"Dancing bears,
Painted wings,
Things I almost remember. . ."

•

"Nana!" Katherine yelled, running down the hall to her grandmother's open arms. The older woman picked up the young girl and spun her around.

"I missed you!" Katherine giggled as her grandmother set her down, "Mama said you can tuck me in tonight."

Her grandmother, Elize, nodded, resting a hand on Katherine's small, freckled cheek, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you even more!" Katherine smiled, throwing her arms around her again.

"Let's get you in bed, it's already very late."

Katherine nodded walking down the long hall to her room.

"Goodnight Lucy!" She said, waving to her older sister passing by.

"Night Kathy." Her sister came over and gave her a kiss on the head.

"Why are you dressed all fancy?" Katherine asked.

"Mama and Papa are having a ball tonight, remember?"

"Why can't I go?"

"Because you're eight. You have a bedtime." Lucy giggled as Katherine crossed her arms in annoyance.

"Run along Lucy." Their grandmother said with a soft smile, placing her hands on Katherine's shoulders and steering her back to her room.

"Bye Nana!" Lucy called dashing down the hall.

Katherine walked into her bedroom and sat on her bed, her grandmother following.

"I have a present for you." Her grandmother said, reaching into her bag, "You know I'm going to Paris soon.  And I wish I could take you with me.  But I know you all will visit soon so this is just for you to remember me until we see eachother again."

Katherine leaned forward to look, eyes wide with eager anticipation.

Her grandmother pulled out a small circular box, she took off the necklace she'd been wearing and stuck the edge into the keyhole; twisting it a few times.  She unlatched the box and the top opened, revealing two people ballroom dancing as the song played softly.

"It's our lullaby!" Katherine cried in glee.

Elize nodded, taking Katherine's hand and swaying it back and forth.

"Dancing bears,
Painted wings,"

"Things I almost remember. . ." Katherine joined.

"And a song, someone sings, once upon a December." They finished together and quickly turned as they heard clapping from the doorway.

"Papa!" Katherine cried, jumping from her bed to hug her father.

Her father picked her up and kissed the top of her head, "Have you been a good girl for Nana tonight?"

"Oh Joseph, she would never be a trouble." Elise laughed, waving her hand.

"I'm not too sure about that," Pulitzer smiled, poking Katherine's cheek, "She can be a trouble maker."

He set Katherine back on her bed and pet her atop the head.  Katherine got under her covers and laid on her pillow.  Her grandmother set the music box on the nightstand next to her and gave Katherine a kiss, pressing the necklace into her palm.

"Jó éjt, kedvesem." Her grandmother whispered.

"Jóéjt Nana." Katherine smiled, waving to her as she walked away.

"Goodnight Katherine." Pulitzer said.

"Goodnight Papa."

Katherine put the necklace around her neck and looked at the writing, Together in Paris.

Katherine lay against her pillow and stared at her wall.  The party downstairs was in full swing and she could hear the music.  How she wanted to dance.  And to sing.  And to meet people.  Her family were quite private people when it came to their children so Katherine didn't have many friends.

She kicked off the covers and climbed out of bed.  She ran to her closet and grabbed one of her pretty dresses and changed into it.  You can't go to a fancy party in a cotton nightgown can you?

Katherine slipped on her boots and dashed down the stairs.  She walked over to the ballroom where she could hear the music louder.  She used all her strength and pushed the door open.  The light from inside spilled around her and she gasped at the sight.  Hundreds of people stood around talking or waltzing to the music.  Champagne was passed around and everyone was smiling and laughing.  Katherine walked over up the stairs where one of her sisters, Lucy, stood by the King and Queen throne.

"Couldn't stay away could you?" Her sister smirked, her blonde ringlets of hair bouncing as she shook her head.

"It's a party." Katherine smiled, "Who would sleep when this is happening?"

Katherine looked to see her grandmother talking to another women before she caught sight of Katherine and waved slightly.  Katherine waved back excitedly.

"Katherine Ethel Pulitzer what on earth are you doing?"

Katherine turned to see her mother, Kate, standing with her hands on her hips, a small smile on her face.

"I got all dressed up Mama!" Katherine gave a small twirl in her blue dress.

"Want to come dance?" Her mother asked, offering her daughter her hand.

"Yes!" Katherine squeaked, taking her hand and joining her on the dance floor.

Her mother picked her up and placed her on her hip and began twirling around and swaying to the music.

"Mind if I cut in?"

They turned to see Pulitzer standing there, a hand outstretched to them.

Kate set Katherine down and Katherine took her father's hand.  Her father twirled her around and around; Katherine thinking she'd get dizzy and fall.  They waltzed along the ballroom floor as the music played softly.  Katherine felt alive.  She was glowing; her smile radiating like the sun.  She was with her family.  Everything was perfect.

Then the music stopped abruptly.

A scream echoed through the ballroom, followed by another and another.

Pulitzer quickly set Katherine down and pulled her behind him.

A tall man in a uniform walked through the crowd who separated around him quicker than the Red Sea.  Pulitzer glared at the man who wore a dark expression before motioning for Katherine to join where the rest of the family stood.  She quickly ran over, hugging onto her mother's legs.

Snyder stood face to face with Pulitzer.

"What are you doing here?" Pulitzer asked.

"Can't I join the party?" Snyder asked innocently.

Katherine knew this man was anything but innocent.

"I told you not to come here anymore.  Did you not understand?!" Pulitzer yelled.

"But why stop? What would be the fun in that?" Snyder asked.

Katherine saw him fidgeting with something behind his back and caught sight of the silver reflecting off the chandelier.  She barely could let out a scream before a loud noise echoed throughout the hall.

Bang!

"Papa!"

Joseph Pulitzer laid dead on the floor; a gunshot to his chest.

Katherine ran forward but Kate quickly grabbed her daughter and pulled her back.

"You Pulitzers took everything.  I was going to reign! I was going to rule! And I would have married your mother!" Snyder yelled, turning to the children who crowded around their mother and grandmother.

He raised the gun and fired a shot high in the air.  People screamed and began to flee the scene.  Katherine got lost among the crowd.  She ran down the halls and saw army men walking up to the palace.

"Katherine!"

She turned to see her grandmother standing with her arm outstretched to her.

Katherine took off running down the hall before someone picked her up and she screamed.

"Got her!"

"Put me down!" She cried, "Please! I don't want to die!" She yelled, tears trailing down her face.

"Let her go!"

Katherine was dropped as something hit the guard and landed on her feet to see one of the servant's sons holding a vase he must have hit the guard with; knocking him out.  The boy grabbed her hand and ran down the hall towards Elise, Katherine following.

"Through the servant's quarters! Quick!" The boy opened the door and pushed Elise and Katherine inside.

"My music box!" Katherine cried.

"Go!" He yelled closing the door shut.

The guards burst through the door to the room.

"Where are they?!"

The young boy grabbed a photo frame and threw it at a guard who hit him in the head with his gun.  Jack crumpled to the floor, his hat falling beside him.

"Katherine hurry!" Elise yelled, running through the train station.

"I'm coming!" Katherine cried, the chaos surrounding her making it harder to hear, "Where's Mama and Papa?!"

Elise kept running, not hearing her granddaughter.  Katherine ran as fast as her short legs could take her, dodging people who rushed by in a frenzy.  A man helped Elise onto the train as it began moving away from the station.

"Katherine!" Her grandmother cried, holding out her arms.

Katherine grabbed one of her hands, "Don't let go!"

Her fingertips began to slip through.

"No!"

Katherine lost all of her balance and was thrown back harshly against the platform, her head hitting the ground as she succumbed to the darkness around her.

*Jó éjt, kedvesem is "Goodnight my darling" in Hungarian.  The Pulitzer family was actually Hungarian.  Little trivia knowledge there ;)