Many people drive past the kingdom and see expensive cars, smart clothes and large houses. They see happy familys, kids playing in the street and beautiful women arm in arm with their prefect man. Everyone who passes wants their lives. They want the perfection that these beautiful people have. That is the view from the outside. Inside the Kingdom, the residents are not perfect. They would let you believe that nothing could go wrong in their lives, but inside, they are crying out for help. Their tales are long and painful. Their lives full of lies, betrayal and even murder! Welcome to the Tragic Kingdom.

The Rubyshine's are what you would label, the 'perfect family'. They each have love, respect and support for one another. Yet under that mask, they are a family that seeks approval from society, and one another. Hosting parties, attending gatherings, they are need to be seen. It is because of that, that Mary-Rose and John are what you would call 'spoiled brats'. As a result, arguments broke out often between the two children. "It's not fair that he gets everything," Mary-Rose whined. Lucy rolled her eyes. She was fed up of silly fights like this. "While John is at soccer, you can play the console. Listen guys, I need to

relax, I'm not feeling that great this morning." "What's the matter?" John asked, worried. "Well," Lucy began. "Your going to have another brother or sister." "REALLY?" Mary-Rose screamed. "That's great." John only dropped his gaze. He know what another brother or sister meant. He knew he would be ignored. It was always the same. "Are you okay John?" Lucy asked. "Sure," he lied. Roger came into the room. "I see you told them." "I did. We are going to be a big family guys," Lucy told them. "It will be great, I promise." Little did she know that their lives would be turned upside down.

Dawn Sundale was a widowed mother of two. Her husband had passed away when his car hit a tree on the way home from a concert. He had been playing with his band, and the night was stormy. He had been killed instantly, something Dawn was thankful for. If had suffered, she wouldn't have been able to carry on. Yet she had, and even though she had never really gotten over his death, she had tried to be strong for her girls, Holly and Poppy. It had been the hardest time in her life, and now she was left to raise her girls alone. She knew it was always going to be hard, not

having him there. Yet she also understood that her girls needed a mother who would be there and be strong through it all. So she will be, and had been. She loved her girls more than anything, yet she knew that her eldest was slowly drifting away. She had changed, a lot. She dressed differently, dark clothes and makeup, but that wasn't the thing that worried Dawn. It was the fact she didn't seem to care anymore. She hoped it wasn't going to last, and she knew it was because of her fathers death. But that was six years ago, and Holly needed to move on. Dawn only hoped she could be the one who would help her do that, because she loved her so much. It hurt to see her little girl in pain. As she thought of this, her other little angel, Poppy, came into the room and sat next to her. She sighed, as if the weight of the world were upon her shoulders. "Mommy, Holly turned off my music to play her own," she told Dawn in a sweet, calm voice that sounded too mature for a girl her age. Poppy hadn't known her father well, she was only small when he died, but Dawn saw him in her. "Let me go talk to her," Dawn said as she stood.