The Lost Beauty

By Gabriel Santiago

This story brings to life the story of a young princess named Hadassah who must get back to her Kingdom the city of Belinda before an evil witch who came into the land destroys their beautiful world and paradise that they live in currently. The continent of Graceland will suffer with this threat of being destroyed. The evil witch takes away the beauty of the princess and the land. Yet Hadassah must fight for her beauty, her land, and break the curse in order to regain The Lost Beauty of all that the witch has taken.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palibrio
• Release date: Aug 19, 2014
• ISBN: 9781463390952

Gabriel Santiago

Gabriel Santiago was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He writes many types of books and genres, yet now he has extended to his list of novels and to his career children books as well. Math was a subject Gabriel enjoyed in his academic years.

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Gabriel Santiago.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2014914779

ISBN:   Hardcover    978-1-4633-9094-5

             Softcover      978-1-4633-9093-8

             eBook            978-1-4633-9095-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Rev. date: 02/09/2014

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Contents

Introduction to Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Revelation

Introduction to Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Strategy

Introduction to Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Mirage

Introduction to Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Legend

Introduction to Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Charmed

Introduction to Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Power

Introduction to Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Broken

First of all I say thanks to the Almighty in heaven for helping me write stories and helping me accomplish my goals.

Thank you to all who believed in me. I thank my grandmother Raquel Aldarondo and my mother Marisol Santiago. Thank you Tita aka Eradia Quiñones my great aunt. Thank you producer Ed Grobes for always believing in me and giving me great advice. Thank you all who are reading my book as well.

Sincerely Gabriel Santiago

Graceland

Poem written by

Eradia Quiñones

Graceland, what a beautiful place, a paradise no other continent could compare to this land of wonders, where people lived happy and carefree, not minding rumors of an evil witch that’ll soon come to harm them and their land.

A few drops from her lips, and the spell was complete. Teardrops, blood, sorrow, and thorn, and the potion was done. The princess was bewitched, turned into a grotesque, ugly beast. Everything, including the land, has been cursed, unable to sprout pretty flowers or food for animal farms, losing its charm.

Swiftly time went by. She kept true to herself, very gentle and sweet to others not concerned with her own fate. In silence, she prayed to God for her people and their safety. That he wouldn’t leave her alone fighting this battle to be able to conquer back the land, accomplishing her quest for freedom and peace.

Those bewitched by the evil one sought justice, destroyed her, leaving any trace of the wicked monster. They have traveled a long distance on a dangerous journey, keeping faith in their beliefs and hopes that the goodwill of mankind always wins and prevails.

One full moon night, she went for a walk; he was also there, saw her coming toward him. Their eyes met; nothing could hold them back. Indeed, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, he thought. She is beautiful. As they kissed, they felt as if it were the first time.

INTRODUCTION TO

CHAPTER 1

The reflection of a frightened young woman stares back at Hadassah as she looks into the wall of many mirrors. Each is a different shape; they range from triangles, squares, circles to ovals, stars, pentagons, and octagons. Sorrow is visible on her face as she steps quietly out from the bed she lay on. The room is diminutive. Looking around, she notices that the four walls are also covered with mirrors. She is going insane looking at her expression the whole day. The house is made of pure crystal. A crack on the center of the room is what keeps her intrigued.

She wonders if she can escape this nightmare; she has been stuck inside for roughly twelve hours. What terrifies her enough to stop trying to break free from the prison are the words of the man with the black mask who has enslaved her. He had said, Don’t try to escape, or you will be cursed with the dark magic that haunts this household. This was a trap made especially for your capture to disable your interference as the princess of the city of Belinda. The south territory of Graceland is your native birthplace. Therefore, you would know exactly how to hide and where to attack Savanna and her dark knights in order to free the land.

Hadassah remembers how she reacted to his warning and revelation. What would happen to me if I leave this place? she responded to him as tears ran down her face. What threat am I for Savanna and her dark knights? She is more powerful, right? The unknown man laughed, replying, Those are things I can’t let you know. See, if you leave, you wouldn’t need a mask to hide your identity, but you will want to hide. Well, from Savanna, she will look for you. You have power, but you don’t know it yet!

Hadassah looked at him, incredulous and confused. She didn’t understand what he meant by See, if you leave, you wouldn’t need a mask to hide your identity, but you will want to hide. Well, from Savanna, she will look for you. You have power, but you don’t know it yet!

She snaps out of that memory and paces around in circles. What did he mean by saying I don’t need a mask to hide… and I have power? For real, what power? My mother isn’t a witch or a fairy or any type of powerful being. She was just a normal human being… or is she?

She tampers with various mirrors until she discovers one that leads to a secret door opening. Hadassah sees a long hallway afterward. An adorable black miniature schnauzer is lying down at the end of the hall. She looks at the little puppy, which barks desperately to get her attention. The dog then runs deeper into the darkness. She says to herself, Why should I follow the same dog who led me right into this mess?

She remembers following the lost puppy into a dark maze until the masked man interfered with her, and with magic, the man teleported each of them into this house made of crystal. She walks forward right into the pitch-black hallway, running to catch up with the little mutt.

She lets her silky, shiny long black hair loose. Her pale face is of a porcelain doll, her eyes as blue as the ocean, and her lips as red as fire. The miniature schnauzer is waiting for her at the entrance of another door. It leads to a living room. Every window is fogged up, making it impossible to see the outside world. She opens another door that leads outside. It is cloudy and foggy; nothing is able to be seen. She walks a little bit forward, but a force field pushes her right back into the house.

Hadassah, realizing she has been ensnared in an unknown environment, begins to let a few tears fall down her face. She says, There is no way out of this house. What do I do? The miniature schnauzer walks toward the great grandfather clock. It ticktocks its way until both hands hit twelve, meaning it is midnight. Then it rings loudly, startling both Hadassah and the little puppy. She runs back to the room she was at earlier. Lying down on the mattress with the puppy without thinking of consequences, she walks over and steps on the crack. It breaks some more. The puppy barks at her to stop, but she keeps on jumping on the crack. She sees a hammer. Trying to make a dipper hole into the floor, she notices it fixed itself back in place as if the crack were never there. Hadassah sits on the bed with both hands on her face. She says to the puppy, We have to escape somehow. The puppy gets a backpack in between his teeth and takes it to her. She says, Thanks for giving me my bag. I only have a book here—my mother’s book. It’s a book which contains magic. She realizes the words that come out her mouth. Yes! Magic! That’s it. My mother once said to only use this magic when it’s right. Taking out of a page a little sparkly blue dust that was held in a plastic bag with a paper clip to the page, she lays the dust on the floor where the crack was at earlier. She asks herself, What did my mother say for the magic to work? In a split second, she remembers, Oh, to believe. Closing her eyes, she sees herself running free from the crystal house. I am free! I am free! The blue dust explodes immediately on the ground. There is a hole on the center of the floor showing signs of hope for an easy escape.

CHAPTER 1

The Revelation

Before the Events That Occurred in the Introduction

Scene 1: Hours earlier, day, interior. Edward’s Castle located south of Belinda, Graceland.

A huntsman walks into the castle with many knights with silver armor. The king sits on his throne, claiming an explanation for the entrance of the nearby land enemy attack.

HUNTSMAN/BRIAN: Your Majesty, it’s been said that when the prince of the city of Alexandria entered, there were intruders who, hours later, arrived in carriages, claiming to work for him, but it was all a scam.

KING EDWARD: Make sure that all the entrances to this castle are all covered with security watchmen. It’s important that my family is safe as I go out of my home to encounter our enemies out in the fields at the village before they come any closer to the city of Belinda.

HUNTSMAN/BRIAN: Everything is under control. We got men at every corner of the castle.

KING EDWARD: Thank you for your service. Now we must go.

(Prince Damian enters the room.)

PRINCE DAMIAN: Your Majesty, King Edward, I will go and fight with you in the fields of the village nearby.

KING EDWARD: Stay. You just got married to one of my eldest daughters like an hour ago, then the party was interrupted by the harsh news of enemies entering our secured wall to attack our villages.

PRINCE DAMIAN: I still feel a little in debt since those enemies claimed to come as my men to get into the region.

KING EDWARD: I believe that you should stay because you’re the only man who is part of my family who can watch over the girls and my wife. I wouldn’t like them to be afraid and alone.

PRINCE DAMIAN: My wife, Hadassah, is with her sister Stephanie at her nearby home due to the fact that at the wedding reception party, I told my wife to go with her elder sister to be safe due to my interest in fighting to protect my new home and land. Your son isn’t here. I can see you know that already due to your correct statement about me being the only man you plan to leave behind for the sake of the women in

Reviews for The Lost Beauty

[alexthehunn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating reading. One hardly knows whether to regard these as myths, hoaxes, lost writings or what. As one who is not a scholar of the ancient world and also is not a believer in any god, spirits, fairies, etc., I regard all writings as simple human creations. As for when these were produced, I leave it to others.

[antiquary_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Again, despite the sensational title, this is just an old translation of the OT apocrypha.