Whispers in Gold

Lucy pressed her nose against the tour bus window as the Palace of Versailles came into view. Golden gates stretched wide, and marble statues lined the entrance like silent guards.

"Stay close to the group," her mom called out as they stepped off the bus.

The palace towered above them, its windows sparkling in the afternoon sun. Lucy pulled her small notebook from her hoodie pocket and checked her pen. She always carried it for the voices that sometimes found her.

Inside the Hall of Mirrors, tourists shuffled past endless reflections. Lucy lagged behind, fascinated by the painted ceiling. That's when she heard it.

"Little girl with the green eyes," a woman's voice whispered near her ear.

Lucy spun around. No one stood close enough to whisper. Her heart began to race.

"You can hear us, can't you?" The voice came again, softer this time.

Lucy nodded slowly, gripping her notebook tighter. She was alone among the crowd.

The Fox Pin Warning

"Who are you?" Lucy whispered, looking around the glittering hall.

"Marie Antoinette," the voice replied. "I lived here long ago."

Lucy's hand trembled as she opened her notebook. A real queen was talking to her! She quickly scribbled the name.

"Listen carefully, child. Dangerous men prowl these halls. They take children who wander alone."

"What men?" Lucy asked under her breath.

"Two in dark coats. They pretend to be tour guides but they steal little ones away. One has a fox pin on his lapel."

Lucy felt cold suddenly. She looked through the crowd for her mother but couldn't see her anywhere. The tour group had moved on without her.

"They're coming this way," Marie Antoinette warned urgently. "The tall one with black hair sees you."

Lucy spotted him immediately. A man in a dark coat was pushing through tourists, his eyes fixed on her. A small silver fox gleamed on his jacket.

"Run, little one!" the ghost queen commanded.

But before Lucy could move, strong hands grabbed her shoulders from behind.