Blue Lunar

by vmmcWolfGirl

Sophia moves in with her mother after her father sends her there. And the first time that she's with her mom she is feeling angry. Well it turns out she meets Edwen a werewolf boy who knows something is wrong with her because she has this very strong odor

~CONTENTS~

1. SEARCH

PREFACE

2. NEW 3. NEXT CHAPTER

4. THE ATTACK

5. THE LIES AND THE TRUTH

6. WHAT HAPPENED

7. CARVED

8. FINDING OUT ABOUT THE NEW

9. LIVING AND BREATHING

10. CONFRONTING

11. NOT LIKE EVERY DAY

12. THE DARK SIDE OF THE TRUTH

13. THE EXPLANATION

14. THE REACTION

15. THE OCCASION WITH A FRIEND

16. UNWELCOME SLUMBER

17. MONSTER

18. ONLY A DREAM

19. MARTEN'S SANCTUARY

20. DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT

21. THE FINDINGS

22. THE FEELING

23. HARDER THAN A GOOD-BYE

24. MY SIGN

25. COMING HOME

26. PREPARED

27. FUNERAL

28. TEST OF WILL

EPILOGUE: THE NOTE

1. Search

IN 1859 WE ARE INTRODUCED, ALL BUT I, THIS WOULD MAKE MY THIRD TIME HERE. WE

walk in, walking behind a young girl, she's new to the clan, I can tell-quickly because how she acts. Shy and backward; in hiding when she comes across anything.

Our line of nine that they've collected over the years is sturdy, and trained-we're ready to find "the one".

I was the second one to be called and collected in this mass of guardianship as they call it. We're crowded in a huge room with pale white marble walls with a grey marble floor

carved deep with a high circular ceiling-while the grey marble flooring leads up to the same pale white marble like the walls platform.

And the steps and the platform has these five thrones with high backs, smooth carved wood armrest, and fine black leather. The girl bow her head speaking low as she says, "they've arrived, my lords."

The young girl known as NEW DAWN, but is being called Vera in her clan, lifts her hood up and off her head, and stands up from her throne in the middle. "You may leave now." The lengthy girl with dark black hair-pulled in a bun, nods. She walks back across the stretch of marble, through the door, turn around, and shut the thick wood, carved doors.

"The Esdetri-our service is to you." Nikki says-a blond who has an athletic body, curly blond hair, and light, but welcoming eyes. She was the first guardian to be found, one over me.

The young girl on the platform, New Dawn tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Yes. Thank you for coming." She smiles showing her beautiful white teeth. "Centuries have gone by-and failure after failure is all we've accomplished." The huge muscular blond haired male named Harris says.

"We are on our last straw here-you must find her-whatever, and however it takes." Another male says-he's thin, and has dark black hair and eyes, he's the mysterious, and quiet Lark. New Dawn's older brother.

"Kneel down." The young child orders, softly-but getting to the point. I, the sandy-haired male in the front kneels first-a head by some inches-the other eight follow back.

"Kalob-"

The girl says, lifting her head up. Her long black hair pulled up in a ponytail while thin pieces of hair fall over her face on the sides.

"Kalob this isn't your first time being here so I'll be talking to you"- she sighs, uplifting herself to take the first steps down to the nine lined before her-"so, here it is, the Esdetri-me-Kali-Harris-Lark-has reach a verdict for you-" her voice high, and even squealing a little-"we need to assign you all to the United States, to a state named Washington-that's where you'll find the subject. Stay with the plan-but also do what you must to get her. Like Lark said-be there as long as possible-for however long it takes."

"Now the subject is as you expect, she looks like, but don't smell like any human. . . .on the outside or in. But you'll know when you get closer to her, or just sense it, she's not your average human. The subject is Sophia Ann Davis." The male said from the right behind the girl-the blond and muscular one.

Standing from his seat he stares at us.

"We've been on the search for her now we've located her." The dark haired male says from his seat, his head cocked.

While another girl sitting on a throne has become cold as stone-and another dark blond wavy haired boy standing a bit afar from them, shielded in the crust the others make around him. So quiet, so murderous looking with rage masking his face, he could only be one of the guardians brother, his name is Felix the brother on our squad is Helix. Helix, he looks more pleased, more happy, that would be him. And he too is staring, at his brother Felix, through the Esdetri.

"Yes, boys all is true, we were looking for her, for centuries. But now we know where she's set, and you all must find her before we risk her to be found by any others. Search everywhere-if you have to disguise yourself, do it, work together, and get her!" She demands.

"Protect her with your lives. Now get up from your knees, and get going before it's too late. She's it, the one." She holds my shoulder, and she nods her head in approval of the fact that we're going to find her.

I shake my head, and stand up. I then look down at the others, and they too stand up, and they turn to me before they turn to the five staring councils. I turn and start walking the stretch of marble and towards the doors that are carved in a swirling motion. The skin that's on my face and neck, down my arms and hands are marble grey, deeply carved skin like I were the statue that I resemble. My eyes grey as well.

And the others as well turn their back to the Esdetri and walk to the doors behind me. They're the same gruesome looking beings with the grey color to each of their skin and eyes. I grip the knobs and crack the doors open when suddenly the skin dissolve in to a chalky white reaching up my arms and up my neck, and finally reaching my face and even my eyes. They turn black, coal black as the grey that's left slips away to the corner of my eyes. I huff in rage and then open the doors to their full length, walking through with the others in line behind me.

They too form into these chalky colored figures, except the older blond female who is Nikki, all ready formed in the phase, hopelessly stuck forever in that shape. And unlike me, the others eyes stay grey.

(The one)

preface

I NEVER THOUGHT OF MYSELF BEING DIFFERENT FROM PEOPLE, I MEAN I HAD MY GLITCHES that I always thought was sort of derange and off beat than other people-but I didn't give them much thought-its nothing, your unique, that's all. My father would tell me.

I'd never thought those deranged episodes would ever effect me when I moved to Olympia to live with my mother. Never thought it would follow me to a such a higher degree. Well, I was wrong-dead wrong.

I met these kids who told me they were only there to protect me, tell you the

truth-I didn't believe them until Kalob (the sandy-haired-hollow, in depth of anger supernaturally teen) saved me. It would only be the first time he and the others would be there.

But as I piece things together-desperate for some questions to be answered, like: why were they helping me, who were they really-and how is it possible for me being what they claim I am? The ellipse.

Then I receive the out of control pulsating mark on my left arm, covering, sprawling to my wrist up my shoulder on the palm side up. The derange, and off beat that has been over me my whole life crashes down as the firry pulsing mark burns on my flesh.

2. New

I PUSH THROUGH THE DOUBLED DOORS INTO THE HUGE BLACKENDED ROOM.

I run in the room quickly, then, I freeze, slowly turning to the doors.

"Hello Sophia!" The boy says, appearing around out of nowhere.

We stare at each other for a long time, and then his smug smile is a realization to me.

"How odd," He circles me in his dog-like poster, hungry and only inches away from touching me.

"What's odd?" I gasp of his presence.

He stops in front of me, angry, viciously biting. . . .

"Did I tell you to speak?" His brows lifting up.

I widen my eyes.

"I'm quite disappointed in you, Sophia. For being "the one". . . .you don't show it-don't fight back. . . .just as if your normal."

I wait in silence, scared, and stunned of his lecture.

"You were always my target, my prey. But those stupid "guardians" were always in the damn way. Always there."

I step back. "What about that day. . . .you know? The day you t-"

Confused by my own words, I've never seen this yellow eyed, dark boy before.

"Yeah," he smile more smugly, those golden brown eyes killer, "I thought I had you, but apparently the big one saw me. . . . ."

"Kalob!" I squeal.
He nods.

"Sophia?" A grueling voice appears in the shadows.

"Ah, Kalob, there you are." The boy continue, coy and still smug.

"Sophia get away from him, run!" The cover of the huge dark, high ceiling, floor that echoes when walking, room hides the boy ahead some where. "Get to safety! Now!"

Safety? Where's safety, I don't see safety, just darkness.

But I take chances, and I bolt towards the right of the room, the echo of my sneakers pounding on the cold hard floor. Wondering blindly in the dark, the boys confronting, getting violent.

"No!" The grueling boy, which seem to be Kalob, who is trying to help me, is looking back at me.

Suddenly I feel a blow in my jaw, and again, but this time so hard its the foot that kicks and shatter my hip. Knocking me to my side.

I scream, pain gnawing through me.

I hear a menacing hiss over me, and a blur of air warping above me as a forceful hand picks me up and dangling me by my throat. "Stupid, idiotic human and ellipse." The evil boy with the golden brown eyes and the smug smile, now twisted up in a snarling, threatening, over conquering smile says.

"Please-" I gasp, losing consciousness from the lack of oxygen. "Let go of-"

His smile indents at the ends, very loosely.

As I'm on the boarder to unconsciousness, I feel a crushing blow hit my fragile

chest-before finally getting thrown ten feet across the floor. A nasty, and sickening snap of bones breaking.

I lay motionless, trying to catch my breath in the surrounding splintering and bleeding constantly around me-but where the blood is coming from, I'm not sure. . . .I just know there's a lot, and its coming fast.

Then I hear my killer's foot steps echoing closer and closer, but suddenly I hear a horrific snarl as I hear a fight between the two come alive.

"You will not touch her anymore!" Kalob says.

I look over to him, into the dark where the boy seems to be standing over my killer, tackled down violently to the floor. But suddenly the pain becomes too much to bear that my head fall to the wood floor, slipping away. . . .until I hear his voice softly, gruesomely, and yet caring, and yet a yearning to help me somehow.

"Its me, Kalob. Sophia, hold on, please just stay with me-you must stay with me, with us. . . ." His voice slips away, unconsciously I'm gone, with him, his cold presence crouch low to me-gone.

I rise up in bed, scared, horrifically in horror as I realize that I'm back, in my bed. Cluttered with clothes, and junk-but its here, with me again. Away from the nightmare itself. As I get myself up and across my huge, but cluttered room, I slip on some slippers to cover my bare feet.

As I trot down the oak staircase, the haunting feeling of: who was those boys in my dream? Who is Kalob? occur in me. As I make it down the stairs, hitting the hall the moment I'm down stairs, passing the living room to the right, and going to the diner room. Where a white fire place is, one of my dad's trophies-a big buck with twelve points on it, I think. Maybe. . . .

I don't know, I'm not an expert-my dad is the hunting junky around here-not me. I just stare in its hollow black eyes, staring right at my spot that I eat at.

I pass the long faded oak rectangular table in to the small two people kitchen where I see my father, Damen on the phone, hunched over in privacy.

Then he turns around to me, "ah, Soph-just the person I wanted to see." he wave his hand out, beckoning for me to come closer, holding the phone with his shoulder.

"Who is that?"

"Your mother," he smiles at me.

My mother? What is she doing calling, what nerves does she have for calling here?

"I don't know about this-must you go?" Paul says.

I nod my head, "yeah, moving in with my mom." I shrug, looking away from my only best friend in the world: Paul Cal with annoying little brother Kevin Cal clinging to my hand.

"Sophia don't go"-he yanks hard for a little scrawny ten-year-old-"don't leave us-Sophia please don't-"

Paul pulls his little brother to the side with the little muscle he has in his arms. I look back up at him and see his bleach blond hair is matted over his forehead.

"Its okay, Paul." I quiver not sure if things between us will ever be okay ever

again-not knowing if this will be our last time seeing each other. A older brother I never had. He's a year older than I-eighteen years old, almost nineteen in about a month or so.

He steps up and hugs me quickly before stepping back. I pat Kevin's opposite colored hair-a more of a muddy color than bleach blond unlike his older brother.

Then I turn away from them, adjusting my bag over my shoulder, bending over to open the old rust-patched maroon civic car, opening the door to the front passenger seat, getting in. It's a normal fifty-fifty one degrees out around this time of the year as I shut the door-waving a final goodbye to them.

"Christmas is only a couple of weeks-can I be sent then-if any time is better-its after Christmas?" At least I could spend one more Christmas with my father that way.

Damen my father-the person who taught me everything I know is shipping me up north to Washington in the town of Olympia where I'll be moving to-to Lauren or mom as Damen wants me to call her now. Out of the blue-from thin air!

He pats his hand on my knee and says, "you'll be okay."

We pass dry fields-pass houses-occasionally some blossoming plant life here and there. Finally we make it to the airport.

"Love you-have fun on your trip there." He smiles, hugging our final hug for a very long time until I'll get to see him next, which could be who knows how long-finally I'm leaving and we walk to my section before giving a firm look that told him: it's okay,

dad-I'll be okay. I can do this!

I smile at him, turn around and head in the crowded line to give a young brunet, skinny waist and a clean dress suit on with a tie, girl, shortly stopping and resting against the bare skin of her throat and chest. I give her my ticket, and I can't but help it to look over my shoulder, watching Damen walking away in his slouched shoulder-like posture.

I look straight again, continue in the dark space to get to the plane I'm set to take off in. After the hours it take to go to Texas to Washington-and a couple of more in to Olympia. I finally land. Walking through the long dark passage way from the plane to the airport.

I walk out, getting shoved here and there as I stop-seeing this women sitting in one of the seats by the corner reading a magazine in hand. I gawk at her until I finally find it in me to walk across the white marble stretch to her, clearing my throat to get her attention. She looks up, setting the magazine down, immediately standing up. I don't know if I should be scared or just stunned-

"I'm Lauren-your mom." I nod with no motion, nothing behind it beside the piercing reality of how much we look alike.

"I'm-well, ready. I better get my stuff before something happens." I snap quietly at her, walking towards the elevators . "It's on the ground floor-right?" I look over towards her, hoping for directions.

"Yeah-by the doors-you can't miss it!" She smiles cheerfully. I'm not that cheery now I'm here-now I smell the odor-see the sights-seeing my so-called-mom Lauren.

I hop on the escalators with Lauren and wait until it takes us down for my quick dash to the big silver belt shooting out luggage's.

"Are these yours?" Lauren says strained as she pulls these luggage's down by the white flooring. I examine the tri-colored matching suits of luggage's that my father chose for me at age thirteen-just in case of an "unexpected trip".

Now four years later-I guess this will count as one of those "unexpected trips". Lauren helps me carry my luggage's across the sliding door. Her car lights up with a push of a button. Lauren's car is in front-a black sports car shining in the dim light and the smoldering snow all over the place.

We manage to throw some in the trunk and the rest in the back seat. Finally I get in and wait for Lauren to start the car.

God-its so cold! Outside is so cold!

No wonder why dad made me pack a heavy winter coat!

I stare as the sign of Olympia passes us as we drive on. In frustration I change the station to a rock song, and I turn it up load; real loud. Lauren shakes her head and says "what is this noise?"

"Its called music not noise," I say sarcastically.

"Dad said hi, he's lonely, and, well, he misses you," I said with true sincerity in my

voice. As I take the chance and look at her. Lauren is suddenly stiffened by the news. She

shakes her head, as her reddish brown curls fall over her face.

"Damen was never a man who would tell you what he feels, what he thinks-but he will show you in his own, weird ways. Are you sure he said that, Sophia?" I blush, turning to the window, and the small trickling of rain falling down it.

"Sophia?" I feel her watching eyes as I add, "yeah, pretty sure." I still stare through the window, taking in the lights of the town. The ground is covered in snow, with the mountains further out in the distance. The trees that are fluffed with snow and icicles hanging sharply in the air cold, snowy-and now icy rain is in the mix.

As we arrive to the place where it all started for Lauren-and now for me. Now I'm living the life that my mom, Lauren, loved so much that she had to move back to. After divorcing my father she left me in the care of my father as she ran back to her only true love she's ever had. Living here in Olympia-a town where she, Aunt Lyssa, and their mother moved to twenty years earlier to escape their home in California.

She turns down the music, saying, "wow! You're looking more and more like me every day, aren't you, sweetie." She holds up a lock of my hair gently laying it back in its place.

I cross my arms over my chest and say, "well, I don't know"- I growl "-your not around to tell me, aren't I right? The last time you saw me was when I was four." I say as I let my anger and bitterness.

"Now please, Sophia I'm trying-I want to know you more, see what a lady my daughter has become. Your-seventeen, and I haven't even got to know you yet. Please, let me in-I want you to someday let me in, to start over. And talking about your father tells me your trying to get a conversation going, right?"

I sigh in defeat, but not wanting her to know that, I say, "I was just sending a message along-gosh get over it all ready!"

I don't want to be mean and hateful-I want to get over it and be done with it. But there's still too much pain for me not to be angry at her-she left me, left us! And now she wants me back! After all these years!

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that to you. I-"

"Just save your breath, already, I get it, your sorry, you want to know your only daughter you have!"

And then I find myself shocked when I say, " I'm sorry too, mom." I turn the music back up.

Finally we eventually make it to her house.

Wow! She's been holding out on me-this house is much larger than I expected-a double staircase that goes up to the patio, a huge arch, this triangular roofing above the arch, and a bulk to the house, rounding it up to make a slanted square that makes up the main roof.

Its grayish brown stones are in the front of the house, and around the windows, the sides-leaving where the doubled stairs are, the patio and the door is bricked in a faded red. As she parks in the gravel I see my blue cobalt in the drive. I suddenly rip off my seatbelt and open the door to jump out. I slam it harder than what's necessary.

"You like?" She says as she shuts her door, and walk over, and around to me.

"How? How did you get it from Texas-to here-?"

I take a deep breath, still stunned that my sixteenth birthday gift from my father is sitting in my mom's driveway.

"Please, Sophia. I have my ways." She smiles, and then winks.

"Thanks, that means a lot." My voice softens into a whisper.

We walk up to the long drive-I stop, and take the time to open the door and sit inside-the heat from Texas still trapped inside.

I run my hands around the steering wheel, across the dash, and down to the stereo-dreaming in my own world, feeling the comfort of home again with me.

Then I hear a soft knock, and I open my eyes, awake from the world that I once knew-now in a alien world-a world with mountains and snow covering everything. Its beautiful, I can't deny that. But still.

I look at Lauren through the window before popping the door open, and getting out. I close the door and stare at Lauren. We went back down the drive to get my stuff from the trunk of the car before getting the ones in the back seat. It takes us three rounds, but we still get all we need to get out from my stuff and get it in side-and up stairs into my room.

The room is fairly large with a desk-for my laptop. It has a window with white laced curtains, a bed with a thousand pillows plush together and two blankets and a quilt over them, folded neatly by the foot of the bed. The room also has a full length mirror framed in a beautiful oak at the corner wall. These walls-a sea-green. This room is not at all what I expected-clean and not at all crowded compared to the one back home.

I have the room facing the back-a view from my window-a empty white yard with the forest thickening it. The bathroom is up stairs, that'll be mine to use-Lauren has a bathroom in her much larger room.

I'll have the house to myself mostly because of Lauren's job as a lawyer-she works long hours. Or at least that's what she told me on the way here, anyways. I'm kind of hoping that's the case, I've all ready hadn't had a mom for so long-so I guess it won't be too bad. I'm actually getting along more because of her absence most of the time-dealing with her only in the mornings, and some weekends. Not too bad, I can handle that.
Lauren stays, and helps me pack-doesn't she know when to back off?

"Okay-I got it from here, thanks!"

Clearly agitated now of her assistance. Starving for myself to be alone and away from her for awhile.

I had to deal with her in the car and all the way here. Space! Please! She leaves but not before setting something on the desk by my laptop. So I get to finish my unpacking and walk over to grab the piece of paper that my mom set down, it says: Olympia High School, in bold letters with a blue and white print of a bear on the left corner.

"That's your slip for tomorrow-Olympia High is a nice school, good people. Tomorrow will be your first day of school-you can drive your car out there, if you want." Lauren reappear, speaking as she stand by the door, leaning against the frame.

Great, I'll be a new girl-the girl who is from the lush, green side of Texas in Tyler, most people won't know Tyler, it isn't the most popular town in Texas. But a good and relaxing small town for the people who lives there. And yet I've lived there, a warm, homey feeling with it too. Friends, family-I had everything there. Here I'll be a freak.

I pass my mom and I go into the bathroom, setting down the bag-which is in my hand. I then take my time to take out my stuff and set them out, before walking along, turning to see myself. I sigh, shrugging at my long, straight reddish brown hair, my soft emerald green eyes-yeah, so what? I look like my mother the most popular cheerleading, most beautiful girl in her day when she was in high school, but it doesn't matter. I'll still look like the freak. I can't lie to myself, I'm doomed. My face becomes molded with the anger that I fill myself with, that the thoughts fill me in too.

I wont win this battle. . . .its all ready too late. She's signed me in the school she graduated from and I can't go anywhere, or be with somebody. I haven't been anywhere to know this place well enough, and I haven't met anybody. . . .so that's out as well.

I don't talk a lot. . . .and when I do its more than likely that the other person-they're the ones who are talking to me. Then I try to go with it-and all, but fail miserable. I've always felt like something deeply is wrong with me it always made me stand out. Something deep from within keeps me away from the truth.

And in someway it bothers me. In other news, though, I feel sort of happy about

it. . . .but one thing is for sure and that is that school will be the beginning of what's to come.

The next morning I wake up, and get dressed before heading down stairs. Lauren is already waiting for me-her lime green mug in hand-with her briefcase in the other. She's dressed in a gray suit and pants-ready for work. Her reddish brown hair is filled with more curls than it was yesterday.

Eating as she just watches me is more creepy than I thought. Thank goodness she finally stood up from the chair, and walk away from the round table to go to the sink where she lays her mug in it after washing the mug out first. She kisses me on my head and then she's off to work.

I'm left sitting at the old table. Finishing my cereal before I too heading out-you know heading out early so I can find my school-and not be late, big factor there.

Heading to the living room, I stop, and see this picture framed and hung on the wall. Me, dad, and mom-I couldn't have been any older than three, maybe younger. I catch the few tears that fall down my cheeks from the pain in my chest and stomach-the knotting. It hurts just thinking about those un-told memories. I throw my jacket on-feeling odd-I also grab my bag and head out to my car.

I did have trouble as I thought I would to find the school. But not so bad after I stopped, finding the sign saying Olympia High School-blue and white is the color, exactly like the stamp of my slip. The trees are bare and covered in snow around the reddish brick building. I drive in, find a parking space-and then get out of the heated car-into the freezing air. I shiver while putting my hood up and closing my arms around each other to my chest to try to keep myself warm, while walking towards the building. I walk in and see the office along the wall. I walk over and noticed it said MAIN OFFICE.

I push my way through and pass the small waiting room and red chairs with a grey carpet snug underneath to walk to the counter. Where I meet a man behind the counter and give him my slip exchange for my schedule. I smile back, and turn away to walk out the office. I walk out to the front-to the front, I watch as I see cars pulling in-spots being filled, I also see that the cars aren't anything to look at. Walking out, I watch as I tell myself: I can do this, no ones watching, no one is going to murder you on the first day.

I sling my book bag over my shoulder, and inhale a deep breath. I keep myself well hidden as I walk myself closer and closer to the building main entrance, separated with the main office. Then as I'm walking in I see a silver with black trimming, and black stripes, Shelby parking on the corner-five spots down in the parking lot. And then these people come out, slow, majestic-like. Three boys-and a girl who is beautiful and deadly looking.

The boys are the same-drop dead gorgeous-and deadly looking. The first two are tall, dark haired-similar in muscle-one boyish, the one I believed was the kid-and the other one older looking, he looks like he belongs here-here in high school. Leaving the last of the boys-everything about him is some how off, down right creepy. His tall and muscular body tense, so tense almost anything could set him off.

His eyes black with complexity in those starving, raged eyes of his. And of course his odd sandy hair too. In a way they seemed more deadlier together than just as individuals.

The sandy-raged boy suddenly stares at me, locking on with his full force of anger while the others are elsewhere in what looks like a brief conversation between themselves. Besides him, that is. I run in with teenagers crowding in to go to class-suddenly horrified, and exposed.

I follow the map and follow it to the room. Finding the room isn't too difficult to find-moving freely in the hall is about impossible, though. that and having my eyes on the map-I hear the unhappy murmurs and groans of the people I run over-or almost run over, weaving as I'm checking passing classes to see if it's the one I'm after every so often.

I stand at the door when I find it-kids rushing pass me into the classroom when I hear, "Miss, you lost? You look lost. I'm Eddy by the way," this one boy stands before me, watching, to assist, to help me if needed. "This is History, Mr. Zyfs room. Is this the room your looking for?"

I nod.

"Yes it is. Thank you, Eddy you said? Sorry I'm-" I sigh, hating the fact of my awkwardness when trying, trying so hard to reach out to speak to him.

"Yeah, that's all right." He walks with me in the room, his orangey-red-brownish hair flaring, the thousands and thousands of freckles glint on his nose, cheeks, and his forehead. But that huge-bigger than life smile he held through the first introduction until now is still there.

What, is it attached, or what? Its so irritating to look at its cute. And his hazel eyes just makes everything fit-just perfectly all together, each piece of him. Okay-I'm getting freakish-oops, there I go again. Where I lack in words from my mouth I fill it in with my out of control analyzing people, making sure they're not. . . . .

"Hey, you okay?"

I blush, lower my head and nod. "Hey, is, uh, is that the, uh teacher?" I point shyly with a slight tilt to my head.

"Yep, Mr. Zyfs himself." He smiles

I look up and separate to go to the teacher's desk, to introduce myself.

This time I'm caught red-handed when he looks at me at the exact moment that I'm staring. A tall, tall straggly man, in his late thirties, early forties. His hair black with some sign of gray showing on the sides.

"Sorry to stare, I just want to introduce myself-" I cut myself off, feeling odd and sort of like I had stage fright.

"Yes, yes, come Miss Davis." I walk closer, and I give my schedule to him.

After taking it, examining it, he gives me my schedule back. Shoving it in, zipping the book bag and rejoining Eddy where he shows me down a row, closes to the back. Eddy allows me to sit in front of him, behind this long black hair goddess.

"Alex, this is Sophia. Sophia, this is Alex."

Alex? Huh, a girl Alex? Never met a girl Alex before.

"Oh, well hello, how are you?" I nod, a bit frighten to say anything, if even to nod at her. But I did in my particular shocked, frozen state, yep, that's me thing.

"Nice to finally meet a girl that might actually like me."

"Alex!" Eddy hisses as he lean to the side, to look at her. Scowling only to get her back in play. I watch as I set my book bag down to the floor, books on the desk.

"Hey, it's fine, really, I don't mind." I giggle, cause even though he's scowling, pretending to be mad, that stupid but cute smile is still smack dab on him. I wouldn't take him serious if I was confronted by him, not like this.

"Hey, what-" He starts, but rudely interrupted by the bell ringing. He huffs, and sit back in his desk.

In the corner of my eye I see the boy in the row next to us on the left, I see the boy head up, glaring directly at me.

"Don't mind Kalob, he does that to everyone. Hey, is there any way you could've made him mad, or something?" He whispers in my ear, his hand softly on my shoulder.

"I-I saw him-him and that blond, and those other two boys. But I don't think

I-"

"Forget about it, stupid question-I mean, your new, so what could you have done?" He laughs, but I still fill a sting from his words, almost hurting.

I turn my head around to catch Eddy smiling, with a bit of concern in his hazel eyes. And the boy, clinching as he looks at me still, as if he's about to lung and attack me, to kill me. I turn quickly and open my book, pretending to be interested. I look up as I watch Mr. Zyfs walking up to the board, a book open in his palm.

He clears his throat before starting the session. I sigh and put my elbow on the desk, laying my chin in my hand. The fear still trickling through as I feel his glare, his deep black eyes watching me in anger, in despise.

After reading a whole chapter about the Korean War, we only had minutes till class ended.

"So, where are you from, eh Sophia?" Alex says, turning around in her desk. "Tyler." I whisper softly.

"Where?" Her brown skin perfect, her deep brown eyes soft, and her perfectly straight, long black hair coming down her face as her head cocks to the side.

"Isn't that in Florida, or something?" I turn my head around to the right to stare at Eddy, avoiding the gaze of that dark and horrifying boy.

"No, it's in Texas, Tyler Texas.

"Ah, that's right, yeah now I remember." I shake my head, and roll my eyes at him. "I'm still lost. Where?" Alex, says. I turn around in my desk again, seeing Alex hands gripped on her chair, she's leaned in. Uh, do you know what space is?

"Uh, its by-by Dallas."

"Oh, yeah I know where that is!" She calls, everyone could hear her.

I turn in my seat, throwing my legs out in the aisle, bending down to pick up my bag. I leave it on my lap as I watch the clock-time for the next class-the bell ringing just as I stand up-throw my book bag over my shoulder, and hold my books tight.

"See yah!" They say, waving and going the other way when we walk out the door-I still am at the door, getting my schedule out.

Then I hear a males voice say, "Sophia Davis, am I right?" I turn around to see a boy staring down at me. "Your next class is English, isn't it?"

I stare, intensely horrified-facing the fact that it's the sandy-haired male-the boy who I saw at the parking lot with that girl-and the boys too. But he's also the one who was more noticeable because of how deeply angry he looks. And I caught him staring as well at me-but why? Like I've done something terrible to him, but I haven't. I look down at my schedule and see he's right-it is English that I have.

"I'm right, aren't I? Admit it!" He roars and pushes me out of the way and speeding his way to his escape.

I walk to my class, following the map-when I get there-I meet the teacher, Mr. Casp, He made me stand in front of the class. I blush, stumble in words, and freeze. After the morning courses start passing, I start to recognize some of the faces. And when that is over and when the morning passes quite fast I finally walk over to the cafeteria for lunch after Algebra.

I found Eddy and that gorgeous girl with him-walking towards a table. I caught up with them-they lead me to their table across the room where I see these two boys waiting there. One is a blond-he's medium built, and a little muscular. And the other is dark haired has no muscles, and is thin, with glasses.

I sit down and nod at them, embarrass when I see them again-together as they stare down at each other. The unusual pale skinned figures still hauntingly beautiful, but they've kind of lost the deadliness about them-except, that is, the sandy-haired male of course.

He's the same as I saw him earlier, and at the parking lot with the gorgeous long, straight blond, and the other boys that's dark, but gorgeous themselves-but its nothing as what he is, he's like his own breed, his own species.

"That's Kalob-do you know him?" The blond boy says, turning his way to me. "She was his target in first period." Eddy steps in.

"Really?" The blond cock his head, smiling in a smug way.

"Tall, dark, and gruesome gave her the look-the (I'll murder you-and man if looks could kill-and there was even something else, um, uh, like he was an arrow and she was the target. A slab of meat even), weird. . . .even for Kalob."

I want to strangle him so bad with my bare hands, though, he has a point. He was looking at me in the ways he described. . .but a slab of meat? What am I?

"Wow, that is strange," the blond boy speaks, jokingly towards Eddy.

"Oh. . . .right, uh, the other three are Sonia, Kaile and Seth. Nothing too major about them, except that they hang out with no one, I mean no one, except with themselves and Kalob."

"Oh, well, okay." I sigh.

"Strange, eh? Don't you say?" The blond continues, talking this time to the dark-haired boy. "What do you say, Ben?"

He just shakes his head.

I look over at them to see them still looking afar. Far across from us and unsure when I see them all look at the blond as her eyes are now starring directly this way. My face going down the second our eyes meet, a big mistake. I glimpse back towards that way and I see they're all staring at me-all four of them, each pair of eyes pointed, targeted, at me. All seem ridged, uncomfortable, especially the sandy-haired boy.

His and the blond has their eyes staring at me with yearning, anger-mainly coming from him, and a sense of must, a must to act, to move in and pounce when no one is looking. The yearning, the anger, its all coming for me. Why?

And then the sandy-haired boy eyes widen watching something afar before snapping out of it, and standing up to walk away, leaving the others to pry their eyes off me, and wonder. I look away, just as curious, wondering what that was about. It was like he saw something-something so far away.

I look around the group of kids that I'm sitting with, shocked, even shaky. There was something up with the way they just stopped and looked at her-and then looked at me, all seem to want to have a piece of me. It sounds down right creepy to me anyways-but what I saw is what I saw, no denial. I force myself to look at their direction. But when I look, they're already gone.

I end up rushing to class, anxious to not be late-I can't be late, not on the first day. I make it to Biology-the classroom has these slick black top tables. I sit in the front, one of three empty tables left. I unloaded my bag to the floor, set my books down on the table, and played with my hair, to push it forward in my face more, to hide my face under my hair. I listen to the teacher, going over a lesson that I kind of knew, kind of well.

My eyes straight ahead when I feel his presence coming around and sitting down. I turn my head for a glance and see Kalob sitting uncomfortably next to me. I still stare, I'm still shaky, showing my fear, my true fear that still hangs above me-from when he stared at me this morning.

He snaps his eyes at me, and I see the darkness growing higher, and higher.

I stare at him, frozen-staring, and analyzing is what I do when I'm scared, or when I'm uncomfortable. I think he noticed, no I know he did. His slick hair, that is slicked straight up, pin needled on the sides, and completely flat in the back, his sleek pale skin, his shadowy dark eyes in tense to strike-and as much as I hate to admit it, I am down right, over taken by fear of him.

He's the most scariest person I've met-is he even human? He doesn't even seem human, he's too perfect in his complex in anger, in the thirst, the thirst to kill, probably kill me, rip me in pieces and, well, whatever he and the others want to do with me after they've finished me up.

"What's-?" I'm about to say, still in fear when I hear the teacher say, "well, nice for you all to join us."

Suddenly I look away from Kalob and turn to see the blond and the two dark haired boys walking closer to us-staring either at me, or at him, I can't tell, it's too hard to tell as they walk next to us-walking in a slow motion. The blond, sitting next to our table-while the two boys sit from behind us. What's going on-why does it seem to be that I'm being pinned in, stalked. Why are they doing this? To most-it's normal, people sitting, but I see, I see that they're pinning me in like you would with wild game. I look at Kalob after my frantic analyzing of them.

He changed, then he hasn't changed-his eyes flaring, still, his forehead perfectly scrunched forward in a slight wrinkle, and his eyebrows screwed together. All still making the, unfortunately unforgettable mask of rage. But the other side is-he has a huge twisted smile, its smug, and all wrong, it doesn't fit him. His eyes narrows.

"I'm Kalob Paxton. Behind us is the Farrell brothers, Kaile and Seth. And of course the beautiful Sonia Callan."

By this point my head is facing straight, trying to, A: figure out why he's talking to me-introducing himself and the others. And B: why is he talking to me period? Why has he decided to talk to me, or even hold a conversation?

"Hi, uh, you said your name is Kalob?" I play it cool, and playing dumb too. Then I hear his fist slamming down on the table only inches away from my arm-the table flex completely downward and came back when his hand comes back and away from the table. I turn and watch in horror.

"What-how-I mean-?" I scramble for words. I watch his fist ball up, his skin getting more paler than it's all ready is and underneath that a small layer of marble grey. How is that even possible? He just bent the table. I turn straight, placing my hair over my face again so I wouldn't be attempted to stare-stare in horror again. I start to pay attention to Miss Griffs and her session again. Her back turn facing us the whole time.

The period drags on slowly. His breathing is harsh and jagged as he watches with fury- fist balled up and his body ever so tense. More than usual, anyways. I wonder what's wrong with him? Is he having a bad day? Why has he been acting like he's going to kill me? What have I done to deserve this negativity? And why are they in on it too, now? Or was they always in on it? Is there any way to stop this-stop this whole thing with me, with them now surrounding me? Or is it hopeless?

Then I lay my chin on my shoulder, my hair tucking underneath my chin, and against my neck. For a moment, he's actually looking away, and I feel relief. That is, of course, until he glares back down at me again. It's the same look from earlier, at first

period-the look that Eddy calls: the (I'll murder you-and man if looks could kill-and there was even something else, um, a slab of meat), I think he said. But the slab of meat is the one that comes out to me.

Then exactly on time, the bell rings loudly. I pick up my things, and put my bag over my shoulder. I sit in my seat-stunned and shaken when I see Kalob stand up, running for the door-the girl and the boys running behind him. And so the kids rise-all but me, that is up and running for the door. Some noticed-some I had doubt that they saw anything at all.

I adjust my bag and stand up-everything rewinding back in my head. But I'm still dumbfounded by the way he smashed his fist in to the table, and he didn't hurt his hand in the process too or broke the table with it.

"Sophia, can I talk to you?" She says as I'm about to walk out of the door-as the last to walk out of the class.

I turn to her and say, "yes, Miss Griffs?"

She sets a pile of books aside to the corner of her desk, putting her hand flatly against it. "So. . .how was your first day?"

"Uh-" I hesitate, deciding if to lie, or tell the truth, "it was fine." I lie, lying seemed better than explaining everything.

"Oh, that's good." She smiles. I nod and head out. My final class is Art, we are painting-other people all ready have, or is almost finished with their piece. I start with circles, then triangles, then squares.

My eyes are mostly on the clock, than on my paper. I try to paint more, but I kept knocking over paint-or dropping the water. And there is this boy who keep helping me-unfortunately he sees the whole thing in action, and the reason he helps me is he probably feels bad for the new girl who can't hold her bearings. A girl who is now a laughing

stock-now I can never go to this class again without being known as the girl who can't do nothing right-who is the clumsiest girl in class! Never again will this class give me any respect!

So when the final bell rings I stand up immediately ready to rush out, but the boy who'd help me, grabs me and pull me back.

I turn back to him-his brown hair mangled and his eyes soft when he says, "I'm sorry, the kids were mean to you, it's wrong. I know all that was you just trying extra hard to impress-your the new girl, so you thought you had to impress us, right?"

"Uh, sure." Playing along, wherever he's going with this.

"I hope you don't try so hard, just be yourself." Uh, see, that. . .that was the real me, and I wasn't trying to impress anyone.

"Okay," I smile, trying to let him see everything is cool.

Then when he releases me, walk with me to the door, and turn to me, he adds, "I hope we can be friends-you know, in the near future. I'm Lukas Davenport, by the way." I walk slowly out, wrapping my coat around me more securely. Suddenly I see them, there presence haunting, I wouldn't freeze as much, if the big factors of their alien appearance-I mean they make me look like I belong-and I've just came here, still new out of the box. But they, they're much more complex than just that, they're-

Then I jump out of the way of a honking car-at that moment after the car pass, I see the dark eyes of each individual except for the blond. Has it to do with something with me from this morning-or something different. Whatever it is, she looks extremely concentrated. I walk on and walk not to long before I get to my car, and get in.

I shut the door and put the key into the ignition, and start up the engine. I back out and escape the parking lot out into the main road. Heading to Lauren's house-I find myself lost.

3. Next Chapter

THE NEXT DAY I NOTICE PEOPLE DIDN'T TAKE ME QUITE SO LITERAL AS THE SAME AS MUCH as they did yesterday. At lunch I follow Eddy and Alex to their table again where the boys await. Then I noticed them-Sonia, Kaile, Seth and-and Kalob. They seem different-except for, well, their watch on me, even worse now than yesterday.

Then I have Biology, and saw them there-all immediately watching as I walk slowly to my table. But there isn't anything more-no fist slamming into the table-he didn't even speak. Not saying I don't like it that way. He's too rough, too stoned-and too angry. I don't know how anyone can speak to, or even hang around him.

So when I enter Art kids are already murmuring and laughing secretly at me. Though I've been dreading this moment-I pull through. Today isn't as bad, and I have that helpful boy helping me. Then when the bell rings the boy walks with me-talking mostly, and I'm listening, well, sort of, not really. And when I escape from him-going outside to the parking lot kids are flying pass to their cars. I get in my car and throw my bag in the passenger side

-and swiftly starting the engine. But then I see them-the dark-haired boys and the girl stood perfectly still by the Shelby-while Kalob stood by a coal black truck, which I've never seen before. They see me looking before I passed.

When I'm home, I work on my homework-when I'm done I put my bag away down stairs. Then I walk back up stairs to change into something comfortable and then I decided to check my e-mail to see if dad e-mailed me or not. I find one email from him.

"Sophia," my dad wrote. . .

Hey kiddo. How's it up there? Is it cold? I miss you so much already. I hope Lauren isn't too, well, herself. . .has she been too overly spacing you? Don't worry. . .she'll get use to having a teen around sooner or later. Are the kids there nice to you? Oh the Cal brothers say hi. They ask about you already. Dad.

I start to type-answering the questions and comments.

Yeah, dad, things are fine, I guess you can say that. The weather is freezing-raining and snowing is all that's been going on the forecast up here. Yeah, I hope your right about mom, that she'll get past the teen thing. Say hi to Paul and Kevin, too. And the kids-they've been pretty nice for the most parts. Except for these group of kids that is. Miss you dad. Sophia.

I hit send, and push my feet off the floor, catapulting me backwards. I twirl around and grab the bed to stop myself. Then I hear my phone ring and I get up, sliding my chair back to the desk-where it tips forward a bit before being suddenly stop by the back of the chair hitting the desk. I walk over my bed to the small night stand where I pick up my cell and flip it open, answering it.

"Hello?" I say, wavering in my voice.

"Yes, Sophia. I got it right, your number. I lost it for a moment or two. It's dad Soph, it's me calling to, well, see this is your new number. And another thing is that I

want-I wanted to-h-h-hear y-y-yo-o-o-ur v-v-voice." He's breaking up. Badly.

"Dad! D-Dad y-your breaking up. Dad? I can't h-hear you! Dad?" Then there's this huge static noise, with a beeping before the line goes dead.

I hang up, flip the cell down, setting it back on the night stand. I walk down stairs into the kitchen where I see a yellow sticky note on the fridge. I look at it closely before I notices it read:

Money is on the counter.

Buy a pizza-the number should be by the money. Love, Mom.

I sigh, ripping the note off, and crumbling it up to throw it the trash. I got the money, and the number and order a personal pepperoni pizza. Later that night I sleep soundlessly-the snow storm stopping, and taking a rest.

The week pass and I'm finding everything-my routine is down pat, too. Classes, people-they're becoming more familiar. And when Friday comes now I recognized a lot of routes-things are much easier-well, that is until I'm being watched-first in first period by Kalob. Then all of them at lunch-and again in Biology.

And in Art I'm kind of got progress on my piece-its nothing grand, but it works. And the twin girls who sit in my table, well, actually their table since they've been here probably since the beginning-are seriously jealous because the hottest boy in class likes hanging with me. That's all he does-helps me-or basically do anything that means interacting with me. What gives? I'm nothing special. I try to ignore him-talking only when a conversation is getting too far. Why don't he just leave me alone? I mean I'm glad he helped me-especially from the first day. But now it's just getting ridiculous!

"So?" He says, after picking my cup of water-and then I tore it out of his hands, putting it back on the table on my side.

"So, what? What is it?" I snap. I hear the gasp of the twins-shocked in disbelief. "Friends? Can we be friends? I'll change seats at lunch-and you can introduce me to your friends." He's leaning in, grabbing the hand that's not grasping the black plastic cup of painted color water-dirty brown and violet for right now. I hear the twins breathe out, making these overly stunned noises-too in-depth of the boys beauty.

I reacted-but I don't think it's the way he intended. I'm a girl from Texas, I don't play those games. I pick the cup up, and splashes it in his eyes. This time I hear more than just the twins gasp. "I'm sorry-I don't need any more friends-our table is full! Thank you."

"That burns! God damn it!" He argues painfully.

"Oh, look at that-the bell is about to ring." And as I say that the bell really does ring. "And oh, take a shower. You smell like a dirty dog." I say, walking away with pride.

I start the engine-warming up before idling my Cobalt out of the parking space. But when I pass Sonia, Kaile, Kalob, and Seth's spot-they are just standing-coatless and cover in snow. It seemed not to bother them at all. Are they at all cold? Do they know it's snowing in nineteen bellow or so degrees out? In the midst of December?

The weekend was slow with little to do-Lauren was working late like I expected, and I isolated myself mostly in my room. Only to write to my father, asking what's up with that break up-and about other small, stupid stuff-mostly about school and how I'm handling. He asked a lot of questions about the beautiful four, as I call them. But I refused to tell him any more than the little things. And the snow storm kept quiet. Instead the soft sprinkling of icy rain ruled in. Sleeping soundlessly-other than the small talks about the beautiful four I really didn't think much of them. It wasn't until I drove into my usual spot that they came back to mind-my fears coming vibrantly back to me. I get out, shut my door, and turn around.

There they are-their usual self, beautiful and together in the Shelby-Kalob is by the same coal black truck again, though, beside the Shelby and them. I try not to stare too much-not that group anyways. And also they're several places down from where I am. I throw my bag over my shoulders, suddenly feeling like something's wrong-that something will happen. But I try to shrug it off and keep going, to keep ahead. So I head for the building of the school.

So going to first period, I have Eddy walking alongside me with Alex, too. So I walk with them to our seats. I noticed Kalob isn't there. But its when I sit my things down-listening, and trying to keep up with Eddy and Alex conversations, which to me seem like a friendly, sometimes not so friendly argument-that's when I see the last of the kids before the bell, Kalob is the last to enter of the kids. And then the bell rings and while I stare-not too hard, lightly because I thought it is safe, not realizing he's not sitting in his back seat. He sits down quietly to the seat next to me in that last row.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea! Your-" He leans over his seat, getting closer to Kalob-as a threat, a challenge that he wanted to be heard.

"Oh, that's fine, Eddy. He can sit there." I wave my hand to stop him from jumping out of his seat, cutting him off.

"What?" He says when he sees me smiling. "You ill?" He's all serious. The most serious I've ever seen him.

"No, I'm perfect." I half told the truth, while the other side lied. I still feel kind of scared that something's going to happen in my gut-but I didn't let that show through. "Fine, whatever you say." He leans back, loosening up a fraction.

"So tell me Miss Davis, tell me everything."

"Why should I?" I say, yelling at him.

But then I regret it instantly when I see his hand ball up, his teeth clench-his eyes darkening to a even blacker color.

"Because your only hope is me-and the others! That's why!" He roars viciously. I fall back into the bar that connected the desk and the chair.

"My last hope?" That don't sound very good, whatever it means.

"That's enough! I'm tired of you messing with her! Leave her alone!" Eddy says. Before turning around-they face off. I tell Eddy no more, and luckily we weren't noticed as bad as I thought. Mr. Zyfs tells us to knock it off, a harmless warning that I can live with. And with that I'm back and focusing on the work that he gives us-a quick four page packet, nothing too complicated.

So the class went by pretty fast-that means all the morning classes went by fast too. Nothing too complicated. But when I walk to the cafeteria after Algebra Eddy caught up to me and we entered the food line. When it's our time to buy our food and we give the lady our money-a thin lady who has snowy white hair, which is butchered shortly-we walk to the table that Alex, Corey, and Ben is waiting, and eating, and carrying on a conversation.

The food today, taste like card board topped with concrete-but I force a few more bites after the first before throwing it in the garbage. I decide to give a glance towards the beautiful four, and notice that they seem more distressed and agitated than usual. More alert too. What's with them? Did they realize something? Something important? Or does it have something do with me-I want to know, need to understand what's got their attention. It's not me for once.

The target is some where on the left side of the room-but that can be anyone. Who is it? Tell me-if not show me! This is killing me not to know who it is that they're looking at. What is it?

I sigh, agitatedly getting nowhere.

"So? How's the search? Finding anything?" The cute blond boy says.

"Nope, nothing at all, Corey."

"Uh, really, is that right?"

"Yeah, it is."

The next hour I keep staring at them-not getting anywhere on what, or who they're looking at. So still defeated I slump out of the lunch slipping out of Eddy and the other's view, scurrying quickly to escape from the cafeteria.

Once in seventh period-I immediately sit down, again they're not here. . .yet. So I set my stuff down-playing with my hands in silence before I'm again introduced with the gut feeling, the horrible, terrifying gut wrenching something bad will happen, something is just wrong here! screaming at me. I close my notebook, slipping my pin in the pencil pouch in my binder. Then I look up and at them gliding through-class hasn't even begun yet. Wow! That's a shocker! Really! And truly a shocker!

"I'm Sorry." Kalob explained, after they'd settled in. I lean forward, gasping and bugged-eyed.

"You okay?" He asks, still meaningful.

"Y-y-yeah, I-I-I'm f-fine!" Gasping, and stuttering.

He stick his hand out, wanting me to take it. I can see he hasn't change, not at all, but he's struggling from not pouncing to get me, to viciously attack. He's trying so hard not to bite. . .to not do something he'll regret. Not wanting him to transform in to the monstrous boy that he's mostly is-I take his hand and shocked to notice how cold it is.

I pull back suddenly feeling a sting in my hand. He reacts faster and pull his hand under the table, on his lap.

"I'm sorry again-I was a jerk. All I wanted to know was some things about you. I wasn't expecting you to react like that." He's gritting his teeth. He's now losing his cool, his muscles tightening together in this stone like mass of skin under his shirt.

The bell rings and we're left with a test from what we saw under the scope last week. So I take out my pencil again-the feeling still swirling around in my gut. But other than Kalob, or any of the beautiful fours there's nothing that I can see that's bad-why am I letting this get to me? It's stupid. A small thing bother me, how could I let it even go on?

My hand shake as I write my scribble of a hand writing. I set my pencil down when I finish-staring determined to not show any weakness.

"What do you want to know about me?" I ask chokingly.

"Where are you from?" He should know-he must've heard someone by now talking about me.

"Tyler. It's in Texas." Remembering the first day, and Eddy asking, thinking it was in Florida. So I clarify for him, but kind of guessing he knew a little already. His eyes narrow. Then I'm suddenly afraid to tell him any more.

"Texas? That's quite some ways from here, isn't it?" He asks, a deep wonder comes into his voice. But it's not curiosity that I hear-it's like he already knew, and he's just pushing it around for me to see. To make it seem like he was asking a simple question, but I caught on quickly.

"And?"

He continues, growling softly but not any less scary, demanding in his horror.

"And what?"

"Anything? Anything at all. . . .except for why you've moved here. When you were in Texas what was you like?"

"Why do you want to know now? Why are you asking me these things?" Getting more frustrated than scared. I sigh, getting too hyped up over silly questions.

"There's something wrong." I hear Sonia say, leaning over the aisle to us, to me. "What?"

"I can sense that your troubled by something. . ." She trails off, hissing while leaning back into her seat of the table while the teacher comes walking through, and pick up our paper.

I turn to Kalob, hand out for his paper-but suddenly he guards it with his arm and hisses, "not finished!" I pull back and turn to give her my paper.

Only when she pass is when I look back at him. "Why didn't you give me your paper so I could give it to her?"

"Just because-it doesn't matter. You matter, you need to be fine. Are you fine?" He says in a unfamiliar voice-serious, but strange, all stretched out in a weird way. "What? Where's this coming from?" I say.

He looks at me eye-to-eye and sigh, "nothing, just theories. That's all. You still haven't told me anything else about you-come on I need to know if I'm going to-!"

Everything about him now is urgently pushing his way. He wants to know something-and I'm afraid if I tell him more, that he'll find what he's wanting-and then what? What will happen after that?

"Sophia, tell me, I'm really losing it-tell me!"

There he goes-out with the new and back with the old Kalob. "What, though? What is it you want to know. You won't like it-too dragged out and complicated." I try to find an excuse to get out of this mess-I'm really not sure about sharing my life's story with a guy that I always believed wanted to murder me.

So why should I tell him? Just to leave me be? Is that even a excuse, a good excuse? Well I guess it has to. But then he looks at me, eyes lighting up, become softer.

"Tell me more. More about you. I need to know more." He tries to loosen himself up

-trying to calm himself when he spoke. I sigh, feeling a little pressed against the whole fact that he's 'trying' and is still here, not losing it as much once I let him calm down a bit. But why he's trying is something entirely different.

"Well. . . .uh, um I lived in Tyler with my father-my mom lived with us until I was about four-then left us."

"And? Is that all?"

"No, but I'm-" I say, catching myself before I said what was on my mind: no, but I'm horribly scared that you might find what your looking for, then-and I want to keep the ugly details a secret.

"Your thoughts on that? Your mother taking you back after all those years? Is it harsh-like being punished in some type of way?"

"Uh, yeah, but I don't think I told you that, did I?"

I scratch my head, scratching it when it's not even inching-great.

"Well did you move here with your father, then?"

I shake my head turn myself away from the aisle.
"Okay. . .that's a no, then."

I hear him, but kind of in a lost when I bend over, starting to play with my straps of my book bag, trying to ignore him now, not interested in this little pep talk we've been having, thinking, concentrating only in the pinging of my stomach. Getting more paranoid with my back turned around to Kalob-you know what they say, predators strike when their pray is at their weak point, and my back turned to him like this is a good shot for a strike.

I turn back in my seat putting my head down.

"No, I'm done. There's no more, the end as they call it." I force it out of me.

"But there is no happy 'the end' for you, aren't I right?" He grinds in deeper-where it hurts.

"I was exactly like I am now when I was back home-but much happier." I look up at him, feeling sort of sick to see himself return to normal.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He growls, teeth clinch again.

"You asked me what I was like down in Texas." I tell him, shaky and nervous of his slow return again. He keeps changing normal I want to murder you, to a, oh, sorry about that. Why? I've never seen him change before like this.

"I need to know something Kalob," I say, turning to Sonia. "You too, Sonia." She turns her head to look at me. "What were you looking for-who-what were you looking at, and why."

Sonia seem like she's about to answer when I hear, "nothing to concern you!" I turn back to him, wondering why he said that. After all that questioning and he's saying it don't concern me.

"Well, I think differently."

"Then your stupid. I should've known I'd get nothing out of you."

I can't believe I'm going to do this, but, I guess anywhere is better than Kalob interrogating me, playing good cop bad cop.

"Forget about it, Sonia wont let you. So don't even!" Kalob warning rings all around and through me.

I turn around to face him, saying, "so then, you tell me!" I say, a bit shy of whining. "No!" He growls.

He stands up, his paper in hand and walks around, and down the aisle to Miss Griffs desk. He set it down, nods his head, and starts walking back.

"Wait I-I thought you weren't done?" I ask when I feel him sit down. "And I know you couldn't have done it when she left to where we talked. . . .maybe, no that is impossible. So you either take me as an idiot, and thought you could lie to me. Or you wanted me to see that you'd lied and try to get me off of your tracks. . . .and what your really up to."

"And what am I really up to, huh?" He challenges, his eyes flickering as I try not to do that again. Not to set him off. "Okay, so what I lied-get over it." He leans in and examines me.

"I was just saying. . . .that's all!"

"Man if your suffering that much. . . .well, don't get me wrong, then why try to hide it?"

"Oh, so be like you, is that what your saying?"

He grimace at my words. "No." He revolts.

"Then what?" I sigh, then I just scowl at the black board.

"I can't help but feel talking to me is uneasy for you. That you don't want to say anything else, am I right so far?"

I kind of liked him better when he didn't speak to me, yeah those moments were the best.

"Just please stop talking-I'm getting a little too tired of who ever your pretending to be."

"Oh," he now realize my frustration.

"You keep changing-bad cop good cop-which is it?"

"Neither." He says, coldly. I'm a little bit shock.

"Then who are you-"

"Something bad." Serious, that's all he has to give me, something bad. "Something really bad." He adds, reading my expression.

Like that made it any better.

"Kalob!" Sonia screeches as a warning to stop as I shiver to her voice.

Then I kept myself from saying anything else with him. Making sure I keep my eyes ahead. No more talking-I'd said enough any ways.

Then when class is about to end-Kalob stands up and says, "well, Sophia it's been nice chatting with you." Then he walks around, and swiftly walk towards the door-the boys following before I see Sonia glance at me and get up in one quick movement, walking in the same way. They slide out without the teacher noticing. But just seconds after gliding out-the bell soon rings.

The class floods out and I'm in a hurry to go to my next class-though it's still my least favorite class, even after what happened on Friday. Actually that gives me another reason why I should skip, and not hurry to it. But I'm a good student, I go to my classes on time.

When I enter the class, stopping, hesitating a bit. My gut still twirling in sickness of that horrible feeling. So I walk up to my seat but suddenly people starts coming up to me, offering up seats at their table. I look over and see a short round man in his fifties. He has a bald head, glasses, a white T-shirt, and dark blue jeans.

"Sit down! Sit down kids."

Great, a sub. Every one ran to their seat, scared of the mans loud booming voice. Instead of taking a seat that they offered, I sit in my seat around the table-the boy ignoring me, which I liked kind of. . .space finally! And the twins making identical nasty faces at me. But I don't care. Just pull through this class, and I'll be home free.

So the sub identified himself as Mr. Guldak. He is pertty easy. He gives us this art packet that Mrs. Son left us. So I draw the small sketches, answer the questions-and then when its done I raise my hand and he comes walking to my table. At the same time Lukas finishes too. He scans our packets and walks back to Mrs. Son's desk. I glance at him. "What's wrong? You got staring problems?" He snaps, turning his back to me.

"No! I don't!" I reject it, lying.

"Really? Then don't look at our direction, twit!" The thinned faced twin said, sassy and viciously offensive.

"Well, why do you care-its between him and I, not some, dumb, nosey twins. Leave it alone." I bite back, showing her who is boss.

"Oh, is it? You and me?" He says, turning his back and looking at me.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry."

"I don't want your apology-I want your reason-"

"You were getting too close-I was reacting." Suddenly soft murmurs and groans start appearing throughout the class. I follow their gaze to the door, about to fall out of my seat-what is he doing here?

He walks casually towards us, stopping when the sub asks him, "who may you be?" Tension grows deep in the class when he says, "well, sir, I'm Danny Lauft. I'm sorry, I took the wrong turn." He sings a perfect, flawless voice. The sub looks down the list of our names, nodding and saying, "please sit down." no one spoke up to tell the sub who he really is, no one spoke at all-the class is petrified in fear.

Kalob shakes his head. My body goes numb when I feel his cool, dark presence sitting down next to me. I slowly creep my head to him.

"What-what are you doing? Doing in my class?" I whisper softly. "I followed you. Well, I had a-"

"A what? What did you have?" I question him, being careful of not getting him upset.

"Nothing! I just saw you-you were in trouble, hurt, maybe. . ." He trails off, grimacing again, in that same angered expression.

"Well you must be blind, then-you see me? I'm fine, I'm not in trouble-or even hurt. Okay? Good." I try to lighten up, telling, and hoping he'll see I'm fine. "I'm not buying it. . . .not for one second!" He yells softly. "I can't buy it, not alone will I not buy it I know better." Now getting back, getting more irritated when his eyes dart across the table to Lukas.

"And you! I know about Friday! So don't think your off, I'll make sure of it that your not. I'll bring you down if having too." He snarls, leaning into the table, closer to him. A challenge to speak brewing over Kalob as he waits. He inhale, his nostril flaring open as he suddenly changes-his body tightning in a huge mass of muscles. His eye darkening in-depth again, with a flare of thirst, hunger, a yearing.

This is horrorifying me as anything I've seen out of him-this is Kalob looking like he wants to kill me but a thousand times worse! My body limping to the edge of my seat, a voice in my head screaming to me to run and to get out as fast as possible!

He stands up-I'm still too scared, too frozen in a state of terror, that my body can't move fast enough when he turns, pushing my chair and I back away from the table with a quick fly of his hands.

I fly backwards until my chair hit's the table across the room from ours, tipping back a little before falling down softly on the chair legs.

Kalob reaches for Lukas, grabbing him, and throwing him across the table, and down to the floor where I once sat. He holds him down by his collar. Kids standing up all around and I can't handle it any more!

"Kalob! No!" I scream-my voice louder-echoing more profoundly through the room.

Then I cuff my hand to my mouth-forgot about his name changed. Kalob's hand is above his head, about to take a swipe towards Lukas. I stand up from the chair, running forward.

I grab his upright arm, the one that's over Lukas's face, and pulling it back. . . .or at least I'm trying but it wont budge.

He looks at me anger flaring still, to kill, to kill now!

"Please! Don't!" I plead.

"I sent you over there for your own safety, now go! Let me handle this!" He pushes me back to his side.

"My safety is fine! Why do you care? I'm fine. . . .well, I was until you went all phyco!" I step forward again.

He clench his teeth, staring down at the boy, but suddenly he looks at me. Furious, beyond furious. The one thing I try not to do, I do!

"Sophia! Go! Get away for your own good, it's dangerous here, here and now. You must go!"

Then, just about to reject his quest, I feel someone pull me back from my arm. I look over my shoulder to see Sonia pulling me back, still. She steps in front of me, as if shielding me for what is to become of this whole situation.

Of the boy. The crowd of kid, that I'd forgotten about that surround us from all sides, is yearning for the action that was rudely interrupted by me. Suddenly The sub breaks through and start to yell at Kalob by the name he gave him, telling him to go-and telling Sonia to go with him.

And kept doing so, but Kalob refuses to give the boy a rest-frozen as he glares up at me as he grips the boys collar more firmly. He looks down at him, giving him a lift up off the floor.

"Don't you ever touch her, you filthy-" He stops himself, shakes his head, and throws him down the tiled flooring again.

He stands up straight, and turn to me and Sonia. "Come on Sonia!" He demands, taking her hand and pulling towards the door. People cleared through, out of their way.

And when they're there by the door, Kalob turns to me. "You, come with us, now!" He orders. I nod, walking up to them, noticing people whispering, and murmuring to each other as I pass.

4. The Attack

"SOPHIA, LET ME WALK YOU TO THE PARKING LOT, IT'S MUCH SAFER LIKE THAT."

Kalob promises, trying to cool down from the previous events.

"Why?" I mumble. Kalob stops with Sonia stopping close by.

"I mean you came to my class-followed me, as you had said. And then, you, well, basically attacked a kid at my table-in all taking me out of class when it hasn't ended yet. So why?" I look up, his face masked so I really can't tell if he's upset or not. Mad-or furious. "All for your safety-to keep you on your feet." Sonia says. Surprisingly.

Then I can't help but to look back at Kalob when he cracks a soft smile.

"We'd been looking out for you the whole time, you see?" He shakes his head and walks on.

"Hey wait! That doesn't change anything! Hey, I still want to know why you had attacked him, and why did you think I was in some trouble? Hurt, maybe?"

"You had that feeling! A feeling that something bad was going to happen? Right? And you chose to ignore it. But I keened in, I ask those dumb questions, and all-nothing lead me to what I saw, you were hurt, in trouble! Never go to that boy again. All you are to him is something worth dead, you hear me?" He stops and turn to me, leaning over to me, making sure he'd got his point taken.

"How do you even know that?" I say, shyly.

"Because, Sophia, that's just how he is, he and all the others like him." He grinds his teeth, not trying to yell.

"Now if I didn't come, he'd have probably-" He squeezes his nose, as his fingers pinched it-trying to regain control.

"Come on guys, class gonna end soon. Let's try to hurry a bit." Sonia, for once is trying to in lighten the mood.

Kalob's piercing black eyes glaring at her before herding me next to his presence ever so fierce and dark, cold, and deep. We walk down the stretch of concrete leading out to the main side walk before getting to the parking lot beyond that.

"Kalob, remember. The importance of our. . . ." She trails off the moment she sees me looking at them, who has fallen behind, purposely perhaps.

"You do what you have to. I'll meet you after I get her across to her car." Then Sonia looks at me and dances off.

"Didn't I tell you to stop acting like you actually are truly nice, and care. . . .and get on with when you were the cruelest person I knew. The whole I want to murder you was nice."

"I'm the cruelest person you've met. . . .really, and we don't even talk to each other that often?"

I smack my hand to my lips, cuffing it around my mouth, regretting that I spoke my mind at all-now he knows.

"You don't have to talk to me-that's it, you don't talk to people, except for her and those boys! And your dark, and cold-all the time, almost, well all the time. . . .even when you act all oddly nice-like, but really, your still that grinding maniac who looks to kill!" I talk through my hand. Can't believe I'm telling him this.

"Oh, really?"

I nod.

Waiting for some reaction from him, any negative reaction. But he never shows any type of angered reaction that he might've shown-none at all, which shocks me, for knowing who this is that stands before me.

When we're on the sidewalks edge, shy of the parking lot, Kalob says, "So do you want me to walk you to your car-or do you think you can do it on your own?"

"Its bad enough for you to take me out of class, not alone walk me to the parking lot. I'm not some kid, you know. I mean, uh, I can manage the few yards to my car." I hurry to make sure no serious feelings come between us, knowing he'll snap probably. . . .and right now, I really really don't want to argue, or deal with Kalob for another second.

He seems a bit surprised, not wanting to lose sight, or let go of me, he stares dangerously at me.

"F-fine." he forces it out, he's probably still in the 'I'm still in trouble' mode. It takes him a few moments before he finally let's go.

"Go, take care whatever Sonia wanted. . . .I'm fine." I'm really getting agitated with him-can you snap out of it already? Be angry at me, storm off and never want see my face again. Do something! And go, leave!

So he force himself to move, walking pass me. I watch as he sulks towards the car that Sonia Kaile and Seth is at, standing and waiting. I nod once before stepping down from the side walk, after Kalob has pass.

"Sophia! Sophia! Sophia!" I hear my name being called from behind. I turn myself to see Lukas standing by the side walk-a smug smile hugely placed on his face, and his dark yellowish brown eyes dark in content to kill.

But then I'm thrown off when I blink and he's gone-am I hearing, seeing things? Then I turn back around and head down the parking lot-when I'm at my car I notice Kalob is there, waiting.

"I thought-" I try to finish but end up choking. I turn to open my door, turning uncomfortably around to him. "She's fine-everything is, uh, good. But you on the other hand I'm not sure about."

I roll my eyes at him and motion inside my car-really starting to freeze. "How can you stand not to wear a coat in this freezing weather?" He shrugs. And I don't bother to go on, either.

"So what? Your just going to stand there?" I say, sitting in my seat of my car.

"No, I'm going to be with you-till we get to your house. Sonia, Kaile, and Seth has already got the plan.

"No, no, no! I refuse it! I'm fine-get that in your thick skull of yours!"

"Sophia," he leans against my car, looking down at me-glaring his dark, black eyes so huge that there's little room for the white in his eyes except for the very corners. "I still don't buy it."

"Goodbye, Kalob," my voice straining in frustration. Then looking down, and away from his gaze, I shut my door. I start my my engine and drive out of the parking space, watching as the kids are now flooding through the lot.

While I drive, I swear I see Kalob in my rearview mirror staring at me through the glass. Standing, head slightly cocked, with guarding eyes as he became more faded as I drive further, and by the time I hit the corner I lose sight of him completely.

The next day when I wake up I have that feeling from yesterday still lingering over me. As I jump out of bed, staring out of my window-like every morning-I realize that there's another layer of snow. Right now, though, the snow has stopped. So when I go down stairs, eat my usual bowl of cereal with Lauren, of course she leaves almost when I'm done with my cereal.

Today she said a silent goodbye, and walked silently through the living room out the door to her black car. Half of me wanting to hurry and go to school-the other half had more sense and wanted to stay a little while longer-not wanting to face Kalob, afraid he might still think somethings wrong with me, obviously there's not. And not wanting to speak to Lukas thinking he'll blame me for the attack yesterday. . . .but then, there is away to avoid that hopefully.

Driving in to the school parking lot I'd notice that the Shelby hasn't been parked in its usual space. It's not any where in sight. So I kind of thought that it's unusual for them to be late-to not be there, waiting, scoping the lot. I drive by the empty space and drive down to park.

When I cut the engine off, grab my bag, and get out I hesitate for a moment. I swear I see something. But when I look close and I see nothing I try to ignore it with it I also ignore the thing that's got my stomach in knots and got my head spinning over and over-the words piercing through like a unbreakable force that protects it from staying in my head. Sophia something's wrong, its very wrong here. So why don't you turn around and go home?! Somethings dead wrong here! the unbreakable force voiced out. But there's more. Kalob was right-you should've listened!

I eventually grab my head with my nails clawing at my scalp as I try to make the voice stop. I walk to school like that-my head low, in the cover of my hood, my hand holding my head firmly like that would stop the voice. It didn't. Then, suddenly I hear a weird noise-I look up, lay my hands down to my side, and look around. Until I hear a voice-next to me on the left, by the parked cars that are closer to me.

I gasp, instantly frozen as I see Lukas standing against the driver side of an old faded red dodge truck that's probably made in the 70's.

"Well-" His eyes still yellow brown in content to kill, with a deep smug smile "-look at this, me and you."

"I-"

"Oh, please. Save it!" He walks forward, speeding the three steps to me grabbing my arm from running away to my escape. He lets go quickly, walking around me-walking more dog-like than cat-like as he wraps around me. I feel him pull my hood down and smell me, smell the back of my neck-smell the hair that falls in straight layers down my neck, down my back.

He suddenly growls, sounding almost, if not exactly like a ravage wolf out to hunt, to kill. And then he makes a final lap around, back in front of me, teeth bare, and his lips curled up as he's still growling.

"That guy who attacked me, Kalob I think his name is? I give him credit-he saw you in trouble-even after I put a sheild on him and, uh, Sonia? He came! Discovered what I am and attacked me! But he and the others made a fatal mistake. They're not here to watch you, to protect you! How stupid of them! Right? They go all that trouble, and send them to find and protect you. They're such idiots for leaving you like this. Am I right?"

"I don't know what your talking about. What do you mean they were sent to protect? Protect me? Why?" I ask, feeling his beaming killer yellow-brown eyes at me. He growls that wolf-like snarl.

Then he leans forward saying, "so your saying you don't know?" He grins largely at me. "You are clueless. . . ." He trails off, growling. Before I know it he's adding to his words, "to everything, arent you? You really don't know. And here I am thinking you were playing dumb, but you are really and truly clueless." He laughs. "How dumb of I." "Lukas, why are you doing this?" I'm scared out of my mind. "You need common sense." His sharp yellow-brown eyes meet mine-it is like a knife going through my pupils. Also, I basically fall to the ground. As soon as I look away, I see another one.

"." He whispers to himself.

"Hello there brother of mine!"

"Londan, darling, how are you lovely sister?" His elegant charm lit her up like a firecracker.

"That's gross, you flirt with your own sister!" I say out loud. "Oops." Dang it! I should really stop saying things out loud! I thought. I'm on a roll with it.

"Oh, shut your mouth!" Lukas give me a hurtful look.

"So, brother, who is your friend?" She gives me a glance.

"This is Sophia, 'the one.'" They both give me a very creepy look when he says that. "Oh, well, if she's 'the one', then why is she on the ground?" She gives him a very awkward look.

"I have no idea, but this one, this one is clueless."

"Oh, this simply will not do. We can not have a clueless ellipse, now can we?" She whispers something in his ear I heard them but I couldn't make out the words.

"Yes, well we will have her taken care of as soon as the others are taking care of first." He spit near me.

"Let me go!" I scream.

"No," He grabs me by the waist into the truck, throwing me in. he releases me, and the moment he does I try to scoot to the other side to my escape, but the dark black haired girl, Londan crawls in. "For 'the one' your really weakly normal. That's what any human would do." Lukas grumbles as he gets in and shut the door. The engine start, and Londan shut her door before we're off.

"We will not let you go!" He screams back. "Get that straight!"

"Darling, don't scream in the car, its very rude." She says softly.

"Yes, of course. My apolozies." He looks at the road with heavy eyes like he's going to pass out.

I scoot and wiggle as I feel the girl, Londan clawing my wrist to keep me still in the seat, beside her by the window. Londan yells but barley.

"Wha-"

Suddenly a loud metallic squeal is getting closer and closer, I raise in alert of the noise and Londan screaming. Lukas jerks the truck to the right to the curb of the road, feeling the tires twitch to gain control-no match, though, no match at all. Seconds tick and I struggle, curling back, ready for impact as the truck tips-and another truck crashes into us from the driver side. All I hear is glass hitting the ground and the scraping metal of the truck skidding down the pavement on its side coming to a stop.

What feels too long occurs with silence in the air.

"Sophia." Darkness, nothing but darkness-and, and then, I feel it-the suffocation from something tackling on top of me.

Suddenly the metal frame of the truck above my head-close around my wedge body is suddenly being pried open. The loud scrapping metal that has been pried open around me-I struggle to find my eyes, to make them open, but I'm not able to.

I hear a males voice.

"Its me, Kalob." My eyes finally resurface in slits, realizing a dark tunnel above me as I see a dark figure, clamping the metal around me. He reaches for me-suddenly uplifting something that had me wedge and trapped. Then I feel the breath I was staggering for, now I'm able to breathe again. These arms hold me.

"Its me, Kalob," he growls softly, repeating his words that take me back, what seems so long ago when I had that horrific nightmare, or what I remember of it:

"You will not touch her anymore!" Kalob says.

I look over to him, into the dark where the boy seems to be standing over my killer, tackled down violently to the floor. But suddenly the pain becomes too much to bear that my head fall to the wood floor, slipping away. . . .until I hear his voice softly, gruesomely, and yet caring, and yet a yearning to help me somehow.

"Its me, Kalob. Sophia, hold on, please just stay with me-you must with me, with us. . . ." His voice slips away, unconsciously I'm gone, with him, his cold presence crouch low to me-gone.

"We are leaving right now." He picks me up and I hear a loud metallic pop, the nightmare gone, and the real life starting up again. And as soon as he leaps out and starts walking I hit the floor of glass and concrete again, my head cracking on impact, knocking me in shock of pain.

"You aren't leaving with her!" Lukas pushes Kalob out of his way. "Here we go, I have you once again and you arent leaving my site." Lukas smirks through the dark tunnel of my way of seeing and drags me to the middle of the road, smearing blood that has started to fill around me.

Kalob looks my way and gets up. "Really, why do you keep getting in the damn way?!"

He let go of me, then he walks his way through. Kalob runs after him in this blur and tackles him, throwing him into the pavement. But Lukas slips out with ease and takes Kalob and throws him off. Kalob heads down-but turns around and blurs his arm in a one movement back punch. But then he suffers a blow from Lukas.

I see Kalob-he's gasping. Then I see Londan charging after Kalob while Lukas's still grasp him, and strikes. Londan strikes fluently but Kalob blurs up-breaks off and grab Londan.

Suddenly I start to feel someone jump on me. "Stay down for now, its me Sonia." She says. I feel the cold touch-the broken bones underneath. . . .

Then I feel myself fade into a long tunnel of blackness, it has now taken over me, everything being lost in the darkness.

My eyes flitter and a whole new speed of light and sound occurs. Bright lights overhead-the busyness around me and I realize-I'm in a stretcher. And the busyness is the EMTs.

"Get her in here! Quick! She's lost a lot of blood; the broken bones seems to be-" I start losing consciousness again, the beaming lights blurring until they turn dim. I couldn't move, couldn't talk, couldn't understand how-how I got here-just then the darkness sweeps over me as though just falling asleep, but scarier at first. But then I'm just too out of it to stop it from coming, I'm just slipping away.

"Sophia," Kalob rises his voice. "Sophia wake up, wake up-please!"

My eyes open and see I'm back in the huge, and dark space with Kalob in front of me, crouched down, his cold presence still there. "Sophia are you-!" He's panicked-like really panicked like I've never seen him like that ever before.

"Kalob-what's wrong-what's a matter?" I choke, not realizing how severer my injuries are-and the pain-

"Your-"

"I'm what?" I screech, frantic, screaming in pain.

Kalob leans in and says, "your going to be fine, now, just hold on a little bit longer."

"Sophia-oh Sophia, honey I. . . . are you okay?" I squint my eyes into slits, realizing that's Lauren's voice that I hear, "uh, y-yeah mom. F-f-fine!" Feeling not so fine after a moment of realizing where I was, the pains and the other person around me-my eyes widening to see not just Lauren, but a man with dark hair brownish skin, and a white coat hang over his shoulders that is walking around the opposite side where Lauren stands.

"Sophia."

I look at her before looking at the doctor.

"Y-yeah?"

" I'm Dr. Tomm. How do you feel?" He introduces himself.

"Uh," I cringe, "sore."

"You were in car accident, Sophie."

I look up at her, puzzled: not about the car accident, but why on earth did she call me Sophie.

"Lauren, may I speak to you outside, please?"

She looks up away from me, and towards him.

"Uh, sure." Then she looks back at me, "I'll see you in a little while," She smiles dimly before walking with the doctor out of the small-perfectly squared room. With walls that are pale green and a single sink before getting to the door.

"Sophia?" The door opens after what feels like only a couple of seconds of them leaving, thinking Lauren left something, I reply:

"Mom is that you?"

Then I hear his laugh, my eyes reopen and stare up towards the corner where the door is, and in front of it. . . .Kalob.

Why is he even here-I know it's not to do with me!

"Sophia." He grumbles in a throaty growl. Gulp! Help me! "Talk now," he contenue to growl, he walks towards the hard as cardboard, railed bed.

"So. . . .what you saw-what you heard, ignore it. Better off, forget about it-all of it."

"I-I wont, I cant! I was taken by Lukas and some girl Londan-I was in a accident, a bad accindent that you caused. Maybe you wanted to kill us-I don't know!" I whisper, trying to calm my temper, and trying to get him unfired up. But then as I try to move, pain strikes in several different spots throughout my body.

"If I didn't cause that-" He looks over his shoulder, watching the door before he says, "if I didn't cause that accident-you'd be dead if it wasn't for me!" He breaks his whispery voice and blast a scream at me.

"I could've died in the accident-" I trail off quickly, watching him shake his head immediately in rejection of my attempt, walking closer until he's next to me in bed.

"If I wanted you dead I could've left you, I didn't have to bother or help you-but I didn't leave you to die with them! And I wouldn't have tried to take you away from them-if I wanted you dead."

I step back from his response, thinking it through, feeling so small under Kalob's wrath. "But. . ."

"No Sophia-me and Sonia-we saved you from a death that was coming when they had you." He sighs, defeating himself from his own argument.

"Thank you," I say finally, under my breath, barely coming out as words.

He nods, "I didn't come here to argue with you, I really came here to say "I'm sorry" that I caused you pain, it wasn't my attentions to do so." He's snarling more less than when he came in.

"Sonia and I got you some flowers." He grumbles, trying to be the nice guy again, and this time-I'm grateful he is.

He sets the red and white roses down on the nightstand next to me, "I'm so sorry about this." For the first time his voice is like velvet, with no tense over cast of angry, growling, and just pissed off Kalob.

I nod, smiling faintly. "Thanks, Kalob."

"I got to go, your mother is coming. And I don't think you want to explain to her what I'm doing here," He starts to growl again, and I feel myself sinking down like a small child.

He turns around, "I'll see you in school?"

"Yeah," I gulp, "school."

Then he walks across, disappearing through the door, glancing over to me protectively before shutting the door.

My mom comes in shortly afterwards with the doctor behind her.

"Okay, Sophia. I 'm going to feel your leg, you tell me if it hurts or not. Okay?"

He unfolds the blanket, revealing my mangled left leg, and my arm, both covered in a soft cast. The doctor start poking my knee cap, which stung, but nothing serious. But then he got lower and I almost screamed my lungs out because of it.

"Okay, that's all I wanted to see-its over," he lays the blanket over me again.

Two weeks pass, and my mom wheels me away in a wheel chair, parking me by the front entrance-she leaves to get the car. And when I see her parking in from the front, I feel a sense of relief.

She walks in and help me up with my one good arm, the other has a cast. While I get up I feel my bones aching as the left boot on my leg is holding it together getting in the way as I get a grasp on walking again.

"You okay, sweetie?" she looks behind her, looking back at me.

"I-I think so." As I wobble close behind her, trying to walk on my own.

"Sophia-what were you doing driving a truck?" I refuse to look at her while being in this car with her. My eyes keeping watch outside the window.

"I wasn't!" I hiss through my teeth.

"You were with someone?" The worry spikes-high panic rush through her.

Finally I look at her knowing I would have to sooner or later, as I say, "not that way, Lauren!"

I bite my lip. No, it's the type where this boy and his sister talk crazy about Kalob and the others-about me too, and they force me in a truck, and take off type of thing. The one where Kalob comes and rams us viciously down. Okay? Geez!

"Don't speak to me like that, Sophia Ann! I'm-" I snap my head back at her while I am in the motion of turning back to the window.

"No-don't even say mother-you've never been my mother before-why now?! Why today?"

When we get to the drive-walk in the house, about this time we haven't talked to each other at all when she immediately calls Damen. She explains to him this stupid story something like-oh Damen Sophia was with someone in a truck-had a accident and now has a horribal broken arm and a splintering broken leg. She could've died, Damen! Do I punish her for being in someones truck-for skipping school? Just free riding with some kid that had them in an accident? Damen? Tell me! I'm so lost!

I walk up the stairs with a little of an challenge to do so and go into my room. Mad, so mad that my mom thinks that-thinks that I'd do that! I would never do that! They took me! Err! I lay flat on my bed-a pillow over my head. I'm crying-distraught of every bit of my mo-Lauren's words.

"Sophia?" I hear her voice-the sound of her knuckles pound on my door clearly, she sounds strained in frustration and confusion. I peek from under the pillow-watching her move in and nearing my bed from her reflection in the mirror. I feel her take the pillow off from over me, rubbing my hair straightly all the way lining my back.

Then like some kind of child she lifts me up and cradles me in her arms-and I let her do it, too, that's what scares me.

"Me and your father talked-I decided that you'd already had a tremendous

handful. . . .and you aren't dead so your off."

"And dad-what is his thoughts?" I look up at her, pulling away.

"Totally cool with it!" She smiles-making me crack a unwelcome laugh. "Actually he was more worried for you than anything! He loves you so much, Sophie."

There she goes with the whole Sophie thing again.

"Sophie was always the name I called you when you were just a inkling, huh. . . ." She trails off in memory lane. . . .the little she has of my child years. . . .not even, more as I in my baby phase. Because that's all she has, well, not any more anyways. "It's fine. . . .I forgive you, mom. All I want is a mom that I can come home to." I lean forward, and one arm hugging her. Not as awkward this time. Am I letting go now? Am I really forgiving the mother that left me so many years earlier. I start to cry again. "Mom I love you."

When she leaves-I'm tired, horribly I can't fall asleep. So I get up walk sluggishly out of my room and down stairs quietly-getting the keys of my car-and remembering, wait, wasn't it still in the parking lot of the school?

"Yeah-it's here, your car I mean." She says watching my expression of pure shock when I happen to find the keys laying on the table. I instinctively reach for it with my right arm-pulling it back instantly in pain.

"Get some pain medicine, Sophia. Obviously your in pain. Lay down take the medicine and go to bed. Get some of your pillows and plop your arm on them-rest, I'm not asking either, young lady!"

I nod and back track up stairs headed towards the bathroom though of my room first, took the first pill bottle that I see and take three pills, heading for my bedroom. Getting in my bed and laying in my hundreds and hundreds of pillows, resting my arm on some that I laid next to.

5. The Lies And The Truth

"SOPHIA!"

Eddy drops his mouth, his arms spread out like a huge, warming blanket coming around me. But then I flinch and he stops realizing the huge balky cast on my arm and the bulky boot on my left leg.

"I heard you went and got in an accident. You okay?" his huge but usual sickening, annoying, but got to love it smile down to a small crack in his lips-his eyes now sympathizing me with my boo-boo. Then I stick my cast up arm, slowly, painful to show him.

"Yeah, but your okay though-I mean your not dead, right?" I put my arm down and walk with him-meeting Alex at her locker. When we're there I see Alex throwing things in and slamming it, shoving all the junk in, forcing it to fit.

"Hey Al!" Eddy laughs, "Need a hand?"

He leans his shoulder on the locker next to hers.

"Hey!" She waves at both of us. "Sophia, who tried to kill you girl? You look beat up!"

I freeze, thinking back, thinking of those seconds, minutes. . . .however long I was with him.

Yes I freeze, yes I'm lost with the pictures of him waiting. . . .of the girl. . . .of Kalob and Sonia. . . .of the horrible crash, the fight between Lukas and Kalob. . . .Sonia's voice and her bone chilling touch on my skin.

"I was just playing! Geez!" I'm snapped back and then I look at her.

"Hey, wait! You guys are dating, since when?" My mouth hangs out.

"Uh. . . . ," Alex is almost speechless when she starts.

"Yeah, we started last Saturday."

"Oh, and today is Wednesday. Huh, couldn't have told me sooner?"

"Sorry." Eddy shrugs his shoulders.

"Oh let me get the door!" He says, opening the door of our class, "ladies first." What a gentlemen. Yeah right-don't get me wrong, he is. . . .but he's just-

Suddenly all of my thoughts go blank-dead silent.

I feel Eddy take my bag, take my books and walk towards our desks with Alex. Watching not one but two! The aggressive, dark, cold Kalob sitting in his usual back row seat-but the gorgous blond, Sonia stands next to him.

He turn his head-eyes dark and more unknown than usual-Sonia, like venom itself seething in to me looks at me too. Then my eyes dart to the row next to theirs where Eddy is waving to me, jumping down excitedly-luckily no name callings.

I head towards the estatic Eddy. Then quickly as a flash of light I watch Sonia zip through, passing me with these venomness, but watchful eyes before darting out of the room. Eddy helps me throughout class with my work, writing it and writing his-actually Alex helps him while he helps me.

Then there's Kalob who surprises me when I see he takes no notice in looking-just clinching his jaw tightly while looking the other way. Then at the end of class, minutes left he suddenly breaks that habit and looks over before I watch him stand up and walk towards us. He leans over me and Eddy.

"I'll take care of your stuff if. . . ."

But Eddy is already shaking his head no!
"I got it!" I shake my head as I watch Eddy wave his knuckles in front of Kalob's face. Then out of know where Kalob hands tackle down his desk-the desk bending triangularly through-in the same downward position that the table suffered in seventh period that one day, the very first day I went here where I saw the side of Kalob that I hadn't before earlier that day!

Eddy flies into the back side of the desk so hard from the fear that was proceeded. I flinch and jump-hitting my arm hard on the wood-pain striking through in such a fast paste it shocks me. I let out a yelp and I see I'd attracted his attention-Kalob's. He growls and looks at me-and instead of the rage, it's concern. . . . a kind of sympathy.

"Sophia-are you okay? Let me see!" He demands, fist balled up ready to slam it down-instead he releases it and gently put it on my desks back.

"No!" I whimper, holding back tears of pain.

I cradle my arm as gentle as possible. "Let me see it, Sophia!" He says, softer, less aggressive.

I shake my head, stand up and turn to him, "no, Kalob!" I reach my arm out from cradling the bad one-weakly shaking the hand as it goes for my bag and my books. But in a quick fly I watch Kalob's hand grab all my books and reach down for my bag. "No!" I whine.

"Oh no, I have it, Sophia Davis!"

Stop using my name like that! Your not Lauren!

The bell rings and I start my way-feeling annoyed that the person behind me-the person who has my stuff, is Kalob! Kalob is the reason that I have this cast on my arm-this boot that gives me a limp into my walk-all thanks to him.

But maybe he's right. . . .maybe he did me a favor. . . .maybe I would've been dead if he hadn't been there. But how did he know that-he had've known? But how. . . .I mean how else could he have been there-if he didn't know, that is?

"Uh. . . .bye!" Eddy and Alex both wave, passing Kalob and I and moving out the door in the mash of students. Kalob strangely cleared a path for me and shielded my arm as I went through. Just wait, Kalob, I'll get my questions out of you soon enough.

Embarrass and feeling like a child being walk with an adult-I'm close by Kalob just few steps next to me. Unable to speak the words that run in my mind over and over. Like: (Uh, well, why weren't you and the boys and Sonia at school-how did you know I was with Lukas and his sister. . . .Londan? Why did you even bother to stop-smash the truck with us inside. . . .why Kalob? Why did you think that you could tell me to forget about it. . . .all of it, you really think I will)?

I sigh.

"What is it? Is your arm okay-is your leg okay?"

I shake my head.

"You were right about Lukas. . . .about-" I look down, unable to face him. I stop and lean against a line of lockers. He shakes his head, and start to speak. "I knew you'd not forgotten!" He flash his teeth and walk on.

Stopping, turning, and asking, "are you coming?"

I come to him and drag behind as he takes me to class-English is only a few turns away.

"You need to leave-okay? Go to-"

He swipes back to me and bites as he says angrily, "no! Not leaving you-not a chance!"

"I need to get this out of my head, Kalob-I want to know that I'm not insane!"

"About what happened two weeks ago? No!"

"Fine-I'll let it go. . . .for now anyways." I look at him and scowl before pushing through into my class, feeling his eyes on me before walking across with me setting my things down-and disappearing.

Since then my days been almost to normal-other than people pressing to help me with my work and help me with about everything else-and the hole saddness I feel when they do so, feeling so guilty for using people to help me-all wrong for me.

And of course the teachers has been kind of synthesizing me, what else, oh! Also I'd notice kids spoke more to me, telling me all of what I heard all ready! (I heard you went in a car accident-I'm so sorry to hear that. Is it true? Did you really go in a car accident)? They would say. If only they knew what really happened-then, well, then they'd say it's a lie. Only one person knows about who'd caused it-and I told him to keep quiet, or he's dead! But Eddy seems reliable, trust worthy enough.

"Sophia?" I look over, "can I help you?" She says, gladly to help me with anything she's able to help with.

"Alex, I'm. . . ." I press my lips together, thinking, watching her anxious expresion. "Let me get that!" She snag my books, ripping them out of my arm-my book bag next.

Then she's off-leaving me and Eddy in the dust. We walk to lunch-Eddy make small talk, and I'm tending to my arm, surprisingly listening to what he has to say. Most of what it is are friendly jokes and matter like that. When we're at the cafeteria's first doubled doors I see Alex holding her stuff while holding mine.

"Here," she smiles, kissing Eddy on the cheek and handing him my bag.

"Oh, gee, it's what I always wanted-another bag." Eddy jokes, smiling his usual smile.

"Okay-okay, smarty pants!" She sticks her tongue out and walks through after these group of girls giggling loudly about something-I really don't understand girls sometimes.

Eddy follows her. I follow them and I stop-looking for Kalob, or, at least Sonia-they're the only ones who has the answers that I'm looking for.

Nothing. I couldn't find any of them. So I catch up with Alex and Eddy and walk to our table after going and getting out of line. Being the last behind them.

"Sophia," he purrs in my ear. "Sophia turn around. Turn around. . . .just turn around."

Where was he-I didn't see him-didn't detect him. So when-where did he come from? And how could I let him sneak by? I turn around to see him-tense and uncomfortable-and, of course angered.

"I'm not talking to you-I wont till I get my answers I deserve to know. Why wont you talk about it? You cannot make me forget-I can't, I just can't do it." I sigh and turn to see them turned and looking at us.

"I don't want to say anything more-unless, unless you have what I'm looking for!" "Well-fine-! Is that our thank you for saving your life-okay, great?! For being your guardians?! Man good luck trying to get the answers to your questions now!" He says. "I don't ever want to speak to you. . . .your messing everything up! I didn't need you to slam into the truck-didn't need you to cause the accident! You didn't have to come at all! I can find my answers somewhere else-leave me alone if your not going to confess! All and all-get away!"

"Sophia, everyone's listening-your so mad that you didn't even remember all the people here is listening." He says quieter now.

And then my anger fades and I'm flooded with shame and embarrassment. The cafeteria is quieter-and with staring eyes too. I flash a look up at him-of course-he's stoned and unmoving, I then, suddenly drop my tray-enough for it to echo loudly, slowly until it just stops bouncing-food flying off. And then I'm off, racing across the room-and to the doors, running out.

But I stop, for some reason, I stop and turn to look back at the doors. Combing my hand through my hair I feel distraught, and mad, and even fidgety. But I couldn't stay in there, no, I cant-not what just happened.

I walk around before leaning against the wall next to the doors. After only a few minutes I hear the doors open and I look-expecting the worse, but in relief when I see its Alex coming with my books in hand.

"Sophia, you okay girl?"

I shake my head, "I'm humiliated." She nods understanding.

"Did Kalob really cause the accident?"

"Yeah. He did! On purpose! But he was-well. . . .helping me." She looks astonished and confused.

"Yeah, funny, right?" I crack a weak stumbling laugh, barely could hear it come out through my lips.

"What-wait he caused the accident-what to help you?"

But only if she knew about the other half-him coming and trying to get me. But Lukas. . . .he stopped him-Kalob then tackled him. If she knew that she'd think I'm crazy.

I mean why would Kalob do that? I mean he's Kalob! What more can I say?

"What? There's more?"

"No!" Of course not!"

"Why would he do that, though? I mean Kalob's never been known to do things like that."

I shrug-I would have the answers-but Kalob don't seem to want to share.

"Oh, well, uh do you want to c-" She stops when the door reopens again and he comes out from those doors.

Alex looks at him and she suddenly stiffens-eyes bugged eyed, about to scream when she decides to look at me. Put my books down in front and run back in the cafeteria. "Are you mad at me?"

"He sighs. "Yeah-but not at you. . . .not yet."

"I didn't tell her-I swear."

"I know. But you did tell her that I caused it-that I did it to help you. . . .I think that's enough. Don't you?"

"A: how do you know I said that, B: are you talking to me because your going to tell me why you did what you did-tell me what I want to know? Or, tell me a lie?" I say like the foolish person I am.

"Okay-I did it because"- his eyes narrow in black slits -"because I was at the right place at the right time-and didn't I tell you that I saw you in trouble-that you were in trouble, maybe hurt. . . ." He changes the subject quickly. Which makes me furious!

"You can keep the lies to yourself. I don't want to hear it. The truth. Explain to me why-how this happened? What's the point of-"

"I told you-I was at the right place-on the right time."

"I think it's suspicious-you going crazy-telling me I'm in trouble maybe hurt. And next-you and the others aren't at school-Lukas attacks me and what? You and Sonia were just there? How did you even know it was really me with them?! I want answers! Not the lies again-don't you think about lying! Cause now your telling me lies or not even saying anything!"

He growls, then he says, "why can't you please go with it-and drop it?"

"No-I wont except it!"

"Too bad!" He growls.

And then I see him bend down to get my books-he has my bag too.

"He said that I was 'the one' and that I. . . .well, I don't know exactly what it is-a ellipse?" Kalob suddenly straighten and looks like he's about to have a heart attack or something.

"The ellipse?" He chokes. I nod and reach for my stuff-Kalob stepping back.

"No, uh, its nothing!" He turns aggressive again. "Its nothing!"

I can see its not nothing-easy, too easy to tell it bugged him. This kind of surprises me with him.

"What is it-I know something's bothering you? What is it-is it the ellipse? Whatever it is? Kalob?"

"I said to drop it!"

Err! Crap Kalob! "I hate you!" I scream in frustration. "I wish you left me with Lukas so I could die!" I threaten.

"No! No you don't mean that-not at all! You needed me to be there-I had to protect you from harm!" He growls agitatedly getting violent. He narrow his eyes and sighs as he looks down, and saying, "you are alive, and all I want-all we want is you to stay alive. Let's keep it that way, okay? I'm sick of this! Me and Sonia was at the right place-right time-and we happen to save you! Got it?!"

"So-" But I cut off due to him walking around and ignoring me.

Walking away with my stuff. I couldn't follow him, my legs didn't want to move. Also I didn't want to-he was lying, and I didn't want to rub it in and just get nothing but an angrier Kalob than his usual self.

I walk the few steps to the door-open it with my good hand, and peer in. letting it close before leaning on it and sighing. Then I go-heading for my class, only a few yards down the hall-I jump from the loud bell ringing.

And I freeze as an reaction of all the kids swarming around and out-and I'm worried about my stuff. So I hurry to class-stopping dead in my tracks when I make it to the office, not the main office, but the sign off office, where you get released-and see Kalob, Sonia, and the biggest of the dark-haired boys outside in front. They're walking with this drop dead gorgeous male, maybe in his twenties-but defiantly older than the three. He has dark curly blond hair and is built, lightly muscular.

But one things right-they're all paled skin-all gorgeous-all too gorgeous to belong. Even here in Olympia. Then suddenly I watch as it takes motion-all four staring at me as they pass me to find the door-Kalob staring the longest-then Sonia and the last male that is kind of familiar other than he's with Kalob-and hangs out with no one else but him, Sonia, and the youngest looking boy.

Which I now see is missing. They pass me with pure grace and elegance. Then they disappear and I'm left staggering. And then I remember Kalob's hands didn't have anything in them, they were empty. When I make it to class I'm stopped when I see my books stacked neatly on my side of the table-book bag laid on the floor against one of the table legs.

He did that-why would he do that-how so fast? I just saw him leave-how did he come here and leave that quickly?

Then I'm pushed in by a kid-and by that note I walk in and sit down. I hear a squeal from a seat moving back from the table behind me. Then I hear some one that's so quiet I didn't even hear him when he sits in Kalob's seat. Its when he says something is when I take notice.

"Hi. I'm Seth. Your Sophia-Sophia the one Kalob saw-and helped you in the car accident. Right?"

"Yeah, well, not exactly."

Then I remember he's with them. Why is he here and the others have left? I glance up at him and straighten back down.

"So what do you need help with? Do you need help-no of course you do." He says casually normal-his voice so unlike any of the beautiful fours. So child-like-but so, so warm hearted too. But his looks could fool you if he keeps quiet-which he does.

This is the first time I've heard his voice at all.

"Well," I start, straightening myself first, "I, um, I can-" But he's all ready on it before I can even get a grasp on things. His hands fly in one blur of a motion-getting something. Something I can't process at first. But then he's writing.

"Please don't-I mean-" I flinch, turning back to him when I see this boy turning tighter, spanning in this mass of muscles-or the ones he had-his eyes, now a realization. A light marble grey, thinner, lighter color in the middle of his eyes-where his pupils are-and darker at the edges. Then a bigger realization-I've never noticed what their eyes are. . . .or anything for that matter. . . .just their odd beauty.

These eyes are so different-so horrifying-so amazing. Thousand times more eye catching than the opposite of them-Kalob's dark-coal colored eyes-the only one of the four I'd noticed beyond the beauty. Or-in his case, gruesomeness.

"What are you staring at, huh?" He stops in mid flight of his hand, lifting it off the sheet of paper.

Those gray eyes gleaming in a way that stops me immediately-embarrass, so embarrass. It still attracted me in, he's the center the edge and everything else. I'm somehow being pulled in. then its over in a flash-the pull-the everything-its gone.

"Mr. Farrell? What's the answer? Do you know the answer to the question?"

He looks down shine a smile on the corner of his lips-and says, "of course Miss Griff-the answer is the solution of the of the problem-it cannot be done without it." He finally looks up at her.

"Good. Good job Seth. Sophia-is he helping you? You want him you help you?" Um. . . .sure." I look at him-glancing shortly before looking at her. "Its fine-he's no problem." I add.

Smiling shortly at her, "oh. . . .I'm not, huh?" He challenges-for a first time he sounds dark-mad is the word.

He becomes more and more like a mass of muscles-muscles bulging through-now he's becoming scary, but even though his eyes are becoming black instead of that brilliant gray at least not as deep like Kalob's, it is his stare becoming long and dragged out.

But still I turn my head down. "Why are you suddenly acting like that?"

"Like what?"

"Mad-angry-scary." He shrugs and looks down at me.

After that class pretty much lingered on-me and the boy are quiet, but he still helps me and does his work in tremendous speeds.

"Why are you still here?" He asks. I blink from analyzing him and working in concentration.

"I mean you just got in a car accident-so why come? And sorry for that earlier-I'm kind of angry." Really-no kidding. "I just received a broken wrist and a broken leg-that's all, okay, uh. . . .Seth."

"Oh," he sets my pencil down-on my paper. He blinks-his eyes softening, turning grey again. He grabs my binder, open it, and clip the paper-and slide the pencil in its holder. Then closes my binder softly. "Thanks." I gesture. He nods and picks my stuff up-stands up-and walk around me, and even picks up my bag with one swish of his hand.

"Seth-what are you doing? Sit back down! The bell hasn't rung yet-and-" He sighs-as though he expected her words. "Well-Sophia asked me to take her to class." Well-okay-fine. Go ahead." He nods and looks down, and look at me. I look up at

him-in pure shock and fear.

"Lets go!" He smiles at me in away that's cricked and dark. He puts his free arm

out-grips me, pulling me up with a slight gentleness. And I let him take me out of the room-rather ashamed and embarrass. My head down low as we walk out of class. "How did you do that-how-" He shrugs. "So what class do you have?" He ignores my attempts.

My eyes widen, bulging out-suddenly remembering Lukas. Suddenly-I lean against the lockers. I can't go to class. No-if he's there-well I'll-

Sophia you okay?" He says smooth-but concerned.

Art-I have art-but I don't think I can go-" He suddenly cocks his head-smiles crookedly. "I don't know if you know him-but its Lukas-he's in my class and I don't-" He grinds his teeth suddenly.

"I know!"

I think that over for a moment-processing that short 'I know'.

"What do you mean you know? Like how?"

He shakes his head and say, "Kalob." I sigh, should've known better-he's with him for crying out loud! He turns and walks a couple feet forward before stepping back to me. "Now come on-lets go."

My eyes wide-still thinking of Lukas-the boy who started out nice became very sour-who took advantage of their absent, and took me. . . .

"Its okay-I'm here if your too scared."

I nod-taking strides forward. He walk solemnly behind me. Suddenly the bell rings and when it does we're at the last corner to the class room-no surprise when I start shaking-horrified clear through me. I stare intensely at the class entrance before staring back at Seth. And nod. I turn around and head for my class across the hall. Feeling Seth's presence fade as I walk ahead-dodging kids if I can without a collision. In the middle of the hall I suddenly stop.

More horrified now than I ever was. I blink-then I blink again just to make it clear that I'm not seeing things, that and to see he wouldn't disappear. Like Monday. I'm kind of hoping for that. But he's there, still.

And I stall, hesitate, stumble, gasping for he is here. Should I run? Or face him? No, surely I cant do that, I mean I cant face him. He looks at me-his yellow brown eyes more yellow today. But they're again the same killer eyes. But what I don't understand is why does he have that huge smug smile? It gives me the chills.

He leans with his shoulder against the frame of the entrance. The kids flow pass him and I-his face blurring until they finally died down showing him again. This time seeming closer than before. Run! Run! Run! Run! Now! Suddenly bolts through my head before his voice comes slowly beside me in a tense growl.

"Seth?" I ask, turning my head around. He steps out a little, murmuring something that catches me off guard-so simple-yet so shocking.

And again its there-his words and nobodies else's. "Sophia. . . .back away." I mean its not what you'd expected from Seth. . . .not from him, not from Kalob, not from the other two.

"No. No I-"

"What's all the bickering?"

Suddenly I hear his voice, see his face, smell his filthy dog smell.

"Lukas-" I say almost speechless. I back up in and around Seth, right this second he's making me feel safe-safer than I would without him-and being with Lukas, I couldn't do it alone.

"Kalob told me not to trust you-he was right! All along too. Even Sonia!" He shakes his head.

"I had control over both of their way of seeing things-they didn't, including your friend here, even detect me-some guardians-!" He glares those yellow-brown eyes at me before turning his back to me and glare violently at Seth-but not as nearly as viscous as Seth's glare.

About to argue but stopped, clueless-guardians-what the hell is that suppose to mean? Will someone tell me what the hell is going on!

"Don't get me started kalirai! I will kill you!" Seth baulks up, threatening Lukas. "Now now, not in front of your young token. She's still too-" He growls, "well, you know."

He turns to me and starts to reach for me, but Seth is in front of me in a dime, even before he, Lukas, could do anything.

"Fast you are." He says, smugly.

Then he's walking past us, but saying towards me, I think, anyways. "Yeah, well I'll get you soon, sooner or later." Seth clinches tightly towards his words, words that's directly for me to hear. Why?

He cuts the hall on the corner and head down that hall.

"Seth? What was that all about-and what is it with the killing-and the. . . ." I sigh exhaustedly and unable to figure or piece things together. I'm just tired of all this. . . .and not getting any where. . . .lies. . . .the truth. . . .what is what now? I came, seek for the truth, but either got the opposite or got nothing at all.

Now this. What a situation this is.

"You cant possibly understand how unique and different you are." He bites down trying to calm down.

"No, average, well if you want to call it that." I shrug.

He cracks a smile, "average, right, uh-huh, sure." I laugh, just for a second before fear sets in again.

"Class is about half way through and I'd skipped, or that's what she'll think." "Actually, Sophia. . . .I think its better if you come with me. I must talk to you about something-so maybe its better if you didn't show up in to class, not now-like you said-almost time to finish up and be done with it. "

I look him over suspiciously before nodding my head. "Keep close." He warns me.

He takes me up some hall ways before leading me outside into the parking lot.

"Why did the others leave?" He turns around, "had to take care of unfinished business." He purrs.

He sits on the curb looking out to the car-filled lot. "Sit Sophia." He squints as he looks up at me-"there's something you need to know about us."

I slowly, cautiously sit on the curb next to him, my full attention on him. "We're here because we were recruited out here-just for a girl, to find this one, special girl. We haven't found her until now. Now we have you-and we're failing miserably trying to keep you alive, and safe. But you must know-we may be isolated, stone cold angry jerks, just know we're here for you. And we all decided that you should keep closer where we can always see you."

"So what-your like my angels?"

"No, no not really. You want the truth, there, now you know."

"I want to know more Seth, make since of Kalob's rash and angry way of how he tried to stop me from the truth-by lying or ignoring it."

"He's trying to protect you from the truth, as well but your right, he's a asshole of how he approaches it. So I'm telling you-my way."

I like his way, better, less arguing with him, just a normal conversation.

"What's so bad about the truth that Kalob tries to avoid it all together?"

"He's worried you will see through, and see the darkness and he doesn't want to introduce you to that side-your not ready to see the reality of it. Just please don't carry this, and force Kalob in to telling you, okay? You'll just get him pissed off and that's not pretty."

"Okay," I agree, and swear I wouldn't do it.

"I was serious about killing him-that stupid kalirai." He changes courses again. His voice deep in anger.

"What does that mean-a nickname of some sort?"

"Something of its sort."

Right, and I'm suppose to know-how?"

He stands up in one blur. I look up at him thinking of how that's possible. He turns to me as I stumble upward.

"You sure I'm the right girl?"

"Let's see. . . .your born in Tyler Texas. . . .your name is Sophia Ann Davis. . . ." "Anything I don't recall telling people or people looking at my schedule?"

"Your father is Damen Dwyer Davis-your mother Lauren Ann Edwardson-your birthday. . . .March the sixth. I can go deeper, if you want me to start it off-?"

"No, I get it-but I still don't understand how is this getting me anywhere in the situation I'm in?"

"Yes, Sophia, you're the one." He says off task.

"Don't call me that-that's exactly what Lukas called me-'the one', exactly what's that suppose to mean?"

"Don't worry-its nothing to be frightened of."

"And how about the ellipse-that's from him too." He widen his eyes, gagging almost.

"Don't tell me the ellipse is nothing."

"It isn't-but I would keep that quiet for as long as possible."

"Why?"

"Just because."

"Okay-and thanks for this talk."

He laughs softly before turning away, "I'll see you Sophia."

I'm getting a little better of an understanding-but too many holes still. Too many information, clues missing. Where to go now from this? I don't really know. Don't really have the answers.

So I drive up the drive, spotting Laurens black sports car in the gravel. Oh crap-she's home-early too. I park the car, shut the engine off, and get out, my recent thoughts now blank. Just the image of my mother's face staring at me. . . .waiting in the kitchen. Yeah I see it now.

"Sophia?" I hear her as I walk into the house, slamming the door hard so she'll know its me. Because I really do not want to speak to her, even though the voice I heard was cracked, forced, sounding like she's had a bad day.

A stressful day. I set my bag down, slipped out of my jacket-out of my shoes and walk slowly toward the kitchen. Lauren still in her grey ready-for-work-suit, as I call it. I laugh in side every time I think about it.

"How's the arm, hand, wrist thing sweetie?"

"Alright, I guess." She nods, setting her hand flatly on the table, palm flat down. This is going somewhere, I can feel it. What is this really about, Lauren?

"How's school?" "Uh-fine, I guess. What's going on with you? Why are you home so early?"

"I'm home because I had two calls-that my sister Lyssa just died from a mass sucking the life out of her in the brain-thirty six, only thirty six-years-old." Tears start to arose from her red patched eyes. "She's fought it for three months now. She was healthy, a runner, and then. . . .out of nowhere it gets her. She's a fighter she'll pass it I believed- I even told myself everyday that she would get better. . . ."

"I know mom, I knew she was sick, dad made sure I knew about my aunt Lyssa-he thought that was the right thing to do." Come on Sophia your getting off hand here.

She breathes a jagged, painful breath.

"So you have nothing you want to talk about? Like school?"

Is she talking about eighth period? Me. . . .well, I guess its considered skipping? But Seth-Lukas-right, she wouldn't understand the situation since Lukas is the boy I illegibly skipped school and got into the wreck with.

More like kidnapped me and forced me in-where he and his sister planned, and this is Kalob's theory, to kill me. And just now, now, like end of school now-I understand his theory, and how he may be right-he has with everything else!

"No, I have nothing to say." I grab the smooth corner of the table for support.

"Oh, because your teacher called me and said she was worried about you because you didn't show up in class-does that mean anything to you?!"

"Well Miss Son can get hysterical sometimes. Fine-okay? -good enough for you, mom?" I burst out and I say it like I'm sarcastic, but also like I'm fighting a grizzly-aka Lauren.

"Don't speak to me like that! I'm-I'm grounding you for two and a half weeks-A: for skipping class, I wont except that-and B: because your arguing back to me. I'm your mother, I want some respect from you Sophia! Or I'll send you back to your father."

"Finally-news that I can live with."

Then I hear Lauren stumbling for a response but just ending up sighing, a little coming from the loss of Lyssa, her older sister.

I bolt across the huge house, taking the corner before going up the stairs that's just right there. I slam my door behind me loudly, harder than any door that I slammed before.

I kick some of my things left on the floor. And walk towards my bed, sitting down, and trying to breathe. And then, I reach for my cell, flip it open, and dial the number listed on top. I put it against my ear and wait until he answer-he should have his day off today, like he usually does.

"Hello?" His gruff voice appears after the third ring.

"Dad." The tears over flowing, even in my voice.

"Soph? What's wrong honey?"

"I skipped class-Lyssa died-and I am angry with mom, I argued with her. A little."

"Sophia why did you-" He stops himself-and then I hear him yelling at some one in the back ground. "No! Kevin-over there!"

Kevin's there? Kevin-he'd always annoy us, and make us laugh. Just thinking of them makes me feel a bit better. "Dad?"

"Yeah I'm back. The boys are helping me redecorate the house-your room, though, I'm not touching. The boys found something of yours, they were wondering if you wanted it back."

"What is it?"

"Your old necklace-black with a deep blue that moves every time it flickers-lighter to dark-blacker than night, or almost a grey color."

"Yeah-please send it to me, that's very special to me. Thanks dad." I perk up a fraction from my teary voice. "I want to come home, now."

"But you haven't even gave the place a chance." "I have-but people, mom, its already getting too much."

"Going with someone and drive out of school in their truck, or skipping class isn't your solution, Sophia. Neither is coming home-give it a little more time, then make your decision."

"Dad, please."

"Look at it as a new life, new beginning. But any ways I'll send your necklace to you as quickly as I can. Love you."

"Dad? Dad!" The phone line goes dead, the end of the phone conversation, I guess. I put my thumb over the button that says: end. And I press down.

I flip the phone back closed with my thumb again, setting it down. Guess I'm stuck here, grounded.

I lay directly horizontally across my bed, curling a numb filled ball with endless images running a cycle through my head. Several of them are from Lukas Kalob and the other three-there faces molded in my head. The memories of things that have happened every since I got here, and met them. Now, though, I know they're here to protect me-why I'm not sure yet. And why Lukas wants me so badly and how he's still in contact without a shattered bone in his body, again I don't know. Finding out-I don't know a lot of this situation. What did I get myself into? Why is this sounding more and more like its about me, revolves around my very existence? Again I don't know.

But I know something's up, something so killing it rips through reality itself, splits Kalob, Seth, Sonia, the other boy and Lukas, and maybe his sister. They look, act like a bunch of wild animals when near each other. And how they talk about each other, again it involves in me somewhere in there.

Seth and Kalob already said they wanted Lukas dead. Lukas said he wanted them all to be dead, then me after they're gone. Its like I stepped onto a battlefield or something. I'm just ready for the explosion to go off. My eyes squeeze shut telling myself, "go away, get out of my head all ready!"

Nothing happened. So I decide to drift away and sleep in my ball of pure numb minding.

6. What Happens

I MAKE MY WAY UP THESE SPIRAL STAIRS DARKENED BY SHADOWS,

only slits of white cutting through each other steps from the wood bar railing.

When I make it up, my white wedding dress still pulled from grasping it, tightening as I enter this dark opening-the wooden door easily opening with one tap. Then I hear their voices before the room lightens up, and I'm able to see them staring at me. The beautiful four are right there at the entrance, happy and clapping away my name.

They move to the side as I run through, but robotically they still clap, staring, following their gaze on me as I come to the front and stop, breathing jaggedly as the black, tuxedo dressed boy turns around on the stand with rose pedals surrounded his feet-but his hair sprinkled with black powdery snow. It started to fall over me too.

A crackle happens in the black skies over us, snowing black powdery snow-heavier and heavier.

He reaches his hand out and grabs mine-my foot stepping onto the first golden brown step-like it moved on its own, it has a mind of its own type thing.

"Lukas-I'm here, my love and forever soul mate." Wait did I just say that? Am I dreaming this?

Then the thought of the beautiful four behind us, clapping, fiercely calling my name. What's happening?

"Love, you look beautiful," he holds up a mirror with no frame.

I have a good look at myself: beautiful white laced dress, my hair down a beautiful wave of reddish brown-my eyes purely and horribly horrifying white-no pupils at all. I don't know how he can say I'm beautiful-hideous, monstrously viscous looking is more like it. Where's my emerald green eyes?

Then like I come back in control I step down from the step to the black earth from the snow. Feeling the wind pick up, I turn, my hair flying behind me.

"Your not coming back to that human bodied girl-you belong with the flesh eating stuff out of nightmares monsters. Don't run you can't escape the monster that you all ready are."

I run-as I run the room opens-walls, flooring, me-"I wont become a

monster-!" I yell, hearing Lukas recall back. "You already are, my love."

"No!" I flash my eyes open, flattening my back to the bed, slowly prompting myself up.

Realizing I was still in my room, and moments ago, curled in a ball. So it was a dream-a nightmare I should say. Thank god we didn't get to the 'I do' part. Immediately I walk for the mirror-the long body sized, oak frame mirror. I am clothed in my jeans and my comfortable long sleeve purple and grey sweatshirt. Stripped. My hair mangled with sweat, tangled over my shoulder. My eyes emerald green with pupils in each eye too. I put on my Pjs and relax in my bed under the covers.

When its time to go to school, I go to the bathroom and brush my hairand teeth. Bizarrely uncomfortable and still feeling like I've woken up and a monster is still staring at me. Is that right? A monster-I'm the monster.

Tired and beat. I step back, leaning against the wall. Finally I face myself in the mirror. Nothing. Am I seeing things? At first I walk out of the bathroom and head down stairs where I see Lauren is gone. After I hit it in the kitchen I see a yellow piece of paper neatly placed on the table, noting:

Sophia,

This is a reminder for you to know that I'm off, but I'm heading for L.A. So you'll be on your own. Be responsible! Remember, your grounded-call if needed.

I grab the note, crumbling it up and dunking it in the trash. Without wasting another minute, I grab my bag and head out. I drive into the parking lot that's about full and park in my usual spot. Getting out and headed towards the school building I past cars and people-and here and there they would say hi to me. But I nod, only to rush across the stretch of pavement before getting on the concrete sidewalk that leads toward the school. But not quite there yet, I'm minding my own, personal, mindless business-I'm interrupted by this thunderous, over the top loud noise ripping by, closing in.

I turn my head and see this motorcycles ripping into the parking lot rushing toward me-squealing, and turning to its side before it stops completely-a boy stares at me through the black helmet that's on, the shield over his face and down as well. The bike stalls, only muffling soft noises now.

Only to be ripped back as the boy twist the handle that rips it alive again, squealing down my row that I came from, parking by the Shelby. I hurried inside and rush inside my class room. I look onwards and see Eddy and Alex-but saw no Kalob. Of course I shrug. No problem for me that he's not here. I head for my seat when I hear a voice behind me say, "again in the way Sophia. . . ." I turn in response to my name-watching as I'm proven wrong, proven that he's here. Black leather, dark tented sunglasses and all. The whole biker-bad boy look.

"Excuse me?"

"When I was on the bike-you were crossing to go to school."

He explain angrily-but what else would he say? Its not like he shows other emotions besides anger-nothing and I mean nothing but a ball of anger he is.

"That was you? Jerk! You almost ran me over!"

"Your being irrational right now. I had, and will always have control, especially around you-Sophia." He walks closer and grab my bag and books before I had the chance to latch on real tight, or pull away. He walks over to my desk and put my books on my

desk-putting my bag down as well, by the front leg of the desk-just like he did before in seventh when he and all of them disappeared with the blond, but for some reason Seth staid behind.

"There, Sophia, you got it from here?"

"If its so difficult for you-I have Eddy-Alex-they'll help me. You don't have to. Geesh, you act like I tell you to, sorry, order you to do these things for me." He growls towards my words. He looks at them and shakes his head.

"No, never-how will they help you, they-err, you know, fine let them do it! See if I care!"

He turns and walk out of class like it didn't bother him at all if he skipped or not. "So how was your nights? Anything?" I come to sit in my seat, looking at Eddy before looking at Alex.

"No" They both say, "nothing," Eddy adds on.

"You?" He continues to talk. And for some, weird reason I just shake my head like I'm avoiding a question from a stranger.

"Hey-why is he still bothering you-after all what could he want? I swear I thought it would've passed after the first week. Geesh you think he'd get over it. But since day one he's been at it and still is." Eddy points out.

"Uh-huh." I hear him, but it just comes in one ear and out the other. Even though he's kind of right about that.

Class ends and I tell Eddy and Alex bye before parting ways headed down the hall, I stop and step back hearing Kalob yelling so loud his voice scares me, and sends chills down my spine as I hear his words so clearly.

"How much does she know? What? That we're monsters too, blood drinking demons?"

"Shut up idiot!" Seth pushes Kalob back. "She's here! You asshole."

I step back, but unfortunately he knows that I'm here. He knows, how does he know? Then I see that I'm no longer in the protection of the corner that I was hiding behind.

"Damn it Seth!" He punches the locker beside Seth's head, roaring angrily.

A normal, rational person would've jumped, flinched. . . .react in some way. But Seth doesn't do anything, motionless as he was five seconds ago. Kalob then turns around half way towards me and half away from Seth. Kalob is stopped by Seth's hand that grabs him by surprise. Kalob's anger surging and surging to a high degree.

"Monster?" I whisper quietly. "What the hell is that suppose-"

Then I remember Seth's conversation with me-with Kalob and how he was worried I would see through, and see the darkness and he doesn't want to 'introduce me to that side.' That I wasn't ready to see the reality of it. Of course I couldn't make since out of it. But maybe he was trying to tell me something more, a warning, a sign that says go back, turn around and go back from where you came.

This is exactly what it was a warning to me-here, right now the monsters. The dark side he, or I suppose he, was talking about. Even though I don't know what that means, monster, maybe I do, but it doesn't change anything. Doesn't change that they're here hiding something, something darker than anything here, anything meaning-me-

them-somehow involving Lukas as well somehow, and what ever the ellipse is, which I have to be quiet about it. Again I'm stuck here at the end that's clueless and empty with little information on anything about this whole situation that got me tangled in so many knots. But now this new word monster comes up. So what? What do I do? Bolt and do the I saw nothing, heard nothing, innocent routine?

Like that'll pass around them-especially how I've been on them, lately that's all I have been doing. I would have sympathy on them if they told me the truth and the whole truth, about them, Lukas, why I'm being called 'the one', about the ellipse, maybe even why Lukas took me and wants me dead.

"What do you want from-" I cut off by someone's claws pushing me down.

I catch myself and turn to see a boy and his apologetic expression. "Sorry." He reaches his hand in surrender and walks on.

The flow of traffic continuing in a normal rate again after he passed-like he didn't even notice the gruesome boy behind me ready to punch someone's face out. And why do I have the feeling its all coming for me-my fault, I stumbled into their argument. A argument that led to Kalob saying, and this is what he said: 'blood drinking demons'.

I turn around to him and then he grabs my wrist and pushes me against the wall, squeezing the upper part of my arms.

"What did you see?"

I look at him scared he might hurt me. His eyes blackened and his nose snarled. "What did you see, Sophia, what did you see, answer me!"

Jerking me against the wall, he ravages on.

"Stop! Stop it your hurting me!" With tears streaming down my face.

He let go of my arms backing up. There are two imprints where he was squeezing my arms; I wipe my tears away with my good hand.

"Kalob! We cant get out of line-stick with the plan-remember? She relies on us to-" Seth pulls him back, Seth still pleading.

Kalob narrows his eyes at me and walks away.

"Seth!" I call out as he follows-looking at me for a half of a second before fading out of view in the still crowded hall with Kalob. I saw nothing, except just now of course. A beast ripped out of Kalob, and came into action like never before. That's exactly what I saw.

Monsters? Blood drinking demons?

What is this all coming to? Why must I be in it when its happening too?

When I make it to English the bell just rings-so Mr. Casp just nods at me when I step into the class still, he hasn't closed the door yet so I was happy about that. So I sit in my seat by some kid that I still have no idea his name, and really, I don't want to know or find out. Class goes on and finally ends-the morning continues, and passes just as fast as any normal day, but this day isn't, wasn't going to be a normal day just because of the incident after first period.

Then finally after fifth period I walk out surprised when I see Seth and Sonia waiting across the hall by the lockers. I stare at them while they stared at me. I decide to come closer, but freeze when they're not there anymore. I move on to meet Alex and Eddy at our usual spot.

"No! Let me take that-give your arm a rest!" Eddy takes my stuff, letting me feel a sense of relief. I sigh softly.

"Thanks, Ed." I guess we're close enough now to call each other by nicknames. Ed just seem to work.

"Uh. . . .well, okay Soph." I stop to laugh at him.

"What-what is it, don't like it?" He frowns a bit, trying to be mad.

"That's what my father calls me! So yeah I do like it Eddy. Its fine for you to use it too."

"Good-you kind of freaked me out." He laughs. I look over my shoulder back to the lockers to see if they're there following, but they're not there, so I relax and turn back to Eddy and Alex. "Hey since this Friday is Christmas Break you wanna hang out." Alex asks finally after thinking it through.

"Wish I could, really, but I'm grounded."

"For what?" Eddy says shockingly.

"Skipping class and arguing with Lauran."

They stop and look at me. "Your mom?" They both say at the same wavelength.

I nod, getting mad at myself that I even said something. Keep quiet like I usually do and I'll be fine. But this is kind of a mess right now.

"That's stupid." Eddy grumbles. I nod in agreement.

"We're going to a Xmas Party. We wanna invite Ben and Correy to come, but wanted to ask you first sinse you're closer as a friend than they are." She continues. "Speaking of-they're probably waiting for us too." Eddy says.

I nod, and sigh.

When we have our trays we set out to our table where Corey and Ben sits, eating, ravaging a conversation, sitting across from each other. Which I thought is odd since how they always sit next to each other. Eddy and Alex sit down and settle in, ignoring that little difference.

"Come and sit with us Sophia-relax with your pals." Eddy says overly enthusiastic.

"Actually I. . . .okay."

"You'll be sitting with us today." Her voice soft, and carried out to hear.

"Sonia?" I turn around and see Sonia right there too.

"Sophia must I talk to you?" She cocks her head to the side, pointing towards her and the others table across the cafeteria along the side wall.

"Sophia? Your not going with her, right?" Eddy turns and asks the question. Alex turns towards me as well. And the boys-they just look up, not quite sure what's happening. That's fine, they don't have to.

"Yeah, uh, I'll see you guys later. Okay?" I nod confirming them.

Then I turn my back towards my small group of friends, leaving them to follow Sonia nervously.

My urge of wanting to get answers is greater than hanging with a group of my friends-talking in non-sense-no offense to them.

"Is it true that you've been digging for answers, trying to get your own answers? Getting more nosey?"

I nod my head, embarrass to say its true. She looks at me, a eyebrow raised as she stares deep into me. "Well. . . .is it true what Kalob said? About being monsters? And if

so-what exactly are you?" I whisper, but arguing my case.

"I wouldn't even try to figure it out, if I was you Sophia. Why are you trying so hard-stop trying! Sophia, just stop!"

I turn to her. "Fine. . . .I will, if, if you and the others will-"

"No-defiantly not!"

"But you don't know what I was about to say."

"Yeah-I do, kind of, stop thinking about it because we'll never leave!"

I shake my head. She finally tenses up, looking deep through me, as if she was actually looking through me-horror marks her face.

"Are you-"

"Come on, Sophia!" she yells demandingly as she turns and grabs my good arm to pull across the room to their table. The boys stare at me-Kalob stands up angrily, walking away.

"Kalob! Kalob stop! Damn it!" Sonia hollers. But Kalob just keeps walking. "We need you to be here!" She purrs softly towards him-but Kalob just fades away with no reaction at all to her.

We sit silently the rest of the lunch period-what a waste of time. I got nothing-no information! Biology came and went without any signs of any of them-except Seth, he was the only one who was present.

He gave me a couple of glances towards my way, protective-like. But that's pertty much it. Then in Art Lukas wasn't there at all so I am able to work on my project and the finishing work it needs. It was pretty good because at the end of the period I was able to turn it in.

Finally the bell rings and I'm finally free from this horrible, hectic day.

So when I'm in the parking lot and at my car, I see Kalob by the motorcycle, grasping the black helmet in between his hands, staring down at it. Seth leans into Kalob from the Shelby and whispers something in his ear-then Kalob slides the helmet on.

Wait-where was he in class? I wanted to come over and yell: where the hell were you?! What was your reasoning to skip class?!

I watch as he throws his leg over the bike, starting it, and then backing it out before ripping down the parking lot. Racing behind it is the Shelby and Seth driving it. And for what I see is the others weren't in it-just the driver Seth.

I open my door and throw my bag in, sliding in and shutting the door. I start the engine and drive out of the space, driving down the row, before cutting the corner.

7. Carved

THE NEXT MORNING, I GET DRESS IN SOME WARM JEANS, A SWEATER, AND MY COAT SO BIG, and warm enough. . . .even for me.

I slid that on and scurry for the door, skipping breakfast for I'm not hungry. So when I head into the parking lot, I notice the Shelby isn't parked. I defiantly think it's sus-

picious-why were they late, they're always on time?

Even though I rush to class, I'm still late to History.

"Hey, did you notice Kalob isn't here?" Eddy whispers in my ear from behind me. "Isn't great?" I nod my head silently, still suspicious why he isn't here. Kind of wanting the comfort of them being here, not necessarily him, though. Then, Alex turn in her desk to look at me, "happy Friday!"

"Hey, is it too late for me to still come to the X-mas party?"

Alex smile, hugely. "No," then she frowns. "But I thought you were grounded?"

"I am, but Lauran is out of town, tending a funeral. My aunt that lives in California died."

She nods her head and whispers softly, "so your coming, great!" then she turns around in her desk for a moment before turning to me and giving me a scrap of paper.

"That's the address and all that junk." I smile, "great, thanks." I open up my binder, and slip it in one of the pouches inside, easily slipping it in.

When class is over I walk with Alex and Eddy before separating at the door. When in English I get pushed by this boy, angrily pushing his way out the door. I, unfortunately was in his direct path. I look behind myself following the rude boy with my eyes before sitting in my seat. I took out my English assigment and sighed as the bell finally rings.

So I wait for the teacher to collect it before relaxing into my desk and spacing into my thoughts. The class seems more slow as it passes, its going to be a long last day till Christmas break.

Every year at this time always brought me happiness-to be out of school and spend Christmas with my father; hanging ornaments on his deer's antlers. Each one in the house had something on them, unfortunately not all are my proudest moments. But dad thought getting a Christmas tree was a waste. Now instead of happiness-I feel a bit dreadful.

The class ends, and I collect my stuff, walking out of class. . . .and walking to my next class. I didn't stop running until when the French room appears. I sit in my class and this boy that sits nexts to me looks ill and has piles of tissues on the corner of his desk-and I instantly lean closer, asking, "are you okay?" He nods, swiping one of his tissues and stuffing it against his nose, blowing hard. "The cold, just the cold." he says in a weezing voice.

After the regular routines-classes, paper work, people to deal with-its finally time to go home. So I get in my car, not bothering to look if any of them are there-cause they're not. So I get in my car and head to the house. On my way to the house, I start to think about how its been-the weeks fly, and, well I'm happy that I'm not getting on the peoples nerves yet. Having to deal with me, trouble trouble trouble. . . . .it seems to follow me in this new town.

So I'm finally at the house, in my room-pulling out my wardrobe and it's a small one when it comes to something dressy enough to even go to parties, or anything nice like that. So I decide to pick a outfit I've never wore before-never even took the tags off yet. Its red and layered in loose waves down the front and turning down the side and coming down into a long layer of small waves in the back.

It splits down to the legs and opens up to a full blown puff of a bow in the back too. The only dress I own, really, not like I go and use them, makeup, the whole-I-want-my hair done-shoe thing, its not my cup of tea, never have been. But what could go wrong at my friends party-its just a party what is the worse that could happen?

So I get dress into the red velvet dress and then I put everything back in my closet. I walk in front of the long bodied mirror and grab my hair, pulling it up with my fingers as if in a ponytail, holding it there for a moment-just long enough to check myself on each side, and front and back as well before letting it all fall down my shoulder, and pass my collar bone and continue to fall with the rest falling down the mid section of my back.

I brush it out and make it look decent. But who am I kidding? Myself? I'm never going to stand out, and be graceful looking. So I grab the coat hanging up, and walk out. So I follow the piece of paper and the directions on it. Down to this high class neighborhood. I feel out of place, and undressed to be here, in this neighborhood-then I follow the paper directions and turn.

Suddenly I'm on this street that looks run down, like no one has touched it for years

-houses boarded up-glass on the sidewalks and the rim of the streets-garbage just laying around to waste. Then-a sign, a white with black lettering sign posted on a broken street light, I drive further, then another on a faded stop sign. Telling me to turn right. I see I'm back to the rich neighborhood.

Did I just take a detour? I think to myself. There's more signs before finally I make it to this huge three story grey-blue house. I park at the curb-all ready there's so many cars parked on the lawn in front and on the drive as well as the street. "Sophia! Sophia!" I hear Alex's strained voice, forcing excitement. I step out of my car, noticing I'm so out class

-my little Colbalt doesn't have a chance compared with these huge SUV's and these sleek cars like wow, these are teenagers? With these expensive cars-can't imagine what their parents drive.

"Hey!" I wave but instantly getting thrown to the side by some jock with a football in hand rams me.

"You okay?"

I feel her hand holding my elbow, pulling me straight.

"This is my sister! Knock it off!"

The jock smiles in a way it's cruel, and mean. "Come on Soph! Come inside!" She grabs my good arm and pull me toward the house, passing other jocks, some clinging to these prep girls who thinks they're better and cooler than anyone here-especially people like me.

"You look nice by the way," she spares me a glance as she pants heavily. She leads me inside into the crowd weaving around the stairs that we first hit when we came in right in front of the door.

The room is uneasily bright with decorations everywhere that's green and red plastered randomly on every surface except the floor-instead the floor is covered lightly with a purplish silver dusting. Looked to be snow. Banners hangs low from the ceiling. And so she drags me across the huge and I'm not exaggerating when I say huge, it is a really huge, living room!

But its kind of hard to tell when there's so many bodies filling it, dancing, some any ways-but mainly they're either sitting or standing with some type of beverages-all seemed to have someone hooked around their waist, in some way or another. And Alex has Eddy-if we can find him.

Coming to a corner after shoving our way through-the music calmer now than in the living room-strange, no Christmassy songs either-just normal tunes blasting out speakers by the walls corners and a few cuffed to the ceiling.

Then before disappearing into the, well, massive kitchen I see this ceiling tall Christmas tree-filled with gold ribbons and gold ornaments which seemed to just glow with up rise of the light, I'm guessing-whatever the case, its glowing and it's the very first Christmas tree I've seen in my life except for in those dumb sing-along Christmas commercials.

I feel Alex grip loosen when she says, "hey, Sophia? You okay? Your acting as if-"

"As if what-like this was the first Christmas tree I've ever seen? -it is." I sigh still in awe.

"Oh, you poor deprived child."

then I add to make it wore as it all ready is, "I got stuck decorating deer heads and their antlers as my Christmas tree-even had present for each I decorated-over the years I kind of caught on and realized it was worth nothing except for my father watching me rushing all over the house three days before Christmas."

And what? For a lousy present? His amusement?

"Oh the good days of being a child," she breathes, dozing off as I blabber about my child hood-playing the Christmas tree on my fathers prized trophies.

"Well at least you had fun doing it-you didn't have a tree, but you made do's on what you did have, right?" I nod to that.

"Well, don't tell any one-but I'll let you share our tree, you can split my half with me."

She couldn't help but to laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up!" I push her playfully. Then I realized, just realized that she wears a beautiful royal blue dress-gorgeously laced shoulder straps, and the silk dress curving down her body lining perfectly with her. "Hey, you look nice too, Al!"

She laugh louder, "your slow."

"Am not!"

"Are too!" she turns skipping to the kitchen, "come on slow poke!"

She's right, I was kind of slow about that-I'm usually analyzing as soon as I come in. . . .not this time, I guess too worried about the crowd-and now this amazing Christmas tree it fills me with awe.

I reach inside me to stop staring at the tree and follow Alex into the massive steel kitchen. There I see Eddy staring at us-me now that Alex moved quickly out of dodge. "Hey, hon." She walks around the bar lightly touching his throat with the tips of her fingers, lean in and kissing Eddy on the lips before pulling back to turn and look at me. Hon? Kissing on the lips-wow they're stepping it up there, aren't they?

"Congratulations guys, I'm happy for you." I smile at them hugely.

"Oh, gee, Sophia, thanks for coming! How's the arm and the leg?"

"You asked me that just at the cafeteria at school, remember-it's fine Eddy?!"

I smack him with my left hand gently on his bare skin of his arm, below where his white sleeve dress shirt is folded.

"Hungry-we got plenty of-" Eddy sounds like the perfect model for a salesperson. Funny.

Then Alex waves her hands bewilderedly between me who is now on the corner across Eddy, and him himself.

"No, no, no-food later-dance now-! My best friend in the world and my"-she gleams a smirk towards Eddy's way-"boyfriend are here-AND IF COREY AND BEN GET HERE SOON, them too!" she starts to raise her voice in the midst of her, weird excitement all the suddenly.

She brings me and Eddy together in both of her arms. "So lets-this is my song!" She totally loses focus, turns around and grab Eddy's arm, and on the last second he turns and grabs my good wrist-dragging me in as well.

"Wait-I-I don't-I can't dance!" I screech.

"Your coming anyways!" He explains as we're pulled to the dance floor, or as it's know, the living room-people starting to crowd more together as they start to dance.

So Alex start to raise her hands freely, moving her waist like free flowing current in the water, laughing, and smiling as she murmurs the lyrics softly as she lays one hand down grabbing Eddy, and pulling him in to her, dancing smoothly, agilely as he struggles to keep up with her rhythm, stumbling.

And my poor attempt to dodge people who were dancing-and at that attempt, I might've looked like I'm dancing and I'm not-not at all-I just have a thing with huge crowds trying to run me down, and I have no where to go but to stay put.

Then Alex looks over slowing down-giving poor Eddy a break to breathe.

"You want to dance with me?" A low whispery voice said behind me-I freeze, and get knocked and rammed over by a couple dancing. And they carry on as if they did no such thing, no harm-not even to see I'm fine.

"Sophia," Alex spits at me like it was some secret that had to be unrevealed. "There's a hot-gorgeous boy behind you-turn around!"

She turns and start dancing again, more fluently through the floor with Eddy-every one is just a absent compared to them, to her. I turn to see him-a boy my age-tall, very muscular, his expression soft and tender.

"Hi!" The music mixes within his voice as he tries to speak.

"What?!" I yell over the music.

But then he pulls me into him, dodging a girl swirling back from her stand and the boy she's dancing with. Recoiling back to him, her blond curls sway in the back.

"Thanks," I say, too low to hear over the loud blasting music.

"Your welcome." He says, but to hear my voice was implausible.

I look up at him and say, "I'm not a good dancer."

"I'll let you step on my feet." He says loudly, but to my ears it is just right-with all this music blasting everywhere it is perfect.

"Fine, Mr. I can step on your feet. But I'm warning you-I'm kind of a klutz." "Okay, Miss klutz," he smiles down at me and laugh as if he knew who I was, and that we are the best of friends.

Kidding like nothing. I reach out for his black tux with a white under shirt shown a bit.

"So dance to the next song? This one is all ready gone and done almost. Anyways-I don't know the lyrics to that song-you?"

I shake my head, "none of it." I admit.

"Miss klutz? Why are you reaching for my shirt?"

"Sorry, its kind of not neat there-right there." I wiggle my pointed index finger to the spot that's bothering me. He instantly take my word in consideration and rubbed on his tux, blushing under his soft brown skin on his cheeks.

"Thanks." he seem happier now, and not so embarrassed.
"No problem, Mr. I can step on your feet."

I slap his chest with my good hand.

"What happened to your hand?" I shake my head, hiding my bad hand shamefully behind my back. "And your leg?" He continue to examine, looking down directly to my leg.

"Car accident-its nothing."

"Oh, okay Miss-you know, never mind about calling you Miss klutz-I sound even to myself mean saying it."

"Your fine-how do you feel about me calling you Mr. I can step on your foot?" "That don't bother me-I've been called worse-a scandal, a pest, a society out cast. . . ."

I make a pout of my face and stick out my lower lip just enough to make the face work. Then I add, "oh, gosh that's horrible. . . .for someone so nice."

He stiffens, grimacing quickly. "You. . . .think. . . .I'm nice?"

He pauses, staring past me, over my shoulder. "Didn't I ask you to dance"-he gleams a smile back at me for a moment, after I realized a new song is coming on-"come on, I believe I did, didn't I my mystery girl?" He giggles-grabbing my good hand, and pulling me in.

At first we start off calm, and its gentle-but as the song progress we progressed. Moving along the open living room like we owned it. And at first-like the klutz I claimed to be, I prove it by tripping over his and my shoes. But then, not missing a beat he see's I'm struggling lifts me on to his shoes of his feet and carried me along gracefully.

He tells me this like a whisper in the blurry night that is the people watching-making a circle as we dance, what feels like forever now.

"You're a good dancer," his whisper is also a shallow panting.
"No, no I'm not-its you-all you." I gasp as he twirls me-my red velvet dress waves around my body like mini saucers.

"Stop"-I gasp, trying to separate the room, the people from him, and his face-"they. . . .they may think we're a couple or. . . .something more-"

"Let them think whatever they want-I want to cherish this moment, these seconds when I met you, a mystery-the mystery girl who has stolen my heart for these minutes, hours-the time or place don't matter right now, okay-you agreed to dance, and I-"

"And I love this I do, but what if it doesn't even matter when this song, this party ends-we'll go our separate ways?"

"If it does end it'll end at its own time, and we'll go our separate ways like it shows us, but if it chooses for our path to stay together-well there's no stopping it." He finally stops, panting, and leaning my body away bending backwards with his huge hand holding my head. Suddenly frozen, still panting as we stand in the middle of the circling crowd. He slowly brings me up straight as the music stops, silence between us and the room. But when the next song comes and is starting, I hear the boy ask me something. "Can I ask you what your name is-?"

I nod, unable to say, yes, my name is Sophia! Not a word comes out until I feel his unusual overly hot skin touching mine.

I look over and around-scanning faces over on top of faces-crying, yes, I start to cry. I feel as if I'm suddenly on stage, people watching me, judging me. Suddenly I feel hot, clammy as my blood boils beneath my sweaty fingertips gripping him still. I finally look up at him, apologetic. "I'm-I'm sorry-I got to-," suddenly I slip away.

Trying to escape, to run I don't get very far-only two steps before I feel him grab my arm.

"Where are you-?"

"Let go!" I screech. "Your making it-making it worse-let go-!"

I pull on my arm to escape his grasp. I feel the rip of my sleeve from his gripping, but suddenly he lets go of his grip.

I watch his face masked in horror. Then it changes to something. . . .but I don't stay long enough to see what. I charge through the moving bodies of the crowd trying to find a way out-my target, the door.

"Sophia! Sophia!" I hear Alex's voice screaming some where in the crowd-but I can't pin point her exact location.

So I continue on, pushing, shoving my way through. So I'm finally there-by the door. I stop, taking a breath, or two before ripping open the door. I walk out, sitting down on the steps.

I put my face in my hands-crying freely now.

"Sophia, Sophia you all right?" I look up and over my shoulder seeing Alex shutting the door quietly. "Hey, Sophia-why didn't you stop-didn't you hear me, better yet see me? You were looking right at me."

"I was?"

She nods, sitting down next to me. Then she turns to look at me, saying, "oh, Sophia, don't cry-please. Its not worth it. Not at all."

"Alex. . . .," I lean my head on her shoulder, ". . . .what have I done?" My voice scratchy, still able to hear the tears in my voice.

I wonder if she noticed. "Nothing-you've done nothing at all. But I will tell you that you were gorgeous-how you danced with that boy, just marvelous Sophia. I didn't know you could, you were so graceful, agilely talented. Why didn't you tell me you could dance?"

I lean away from her shoulder, sniffling as I face Alex. "I'm not. . . .I mean I can't, not at all!"

"You sure? I know what I saw. . . .you were dancing your heart out with him. . . .by that, does him have a name? And why did he make you cry?"

"A: that wasn't me dancing-it was him-all him. And B: he didn't-"
Suddenly I freeze when I hear the door opening from behind me again. Suddenly I see him, the boy turning and stepping down. I look away, not wanting to face him, to let him see I'm crying, that'll just be another disaster waiting to happen.

Alex turns to him, I watch as she shakes her head-stand up and yelling, "what did you do to my sister to make her so upset?" She rages on.

"Nothing," I look back at him, wanting to see what his expression is, why, I'm not sure myself. He stares at me, then he I looks at Alex.

"Well you did! You had to of-you see, she's crying, disheveled. . . .are you happy?" He shakes his head and adds, "I didn't do anything-all I did was ask her what her name was. . . .help me here, will yah?!" He says towards me.

But I just shake my head and stand.

"Alex, please. . . .I freaked, I did it-I panicked and I ran. See now?"

"Freaked? Panicked? Sophia-what for?" Suddenly I blush bright red.

"I-I don't know. I was-I felt like people were watching, judging me. I felt as if I would pass out. I was sweaty, burning hot. . . ."

I put my head down, hearing how dumb it sounds. Man I'm such a idiot.

"No, your wrong-I'm serious about it, they were staring at you like you were the greatest-most attractive-most graceful person on stage. If you were on stage that is." He smiles at me.

"They weren't judging, you see?" Alex replies. Him and I both look at her.

"Al, your not helping," I warn as I hear a soft laugh from the boy. "Al? Alex? Which is it?" He politely says, cocking his head toward her, slipping down the step and in between us.

"Alex!" She hisses at him. "Only my friends can call me Al-strangers call me Alex, okay dude?"

He towers over her, watching carefully. "Dude?" He growls. "My name isn't dude-it's Edwen, okay Alex?"

She narrow her eyes in a fussy rage. "So? Does it matter what your name is, huh?" "Well-" He adds.

"Guys! Stop!"

They turn, hardening before reaching to face me.

"Alex," I plead, my face heating up in a flame.

"Don't say another word-you'd rather be with your new boyfriend instead! Am I right-I guess that's what I get for thinking to stand up for you?!" She says, pushing her way pass him and ripping the door open to go inside.

"Err! Damn it I'm messing everything up-everything gone!"

I step down, sitting down. The small saucers of waves of my dress coming around me, drooping down and over the cement steps. I bend down and hugging my knee with the good arm while the bad stays resting on my lap. I feel the overbearing heat of his skin around me, pulling me in to his chest suddenly.

"No! What do you want?"

I get out of his grasp, flying back, hitting the rail with my head. "Ow," I lean forward stiffly, rubbing my head.

"Sophia? That's your name right? You okay?"

I narrow my eyes, "no, I'm not okay! I want you to stay away-jerk! Its your fault!" I yell like venom. "Why did you have to ask me to dance anyways? Why ask my name? Why bother to come out here? Why, uh. . . ."

"Edwen. And I came out here because I was worried I might've done something-for crying out loud you were crying, panicking and looking at the crowd like-"

"Like what? A idiot who has no control of her feelings?"

"That's not what I was about to say!" He growls, gripping his hand on the firm structure of the cement step above the one we're sitting on now, leaning closer to me. Inches, only inches to my face-I practically can feel his breath, heavy and hot.

"Do you-" Suddenly he flashes his eyes down to me, eyes widening.

"What? What's wrong with you?" No movement, no sign in reacting to my question. "Hello, you okay?" He still stare, not moving at all.

Finally he lifts his face up and look me in the eyes. "Are you-no, you can't-she's powerful, destructive. . . .monstrous."

"You've lost me. . . ."

He backs away from me, and stare, as if right through me, at my throat.

"Whoa! What the-" He flies up to his feet quickly.

"What?" "I think something just told me to"-he steps forward, getting ready to sit down again-"get away from you, except it didn't say that really. Really what it said was get away from us!"

"Your hearing things!" I squeal.

"I'm serious-and it came from you, I think, I believe, no I know it did!"

I shake my head, "I didn't say anything."

"No-but she did-" His eyes so huge in distress and horror.

"Who?" I scream impatiently. "Sophia the monster spoke to me!"

"Hey, wait a minute! I'm not a monster! So, okay-" I stand up on my feet. Geesh, is it me-or is this kid crazy? "You're a lunatic, you know that?" He shrugs shamefully. "Because, well, I'm Sophia-not a monster!"

"So," he starts, finally saying something in the silence that's been going on for a few seconds.

"I think your right. . . .I'm losing it, sorry about that. I mean, come on your just a girl."

"What? Your just a boy, aren't cha?"

He laughs, "yeah, a boy who actually believed the legend-crazy, right? A legend! Of all things!"

He continues to laugh staring carefully, with those cautious eyes.

"A legend? Like a story?"

He snaps out of his good mood and start to turn and start to walk away.

"Hey!" I scream, and continue when that didn't work, "stop, please!" I plead whiningly. He looks back at me with soft, tender eyes.

"But I though you wanted me a way, don't you?"

"That was before you called me a monster and started to freak out like a lunatic, that is. Now I'm curious-much more curious!"

He walks a bit closer before saying, "nothing that is or should be even talked about." I shake my head, "I bet that's not true-but anyways, how did you get invited to the party, if you don't mind me asking?"

He laughs exploding it all in front, to my face. "I didn't get invited-I sort of invited myself here."

"What?" I say, kind of stunned to hear this news.

"Yeah, I was dressed up-so I figured, why not? You?"

"Uh, a friend invited me-but, I got to admit, there's a lot of rich brats in there. I didn't think she knew all that many people, they're-snobs!"

He nods in agreement.

"But don't tell, okay?"

Then he pretends to be zipping his lips closed and throwing the key away. I laugh because it's hilarious to watch.

"Thanks." I sigh still laughing a little. "I appreciate this-so much!"

"Oh, so, what? You don't think-"

But I don't let him finish-instead I turn, laugh a quick, sharp and not lasting either, laugh. Then I go and walk up the steps to rip the door open and feel the heat bursts through-it feels so good! And then I step up and to the house-leaving Edwen behind me.

I pause right there, too, but then again I remind myself that I should leave, really leave-that I'm still so angry with him-so angry.

At least that's what I kept telling myself, that and I found it in me a little burst of anguish still beating heavy inside so I made myself presume that's what it is. I slam the door behind me.

Walking towards the stair case where this boy has his arm around a brunet haired girl and a drink raised up in the other hand-a yellow brown liquid in the large bottle-beer it looks like.

"Hey-hey you." He says towards me. I stop and look at him, noticing his long straight cut hair going down pass his ears. He sounds drunk as he releases his grip from around her neck.

"Yes?" I say shyly.

"Do you like?" He wavers back and forth.
"Excuse me?"

"You like the party?"

I nod still shyly. "Oh, yeah." I try to make my voice strong and for sure-but when the actually words came out they are soft and wavering.

"Well, now. . . ."

"Noah what are you. . . .doing to the poor girl?" She, the brunet, says, looking up at me-then at him.

"Nothing but-" Suddenly this song comes on and the girl stand up.

"Oh-my-god this is our song-the best song ever!" She screams in his ear, then he grimaces in reaction.

She stands and is jerking the boy up-his hand tilting back, spilling a bit of the yellow drink down to the carpeted steps.

"Sorry-" her words sharp and quick towards me as she runs around the short corner around me.

"Katharina slow-" The boy murmurs, barely hearable and also very wavering in the drunkest way.

"Soph?" I hear my name being called after the duo has disappeared. Its Eddy's voice that I hear.

I turn, walking shortly towards the wide open living room, pushing through the moving bodies-now more active. Then I find him, he's holding a silver round platter with reddish drinks in small glass cups and a fancy white dish in the middle of them with shrimp and other sea food that I don't recognize.

"God, am I happy to see you! So your serving food and drinks?" I smile, taking a glass of the red liquid filled glass.

"Uh, Sophia I, uh

wouldn't-" But I'm chugging the reddish drink down before he could finish, so instead he says, "well, okay, then." I lay the empty glass on the circular saucer-like tray.

"WOW!" I scream enthusiastic. "That's delicious, Eddy."

But he just nods, like he's just a robot being moved by a controller, or something like that.

"What a kick-wow!"

I snatch another glass, putting my lips against it, tilting it so I could chug it down, but I'm stopped by Eddy saying, "hey, uh, do you know what your doing-I mean are you okay on this?"

"On what, Ed?" He tilts his hand back with the tray, showing his concerning expression.

"On this-drinking so fast-and so"-he pauses, trying to figure out a nice approach to my rapid reactions-"well many times, I mean if you keep this drinking you'll end up-no Sophia!"

I ignore his speech, I mean I'm just drinking some wow this is a kicker juice at my friends party-why is he making this a big freaking deal?

I chug the red liquid then I place it on his silver tray. I grab another and chug that as well when they're gone I yell at Eddy, saying, "get me more-" He shakes his head and pull the trey away.

"Oh, no, no, no!" "Eddy-if your my friend, my true friend you'll go back wherever you got this magical juice and come back and give it to me. Now!"

He nods unwillingly, but turns back and disappears towards the thickest, most wildest side into the crowd.

I wait there and wait. He comes back with the tray in hand with the glasses bordering it, as well in the middle.

I GRAB one and start to chug it down, of course, suddenly I hear Eddy say, "hey hon, over here! Yeah-over here Al!"

"Oh, Sophia-your drinking-" She cuts off when she see's Eddy shake his head. "What?!" I slur. I set the small glass on his trey, now its lowered in front of him, closes to his chest now he's. . . .relaxed a bit.

"Oh," I waver, stumbling back, "I feel. . . .I feel. . . .weird."

Its like suddenly I've been hit by a bolder. Alex grips me so I wouldn't fall.

"What the hell did you give her?"

He shrugs-"some kind of alcohol your brother Alexander gave me to give our guess to have." He says shamefully.

"My brother? What-are you an idiot-he probably put something in those drinks. He can't be trusted with anything that you can poison or put some substance in-you should know that Eddy!"

"Alcohol? Oh god!" I whisper barely hearable through my cuff of my hand around my mouth that I have now.

Feeling more sick. . . .then I feel the vomit coming in a haste-I lean over suddenly. "Bathroom"-I struggle to scream, struggling to keep the garbage tasting, thick clog of vomit coming up my scratchy, almost closed throat-"Alex bathroom!"

My eyes shot and huge as I stagger for each word.

"Up stairs-first room to the right."

I nod and bolt, my hair swishing around as I do. "Sophia-wait-hold on!" But I leap up the stairs and running up there now, urgently-I can't hold this anymore!

I hear the door open and hear their voices-Ben and Corey. I also hear Alex talking to them real quickly before following me. I find the room and push myself in-instantly collapsing to my knees and bending down and over the toilet, next after I did the vomiting just took over my sickness.

"Sophia?" Alex whispers, almost sickly-like.

"Oh gee-that's gross!" Corey moans somewhere close behind her.

Then I feel her presences next to me-I lift my head up, taking a breath from the over load of the sickness that's still lingering over me

"I feel sick and weird, Al." She nods gently and kneels next to me, hand on my back supporting me. I smile and continue, "you look mad-are you mad at me?"

"No, just concerned. Very concerned."

"Oh," I tuck my head back over the toilet feeling it go, harder-its like a big suffocating mask over me.

"Don't force it," She wavers gently in my ear.

"Is she okay-what happened?"

"Dude," Ben and Corey both say at the exact same time, "who are you?" They growl almost protectively.

"A boy she met-named Edwen." Alex sneers his name, turning her head away from me, swishing her black lock of hair over me probably eyeing him.

"Drank too much-why you care-we don't know you! And anyways you should leave, like, uh. . . .now!" I lean my head back from the bowl. "Alex," I slur. But she doesn't hear me.

My hand shakes vagrantly before coughing and then like I need the extra support, I grab the rim of the toilet. Suddenly the blood comes, and now I'm coughing profusely. I scream suddenly sharp, grabbing my arm now that its flaring like hot steel is butchering through my wrist, carving up my arm. I continue to hold my left arm against my knee, still screaming.

"Oh-my-god!"Eddy yells, buffering a bit. "What's going on? Did I do that?"

"Get out! All of you now get out!" I weakly, heavily lift my head from leaning on the cold white toilet, my vision becoming blurry-watching the boy, Edwen, who I was attempting to still be mad at is now shoving all my friends out-Alex as the last, fussy and looking back, now realization taking in on how serious this is. Or seem to be.

But he got her out, locking the door behind his hand from shoving her out of the room. Its only a few steps that he takes before another pool of blood rips out of me, and I whimper, the pain just killing me now.

"Hold on!" He bends down on his knee to my side. He lays a gentle hand on my back. "Sophia-tell me what's happening. He takes a look at me then down to my arm resting against my knee, still in agony. I look with him.

I see these scratch like marks deep in my flesh like a scar that goes to the end and base of my wrist up my arm that climbs up the midsection of my arm-that wasn't there at all just a few, oh, I don't know-minutes ago.

"Oh-my-god!" He says under his breath. I scream suddenly, the pain has lessened but still very much alive.

"W-w-what is that?"

"No-stop trying to speak." He leans back a little.

But I quickly grab him and his shirt for support feeling the full ache, the full pain when blood comes and makes its way out. This time through my nose and ears as well. And the blood that stains the white tile turns black as quickly as it hits-coal black.

The pain hits again, this time up my chest, my throat and head-in my ears and down my left arm where a deep heated sensation occurs. Then the numbness happens-and I'm not talking about a kind, peaceful numbness-no, I'm talking about the razor sharp, fire-like burn that just paralyzes you.

Suddenly, unable to hold onto to him, unable to move, I just fall to the tile, or in my view the white cloud that has surrounded me and now is claiming me-claiming for me to fall. But when I fall the clouds become wet and hard to escape from-if possible at all. Then I feel a warming sensation uplifting me, I think, I mean that's how it feels like.

"Sophia?!" I hear the boy calling me, his voice echoing, bouncing in all sorts of ways, in all sort of directions.

Few minutes passes and then I feel myself parting fully with the wetness and the hardness of the cloud from below. "Hold on, Sophia," he says, "hold on!" Suddenly the warmth, the sensation I've been feeling-its now traceable.

I can feel the softness of his hands coming around me now, the source of the warmth-it has to be them, his soft, gentle, but firm grip around me. I hear footsteps from underneath me.

"I'm going to help. I'm going to make sure you'll-!" I try to say yes, okay. . . .that sounds great but nothing comes out like something is over, and cuffed around suffocating and stopping me from saying anything.

I feel his ball of his shoulder against my skull from the back, raising, and supporting me more comfortably. Then I hear from the depth of the thick under cloud that traps me a clicking, echoing more loudly than it would've if I wasn't in the deep hole-the deep mist that is taking me in, further and further.

Then I hear the door open, and as well as the door opening, I hear Alex screaming franticly. I see her shadow moving above me under the thick cloud that I'm trapped in. "Back off. I mean give her room-she's still in pain and bleeding. Vomiting blood even." I feel us turn and pushing through my group of friends who continue to shadow over me, surrounding the boy like hungry sharks.

"Let him through!" Alex calls all the sudden.

He growls-but from where I am it sounds soft, more like a echoing whisper-but I know that's probably just the blood clog in my ears, oozing out.

"Yes-they're coming, coming already!" Ben coughs up sounding sick. "God-is she okay-?" He literally sounds like he himself is going to vomit.

"When? The help-when was the call?" The boy says. Silence for a long moment. "Alex and I called when you locked the door on us!"

"Then they wont be here, or aren't here yet, am I right Alex?"

"Just hurry!" She hisses. "But remember 'Edwen' your here for whatever reason you came for, but thank you for helping her."

I wish I could bring my self up, wish I wasn't in so much that everything else is just a foggy, misty cloud! Only then could I see them-only will I see the pain and frustration I've caused!

Suddenly pains-sharp-and continuing pains courses through as I feel the tension grow when we start moving a couple of steps that are straight. Then we are going in a downward position-and I can feel it in my bones-in his joints and how he moves them. I couldn't scream anymore-but soft whimpers from my lips that I some how lost track of under the cloud.

My bone ache in my spine, I'm bleeding and vomiting blood, there's a vein

like-actually several vein like things that has scratch through deep in my arm. That are like a scar and-it hurts like its on fire-but even with all that happening here's this boy, a stranger that I've never met before, helping me in need. God, I feel so stupid for being angry with him, or even staying angry and walking away-

"Move!" I hear his voice rise, higher-almost a scream from under the cloud, but still a echo, a loud unfamiliar echo. "Get out of the way!"

Suddenly the white cloud that holds me, making me fade gets brighter. It must be from us moving in the living room, from how tensely bright it is.

"Move!" He repeats, suddenly like he called it with that word I feel a bursting of pain from someone ramming into either my arm or shoulder-or even my leg being pushed, or shoved real bad.

I can't tell, well since I'm blinded and sucked from the cloud of white. Suddenly I hear the soft echo of his growl, as if he was the one in pain, the one who got shoved.

"Are you okay? Sophia? Sophia?"

I feel him walking, what is probably the last pair of steps that we're faced. Then he walks. In to the darkness, I'm guessing. "I'm going to set you down, Sophia, okay?" I hear him, of course in that echo, but I hear him.

What I can't do is answer back! I feel myself ache with tenderness in me as he bends lower, and moving me to where I bend down, curving around and against him. Suddenly I feel my lips tremble, but its more like speaking-speaking words that I couldn't make sense of at all. Like words of:

year 1345 NEW DAWN-a beautiful girl with striking black hair that is eight-years-old who was in the middle of a violent and bloody battle!

NEW DAWN-a eight-year-old-girl-a fight, no, several fights-what are these things-ellipses? Except, I didn't say that; ellipses so. . . .so. . . . But then I fade away in to a sleepy state-and tell you the truth-I'm not sure if I'm still awake, just out of it.

Or if I am really asleep.

But its like it all comes alive in my head. I see a battle ground-I see the figures that are human shaped-and not so human shaped, like over the top, huge wolves.

Fighting-fighting each other-I see these creatures that have white eyes, they're boys-twins that have a raging thirst to destroy-to kill all that are there on the field.

Then suddenly the images change-but its still all in that whole place of them, the boys-or twins with white eyes-and this time no field! Suddenly I'm in a dark room-a sequence of things happens just over the few minutes that I've been here-or there which ever, I guess.

Okay, so this is what happens, what I see: I see the girl with her head down, sitting on a old hay sack (which to me, well doesn't look very comfortable) any ways suddenly she starts to

speak-AND its no other than the white (scary looking) eyed twins standing before her, but across the room as well. Then, suddenly this huge bluish white light comes off them, brightening everything around them until I couldn't see them.

Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Suddenly these wolves start coming, jumping out of the mist of light-these giant, giant, giant, giant wolf faces pop out of it and towards me, they run. I close my eyes, a voice appears some where deep from within: its us Sophia-the ellipse-the human-and no one will stop us-no one will stand in our way! I rip my eyes open from the horror and that voice!
Suddenly I am standing before a mirror and the girl in the mirror was me-but then, it wasn't me! A stranger! A monster! She's wearing a rugged gown with her reddish brown hair dully hang down and over her shoulders. But that's not what made her a stranger-a monster! It was her eyes-a crystal clean white, angry, and ready to strike.

Those ARE the same eyes I've faced before. Suddenly Lukas words rewind in my head over and over again. A short but meaningful sentence: "Don't run you can't escape the monster that you all ready are." He was right, now it (the monster) is here facing me!Sophia! She-me-us-whoever smiles crooked and raw.

With evil wiped clean across it. She leans her head forward where her forehead would touch the glass-instead it goes through. And in all it goes slow, each motion she makes. Just as she moved closer, through the mirror, so does her arm-she raises it up to my face where she lays her fingers gently going across and under my eye, down my cheek, and even further down to the corner of my lips.

You can do that Sophia-can't you? Can't you? She telepathically says it. "Do what?" Suddenly my eyes widen as I feel the horror spike through me as I feel her claws digging through and around my throat!

Suddenly in the deep convoys of my head, and I don't know if this was me trying to escape my situation with myself, or if it was real and it was trying to peak through the dark. But suddenly I hear my name being called-this loud, frantic voice screams at me.

8. Finding Out About The New

"SOPHIA! PLEASE BE OKAY!"

Suddenly my eyes open in slits. I see the world again-first everything I see is in small circular blurs, but then it starts to clear as I squint and blink.

I close my eyes again, and when I do, I notice two things-that my eyes feel like fire and that I'm falling deep in some dark place again. Its so dark, but so chaotic with pain I just get lost in its depths.

Finally I feel myself being brought down, and laying flatly on something flat, on my back. I then hear a pop, as if a door closed. Then a few seconds later I hear another one, the same closing door pop-but its by my head this time. Then I feel myself move a little from underneath, and thought: I must be in the car now-I have to be!

Then. . . .its gone, everything of my surroundings that I know is gone, has disappeared! Now its only me-and the pitch darkness, and pain, and this over cloud coming over me like before. . . .time and space, though, is no more!

It seems like ages and ages long being in this hole of darkness and the dagger of pain before I feel the movement underneath me stop. And then the popping noise occurs and I feel the cold December air pushing through, stinging me like so.

Like the fire that has been blowing is being cooled into ice-and the cooling burns over to the surface, the surface of me unfortunately. Then I feel myself being carefully dragged out to the outside.

Then I hear the slam of a door being closed too hard from behind. He lift me until I'm basically sitting in his arms, with a slight leaning back with my head leaning against the ball of his shoulder, supporting my head.

"We're here at your house." He makes sure I know, like it's an important matter. Well. . . .I guess it is, in away. But wait, how did he know where I lived-did I-no, I couldn't have. Right-am I right? Was I so out of it, and so in pain that I could've. . . .no, no way! I deny it one hundred present! I cringe still in agony, no more room for words. . . .no more its too much for me to think about it now.

Especially the shape I'm in! Then I try to concentrate on the sounds of the rocks and how they sound when he steps down on them for each step he takes. Then this scrapping noise occurs from his feet and I'm guessing he's walking up the drive-but other than that, he's so quiet.

Then his arms start to bounce with me in them, as he marches heavily up the stairs. I mean that's what it feels like. Then he walks smooth and straight for a first since he took me out of the car. I feel myself being shifted into the right arm and leaned farther against his shoulder-especially the ball of it. I hear a clink here and there and then I hear the usual unsome of the door opening. I feel the warmth set through when he walks us in, closing the door swiftly from behind.

He walks speeding quickly through the house, as if he knew exactly where he needs to be. Then he runs up the stairs when he finds them around the corner. I hear him breathing in deep breaths as he continue up the stairs and on top of the hall upstairs. He makes his way down the narrow hall and into a room.

Suddenly I'm laid flat to my back, head gently laying on a soft, plush cloud of pillows, then, a blanket covers me. I feel a hot, heavy breath on my face, as I also feel the warm hands disappear away from me.

I lay there, just lay there in comfort-or what I could get of it. Suddenly I feel this turning, this grinding from within me. Tearing away I fade as it rips and floods its firry venom through my veins.

Coming in every crevasse of my body. Clouding, suffocating, firing every bit of myself. Then my arm, my left arm feels as if something is snaking up it-then I feel unconsciousness hitting through me.

Then deep in some dark dreamy state these images flashes before me: of Alex handing me the piece of paper with the direction on it, Alex walking before me taking me in this giant house, then I'm in front of a ceiling size Christmas tree talking with her, about what, I can't quite understand, and again another image with Alex-she's dancing with Eddy while I'm trying to stand still and with them but just getting pushed and shoved around instead. Then my last image is about me with a boy dancing and me clinging to him, my attempt to make it look like I'm going along and dancing with him, dancing-but really I'm not.

Then everything after that becomes dark and unknown. Like someone came and just erased everything beyond that point of time. I don't know how I got here, in bed-I think I use to know, but now. . . .its gone, slipped right from under me.

All of the images flashing before so quickly and gone just as fast, it makes me want them back in play, to process them until maybe, just maybe I can think of something. Don't remember meeting the boy, or just dancing with him, or he dancing me.

I feel myself awakening. . . .and then. . . .I open my eyes.

Wide as I could make them. . . .and then they soften to normal.

Then everything is gone-the images, the voices, the clueless and not understanding all disappears. Its just me and the blurry vision, trying to clear my eyes, and sit. Pain strikes like fire through my left arm so I look down, cringing a bit. I see this mark like big huge veins crawling up my arm. It starts to my wrist then almost entirely up my arm. It spreads and curves to a point where it almost wraps entirely around my arm, then it fades to a stop. The part on my wrist goes entirely straight then it curves pointing to the right with small lines snaking out down it-seven lines to be exact. But there is one line-a line from the middle that is snaking all the way up my arm almost to my shoulder.

I lift my arm up slowly, where its still up right. I look at it, still, and sigh. This mark is so deep in my flesh-like someone carved it onto my arm. But what is it? Suddenly the thing on my arm starts to cool down-literally! I put my arm over on the cover, the mark facing up still. I'm able to drop my hands-and by dropping my hands, especially the one with the mark, its able to calm down a bit, cooling as it was before. I stand up, dragging myself as I throw my covers and my legs over the bed, before leaping down. I then walk across the small stretched to the window right across from my bed. Looking at the trees in the forest.

And then, my same arm starts letting out a pulse, a erratic, irritating pulse up and down the channels of the vein-like mark. I look down at it, scared.

9. Alive And Breathing

OH BOY, LAUREN'S BACK-SHE ARRIVED THE DAY OF NEW YEARS. YESTERDAY WAS THE first day I had a break from Lauren since her return. . . .and I'm still hiding the fact that (I went out to a friends party that I still need details on what happened to me at the party-some only my friends could answer, unfortunately. And the mark that plays in my arm now

she doesn't know about it, and I don't want her to, either!)

So I get dress, brush my hair and my teeth, ate with no Lauren with me either-its my lucky break. I wash out my cereal bowl and I go outside to the freezing cold-covered with white cloud color snow from the crazy weather the last couple of days we've been having. I bite my tongue, grip my bag and head down the drive to my car. I pop the door open, loose snow fall to my feet-I then throw my bag in the passenger side, walking to the front of my car, wiping with my arm the snow off the windshield. And then on my driver side widow-the same thing before getting into the car and driving away.

When I pull into the school parking lot I feel a difference-like something is off. But other than being more snow-filled than usual nothing seems off. Well not to me, any ways. That changes when I turn carefully to my row where my spot is. I slow my car to a smooth halt when I see this sleek black Cobra Mustang in my spot-so I back up cautiously and park on the other spot over.

There's these boys standing by the car, still and waiting patiently without a coat-just short sleeves T-shirts-all five boys too!

I hear them, they're defiantly having a conversation. But I get out any ways. What I do next, beside grabbing my bag and closing the door, well is just stupid! Like am I out of my mind?

"Um. . . .do you know. . . .um that your in my spot?"

Suddenly the bigger boy blocking the others turn to me, grimacing as a growl grows through his chest and up his throat. "Kalob? What-"

"Sophia-" He steps closer to me. "What are you-" His eyes close and he breathes deeply. The other boys stop and look over to see me.

"Sophia-go!" Seth lifts his arm up, pointing away and toward the back of me. "Seth?" I step back, sinking in the snow with each step-while I'm stepping back. Kalob is still stepping closer, his steps not going through the snow. Then in a flying blur his hand moves between us to grab my shoulder sleeve, near where my strap to my bag is. "I'll escort miss thing here, okay guys?" He laughs a unsteadily laugh before looking back at them.

"Its better that way," Seth muffles quietly.

"We agree then," Kalob nods, turning and grasp his grasp on me. Then he pull me along with ease. He drags me away from them and across the parking lot.

"Kalob," I look up his face, a face that I should be use to by now-but the horror he creates, its just there. . . .its what creates fear that people feel when they're near him, when I'm near him.

So how can he be so Kalob and yet be here watching out for me? "What's wrong?" He stops, pause for a moment before looking down at me.

"Lukas has disappeared, Sophia."

"That's a good thing! Isn't it?"

He shakes his head. "No! It isn't a good thing-he has vanish, invisible to the naked eye. Meaning we can't detect him!" He growls loudly as he sets foot on the concrete that leads us to the school building. He lets go of me and disappears from there.

I stand there, speechless almost. I end up meeting Eddy and Alex-ends up Alex is pissed off with me. She screamed at me, saying that I worried her to death and she thought I was a dead, or something like that. But mainly she yells at me about choosing Edwen-to talk stuff with him, over her-my best friend! And here I am, clueless on what the heck she's talking about.

I pull my sleeve further over my mark-still clueless as can be when it come to what she's talking about.

"I'm sorry, Alex." I tell her, my voice under my breath, in a apologetic tone.

"Yeah you better be!" She sneers.

Those are the last words she speaks to me as we walk to class.

The rest of the way I'm looking at my left arm where my mark should be, but instead of the scary looking mark it's a balky sleeve on top. I don't want anyone to discover this-nobody at all is welcomed in. Its hideous, it has its own pulse, and its on me now-probably for a very long time, too. "What's wrong, Sophia? You seem distracted, are you alright?" Eddy trails behind to talk to me.

"Yeah, great," I say with a dead voice, so mute, so toneless.

"Oh," he smile warily.

Then we turn into History class. I look over, sensing Kalob, and his eyes on us-or on me, I should say.

I look over beyond my friends and see I'm right-he's right there by the frame of the door-right where you enter the room by the corner where no one could see him all who is coming in. "I'll be back." I tell Eddy. He turns to see where I'll be headed and why.

"Oh-good luck." He grumbles.

So we separated and I'm walking towards the gruesome statue that Kalob has become. I cross my arms and scowl at him. But I can't help it, can't control the over whelming horror in me. "Kalob," I say, huffing it out with a single breath of air.

"Sophia," He nods his head slightly moving it out of his statue-like state.

"Why did you disappear-and. . . .what's going on?"His eyes narrows in sharp black slits. "Kalob-admit it-I'm part of this one way or another-so you need to start treating it like that!" I whimper softly.

"Of course," He purrs. . . .not a violent, and horrifying growl that I mostly hear from him-its almost, shockingly as it is, gentle. "Of course it is-I know your apart of this, and that's why we're still here, Sophia."

I continue to stare.

"Why would we try to find Lukas and make sure you're safe?!" "What are you going to do to him-you know after you find him?"

He lays down his growl-violently again, yeah-that's just great a pissed off Kalob. Wait isn't he always angry? Yeah just about! I turn around, trying to escape him now.

He follows me until we're close to the desks-then he goes away, walking to his usual back row seat. Alex shakes her head and looks down and away from me as I pass through to mine behind her-and in front of Eddy's. "Back to school," Eddy yawns, putting his feet up on my desk from the back.

"Yeah, back to school," I reply to myself. I turn back to Eddy's desk, watching him leaned back comfortably with his eyes closing.

I tap the desk with my arm kind of loud. He jumps up, opening his eyes. I giggle.

"Who-what-" He says drowsy. "Oh-Sophia, was that you?"

"Yeah-your sleeping on us, Ed."

"Oh, sorry." He pulls himself up, and rub his eyes-yawning again. I smile at him and turn around in my desk to see the teacher walk in and to his desk for a moment and grabs his book to stand in front of the black board. Then, I feel his eyes on me from how the hair stands in the back of my neck.

I turn directly at his back seat a row over from ours. Watching as I witness him just glaring away at me with no hesitation-even after I catch him watching, staring at me. Of course, now, I understand a bit why-not saying I know everything, because that is far from happening. But I know that I know enough. . . .I guess that's all they want me to be, clueless, clueless-and know just a smudge of what the heck is going on.

Just enough to not have me completely blind-I'm still on their tail, though. I smile warily towards him-he still scares me, I mean I'll admit to that-because its true.

I turn in my seat as the class starts and I'm here stroking my arm, pulling the sleeve over my wrist just to see it, but enough to hide all the rest of it. I hear the pulse in it picking up in a thrumming.

I think I understand now, understand the erratic thrumming that courses through my arm now. it's a new beat, like a new heart beating, its rhythm scorching under the deep scarring of vein-like lines sprawled and taking its place on my arm. It is more alive and breathing-yes more alive and breathing than even I. What's going on with me-is it wrong-is it right? Or is it just how its going to be for now on? Something's different about me all ready-I can feel it, the different, the new coursing. . . .the strength. . . .the pain. God is this who I'm becoming, or just a phase for what's to come?

I continue being distracted and watching just the little of my wrist showing, not understanding its full meaning-why its there at all.

"Sophia?" I hear Mrs. Zyfs ask. "Do you know the answer of the question?"

I look up, suddenly.

"What?" He narrows his eyes and cross his arms in a impatient, unmoving manner. "Henry Ford!" Mrs. Zyfs turns his attention away from me towards the back. "Thank you, Mrs. Paxton-but I think I was asking Miss Davis." I turn back at Kalob, asking myself why he did that. But I can't figure it out.

"Well-she obviously doesn't have the answer." He snaps, all force hitting me, and me only.

How could he-I thought he was suppose to be on my side? God Kalob-your still an asshole. A big, huge, and scary asshole! I stare, continuing to be on him.

And that's it for me-suddenly I'm up, pulling my sleeve further down and over my wrist, and I grab my stuff, feeling tears flowing.

I throw myself forward and start running for the door, hearing the soft chuckles of on-looking kids and the holler of Mrs. Zyfs voice all behind me. I don't know what's going on with me-but I have somewhere to be, something to do (I just don't know what that is exactly). I escape class, hot and on a trail of, well, I'm. . . .not sure.

I rush down the hall across another hall, and around a corner before suddenly I feel a pinch in the back of my neck where my hood lays down at, stopping me cold.

10. Confronting

"HELLO SOPHIA. . . ."

His voice cracks ill and strained. Lukas ill sounding, strained even? If that's not strange-I don't know what is! I start to turn around to face him when I see him-his face is hidden in a dark cloaked hood over his ill face. His flesh flaking off his forehead, cheek bones, under his eyes, and even down his neck. His yellow-brown eyes almost a faded red.

"I know you have it-can I see it?"

"See what?" I say breathlessly. He steps closer, his pupils narrowing until its almost slits like cat eyes.

"Now now, don't test me Sophia."

"I don't know what your talking about Lukas, really!" I screech.

I walk around, trying to escape from him. But he refuses for me to escape and stands in my way.

"Lukas, please-I don't wanna-" I swipe my arm towards him weakly. He grabs my arm with a swipe of his blurring hand, its effortless. "Let go!" I pull my arm and keep pulling, but its not budging through Lukas's grasp.

"Don't fight me," his voice still very weak and ill sounding. But with that it is also a growl in the mix-its low and almost not detected, but its there!

He pulls his other hand up, slipping my sleeve up too-turning my arm upright to my palm side.

"No! No-stop-!" But it's too late-its showing, and he sees it.

He smiles huge and in a smug like smile, his usual smile from his straight, wrinkly line he had before. "So. . . .you do have it-great!" He purrs smoothly, devilishly.

He slowly, cautiously traces it with his finger, the carving on my arm-and I feel the pulse rapidly speeding in discomfort, in pain, in a thrumming-and it hurts!

"Lukas-! Don't do-"

He shakes his head, then he lets go, "see I knew you were her-knew you were the ellipse we've been"-he pauses, narrowing his eyes, one finger laying against his chin-"searching for, now aren't you-the, uh, well. . . .clueless one." He finally releases my

arm-I pull my sleeve down, and let it fall.

The thrumming pain-the agitation slowing down a bit.

"Your suppose to be gone, suppose to be undetected-not here!"

His smile slowly decreasing and into a wrinkly line again.

"Who said that-those monsters that call themselves yours protectors-your guardians?"

"No, Lukas, you're the monster-not them."

"Yeah-uh-huh, sure. Call me what you shall-but at the end of the day-who is the real monster? Them-me-or you? Huh? Can you answer that? Do you even know what they are? Do you even know the blooding they've probably have done-and these are who they send to find and protect you-please." He growls.

"Well-you are exactly that, a monster! And they're not that bad! They're good whatever they may be. UNLIKE you!"

"Oh, I'm hurt-yeah, as if!" He shakes his head and step aside-letting me through if I choose to go. I step forward, stopping beside him-almost touching to shoulder to shoulder. When then he leans to where his chalky, and flaked lips reach down to me, to my ear.

"Until April 20th. You got till then to change my mind! Okay Sophia?" He tries to transform in to his violent state-but fails, instead he sounds weak and ill again. He coughs at the end and just is silent afterwards.

I turn to look and see he's gone-vanished.

"Sophia?" I hear his voice, watching as he turns the corner.

"Kalob," I gasp, "no, no go away Kalob!" I step back in a warily step.

"What are you?" He comes closer and closer. "What do you mean-what I am?" I stop backing up, letting him catch up to where I am-when I add, "yes, what you are! Lukas-he told me stuff about you and how you-"

"Wait! Lukas? He was here? And you believed him?"

I narrow my eyes, "no, of course not!" I yelp. He growls, not in the mood for games-sounding as if he doesn't believe me. He sniffs the air between us intensly before looking back at me.

"I-I wouldn't believe him if-if it wasn't for you all ready"-I spit ruggededly through my teeth-"you know saying you were monsters."

"That's not fair-and you know it-you ran into us-you were there listening and continue to, too!"

"Yeah-and you were a real. . . .real jerk!"

He sigh, head low, "I know-I'm sorry. . . ."

Yeah, sure you are Kalob.

He takes a even closer step closer to me, sniffing the air above my left shoulder and down the open space down my arm-continuing before he stops.

"Sophia, why do you think he reappeared?"

I shrug, "I. . . .uh, I don't quiet know except that he looked ill, he wore a hood-and his entire face and down his neck was pealing off." His eyes widen, then it clicks and narrows in rage.

"Damn-he's getting ready to-" I cock my head to the side, trying to figure this out.

"He's doing what-" He shakes his head, then he pinches his nose and continue to stare deeply, angrily.

"You can tell me, Kalob-really, you can."

He stiffens instead of relaxing-instead he leaves me having to laugh a short burst of a laughter that sort of irritates me, to tell you the truth.

"So tell me-what are you hiding-do you have anything to add, anything happened this Christmas and Christmas Break?"

He changes courses-finally onto me. But why? Is there something happening? Something he's hiding, probably. He pull his fingers through his hair, bending it back, before he grips it firmly-in anger.

"What's wrong-I mean what is it that your trying to seek?"

"That's an interesting word your using: seek. I mean, and I quote you're the

seeker-not I, if I understand this right. And I'm pretty sure I understand this pretty well-enough-to-understand-don't you?"

"Why because I've been seeking answers you clearly-like clear as day wont give me, and understanding on what the hell is going on around here!"

"In time Sophia." He growls, a rumble of anger present like always with him.

"We're getting off course-what are you hiding? I saw how you were looking at your arm-is it there? Let me see Sophia-I need to see it, now!"

I sigh, pulling my sleeve up to half way up my arm-feeling his cold fingers up-lifting the arm, twisting it over till its up and showing-the mark, it suddenly start to thrum, and flutter under his touch-which shocks me how gentle it is.

He grinds and twist his face-his mask of anger getting deeper and darker as he adds roughly through his teeth, "Sophia-why?! Damn-this wasn't suppose to happen-not now-not this early!"

I flinch, but unable to move back I just stand, still by his grasp. Unlike Lukas's rough and extremely tight. This, even coming from Kalob, is not rough or tight-just a little now since his out-burst all the suddenly.

"I'm sorry?" My words become more a question than an apology.

"Its not your fault-but goddamn! " He yells, bitingly towards me-surprisingly softer than before, than his previous yelling's.

Suddenly, using my arm to steer me, he takes me towards the wall. He leans against it and releases my arm. I immediately cover it-as hideous and strange it is. . . .

"Always be careful, Sophia." His voice suddenly is stopped and blurred into the loud and obnoxious bell ringing.

And then he growls shifting everything away from me-walking towards the opposite side of the hall, fading into the crowd like a untouchable ghost.

I follow him with my eyes until I can't any more. Then-I too head for class, pushing through the crowds-not graceful at all, not like Kalob and his walk through.

11. Not Like Every Day

THE WEEKS PASSES WITHOUT ANY SIGNS OF LUKAS. . . .KALOB SAYS HE'S BACK IN THE UN-detected mode thingy what not what not, right? Right. But they, the whole week has been them on guard-the boys weren't around any more-the ones on Monday. Yeah, kind of weird, but anyways they still ride the black Cobra-and its next to my spot now, why they're not in their original spot-who knows.

The first week-rough, very very rough-which I somehow, some way pulled through. Second week, a bit easier. . . .and then it wasn't. Alex (who by the way is still very very very, well, upset. Yeah that's a nice way of putting it. They don't understand my new body guard-like models-constantly there). Heck-I don't even understand (fully) anyways either.

After the two agonizing weeks the rest just carried-dragging with what I call relief. I'm on "good terms" with them, and trust me that was great. If I kept my mouth shut-let them lead, it was all good. Well, for the very very first time things were almost normal

(beside the weird body guard) thing happening.

Beside Alex being mad-my other friends still talked to me. More weeks pass, still a sigh of relief-then a month is here and gone. Its February the 1st now.

Driving to my spot I see the Cobra in the next spot over to the right. I get out and greet them, and I get a silent nod from Sonia Kalob and Kaile-but an actual wave from good old Seth.

Kalob move from his statue state and walk up to me. I lean against my car for support its so much to take in-he's so much to take in. I gulp a big clump suddenly in my throat to stop me from speaking. I try to force it down-but its there and its not moving.

"How was your weekend?" He growls a throaty voice-but what he really means is: did you face anything that might be dangerous this weekend?

"The usual," I force the clump, the knot down so I could speak.

"Oh, is that right?" They all stare at me. But then they look over their shoulder, and across the space of the parking lot. I stare over where they're staring-watching two kids-a boy and a girl.

The girl sitting on the hood of the red Pontiac car, face up-staring tensly up at this boy who is all into her as she blows big bubbles of bubblegum. He has his hand on the hood near her leg. They are talking very softly-well the boy is anyways.

"Who are they?" I ask, warily, "are they new?"

Kalob growls, "no, they're not!"

Then-why haven't I seen them before? Huh, Kalob? "I've never seen them before. So they're new to me!"

Kalob continue to growl viciously towards them. I stare back at them noticing their resemblance to each other-their evil-dark expression, the thrill they were getting out of each others on evilness. The boy had dark almost black hair, slicked and spiked down over his left eye. The girl-lighter brown, almost sandy, maybe two or three shades darker than Kalob's own hair. Hers is long almost down to her waist.

"Kalob," I look away from them, leaning away from my car and more turned to them.

"Who are they, Kalob?" I ask again, kind of fidgety. "Because I have never ever seen them around before."

"Yes you have-never like this-never in these forms, but you've seen them before." Sonia says behind us since Kalob is so tence and focus on them he doesn't say anything.

"Kalob-what is it?" I screetch side stepping towards the front of him.

Suddenly a smile creeps up slightly up to one side of his lips. "Are you okay? Your smiling?"

He ignores my comment, but adds, "well. . . .look what the cat dragged in. . . ." He says bitingly and with the worse tone-viciously and horrifyingly stunning.

I look over and see the boy sauntering over to us in a clear and rational-calming way.

When he meets us to our spot, I notice his companion wasn't with him all-in-to-it with him as he walks. I look behind him to see she's still on the hood cross-legged this ti-

me-gazing off for momoments at a time.

Until finally I see her looking at me, her gaze heavy, deep and evil. "Hello-

I'm"-he rolls his eyes at different directions-"Daniel Daven," his evil appearance lightens up a bit.

I step up, "oh. . . .and uh-"

"Great-you can go now!" Kalob says extremely harsh, pushing his way between us.

"What?!" I turn exaggerated on his mood towards the boy.

"Do you know where the office is?"

Just about to say something when suddenly Kalob growls, "you can find it, maybe you should check the school. What you think-?"

Suddenly I feel hands pulling me back towards the black car. With the others-Seth-Kaile-

"No! Sonia stop! Stop pulling me," I murmur.

"IF YOU know what's best for you-you'll go-like now-!" Kalob squares himself up, blocking me, and the others from behind-like a big bulldozer truck.

"Let me go Sonia-please!" Suddenly Sonia's grip slips and she releases my arms from behind.

"Sophia!" Seth's voice cuts through all the sudden.

But I continue until I'm next to him, watching him all the suddenly transform-

ing-Kalob is exactly the same as he was when he attacked Lukas to the floor. But much much much more vicious. His blackened eyes soften to a marble grey, but still very evil looking, its spreading to his face-his pale skin seeking and being absorbed by grey like a statue marble grey. And he's engraved deep too.

Oh my god-what the heck is going on? I step back, still watching until I hear Daniel laugh a choking laugh. Then, and only then, do I look over and back at him.

He's held hostage by Kalob's claws digging in his throat.

His smug smile, the laugh-his wide expression so twisted and evil it reminds me of. . . .Lukas. Suddenly he's gone, out of Kalob's grasp, and out of view.

Back at looking at Kalob, I see he's a fraction calmer than before- but the horrific transformation has not stop.

"What-what are you?"

A question I have been asking myself sinse that day I witness him say they were 'monsters', and maybe. . . .maybe even before then. Maybe I've always knew he-and the others were not like the other people at this school-at this town-they're dark and secretive and. . . .

My body trembles as I have no idea where to start, how to move again, and how to ask the questions that I had running in my mind now a total blank.

"Kalob?" I see Sonia approaching, "put this on," she speaks softly, gently, cautiously. "Kalob you need to put this jacket on. You must hide yourself before anyone sees you-before the kids start flooding the parking lot."

Sonia continue to creep up beside him-I back up into my cars rear end corner to give them room. And to get me away at least a little bit away.

I watch as Kalob tense and bulking grey everywhere there's flesh showing on him. And then I notice his balled up hand, the knuckles showing the last of the pale skin with this huge marble grey, engraved deeply texture covering it from bellow the surface.

"Please Kalob-put this on."

He growls, and not responding at all, just gone-he's gone into this mass of marble stone that he has transformed in to. Suddenly Sonia throws the huge over stuff jacket over Kalob's back, shoulders, and a bit over his head and arms.

She pulls him, and pulls as she says, "Kalob, in the car." He, terrifying and monstrous as he is, he looks down continue to growl. She puts him around in the front passenger seat.

She slams the door close and return around to us-I want to move-run-speak-anything is better than this.

"Seth-Kaile take Sophia's car-you know what to do." Then she looks at me, then she raises, reaches her hand out to me.

"And Sophia. . . .your coming with me-we're skipping school today. And we'll take care of anything you may be worried about, anything and it's taken care of. . . ."

I would back away another step-except I've ran out of room to do so. Then I see Seth take a step forward disappearing in a blurring motion-making his way across to me, in not even a fraction of the time I could process he was gone.

He's all apologetic when he says, "I'm so sorry I couldn't have warned you for this."

"Go Seth!" She hollers at him.

"I'll see you Sophia." he grips my fingers and slips away to enter my cars driver side seat.

12. Dark Side Of The Truth

WHY DOES THIS FEEL SO UNKNOWN TO ME?

Maybe its ALL because of what happened earlier. The horrific scene which has Kalob turni-

ng-transforming into a grey thing that I still have yet to identify it. Sonia pulls into this drive sort of out of town-a small square, brick house with a round-like roof.

I see my small cobalt parked to a space in the drive to the left side of the wide gravel drive. This huge garage is connected to the house, but the door is down. Then Sonia turns in her seat to look back at me in the middle of the back seat.

"Okay. . . .its time that you know-I personally don't think your ready but we're running out of time-like time is not on our side. And we've been holding it and its just not working."

I nod cautiously, kind of happy I might for once get answers.

"We weren't going to do it, though-not like this-not so unexpected. But Kalob finally lost it! And Lukas has came back as a different-"

"That kid was Lukas?!" I gasp.

She nods.

She flash a glance over to him. "Okay everyone out!" She calls out.

I scoot over to the door and open it, walking out and closing the door-taking in the pine smell-the trees to the forest surrounding the small cozy looking home.

I look over and see Sonia's arms around Kalob, assisting him across the gravel. I'm behind them, slow and dragging. We make it across and to a porch where there's this blond boy-older looking than the four I know. The same boy that I saw that day he picked them up by the office.

"Helix, this is Sophia." I smile the line barely marked across my face.

"Don't worry-I don't bite." I lift my hand to shake his out stretched-pale hand. It instantly drops weakly-not wanting to take any chances. I still don't know what they are. "Are you-" I say, barely hearable in my fumble as he is walking, turning away.

"I'm sorry?" I shake my head, speechless on how to pick this back up again. He opens the door as he continue to turn-and let me in first. I nod and walk pass him-what feels like the longest I've ever pass anyone.

Then once in the house I am immediately stepping into the living room that's pale looking-even with the rusty copper decoration hanging up the walls-they look like half cut masks and also these vases the same coppery coloring. But with other colors like purple blue green and even pink. They are laid on the huge coffee table and on two smaller tables that's on the ends of the pale couch-leaving a gap and room to walk through between the huge recliner and the couch. Then I'm caught off guard when I feel my coat being pulled and slipped off me-I turn to see the older blond boy again.

"Sorry-didn't mean to frighten you." His head is low as he takes my coat and folds it neatly over his arm-blurring quickly with no warning towards the left side of the room where the hall begins and right there is where he disappears from.

"Sophia? Well isn't this an honor to have." A voice appears aloud-and a head peeks from across the huge living room where another frame is leading in the hall-and cornering into another room that has lights so bright the sting in my eyes is a bit all ready. Suddenly I hear chaos in the hallway.

And a pleading voice in the background. "Kalob! Stop! Stop doing this! Calm yourself down! Now!"

The boy across the living room towards the frame and I both walk in to the hall to check what was going on.

In the narrow hall I see Sonia and Kalob.

"No!" Kalob says beastly. "Shut up!"

"You need to calm down." Sonia puts her hands up in surrender. But Kalob throws those huge grey knuckles towards her-but in the split second she dodges it-in a split second I feel a harsh breeze around me-In a split second I see Seth hand taking the punch of Kalob's wrath, twisting Kalob's arm down until it grinds to a stop.

"Control yourself man-control it."

"Lay off Seth!" He growls so beast-like, ripping his knuckles out of Seth iron hand between Kalob's fist. Then Kalob steps back, looking at me with those huge eyes, his canines biting out for me to see.

"Go to your room-don't come out till your back in your human form! Back in control" Sonia demands. Without another word Kalob stomps up the stairs that's just right there beyond a door-walking half way before blurring out of sight-his presence still lingering a heavy odor in the mist between me-between them-between the boy.

"Forgive us-we're not ourselves. And when we're in our true forms we're worse-" Sonia explains, looking at me, appearing tired.

"Only Kalob-he just gets crankier and crankier," Seth jokes, with a truth behind his joke.

"I didn't see you." I protest.

"Well you were looking at Helix-then Dominic for you to even see me."

"But still-I didn't see you."

"Yeah-so you say." He smiles, waving his hand in a shooing motion.

"Sophia, come with us outside-get away from this environment for a

while-and. . . .to let Kalob cool down. You know?" She whispers quietly. I shake my head in to a nod-which I walk closer and closer to them.

"Okay-I think that's a good idea." I say toward Sonia, looking at her-but on the corner of my eye I see Seth smiling.

"Oh, sorry- this guy behind us is Dominic." I look up at the figure-the dark haired-scary, yet not scary boy.

I nod at him as he steps closer, saying, "hey-nice to meet you, it's a real pleasure."

Suddenly he grabs my hand in a split second.

But as his grips his firm and tight grasp, it suddenly disappears-replacing it is his own words, "well I'm Dominic, as they all ready told you." He smiles down at me, turning away.

"Come on, lets meet the others-they're a joy." He says, sarcastically.

"Don't listen to him, okay?" Sonia says. She suddenly pulls me away, dragging me up the hall, pass the bright lighted room that Seth goes into to shut the light off before rejoining us.

Then we make it to a door a couple of steps pass the room and the other entrance to go into the living room. Sonia lets go of me and step forward to push it open, standing there with the door in her grasp, waiting for me and the others to walk through, and out pass her.

I wrap my arms around each other and around my body as the chill hits-realizing the huge wooded forest right in front of us as we walk-almost immediately there with ten yards of plain, empty grassy field before getting to the lining of the forest. We cross the field with Sonia Seth and that new boy, Dominic speeding a head of me.

There eyes shoots up in the canopy of the trees as I stare at them tensely before I too look up at the canopies. But I see nothing-no movements-nothing at all.

"Oh-there they are!" They all say at the exact same time.

And I look down at them in confusion. "What-who's coming?" Seth and Dominic grins hugely-while Sonia just roll her eyes and shake her head.

Then the noise of branches being shaken or jumped on occurs-and it steals my attention from them back up the canopies. Suddenly I see a dark figure leaping out from the shadows. She's tall but thin and with rust-set, short spiky hair. Her eyes are a darker color grey with straight up hatred the moment she sees me. And before I could continue with the examining of her another figure jumps down in front.

She's a girl as well-but she looks older-like the blond male-and also like the blond male as well as Sonia she has blond hair that's long and curly.

"Sophia meet Nikki"-Sonia points towards the blond-"and Auna." She says Auna's name like she's someone who isn't the greatest to get along with and she's showing it in her tone.

"Nice to meet you Sophia," the blond girl, Nikki smiles. I stiffen for a moment when my attention goes back on the girl named Auna and her demeanor is still so cold and evil looking. And then this growl is let loose through her teeth while lowering herself a fraction into a crouch.

"Auna!" Sonia hisses, "she's all ready scared as it is-we don't have to continue

to-"

Suddenly Sonia freezes in frustration. "Where's Ali?" She says, trying to cool herself down. Both of the boys look at her and the girls look behind them-shooting their attention up in the canopies after seeing nothings there behind them.

"I'm right here!" A young girls voice says giggly.

Suddenly like a pouncing cat this girl comes head first towards the earth from bellow, directly where I stand. I feel her claws on my shoulder, and for a young girl, she has enough strength to pull me down by pushing her claws into me-and me being unstable all ready-I guess it didn't help my case when I tumble backwards towards the ground on my back.

The child grins, showing a row of white canines, someway getting a bit jagged as her beautiful pale skin turns a marble grey around her forehead, down her forehead to the bridge of her nose and also around her eyes. Her small hands putting more pressure against me.

I watch as the girl twitches her nose and says, "you smell good, almost too good."

I twitch my face before whimpering, "excuse me?"

"Not where I stand-her odors are just horrifically awful." I hear the bitter girl, Auna bite viciously-like another Kalob, except not as close to his viciousness, but maybe I'm wrong, and this is her being somewhat being nice. Well as nice as it gets, I guess. Suddenly on the corner of my eye I see Sonia smacking her head in a embarrassment, though she shows no redness around her face.

"You do smell a little funny-but pass that is a sweet human smell, I kind of guess, sort of-that contains this aroma of nothing but mouthwatering its so overbearing-so overwhelming-"

This is the point I'm starting to get scared when this girl who is forming a bit of the monster I saw Kalob form in to-talking how I smell good-that I am mouthwatering.

"But! Don't worry-I'm in training, I'm not suppose to harm you anyways, right? You are Sophia, aren't you?" Her eyes narrow in a dark monstrous way, I think the grey took a hold of her most before it stopped spreading.

"Okay! That's enough for you Ali!" Sonia lifts her head in a perk of oh god don't continue any further-this is already a embarrassment! Alert, alert too much-stop all ready! "Take Ali Nikki, please." Sonia screeches about to blow over the top.

"Ali-sweetie, you need to get off of Sophia." Nikki rubs her hand gently, almost motherly down her long brown hair, and down her back. Then she wraps her arm around the girl and uplifts her in the air and down to her feet in one swift movement without a sweat.

"Be a good girl, okay?" She scoots her near her and away from me.

"Sophia," I hear Seth's voice call out as he comes over me in a flash, reaching his hand down to me. But I'm scared stiff-not knowing if he was going to become a grey monster too-or if he would grab me and might take a bite out of me.

"No! Are you going to turn in to monsters too? Going to-" I shiver on the thought.

"Hell no-we would never take a "bite out of you" as you say." Sonia says, protesting her case.

"Great, here we go." Seth shakes his head.

"I know exactly what your thinking-and your wrong! I thought Kalob and Seth told you all ready-we're here to do no harm, just here for you-to protect you!"

"Sonia! Quit it-now!" Seth slips his hand around me, pulling me up and close to his side while I'm still distracted with my attention on Sonia. I look over at him and push myself away.

"You can trust me, Sophia."

"Oh-thanks for keeping us in the dump!" Sonia says.

"Well you're the one yelling! Blah blah blah." He lifts his hand up and makes a mouth with his fingers and move it up and down towards Sonia's face as he spoke.

"Childish Seth-very childish of you." Sonia smacks her hand down on his-on the one up and is being used as a mouth.

The noise was surprisingly loud.

"Well sorry about that, Sonia the-" He cuts himself off, "well you know-don't cha?" I watch as he shrugs his shoulders.

What does that mean-and what does she mean when she said she knew exactly what I was thinking?

Sonia's attention goes to me when she adds, "because, I can-I'm a mind reader!" Seth shakes his head, "Sonia-stop-lets go in side, round up the others and talk. Okay Sonia?" Seth lays his hand on her shoulder.

"Lets call them all ready and get this over with-and sooner we do, the sooner she leaves!" Auna bites wickedly

Seth looks over at Auna who still hides behind the beautiful blond. He takes a step forward before blurring out of sight. He appears again in front of Auna, claws in her shoulder before she moves in a flicker of a second out of dodge, out of his gaping claws. Its more of a dance, a light skip of its sort.

She's just as graceful as he is as he recovers from his failed attempt-and chases her out of sight, flying around the grassy backyard-and unable to see them I rely on the cutting sound they make with each stride around us.

Suddenly they appear ten yards towards the house, Seth tumbling to the earth-Auna on him, legs wrapped around his waist, claws dug to his chest as she tackles him down. "Stupid kid," she hisses.

"I'm really sorry about this-we're acting so childish-where's our manners?" Nikki comes up to me-we're taking you inside now." She takes me in her arms and start strolling for the house-taking me several seconds before picking up speed and is able to walk normally beside her.

Ali Dominic and Sonia walking close behind us as we get closer I watch Auna getting off Seth as Seth commented, "ew" He stands up, patting his shirt off.

"You don't have any germs, I hope!"

"Shut up Seth!"

"More of this and I'm afraid I might-" Sonia scuffs.

Suddenly Seth scuffles towards us with Auna just as wicked as she has been-but pinching her nose now that she's closer to me and my odor.

We get inside and walk down the hall, entering the living room by the first opening to it closer to the huge kitchen area.

The first thing I notice as we slowly creep inside is Kalob-out and paler, not as grey-but still, he's grey-and monstrous as he all ready is-the grey just makes him worse looking.

"You don't listen very well, you know that?" Sonia hisses, with a sting in her tone.

Seth lets out a soft laugh.

And I'm frozen, not laughing, not hissing and angry-just scared, not knowing what to do, and what to say-suddenly everything is sucked out of me, including my fear, trapped and has nowhere to go now.

Then Seth looks over his shoulder to me, since he's the closes to be beside me, surprisingly Auna behind me. In the distance of course-and yet its better that way, it seems me and her aren't going to like each other very much in the future.

"Why not, huh Kalob?" She analyzes, maybe digging into his head like she was mine.

But what she could hear-the rest that I know of is muted out of it

"Back off Sonia!"

He sneers her name, turmoil brewing between them.

"Helix?" Sonia tears away from the stare off with Kalob-looking a bit anxious. "Whatever you saw in Kalob's head-and whatever you saw in your head needs to be heard for the rest of us-you know, for the ones who can't read minds, and who don't have visions?" Helix looks back and forth at them-then at me Seth Nikki Ali and Auna. And Dominic. "Yeah-what did you see, huh?" Seth pants. I look over to him, and see he's still smiling past the panting.

"Fine." Sonia and Kalob both say at the same time.

"Okay then. What did you see? Kalob-you speak." Helix speaks calmly.

"Sophia is in danger-I don't know everything, I don't know where and when she gets attacked-I JUST SAW TWO dates: the 20th and the 28th of April. Two months from now she'll be in danger! One of those dates-Lukas plans to strike!" He growls. Monstrously angry. "She was almost in danger today-"
"Lukas has a new look! He has molded, and transformed into a different look." Sonia adds to Kalob's words.

"What's wrong? Sophia-?" Helix ask, his voice rising.

"I'm going to ask this, if I can-what the hell are you?" I quiver.

"You haven't figured out yet?" Seth hints, giggling.

"Seth!" Sonia hollers. Then she looks at me, cautiousness when reading into my thoughts, looking, staring deep into me. "Its okay," Helix says, looking back at me, eyeing Kalob the monstrous statue again.

"Vampires," Sonia says painfully towards me, "we're vampires, okay?"

"W-what?"

13. Explanation

"THERE'S THINGS THAT WE NEED TO EXPLAIN TO YOU, SOPHIA."

Sonia says.

"You might want to sit down for this." Seth chuckles. "Come on, I'll walk you to the couch." Is it really that severe for him to walk me to the couch?

So I let him walk me in, passing the others, and the monstrous statue, Kalob. "Ignore the statue." Seth jokes.

I nod.

I sit on the couch with Seth standing near to my right.

The others besides Kalob, and besides Seth turns to me.

"We became who we are because of our gifts to heal, to see the feature, read minds, control your mind, and so on and so forth. We didn't come together until 1849."

"All but poor little Ali of course." Seth adds, pointing to her by the corner, shyly hiding. "She was the unexpected one-there was only suppose to be eight of us-"

"Yes, exactly-in 1851 we found Ali on the streets covered in blood"-Sonia turns to glance at Ali then looking back at me-"and that's how she became apart of us."

"And through 1852 to 1858 was our training session, but we also trained before Ali had come. So we knew what to expect, the poor girl didn't know anything and she, even to this day, is vulnerable." Helix explains.

I watch from behind them, Ali grimacing.

"In 1859. . . .New Dawn, or as she's known as Vera in the Esdetri. A group she's formed with her brother and sister and a friend, and. . . .my brother." He continue.

"You have a brother?"

He nods.

"He's kind of evil-" Seth smirks from the corner still close to me.

"Who's New Dawn? What about your training-why-what was it like-"
"We're trained to strain ourselves in dire situation, because if we were going to be your guardians-we'd have to get use to human smells, get use of blood being right in front of us and us being able to, not stop the urge, the urge will forever be there, but control it to a certain degree. To harness it, and push it aside so we can help you."

"Wow, that has to be. . . .difficult."

"For some"-Sonia starts up again-"its almost impossible to control it. Because once you know what its like to taste human blood-" She shutters.

"It's almost impossible to resist." Seth ends Sonia's sentence right on cue.

"So how did you-?"

"Trust me, it wasn't easy, especially with a new member on board who was just starting her training."

"Thanks, that's why I'm still in training!" Ali leaps into the conversation.

"So how were you all chosen, or how does that work-the guardian thing, like do they pick you or what? I want to know."

"They found me first," Nikki steps up, "I was mindlessly roaming Spain in 1620, but of course that's before they found me-this is right after the nightmare I went through with the monsters, a clan that is very known to come to people and either do two things: find you and murder you, or take you. . . .And with me, I was frozen in fear when I knew they chose me-I hid under the small under-the-floor cavan I had. I hid shamefully with my three babies. But they found and took us immediately-killing them and taking me to experiment on. Before ending up turning me. They thought I was weak and would die, but I didn't. After having lost my children, after losing everything I knew I started roaming all around Spain, to satify my throbbing throat. And the thirst that came with it."

"Oh, wow, that's astonishing." I say, gaping.

"It wasn't until 1717 that they found my whereabouts. They had a keen enterest in me because of my ability to be inside people, read their emotion, their thoughts. . . .and everything else, too while looking deep into them. As though I was the person, sort of like that."

"Kalob was found later in 1781." Sonia explains. "Somewhere in Paris, I believe I'm right. Kalob don't like talking about his past. . . .but I do know there's a girl involved, yeah big time!" Sonia cheeses, glances over to him who is glaring at her, ready to pounce.

They continue to tell their story, who they are were, and who they are now. I continue to ask some questions, not much, though-but very very intrigued by them. All but Auna came up, half way through it she walks away on us.

"Don't mind her," Helix says, seeing me watch her as she walked away.

"She doesn't like the fact that she didn't get her second option: to back out as an guardian. They said she was half crazy when she was found." Kalob growls.

14. The Reaction

"GOODBYE!"

I wave to all that's outside of the house, only Auna is absent. Surprisingly Kalob is back and pale again, but not any less monstrous. What's new with him?

"Ready?" Sonia says. "You just take a right, it'll take you right to town. Better hurry, it will start raining soon." Sonia, warns me.

I drive down the long drive, driving away, glancing over to them before taking the turn down the right side of the road like she said.

On my way the sprinkling starts. But the time I'm in town it's a full blown storm. I get stuck behind a stop light once or twice through town, before finally hitting where my street is. I finally see my house, as I pull in to the drive I see a red pick-up truck parked along the road across the street to my house.

I slam the door behind me, then I lean back and slide down to the cement drive bellow me. I sit on the drive, leaned back towards the door, letting the storm rain down on me. I hold myself close in a ball.

"Are you okay?" Suddenly a sort of familiar voice says.

I look up, watching as this boy that I know I have seen before stand before me. I flinch.

"What's a matter?" I scramble up on my feet. "Where did you come from?" He looks over his shoulder, looking at the old truck across the road. Around late fifties early sixties model red truck. "Uh-huh?" "I came here to check on you," he smiles.

I look up at him, confused, "do I know you?" "Well. . . .yes. . . .and no."

I continue to be confused.

"I'm Edwen. . . ."

"Edwen?" I look at him deep. "You're the boy-" I become wide eyed, remembering his name. . . .remembering his face. . . .

"How did you find me. . . .find my house."

"I took you home the night of the party."

"Oh,"

"You don't remember because you were out most of the time."

I turn half towards the house, other half still on him. "Uh-I'm sorry do you want come inside, we can talk inside?"

"You don't mind?"

I shake my head, "no, not really. I mean you are here, right? And it's down poring."

He nods his head. "Yeah, I would like to come in."

I hold out my keys, beckoning him to follow me in to the house. I unlock the door, straitening to open the door. "Come in," I hold the door for him, closing it after he comes in.

We walk in the kitchen when I say, "sit, please."

Then he pulls out my seat that I mostly sit in every morning before school.

"Do you want anything to drink. . . .to eat?"

"Maybe a glass of water, if you don't mind."

I fetch him a cold glass of water, set it in front of him on the round table. Then I go sit across him in Lauren's seat, which, by the way, feels strange to me.

"So why-what happened to me to not remember?"

"Look at your left arm. . . ."

"My mark-?"

"Yes. . . .do you remember how you got it?"

I shake my head, "'no', I don't. Should I?"

He lifts the clear glass and take a swig of water, setting it down to look at me. "It was at the party. . . .I wasn't with you at the time, so I don't know exactly what happened. I just remember walking inside the house and seeing your friends-I followed them up to the bathroom where you were, puking up profusely."

"I was?" I bow my head low, blushing.

"It got worse from there too." He adds. "Oh god!" I look up at him. "How bad?"

"To the point you were bleeding in your ears, nose, and missing the toilet. . . .ending up falling from being weak. Before that, though, I notice you were holding your arm. I was astonished what I saw. . . ." "Wow"-I fling my hand out, blushing a smile-"I'm so sorry."

He take another swig of his water. Freezing when he puts it down. "Why?" "Why what?"

"Why are you apologizing-?" He flashes his bright teeth at me.

"I-" I pause, having to think about that. He sighs, "no need to explain-" He raises his hand up to me, making me pause, frozen with no room for words. . . .or the thought I had in my mind.

Suddenly I feel awkward and odd.

"What made you come here in the first place, if you don't mind me asking?"

"To see if you were home and okay."

A image of him and me-the warmth from him just so comforting lost in a deep depth of nothing occurs.

"You tried to help me," I tilt my head.

"YES, yes I did."

I open up my mouth slightly, but then, he stands up and I freeze again, my words stuck in my throat.

"Sorry for disturbing you."

I look up at him confused. . . .watching as he pulls in th chair.

"What? No, of course not! You didn't disturb me, not at all."

"I'll put this in the sink, okay?"

I nod, sort of speechless.

He walks to the sink, dumping the ice and the rest of the water down the drain.

He walks back to the table, laying his hands on the back of the chair.

"Would you deny me if I asked if I could call you some time-you know? To hang out, and learn to talk to one another-become friends?" He smiles nervous and awkward. "Uh-" He nods his head gently. "Okay. Here!" I rip my bag to my lap, opening it to receive a pen and paper-I write my cell number-and the house number. I hand it to him, and he grabs it with care. I put the pen back in my bag, lying my bag on the face of the table.

"I'll call, we can plan something. . . ."

"Alright," I whisper, moving my lips with little movement. "Good, sounds good." He smiles crookedly.

"I'll be waiting?!" I sort of make it a question.

"You'll wait-I will call you, alright?"

I nod my head, "Sounds good."

"Yeah, it does!"

His face widen in excitement.

"I got to go before the storm get's worse-"

"Oh, right. You should go, then."

I stand up and follow him to the door. I open the door watch as the rain is now a full thunderous mayhem.

"Gosh-what a mess! You sure you want to go?"

"I'm sorry, I got to go. No choice," he smiles.

Then he jumps out, gradually walking to his truck. I shut the door and turn in to the house.

Later that evening I end up in bed after making dinner for me, cleaning the huge, almost, empty house. I'm still not use to being in the house so big and alone. Back home I was never alone. My dad worked long hours at the job sites. But there was always Paul and Kevin.

I get my headphones for my IPod and hooking it onto the bottom. I lay on my bed, putting on my headphones in my ears, and turning my IPod on. The screen turning black, to a bright screen with a list of options. I press the circular button on the bottom in the middle, pressing music. Then I press all. After that I turn the wheel with my thumb, cranking the volume up to full blast.

I concentrated very carefully on the music, trying to understand the lyrics. To unravel the complicated drums and the guitars that stung through my ears. I lay comfortably closing my eyes. Through out the list of songs and concentrated on each lyrics, I realize that half the songs are with the same continuing drumming and guitar playing with people screaming instead of actually singing. Be rational, and let some one understand your sanity for screaming every word of the lyrics. I thought, a couple of times, throughout the list, with several songs, in several different parts.

Suddenly I open my eyes, and realize I'm somewhere so bright and warming. . . .

A mirror in front of me, I realize that I'm in front of it, the warmth still burning inside. . . .wherever I may be. . . .

The mirror has five huge glass pieces, divided and shattered away from the other. There are four small pieces of glass around the mirror, in the middle there's the biggest shattered piece of all of them. I can't make any since of it, none of it makes any since, whatsoever!

Suddenly I hear his voice, "god Sophia. . . .your. . . .hideously ugly!" Edwen whispers in discuss in my ear, his lips curling against my ear. I feel hurt, I feel sadden, and then. . . . .I feel furious! I look up and back at the full length mirror. In the middle is him, his face twisted, and discussed. And on the four other shattering pieces around it is me, soft and fragile, with my emerald green eyes tired. It was the day I arrive at my mothers house

The next piece is the guardians, the four-now nine. Nine guarded vampires protecting me. Kalob in front of them. After that, the next piece, it scares me, Lukas, on the day where he took me with his sister.
Then-I leap horrified by the last face that's mine, the piece of glass splits in half, right through my face. Is it my face? Is it me? I've seen these eyes, seen this monster that looks exactly like me. Exactly until up to the way she has blaring white eyes, the evilness, the protruding mask of: a monster.

Each one moving in front of me. "I am," I stall.

"You are what?" Edwen ask, taunting the fact of: my hideousness.

"Hideous."

"That's my good Sophia," He growls in my ear.

I look over at him, tracing his jaw line before you get to his ear all the way down to his chin. From there I stroke my forefinger down to his throat. He smiles, but when I lean in to kiss his jaw, I feel myself grabbing my hands around his throat.

"Now who's hideous?" I feel myself lightly squeezing his neck to one side, snapping it.

"No!" I rise, wide eyed and sweat poring down to the side of my hair line.

I grab the blankets and turn to jump off. I see on my alarm that it's only 5:49 am and I sigh. I get my stuff out, my clean pair of clothes ready for a hot shower to shrug off my nightmare. I rip my buds off and press the button to shut off my IPod to set it on my nightstand, behind my cell.

I take my shower, not lasting as long as I wanted it, not enough to wash my nightmare away. I get dress, avoiding looking at myself.

Cool it, I think to myself, or it'll really, really get to me. I can't let it do that. I'm better than that, I try to convince myself. Who am I fooling? Exactly-no one.

I get myself comfortable in my T-shirt and jeans. I feel a bit more confident when back in my bedroom, both my arm of the mark and my heart carries a hefty beat of a rhythm. The mark causing a firry burn to it in my entire arm with it, even up my shoulder. . . .

Overall, though, the pulse is really nothing but a hard, compressed, firry

pulsating. . . .thing. On my arm!

I then start walking up to my bed, smoothing it out as I make it. After that I walk to shut off my light switch, walking out of my room. I scratch my left arm, over the mark. The feel of it feels alien to me, not smooth like my skin use to be right there. Scratchy and rough, even hot is how I explain it now, I can even feel the vibe of its pulse through my arm as I scratch it tendering it carefully.

I walk down the stairs, and then the moment I step down and turn the corner to the door, I decide at exactly that moment to leave early. Even though its six something in the morning. . . .I just feel like I have to.

So I slip my coat on, put my shoes on, and I grab my keys. I then skip breakfast all together and slip out of the door. But couldn't help with my car when pulling out of the drive.

And when I drive in the parking lot I noticed that the Shelby is parked in their original spot before parking in my space. I walk out after cutting the engine off, throwing my bag over my shoulder.

Suddenly I see him as I walk around my car. Kalob's face is masked with fear. I've never seen Kalob's face thinned , and so. . . .horrifically in concern for someone

safety. . . .me? Is it me that he's so in horror for, so strangely unstable in concern?

Me who he saw?

"Sophia," his voice shaking 365and filled with unwanted waviness in his tone.

"What's wrong Kalob?"

"Lukas. . . ."

"What? What about-"

"He's. . . .he's. . . .he's. . . ."

I never seen him act like this, he's worrying me.

I start walking next to him as he takes me to the school building.

I lost him, trying to worry about other matter, like school, like work, and my friends. . . .not some boy that has magically turned his colors-or, his whole look for that matter. I have other things, real things that don't involve vampire guardians Lukas who shifted his look that's also still trying to get to me. . . . .

Like Edwen who out of the blue comes back to my life, that I knew only by the boy, until now. That's real too.

I found my class waiting with my shoulder leaning on the wall next to it until the teacher finally comes and unlocked it.

"Your early," Mr. Zyfs says.

I shrug, "yeah, a little." I moan.

I walk in following him. I walk to my desk and set down my stuff, dragging myself down, to sit.

I sit there board and staring out to the door, opened wide now.

Finally the first bell rings and kids start coming in, the first is him: Kalob with five other kids around him.

"Sophia!" Alex screams excitedly proud to see me after Kalob and the kids has sat down.

"Hi," I wave.

She comes and hugs me in my desk. "I couldn't find you-and you weren't by my locker. . . ."

"Sorry, I came here early."

She sits down in her desk. "Friends again? I shouldn't have been mean to you by ignoring you."

I nod.

"Is Eddy not here again?"

"Yeah, he's playing sick." She shrugs a shoulder, worry free.

"But he's your boyfriend, aren't you suppose to be worried?"

Duh, this is Alex! She's worried but too hyped on something she kind of get lost for feeling bad for him.

The second bell rings, class is starting.

Our teacher, Mr. Zyfs turns off the switch, and set up a TV so we could watch a documentary about the Korean War, and the following events afterwards.

"Boring." Alex groans, leaning on the back of her desk.

But I'm intrigued by the History and the documentary.

My eyes are glued to the screen, when suddenly in the corner of my eyes I see Mr. Zyfs shadow walking from his desk to the door where he leans his shoulder to the frame to watch us watch the TV. But most of us is just talking to one another or have their heads down. Then there's the few, the very few that's actually watching. Kalob-me-a boy I don't know, and another boy across from him are actually watching the TV screen.

Suddenly, for some weird reason I look down at my left arm, covered in a light sleeve. I cringe as I feel sharp pains. I lift up my sleeve, cautiously looking at it, knowing no one else can spot this hideous, viral thing on me.

I yelp suddenly, covering my right hand over the arm, but releasing it when I notice how hot it is, like fire scorching.

The firry feeling scorches my whole mark, suddenly my arm start to vibrate and shake like a train on a broken track. Then I start to feel sweat rolling down and to the sides of my hairline, in and around my ears as I strain myself to not scream.

Then my fingers from the same arm, reach up in the air, palm showing, still violently shaking. I hear this metallic sounding noise, making me look up. The TV screen became blue with black and silver static lines across it. Was I doing that? Was I causing those static lines?

Then my arm has a jerking reaction, causing it to fly to the empty air between my desk, and an empty desk across, sitting next to me. I jump when people scream, with a loud crashing noise. I look up and see the TV flying off the stand they had it on. The TV is flying towards a girl in the front row. I widen my expression, did I do that? I think, realizing I only have matter of seconds to fix it. Or the girl, is, or will be crushed by a giant TV that has been out dated way too far long, its time just to retire!

I force my arm towards her, for the first time its sort of steady. My fingers still out stretched, palm showing. I tilt my hand as if I am steering a wheel to a car. The TV amazingly stops, tilting to the back, and falling to the floor, between its stand and the girl's desk. People get out of their desks to tend to the girl-Mr. Zyfs turns the lights on, walking towards the right of the room where just about everyone else is, tending to the girl. Just me and Kalob seem like the only people in their seats.

But I don't stay in my seat for long, though. I escape out of the room, holding my arm, not even bothering to check if Kalob is following. I wobble through the hall, holding my arm as it is making a fist.
I finally make it to the girl's bathroom. I glance at myself in the mirror above the first sink, and see how pale I look. I crumble on my knees into the last stall in line. I grip the rim of the toilet with my right hand, pulling myself into a sit. I then pause, letting my arm calm down-the pain-the pulsating. . . .

Then I hear a noise like the door of the bathroom is opening. I'm confirmed it's the door when I hear it slam with a loud thud.

"Hello?" I lean forward, laying my right hand out in front of me, on the tile across the opened stall door. "Hello, is some one there?" I quiver, scared, this feeling of horror and dread washes over me. But no response-nothing but just these thudding noises, what my guess would be paws coming and walking closer with claws scrapping through before uplifting for another stride.

Then I lift my hand back, leaning away when I see this dog that looks like a German-Sheppard hybrid. Teeth out and bare-ready to strike as it slowly turns to me, the brown paws in the front twisting in an angular potion. Its hunched shoulders, pulling force in the animal, and then it lunges.

I grab the stall door with both hands and close it, but the force of the animal is so strong as it bulldoze through, flinging me back as I hit the heel of my head where it meets my neck on the toilet rim.

Then as I slip down, limping, thinking its over-it got me-I hear it whimper, with the whimper I hear a slight cut through the air, a disturbance as I then hear glass being shattered from impact. I look up and see the recognizable back of Kalob, and the dog and its side sliding down the completely busted glass from the middle sink mirror.

Then I see Kalob turning with the grey fading, and escaping around his cheekbones and down his jaw where it disappears for good.

"Sophia," he breathes, the bloodied dog finally coming to a rest in the sink.

"What's-"

"Are you okay-is your arm-" he pauses "-how do you feel?"

I nod my head stiffly.

"F-f-fine."

Kalob growls, "come out Lukas!"

I peek to the corner, feeling the little throb where I hit my head and neck.

In the corner is a darker, entirely brand new Lukas that I've only seen one other time. When he tried to fool me in thinking he was-

Then this snarl rips through the air as I see the dog standing with glass pieces sticking out of it, but it is completely healed behind Kalob's back.

But suddenly I feel a flash of a breeze between me and the stall, between Kalob standing in front of Lukas. The speeding wind stops and Seth appears in the motion, now behind Kalob with his arm in the canines of the dog, with his other arm grabbing the dog-tackling it down.

Kalob turns half way back to where Seth is tackling the dog-and the dog is fight-ing-or trying to fight back. But its not able to swing its head to bite back.

"Damn dog-fight, and show yourself, Londan!" Seth snarls.

Londan? Where is-the dog? Londan? Is she the-the dog? Then I think about Lukas and him changing. Does that mean Londan can change to? In this case-a dog? Is it possible? It has to, Lukas-he-he-

Suddenly my thoughts run dry when I see elbows pushing through the shoulder blades of the dog, and a head coming from the dogs back of its neck.

Then the dog disappears and the long haired-two shades of tan darker than Kalob's hair, girl is Londan.

I'm frozen as I rewind what just happened-the dog becoming Londan, Londan coming out and forming into a human. Her form that I saw with Lukas. Is that who she is? Or is she something more? Something entirely different? Like my guardians who are pale-but are really like grey statues.

"Fine, you got me," She smirks.

Seth growls tensely.

Suddenly Londan looks at me.

"D-" Seth spins in a blur around Londan, gripping her neck.

She tenses up along Seth's murderously vicious body poster.

"LUKAS!" She snarls, behind that snarl lays fear.

"Get off HER!" Lukas stays in the shadows still frozen, but the emotion is shown by his tone-a sense of fear for his other half, is more than any kind of emotions that he has ever shown that I've known him to do.

"Do you have her?" Kalob tilt his head to the struggling Londan, and the amp Seth.

"Yay," Seth smirks devilishly pulling the chomping down, down-right struggling girl.

"Good." Kalob says, darkening by the second. "See Lukas-this shall teach you a lesson for trying to kill Sophia-this shall teach you to not touch the ellipse, while we're here, while we live-we will never let you get what you want-her."

Kalob walks up to Seth and Londan, slipping a long and jagged piece of glass from the middle sink from the earlier events and continue to saunter over.

I watch as Lukas walks closer, eyes wild in a craze, in that craze is also deep concern.

My attention goes back to Kalob and Seth with Londan pulling herself forward, inch by inch.

"What are you going to do later on? You know when she get's her powers. . . .and grow too strong to control. . . .too wild to tame, what then? Why not just end it now, let us kill her-and it'll be over just like that? You wont have to worry about that burden, the questions: how on earth will I stop something so powerful, how will I stop an ellipse? Watch, its gonna happen. . . ."

"If we wanted to kill her, wanted to just give up on her, it would not be with you! Some kaliraies!"

For a moment I thought Kalob would say yes when he started to speak. Really, I did. But there haven't been a time he's failed me yet! So I don't know why I thought-

Then my eyes widen in horror when I see Kalob blur his arm in one motion through the air, piercing her in the heart, while the exact same time Seth bites a deep gaping bite on the side of her neck.

"No! Sister!" Lukas cries in pain.

I watch as Seth lets go, backing away, as well as Kalob too. Letting her fall, the moment she touches the tile with her knees she becomes a pile of grey ash.

My focus back on Lukas and where he is, but I see he's gone.

"Your all dead! Starting with her!" His voice appearing next to me.

I look up, how did he-

He picks me up by my right wrist.

He looks down at me before looking at them, saying, "I give her April 20th , after that is just buying time.

He lets me go-let myself drop to the floor.

I continue to stare up at him, watching as one tear escapes down his cheek, before disappearing down the edge of his chin where it finally dissolves at.

Then in a blink of an eye Lukas has disappeared out of the stall that I'm in back out side. He kneels down on his knees, more emotion stir in his mask, scooping up his sisters ashes before adding, "you'll pay for this," he muffles, vanishing for the final time.

After several moments of stillness Kalob starts to walk towards me in the stall, with Seth staying behind, wiping purple blood grimacing on his lips.

"Sophia-" Kalob reaches closer to me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah-I-I-"

He nods, kneeling in front of me, laying his hand on my shoulder. "Its over Sophia-its all over."

"He said-"

"We'll get him, we wont let him get you, okay?"

"But-he's going to try hearder now that his sister is dead, wont he?" I whisper.

Then I see Seth nod his head.

"Seth!" Kalob turn his head to Seth, "stop scaring her, and clean up, wont you all ready?"

Seth then turns around and walk to the sink, turning it on.

Kalob turns back to me.

"What happened to you Sophia? Your arm-you somehow someway gravitated that TV."

"I did what?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Stop saying it doesn't matter-it does! Why don't you let me think I deserve to be apart of this. Because I am apart of it! You know that too-" I stand up, shrugging off his hand, and walk around him, walking across the small quarters of the bathroom. I lay my eyes down on the floor where the small, now disturbed, pile of ashes where Londan use to be is now irreverent.

I try to image the pain that Lukas is feeling, then I think of how much I hope it is enough pain, maybe not enough pain, but pain. . . .that he deserve way more than the boundaries has given him. Then I feel guilty for thinking that way, and I look straight and away from the grey dusting, towards Seth.

I lay both heels of my hands against the crystal white sink round edge. Hooking my thumbs under the sinks edge, supporting me when I lean.

"Seth?" I crane my head around to see his face.

He turns to look over, the brownish paper towel to his bottom lip, frozen there as he peers into me deeply.

"You-you, uh. . . .got a little bit of blood right there on the corner," I point out, sort of frightened by it, and I'm wondering if he senses it, too. My fear.

His eyes widen, as his hand blurs with the paper towel wiping off the smudge of blood. "Did I get it?"

"Got it," I murmur, lowering my head.

Seth lay down the paper towel low with his hand. Side throwing it in the garbage. "Are you all right?" He sounds sympathetic towards me.

"Yeah, what you think Seth? No, she's not! She just stepped in to the beginng of her new life. And by witnessing us killing Londan she has seen the monsters we can be when we're on duty, and something like the kaliraies coming and thinking they can destroy us so they can demolish, rip-to-shreds, and make a meal out of her-"

"Kalob-now your scaring her!" he hisses.

"I'm beyond being scared anymore," I huff a off-beat of a breath, startled when I hear the door open.

"Hey guys, what's the hold up?" Sonia says, letting the door behind her slam.

She stalls at the corner where it comes to the main quarters, where we're at.

"Damn it-you guys didn't-don't tell me you did!" She stares down at the ash on the floor and the broken glass, and the blood- dark purple almost black blood in and around the sink, in the crevasse of the mirror, oozing still. And then something snapped in her and she shakes her head as she continue coming closer to us. "YOU DID, DIDN'T YOU?! I thought you guys knew what low profile was?"

"But he's not as strong now because he doesn't have that support of his soul, in this case his sister."

"Seth, it doesn't matter!" She screams at him.

He nods. "We think Sophia was having an attack. . . .Kalob witnessed it, then Londan and Lukas-" He says, jaggedly, turning to face Sonia.

"No," Sonia is directing to both Kalob and Seth, "wait, did you say Sophia had

an-"

"Yes, she gravitated a TV. I saw how her-" Kalob steps up and explain, like taking charge of the situation, and explaining it to Sonia.

"Sophia-how are you now?" She turns to me.

I look up at her, "um, well, my arm with the mark isn't on fire any more, and,

uh-"

She nods, "good, that's good." She turns to Kalob.

"The last attack was at Christmas Break, when she got her mark too early, too soon for the blue lunar like her herself to handle it."

"When they get there first attack-the mark is when they start having more savere attacks, equaling her powers, correct me if I'm wrong." Sonia says.

"No, your correct, on the dot, really. This attack revealed the gravitational-but not severe, no blood, nothing of that sort happening. But I have a feeling that its going to happen-if she had an attack like she did today, who knows when the next will come."

"Your right," Seth and Sonia says, "we must prepare."

"I-I need to get back to class. . . ." I interrupt.

They all look at me, but only Kalob speaks. "After all this, all you can think about is getting back to class?"

"I get what your saying, sort of, kind of. . . ."

They all tilt their heads in one direction.

"But we're still in school-you can do your thing, and I can get my work done. . . ."

"Fine-but your not going in eighth period," Sonia hisses with a slight snickering. "Seth, escort her to class, we'll clean up. NOW SETH!"

Seth nods, quite frightened by Sonia's, all-the-sudden quick yelling.

"Let's go, " he takes me around and away from them, until a brick wall hides us from them, taking us to the door where he pushes it open. We walk out and on the journey back to History class.

"Your brave," he says, as we cut the corner.

"Well, I am "the one", aren't I? Maybe. . . .maybe even that ellipse that you keep talking about, too."

He smile, crossing his arms around his chest.

"Do you really believe that you're the ellipse?"

"Hell, I'll pretty much believe in fairies and that there's a magic land far and wide after what I've been through these last three months of living here."

"What? Fairies?" He cracks a laugh that's almost humble. "Where do you come up with these things?"

I shrug, "well, I, uh, I don't-"

He looks down at me, eyebrows arched.

"I don't know, I just figured: kaliraies vampires. So-"

"So you believe there's little people with wings and dust powder, too. Hay-good one!"

I look up confused, how can he be so cheery after he just helped murder someone?

"Here you go, your class madem," he says with a olden, more wisdomed voice as we approach my class entrance.

I walk half way through, turning back, ready to say thank you but to my surprise, he's gone.

"Sophia! Where were you!" She runs up and hugs me.

"I-I-I-" I gasp.

Then as we make it to our row, collect our stuff, the bell rings. Alex rush, with all the other kids to the door, to escape-all-except I, that is.

I stand, slow to respond, the scenes from the bathroom, rewinding in my head.

Throwing my stuff in my bag, not wanting to carry all of it, when suddenly I'm stopped by Mr. Zyfs.

"Sophia, I wont except kids coming, and going out of class, are we clear?"

Sorry Mr. Zyfs, but it was an emergency-my arm was on fire, the TV moved, I had to go for the girl who almost, nearly got crushed, and for anyone else close-

But instead of saying anything, I just nod.

"Thank you for your understanding."

I nod again, wanting to leave. . . .like now.

"Okay, your excuse now." he smiles. But I just bolt for the door, my bag heavy as my stuff bounces around on the inside against me back and shoulder blade.

As I chew my food quickly at lunch, I notice that Kalob Sonia and Seth aren't at their table-just Kaile. Only a couple of minutes till the bell rings, is when I finally see them walking in, mysterious, vital. . . .

"Sophia, what do you think?" Corey says, waving his hand in front of my face.

"Huh?" I look at him, still not myself after the events from earlier, so surreal, so dream-like. . . .

"See, I told you, not paying any attention." Corey hisses.

"Hey," Alex snaps at him, "ease up, she's having a bad day."

"Oh, well. . . .sorry." He says sarcastic as well as mean.

"Yeah man, chill." Ben says shortly after Alex.

My eyes go back to them, now that they've made it to their table. Where were they, why are they so late?

The bell rings and I stay behind Alex, though the boys are long gone in the filter of kids. When we make it to the doors Alex and I have our good-byes and walk our separate ways.

As I walk towards the Biology room, I just hope, pray that it won't be a death sentence. . . .

As I walk in, I'm like one of the last group of kids to walk in before the bell. I sit by Kalob. As the class continue, I get up to sit by my still present lab partner on this project. So Seth moves with Sonia and I move my stuff down where Seth was.

"H-hi Kaile"

He nods, cracking a smile.

I scoot one of the plate with the owls left over, setting it to a different lens before settling for one, seeing pieces of small hairs, and a fragment of white splinters.

I look up quickly when I see Kaile pick up the second plate, placing it under the microscope. He nods as he glances through the eye piece.

I write down how many fragments and other small details down a list. I write a small paragraph for each. What I saw, and it goes on from there. There's sections for all three plates.

After class I'm met by all four of them.

"You ready?" Kalob growls.

"Will Lauren know?"

"No," Sonia says with a quick response.

"Okay, I just want to know that she wont know-"

"She won't know, you can make sure of that. . . ."

We start walking towards the door, posters for various things, from clubs after school, to stuff for choir and so on and so fourth on the walls as we come closer to the front of the school building.

We're out on the parking lot, walking towards my blue Colbolt.

"Hey, what about you?" I turn around, feeling bare and open.

"Well now"-Seth pauses, thinking it through carefully-"we're sending you home."

"After we do, we'll come back here and watch for the last half an hour for anything suspiciousness." Kaile soft voice rises, hiding his face behind Kalob Sonia and Seth's backs.

"Can I-am I f-free?"

They stare scrutinizing at me.

"I'd feel better if you guys staid here-to keep watch. . . .please."

They pause.

"Be careful going home." Kalob snarls.

I turn, walking towards my car, closing in the rest of the space, getting my door open, then, stepping my foot in the car, leaning in to it, I look over at them thinking: how am I pulling this off, being so calm, so put-together by this, while my insides is screaming, screeching in shock-in horror, ready to collapse inside? Yet, I'm pulling off this mask like Kalob-like the others-like Lukas has done so many countless times before.

"JUST make it home safely, we'll take care of things here." Sonia confirms with a slight gentleness to her tone.

"Okay," I nod my head, looking at them before shutting the door of my car.
I start my car and back up and out of the space, watching them fade as I turn and drive down the row before turning the corner. Giving them a glance back in my review mirror before the last second.

15. The Occasion With A Friend

I STOP AT A RED LIGHT COMING HOME, ALMOST TO MY STREET I THINK: IS THIS WHAT ITS coming down to? Kalob and Seth killing Londan has now made it more of an race to capture Lukas before he harms anyone, before he-

The light turns green, just then, and I start moving through the light.

Should I be scared? Scared that Lukas gave me a due date, till he kills me? Will my guardians pull through-will they get him-like they did Londan? Will everything be okay?

I hope so, I really do.

Now that I've entered this world, this chaotic war-between Lukas and Londan-between Kalob Seth Sonia and Kaile and the others-between me, the clueless one, as Lukas says, its not fun any more, its gotten much too difficult to keep up with.

Finally I'm down the end of my street to where my house is. I turn in to the drive, and shut off the engine. I get out and shut the door behind me, just as I turn around, see that I closed it completely, I see a truck, the same late fifties early sixties model, red truck pull up across the road again.

No! Please, why now, why today? I just want to get inside, Just want to die when I get to my bed, just collapse and die, let everything else fall away from me.

But now I have to stay, with the memory washing heavily over me.

"Hey!" He smiles corky, walking across the street and up my drive, until he stops, dropping the smile all together.

"What's wrong?" His concerned face melts down to me, until his concern is the only frame of things that I can think clearly about.

I ignore that question, and add, "Uh, what are you doing here?"

"Oh," he nods, "well, I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out and watch a movie, and maybe get a bite to eat afterwards?"

I think it over for a second before thinking: maybe it'll be good for all the troublesome I'm going through, especially. . . .

"What do you think?" He continue with a smile creeping up again, somehow making me smile as well.

"Sounds like you've chosen the perfect time," I smile, nodding my head.

"Well can I come back later, what time is okay for you?"

"Wait-your not staying, to hang out? I thought that's what-" Now starving for a distraction from my nightmarish occurrences and what's to come with them, the consequences of those actions, wanting them to go away, seeming like they do when with him. For some reason things are different, calmer, brighter than the chaotic circumstances with Lukas, my guardians, with me causing the chaotic in the middle where I forever stand.

"Seven thirty is fine." I stare at his flannel shirt. "Yeah, I guess you got to change, you know?"

"Same with you"-he eyes my school clothes-"don't you?"

I nod.

"So seven thirty it is." He chuckles, "see you then."

"Okay." I say.

"Alrighty, then."

He start walking back to his truck, before getting in to his truck, starting it and driving off. What the heck just happened? Am I really going to the movies, then go get a bite to eat? I mean we're going as friends, but still. . . .what just happened. . . .?

I retreat in side, do the usual routine, get my shoes and coat off, head up stairs, throw my self to the side corner of the bed, to a sit with my bag on my lap. I get my papers out, putting my bag to t side on my bed.

I try to concentrate on the French packet that I have to do by tomorrow, and I have only four questions done-out of twenty-five questions in all. I sigh after two hours of almost getting just a little under of a quarter of my homework done. I put it away in my bag, and throw my bag to the corner where I made it its home. I lean it towards the wall and then look at my alarm clock, seeing its 630.

I only have a small time to get a good pair of clothes to wear. So I go through my closet and get it on, a white T-shirt, and a white wool half of a light jacket, that goes to the mid section of my stomach. I throw a matching cream color jeans on too.

I head out of my room in to the bathroom to put deodorant on, brush my hair, and run out. By the time I'm done with all that, its about 7:28.

I put my shoes on and then, just at the door I hear honking from outside. I shut the door and head down the drive where I see the old faded truck across the road. I look left to right-right to left before crossing.

I finally make it across and around the truck where I open the passenger side door.

"Hey!" He says cheerfully.

I finish getting in, shutting the door behind me.

"Hey friend!" I say, settling my seatbelt across me, to buckle it to its latch.

"Friend?"

I look up at him. "Yeah, uh-" I stop, frozen when I see him smile hugely at me.

"Great! I like that, my mystery girl," he jokes half heartedly.

"Ha-ha!" I laugh, not knowing what he means by that.

He turns and start up the truck, with a turn of the keys in the ignition.

He takes us in to town, driving for awhile until he adds, "I know we're just becoming friends and all, and this is a pretty odd thing to say-but you look quite pretty tonight."

I eye him, and notice he's replaced his flannel with a dressy shirt and a dark chocolate leather coat clinging to his shirt, with the buttons unbutton all the way down, showing the loose flab of the shirt. And maybe a six pack under it.

I see the glinting neon color light to the movie theater by the drive up to the parking lot, and the tall structure of the building beyond it in the cover of darkness.

Edwen parks in a spot close to the building.

Friends, only friends, just friends. . . . I remind myself while walking to the front of the movie theaters.

We get to this glass section where these two girls asking a family of eight what they wanted to watch-and directing to them to these doors to the left to get to the inside.

"Yes? What is it you want to watch?" She's directing towards Edwen, and ignoring me.

"Two for me and my friend," he slips money from his pocket through the half cut circular holes in the glass, "uh, what do you want to watch? Your choice."

Oh, my choice eh? I look through the glass and a build board above the girl on the wall, listing the names of movies.

I point to the first movie I see, Edwen look up and see where I am pointing to, and turn to the girl. "Two tickets for that one right there." The young, maybe a bit younger than I, girl look up, and over her shoulder to it. "Okay, here's your tickets, sir-have a nice night." She stares at him, but then eyeing me with a glare of pure hatred.

I couldn't make out why either. Edwen takes our tickets and hand me one. I grab it, and then we walk in, me first, turning to look back to him. Holding the door for him.

"Thank you ma'am."

We come across the small room counter with framed posters of verity of movies and the dates when they're due, or when they're coming to the theater. The walls is a pale ugly yellow. With white tiles for the floor, and black diamond shape patterns in every other tile we step on.

"Hey you want to get a snack or a soda?" We make it to the snack bar by a small little hall that opens up into a circular waiting area, pass that is another hall going in a upper, more slanted hall going to the next level where the ticket booth is, and two figures awaiting as three people walk up to the ticketing booth just then.

"Uh. . . .sure." I say, "root beer and some gummy bears sound good." I realize how good that really does sound good too.

We don't wait very long in the third line over. We step up to the counter and I go first, shyly and as awkward as I am when I'm in these situations. "Uh a medium root beer, and a bag of gummy bears, please," I squint my eyes, forcing myself to gulp.

I take out my wallet out of the small hand bag over my shoulder, giving the boy a five dollar bill and seventy-five cents, poring it down his pinkish white hand, from working, or rubbing his hand on something.

He shoves the money in the black apron over in the front of him. "And for you?" He ask politely towards Edwen.

"Oh, just a large blue slushy. That's all for me." He nods.

The boy grabs two cups from the counter on the corner, stacked high, then he retreats and fills my cup up and putting a lid on it-sliding it on the counter. Then the boy goes to the slushy machine behind him, put it under the silver opening where he presses a button and blue slush swirl through, until a little is going down the plastic lid. Then back in the front and takes a bag of gummies out of the rectangular glass under the counter.

"Here you go," He hands Edwen the cup.

Edwen shoves his hand in his coat and gives the young man his change for the drink.

We walk up to the left to get out of the other people in line ways. We grab straws, and a napkin for me and for him, then we walk to the benches on the circular waiting area. I set my stuff on the little room to my side when Edwen says, "don't eat all those, now." Like a big brother looking out for me. For a moment its like my big brother figure, Paul is here with me again.

"Oh, no, I wont. I'm saving them for the movie." I reassure him, looking up at him, getting a piece of hair and put it behind my ear, smiling happily at him. "Your like my best friend down at home in Texas, his name was Paul, he was like a brother. You kind are like that too."

"So-" just then he's cut off by a voice creeping closer from in front of us from the small hall before getting to where we are.

"Well, hello!" Its Corey's sarcastic, enthusiastic voice that makes me look away from Edwen. I stand up and swing a arm around both necks of Corey and Eddy next to him, hugging them tight.

"Hey guys," My voice pitched with excitement.

Corey pulls away, adding, "hey now-I don't do mushy stuff, okay?"

Eddy lifts me in the air like a small child being rocketed with their dad then he puts me down.

"Nice seein' you."

I step back and turn around, ready to introduce them to Edwen. But Edwen makes me freeze, he's standing up, very close to being behind me-stiffening, eyes dark, teeth almost showing.

"What do they want?"

"They're-they're my friends from school."

"Aren't you the guy from the party-yeah the guy who locked us out, aren't you?" Corey leans around to me, to get a good look at Edwen. "So what? You and Sophia here are on a date?" He continues, making me blush as I turn back to him.

"Nope, just friends hanging out." I explain, "what are you guys doing here?"

"We're meeting Al and Jessica."

"Alex is here?"

"Yeah, we thought to have a double date," Eddy's sickening smile showing brighter.

"What better than at a movie theater?" Corey adds to Eddy's words.

I nod, turning back to Edwen's alerted body poster is still frozen.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Corey says.

"Yeah-are you okay?" Eddy tilts his head.

"Edwen?" I say, stunned, frantic, and horrified rushing through me.

"I have to go to the bathroom!"

He bolts towards the back area where the label says BATHROOMS on the top wall before getting in to the small space beyond it.

"I'm sorry guys I-" I raise my hands up, turning to chase after him, to find out what that was about.

"Edwen," I say when I find him by the same wall with the label on it BATHROOMS with his heel of his hand on his forehead. "What's wrong?"

He gives me a glance of acknowledgement.

"I'm sorry, I just-"

"Your fine, you are good." I smile, jabbing my elbow to his side playfully.

"I think we should go, start heading to our room where the movie is going to be playing in. You know?" He says over me, with something in his reach of his radar before calming down again.

"Fine, that's great-can I at least see Eddy and Corey is still back there, and if they are to say see yah, goodbye. You understand what I'm saying-so they don't think I ditched them?"

"Do what you must," he smiles weakly.

As we finally make it across the waiting room where I see Eddy's and Corey's absences. I grab my stuff and turn to Edwen.

Edwen waits for me, then he takes me to the upward slope of stairs up to the next level where the ticketing booth and two men maybe in their late twenties waiting for our small square tickets.

"You got your ticket?" Edwen ask, gently again.

"Yeah," handing him the ticket that I unburied in and from the hand bag.

"Thank you," the thinner, with less fat-who looks like a runner than someone working here. The boys rips our tickets in half and gives us back half of the tickets.

I shove the ticket in my bag. Then we walk through, Edwen guiding me until we make it too the hall where the room for our movie is.

"Cool," I say, smiling again, "this'll be cool."

"Yeah, I hope so." He blares a laughter.

We walk in the doors and walk in, all ready the room is dark, really dark-with only the huge screen to light our way.

"How's this?" I tilt my head back to him when I pick a row that's only two rows down and to the far far left of the both wide and long room.

"I GET the edge seat," I say like a choosy child.

"That's fine," he sighs, walking in first-and plopping down.

He sets his slushy in the cup holder.

I do the same and pull the seat from being folded, and plop down. I take a swig of my root beer and set it snugly in the cup holder next to me. Then I go for my gummy bag, ripping them open, taking a few-and popping them in my mouth.

"Want some?"

"No," he shrugs it off, "I'm fine with my slushy, but thanks."

The movie starts after the previews are done, finally. The movie starts out good, pretty good. But then the movie takes a turn for the worse-it starts getting scary, really horrifying me. I cover my face in to Edwen's shoulder several times, not even thinking how he felt about it, if this made him uncomfortable or not.

He looks down at me when blood and someone dieing occurred and I'm huddling my face into his warmth of his shoulder. "Uh maybe this was a bad movie to pick."

"Uh-huh," I paint, face tilting up to him and only up to him. "Yes, yes I agree."

He sighs in a ragged breath.

I take a swig of my pop and just as I do, I get this chronic pain in me. I jump up stunned by the jolts. But then I feel like I need to go to the bathroom.

"Edwen, I need to go to the bathroom."

"Maybe that'll be good for you. . . ."

I don't know what he means about that, but I get up any ways, and heading for the door in the dark.

I find my way out and find the restrooms. I get inside and go to the bathroom, after I'm done I come out of the stalls and coming to the rows of sinks, in one counter I wash my hands in scolding hot water when I hear:

"Your all dead! Starting with her!" Lukas voice appearing behind me, echoing loudly.

I jump, turning around to the stalls, looking every corner of the bathroom, but nothing-no Lukas.

Then another comes, a flash, a image from long time ago, a dream that I first had: the dream that had kind of somehow foreseen Lukas, Kalob, my guardians even before I met them:

He stops in front of me, angry, viciously biting. . . .

"Did I tell you to speak?" His brows lifting up.

I widen my eyes.

"I'm quite disappointed in you, Sophia. For being "the one". . . .you don't show it-don't fight back. . . .just as if your normal."

I wait in silence, scared, and stunned of his lecture.

"You were always my target, my prey. But those stupid "guardians" were always in the damn way. Always there."

Yes I remember the conversations still, still molded to my skull as I now know the boy must be no other than Lukas. Then the dream's memories continues:

"Yeah," he smile more smugly, those golden brown eyes killer, "I thought I had you, but apparently the big one saw me. . . . ."

"Kalob!" I squeal.
He nods.

"Sophia?" A grueling voice appears in the shadows.

"Ah, Kalob, there you are." The boy continue, coy and still smug.

"Sophia get away from him, run!" The cover of the huge dark, high ceiling, floor that echoes when walking, room hides the boy ahead some where. "Get to safety! Now!"

Safety? Where's safety, I don't see safety, just darkness.

But I take chances, and I bolt towards the right of the room, the echo of my sneakers pounding on the cold hard floor. Wondering blindly in the dark, the boys confronting, getting violent.

"No!" The grueling boy, which seem to be Kalob, who is trying to help me, is looking back at me.

My eyes flutter and I'm back in the bathroom. I turn around and shut off the water, and turn back again, but nothing else happens. Just deranged weakness I'm suffering now.

I wobble towards the door of the bathroom, pushing through.

I jump when I see Edwen waiting for me, arms filled with our stuff.

"You look pale, really pale Sophia, are you okay?"

"I'm-"

He waits, eyes melting my heart as they peer into me.

"Your all dead! Starting with her!"

I jump and flash my head around and around in both directions, looking for him, but he's nowhere to be found. Am I losing my mind?

"Are you all right?"

I look up at him, my eyes slightly, just slightly blurry.

"Y-yeah." I shake it off, everything that has anything to do with Lukas, the dream, Kalob, and the rest of them. . . .

"Can we leave?"

"Yes, of course."
I step closer.

Edwen throws the stuff away in the near-by garbage can, and starts walking with me, being very vigilant of me. He stops and throw his coat off and put it over me, saying, "here-you need it more than I do."

He strokes my back gently, my shivering stopping for those few seconds that his warm-filled heat in his hand laid on me.

"Thank you," I whisper, "that felt good. And if you don't mind, would you keep your hand on my back. . . ." I trail off, thinking to myself: did I really say that? Yeah, I really did, because as I say it, exactly on time I feel his hand landing on my upper back.

We walk down the hall, it isn't long until I stop-suddenly gasping for air, so I lay my hand on the wall next to me, for support.

"Sophia?"

I look up in response of my name.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just need a breather. . . ."

"Well we're at the stairs that take us to the exit. . . ."

I look ahead and see we are at the tiled steps like the ones we went up to get to the movies and to the booth. But these staircase leads to the same white with black diamonds in every other tile with more movie posters leading us in a hall to a wide door that says exit at the end.

I don't even realize Edwen has attached, his hand to my back, now its holding my hand.

I turn back to him, stepping on the first step now.

"Edwen," I still gasp, trying to catch my breath, "why-" I catch myself, finding that I like that his hand has mine, but mostly, I find the heat from him very comforting.

I feel him intertwine his fingers through mine more firmly as I find myself trying to pull away my hand.

I try to lie to myself by lying to him: "No! I don't like that-your too hot!" I turn around and trot down, forcing my wobbly feet to carry me just enough to get me across the small hall and towards the door, forcing myself through.

I feel chilled when I hit out side, the wind picking up, there's sprinkling of rain as well. I start walking across the concrete that's still under the movie theater, getting to the edge where there aren't any covering, just being pored on.

"Sophia! Wait! Hold on!" I tighten his coat around me, and turn around to see Edwen trotting towards me. "Sophia-"

"What?!" Hoping he'll see through my mask, and see I'm not truly mad, I'm just flustered.

"I'm sorry if-"

"Why were you holding my hand?!"

"To-"

"No Edwen! Why?!" I scream, now really getting angry surprisingly, well. . . .to me anyways. My hands fly in between us, now he's right up to me, two steps back to be exact.

"Sophia," he growls, "please-I want this to stop! I was warming your hand since the hand is mostly the place that gets cold."

". . . .No, I won't except that-because then why didn't you let go, huh?"

"Stop being so difficult. . . .and think, for once, think what your saying!" That really hurts, right for the heart.

"That hurts Edwen," I step back, running short in our argument, "I wanted to give you a chance. . . .be your friend. . . .I really liked you, I remember that much of the party-that you were sweet-"

He tilts his head, his narrowed eyes becoming soft.

"Well I lied, I lied about you being too hot, your just right, to me anyways. You were the first person I met that makes me feel like I'm a person, that I'm alive again. But I guess I was wrong, wasn't I Edwen?"

"What-what are you talking about, tell me while I'm still here, please?!"

"You know exactly what-leave me alone, just never come and find me again, never go searching-because I'll just close my doors."

"I want to be in your life, be your friend, your protector. Whatever it may be, I want to be there, a friend, a-"

"A what?!" I holler in the, now, down pore.

He grabs me, gentle, and firm. "Let go of me!" Tears start to fall down my damp face.

"Please-don't cry, don't make this harder than your making it be," He sighs, giving up and defeated.

"WHY DO YOU CARE?!" I shrug, and pull, and fight his hand off me. "And why is it me who is making things difficult?" I shove my fingertips to my chest, pointing to myself. "Why can't it be you who is at fault?" I say, still pointing to my chest, out raged.

I was once just masking it, now it's the real thing-boiling through me with every word he's saying.
"Because I do care-I started caring when I met you at the party-when we

talked-when-"

"Yeah-I cared too, but I cared enough to make it try-at least I'm not saying its your fault, oh your making this so difficult!"

"I wasn't meaning it like that Sophia! Not at all, especially with you. . . ."

"What ever!" I growl, shoving him back, and ripping off his coat-throwing it at his face. Then I start walking towards the stretch of concrete towards the right. "Go! Leave me, and just go."

"I'm not going to just leave you here-in the rain like this!" He hollers throaty, and almost choking that I'm really leaving.

"Yes! You are!"

I hear him finally moving after watching me for several minutes, moving across the road. I find a small space in the corner with a slight dryness to it, so I stand there, leaning against the structure. I watch Edwen fade in the muggy, raining parking lot.

I take out my cell, dial Lauren's cell number, quickly putting the phone to my ear.

"Sophia?"

"Mom! Can you pick me up?" Tears still falling, and showing through my throat, too.

"Honey what's wrong?"

"Can you just pick me up?"

"Tell me where you are." She's filled with seriousness, and concern.

I tell her and she knew exactly where it was that I am at.

I snap my phone, and slide it in my hand bag.

It's like an two hour wait for Lauren, but it seems longer.

Finally I see the black Jaguar car Lauren drives pull up to the front, the rain none stop so far. She gets out and walks over to me stroking my shoulders down my frozen arms aching in the rain. She eyes me and sighs.

I lean my head to her chest.

"Come on, lets go home."

We get in the car and we get our seat belts on, and I see the clock and see the greenish numbers saying: 11:00.

Lauren looks at me, patting down my damp hair. "My poor Sophia." She whispers.

16. Unwelcome Slumber

SO THIS IS IT, I REMIND MYSELF, THIS IS THE DAY I'LL NEVER LIVE DOWN!

I know, reminding myself in every way that I can.

"Good night mom," I barely whisper it out, like pulling teethes out just to get it out of me.

"Good night too honey."

I push through my door to walk in to my room, lilted with shadows. I shut my door and drag myself to my bed, collapsing after getting dressed into my PJ's.

Suddenly I'm tossing and turning, my eyes rolling under my eyelids. Trapped and confused-in this dream is:

Its raining-and I'm standing outside of the movie theater, screaming at Edwen. And he takes the brute of it all too.

I'm such and idiot for cutting it off, or even arguing with him. But anyways, as he stands there, and I yell-there's these bone white colored faces, with dark cloaks, and dead black eyes figures.

Several of them making a half circle around Edwen. Then one in the middle grabs Edwen's shoulder-throwing him to the side.

My frantic scream replaces my yelling. Edwen now on the sidewalk on his side propping himself up with his elbow. Sunken in quickly. Until finally-he looks dead, and he's no longer able to carry himself.

"Edwen!" I screech, thinking: what have I done?

"Forget it, the dog is dead." I hear his grin in his laughter.

I turn around, instantly he's having his arms around me.

"Hello darlin', you like my friends?" Lukas pushes me to the ground over Edwen.

"Honey! Honey, Sophia wake up!" Lauren's voice rises.

My eyes widen as they open. "Mom?" I gasp.

"It was only a dream, honey."

"I got to go, I got to find him."

She sits back, puzzled. "who?"

"Not now, mom." I push aside, rising out of bed-going directly to my closet. Searching through for a top. Then I run across the room after I do find one. I open my dresser drawer for pants to wear.

"Out! Now, mom!" I point my finger to the door.

She raises up and saunter towards the door, closing it behind her.

So I get dress, grab a coat-watching it drizzle out my window. Getting down stairs I see the weather channel on the TV, watching for a second before I grab my key and head out.

(The unknowing)

17. Monster

HERE I AM, SCREWED AND, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN MESSING EVERYTHING UP!

I drive into a parking lot by this small restaurant in town. I park my Cobalt, and get out-walking around to the doors. The restaurant almost, nearly empty.

I find a seat in a booth near the corner of this squared-old-fashioned small town restaurant-taking in every square inch of it. The wall filled with pictures and other artifacts.

The edges triangular and almost 3-D like.

Then this young girl about in her twenties comes walking up to me and the table I'm sitting in.

"Hi, I'm Debbie-may I get you a drink?"

"Uh, maybe some water."

Smiling, she nods. Then she walks away.

Then I'm left alone, by myself, and overwhelmed. If he's going to get me, fine! I sigh, continuing with my thoughts: they killed his sister, which was brutal-then I went to the movies with Edwen-ending up acting like a fool, and cutting him off!

What a mess!

Then I jump when the ring of my cell entered the atmosphere. I grab it, and flip it open and put it to my ear as I say: "hello?"

"Sophia! Sophia where are you-a big thunderstorm is coming!" It's Lauren's voice, franticly rushed.

"Its okay, mom I'm fine. I'll-"

"I'd feel better if you were here with me." She cuts me off.

"I'll be there, don't worry. I just had to breathe-I was suffocating."

"As long as your home, and you make it home safely."

I hang up, and set it in the pouch of my pants pockets. At that same time my water comes-the girl sets it down with a straw by its side.

"Thanks," I look up at her-faintly smiling.

Then she walk away once again, and I grab my straw, taking the paper off around it before I put it in the glass of water. Then I pick up the glass, and take a swig of it, before finally I set it down on the table.

I sigh once again, my thoughts still getting to me: eating at me. Then I feel my mark start pulsing heavier and heavier kicking through my arm.

I take another swig and sit up, walking for the doors, I stop dead in my tracks when I see that my phone is ringing again. So I take it out and flip it open, then I set it to my ear when I don't recognized the phone number.

"Hello?" I stumble, my lips trembling.

"Where are you?"

"Edwen?!"

"Where are you?"

"Why-" I pause looking around me. "Hold on."

I walk outside, walking to the parking lot-until finally I'm at my car.

"Okay, so what are doing calling me? I thought you'd never call since-"

"Are you still upset with me? Is this too soon? Do you-"

"No-I was just here in town, about to leave a restaurant I have no desire to eat at."

He laughs tenderly. "All I thought of last night was how upset I made you. It tore me up." He sound saddened now.

"I had a dream-a horrible dream about you, I'm not mad, or upset any more-little frightened, scared-something more like that, Edwen." I sigh deeply, leaning on the driver side door. "But not mad."

I hear him sigh in relief.

"I'm sorry, really I am." He scratches it out.

"I'm sorry too. More sorry than you'll ever know."

He sighs again.

"Is-?" I start.

"Yeah, I'm just glad your okay," he burdens himself, "goodbye." Then the other line hangs up. After a moment or so I do the same, putting my cell away. I get in my car, and start the car, backing it out of the spot I was in.

I then drive across the pavement before reaching the small downwards hill before getting to the main road. I slow down to a stop, with another car behind me, I look left to right before merging on to the lane I need to be on to head back home towards the left.

The clouds getting more and more blacker, more gruesome and fierce.

As I approach home, I start to get this feeling-like something bad is going to happen.

Thunder strikes the clouds over and over, crackling loudly, making it hard to concentrate on driving. The light, the noise from them are tense.

Finally I'm on my street. And in no time I'm home, pulling in to the drive. I get out of my car and hurry up the porch, where suddenly the door opens and Lauren comes out.

"Are you okay, honey?" She steps up to hug me.

I wiggle out of her grasp uncomfortably. "Mom-is everything-?"

"Lets go, the storm is brewing."

I nod.

We walk in, Lauren locking the door behind me. Then we reach the living room, each and every light is off. The only thing lighting our way is the TV, still on the weather channel I see. And a severe thunder storm warning on the bottom of the screen.

We sit on the couch.

"I was worried that you would get stuck in it."

"It was pretty bad heading home," I announce.

"Oh," she acknowledges my words. "Well your home and safe, sweetie."

She looks over at me, wrapping her arm around me-with her fingertips ever so touching my pulsing mark.

Pulsing harder as her presence goes among its atmosphere. "Mom!" I leap to the side, parting us.

She looks over at me, "what is that? Is there something on your arm?"

I cover my right hand over my burning, pulsating mark on my arm. On the left arm, just where its been. "N-n-no-"

"Honey, its o-"

I stand up, hand still over my mark, scurrying pass her and out of the living room. Before I turn the corner I whine, "I'm sorry mom." Then I trot up the staircase. The crackling of thunder, and the hemorrhages of the wind picking up and hitting the house is more than alive.

I Slam the door behind me harshly, locking the bolt on it. With tears I walk to my desk flipping open my bag to see nothing but a wallet with little cash, while looking through I slip my cell in there. I snap it close, and sniffling, I pull the chair in, working my way across where my dresser and window is.

I freeze by my bed, more than half way to my window when I notice its open. Not only that-but a shadow by it is staring at me. Then the figure steps out of the shadows, walking my way. I'm too frozen to breathe, to move. . . .

His forefinger tracing the lining of my bed as he comes closer. Every lump in the covers, every dip-his fingers follow.

Suddenly he stops in front of me, pulling his hand away.

"How did you get in to my r-room?"

"The window, right after I hung up with you."

"Why are you here?"

"Are you mad?"

"No," I mutter, cracking a smile. I reach cautiously for his hand; I squeeze it absorbing his heat. "I'm not sure if I should be happy-or freaked that you're here, in my room-in front of me."
"Sophia, I have to tell you something."

I slip my hand away from his-stepping back. "W-what w-w-would that be?"

"Your in danger, Sophia."

I cross my arms, knowing in the back of my mind its true. But how would he-

I shake my head. "Can you pro-" I sniffle.

"Your crying-please, why?"

I look up at the carrying of those protective, caring chocolate eyes of his. "Little over whelmed."

"Because of me?"

I shake my head.

"About," my eyes points down to the culprit: the pulsing mark, "nothing, never mind." I shoot my head back at him.

"Its okay, I know about it, too. The thing is very dangerous, and apart of you like the very thing that keeps you alive."

"How-"

"I was there when you got it, remember us talking about-"

"Yeah, okay-now about me being-"

He puts his finger to his lips, "shh." He pulls me in to him. "He's here," he growls violently.

"Who?" I stutter, fearing: could it be true-could Lukas have found me. But if so, why haven't Kalob or the others seen it?

"The boy with golden eyes."

I gasp, startled. "Lukas."

"Oh, so the boy with the golden eyes has a name?"

I nod, shyly uncomfortable that he knows, he's seen Lukas.

"He was at the movie theater with us, you know. After I walked away. . . ."

"Huh?"

He nods, "I must take you away."
I play hard ball and continue standing crossed armed, away from him now.

"Please don't, he's at the door, knocking about. . . .now." He's on edge, frantic in worry.

I jump, turning to look back at my door where I hear the door bell right on time.

"Hello," Lauren greets.

And everything else I shut off, fearing the worse!

"Mom!" I scream. Then the pull of him occurs, turning me around.

He shakes his head like he's predicting the ending: a ending of dread, sorrow, death. . . .

"I care for you too much for you to get hurt, so I'm going to ask this once. Please come with me-you'll be safer."

I nod, tears flowing, knowing my mom is probably hurting because of me, but he's right. I got to go.

He turns and walk to the open window, with me behind him. When we're at the window, Edwen turns around and mutters, "stay right here for a moment."

I look back at the door, knowing he had to figure out where I am by now. My guts aching in to knots.

"Sophia look at me, I wont let him get you. I don't quite know what his motive is, but I will not let him get you," he vows with a difference in his tone.

He steps up to the window ceil backwards, ducking until he's outside. I step up, feeling the moister of the rain brushing against me.

"Grab my hand," He grips the siding of the house, griping firmly, as that side of him is curved perfectly towards the house as if he was part of it himself-while the other side of him hung loosely, his hand reached out through the window where I can grab a hold of it.

"I'm scared," I look down in between the space between him-the tree, and the ground.

I grip his hand anyways, pulling me through, twirling me around comfortably against his chest. Curled up in the down pore, instantly frozen and wet not even after two seconds of being out here.

Then he lets go of the house and turn straight, letting gravity take its toll. He lands perfectly, lightly on his feet.

Cradling me in his arms, he looks up at my window before dashing for the trees. I continue to trace every line, every muscle, and darkened shades flickering off him with my eyes as he continue to dash for the woods.

Then Edwen stops running, freezing at his place. Almost a field away from the house by this time. He turns around and looks up at my window: Lukas with a half smirk that reaches up to his ears.

He leaps out of my window, grabbing a limb on the tree, swinging before he slides on the skirt of the tree. Landing with a hard thump. And before I know it, Edwen is setting me down.

I crawl myself back, before turning myself to a sit.

"I'm so sorry for this." He sighs.

Confused, I continue to stare at the soaked Edwen. The T-shirt, his arms, face-hair especially. . . .

Edwen saunters in front of me, shielding me in a way. Only seeing the cracks do I see Lukas walking this way, deliberately going slow. Examining very close to, or what he could see of me through Edwen.

Edwen growls, "what is it you seek?"
Tension. . . .

Then, Lukas steps one more agonizing step closer before stopping. He lifts his right arm, pointing to me, "I want that monster dead, with her head on a platter." He's jagged, starving, craving for death to occur.

Edwen snaps his jaws together, bearing his teeth, and balling up his fists up together all because of what Lukas said.

"Oh," he steps even closer, "did I offended you, dog? Do you care about her, is that it?" He teases with a threat out in front of it.

Edwen tenses up until he's almost unable to move any more.

"You do care, well whoever you are, that's a problem." Lukas disappears, reappearing right in Edwen's face, scaring me. But I continue to watch, anyways.
"You don't scare me, Lukas!" He lost all control of his anger. He steps back, arm out to the side-like a protective shield between me and Edwen, and Edwen and Lukas.

"Too bad your not; well her mom is in there dieing while the seconds tick by." He tilts his head in the air, laughing the most annoying sounding laugh I've ever heard. "Just like your mother, slow and agonizing while every second took her to her death-" He's cuts off by Edwen swiping his throat, squeezing tightly.

Edwen brings him closer to him, whispering, "don't talk about my mother like that!" He growls, snapping.

Suddenly Lukas disappears out of his grasp, he just vanished.

My eyes widen in horror when I see Lukas again, his attack on Edwen too quick for Edwen to offend himself. Lukas bites him on the dip from his neck to his shoulder, murmuring, "your lucky this time," and disappears for a final time.

He staggers, falling to his knees, gasping for air.

I stand up, crawling towards him. "Edwen," I wrap my arm around him, franticly scared and unsure what or how to help him.

He looks at me, with a change in his eyes, in his face. Much weaker than I remember. "I'm fine, Sophia." He grabs my hand, and pulls both of us up with a stagger approach.

"My mom," I gasp.

"I'll take you inside." He squints, his voice on edge.

We make it around, Edwen moving very stiffly and hurting, and I try to be there with him. Because its my fault he's hurt.

I suck in air as we approach the porch once back in the front of the house. Feeling death amongst me, and that's when I knew: my mom is really dead.

I freeze at the steps, getting nauseated-

"Sophia?" He's speaking barely in a whisper, in agony. And I feel so guilty too.

"I'm fine," I sniffle, tears flowing down my cheeks.

He lays his hand on my shoulder, to comfort me on the horror I haven't seen yet.

I step up, seeing the door open. We walk in, walking to find my mother in the dark, sprawled in front of the staircase, Edwen behind me as my knees buckle, and I fall in the pool of red velvet, bending over to see her eyes slightly open. These purple veins spread from the bite that's over her artery on her neck up to the side of her face. That's why she's bloody and cold. He drained her with one bite.

I close her eyes and I start to feel these knots of pain as I cry, nothing to stop them. Not even my own will could stop it.

I lay my hands on the center of my mom's dead corpse, throwing my head, screaming: "Monster! Monster! Monster! Monster!" I crack the words high in my screaming's.

Suddenly as I do all this I see that the lights are flickering on. Just flickering.

I stand up turning around to Edwen. "I'm alone, all alone." I cry, the sharp pain through me is too much-

Hurt, he hugs me, whispering still when he says, "your not alone, you'll never be alone as long as I breathe, as long as I live. . . ."

"I guess, well I guess I want to say is thank you. You're the best-"

"Look, the flickers of the lights is gone-total darkness again." Then he looks at me in a way that tells me he's clicking things together. "where's your"-he swallow hard, swallowing the pain down-"keys?"

"Up stairs in my room." I sniffle, twitching my nose in the process too.

"Where?"

"In my hand bag on the chair. But wait, I'll get it-I need to pack some of my clothes anyways."

"You want me to. . . ."

"Stay here, I'll-I'll-" I start crashing in depression, in shock and agony of the loss of my mother.

He nods, holding the wound he holds with his fingers.

"I'll try to hurry." I step over to the first step.

He slightly moves his head to a nod, gently, carefully. . . .

I trot upwards on the stairs, and when I'm on the hall I slow down, remembering earlier-at the time afraid and wanting to escape Lauren because she discovered my mark unknowingly. And that scared me. That memory brought on more weeping tears.

In my room, I scurry to grab my hand bag-I grab my one suitcase: the smallish one in the set that I stuck in the closet on the other side of my clothes. The bear empty space only filled by them.

I run back and forth to my dresser and closet until I finally have enough clothes to last me for a month. I hope I wont be gone that long. And my guardians. Why aren't they here? Maybe its better than it would if they were here. But still!

I zip the luggage, and drag it behind while the handbag lays on my shoulder.

"Sophia?" I hear my name called as I slowly, cautiously drag the luggage down.

But I'm pushed aside, Edwen taking it immediately. Even though he's hurt-I'm hurt too. Like a knife piercing through my heart. He helps me, taking it down the rest of the way until we're down to the ground.

He curves around taking it back towards the door. But I freeze by Lauren. She didn't scream, why didn't she scream? I question over and over in my head.

Then I whisper to her, "I love you mom" one last time before I leave.

"Car keys?" Edwen waits by the trunk of the car.

"It should be unlock." I say, zipping down the porch steps after locking and shutting the door.

He tries opening it, and he's able to open it with, well almost with ease. Then he sets the luggage in, and shut the trunk door over it.

"Who's driving?"

He walks around the car to me. "I am." he says more clear, and curtain.

His hand outstretched, the free hand. The other hand tends back to the wound. I dig for the keys, handing them over to him.

"Are you okay to drive?"

"Yeah." He snaps his hand close like a trap being released.

So we get in my little Cobalt, Edwen putting the key in the ignition, and starting it.

"Where does your mother work at?" He says, adjusting the seat.

I shrug, "she's a lawyer-I don't know-"

"A lawyer?"

"Yeah, uh-" I cut off, knowing I can't continue the sentence.

He drives down the drive-the thunder continue even now that its getting a bit late. From there on we just continue to drive in silence.

Edwen speeding through town, he tells me, "so you realize you have to walk in to your mothers work and-" He scrunches his face in a mask of agony.

"Its getting worse, isn't it? I ask, scared for him-especially after losing my mother to the monster; I don't want to lose him either, especially after my dumb mistakes.

"Its okay, don't"-he freezes in agony-"I rather prefer you worry about you."

"I'm worried about you, though."

"Forget about your mom's work-we're heading for the 'spot' I'm taking you."

"That's fine, just please-" I freeze, turning to the window, tears rising again. Facing the fact that I might lose him too at this rate. And I don't want to lose another person I care about tonight, or in the near future.

Its late, almost dark when finally I hear Edwen pull up in a drive.

I open my eyes, rising my head from the window.

He strains the words, "we're here." He put the car in park, cutting the engine off. He opens the door and stagger out, closing the door behind him. He walks to this figure, stiff and slow as he approach and shakes the mans hand.

With that I cautiously get out, and walk from behind.

"Man you look horrible, are you-"

"Yeah," Edwen force his voice out, cutting as he cuts off the man.

"Who is this?"

"This is Sophia."

"Edwen are you sure your okay?"

Edwen nods.

"This is Jimmie, Sophia-our pilot."

I look at the man, covered in the dark overcast, the good news is that the storm passed. Becoming a beautiful night.

I look at Edwen, "where are you planning to take me? Out of state?"

He just looks back, sick with guilt on his face. "Trust me."

Edwen looks back at the pilot, "sorry for the short notice."

The man shrugs in understanding. "All good. How's your father?"

"Good," he swallows hard.

"Glad."

"I got a suitcase in the car. . . ."

"Gotcha." the man moves around Edwen and towards my car. I look around, staring carefully at what he's doing.

But surprisingly he's careful, handling my suitcase-pass us and to this runway with a small white, hard to not see, plain a couple of yards away.

So we make it the very small plain, one of the smallest you can get kind of air plains.

The man sets my suitcase down to the back of the plain, where the door is, and a set of steps getting to it. Just a couple steps up to the small plain.

If my guardians knew-they'd be so angry with me.

"Step aboard." the man smiles.

"Sophia, you go"-he breathes hard in exhaustion-"ahead first."

I look back at Edwen, "I'm trusting you."

He nods.

Then I turn, walking up the steel staircase. When I'm in the plain, I'm noticing the grey interior and comfortable carpeted seats. There's three rows behind the pilot one row way up in front. I strap in when I sit down. Then Edwen does the same next to me.

The man sets my luggage in the way back, strapping it in so it wont fly off. Then he passes through us from the isle in the middle of us, getting the door we came in-pushing the steps away, and closing the door before sitting in his seat in front.

Eventually the plain starts up, and we're moving down the runway.

Then we turn the final strip of runway before taking off in to the skies.

I grip the armrest that is connected to my seat.

Then I hear Edwen grimace. Leaning his head back to the chair.

The force pretty powerful.

"Edwen?"

"I'm-I'm okay."

I narrow my eyes at him before releasing it.

I lean my head on the seat, my head pointing at the window as I close my eyes. Falling asleep, deeply, and tiredly.

When I open my eyes I look straight out of the window, seeing that we're low-I can see meadows and trees, covered in nothing but snow. Everything is covered in snow.

I look over at Edwen, concerned. He's looking at me as well as I'm looking at him.

"Are you-"

He nods, "I'm fine Sophia," he almost fools me if it wasn't for the spike in his voice.

"I wish you would stop lying to me! Your-" I freeze, watching the purple grow around his bite from Lukas.

"I'm-"

"Its getting worse, Edwen. I'm worried about you. . . ."

He looks straight ahead, dipping his head-before he looks back at me. "You don't think I'm worried either for myself?"

I shake my head, "uh, no, not the way you've been acting. . . ."

I then notice his heavy panting is getting worse, too. "Where are we?" I decide to change the subject. But unsure if that's the right path to go on.

"In Alaska." He says stuttering in a weak agonizing voice.

"W-what's in Alaska, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Friends." He start almost cutting off in his tone. "They'll help protect you."

"Protect me?"

"Yes"-he squints constantly-"at least for a little while." he tries to explain.

I look back at the window.

Then my mind goes to the subject of: who'll protect him? Who'll help get him better, and be okay-no, better than okay. Be healed. Who will do that for him?

I look back at him, watching him tracing the wound that I swear has grown twice the size of what it was before. I adjust my seatbelt, and reach out for him. I watch as he swipe his head to me, jerking his hand back.

I softly pat it with my index finger: suddenly I'm watching a video in my head so detail it takes me out and away from Edwen, from being in the plain-to being in this aisle with a white rose. At the end of the aisle was a casket. When I get there I see Edwen in it, frozen in the frozen state of death. He's weak-much more weaker than he looks now.

One. Two. Three tears fall down my cheeks in the video in my head.

"That hurts!" He screams, so powerfully strong, it knocks me out of the video in my head.

I blink, pulling my hand away. His voice was very ill still, but that was powerful.

"I'm-"

He looks at me, recovering, or trying anyways from it.

"Your dying, and you knew, too. I'm guessing that's why your being so. . . . ," I sigh.

"Its not about if I die or not"-he tries to be serious while trying to hide the pain-"Its about you getting protection!"

"I had protection in Olympia!"

"Where were they when Lukas was at your house and attacked and killed your mother-and after you?"

I freeze, not knowing the answer to that.

"I'll always be here-I told you that. You can hate me, never want to see me, but I'll be there." He speaks under a whisper.

"Why?" Deeply curious, wanting some answers. "Why do you, or want to help me; care for me?"

"Because." He tries to hide something by hiding his face.

"Will you answer this? Will you let me help you?"

"Sophia," he breathes, "I have something-"

"WELCOME TO POINT LAY, ALASKA!" The pilot announces.

Both Edwen And I look up.

Shortly after the announcement I feel the tires of the plain land. We drift quickly down the runway before finally we slow down to turn half way to the corner where we stop.

The pilot turns in to his seat and makes another announcement, "You two love birds-here's your stop!" He grins cheerfully at us like its really true.

I unbuckle myself from my seat, getting up to help Edwen, reaching for his seatbelt to help him get out of the seat when he says, "no"-he swallows hard, deepening it-"I can d-do it." He lays his hand on top of my out-stretched hand.

I nod, backing up and letting him have his space. Suddenly I hear the attachments of the step-the doors opening. And I'm waiting for him.

Finally Edwen snaps the buckle out of its clamp-wobbling up. I step in and wrap my arms around him, to help him up. I continue with my arm around him as we walk towards the door.

"You don't-"

"Shh, I'm not listening to you."

The pilot waving at us, saying, "I'd keep her around; I'll see ya Edwen."

I blush heavily on the subject.

Edwen just shakes his head, "bye Jimmie." He squeezes it out of him, breathlessly.

"Get better," he continue with the same smile, waving still.

When we're out of the plain, my body instantly goes bone chilled freezing all over. The only warmth is Edwen. We cautiously, slowly, slow to his paste which is like old man slow, down the railed steps.

I step-we step down, and already there's and inch or two of snow to greet us.

"Edwen-welcome."

I look up, seeing three boys about our age wearing t-shirts. No coats.

"This is my friends, Eli Tyler and Marten."

"You don't look so-"

"Marten!" The boy in the middle snaps.

"You must be Sophia, I'm Eli." The boy on the right corner introduces himself. "You made it in time-there's a storm coming." He continues.

I swallow hard, "nice to meet you all." I say shyly, under my breath.

"I have it from here, Sophia. T-thank y-you." He starts cutting his voice off, then stops, and start again. "C-can one of you get her luggage?"

"Marten," The boys say towards the boy to the far left.

The boy heads up towards the plain. After a few minutes he comes back with my suitcase.

They turn around, showing us away from the runway where a SUV sprinkled with snow lays.

The wind is picking up fast with light dusting of snow in the mix. I'm right next to Edwen, still weak and slow-staggering to keep on walking.

"Edwen," I whisper, making sure he's okay and to keep me warm. With my arms around my chest.

"No!" He's mad.

Then unexpectedly he crashes, body locking, and I have no control over it too! He falls in to the snow immediately.

"Eli!" I scream the only name I remembered. Frantic and frozen.

The boy turns around with the other following shortly afterwards. They rush towards us with masks of horror. Its in no time that they get here!

"What happened?!" The boy, Eli asks as frantic as I probably look.

"I-he just-just fell."

The second boy nods, grabbing my arm, noticing the same kind of warmth I get from Edwen is the same from the boy too!

"Come on," he says soothingly.

"But Edwen! He-"

"Sophia, its okay we got it from here-let Tyler lead you to the car, its warmer inside."

I nod, approaching closer to Tyler, leaving Edwen's side. My heart wrenching in pain from me leaving him.

We finally make it to the maroon red SUV with big circular disks, that is lights lined on top. I get in the back seat, and put on my seatbelt. "You need a thicker coat than that to keep you warm, sweetheart." He gives me a glance in the review mirror.

"What about you?" observing him: wearing a T-shirt only, and shorts.

"I'm warm already, I don't need to get too hot."

I start to ignore him, seeing where he's coming from, and not liking his jerk-like approach.

After what seems like a century, I start to feel lost without Edwen.

Suddenly as I think, and feel that-I hear the back passenger door on the other side open, and Edwen being helped seated. After him is the youngest looking boy crawling in too. The door shuts, stopping from me to hear the front passenger door open, and Eli coming in.

Tyler looks back, "now the little town of Point Lay!"

The road we drive on is a big long needling path of snow. Geez, and I thought it couldn't get worse with the white alien!

"Edwen?"

His eyes open slightly, moving his head down to me, like he could hardly move. "Yes?" I can barely hear the words leaving his lips.

"You're the best protector/friend I've ever had." I swallow hard.

He closes his eyes and shakes his head.

"What?" Frustrated, "what is it? What the hell is your problem?"

He reopens his eyes, glowering. "You k-k-know."

"Edwen?"

He closes his eyes, head still resting on the seat ignoring me for a second.

Then I feel Edwen's warming, comforting hand over my leg. Weakness in his hand that holds my leg-the energy of that weakness is strong. . . .spreading throughout his whole body.

"Edwen," I breathe as steady as I could make it.

"Y-yes?" He's drained.

"I'm sorry for this, for everything-and if you die, I don't think I can ever live with myself." I lean my head against his forearm.

18. Only A Dream

I THINK I'M ASLEEP AFTER SNUGGLING CAREFULLY AGAINST EDWEN.

Suddenly I feel it: like nothing I've ever felt before. I feel him beside me, reaching over me, reaching and grasping my face as his warm presence spreads to me as he reaches down and kisses me, widening, and opening my eyes-holding on his sweaty bare shoulder, for support.

"Please kiss back, Sophia," he mutters under the press against my straight, non curved line of my lips that it makes, should've been the opposite: moving and wanting his pressed lips on mine: when really, its I not kissing him, at that time he's kissing me back while I don't, just to be vain about it-but suddenly I have to, he's forcing it on me.

Forcing my face away, I say, "I can't, I won't-not with a monster like you, Lukas!"

He throws my arms to the side, "I can always force you, kill-"

"What's stopping you? You killed my mother. Your killing Edwen too! So what is it that's-"

"Because," he pauses, "I want it, I want-and you staying alive is getting under my skin. . . ."

I watch, laying flatly on my back, arms to my side held down. He grins.

"No!" I gasp.

"Oh, sweetie, we haven't even started yet!" He purrs, leaning, angling and horizontally across me. . . . His forehead against mine, taking in my smells. . . .

"I want it, I want you dead. . . . ," he snarls.

And I want to get away.

Then he pulls away to look at me, eye-to-eye before smirking like he's ready for the race to begin.

"So be a good girl! Wont you?"

I turn, reaching my arm out to the nightstand-my fingertips brush against my cell when I feel his claws grabbing my arm and pulling it back

"No!" I choke, feeling my struggle and his strength over powering.

Then I feel his teeth, the very tip snipping behind my ear.

"Didn't I tell you not to do that?" He whispers in my ear.

I blink my eyes, imagining Lukas is just wanting to take a bite out of me-dire to make sure I die for good this time.

I open my eyes, gasping-and jumping out of my skin when I hear:

"Sophia?" Eli pops open the door, reaching for me. Realizing I'm back on the icy land; in the car.

"Yes?"

"It was a dream you were having. . . ."

I look up at him, kinda figuring that out. I get out, asking, "where is-"

"Inside already." He closes the door behind me.

I see the long rusted out red house with two door garage and a single flat step up to the door, the path to it carved where its barely seeable under the snow.

Then I hear this scream so strained and painful, and murderously loud.

I cross the flat land in snow that separates me from the house-unlike back home, there's no drive. Just the flats that surrounds us. I think almost all the houses are like that. I grab the screen door stepping in so when I let go its resting on my shoulder, I then grip the knob of the main door: thicker and more sticky when trying to open it.

I finally get it open, running into this dark, though opened spaced house. I can see the kitchen, the living room, the small dining all connected with no real walls sepperating them.

Then the scream is back, coming from the maple stair case far in the back, beyond the living room, but before the dining to the right, and the kitchen straight across. Stopping, cutting off I don't hear the scream again until five seconds later-stronger this time. I rush for the stairs, rushing up to it, following the scream.

I burst in to the room that its coming from, and I see Edwen on a table.

Tyler carving a butcher knife starting at Edwen's shoulder ball, around the bite, making a square as it makes its way back to the ball of his shoulder.

"STOP!" I scram, running pass Tyler to the table. Where I grab the blade, feeling it cut deep in my palm, and pull it away. Feeling rage rush through my veins.

"Sop-hi-a!" He mutters, uttering the words out. He reaches out of his comfort point, conflicting pain on himself as he takes care of me.

Under carrying his hand under my elbow, pulling it away. Even then I can't feel the burning pain of the huge cut that's so deep! He examines it, while I look at him, noticing he can barely even hold it any more without struggling.

His hand shakes and falls. "Edwen?" No response, nothing but him turning in to this statue that is unable to break the chains to move.

Then the pain in my hand starts being a realization, blood oozing out. Then Tyler pushes me out of the way, Edwen watching, using only his eyes, wanting so badly to escape the pain.

Then I see Tyler with the knife approaching Edwen's chest, where he's ready to carve a square around Edwen's bite wound again. "No!" I swing my head around him, narrowing my eyes. "You knew he was sick, didn't you?" "Yeah, it happened right in front of me!" "Sophia," I'm grabbed by the boy, Marten I think his name is. "We're trying to cut through the skin so we can get the vinom that's causing his pain out." He continues.

Before I could say anything he takes me out of the room, and before he could drag me any further-I stand my ground, saying "WAIT!" I yell angrily, "what about Edwen?"

"We're doing what we can, now that's said-Edwen told me and the others to protect you. Why you I don't know. But that's what we're going to do since we are his friends, and we promised. And maybe because your beautiful."

I blush, "stop that, I just want to know he'll be okay. Not some kid flirting with me."

"But you are," he smiles so cheesey its creepy.

"I am beautiful?" I shake my head, running pass him, for the stairs. One step down the first step, I hear:

"Hey wait! I GOT THE PERFECT PLACE!" He jumps for joy. I freeze, turning back to see he's right there, pushing me so he can get through, trotting further to the spiral staircase. And he said to wait? Wait? Wait? Wait for who-him?
I further on down, until finally I'm down stairs with Marten who's waiting patiently.

He takes me to the kitchen which is a perfect box shape, and very small too. On one wall there's everything, the sink, the counters and cabinets, the fridge etc. The wall right across from it is nothing but a black door surrounded by a lime green wall.

"What's that-where does it lead to?"

"That, Sophia-is my room."

19. Marten's Sanctuary

HE OPEN THE DOOR AND PULL ON THE CHAIN THAT FLICKS THE LIGHT ON ABOVE US ON THE slanted ceiling.

So now the light is on and we're now able to see our way-we walk down the very slick and creaking steps; me following him.

We make it down where there's still a patch of light from the light above the staircase from where we stand right now. The rest of the huge, so I could tell space is shadowed in.

Then Marten moves towards the shadows towards the left, where I here something click. And sudden lightness comes among us and the huge space.

Then I see he's standing by a desk area with a clutter of paper is, and a small lamp. Then I see a wooden piano further to the left. And to the corner of the right is a small bed that's plain, with no real significant to it.

I stare back at the piano, gawking a bit. "I've never seen a piano up close before." I continue to gawk.

"Hey, you want to play-I can teach you."

"Um, no if its too much."

"Please, its not too much."

"Are you sure-?"

20. Disappeared From Sight

OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON: 2 AM. "Do you see her, can you detect her at all?" I walk the living room back and forth. "No," he breathes, shaking his head-still even when he stands from the couch. "I see nothing, she's gone, pitch black left in her place." "Maybe she's dead-ever thought of that?!" "Auna!" Both Kalob and I growl at her apposing presence by the second entry of the living room, near the kitchen.

"Oh, right, my opinion doesn't matter!" She snorts. "Not now!" Kalob burst in his usual temper.

"My money bets on she's dead," she smears. Then Kalob barks something in French, something nasty that makes Auna shake her head and scurry on her way. "She's not dead!" I protest. "What if Lukas found-" Ali's little voice appears in the conversation. "No! I would've seen him. Seen her. Like-" "But what if you didn't this time?" Its little Ali again, but this time Nikki's voice is with hers. Kalob walks around the coffee table and loops towards us. Suddenly I hear soft putter foot steps, knowing its one of us walking up the drive to the porch. . . .walking in. Nikki Ali Helix Kalob and I turn to look at the door, awaiting.

Then Dominic appears at the foot of the living room, drenched and worn in to a slump.

"Anything?!" I'm the first to rush in to it, to want answers, clues to what he found. If he found anything. But Kalob is the second one to my anxious rush. I think he's having a mental melt down since he stopped seeing Sophia in his visions yesterday evening, I think it was.

"Seth, calm down." I hear Helix's calm, elderly mannered voice behind me.

"You found her car?" Sonia still sitting at the recliner snaps.

We all, but Dominic who just stands there, looks at Sonia. Then we look back at him.

"I found her car with the keys in the ignition, but no Sophia."

I hear Kalob growl the most awful growl from Kalob as he storms off-shoving me and Dominic out off the way, charging out of the house without a word spoken: but his body language is full of colors; its blinding. "Kalob!" I screech, long after he's gone. I stagger forward, feeling his pain. But tell you the truth, he's the last one I expected to fall if anything would've happened to Sophia. "Where is he going Sonia?" Sonia unwillingly looks up at me. "Sonia!" "The last place we haven't checked yet, her house." She swallows hard. I nod, turning back to look at the door, everyone still frozen.

21. The Findings

WHEN I'M ON HER STREET, I STOP AND START WALKING NORMALLY, BUT ALWAYS STILL FAS-ter than a human of course. My distraught is the only thing in my power that keeps me going, to keep searching for her. I took a vow that I'd be her guardian, to find her, to protect her with my life!
And now I can't see her, what does it mean? Is she in trouble? Is it too late- Suddenly I'm here, at her house, smelling, tasting blood. I look around, before speeding into our blurring run, a skip of ease. And speed, that is! Nothing more than that. I make it across the dark lawn less than a second passing. I stop, just standing in front of the porch, letting the death I feel through my veins run its course. Then I detect movement from the second floor, stealthy, careful steps patting around in circles, looking impatiently for something. Then the familiar stench occurs, and I make a decision: a decision that has me turning in to the stoned colored monster we all turn in to,

but Nikki of course.

I walk quickly up the stairs on the porch, squeezing the knob, seeing its lock. I carefully squeeze, and I'm careful as I jerk it open. My strength easily pulling it open, but it was hard without breaking it in half. I make it in side the house, I see through the darkness with my keen eyes a body. I crouch down on one knee, bending over her, as I see its Sophia's mother. The human swells with her scent, just relieved its not Sophia. And then-

I lose it in me, the beast wanting blood to be brought out to the table, for Lukas's death. More now than ever.

Then I tilt my chin upwards so my eyes are looking up the staircase to the entry of the top of the hall on the second floor, hearing, smelling the kalirai. He went too far! Killing Sophia's mother, and maybe even-

I stop my thoughts, not able to proceed. My failure is high, and it is washing over me. Like stake knives through my frozen heart. Then I stand up, blurring up the stairs, through the hall-stopping at the last room before the bathroom. Leaning my shoulder against the door frame. Clenching my teeth together.

"Hello, Kalob." He turns around from going through her closet, closing the door of it. "So your going to play hard ball I see. You don't scare me in your stone colored form."

I stand up straight, off of the door frame, blurring towards him, appearing in front of him, both hands grabbing his throat. My needling canines growing to its full extensions, showing them as I growl. As a mortal threat that is clear cut. Its either tell me what happened to Sophia-or die. No ifs or buts. Then he let's out a laugh.

So I pick him up, and smash him against the wall, but making sure I don't damage it I do it carefully enough.

"I can do that too, you know." "Where is she?!" I press harder, balling my grip around his throat tighter.

"Oh, you almost gave me the chills."

"Tell me where she is-I'm tired of your games!"

"Who? 'The one' or as I call her 'the clueless one?'"

"Yes!" I snarl, gruesomely, beastly, aggressively raged.

"Oh, well she's gone, a werewolf came and protected her away from me. I didn't know if he really was there to protect her, or if it was a joke-but I know one thing or two. We have a new player in the game-he's the one you should be after-he's the one that took her." He wheezes. "Damn it!" I let the stupid kalirai go, my hands still in fists, shaking as I realize what he just told me is the truth-or he wouldn't be here. "Kalob, its fine. To me-I think it makes a interesting, new ball game here. Intriguing, don't you say?" "Shut up!" I growl beastly. "But don't worry, he's not too much of a threat, I bit him." He grins through his voice. I'm going to regret this; hating the taste its leaving in my mouth when I speak through my beastly voice, "thanks for doing that." "Finally we agree on something," he nods, smirking in a voice that sets me on edge. "Don't get too use to it." I snap. Feeling my canines sharp as needles forming to their original form; my cold hard grey stoned body retracting-forming me back to the disguise we have molded ourselves to blend in with humans. A lot harder to function with less power running through our veins. And Nikki is stuck like this?

"Glad you've changed. You really are ugly in your true form." I growl, "like your any better looking?" "Hey, at least I can change my appearance to anything I want, any time I want. What can you do? Besides sucking the blood out of people." I take a side step, saying, "I'm leaving-if you knew better you will too." I warn him. Blurring out of sight-through the house until I'm out of it, and continue to run, blurring out of sight even coming home. Thinking: A werewolf-here? What does it want with Sophia-who is it? And what will it do to her? Then a last question occurs right when I'm just in reach of the house: where did it take her?

22. The Feeling

"SO?" I blink, looking down at my hands moving through the keys on the piano. "So what?" I mutter under my breath. "What do you think about yourself knowing how to play a piano now?" Joy filters his face as I freeze again, lost in thought as I feel a sudden dread. "Great," I faintly smile. He turns on the small bench we both sit on in front of the huge wooden piano, and looks at me funny, "what's wrong?" "I-" stop, unsure what to say to continue the sentence. I stand up, turning around, trotting towards the staircase. "Where are you going?!" "Up stairs, something wrong-" I grip the railing of the stairs, and fly up them.

I make it up stairs where I immediately cross the kitchen. My stomach knotting up so much it makes me almost nauseated. I hear Marten follow me as I reach the stairs that takes me to the second story. "Wait, stop, don't go up there!" He warns me. I step up on the first step, feeling his hand fly to my shoulder immediately. I turn half way to reach his gaze. "What?!" "Don't go up-" I shrug off his hand off my shoulder, walking on up the stairs. "Sophia, please don't!" He's strained. But I continue to ignore him, and continue up. I rush to the room they have Edwen in, bursting through the door, seeing both Eli and Tyler over Edwen. I could only see his head turning my way, his eyes slits, as if he couldn't move them enough to open them to normal. There's also a silver pole holding a clear bag with dark blackish purple liquid. Filling up to the top. "Sophia," he mutters weakly, painfully. Then Tyler turns towards me, "go Sophia!" Eli sighs, "come on Tyler, let her have a moment alone with Edwen. "But-" "Its fine," he says, comforting Tyler. Eventually Tyler lets go, allowing them to walk out. Edwen reaches his hand out, "Sophia c-c-come c-closer." "I had a feeling of dread Edwen, my stomach in knots; making me feel nauseated. Are you-" I walk cautiously, like walking up to a stranger.

Eventually I walk close enough for Edwen to hold my hand, saying, "I f-feel it too." "Something is coming, I just know it. . . ." "Sophia-you know how you had a dream, a awful dream about me?" He mutter under his cracked breathing. "Yeah," I answer too quickly. "Well, I had one about you." He nods softly, barely. "About?" "T-them f-finding y-you." "Who?" I say with a slight frantic feeling. He sighs, squeezing his hand softly around mine. "Who Edwen?" "Death walkers," he whispers softly under his breath. Suddenly my mark throbs, beating in a unusual pulse. Showing me a video in my head of the same cloaked, dead white faces, and hollow black eyes figures from my dream. Gliding through the snow to get to me. No tracks from behind them, either. Finally it disappears, and I step back, wide-eyed. Edwen swallows hard. I turn around, my back facing him. When I do that, I see Tyler with Eli behind him.

"You're her: the human and ellipse girl, aren't you? Why else would our friend here have a dream about you and death walkers together; and the death walkers have only been searching to find her. Her only. For-oh, about eight or nine centuries. That's how long ago she was first discovered, first brought up. 'The one.'" I have chills running down my spine. My pulsing, burning mark swells, and aches to a point I want to fidget, and say ouch! Over and over again. "I-" "Your mark is going wild, isn't?" "My-my what?" I squint. "You know-your pulsing mark that marks you as an ellipse." There's no way to stop me from showing my horror from his words. From ellipse. From pulsing mark. "How do you know all this?"

He grins that same eerie smile from before. "So your admitting you're her?" "I said no such thing!" I protest quickly. "So-Sophia," Edwen breathes, fading away in to unconsciousness. I turn around to look back at him, watching him trying to get comfortable-but too exhausted to move. So instead he drifts right where he is. Watching him finally asleep before my eyes.

"If you guys didn't come in when you did, and us sucking out the venom by"-Eli says, watching me shake in a series of shivers-"well lets say he wouldn't have been as good as he is now." He tries to sugar coat the truth. Making me a bit furious that he did try to over cast the truth.

"Died. He would've died, am I right." Duh! I am, I know I am!

Eli nods.

"But anyways," Tyler snarls, "where was-"

"Geez, drop it already! Okay, she may not be a normal human like Edwen said-so Edwen lied-so what-?!" Eli cuts off Tyler. "So what? So-never mind!"

I grind my teeth, and sigh. Running pass them, glancing back at Edwen, knowing he'll get better and healed, and hopefully get back on his feet-and that's all I can ask for. "Sophia!" I freeze, seeing Marten at the end of the hall, right before the staircase. I narrow my eyes at him, hissing, and trying to pass him by going to the empty space on the end of him. But he slide in front of me, a huge bigger than life smile (just like Eddy back in Olympia) occurs on his face. Which makes me even more burned up. "What?!" I hiss, spitting out fire. "How did it go?" he scrunches down low, like a small child after getting a scolding.

"Why do you-" I shove pass him, stepping down the first step. "You knew, didn't you?"

"About what?"

I shake my head, having enough with the lies. First with Lukas, then my guardi-

ans-now with Edwen and his friends.

I continue to trot down the spiral staircase, rushing down when I hear him say, "wait, what's wrong? Talk to me!"

I continue on, turning to the first spiral.

23. Harder Than Good-Bye

I LAY ON THE GUESS BED THEY CHOSE FOR ME. I HAVE MY HANDS LAPPING EACH OTHER OVE-r my stomach.

Barely awake, and barely wanting to move, I start to doze off-seeing a small clip in my head: Kalob Seth Nikki Helix Ali-and the rest of my guardians in a circle frantic and talking about me! Thinking I'm dead. Then its gone, and I rise. I get up, reaching the huge closet with a white shutter door. I open it, grab my

suitcase out. Afterwards-I start taking my clothes off the hangers, shoving them in my suitcase. Then I go towards the dresser, and open the top drawer where I grab my underwear and socks-I shove them in, next the second drawer. I grab my jeans and lay them neatly on top. I give out one more shove to them, before zipping it up.

"Knock, knock." I hear him say, before actually knocking on the frame of the door.

"What?!" I turn to him, straightening.

He's showing shock. "Uh, well-"

"Marten, please. You don't understand, I got to leave-I can't be here. Something's wrong."

"Hmm. . . .that's exactly why you should stay."

"Why? Huh? Why should I?"

"At least check in with Edwen first-I mean I don't know if it'll change your mind, but at lest-" He cuts off due to me dropping my luggage down, running pass him. He turns after me, still standing by the frame of the door. Calling out, "whatever you do, be careful, and be safe!"

When I open the door that takes me in to the room that they've been keeping Edwen, I notice he's not on the bed-actually he's propped in the recliner. I walk towards him.

"How are you?"

He nods.

Guilt wheeling through me.

"You know how I came in yesterday, feeling something very dreadful-and you said you felt it too?"

He looks down at me, startled that I'm bringing it up.

"Yes," he sounds weak.

My eyes dart to his dip connecting his shoulder and neck. To see the purplish vein like scarring from the bite that was getting worse completely gone. Just a huge puncher wound where they carved the knife in to him, to stop the circulation of the poison-then cut it out. I see that now.

"I'm f-fine. I just need a rest or so to get my strength back." He reassures me.

I smile faintly up at him.

"What's wrong?" His voice sweet like nectar.

I sit on the edge of the arm rest, with my butt barely on it when I turn carefully towards him. Already not wanting to lie to him-not enough confidence in me to pull it off. To keep a straight face, and flat out lie. I can't, I just can't do it.

"Edwen," I dip my head low, "I'm so glad they could take out the poison that made you sick-I'm glad your my friend. . . .I care too much for you to just die on me, you know?" I crack a smile

"My friends have always been experts with fixing the wounded."

I look up at him, "well I'm grateful for that." looking back down again, obviously showing something is bothering me.

"Sophia-w-what's bothering you?!"

"Um, well, I-"

"Sophia, its-its okay you can tell me."

"I know I can."

He nods, with a mask of confusion.

"How does your friends know about me, my mark, my everything! Do you know too-"

"Its time you know how we are connected."

"We?"

"Yes." He adds. "Sophia what do you think I am?" He peers deeply in to my eyes.

"What do you mean-what you are?"

"I know what you are, and I accept who and what you are too. It tears me apart that your in the situation your in."

"Don't change the subject-and what situation am I in?"

"Please Sophia-I know you know what situation your in."

"Uh. . . . ," I slide that in, thinking what he's talking about. Nothing comes up. "Nope, nothing."

"What about the yellow-eyed boy?"

I look at him, frightened. "Oh, Lukas he's-"

"Just the beginning, and the least of your problems!"

"What does a kalirai have to do with anything?" I spit it out, regretting it immediately. But Edwen seems unbothered by it.

"Yes-a kalirai-shape shifters that can teleport and put a shield over peoples minds so they wont be detected. Annoying, sometimes deadly little menaces!"

"How do you-" the boy who I thought was normal, someone I could escape with, from the insanity of my guardians and Lukas, and sometimes Londan is turning out to be just like them as well.

"Because I live in the same world as them, as vampires and death walkers. . . .as ellipses like yourself too." He faintly smiles.

"You're a monster?" I gasp.

"Unfortunately, yes. A werewolf."

I swallow hard, trying to get pass the lump in my throat.

"I want to go home, but not because of this-because something is coming for me, something very very strong, if not so powerful. . . .and you felt it, you had a dream about it, right?"

He nods, frightened that we're reviewing the subject again.

"Well," I scratch my head, the thrumming from my mark so loud from the pulsing, exhausting itself; I bet he could hear it! "I-"

"Listen to your mark, only you can unravel its whispers. What is it telling you?"

"It talks?"

"Its your shield, your fire, your gift."

I just nod, can't speak, pulling my arm down to my lap, concentrating only on it. The long-carving-like scarring of a mark becoming more than just what it appears to be, something more-something so significant it stands on its own. More I stare, more closer it gets, more defined.

"Sophia! Listen to me! Listen to my-our words:

Death figures gliding through-your trapped in their gaze. Unable to break free! They steal your soul away. Because you refused-

The hissing voice through my mark's cracks-through the vein-like deeply carved mark on my arm says.

I cover my other hand over the mark, aching so badly! I can feel the burning, pulsating through my arm, channeling to my right hand over it-like shock waves through it.

I stand up off the arm rest, turning my back away from him, my left arm down against me, stretched down with my right hand holding, cradling it.

I feel Edwen's hand on my back, and against my long straight reddish brown hair, too. "What did it say to you?"

"It confirmed our dread, it said quote: 'death figures gliding through-I'm trapped in their gaze. Unable to break free!'" Tears fill up my eyes, sliding down my cheeks, tears even showing in my tone. "'They steal m-my s-soul away. Because I refused.'"

"Refused?" He says frantic, turning me around to him. "Refused what?"

I shrug, "I don't know!" I cry, tears becoming overwhelming.

"Its okay," he strokes his hand down my shoulder-down my arm like comforting a child.

"No! its not Edwen-nothing is what it seems any more. And now-"

He staggers up from the recliner, wrapping his warming, muscular, yet comforting arms around me firmly.

"Its okay," He murmurs weakly.

I push away and shake my head, sniffling when I say "your wrong!"

We stand in front of each other, me weeping tears. Edwen stoned and absorbing in my your wrong quote. Absorbing it, and acknowledging it. And that's what makes me so strained and knotted up in the stomach. He still cared enough for him to consider what he should do next time so he wont make me so upset.

"You didn't do anything wrong-its me," I sniffle, wiping my tears, catching them before they could reach my cheeks.

"We've only been here a week-please!"

"You know my answer-I can't."

He dips his head, "I failed. In Olympia you were in trouble-so I take you here. But even here brings danger."

"I know." I sigh.

"How will you get back home? If that is what you choose."

"It is." I take another step back. "it is what I choose."

He sighs, continuing to just be quiet.

"Get better," I wish him the best, turning away.

Almost to the door, I hear him say, "I love you."
I freeze, turning my head to him. "No! Your just a werewolf who befriended me: the end. Nothing more. Though I appreciate you doing what you did back at my house. Its your turn to move on and do what you do. Don't drag this on me. Please! I'm begging you!" With that said I turn around walking a few more steps. At the door finally, I grab the knob and open it.

"Befriended you? Befriended you?" He growls.

Suddenly the door slams with force, and I have little control over it too. I look over my shoulder seeing Edwen is right there behind me.

"I more than befriended you Sophia Ann."

I shake my head of the fact that my middle name is used. I look ahead, dipping my head against the door now its closed-Edwen's massive hand over my head. That last a second or two before I look up, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm in love with you."

I cringe. "NO!" I scream, crying. At the same time there's something very powerful about it, its derange and unknown. Like another being took a hold of me, deciding to steer me in control. A monster. At those few seconds, I was the most powerful being known to man.

As I take back control, and my screaming is gone, stopped. I feel my mark swelling still, getting worse-then I see Edwen has backed away. Realizing a horrible, skipping beats gasp for air.

I turn around, watching Edwen on his knees, gasping, grabbing his chest.

"Edwen!" I screech, horrified. What did I do? What I have done to him? "Edwen, are you okay?!"

He blinks, dazed and confused. "I'm-I'm fine."
I sigh in relief.

He staggers up, speaking, "it felt like you were squeezing my heart-literally squeezing my heart!"

He walks up to me.

"What?" I say as a natural response in my defense.

"Let me see your eyes," he's breathing ruggedly from what just happened to him.

"Why?" I look at him stern.

"You might've just switched in to, or almost switched in to the ellipse within you. So let me please see them."

I nod, letting his fingers scoop my chin in his grasp, tilting it up so I'm gazing in to his eyes.

"Hmm. . . .just what I thought."

"Okay. . . .that's enough," I pull away, turning my back to him. Putting my fingers to my flats of my forehead in front, feeling a almost-battle within me. A battle raging so deeply within me, I can feel its every bitterness as it tries to fight, to dominate me. The monster I never really notice before, never thought of.

"Sophia," he murmurs.

No! Don't answer-do not answer! I can't answer!

But suddenly I'm mixed up and confused-everything going so fast, almost to the point things become a blur. Though I could make out me being spun around, making out a strong, almost too firm and forced hand to be gently holding my top of my arm, closer to my shoulder ball.

No time to try to scurry away, or bolt. No, not at all! Then I feel another hand-this one is cautiously gentle, barely touching my skin, like a barrier is stopping the hand to fully touch it, my soft tender skin up my throat, under my chin.

"I love you Sophia, I've never loved any one else but you," he softly kisses me on my hair line, taking a step back.

Suddenly everything is back to normal, rational speed for me. Feeling my heart sunken, my head filtered with warmth from him-like he hasn't stopped kissing me. But its obvious that he has.

He brushes his hand against my cheek, "I'm letting you go, okay? You go-go home! Hopefully you'll be safe, and I wont regret letting you go."

"Boundaries," I breathe, stepping away. "Will you still be around?"

He nods.

Great! Wonderful! Just wonderful! What I need, another person to look over my shoulder.

"I will always protect you-be there-"

"But?" I say impatiently.

Leaving seems harder than saying good-bye even now everything is spilt. And that's exactly what I'm doing!

I open the door, and step out. Seeing Marten anxiously waiting for results.

Dashing quickly to my temporary room, I say "I'm leaving!" Not wanting him to know the other half, not knowing him enough to share my personal, demonic mess I'm in with, who I'm guessing is a werewolf too, and not knowing if he'd keep it to himself.

I just want to talk to someone who can relate-someone like me! Yeah, right, where can I find one of those!

"Are you sure you want to do that-to leave-no protection?"

"I'll walk if I have to-just to get away from this white-out-of-a-place!"

"And the death walkers?" "My plan is hopefully to get out of here by then." He nods in agreement. "How will you escape?" "By one of you guys, I was hoping." I cheese a smile.

'

24. My Sign

THREE DAYS EXACTLY PASSES OF US ON THIS COMPUTER. GET THIS! (IT TAKES THE FOUR OF us fooling on a huge blocked dinosaur computer that has long over due. And countless of hours with the dumb thing just to get a signal that will reach one person to get me out of this place).

"I did it!" We all hear Marten cheer joyfully. We stand up from the couch, walking towards upstairs towards the fairly large office room. Being the last in line, I drag longingly when passing Edwen's room. I look away, quickening so I can catch up with the boys. When at the door frame, Marten screams, "I did it! The old-man computer finally let me in!" "Great, that's just great!" Tyler's lack of enthusiasm makes me want to bite back, show him real enthusiasm. Hoping the real enthusiasm will show him something.

"Yes, awesome job Marten," I sneer at Tyler.

And Tyler glares down at me when I do do that.

Marten swings around the desk chair, looking very suspicious between us. "Is everything okay been you two?"

"Yes, but tell you the truth-she's the one that shouldn't have came. Edwen endangered us all bringing her here-an ellipse!" He eyes me: down and up at me, curling his lips to show his teeth-sneering ellipse.

"Do you have a problem with me, werewolf?" I guess, simply guessed by what Edwen told me.

"How do you-Edwen!"

"Well the good news is I found transport for-"

"Hold on Marten!" I stick out my index finger out to him. I turn to Tyler, ready to settle this. Settling it for good.

"So, Tyler whatever your last name is. . . .I'm frankly getting a bit too irritated with you"-feeling a power running through me, my throbbing, almost unbearable marked arm tensing up-" you've had the last straw with me!"

"My name Is Tyler Charles, you child human-ellipse-whatever you may be you listen to-"

"No you listen to me, I am so tired, so sick of being judged as a monster that no-"

"Sophia! Stop now!"

The same over powering, different being steering me like before fades away, snapping me back in control. What's happening? Why am I-how can I let this, whatever it is, affect me?

"Sophia?" Eli's voice rises behind me, shaking a bit.

"I-I need to, I'm going in to my room." I look at Eli, turning around to do so. "I'm sorry" I freeze, swallowing hard before turning to Tyler-"I'm sorry-I don't lnow what came over me."

I back away, turning to bolt across the hall where the small corner to corner room is, which has been mine-heading right for it. Passing Edwen's room, and every other room there is until I reach it. Its actually a short hall, it just seem long when your legs feel like weights.

I fly on to the bed, the room is a freezer. I snuggle up under the comforter, and try to drift a sleep. Its only 3 something o'clock in the after noon. We woke up, I'm wearing my coat, still not enough to keep me warm! We ate cereal, hung out-surprise, no TV. Then took turns trying to load up the computer, get on the computer, get on it and try to contact someone who can take me back home.

And-oh Edwen hasn't left his room, not once in three days. And every time you pass his room, its dead quiet!

And then just now with Marten miraculously getting through the old-man computer and getting a contact. Also my mind is replaying small clips on what could've went wrong-why these sudden burst occurring-and: am I really a monster. A monster within me. Was those dreams-my dreams with white eyes and looking like a monster trying to actually send me a warning, a sign.

Turned to my left side, drifting with questions ringing over me-repeating over and over about if I was a monster. What that force of power so great it tangled my whole body useless is. A monster, a voice, my whispery burning, pulsing mark with that is: it will and always be me.

Hearing voices beside my own in my head, like:

"Did you see her, the rage within her-she's too powerful for her own good."

"Yes, she is," Eli agrees, "but that's no reason why we can not pro-"

"I agree-protect her!" Marten sounds childish.

I hear their soft, almost not hearable footsteps walking.

"Shut up Marten!" Tyler growls.

"She deserves a chance." Eli says, saying the final words before I am off to sleep.

Suddenly the next thing I realize is me walking down the spiral staircase. Another thing is, I'm not myself: far from myself. I feel the rage; the inhuman strength. The rage, not caring, not wanting to care! To destroy!

The monster is now-

Oh no!

The monster is now the thinker, the controller, and the one whois stronger, better. Who is keeping the other me inside!

I'm no longer me me. I'm now me as the monster!

I step down from the final step, trailing towards the kitchen. I look around, analyzing everything around me. My eyes in slits.

My hands tracing the counter tops as I approach the faded fridge, almost a yellowish color. I continue coming closer to the fridge, right in front of it, I stop, analyzing again. Suddenly I fall to my knees, bent over with hands in fists against the tile floor.

The only time I've felt any control at all-like I'm me me again. But I know I'm very far from it!

That, I know.
My tears, I think separate me from it. I'm scared, every little part of me that came through is bone-chilled horrified! Unsteady-and ready to collapse from the inside.

Then the pain hits me: over and over and over again!

"Sophia!" He cries, walking, almost trotting over to me. "I heard your-what's wrong?" He goes on one knee, looking me eye-to-eye.

"A: I was crying? B: I'm-I'm glad you're here, but you-" I tilt my head gasping a scream.
He wraps his arm around me, "I'm here-tell me what's-"

Another gasping, gagging scream. "The monster-its punishing me, trying to come out again!" my voice very weak.

"Again?" I nod, leaning in to his chest, my hands tucked against my chest. My tears still falling rapidly as the harsh kicks, punches etc continue throughout. The monster trying to ruin me, then take back control. "Don't let me fall in to the darkness where the monster waits-please Edwen don't let it happen!" "I wont let anything happen to you. Don't worry."

"But-"

"I'm here." He confirms under his muttering.

Then I open my eyes and I see I'm still on my left side, in the bed. Thank good-

ness-just a dream. "Sophia, Sophia are you still with me?" I look over my shoulder, seeing Edwen sitting in the space behind me, still rubbing my arm, my side. . . . "I'm still here. . . .Edwen, I had a dream-" "I know, it was no dream, though-" I roll on to my back, scooting up to a sit. "Change of plans, I'm taking you home immediately. We'll find what's wrong with you, I swear to you. . . .we're leaving as soon as possible, okay?" "So all that-really happened last night?" He nods gently. I move in to hug him, for comfort, for his company. He hugs back, sending me the message that he's really and truly committed to me, to protect me!

25. Coming Home

"ARE YOU WARM ENOUGH?"

He ask softly, gently.

Looking through the huge window-its dark, but still some blues in the sky.

"With you by me-I'm always warm," I turn my face from the window to him, smiling. "This ride is long!" I yawn, rubbing my eyes as well. He lifts up the arm rest between us, scooping his arm around me, pulling me into his lap. "Go asleep, I'll wake you when we're there." Before I know it, I'm already dreaming away, his warmth soothing.

"Sophia, Sophia wake up-we're almost here." he pets his hand down my side.

But I don't want to come to, not yet, "just give me a few more minutes." I groan.

"Sophia, come on now!" He's slightly stern, with a easy, gentle chuckle.

I groan again, "fine," I sit up. Edwen brings down the armrest after I do sit up

straight.

I look out of the window, the sky completely pitch black. Then, just then, I see the blinding lights of the bus station. The bus easing to a stop. We get off the bus, Edwen holding me, keeping me close as he takes me to a corner-where all lights shine behind us. Miraculously Edwen pulled down a cab. We both get in. He tells the driver my streets name, after he does he leans down against me.

"We're almost home, we're almost home." He grins down at me, knowing he's feeling differently for me, than I am for him. I'm hoping, may be one day I'll feel what he's feeling for me. If not, that's fine too. But I just got too much on my plate, I never wanted to have a boyfriend in the frst place anyways.

Just someone there, a friend, like someone I can keep my secrets, my pain, stuff in that nature with. I found that in Edwen. Where it'll go from there, I'm not sure.

I dip my head, sighing. Tears starting to fall.

"It'll be okay," He says like velvet. "How do you feel from the thing inside." He tries to speak in codes.

"The-" I look up at him, seeing he's shaking his head harshly, like trying to tell me to lay low in how I choose my words about it. "Um, its silent."

He nods, less violent, smoother, gentler.

We stay quiet for the rest of the ride. When we're at my street Edwen points to a spot close to my house. So the cab stops, and we get out. Edwen stays behind for temporary to give the man change, slipping out the door that I got out as well. He shuts the door, the cab driving away.

I continued teary eyed and sniffling while we walk down three houses before getting to mine.

We cross the gravel patch, from there we head up the green lawn darkened by the night.

I look up, seeing Kalob.

"Kalob?" I gasp, "Kalob is that you?"

Kalob freezes, looking up at us.

In a blink of an eye-he blurs down my porch steps-across the drive, and into the lawn to get to us.

He appears angry. "Are you okay? Where were you-what have he-"

"Kalob I'm okay-this is my friend."

Edwen looks down at me, surprised by my concept. Instead my eyes are on Kalob.

"What's wrong?" I ask, seeing his anger build up in him.

"What's wrong?! What's wrong is that we thought you were dead. Then to find out a werewolf"-he glares at Edwen-"took you. Don't you know how that sounds?" He growls.

I nod my head, "I'm sorry if I scared you for thinking I was dead. But you also have to look at it in my way-Lukas killed my mother-he was after me-and Edwen was there, where was you?"

"we didn't know-I didn't see you at all. You came up a black, empty space."

"Who are you?!" Edwen snaps, growling in Kalob's face.

"How do I know if your not lying?"

"How do I know if your trust worthy around our Sophia?" They act like they're about to rip each others throats out.

But again, werewolves and vampires shouldn't be in the same room together in the first place.

"Stop it! Now! You Edwen are my friend-friend as a boy?" I say, screwing by switching up the words. "And you Kalob are my guardian, I thank you for being there for me. I thank both of you for being there when I needed you to-so please, please get over the fact that you'll be in the same room together. . .and there will be those moments too. Your both here for me, so one way or another your going to interact with one another. . . ."

"Fine," they both grumble, glaring at one another.

"Thank you." I start walking the rest of the way, my suit case dragging along from behind.

Edwen and Kalob turns around and uncomfortably walks next to each other.

26. Hearing The Truth Finally

"ARE YOU OKAY?" Edwen asks gently. I turn half way to look at him, "yeah just a little stressed out-"

"Let me take that, I'll finish sweeping. I mean you've been cleaning since dawn."

I nod, shaking as I give him the broom. "Its just that my father is coming at 2 o'clock. And William at 4 o'clock today. I got the funeral money somewhere"-I think, chewing my lower lip- "and I still need to get dress." I'm strained, showing it a lot in my tone, and how slumped and uneven I am. Restless nights. . . .

I'm just glad Edwen decided to be a champ, and be a good boy when my guardians come over to bring over the-

"Knock knock," Nikki's sweet, soft, tender voice enter the atmosphere.

Kalob Seth Ali Kaile Dominic- all of them flood through after her. All with something.

"In the living room," I direct them.

Edwen looks up at them passing him quickly, before dipping his head and start sweeping where I left off.

I follow them in, saying a quick "thank you" to Edwen before continuing in.

They set the flowers down on the floor. Seth and Dominic resting on the couch while the other seven stands up.

"Nikki?" I ask nervously, shaking with tears watering my eyes.

"Yes, honey?" Her voice motherly and sweet.

"May you come with me?"

"Yes"-her soft grey eyes tender, her words still so soft and sweet-"of course, Sophia."

I take her up stairs to my room, closing the door. I turn to face her, saying quietly, "I know your only one of the many guardians I just had a chance to meet, but I feel comfortable around you. Enough to say I'm so lost; I don't want to admit it to Edwen-to Kalob and all of those who came. But I'm truly horrified, and lost. . . ."

"Its alright, now now, its alright!" She takes me in to her arms.

"Thanks, Nikki."

"We're always here for you, sweetie-day and night!" She pulls away a bit, looking in to my eyes. "Its hard losing someone you love, but your never alone."

I nod.

"And I don't care what Kalob says about that boy downstairs, he seems very sweet

-do I like the fact he's a werewolf, no-do I like that he took you away and protected you while we couldn't, yes I do. But he should've been more careful!"

I shake my head, smiling up at her. Just like a protective, over caring mother. "I'm glad someone approves."

She smiles, "but I'm keeping a watch just in case."

"Okay." I pull out of her grip with ease.

"So, question, you don't have to answer. But are two friends-or boyfriend and girlfriend?"

I blush, "I wanna say friends, but I'm not-"

She nods, "so your not certain, and your scared?"

I nod again.

"of everything right this second."

"I'll be down stairs, honey," she rubs my arm, "I'll let you get dress."

So I wait for her absence before I start picking and choosing. . . .something casual.

I find something comfortable to wear and head out.

Getting down stairs-I turn to Seth who is right by the staircase talking to Edwen. Who, by the way is still sweeping.

"Seth-um-"

He turns immediately towards me, cutting off his sentence with Edwen. "Yes?" His voice softened, still his childish voice. But to a low volume.

"Can you make sure everything is neat and cleaned up?"

He nods.

"And oh! Make sure you all introduce yourselves as my friends." I command. "And Edwen, can you go to the backyard and wait. I want to introduce you lastly, if you don't mind." "Okay." He breathes, giving Seth the broom and walking towards the door. "Thank you Edwen. Thank you all for your support and helping me." I hear Edwen close the door, when finishing my speech. "We're here for you, Sophia-we'll always be here." Nikki and Kalob says. "Thank you." I turn towards the door, "I'm going to pick up my father-and my cousin too!" "Okay," a chorus of their voices rises after, immediately after I'm walking towards the door. I grab my keys and walk out at last. I head down the drive, getting to my car when I see a big red jeep. They drove in that? I think, I'm shocked. I get in my car, and start it-driving down the drive to the street, driving off. I drive up the airport main entrance, stopping the engine, and getting out. So excited and nervous to see my dad again. Its been since December. But it feels so much longer than that! But the reason he's here is not a good reason to come back here. For the first time since he graduated high school, and married my mother. Wow, how much things have changed- Before I can finish my thought, I see a familiar figure come through the doors. I immediately straighten off my car, rushing up the side walk to meet him. "Dad!" I squeal. We hug, really really really tightly.

"Okay, let me see my girl," he pulls me away-checking me over.

I chuckle, "DAD!" Blushing, "its only been three in a half months-I don't think I've changed, dad."

Then he meets my eyes, serious-reminding me why he's here for when I reach them. "How did this happen again?"

"I came home, went up stairs in my room-came back down stairs, that's when I saw her with a slit throat." I start to form tears, the true events still very alive in my head

-my mom didn't commit suicide, we all know that, but, that is the humans. My father, my cousin. My family is dwindling; and my family isn't, wasn't big in the first place. First my sick and dying Aunt Lyssa-now my mother: who's murder will never be known by the humans.

Or what really happened to her.

"I'm sorry that you had to endure, to go through that, sweetheart." He lays his hand on the back of my head, pulling me in to him.

"I'm scared. I'm scared that I'm scared."

It's okay, it's alright-dad is here. I'm right here." He says, just in the right voice that comforts me.

"Okay," I sniffle, pulling out of his comfort zone. "Better get your things and find a parking space. I'm expecting William too.

"In this little car?"

"Hey! Back away! This little car is the one taking us back to my house. And plus, it was your idea to get this car for me; thought it would be safer. "

"Oh-I did, did I? I should've gotten you a truck." He mutters.

We walk towards the trunk of my car, unlocking it. I open it, and step aside to let Damen put his luggage's in the small car.

I then let go of the trunk, slamming hard. We get in the car-I start the car, looking in the mirrors for cars before I pull out and drive away.

I drive around, until I finally find a parking spot. I pull in and slow to a easy halt before I stop the car. I cut the engine off, turning to Damen and ask a simple question:

"What have you been up to, huh dad?" I try to smile, be easy and loose.

"Nothing. But if this is your way of showing your sorrow, you don't have to act all happy just for me. Because I'm here."

Oh, well that put the damper on my attempts.

Suddenly, after what feels like forever, I realize its almost 4 o'clock. I start up the car, and spin around to the corner in a zigzag.

Finally from turning constant corners-we get to the exit of the garage and turn in to the road that take us back to the main entrance.

"You realize Will will have to sit in the back, you realize that, Sophia, don't you?"

"Not right now dad." I steer, forcing my foot to hold the gas pedal.

Under the cover of the main building for the front entry, the main one that I came in December, dad today, and now William as well; I park on the side. Seeing Will's browned body lean against those three or four feet concrete, what looks like small table legs with the smooth circular tops. There's one every four feet along the concrete entry after getting through the doors, getting to the road.

Dad gets out, but I wait for a blue shuttle bus passing by, before I get out too.

I walk around, walking to him. "Will!" I hug him, unbuckling his stiff position against his luggage's, which is against the small table like leg-flat circular stub of concrete. "Hey cuz! He hugs back. "I'm sorry." We both say, both sorry for our loss. "First my mother-than yours." "I know, Will, I know." "Hey William," Damen pushes me to the side, shaking his hand in a manly shake. We shove Will and his luggage's in the back, and we're off.

After making it home and getting the boys, I hear Damen mutter, "she got a lot of friends, jeez the Cal brothers would be jealous." Under his breath.

I shake my head, and chuckle. Suddenly he looks down at me, confused on what the joke is. "Dad. Will. These are my best of friends." I wave my hand out, noticing the house is clean, like clean clean.

Then they start to come up and introduce themselves to my father and cousin. Which I appreciate them doing. Always starting with: I'm Sophia's friend, for example Nikki. I let them put their luggage's up in Lauren's room afterwards.

"Wow!" Will mouths drop to the pale baby blue walled, very neat and organized room of Lauren's.

I roll my eyes, following them in, stopping short when a gut wrenching feeling occurs in me. "Dad come down stairs when your set, I have someone I want to meet."

"Okay," he drones, too busy with his suitcases.

I walk back out with my hand to my stomach.

"Hey guys," I wave at all who is standing, crowding my living room I sit on my couch in the middle of Seth on my left, and Sonia to the right.

I wait in silence for a few more minutes, waiting patiently. Finally I see Will and dad walking around the corner from the stairs. "Okay, you ready?" "Sure," he shrugs. "great, come outside." He gives me a weird look, "outside?" "Yeah!" I lead him out of the door, looping him around to the back. "Who's out here?" Finally we're in the back, Edwen waiting like he said he would, just waiting cool and collective like. "Hello, sir-I'm Edwen Kobian. Sophia's boyfriend." Damen freezes, speechless, with a twinge of a glare. "Dad!" I elbowed him in the ribs softly. "Hello, Edwen." He mumbles through his stiff lips. "Dad?" I look up at him. "I'm tired, Soph-I'm going inside"-he looks at me, before slitting his eyes at Edwen-"nice to meet you." He grins, faking it. "Okay dad, rest up then." He nods, turning back in a slump.

After he's gone, I turn to Edwen. "Boyfriend?!" "So? That's what you've been telling people. And oh, why didn't you tell me that your so called guardians are vampires?" "A: no I haven't, and B: I-I don't know. Maybe because at the time I didn't know you were a werewolf?"

He takes a step forward, reaching me, "so?" I'm confused, "what? So what?" "Are you ready? To make that leap-but you have to be willing to. Because we both know you care for me." "Fine, I feel a bit open now, a bit able to breathe. But I'm not ready!" "Its okay," he hugs me. "I wont pressure you. I can wait. We can be friends for now, but you might have to explain to your father though. Just know I'm always here."

I nod gently. "So nothing weird and awkward between us?"

"Nope!" I stay in his grip until finally I hear a gruesome growl that makes me pull away, turning around.

"Hello." I say shyly.

"Sophia-I was looking for you, just curious-what did you do to Damen?" Sonia asks.

"Was it his expression, or his mind that you saw?"

"Come on Sophia, have faith in me."

"Sonia!"

"His expression."

"Fine," I look at her suspiciously, "I'm going to choose to acknowledge that fact, and say your telling the truth, okay?"

"Thank you, some faith, finally!" She over exaggerates her words, swinging her arms and bend herself back.

"Sophia," Kalob beside her, further back, almost, almost behind her, growls. "Oh-right! You! The boy in red plaid and holed jeans-come with me!" She straightens herself back to normal.

I look back at Edwen, watching him point his finger to his chest, muttering the tiny word, "me?" "Do you see anyone else with plaid?" She scuffs her voice at him. Edwen nods, walking around to Sonia-where she turns around, and walks herself and Edwen around the house. Maybe even going inside as well. "What?" I narrow my eyes at Kalob, suspiciously.

He dips his head, which makes me feel like something wrong, something seriously wrong.

"Sophia-I need to tell you something. Something you've been hidden by."

"What?!" My face fills up with blood, burning up. As well as the galloping beat on my mark.

"Can we take a walk?"

"For?"

"Sophia, you need to know the truth."

Oh no! Oh no! Oh-

He start walking for the woods only a few feet behind me.

I turn around to follow him. But only because he's telling the truth, finally the truth! About what? I'm not sure. And that scares me. We march on a couple of yards in the trees. Suddenly Kalob turns to me. He growls, rolling his perfectly black, angry eyes at me. I'm frozen at that second. "Come on, this is a long, long, long tale to tell you. Just follow me." He lowers his tone. "What's-what's wrong?" We start to move down through the trees-further away from the house. "Your story started in 1212 a.d, a young girl, named New Dawn-" "She's the girl you guys were-" I stop my sentence when I see him nod. "She created you-the fourth ellipian to ever been born. When New Dawn created the first three; a pair of twins, and an individual named Ego Fitch, they weren't anything pure like she wanted. To stop the war between immortals like herself between werewolves and death walkers. No vampires. No kaliraies And that boy that so called protected you family was in that exact war. The first werewolf family, a clan that gone bad. Rogues ."

"You can't prove that! You can't Kalob!" "Really? Then tell me why is his name Kobian? The Kobian's died off after the battle-only one remained. And I think, personally they should all parish."

"He can't be one of them-he's kind, gentle. . . .no rogues."

"Whatever you prefer to see, your just blindfolding yourself. Anyways, you were created in 1212 a.d-New Dawn swore you were going to be a secrete. No one knows, or will not know"-he chuckles-"as we can see that never happened."

"What happened?" I gasp. "They, of course destroyed themselves little by little as they progressed their powers. Ending up being too powerful, and aggressive-they ended up killing themselves. But that's where you came in: a brand new, entirely different creation. And yet-your from that very breed, the ellipses that was suppose to be pure, to be the one that stood its ground."

"I'm-" "But they weren't. Only you became the pure one. I think that is because she made you as a hybrid with a normal, common sensed person. A human."

What happened to me?"

"You want the cold hard truth?"

I nod. "Yes, of course."

"You grew up too fast, too powerful, and yet controlling in a small way. You didn't want anything to do with your destiny-so you took off. And that's how a girl had a vision of you, losing control, like the monsters before you did. Since then you became unknown. Where you were, where you were going-if you still were alive. We all were looking, until centuries have passed."

"I know, eight or nine centuries."

"How-?" he looks at me.

"Edwen's friends."

"You mean werewolves like him!"

"Edwen isn't a rogue."

"Your not being rational about it. Look what he is-who he is-" "I have Kalob. If I was thinking proper which I am-I'd say your just saying that because of the hatred you share for his kind. Am I right?

"Are you calling me a liar, someone so foolish that I'd get my pure hatred in the way from protecting you?"
"No." "THEN WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?!" he growls, snapping with his true anguish coming out to get me.

"That you need to at least meet that person, to get to know them-"

"Hold my hand Sophia-there's something you seriously need to know." His voice, the slight dip of his head-the rising of his hand. . . .it all scares me dearly.

I grab his hand, like I would if we were shaking hands. Suddenly time is rewinding; faster and faster-until it stops. I see this girl, talking with a thinner, more straggly, more younger Damen and Lauren. Both wearing a wedding band-sitting together, tangling each other with sweet talk. Until the child in between them wiggles out, to take a peek pass them

-to the black haired, almost demonic looking, pale faced girl in her early twenties. "Why is my parents talking to a girl who looks dangerous; demonic even. It doesn't make since." I mutter, like my voice is a over cast, a echo that is afar from what I'm seeing now.

"Keep watching." Kalob growls-his voice even further away, almost none-existing "Beautiful girl-isn't she? Only two-and already sharp as a tack." The dark girl says.

"Yes" Lauren sweet, still very young voice says, "she is very well behave too, she seems like the perfect child almost. But we just got married not even a year yet-I don't think we're ready for a kid. I'm only nineteen and he's twenty two, it's a bit too early."

"its you two or me-and I can't take care of her, I'm on the road. A lot!"

Then Lauren looks down at me, pulling me in to her lap, "aren't you a sweet heart dear Sophie Katlynn." She hums in a melody.

The girl and Damen looks at Lauren-Damen in confusion-the girl in astonishment.

"Uh, actually its Sophia Ann."

Lauren whips her head around to the girl (now grinning and standing up from the family chair, a chair that's still in Damen's living room to this day). "My middle name?" She gives the girl a shot of her glare, before looking at Damen. "Well that's like-"

"That's ENOUGH!" I growl, throwing my hand away. Snapping back to the present immediately.

I stumble back, and glare at Kalob with a sting in my watery eyes. Speechless, rattled with unstoppable images and theories and conclusions to what I saw, what I heard. To fix, or somehow make the lies look not so bad. To somehow fill the void that I'm suddenly feeling. "Now do you see?" I look up at him after a moment. "How is it that the demonic, dangerous looking girl found me as a two-year-old when I-"

"I've been telling myself the same thing-but we do know is some how, some way something happened to you-and you reincarnated yourself." "But aren't I, isn't my kind so powerful?"

"Yes, exactly. That's the mystery of it; the unknown of it. A mystery even New Dawn is puzzled by."

(Beautiful blue eyed boy)

27. The Funeral

"ARE YOU OKAY?" The alarming voices are everywhere when I finally get back inside the house, tears flowing hard, my weeping pain hard to deny. "I'm okay, I just need-" my words choking, not able to continue them.

"Go! What are you waiting for-we got it from here."

"How about the funeral money?"

"Found and checked." Kaile says.

I nod, "everything is-" I whimper.

"Yes," they chorus. "Everything is ready!"

I head up the stairs to my room.

In my room, I lay on my bed, reaching for my IPod, hoping that it will sooth my

void, my emptiness. I put in my headphones, the buds comfortable in my ears. Then I press on the middle button in the circular dial. Until finally the black screen turns on to a lit

options of list.

I press my thumb back on the middle button, pressing on music. But this time, I go in to my list of songs. I scroll down, where the good rock songs are. Wow-surprisingly there's thirty-one of those irrational screaming (so called music) on my IPod.

If Paul is the one that put them on my IPod-I'm gonna smack him when I get to see him. 'Cause I told him-told him over and over that I didn't want that crap on my IPod.

I press my thumb in the middle button again, clicking on the songs that I know-which is everything but those thirty-one songs.

I lean against my pillows, taking a deep sigh. Feeling the broken pieces of my heart

-the void, the darkness. The fact of: I had no family: I do not have any family-instead of being born I was created. Then reincarnated in to this life. All because I didn't follow my destiny-I wondered off and who-knows what-happened to me. Maybe I ended up as the monster the girl predicted in her vision of me.

The one where it showed everyone I existed! No more secrete, no more hiding.

But that's exactly what I did, though! I hid, I ran and I hid-somehow hiding myself so no one could find me. Until finally centuries passed.

And no one knows what happened to me-I carried it to the day of my end.

Drifting off, I suddenly hear a faint knock over my music.

I press pause on my IPod, looking up to see its just Damen; good old dad. Or, he was once in my knowing. But can I accept it now; now I know; now I've-

"Sophia?" He cuts my thoughts off.

"Yeah Damen?" I slip.

He comes in, "Damen?"

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat, the knotting in my stomach getting to me as well. "Sorry about that dad, really I am."

"I understand Soph-being stressed will do that to you."

"Hey, is she okay?" I hear Williams voice behind Damen's.

William peeks his head in, "hey cuz, how are you? You seemed-well lets just say not your best."

"I'm-" I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm okay. The tiny voice encourages me to say, to finish my sentence.

But I can't-I wont. Because I know I will mess up; mess up and fail like the sore loser I am.

"We'll give you space. I just was worried-with the funeral less than three days, I just was, well, uh, well worried."

"'Kay dad." I nod, "I'll be okay-you too William Patrick Henderson."

"Okay, but did you-"

But Damen just shoves him out, stepping out himself. "Get some rest sweetie." He smiles, shutting my door.

I lean back, press play on my IPod, continuing the song as I slip my eyelids closed.

Days pass, eventually it's the day of the funeral. And I miraculously pulled myself together, telling myself to: get through this, just get through this.

I gather up myself Will and dad, cramping all of us in my somewhat compacted car. I meet the others at the funeral place. In a sigh of relief when I see everything is carried in, everything is settled-now its time.

"Thank you," I whisper, after William and Damen had walked in to the building. "I mean it, thank you."

They nod, "your welcome, sweetie." Nikki says sweet, and softly-and motherly.

I nod, "we ready?" I ask with nerves spinning too fast around me.

"Yeah." Kalob swallows hard.

We start walking across the parking lot to the building entrance.

"Hey have you seen Edwen-he's suppose to be here."

"No." Auna is the one to answer, with a sneer in her voice.

Making me regret asking.

The others stop, shaking their heads in a sigh. Then they continue on, but I stay a bit longer before I too is walking again.

When I'm at the door, I see Kalob holding the door for me. "Thanks sir." I politely compromise.

He walks in shortly after I went through. When I'm in, I see it a medium size little waiting/signing room. With small chairs around a table towards the right-with a wooded stand, opening slantingly up like a book, where the signing book lays, and a table beyond that. And there's a door frame with no door beyond all of it straight across from where we are.

"Hello," a lady cleaning the coffee table, passing us says, "may I help you all?"

"Yes. We're here fore the arrangements for Lauren Ann Edwards."

She nods, looking over a single book at the table, by where the sign in book is.

"Ah! At 10:30?" She looks at Kalob, then me.

"That's right." I say.

"if you want to sign in your name there, we'll be ready in a minute.

"I'll sign if you do it." I look over to Kalob.

"Deal." He softly growls.

After we're signed in, we wait, and wait in the waiting room area. Finally the girl comes back, saying, "we're ready for you now. You may tend the ceremony."

So when we're getting to the other room-my guardians are the first to go in, then my father and cousin goes. But I stay behind. I see this kid walk in, sign real quickly, dashing his stare to me when I'm at the entrance to the other room.

"Wait!" He rushes towards me.

"Do I know you?"

"Yes, you do." He's so certain about it too.

I give him a weird look, "I'm sorry I'm Sophia. . . ."

"I know." he snaps, "I know."

This beautiful, blue-eyed, dark black haired angel stares in to me. "I'm Layden, if you don't remember me."
if I don't remember him? What? Who is this guy?

"May we talk outside, I need to tell you something?"

"Can I trust you?" I ask, stern. "I wouldn't have tried to come and find you for all these-" I narrow my eyes in slits, suspicious of his wording. "Can we talk outside then?"

I look behind me, over my shoulder before looking at him again. "Sure."

I follow him out, where he takes me to a sort of remote area where he finally looks at me: the angel so unusually odd, centered in another world, another century maybe. Then he pulls his sleeve up from his right arm.

I analyzes his movements carefully as he does that.

He looks up at me, reaching his arm out, turning it to the palm side up.

A mass of the same vein-like scarring of a mark claims his arm as it does mine.

"You're-" My mouth drops a bit.

"I am, indeed what you are."

"How-" My eyes stray down my left arm. "Did New Dawn create you too-?"

"You did."

"What?!" I gasp, "How-" "I'm the missing piece from what you crave to know about your past. We, Sophia, are the same." He ignores my questioning. "How?" I spit out, trying to make sense of all this, "but how is that-that possible?"

"Trust me, it is. For over four centuries I've been in the state of mind: your dead, you killed yourself for me."

"Why would I do that?"

He shrugs, "You thought great, special things were going to happen to me, that I was better than what we are."

"I did?"

He nods, looking at our marked arms; putting them together, I look too, seeing them attracting-moving with one another. My mark slithering over his; his weaving through my holes and dents of my vein-like mark now growing larger, interacting with his as his does the same with mine.

I'm as fascinated as I am horrified of the scene that's unfolding before us.

Layden inhales deeply. "Its alright Sophia, this is normal; it's a bond, a tight squeeze of comfort between an ellipse with another ellipse. Do you realize how rare this moment is? How special it is?"

"Uh. . . .I guess I didn't," I look up at him.

"Is it okay that I get closer?" He breathes, inviting me in.
I nod.

He turns his whole body around until our bodies touches, cramming both of our mark arms up, squeezed in a sandwich between us.

He giggles suddenly, like a inside joke just occurred, "you feel its power coursing through you?"

I look at him once more, seeing the scary vein-like marking spread up his right should, crawl across his chest, curving up his throat, to the curve of his chin-all through his face, disappearing into his hair. All the meanwhile its both of our mark weaving through him, still intertwined. Sending a powerful jolt through me, a message, a sign.

Then the thought of: do I look the same as him, is his mark intertwining through me with my own up my body, pass my face in to my hair?

Hideous with a mark that could only send people scurrying.

Then I feel his hand from the marked arm that's against mine clasping his fingers over mine.

I look down, touching my fingertips to my forehead; the pulsing and the heat; not only that but the deepness to it. In strips, lines less perfect than any human clumsy innocents. Some long, some sort-to the left-to the right. The vein-like carving of a mark has its keeping on me. But this is worse, much worse than before: before I could hide: before I could ignore that it even existed. But not now!

I narrow my eyes, snapping my head back at him. "What are you doing to me?!"

He looks down in confusion.

"This! The mark-its spreading over me-your causing it to-"

"I'm not causing anything-your in control of you. The mark is just a little jumpy, never experienced another being the same as you before."

"Why is it spreading all over me?"

"That's a true, and normal form of an ellipse. Besides the, well, the ellipse's white eyes, that is."

"How do I get it back to just being back on my arm?"

"Follow your heart, Sophia," he smiles faintly, stealing my gaze, bringing it up to him immediately. He holds it there for a long time too.

But suddenly I hear the frantic calls of:

"Sophia! Sophia where are you! Sophia where-" Edwen calls.

"Layden, I need to get back to my mother's funeral."

"Follow your heart, it'll show you what you want. And if your heart is telling you that you got to go-then-"

"Sophia!" Edwen's voice is coming closer. I could hear his deep concerning.

I give Layden one last look, the angel that is just like me; in every way almost.

But its him who unclasp his hand and step back from me, with a gentle, careful pull of our arms, to separate them; especially our intertwined marks. "We're only the monsters that we choose to be, not who they think we are." He mutters to me with tenderness-with wisdom in his stature.

Pain strikes me; like fire through my mark, then ice water shortly behind the fires trail. My heart swelling up until it feel like it's about to go through my chest, not pounding, just swelling.

I inhale before looping across the huge tree over us, cross the grass after finally passing the tree, until I'm on the concrete that lead me around to the front.

Nearly to the corner, I see Edwen.

I immediately put my head down, putting my hand over it, to cover the top of it.

"Sophia!" He sighs in relief.

"Why are you here?" Is my response. Before rushing around him. "Sophia!" I hear him call out, rushing after me.

I make it to the parking lot, I cross it to where my little cobalt lays. I stumble getting my keys to unlock the door of my car.

But as I am, I get a quick review of a reflection I never wanted to see! I look like I beaten up ten times over. But my face, the formation of it is still all there, nothings changed

-besides there's my mark, yes my mark, on my face-on my neck-chest-and the usual shoulder/arm/wrist area. Maybe some other places I don't know yet too.

I get the car door open, reach inside for my coat, shutting the door. Looking down as I fit into my coat, putting my hood over me.

I take a step back, running in to something hard, and sturdy. I stumble back, looking up, seeing Edwen. No surprise there.

I pull my hood up further over me. "When did you get here?"

"A little while ago, Kalob said you disappeared on them-so I went out looking for you."

I look down again, "oh," I whisper coldly.

I step aside, trying to aside him, to run off.

"Are you okay? Where were you-what's up with the coat?"

I freeze, "what's up with the questions all the sudden. Why cant you just leave me alone; just drop it!" I continue to walk on toward the brick building.

When I get to the other room everyone is paying their respects. I grab a white rose, her favorite, so Damen says from one of the vases and head down the aisle to her closed casket.

When I'm up front, everyone has cleared away, leaving me to be alone with my (so called mother). I set the white rose on the casket, bend over, saying a silent paragraph in my head:

Hello mom, I know I failed you, that this'll be our final good-bye, but I just want to say: I love you and I'll miss you. I wish we had a longer time span to get to know each other. But it was cut short because of my mistakes; for being me. Now your gone.

I straighten up and walk down the aisle, slumped and head low. When I'm at the door less door frame, seeing Edwen with his shoulder resting carefully against the right side of the frame.

Cold and precise when I say, "Please, Edwen leave me alone-I'm going home, so I suggest you do the same." I clench my teeth, ball up my hands in to fists. But even though I sound cold, I can still hear the weeping tears in my voice. So I knew he could too. I shove pass him, hear his pleading words say, "Sophia-please!"

I scurry pass that, rushing through the main doors.

When I'm at the parking lot, crossing it-I get out my keys. Once at the car I get in, starting it-I look in my review mirror, then my side mirror to see if any one is coming-nothing.

So then I lean back, sighing, slowly pulling down the hood. I start to back out-when suddenly Layden comes out of nowhere from behind. I press on the breaks harder than what's really necessary.

I freeze in frantic for a moment-giving him time to come around to my driver side, bend down and tap on my glass.

I jump, turning to look out in to his deep blue eyes and marked covered face like mine. . . .

I wind down my window, squeezing the words out, "Yes Layden?"

"Are you leaving?"

I nod. "Yes, why?"

"May I come?" He asks, "There's things I want to teach you. Things your guardians will never know or understand."

"Okay, get in."

He nods, straightening up, turning to walk around to the passenger side. As he does that, I roll up my window, straightening up in my seat.

"There's ways to control ourselves Sophia-control the monster. Live normally."

"REALLY?!"

"Yes." He closes the door, "there is."

"I've seen you'd had your first attack, am I right?"

"Two. One in class, my mark was doing some weird stuff, and it shook-I gravitated a TV that almost crushed a girl. . . .and then one with the monster actually trying to come out. Forcing to have short out-burst! And you say there's a way to control it?"

He nods.

"Please, you're my answer, my prayer. The other me that I need to make me whole. You found me, thank for that. How you did it, I really don't care-but you did!"

"I could say the same for you. Your making me the man I was again, before. . . ," he quivers.

"Its been very stressful-finding out my friend is a werewolf-that I was never born in to this family-or any family in that case. Lukas killing my mother. . . .if you only knew!"

He puts his hand on my shoulder, "I can only imagine half of what your going through, Sophia.

I nod, feeling better knowing he actually does, he's been there what I've been going through-and more!

I turn the car out of my parking space, towards the exit of the parking lot.

28. Test Against Will

"ARE YOU READY?"

I nod, eyes closed

"Are you sure?"

I exhale, "yes."

"Okay, let's begin."

I nod again.

Suddenly I feel his hand grip my arms, positioning them. "Okay, listen to my voice, then repeat my words, you got that?"

"Yes."

"You can't talk, not in this state-this is only your first time, so still of silence is all you need. And the will-which I know you have, or you wouldn't have made it this far. . . ."

I nod, swallowing hard.

"Exhale, inhale-I am strong enough, powerful enough to over power you, us, me!"

He pauses, "your mark should be flaring as mine is."

I nod, exhaling, inhaling deep breathes as I prepare to say the words, "I am strong enough, powerful enough to over power you, us, me!" I mumble. As soon as the words are out I feel a rush through me, a burning throb against my burning, pulsating mark starting to my wrist up-and to the mid section of my right leg and up. One trailing up my leg, around my hip-and straight across my back. The other up my arm twisting around my should, across my chest-up my throat, curving around my chin to my face from the left. While the leg and across my back is from the right.

"Good, very good." I feel him turn me around.

Touching my forehead, my chest-then he pulls down my sleeve so he can touch my shoulder/my arm/ my wrist.

Later that evening when we're sitting on my bed, I nod, eyes open in fascination as I hear him talk-like a wise old man that knows the ways of life, a teacher that's seen it all.

In this case the ways of the ellipse, telling me little-sometimes big details of ourselves that I find so scary yet intriguing; which could only be brought between us.

"I'm happy I found my yang to my ying. I mean, seriously I thought I was alone-all alone!"

"I'm sorry I couldn't have come sooner, Sophia. I really tried."

"I believe you."

I giggle, "that-that feels funny."

I look down, seeing him hold his mark arm over mine, a ball of clear energy warping around hi hand, up his marked arm-its even around the void between his arm between my marked arm palm side up on my lap-sleeve pulled up like his is too on his marked arm.

"Be serious Sophia-and watch as I do this."

He twist his body a bit to the corner of my room where my dresser is. He stands up. "You wont do this for a very long time-you got a lot of healing, and controlling fix before you can do this; if you do this now you'll release the monster. So don't try this. I'm just showing you an example on what you could do. Its not all about getting it angry and letting go-its working with yourself-the monster is you, just well, not in the form you'll recognize. . . .the power, the force, the rage-its all tamable." I nod, knowing at my lips, nervous.

He raises his hand out, fingers out stretched-palm showing when I see a glance of white in his eyes. Hard not to turn back to the hideous, horrifying monster he looks like. Suddenly one of my knickknacks on top of my dresser is being uplifted-flying quickly in to Layden's hands. I stand up, "Oh-my-god how did you do that?!" He looks over to me releasing the knickknack and letting it float in the air. He moves his fingers, brushing the air towards me. As he did that-the knickknack flies to me, hitting my chest with thump. Landing in my scooped hands that I tried to form as I saw it coming towards me. "That's what you could do too-if you were trained. I trained myself everything, taught myself the boundaries and how far I can take it." He turns to me, eyes turning in to his beautiful blue eyes again. Pale almost white blue eyes so deep, so beautiful.

"So you know them well enough to teach me?"

"Of course," he looks at the knickknack in my hand.

I straighten, walking to my dresser, placing it in its place. Layden following me to my dresser.

"Do you want to give one more shot with the practice-it can't hurt?"

I sigh, "I'd had enough with practice today," I say walking to my bed, sitting down on it.

"Are you-?"

"Huh?" I look up at him. "Yeah, I'm fine." I sigh

He sits by me, patting his hand on my shoulder. Before finally, it slowly creeps in to a hug around me, "It's okay Sophia, no pressure. I'll leave now-let you cool down, how does that sound?"

I nod quietly.

Soon afterwards I watch him walk across my room out the door.

Epilogue:

The Note

A MONTH AND A HALF LATER ITS MARCH SIXTH, MY BIRTHDAY.

I walk up the drive from getting out of my car, just got out of school. Yes I'm back in school. I get my keys out, and adjust my book back when I reach the porch steps.

I freeze when I see a taped up note on the door, I bend over and rip it off the door, and I start to read it:

Hello, Darlin'

Happy Big Old 18 !

Its your Birthday, I want you to enjoy it!

L.D

I tremble, frozen in shock, frozen in my speech. . . . .

165

~173~