do exactly as I order.  I tell you to stand, you stand.  I tell you to sit, you sit.  I tell you to kill each other, you will kill each other.  Disobey my orders and you will face the consequences.  Understand?'

Neo shook his head.  This was wrong.  He had to do something to stop this beast!  He jumped to his feet and went to lunge forward but was immediately dragged back and shoved to the ground by one of the guards.  With fear, Neo looked up and waited for the pain that was bound to hit him.  However, Marco took no notice and continued.

It is unfortunate that two of you could not attend tonight but in due time that will change.' 

Oliver whimpered and Alex tried her best to ignore the growing feeling that the men had made a mistake and forgot to take her too.

'No!' screamed Thomas.  Without a second of hesitation, Kirsty jumped to her feet and sprinted towards Alex and Oliver.  Alarmed, Alex jumped out of the way and watched as half of Marco's guards ran past her and after the girl.  Alex spun round and watched Marco's reaction, scared how furious he was going to be.  But his face was expressionless; it showed neither anger nor amusement.  Marco turned and faced the remaining children.

If any of you dare move a muscle, I'll personally cut off her right hand,' he warned.  Alex watched as Neo glared at Marco with as much hatred as possible.

'Why don't you just kill us now and get it over and done with?'  Marco gave a small smirk.

'Patience,' his reply was. 

A scream.  It penetrated through the children's body's and forced them to cower in fear.  Thomas spat at Marco.

'If you hurt her!' he warned.  Marco gave a cold chilling laugh that turned the children's bones brittle.

'You'd do what?' he teased.

Twigs snapped in half and Alex watched the men drag Kirsty back into the clearing by her hair.  She yelled and screamed for forgiveness but the guards only laughed.  They threw her body into a heap before Marco's feet who looked down at her as though she was vermin.  

'The first to disobey me and the last,' warned Marco.  Without warning he lashed out and kicked her ribs.

'Leave her alone!' Thomas yelled as the guards held him back.  Kirsty sobbed and clutched her ribs in pain.  She slowly looked up and glared into stared into Marco's cold black eyes. 

'We haven't done anything to deserve this,' she hissed.  Once again, Marco lashed out and dug his foot deep into her ribs.  Kirsty cried out and sobbed harder.

'Stand up,' Marco ordered.  Kirsty grimaced and shook her head, it hurt to even breath.  'Stand up I said!'

 'Please,' she begged and shook her head once again.  Marco looked down at the girl with disgust and just as Alex thought he was going to kick Kirsty again she gasped with disbelief. 

What she was watching was surely impossible. 

Like a puppet, Kirsty was slowly brought to her feet by invisible strings.  It looked grotesque and wrong.  Her head rolled backwards as her wrists, elbows, knees and ankles slowly rose in the air by a foot, then a metre, then two metres.  She screamed with fear as her body hovered and slowly moved so she was positioned diretly on top of the fire.  The flames licked and tried its best to reach Kirsty's feet.

Alex shook her head, this was wrong.  It couldn't be real!  People didn't fly or hover above ground!  Glancing at Marco's smug face though, there was no denying it, it was clear he was the one behind all of this. 

But ... magic ... it didn't exist!  Could not exist.  It was for little kids who believed in the tooth fairy and those who dressed up as witches and wizards and went about brandishing their wands, Alex thought.  It did not, could not, exist!  But what was about to happen next forced Alex to forget about everything.

'This is what happens to children who refuse to do as they're told!' Marco warned and waved his hand dismissively. 

'No!' cried Thomas.   The invisible cords snapped and Kirsty fell and screamed as the flames immediately engulfed her.  All four children leapt forward, screaming and yelling, but were held back by the men dressed in black. 

'Kirsty!' cried Thomas.  A small black shape, barely detectable as a body of a small girl, writhed in pain at the bottom of the fire and cried out for help. 

Holly stamped her foot and vigorously shook her head.  Nothing would stop her from saving her friend.  Holly stopped fighting and closed her eyes in concentration.  As soon as she did so, something big and dark slowly began to form beside her.  It was a shadow, Alex realised, a shadow of a human.  At first it was barely visible, almost transparent, but then, just as Marco had appeared, it miraculously turned solid - into another Holly.  It was as though Holly's twin had suddenly appeared out of thin air.  Alex shook her head and backed away.  It was a dream, she told herself, all of this magic was just a dream! 

The second Holly lunged forward and reached her hand into the flames.

'Kirsty!' it yelled.  A dark limb inside the flames reached out and went to grab the second Holly's hand.

'No!' yelled Marco and he flung his arms out wide, forcing Holly's double to fly backwards through the air and smash into a tree trunk unconscious.

Alex was out of her mind.  She wanted out of this nightmare, now.

'That man is evil.  He is a beast!' yelled the transparent boy behind her, he staring at the mess with wide eyes.  Alex had forgotten about him.  Was this boy, somewhere back at his home, sleeping too?  Were they sharing the same nightmare, the same insane and out of this world nightmare?

A thump and a scream and Alex spun round, just in time, to see the ashes beneath Kirsty's body give way.  She fell deep and fast into the bottomless pit below. 

Silence filled the air and the children kneeling on the ground turned to each other distraught.

Marco was still staring at the hole where Kirsty had disappeared and was smirking with satisfaction.  In his mind he was replaying her death over and over again, still memorized by Kirsty's scream.  He looked up and forced himself to concentrate, he'd have time to reminisce later.  The beast of a man turned round and smirked at the four children whimpering and cowering on the ground.

'Who will like to volunteer to die next?'   

The children immediately screamed and cried for mercy and tried to crawl backwards away from the best.  The men dressed in black laughed and shoved the children forward.  They loved this just as much as their Master did.

Marco grinned and his eyes flickered over each of the children, speculating and pondering over each one.  Finally he grinned and cheerfully sung two words that made the children's heart break down with grief.

'Holly's turn...'

The screams, yells and begging started all over again.

'Alex, wake up...'

Neo lurched forward, no way would he allow Marco to touch any of them this time.

'I need you to wake up!'

Glen let out a long cry of anger and fury – why was this happening?

'Alex, we need to go, we need to get help.'

Her mum was calling to her to wake up.  Was she dreaming? Was all of this - the pain, fear and hope vanishing just because of one man - just a dream?  Oliver turned to Alex, tears trickling down his cheeks-

'No!  You cannot go!  I cannot stay here by myself!'  He grasped Alex's arms and squeezed them tight, refusing to let go.  Alex looked into the boy's eyes and went to pull her arm back but stopped when she saw the fear and anger coursing through his eyes.  That was when she realised and felt it. Glen, begging Marco to stop it.  Holly, screaming and pleading for forgiveness.  Everything about this dream was real and she had to wake up and act fast before the beast could kill her too.   She stared hard into Oliver's eyes.

'I'll be back,' she promised, 'I'll be back and I'll save you too.'   Oliver nodded and wiped away the forming tears.  He cried out one last time as he lost grip on Alex's arm as she dissolved into thin air.

Alex woke up in drench.

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Phew!  That was a long chapter.  What do you think of the bad guy?  Did the men forget to kidnap Alex too?