Five years ago372Please respect copyright.PENANAlh7Fg5D0w7
Mpunde Girls Secondary School372Please respect copyright.PENANAu2w8zEe3pA
The Poultry372Please respect copyright.PENANAwhxtUWdxMS
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I screamed. And the next thing I knew, I landed chest first onto what felt like a hard cold floor. My chest and ribs ached painfully. I slowly rolled over on the floor so as to lie on my back. I took a knock in my knees too. The pain all over was unbearable.372Please respect copyright.PENANAkyAuXhk6en
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I looked above and saw the hole that I fell in. I saw the gaping space and a few rays of sunlight coming in. A few puffs of sawdust fell onto my face. I coughed as I rubbed my face to wipe them off. I had to get up. It felt like I hadn't fallen far. I could make it if nothing in me was broken, especially my legs.372Please respect copyright.PENANAawtCXDKlOy
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I sat up slowly. How could the poultry have a hole on the floor? How come I hadn't noticed it the first time?372Please respect copyright.PENANA16GAjG1XSz
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I held my aching left shoulder as I looked up. Coming to the poultry looking for the ball was a bad idea. It was all thanks to Christine and Amanda that all this was happening to me.372Please respect copyright.PENANA3MntwRad7I
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I stood on my own two feet and straightened up. I didn't feel any bones broken or dislocated. But that was yet to be known.372Please respect copyright.PENANANPEFfpDTZI
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I looked up at the hole and just as I expected, the distance wasn't massive. I could easily jump and hold on to the edges to pull myself out.372Please respect copyright.PENANA9anH4evoVD
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My body still ached and I had to prepare myself if I was going to make the jump. But just before I could, I heard a weird noise behind me.372Please respect copyright.PENANAFzf2R6djAK
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I quickly turned around and realised that I hadn't taken the time to look around to see where I was. In front of me stood complete darkness. I was in some kind of room because of the visible stone black walls to my sides and the one behind me. As much as I looked, I couldn't see anything.372Please respect copyright.PENANA9k66yZrdhW
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I shrugged my shoulders as I came to the conclusion that what I probably heard was nothing. There was no need to start chasing after something in the dark when you have no idea what's there. What I learnt in horror movies: don't go chasing after things you know nothing about. It just gets you killed.372Please respect copyright.PENANA4N2yipaCc2
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I turned back to look at the hole and just as I steadied my body to jump, I heard the noise again and along with it came a whisper:372Please respect copyright.PENANAsgOU6v4tec
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"Diana."372Please respect copyright.PENANANhMSCeQLrX
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I grew spooked. What was that? I turned my head again. Was someone out there? As much as I wanted to call out, I didn't want to. Another thing I learnt in horror movies: don't answer to what calls you out in the dark. It might just come get you for real.372Please respect copyright.PENANAEpf9xmOdKp
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I continued to look and this time, crazy images appeared in my head. What if there's some monster that lived down here and it knew my name? I assume that most weird supernaturals had a tendency of knowing their victims' names, almost like they were psychic or something. No, no, no. There's nothing out there. I am just imagining things.372Please respect copyright.PENANAaAbxLlWB6Y
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"Diana, Diana!"372Please respect copyright.PENANAZHeuk1QG82
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I gulped as I felt my insides shake. Okay, this was no joke. There's definitely somebody out there.372Please respect copyright.PENANAyABq7HUe73
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Just as I turned back to look at the hole, something unexpected started to happen. It was fixing itself up.372Please respect copyright.PENANAB5hodkdAqI
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"No, no, no!" I exclaimed as I made a jump for it.372Please respect copyright.PENANAP4HyUl8p2e
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It was no use. As much as I tried over and over, I still couldn't reach the edges as the hole grew smaller and smaller. My heart started to beat even faster when the concrete hole finally sealed itself and I was surrounded by darkness.372Please respect copyright.PENANA3LHl3hmczc
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"Diana," came the whisper again.372Please respect copyright.PENANAuqokJPVVE3
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I leaned back against the wall, my heart beating even more. I wrapped my arms around myself as I shook in fright. I am one person who didn't mind being in the dark, but not like this. The place was pitch black and someone out there was calling out to me. Could this be my bitter end? Death would have a laugh at me if it ever came to be.372Please respect copyright.PENANAHKKJ4zUs7a
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I sat on the floor, curled myself up with my knees below my chin, my arms still wrapped around myself. This is it, I thought. I could imagine what the headlines of the national newspapers was going to be like: Girl at Mpunde Girls gone missing..., or is she dead? That would be enough to leave my parents agitated or even terrified. What happened to their baby girl, people would ask. She got stuck under the poultry and died there, that's what.372Please respect copyright.PENANAEn8mf4oQoI
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"Diana!" came the whisper again.372Please respect copyright.PENANAATp4fjvjxn
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My heart skipped a beat as I turned to my left. Someone had just whispered in my ear. And the creepy part was that I hadn't felt anyone's presence nor did I hear any footsteps. Was I talking to a ghost?372Please respect copyright.PENANA0JPOWbHFnc
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"Who are you?" I asked this time around. I couldn't keep quiet any longer.372Please respect copyright.PENANAYyAeMFaQ8s
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"I've been waiting for you, Diana," came the the voice again, but still in a whisper.372Please respect copyright.PENANAvm7OjLZBk2
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A bright purple light suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. I shrieked. I stood up and I noticed that the ball of light was on my nose. I shrieked again as I tried to swat it away, but everytime I did, it would float right back like an annoying insect.372Please respect copyright.PENANAqqZtyXlWtQ
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I stopped fighting with the little thing and my eyes focused on it. The purple ball of light was nothing more but a glowing purple butterfly. I could hardly feel it on my nose except the warmth it brought onto the small area of my nose.372Please respect copyright.PENANAyLDAmLnH80
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I continued looking at it and admired how beautiful it looked. I had never seen a glowing butterfly before. All this felt unreal. Was I dreaming?372Please respect copyright.PENANAcforxs7RI2
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I brought my finger up to my nose and as if the butterfly knew what to do, it went on it. For some reason, I smiled. I wasn't afraid anymore and I definitely wasn't dreaming.372Please respect copyright.PENANA0ZnKfV9XaJ
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The butterfly fluttered its purple wings and took to the air. It hovered a few inches above me before it started to flutter away in the darkness.372Please respect copyright.PENANAXrcZCtgsEi
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"Wait, hold up," I called out to it.372Please respect copyright.PENANAXXsAuZkMcx
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I followed it in the dark. I had no idea where I was going. All I did know was that I had to follow it.372Please respect copyright.PENANA6KAPNVV4Al
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I noticed that I was walking down a long dark hallway. The butterfly's glowing light hit the black coloured walls on the sides. The place was still pitch black and I grew anxious with each step that I took.372Please respect copyright.PENANA7VsyCNXimI
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After a few minutes of walking, I reached a doorway. I was afraid to go beyond. What if all this was a trap and I was going to find myself falling again and this time, into a deeper hole?372Please respect copyright.PENANAPRRlDqM91M
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The butterfly still fluttered its wings beside me, then it went right through the doorway. This time, its glowing light not hitting the walls or even the floor. That made me guess that in front of me stood a vast room of space with no walls or floor within close range.372Please respect copyright.PENANAiZJGJyxUug
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As the butterfly continued to flutter away, the whisper came again:372Please respect copyright.PENANATKgY4Bhm9m
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"Come, Diana."372Please respect copyright.PENANAoKFj66dAKc
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I looked below to see if there was any stairway or sight of a floor. I still couldn't see anything.372Please respect copyright.PENANAjMbcnuEIYC
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"Umm, no thanks," I said. "It's pretty dark."372Please respect copyright.PENANA2YJvg8NYLc
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"Come. Nothing will happen to you."372Please respect copyright.PENANA6O9XDJvLBV
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I raised an eyebrow. "I love my life, mind you."372Please respect copyright.PENANAdI1eReglfS
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"Take a step forward, do not be afraid."372Please respect copyright.PENANAJp1qhjFrAw
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I thought of the last four words: "Do not be afraid." It reminded me of a bible passage we read last Sunday when Peter tried to walk on water and he grew scared that Jesus had to help him. Jesus told him to take courage and not to be afraid. Was this the same scenario I was facing; like a test?372Please respect copyright.PENANAVbLDqV3MnV
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"Step forward," came the voice again. "I promise that nothing is going to happen to you."372Please respect copyright.PENANA1nl9pKnG4v
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I gulped as I looked at the dark emptiness where there was supposed to be a floor. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. If I was to plunge to my death, I would rather have my eyes closed.372Please respect copyright.PENANA7v468Hs1u5
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I breathed out and took a step forward very slowly. And just as I had expected, I didn't feel the floor and my heart skipped a beat, but very quickly, my foot stepped on something solid. Was it a floor?372Please respect copyright.PENANAdg5P88h6dB
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Feeling relieved that I wasn't going to fall after all, I put my feet together and opened my eyes. What I saw beneath me, made my eyes widen with wonder.372Please respect copyright.PENANA61N4I8DIAr
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I had stepped on a floor tile and I noticed that it was no ordinary one. It was made of glowing green butterflies.372Please respect copyright.PENANA6RlmVMZJ9p
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I couldn't help but stare. Soon, I slowly took another step forward. Immediately, another glowing tile appeared. This time made up of glowing yellow butterflies. Without fear, I took another step forward and a blue one appeared. Afterwards came red, purple, orange butterfly tiles. The six colours repeated themselves in different sequences so it was hard to tell which colour came next.372Please respect copyright.PENANAmi3iiwJYl5
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I was enjoying this. I had never seen anything like it before. I slowed down for a bit to take a look around. The place was still dark except for the glowing tiles I had walked on.372Please respect copyright.PENANAeIuwnk0OdE
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I went on to look ahead and I stopped walking abruptly. I thought I was about to run into something when in fact it was just the purple butterfly. I sighed in relief.372Please respect copyright.PENANAFv7Pwng6py
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The butterfly kept fluttering its wings and it came close that it landed on my nose again. My nose started to itch like I wanted to sneeze. I wiggled my nose to prevent myself from doing so, but I couldn't help it.372Please respect copyright.PENANA4UWGlOhJwF
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"ACHOO!"372Please respect copyright.PENANAEDqSAvgFIw
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"Bless me," I said to myself and when I opened my eyes, the butterflies of all the six colours: red, blue, green, orange, yellow and purple, filled up the place around me.372Please respect copyright.PENANAzuk2BNMW0N
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I looked around in amazement as they flew around. With their glowing light, I could see six tall stone pillars in front of me, three on each side. They went all the way upwards. I looked further up and there was no ceiling, just never-ending darkness. I looked forward and in between the pillars was a stone aisle. At the far end of the room, I made out a giant stone statue of a butterfly.372Please respect copyright.PENANAordWXUr2rV
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I continued to look around as the butterflies made the scene around me look like I was flying in the dark night sky and they were glowing stars. Most of the butterflies settled on the six pillars bringing in more light into the room. This reminded me of the way people in the Western world would decorate their houses with bright lights for Christmas.372Please respect copyright.PENANAeQTwGMYD7i
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I spun around as a few butterflies also did so around me. I chuckled. I looked over to my left shoulder and a purple butterfly sat there. It must have been the same butterfly that led me all the way to this point.372Please respect copyright.PENANAGcCRDPSGSV
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"They're beautiful, aren't they?"372Please respect copyright.PENANA3eTFJXNpnM
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I quickly turned towards the large butterfly statue and there stood a person in a blue robe and pointed hood. All the excitement left me as I tried to make out a face, but the hood covered the person's face all too well that I couldn't make out anything. I had a strange feeling like I knew who it was.372Please respect copyright.PENANARFY3szRVjt
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"Who are you?" I asked.372Please respect copyright.PENANAoSl3JVZ74o
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The woman gave out a little chuckle. "Have you already forgotten me, Diana?" she asked.372Please respect copyright.PENANAQ1b8GZQ1xU
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Then everything came back to me in a flash. She was the woman I met in my dreams three days ago. She wore a black robe back then and she gave me the note with the symbol of a butterfly in a circle, divided into four parts.372Please respect copyright.PENANAjEEGHeaglQ
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"You're the woman whom I met in my dream," I answered as I found myself slowly approaching her.372Please respect copyright.PENANAbrLnqyYIkz
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"Indeed, I am," she said.372Please respect copyright.PENANADqdKpSWFcK
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I stopped walking. "You never told me your name."372Please respect copyright.PENANAdw4GHlbdKt
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"Of course, I didn't," she said as she came towards me.372Please respect copyright.PENANAZkobdxSPvq
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"What's your name, if you don't mind me asking."372Please respect copyright.PENANAPD5yS9h4s7
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The distance between us shortened. She stopped walking. A few blue butterflies fluttered around her. She lifted her black gloved hands, held the hem of her hood and pulled it back.372Please respect copyright.PENANAmRGowt2J6E
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Her long thick black hair reached beyond her shoulders. She had a smooth round face and her light brown skin shone brightly under the lights of the butterflies around her. She had soft brown eyes and her pink lips were raised up into a smile. She looked pretty, to be honest. Way prettier than any woman I had ever met so far.372Please respect copyright.PENANAmDiXTWu1y4
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"I'm Stella," she answered. "It's about time you found me, Diana."372Please respect copyright.PENANAHVGHwqUJRJ
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"Uh...," I snapped out of my trance as I shook my head. "To be honest, I did try to find the symbol. I unfortunately found it in a place I least expected. And it only took me three days."372Please respect copyright.PENANAswGFcAoAZ6
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"We have all been waiting for you."372Please respect copyright.PENANApfAymMSugy
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"What do you mean 'we?' I thought I was only meeting you."372Please respect copyright.PENANAHOf0V6aJpi
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"I was only just the messenger. Others have been waiting for your arrival."372Please respect copyright.PENANA99eNpOYHtj
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"Who?" I asked.372Please respect copyright.PENANAv9XVrWcY6S
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My question was soon answered when three people appeared from behind the pillars to my left and two more appeared from behind the pillars to my right.372Please respect copyright.PENANAY22RFXptqK
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They all wore robes and hoods over their heads that covered their faces too well. I noticed that each one wore a robe and hood of a different colour. Those who wore red, green and orange came from the left. The two who wore purple and yellow, came from the right. They came to stand alongside Stella with a few butterflies that matched the colour of their robes fluttering around them. They didn't withdraw their hoods.372Please respect copyright.PENANAZjvruON5tL
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"Welcome, Diana," spoke the man in a green robe. "We have been expecting you."372Please respect copyright.PENANAR1lZfJVXgZ
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"Well, I hope its not too late," I said as I remembered what Stella told me in my dream.372Please respect copyright.PENANAbJEgBnPO2B
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"Don't worry," said the woman in a magnificent red robe. She removed her hood. She had magnificent jet black hair. Her eyes and her face confirmed her to be Asian, but with a stern face. She smiled at me, though. "You came just in time."372Please respect copyright.PENANA97dHt4xcxI
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"I don't really know what I am doing here, really," I said. "All of this is really confusing."372Please respect copyright.PENANAhCwd7UN6bb
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"It won't be when you finally realise your true purpose," said the man in the green robe.372Please respect copyright.PENANAovoIt4Sz2p
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"And what is that?" I asked.372Please respect copyright.PENANAcOqe7wTMN1
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"You will know after your training," said the Asian woman.372Please respect copyright.PENANAWH0mWIdNWX
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"My training?" I felt confused. I had training to do? "What kind of training?"372Please respect copyright.PENANAhnEdVAdXlK
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"You will know soon enough," said Stella, as she smiled. "Come. There's a lot you need to know and you need to return before anyone notices you're gone."372Please respect copyright.PENANAI31wMBtTUu
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Stella turned around and went back the way she came, towards the butterfly statue. The other five did the same. I stood there for a moment before following them.372Please respect copyright.PENANALB1ex7ImeX
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They stopped in front of the butterfly statue and it was then that I noticed that there was a huge stone circle around it with horizontal and vertical metal beams that divided it into four parts just like the drawing and the carving I found back at the poultry.372Please respect copyright.PENANAHMBQgwEevd
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"Where are we going?" I asked. I looked around and it looked like there was no other way out of the room except from the doorway I had come in from.372Please respect copyright.PENANAhc26d8r18O
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"You ask a lot of questions," came the voice of a woman in the orange robe.372Please respect copyright.PENANA8LxdkwZKeA
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"That will be good for her," said the man in a green robe. "But too much of it is rather annoying."372Please respect copyright.PENANAfHk3GP1nve
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I put it in mind not to ask too many questions, especially with the man in green and the woman in orange. Probably even the Asian woman too.372Please respect copyright.PENANAiCbC5o6WgI
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I felt the floor beneath me shake. Was that an earthquake? I tried not to panic as the others didn't seem fazed by it.372Please respect copyright.PENANAnZbKbYRS6H
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The next thing I knew, the statue of the butterfly in front of us started to glow. The light was so bright that for a moment, I lifted my hand to shield my eyes. I looked over at my shoulder and the purple butterfly was still there, like it never wanted to leave.372Please respect copyright.PENANAyCfOy4gzVr
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The brightness filled up the whole room and the next thing I knew, the light disappeared. And when I fully opened my eyes, I was in a whole different place.372Please respect copyright.PENANA1FU8L4nPR6
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"Welcome to our world, Diana," said Stella as she stood right beside me. "Someone very important has been dying to meet you."